Wynn Thornton (Needs-a-job arc)
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northwind.bsky.social
Wynn Thornton (Needs-a-job arc)
@northwind.bsky.social
1.3K followers 2.2K following 13K posts
Gamer; mental health advocate; failed linguist; spreadsheet wrangler; lover of science, math(s) and logic. UCLA, Oxford Uni. 🏳️‍⚧️

Please do not DM with just "hello."

FF14 posting: @maidenofletters.etheirys.social
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northwind.bsky.social
And now they're spamming my inbox with the same message over and over.
Email from BlueSky to me: Hi there, We want to let you know that a recent post from an account you run (@northwind.bsky.social) makes us think you might be going through a difficult time. Your post didn’t violate any of our policies, but it was concerning and we’re reaching out to make sure you’re alright. Here are some resources that we’ve come across that might be helpful to you. Help is available through each of these. Call or text 988 - The National Suicide and Crisis hotline is available 24/7 if you’re looking for someone to talk to who can provide emotional support. It is free and confidential. Text the Crisis Text Line - You can text the word “home” to 741741 and get connected to a volunteer crisis counselor. You can also chat through Whatsapp. Call the LGBT National Resource Center - You can call 888-843-4564 Monday-Friday from 1pm to 9pm pacific time or Saturday-Sunday from 9am to 2pm to talk to a trained volunteer. If you’re experiencing an immediate desire to hurt yourself please call 988 and let them know you need immediate attention. We love having you on Bluesky and we hope that you stay safe. Bluesky Moderation Team My response: Hi. This is the second time you've sent me this in barely over an hour. After wrongfully suspending my account for this, the least you could do is not also spam my inbox.
November 10, 2025 at 11:57 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Related: If you hire me, this is the kind of thought process you get!

I’m not claiming to be an expert in cybersecurity nor risk management—but I *am* asserting that this how my mind naturally works.
Part of a conversation on Discord between a friend and me. Them: There are no DDoS attacks It's NTT Me: Because it's not at all unreasonable to speculate that if hardcore players are going to Materia on account of this, many more casual players have probably stopped altogether Them: [attaches an image evidencing their claim that the server connectivity issues in the game are caused by a certain backbone ISP node near the physical datacenter] Me, responding to their first messages: From what I've seen, it's both. The outages aren't temporally random. They coincide with Live Letters. NTT is a problem, but it seems like every time there's a Live Letter the problems uptick (Notably, the uptick starts after the live letter, not after the new patch is implemented.) That suggests agency on the part of a human actor. Me, in reduced-impact font: Seriously, someone pay me to do this shit. I'm literally begging.
November 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Awfully late at night for this...
The Primal datacenter of Final Fantasy 14, completely down.
November 8, 2025 at 8:21 AM
northwind.bsky.social
Context irrelevant, but yeah. I was literally just discussing this the other day.
A message from me, on Discord: Interestingly, it is possible to see the uncapitalized versions client side: Send minions in a moogle-mail to a friend, then check your sent-letter history. I know, I know, who would ever do this? Yes, I'm weird, lol. Been told I have a great mind for QA, because of stuff like this. Would probs love it too. It's an impossible field to break into right now though. Too many people with a decade of direct experience out of work.
November 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Also, relevant.
A fake Magic The Gathering card. Name: 90002 Cost: nine plus black black Instant Effect: All players lose the game. Flavor text: “Anyone else lagging?”
November 5, 2025 at 4:30 AM
northwind.bsky.social
Seriously, this is how my mind works. I genuinely feel like this is a good mindset that would make me a boon to an employer.

Someone hire me!
Oh, just for my own sanity, can someone confirm that this run is indeed starting at 6:00 PM tonight? DST has changed between the time the event was created and now, and the admin/scheduling person in me feels it better to request clarification than to simply assume.
November 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Really hitting home that I have none of this myself.
Steady work, board, lodging... If that's not a recipe for hope, I don't know what is.
November 2, 2025 at 8:43 AM
northwind.bsky.social
A dialogue box from Final Fantasy 14. A character named Leveva is saying: "The answer to that is easy. Empowering those without power lessens the power of those who already have it. Heal the weak so they might rise up and topple those who made them weak? Why would anyone in a position of power do that? Even our great nation of learning is corrupted by this matter..."
November 2, 2025 at 2:52 AM
northwind.bsky.social
Reposting a classic.

(This is another case where I had to resort to Google. Duck Duck Go returned irrelevant crap on every query; on Google, I found it in 15 seconds.)
A two-panel meme. Both panels depict the same character, a woman who’s a player character in a fantasy game. The left panel, labeled “No armor on,” depicts her in a corset-like garment that covers her entire torso and arms. The right panel, labeled “High level armor,” depicts her wearing a highly revealing outfit that would be overly generous to call a metal bikini. Text along the bottom, centered across both panels, reads “Genius”.
October 31, 2025 at 1:15 AM
northwind.bsky.social
Ha. Haha.
An email: HI PHILIP. Thank you for choosing Amtrak! We're interested in learning more about your recent trip. Please take a moment to provide feedback on your travel experience in a brief survey. Your responses will ensure we are meeting the needs of travelers like you. The survey will be available until November 06, 2025. How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or family member? Not Likely Extremely Likely
October 30, 2025 at 9:40 PM
northwind.bsky.social
This isn’t as unambiguously good as it sounds, since I only have housing in San Diego through the end of November. And San Diego is among the worst places even in California for unhoused services.

Thank you to everyone who’s sent me money! What I “actually” need now is work and housing, tho.
Okay, good news: Medicaid has been successfully transferred to San Diego. SNAP will be transferred to San Diego as of December 1, but l'm authorized to start using the benefits I currently have in San Diego immediately. They'll issue me a new card in December though.
October 30, 2025 at 8:59 PM
northwind.bsky.social
I play FF14 but not WoW, but yeah. I’m a healer main and Same.
THIS WAS AWESOME!!! Brayflox's Longstop HM. The tank DCed the moment we started. We got all the way to the final boss before it would even let us kick, then it never gave us a replacement. We did the whole thing with just the three of us, with the SAM acting as tank. It was incredible! This is why I love duty roulette! Because sometimes, even if rarely, you get experiences like this. Ijust had a run of Oarn where the tank DCed the moment the dungeon started and we got all the way though the second boss before another one joined. The DPS were great though! It was a tankless job, to be sure.
October 30, 2025 at 8:54 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Speak of the devil lol. This (second two) just happened.
Yesterday 13:28: I just got a call from CalFresh. IDK why, and they didn't say. Googled the number and it looks like it's probably legit (not a scam), but I won't be able to deal with it until early next week. Won't get back to San Diego until the 31st, which is a Friday, and at that point will probably just crash from 48+ hours of sleep deprivation and starvation Just now: Ijust called them back. The reason for their call: They've scheduled me for a phone induction for SNAP today at 3pm. Barely 24 hours notice. I asked whether I could just do the interview right now while I'm on the phone. They said they'd transfer me to a different person who could do that. This other person then said they couldn't do that. Just now: Also, every representative at the HHSA department requires me to verify my identity by saying out loud my full SSN, birthdate, and legal name. Perfect thing to do on a crowded train. I'm going to try to take the interview at 3pm. No guarantees I'll be able to on the train.
October 30, 2025 at 7:49 PM
northwind.bsky.social
They won’t let me rebook without calling anyway.
Your train between DUN-LAX is delayed Cancel your trip for a full refund or contact 1-800-USA-RAIL to modify your reservation.
October 30, 2025 at 3:41 AM
northwind.bsky.social
This town has a WiFi network across their entire downtown. It has never worked, any time I’ve been here.

Did I mention that one of the other jobs this County rejected me from was an entry-level IT position?
Unable to join the network "Dunsmuir Downtown Wifi" This network is operating on Wi-Fi channels in use by several other nearby networks. Restarting your wireless router may allow it to automatically choose the best channel to use, and may resolve this problem.
October 30, 2025 at 1:02 AM
northwind.bsky.social
They are still texting and emailing, just to report that they have nothing to report.
AMTRAK Travel Update: As of 5:16 PM PT, Train 11 remains stopped due to a local municipal services investigation. We appreciate your continued support and understanding during this time. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. For customers still waiting to board this train, departure estimates are subject to change. If a train is delayed past its scheduled departure time, it may still leave earlier than the updated estimate, if conditions allow. To avoid missing your train, please stay near the boarding area and monitor for announcements or updates. Please click the link for more information.
October 30, 2025 at 12:25 AM
northwind.bsky.social
Amtrak is blaming "municipal officials." Which I'm sceptical about, because that suggests they've closed the tracks without prior notice to Amtrak. Could be an emergency. IDK.
Service Disruption Thu, Oct 30 11 Coast Starlight Estimated Departure TBD Scheduled 12:45a Estimated Arrival TBD Scheduled 12:45a Temporary Hold: As of 4:23 PM PT, Coast Starlight Train 11 is stopped while local municipal officials work ahead and have placed a hold on the tracks. We appreciate your patience during this process and are committed to providing additional details as soon as they become available. For customers waiting to board this train, please be aware that departure estimates are subject to change. If conditions allow, a train delayed past its scheduled departure time may leave earlier than the updated estimate. To avoid missing your train, please stay near the boarding area and monitor for announcements or updates.
October 29, 2025 at 11:51 PM
northwind.bsky.social
They also sent me 17 emails.
Amtrak Service Alert: As of 4:27 PM PT, Hello, Train 11 is experiencing an extended delay.
October 29, 2025 at 11:39 PM
northwind.bsky.social
As if this day could not get any worse.

(It’s “the same” text 17 times. The URL does not work.)
October 29, 2025 at 11:37 PM
northwind.bsky.social
One was the Deputy Director of the Public Works department. (I had CCed the Director on the initial letter, but his email returned an out-of-office bounceback.

The other CC, though? Holy shit. I think they know they fucked up bad.
Personnel - Risk Management Contact Information.
October 29, 2025 at 10:52 PM
northwind.bsky.social
UPDATE: I did receive a response, and I responded in turn. Both pictured.
Hi Philip, Thank you for reaching out, and I sincerely apologize that the driver's license requirement was not clearly outlined in the job announcement. The Staff Services Analyst position is used across multiple departments within the County, and some departments do not require a driver's license for the same classification. When departments review applications, they only see your education and experience —they do not have access to personal details such as driver's license status or addresses. Unfortunately, they only became aware that you do not possess a driver's license when reviewing the interview materials this morning. At this time, the Public Works Department does not offer virtual interviews, and due to the urgency of filling this position, they are not planning to conduct second interviews. Additionally, the department has determined that they will not hire based solely on a virtual interview. We understand this situation is disappointing, and I truly regret any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. Please don't hesitate to reach out if have further questions regarding other positions you may have applied for. Thank you for the response. While it may change at some point in the future, at this juncture I have no intention of applying or interviewing for any further positions with Siskiyou County. I would have loved to work for the County, and I feel my skills and experience would have made me a great asset to your team. However, if I'm reading your email correctly, you are saying that I can never be certain that I'll be allowed to actually interview for a position even if directly invited to interview, because the invitations are sent without a full qualification review being conducted and because the job announcements on government jobs dot com are not adequate for applicants to accurately discern on their own whether or not they're qualified. (I would argue that this is a major administrative problem that ought to be addressed with high priority, but I have no illusions that my opinion carries any weight here.) Thank you for your time.
October 29, 2025 at 8:54 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Sent a strongly-worded letter on the matter. I don’t expect I’ll ever hear any response.

Seriously, fuck these fuckers.
Dear Rebecca Sloan, In this email I am going to be as polite and professional as possible, but I must inquire: Why did you invite me to interview for this position, when I'm not even minimally qualified? I spent roughly $600 and four days to take this interview, and I was not even allowed to speak to the interview panel! This position requires a driver's license. I do not have a driver license. I stated honestly on the application that I do not have a driver's license. The posting on government jobs dot com does say that "some departments may require a driver's license," but it does not say that a driver's license is definitely required. I just walked out of 1312 Fairlane, where l'd showed up on time for the 11:30am interview I'd scheduled. I was in and out in less than five minutes. The interview panel refused to even speak to me because I don't have a driver's license. To summarize my past communications on related matters: • I previously communicated to you, weeks ago, that I do not currently live in Siskiyou County, but that I have lived here in the past and would happily return if offered a job with the County. I also updated my address on government jobs dot com weeks ago. The residential address you attached to your email of invitation is incorrect, and was incorrect at the time that email was sent. • I have previously inquired whether interviews can be conducted remotely, by phone, by Skype or Microsoft Teams, etc. You have stressed, in bolded type, "In-person interviews only." • I have previously interviewed for another job with a different County office, at which I was assured by the interview panel that even jobs which ostensibly do require a driver's license as a definitive matter are often/usually flexible on the matter. Based on these previous communications, I traveled to Siskiyou County all the way from San Diego County (roughly 750 miles each way), just to take this interview. This was no small expense, and I had not budgeted for it-but I felt this job was worth it, because based on all the information detailed on government jobs dot com I thought it was an unusually good fit for my skills and experience. I had assumed-not unreasonably, in my honest opinion-that you would not offer an interview to a person whose application contained affirmative declarations that would render that person ineligible to be interviewed for the position. Simply put, I feel deceived, and would welcome an explanation. Regards, Philip Burbidge
October 29, 2025 at 7:28 PM
northwind.bsky.social
According to DownDetector, AWS is currently experiencing another outage too. Looks like they both started around the same time.
A screenshot of DownDetector, showing that Microsoft Azure is down (but seems to be recovering). A screenshot of DownDetector, showing that Microsoft Azure is down (and does not seem to be recovering).
October 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
northwind.bsky.social
ADDENDUM: No, I am not photogenic. I’m aware. This is apparently only the tenth selfie I’ve ever taken. I average less than one selfie per year.

Here’s an outtake:
The same person as pictured above, attempting to take a mirror selfie. They have a decidedly-goofy look on their face. Not intentionally, I should add.
October 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM
northwind.bsky.social
Ready as I’ll ever be. But wow, it’s been one hell of a morning.

1. My belt chose “two hours before the interview” as the perfect time to break.

2. Shower mechanism broke, so I got slightly-colder-than-lukewarm shower at a time when the outdoor temperature is 43°F (6°C)

(1/4)
A white, masc-presenting person is seen from the stomach up. They have short brown hair and blue eyes. They’re clean-shaven and wear a light blue collared shirt and a long dark blue necktie.
October 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM