Hey! It's been so long! How have you, blah, blah, etc. Let's cut to the chase. A friend of mine is doing this "30 Days of Self Love" (get your minds out of the gutter people) on her blog and posting on her blog every day in an attempt at self affirmation and, well, love I guess. In honor of her dedication, or perhaps to satisfy my competitive nature, I have determined to attempt to post for 30 straight days as well. It's not going to be self love and affirmation posts though. More just an outward motivation to force myself to write something every day for a month than anything.
Truth is, I probably need this though. I've been in a bit of an unproductive funk the last week or two (or fifty). It happens to everyone from time to time I think. Getting stuck in a rut is hardly a new concept. But for whatever reason I've always been too comfortable in ruts. My motivation takes a nap and I just chill there until a tow truck comes to get me. It's not writer's block (which I don't believe in anyways) and it's not a loss of direction. I can still write and I still know where I'm going. It's just laziness and self indulgence. It's immaturity at it's finest.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that I can make excuses all day. I'm a world class BS artist and I can run with the best of them (not literally of course, if I wanted to work that hard I wouldn't have to make stuff up). I think all writers are really, since we pull our entire career out of thin air. But sitting down here now, at this keyboard, I can cut through all of that and be honest with myself. Writing is, in many ways, a flow exercise for me. I'll often write things that don't come to my conscious mind when I'm not streaming my thoughts onto a page. For all my introspection I can be very un-self-aware.
The real question, of course, is why can I drag my butt to the gym 5-6
days a week but I can't manage to sit down at a computer and type for
even 20 minutes? My laziness/procrastination has started to worry even myself lately. And that needs to stop. And I am hopeful that this exercise and external motivator will help me with that in a broader sense. So stay tuned and we will see if it works. The tow truck is taking too long and I'm gonna see if I can jump the car myself this time.
And for those of you that come here for Super Apartment Bros. updates, we are submitting a special episode for a film festival today (as in, within the next few hours). The episode represents a tremendous opportunity for exposure within the video game and machinima industries, as well as putting our product in front of (potentially) millions of eyeballs... *If we're accepted. So pray or think happy thoughts or whatever you do, because this could be huge!
Until tomorrow *insert catchphrase here*!
8.11.12
13.8.12
Super Apartment Bros. Update
Super Apartment Bros. is thoroughly underway and I'm excited to share about it here with you. We have just released our fifth full episode over at the youtube channel. I'll be posting videos to all of them at the end of this post so you can see them all if you haven't watched any yet.
Things haven't exploded the way we've hoped they would and that's been challenging. We really believe this show deserves a bigger following than we've secured thus far. But at the same time, we continue to see consistent growth and overwhelmingly positive feedback in our subscriber base so it's hard to complain too much.
Slowly but surely has become the mantra around here lately. Except for one week where we were retweeted by a big video game person with 18k Twitter followers (led to 70 new subscribers and 1,500 views in 24 hours), we've consistently added 15-25 new subscribers each week. And we are grateful for every single one of them.
We've got some pretty exciting stuff going on behind the scenes that we want to keep under wraps for the time being, but we should be announcing it in the next month or so. Keep an eye out. In the meantime, check out what all our hard work has wrought so far!
Things haven't exploded the way we've hoped they would and that's been challenging. We really believe this show deserves a bigger following than we've secured thus far. But at the same time, we continue to see consistent growth and overwhelmingly positive feedback in our subscriber base so it's hard to complain too much.
Slowly but surely has become the mantra around here lately. Except for one week where we were retweeted by a big video game person with 18k Twitter followers (led to 70 new subscribers and 1,500 views in 24 hours), we've consistently added 15-25 new subscribers each week. And we are grateful for every single one of them.
We've got some pretty exciting stuff going on behind the scenes that we want to keep under wraps for the time being, but we should be announcing it in the next month or so. Keep an eye out. In the meantime, check out what all our hard work has wrought so far!
9.7.12
You can watch the introductory episode, "Episode 0" as we're calling it, at the link provided. And you can subscribe to the youtube channel if you want to keep up to date on new episodes. We will be releasing a new episode every Monday starting July 16th. Enjoy!
4.7.12
Just a Thought
I was out with some friends at a bar tonight, when I had a revelation of sorts.
It was a friend of a friend's birthday and I was invited along to hang out. I have been making a conscious and concerted effort to get out and meet new people at every opportunity that comes my way (networking and such). So I went. It wasn't until I got there, however, that I learned the next stop on the night's agenda: a nearby strip club.
When I discovered this, I was asked if I was planning on going. I, of course, said that no, that didn't interest me. But it was when I was asked "Why?" that I had my revelation.
To set up the scenario a little more thoroughly, I have been listening to podcasts of sermons my pastor did a few years ago on sexuality. It's really put on my heart how this whole battle for purity is typically gone about completely wrong. We try to fight off symptoms without ever treating the disease in our hearts. We're fighting a fire without turning off the fuel valve feeding the fire first. The truth is, if we're seeking after Christ for our satisfaction and validation in life, the rest comes a lot easier.
Faith is the name of the game. Either we trust God or we don't. Trust him to provide for us. To meet our needs or even desires, in his time. Trust that he knows what's best for me, even if (and especially when) I think I know better. Trust that God's ideal is just that; the ideal. He isn't trying to be a buzz kill or keep you from enjoying your life. His way will provide the most reward in your life; both this one and the next.
Now that isn't always easy either, so don't get me wrong. But we need to be focusing this fight on the source and not on the front lines. To put it into a nerdy perspective: You can't blow up a Death Star if you're stuck fighting TIE Fighters the whole time. At some point you have to take the fight to the source of the problem and blow up that main reactor. God is remaking all of us, in time. Stay the course because once you've given your life to him, he's not going to let you go. Honeybadger takes what it wants...
So back to the bar, and the hanging question we left there. The correct answer isn't "Because I'm a Christian" or "I'm not supposed to" or anything like that. The true answer is "Because I don't want to", because when you're seeking after Christ, and his best for you, you really won't want to. This is something that we need to start taking ownership of as Christian men and women. God is not some dad that grounded us or some cop waiting to bust us when we stray. He's wants for our hearts to want the things his heart wants. And when that happens, we don't want to do such things.
So don't pass the blame and don't shift the responsibility. Be accountable for your decisions (which they are), because how you respond to this and questions like it can actually shape how others perceive God. It's not because he said not to, it's because we don't want to. I don't want to go. I don't want to do it. It's not God's ideal for the beautiful gift of sexuality that he gave us. It's a perversion of what is right and I don't want to participate in it. It's not about what you should or shouldn't do, it's about what your heart wants: your own selfish desires or God.
It was a friend of a friend's birthday and I was invited along to hang out. I have been making a conscious and concerted effort to get out and meet new people at every opportunity that comes my way (networking and such). So I went. It wasn't until I got there, however, that I learned the next stop on the night's agenda: a nearby strip club.
When I discovered this, I was asked if I was planning on going. I, of course, said that no, that didn't interest me. But it was when I was asked "Why?" that I had my revelation.
To set up the scenario a little more thoroughly, I have been listening to podcasts of sermons my pastor did a few years ago on sexuality. It's really put on my heart how this whole battle for purity is typically gone about completely wrong. We try to fight off symptoms without ever treating the disease in our hearts. We're fighting a fire without turning off the fuel valve feeding the fire first. The truth is, if we're seeking after Christ for our satisfaction and validation in life, the rest comes a lot easier.
Faith is the name of the game. Either we trust God or we don't. Trust him to provide for us. To meet our needs or even desires, in his time. Trust that he knows what's best for me, even if (and especially when) I think I know better. Trust that God's ideal is just that; the ideal. He isn't trying to be a buzz kill or keep you from enjoying your life. His way will provide the most reward in your life; both this one and the next.
Now that isn't always easy either, so don't get me wrong. But we need to be focusing this fight on the source and not on the front lines. To put it into a nerdy perspective: You can't blow up a Death Star if you're stuck fighting TIE Fighters the whole time. At some point you have to take the fight to the source of the problem and blow up that main reactor. God is remaking all of us, in time. Stay the course because once you've given your life to him, he's not going to let you go. Honeybadger takes what it wants...
So back to the bar, and the hanging question we left there. The correct answer isn't "Because I'm a Christian" or "I'm not supposed to" or anything like that. The true answer is "Because I don't want to", because when you're seeking after Christ, and his best for you, you really won't want to. This is something that we need to start taking ownership of as Christian men and women. God is not some dad that grounded us or some cop waiting to bust us when we stray. He's wants for our hearts to want the things his heart wants. And when that happens, we don't want to do such things.
So don't pass the blame and don't shift the responsibility. Be accountable for your decisions (which they are), because how you respond to this and questions like it can actually shape how others perceive God. It's not because he said not to, it's because we don't want to. I don't want to go. I don't want to do it. It's not God's ideal for the beautiful gift of sexuality that he gave us. It's a perversion of what is right and I don't want to participate in it. It's not about what you should or shouldn't do, it's about what your heart wants: your own selfish desires or God.
4.5.12
Wow! That Got Away From Me There...
I apologize to all my loyal readers, all three of you that still check this thing occasionally. I did not intend to abandon you with no contact for nearly three months. I did in fact nearly post several times over the last few months, but I failed to get off the ground each time. I guess my creative juices aren't being stirred enough lately.
Stirring time I guess.
A lot of things have remained the same. I'm still broke. I'm still jobless. I'm still struggling to motivate myself to keep looking for work in what feels like a worthless exercise these days. As far as I can tell, the only way to get work anywhere out here is to know someone and have an in. This goes from In N Out to the production offices at Warner Bros. Knowing someone is hardly a guarantee of employment either of course, but at least you have a fair shot. Unfortunately for me, most of the people I know are unemployed as well or working menial jobs. Oh, and they can't get me in there either apparently. I failed to make the cut after interviewing for a valet job last week. My buddy who works there is the only way I even got the interview and it turns out they were interviewing something like 10 people for 1 spot. And with no "hospitality experience" on my resume, I actually suspect they never really seriously considered me for the position. So yea.
In more positive news, and in the realm of things that actually have changed, I am officially writing for a webseries called Super Apartment Bros. My cousin Eric created it and initially was using me to give feedback and beef up his scripts. I've since been asked to write and have now written the last six scripts (I'm a faster writer than he is, so that helps) which means I will have written a majority of the first season when it's all said and done (not to brag or anything, it's a fairly collaborative effort). We are now down to the last 2 scripts of the first season and then we'll be able to close the proverbial book on the writing. Production is under way finally and, though we're a bit behind our initial/overly ambitious schedule, we hope to be finally airing episodes on Machinima.com by the end of June at the latest (so keep an eye out for that). You can read more about the project here. Or you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter here and here!
I think that's a good enough start for now. You gotta ease back into these things. I will try to get back into using this more as a blog/journal and less as a news service for my boring life. I enjoy that stuff more and I imagine my imaginary readership does too. That should increase the amount of content I'm generating at the very least and that's undoubtedly a positive. Let's be honest, it couldn't be much slower at this point so shouldn't be hard to improve.
Until next time.
Stirring time I guess.
A lot of things have remained the same. I'm still broke. I'm still jobless. I'm still struggling to motivate myself to keep looking for work in what feels like a worthless exercise these days. As far as I can tell, the only way to get work anywhere out here is to know someone and have an in. This goes from In N Out to the production offices at Warner Bros. Knowing someone is hardly a guarantee of employment either of course, but at least you have a fair shot. Unfortunately for me, most of the people I know are unemployed as well or working menial jobs. Oh, and they can't get me in there either apparently. I failed to make the cut after interviewing for a valet job last week. My buddy who works there is the only way I even got the interview and it turns out they were interviewing something like 10 people for 1 spot. And with no "hospitality experience" on my resume, I actually suspect they never really seriously considered me for the position. So yea.
In more positive news, and in the realm of things that actually have changed, I am officially writing for a webseries called Super Apartment Bros. My cousin Eric created it and initially was using me to give feedback and beef up his scripts. I've since been asked to write and have now written the last six scripts (I'm a faster writer than he is, so that helps) which means I will have written a majority of the first season when it's all said and done (not to brag or anything, it's a fairly collaborative effort). We are now down to the last 2 scripts of the first season and then we'll be able to close the proverbial book on the writing. Production is under way finally and, though we're a bit behind our initial/overly ambitious schedule, we hope to be finally airing episodes on Machinima.com by the end of June at the latest (so keep an eye out for that). You can read more about the project here. Or you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter here and here!I think that's a good enough start for now. You gotta ease back into these things. I will try to get back into using this more as a blog/journal and less as a news service for my boring life. I enjoy that stuff more and I imagine my imaginary readership does too. That should increase the amount of content I'm generating at the very least and that's undoubtedly a positive. Let's be honest, it couldn't be much slower at this point so shouldn't be hard to improve.
Until next time.
16.2.12
A Quick Soapbox Moment
I really don't like politicking. I've been raised in a generation of war and corrupt politicians that don't ever follow through with anything and are rarely discernibly different from the corrupt politicians they replaced. So my attitude towards politics for the last 10 years or so has been largely one of disappointment and disenfranchisement. And I'm hardly alone in this.
More people in my generation (and this is a fact) get their political news/commentary from Comedy Central (in The Daily Show and the Colbert Report) than from any other source which, despite what many would have you believe, is really more of an indictment on our "impartial" "journalists" (yes I meant to put quotes around both of those separately) than it is a commentary on our nation's youth and their interest in politics. As this article clearly demonstrates, we do care. We just don't believe anymore.
'Why not' you ask? Where do I start? Where is the country right now? It's important to remind people because they seem to forget when the country's problems don't directly impact them. Unemployment is still above 8% and nearly double what it was just 5 years ago (it's estimated to be above 13% for 22-30 year olds, though specific numbers are hard to come by). We are currently over $15 TRILLION in debt (a number that goes up by the second). A debt that we nearly defaulted on less than a year ago because we had to change the law... to allow ourselves to go more in debt! We have been at war for over 10 years and until recently, were fighting that war in two separate sovereign nations simultaneously (neither of which did we ever officially declare war on, since that's something we haven't done in over 70 years, despite prescription from the Constitution that it's not allowed). And now they're laying the ground work to get us back in the Persian Gulf again. On a related note, if you want to look smart with your friends, start placing your bets for the Iran invasion now. If things continue as they are, they'll be asking you for stock advice in less than two years.
This December, the Senate passed the NDAA Bill, that Obama then signed, by a vote of 93-7. Now, the National Defense Authorization Act is a "must pass" bill every year. However, contained in this Act is language that allows the Government to detain "suspected terrorists", American or Non-American, for an indefinite amount of time, without trial. Ignoring for a second that taking someone's rights away based on labeling them a terrorist (which in itself violates the "innocent until proven guilty" statutes of our laws) is completely horrifying, this Act effectively takes away, in nearly verbatim fashion, our 6th Amendment rights. Under this law, any American citizen can be arrested, by the military no less, as a "terror suspect" and held indefinitely. This joins a growing list of very frightening laws (hey, remember the 4th Amendment? yea, neither do I...) that have been passed in the last ten years, most of which came in the name of security. All of which asked us to sacrifice our liberty to achieve it. And don't even get me started on the whole SOPA/PIPA near fiasco.
Enough is enough. More of the same is no longer an acceptable option for me, and many other Americans. I'm sick of how the rest of the world views America and, by association, me. I'm sick of being lied to by my politicians while they laugh all the way to the bank with the lobbyists and special interests. I'm especially sick of being told that Muslims "hate our freedom" (why do people still believe that?), instead of the truth; that they hate the fact that we have attacked their countries and killed hundreds of thousands unnecessarily. I was all for invading Afghanistan 10 years ago (even though no one has successfully invaded Afghanistan in over a thousand years), but Osama is dead, Al-Quaeda hasn't been there for years and they were NEVER in Iraq in the first place; what are we still doing at war?! I'm sick of giving up liberties and freedoms so I can feel safer (and honestly, do you feel more or less safe when going through an TSA checkpoint at the airport? cause it's less for me). And yes, I mean "feel" safer, because there's no way you're going to convince me that someone couldn't hijack a plane exactly the way they did on 9/11 with a screwdriver, a scissors or any number of blunt objects that are 100% ok in a carry-on (of course it wouldn't work, and probably wouldn't be attempted, because the passengers would fight back this time, but that's also kind of the point). And I'm sick of paying taxes to a government that can't control it's spending any better than a 13 year old girl at the mall with their dad's credit card and no chaperone.
I was raised a proud American, taught the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (which I firmly believe are two of the greatest man made documents in human history) and told thousands of times "America is the greatest country on Earth". Well guess what? The greatest country on Earth doesn't deny it's citizens their rights. The greatest country on Earth doesn't torture and humiliate their prisoners. The greatest country on Earth doesn't constantly devalue it's own currency with inflation. The greatest country on Earth doesn't nearly shut down because they can't pay their debts. The greatest country on Earth doesn't bribe or bully their allies into doing what they want. The greatest country on Earth doesn't lead with threats, but with diplomacy. The greatest country on Earth wins the just wars they participate in. The greatest country on Earth doesn't sacrifice it's young men and women in combat at their President's leisure. The greatest country on Earth doesn't have over 25 million people on unemployment. The greatest country on Earth doesn't spend more money than they have. The greatest country on Earth doesn't have it's representatives in the pockets of the financial elite. Maybe we need to stop just calling ourselves the "greatest country on Earth" and start actually being the greatest country on Earth!
Ron Paul knows all of this and has been preaching it for years.
I believe strongly in his platform but most mainstream media/establishment people don't take him seriously. I want to spread some awareness about him. So if you're like me, or even if you're just curious and seek to be well informed, I'd encourage you to watch these. Don't listen to the media or anyone else. Listen to his own words from his own mouth, and hear the fearless honesty. Look at the facts about his history as a politician and his consistency, both in his personal life and his voting record. Decide for yourself.
As for me, I'll be voting for him in November. Even if that means writing him in on the ballot. Many have told me "a vote for anyone but the Republican candidate is a vote for Obama", which basically defeats the whole point of democracy, but whatever. But I can't, in good conscience, support any of the other "status quo" candidates on either side because the status quo is not quo. The world's a mess and I just need to... sorry, slipped into a Dr. Horrible quote there. I'm happy to discuss my views with anyone if they have questions about it. For now, I leave you with some fantastic videos about Paul and his policies.
Anyone who has heard horror stories about "What Ron Paul wants to do" needs to watch this:
And this:
What else does he have to say?
There. Soapbox vacated. Go about your business.
More people in my generation (and this is a fact) get their political news/commentary from Comedy Central (in The Daily Show and the Colbert Report) than from any other source which, despite what many would have you believe, is really more of an indictment on our "impartial" "journalists" (yes I meant to put quotes around both of those separately) than it is a commentary on our nation's youth and their interest in politics. As this article clearly demonstrates, we do care. We just don't believe anymore.
'Why not' you ask? Where do I start? Where is the country right now? It's important to remind people because they seem to forget when the country's problems don't directly impact them. Unemployment is still above 8% and nearly double what it was just 5 years ago (it's estimated to be above 13% for 22-30 year olds, though specific numbers are hard to come by). We are currently over $15 TRILLION in debt (a number that goes up by the second). A debt that we nearly defaulted on less than a year ago because we had to change the law... to allow ourselves to go more in debt! We have been at war for over 10 years and until recently, were fighting that war in two separate sovereign nations simultaneously (neither of which did we ever officially declare war on, since that's something we haven't done in over 70 years, despite prescription from the Constitution that it's not allowed). And now they're laying the ground work to get us back in the Persian Gulf again. On a related note, if you want to look smart with your friends, start placing your bets for the Iran invasion now. If things continue as they are, they'll be asking you for stock advice in less than two years.
This December, the Senate passed the NDAA Bill, that Obama then signed, by a vote of 93-7. Now, the National Defense Authorization Act is a "must pass" bill every year. However, contained in this Act is language that allows the Government to detain "suspected terrorists", American or Non-American, for an indefinite amount of time, without trial. Ignoring for a second that taking someone's rights away based on labeling them a terrorist (which in itself violates the "innocent until proven guilty" statutes of our laws) is completely horrifying, this Act effectively takes away, in nearly verbatim fashion, our 6th Amendment rights. Under this law, any American citizen can be arrested, by the military no less, as a "terror suspect" and held indefinitely. This joins a growing list of very frightening laws (hey, remember the 4th Amendment? yea, neither do I...) that have been passed in the last ten years, most of which came in the name of security. All of which asked us to sacrifice our liberty to achieve it. And don't even get me started on the whole SOPA/PIPA near fiasco.
Enough is enough. More of the same is no longer an acceptable option for me, and many other Americans. I'm sick of how the rest of the world views America and, by association, me. I'm sick of being lied to by my politicians while they laugh all the way to the bank with the lobbyists and special interests. I'm especially sick of being told that Muslims "hate our freedom" (why do people still believe that?), instead of the truth; that they hate the fact that we have attacked their countries and killed hundreds of thousands unnecessarily. I was all for invading Afghanistan 10 years ago (even though no one has successfully invaded Afghanistan in over a thousand years), but Osama is dead, Al-Quaeda hasn't been there for years and they were NEVER in Iraq in the first place; what are we still doing at war?! I'm sick of giving up liberties and freedoms so I can feel safer (and honestly, do you feel more or less safe when going through an TSA checkpoint at the airport? cause it's less for me). And yes, I mean "feel" safer, because there's no way you're going to convince me that someone couldn't hijack a plane exactly the way they did on 9/11 with a screwdriver, a scissors or any number of blunt objects that are 100% ok in a carry-on (of course it wouldn't work, and probably wouldn't be attempted, because the passengers would fight back this time, but that's also kind of the point). And I'm sick of paying taxes to a government that can't control it's spending any better than a 13 year old girl at the mall with their dad's credit card and no chaperone.
I was raised a proud American, taught the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (which I firmly believe are two of the greatest man made documents in human history) and told thousands of times "America is the greatest country on Earth". Well guess what? The greatest country on Earth doesn't deny it's citizens their rights. The greatest country on Earth doesn't torture and humiliate their prisoners. The greatest country on Earth doesn't constantly devalue it's own currency with inflation. The greatest country on Earth doesn't nearly shut down because they can't pay their debts. The greatest country on Earth doesn't bribe or bully their allies into doing what they want. The greatest country on Earth doesn't lead with threats, but with diplomacy. The greatest country on Earth wins the just wars they participate in. The greatest country on Earth doesn't sacrifice it's young men and women in combat at their President's leisure. The greatest country on Earth doesn't have over 25 million people on unemployment. The greatest country on Earth doesn't spend more money than they have. The greatest country on Earth doesn't have it's representatives in the pockets of the financial elite. Maybe we need to stop just calling ourselves the "greatest country on Earth" and start actually being the greatest country on Earth!
Ron Paul knows all of this and has been preaching it for years.
I believe strongly in his platform but most mainstream media/establishment people don't take him seriously. I want to spread some awareness about him. So if you're like me, or even if you're just curious and seek to be well informed, I'd encourage you to watch these. Don't listen to the media or anyone else. Listen to his own words from his own mouth, and hear the fearless honesty. Look at the facts about his history as a politician and his consistency, both in his personal life and his voting record. Decide for yourself.
As for me, I'll be voting for him in November. Even if that means writing him in on the ballot. Many have told me "a vote for anyone but the Republican candidate is a vote for Obama", which basically defeats the whole point of democracy, but whatever. But I can't, in good conscience, support any of the other "status quo" candidates on either side because the status quo is not quo. The world's a mess and I just need to... sorry, slipped into a Dr. Horrible quote there. I'm happy to discuss my views with anyone if they have questions about it. For now, I leave you with some fantastic videos about Paul and his policies.
Anyone who has heard horror stories about "What Ron Paul wants to do" needs to watch this:
And this:
What else does he have to say?
There. Soapbox vacated. Go about your business.
10.2.12
Is it a sign?
Well my plans for tonight just completely fell through rather unceremoniously. I'm taking it as a sign that I need to update this thing. To be fair, it has been waaaay too long so I apologize for that. Sometimes it feels like there's nothing going on in my life. So I wait until enough things have piled up to make it worth posting about.
So let's see, what have we got in the pile? In December I went home for Christmas and my birthday. The last two years were 3 week long trips but, for reasons that will be explained later, this year was a 2 week trip. Let me just say, you really feel the extra week. Everything felt so tight the entire trip. I was always trying to cram more family/friend/Minnesota time into my day, which frustratingly wouldn't stretch to accommodate the extra demands on my time.
The trip was great though and I got some important family/recharge time in. I don't think it could ever be "long enough" really but it was adequate. I had to get back by the 31st of December anyways because my brother Jordan and my dad were coming out to visit me. That's right, about 24 hours after I made my return to sunny California, I was followed by 1/3 of my family.
And what a great trip that turned out to be. More or less an extended vacation for me, I turned into tour guide for about 5 days as I chauffeured my family members around the treacherous California roads. I drove my new car (oh yea, I got a new car in December, 97 Accord) around town and showed them all the sights. We hit the Rose Bowl parade, took a tour on the Warner Bros lot (including lunch at the commissary) and saw dolphins jumping as the sun set on a beach in Malibu. We even got to have dinner with our good friend Remus from Haiti, who has lived in the Los Angeles area for many years.
It was a wonderful trip filled with eighty degree days and wonderful memories, but it had to end eventually. I sent them off back to Minnesota and it was back to "real" life for me. And that's about it really.
"Real" life, for me consists mostly of two things; working on my writing and working on finding a job. The first one is easy, though it requires a bit of discipline at times. But no one is paying me for that. Not yet. The "finding a job" part is by far the harder of the two. Setting aside the fact that unemployment in my age bracket nationally is upwards of 13% (higher in Los Angeles by all counts, though I have no numbers on that), I just don't know how to get a job. It's not something that comes naturally to me at all and I don't have much practice at it.
The real issue though is that these two problems compound and essentially make the sum worse than the individual parts. Normally, if I were doing something wrong in my job hunt, I would be able to figure it out eventually and make adjustments. But because the job market is so competitive, and there are so few jobs that I can be considered for, I don't know if my failings in this pursuit are a result of a flawed resume, a bad interview or just general misfortune. Did I never hear back from that job because my resume was wrong or because I'm not what they're looking for? Did I just not measure up to the competition well enough? Did I do something wrong in my interview? Trial and error is a really slow process to learn from normally, but especially when the opportunities are so few and far between. Then there are issues of "fate" and "God's will", but I could spend an entire post on that stuff alone.
But basically that's about it. I'm going to be writing on here more moving forward so you shouldn't have to wait 3 months for my next update. Until next time...
p.s. If anyone reading this has some contacts or friends in the Los Angeles area that might be able to help me in my pursuit of work out here, I would really appreciate being put in contact with them. Anything from advice to a job offer will do. Because the other missing ingredient in my job hunt is connections (sadly, the most important one these days). I'm working on that, but it's a slow process. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
So let's see, what have we got in the pile? In December I went home for Christmas and my birthday. The last two years were 3 week long trips but, for reasons that will be explained later, this year was a 2 week trip. Let me just say, you really feel the extra week. Everything felt so tight the entire trip. I was always trying to cram more family/friend/Minnesota time into my day, which frustratingly wouldn't stretch to accommodate the extra demands on my time.
The trip was great though and I got some important family/recharge time in. I don't think it could ever be "long enough" really but it was adequate. I had to get back by the 31st of December anyways because my brother Jordan and my dad were coming out to visit me. That's right, about 24 hours after I made my return to sunny California, I was followed by 1/3 of my family.
And what a great trip that turned out to be. More or less an extended vacation for me, I turned into tour guide for about 5 days as I chauffeured my family members around the treacherous California roads. I drove my new car (oh yea, I got a new car in December, 97 Accord) around town and showed them all the sights. We hit the Rose Bowl parade, took a tour on the Warner Bros lot (including lunch at the commissary) and saw dolphins jumping as the sun set on a beach in Malibu. We even got to have dinner with our good friend Remus from Haiti, who has lived in the Los Angeles area for many years.
It was a wonderful trip filled with eighty degree days and wonderful memories, but it had to end eventually. I sent them off back to Minnesota and it was back to "real" life for me. And that's about it really.
"Real" life, for me consists mostly of two things; working on my writing and working on finding a job. The first one is easy, though it requires a bit of discipline at times. But no one is paying me for that. Not yet. The "finding a job" part is by far the harder of the two. Setting aside the fact that unemployment in my age bracket nationally is upwards of 13% (higher in Los Angeles by all counts, though I have no numbers on that), I just don't know how to get a job. It's not something that comes naturally to me at all and I don't have much practice at it.
The real issue though is that these two problems compound and essentially make the sum worse than the individual parts. Normally, if I were doing something wrong in my job hunt, I would be able to figure it out eventually and make adjustments. But because the job market is so competitive, and there are so few jobs that I can be considered for, I don't know if my failings in this pursuit are a result of a flawed resume, a bad interview or just general misfortune. Did I never hear back from that job because my resume was wrong or because I'm not what they're looking for? Did I just not measure up to the competition well enough? Did I do something wrong in my interview? Trial and error is a really slow process to learn from normally, but especially when the opportunities are so few and far between. Then there are issues of "fate" and "God's will", but I could spend an entire post on that stuff alone.
But basically that's about it. I'm going to be writing on here more moving forward so you shouldn't have to wait 3 months for my next update. Until next time...
p.s. If anyone reading this has some contacts or friends in the Los Angeles area that might be able to help me in my pursuit of work out here, I would really appreciate being put in contact with them. Anything from advice to a job offer will do. Because the other missing ingredient in my job hunt is connections (sadly, the most important one these days). I'm working on that, but it's a slow process. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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