(i guess the audio plug-in doesn’t like wav files, only mp3s. check out the cartoon for the sound)

from a homestar runner cartoon

i noticed today during my 4th interview with accenture that i was having a bit of trouble putting together sentences like i used to be able to. i kept pausing and thinking of words, when i used to be able to speak very fluidly and had no trouble like i did today. even as i write this i have to pause periodically to find the right words.

seems working at VIA/HP and not thinking or having to express myself much for a few months really had a negative effect on my communication skills. the other day i watched a show on G4, amidst all of the Star Trek: The Next Generation reruns, called Brainiac. it’s a UK show sort of like Myth Busters, only with English accents and much less sophisticated. one of their experiments on the show was to test whether people on ‘holiday’ (‘vacation’ for you Yanks :)) lost intelligence points after they had been away from any intellectual stimulation for a period of time. they all took IQ tests before leaving, and all scored an average of 114. after having returned, they took the tests again, this time only scoring and average of 104 or so.

i think this is exactly what happened to me at VIA. not being able to think outside of the box had a very bad effect on me, and i realize i have to make sure not to fall into that trap again. this might sound like common sense, but the mind, just like the body, needs to be exercised to stay in shape. i always knew this, but didn’t notice the effects until now. when i wrote the entry about Albert Camus’ The Stranger, one of my co-workers asked me why i went to the trouble to do so. i shrugged, then answered that it was to keep my mind sharp.

maybe i needed to read a lot more to keep it sharper. oh well.

the interviews with Accenture are going well so far … tomorrow is another interview with Hilgraeve, the company in Monroe i’ve mentioned. both companies are great; Hilgraeve is a smaller, less formal environment while Accenture is huge. i’ll definitely be challenged at either job, and the growth potential is big in both situations. it will be a tough decision to make.