Wow. I don't think even Zed Shaw has ever gotten fired in such a spectacular manner.
Abrasive personalities can sometimes be a good thing, but "I've got getting new jobs so well figured-out that not even behavior which was borderline insane ever stopped me from getting a new job." is probably a huge warning sign.
Giles Bowkett is funny, outrageous, and entertaining. His brand of humor probably isn't for everyone but to me it's a sign of someone who's imaginative enough and not afraid to think things through without being constrained by convention. I think I'd like working with him.
Also, he DID state clearly that the cream-soda-throwing incident was unacceptable. Admitting to and learning from your mistakes is almost better than not making them.
He does sound interesting, and like a fun coworker.
However, you must admit that if working with him, you must update your prior probability of "work being interrupted by a SWAT team and an not-coincidental family of rabid ferrets."
I gotta be honest and go against the pack here: the cream soda incident is all sorts of hilarious, that alone made me give the guy several points.
I could never bring myself to fire someone over something as ridiculous as that. It's way too freaking funny to take real action against.
Perhaps my appreciation for that sort of thing is yet another reason why I've never gotten along with normal people in the rest of the business world...
Abrasive personalities can sometimes be a good thing, but "I've got getting new jobs so well figured-out that not even behavior which was borderline insane ever stopped me from getting a new job." is probably a huge warning sign.