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At the end of our interview we ask our candidates to do a simple software design on the white board; yesterday’s candidate was so confused by the idea that she never even took hold of the pen, let alone stand up out of her chair. This is like interviewing potential home designers and saying could you sketch where the furniture would go in the new TV room. You’d expect them to draw a square and put some marks or words like ‘sofa’ or ‘table’. Maybe they would ask you questions – what furniture? Do you have a preference? You would not expect them to just stare at you and say they nothing.

I phone screened all three applicants this week and something I had been concerned about in advance was language difficulties – all the candidates were Indian. All three had spoken clearly and succinctly on the phone so it was a shock to meet them in person and find that we could all barely communicate. And it wasn’t just me, my co-interviewers (both Americans) could not understand them (or they understand us) either. So we’ve come up with a conspiracy theory. The phone screens aren’t the candidates at all, we speak to some well-spoken and knowledgeable person who gets through that hurdle, but then the real person shows up and it’s a totally different experience.

Anyway three interviews this week, all pretty much the same. Three more next week but they are from a different agency so I have hope of a higher quality.

Not sure if this is a cultural difference between the USA and the UK, or whether I just work with a bunch of rude idiots, but when I’m eating lunch at my desk I expect to be left in peace. Don’t come up and start a work conversation and prevent me from eating my food while it’s hot. I’m not so rude that I will ignore you and carry on eating, so instead you’ll ruin my lunch.

I assume there must have been a time when I didn’t feel sick but I can’t remember it. My first abscess/MRSA encounter was in November and I’m not sure I was sick before then so that’s probably when it all started. Since then of course I had the second abscess/MRSA deal and now a cold that has lasted a week and shows no sign of getting better. And my stomach hasn’t recovered from the first round of antibiotics, it’s been upset now for two months.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that I turned 42 in December, I was told that at 40 the body would deteriorate rapidly but perhaps I am just off by 2 years. Too bad I didn’t know or maybe I would have done something with those ‘extra’ two years. Yeah, I know, I would still have wasted them.

I cringe every time I am asked to give my name in a restaurant, fast food joint etc. I know not why but there are very few people out there who hear the word “Paul” when I say my name. Much easier just to call myself Josh. Or Steve. Or … Recent names that have appeared on my receipts, starting with the one from today:

• Poul
• Pole
• Pawl
• Pull

My regular weekly pattern involves going to Von’s on the evening of my first day back in San Diego to buy items for lunch and dinner for the rest of the week. I almost always want a bottle of Sierra Mist Free, and occasionally I need a 12-pack of Diet Coke. My needs for the week are quite modest so I take a basket around the store rather than a trolley.

For the last few weeks, my soda items have become quite expensive when purchased singly. But if I want to “buy 3, get 2 free” then it’s a steal. But I don’t want to carry 5 bottles of Sierra Mist or 4 12-packs of Coke around the store with me. Yes, I could drop everything and go get a trolley but I don’t need one for my 10 items (or less), and I don’t want all that in my fridge.

It’s very annoying.

Oh, a Friday video…. I love this version of Cameo’s Word up by Willis. You can buy it on the iTMS, but here’s the only video clip I could find, from the episode of CSI that first turned me on to it.