Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Signed the Deal
This morning I made the long trek up to Markham again in order to sign the employment agreement with ATI. I finally got to meet the HR person I had been dealing with in person, who filled me a little bit more about the company ("there's 1,500 employees here, and 2,000 worldwide") and what I could expect when I started in a couple of weeks ("you can expect to be really busy"). Oddly enough I think it is about the 6-month anniversary of receiving my original termination notice from Digital View. I had fun over the summer, but I am glad to finally be returning to full-time rather than contract work.

Up until now I have tended to work for smaller companies, so joining a company like ATI is a little bit daunting. I have often been the big fish in a small pond, but, stretching the analogy further, I expect I will find it harder to make a "big splash". Still, I can't help but think the opportunities available are greater, a point brought home to me when I met the director in charge of documentation, tech support and so on who started out at the firm as a tech writer himself.

Am still trying to figure out the best way of getting there and back. The most efficient seems to be the 25D bus that heads there starting from the Pape subway station. I couldn't help but think it ironic that the bus route takes me by the old Delrina/Symantec building where I used to work many years ago. I considered getting off at that point in the journey on the way back just to check out what's left, but after seeing the large "for lease" signs dotted about the building, I'm not sure there was anything left there to visit. I remember hearing that Symantec effectively closed up shop in that building a couple of years or so ago, but it would have been interesting to see if there was some small token still left there. I have always thought that the story of Delrina has never been fully told, and am half-interested in the idea of tackling the subject as a business biography some day. An idea, but not high on my list of priorities at the moment...

First Part of Book Excerpt Appears on WebReference
I got an email from my editor at WebReference that the first part of what will turn out to be a lengthy two-part excerpt from my latest book has appeared on their site. I submitted to them the section on international formatting using CSS, a topic I've not seen well-covered elsewhere. Am hoping that this will help boost the publicity for the sale of my book in the process.

Voted
With Annie in her backpack, I went on an errand to deliver some clothes to the local dry cleaners. On the way back I saw that the polling station was already open for the provincial election, so with Annie "helping" me and charming everybody there, I put in my "X" on the piece of paper.

I won't reveal who I voted for here, though anybody who knows me will realize that I have no love for the current incumbent government, and never had. It looks as though the Tories will finally be given the boot they so richly deserve for 8 years of effectively dismantling much of the Province's infrastructure while somehow building the provincial debt further in the process. Having said that, while the Liberals are bound to form the next government, I hope it is not a huge majority, as huge-majority governments tend not to be as responsive as those with a smaller majority.

I have to admit to being surprised by the Conservative's current election platform, which seems to be an American-style "cut taxes/slander your opponent" campaign. I can't but feel incredulous at this -- heck, raise my taxes if it’s going to fix things. What small amount extra I've had in my pocket has been more than offset by concerns and worry about everything ranging from the quality of health care (something I got to experience first-hand while my Mother was still alive), the problems with the education system, the seeming breakdown in infrastructure evidenced in everything from water quality to meet inspection, hydro, and the on-going fiasco of the 407 toll highway. I can't help thinking that the Tories are running a very cynical campaign, effectively trying to buy votes, and I for one hope that most of my fellow Ontarians can see through this cheap ploy. A pox on the provincial Conservatives, and may they never return!