My Secret Goal - Explained

I try not to use this blog for rants about books and authors and how much I love to read (I know, nerd) but you've probably gleaned that I am a big reader. Don't believe me? Check out my post 10,000 Pages and Counting

Anyway, what you might not know is that I have secret goals that involve writing. It's been my dream for quite awhile to see my name on the cover of a printed book. Clearly, I'm not there yet but I'm hopeful that it won't end up a "what if" kind of dream. When I was trying to think of goals to follow as Quitsville changed gears, I briefly toyed with the idea of making this one of my goals - actually writing a novel. It's desperately hard to get writing done with life in the way. In the end, I'm not sure anyone is interested in reading a blog about me trying to write. However, I'm not promising that in a year or two you won't be reading about my goal to get said book published. I mean really, what's better to follow then endless rejection letters on the road to success?

All of this is only chatter that is leading up to a post about John Irving. I know a lot of people thing his work is grotesque and inappropriate and just plain messed up, but John Irving is an example of why I want to write. He is the author of my all-time favorite novel (The Hotel New Hampshire) and I think his books are amazing. Sure, he's written a few things that were - for him, at least - sub par. But overall, his work is enthralling. His characters are meaty and engaging, his plot is incredibly dense, his books have literally taken over my life (when I was reading them). To say that I have incredibly respect and reverence for him as an author would not be saying too much.

And last night, I had the chance to see him read/speak through an independent bookstore here (check your local stores - he might be coming to you too!). I'd be lying if I tried to tell you that I wasn't a completely geeked out emotional mess because of it. Part of me was very nervous that he wouldn't live up to the stock I've put in him through his books. What if he was arrogant or annoying or *gasp* stupid?! We all know that good art can be made my bad people but dear god, what would that do to me?

Luckily, dear readers, that did not happen. He is obviously a very intelligent and deliberate man. He read briefly and then spoke at length about his process and his methods, how he finds his stories and how his novels come to be. He was grizzly and direct but also funny. I've always found his books to be funny - if incredibly dark - and it was wonderful to see where that comes from. He wasn't arrogant but definitely knows himself well enough to know where he excels and where he falls short. I did not get to shake his hand or meet him (books were pre-signed) but the experience was one that I will hold very close to my heart. It was only an hour (probably more like 45 minutes given the inefficiency of the local bookstore) but it was wonderful. He has no idea that he has personally affected me but he has. His books have been a big part of my life for a decade or so (and he's been writing for 40 years!) and if I had been able to speak to him, I would have thanked him for that.

I've now started his most recent novel (released yesterday): Last Night in Twisted River.

And you should too.

How to Survive Unemployment

Yesterday I read a post on the Personal Branding Blog about creating an "unemployment routine" for yourself while unemployed and it really reminded me how much "work" it can be to stay active, relevant, and motivated when you're unemployed.

Okay, I know it's not actual work but let's face it - part of the reason we don't consider it work is that we're not getting paid for it. I wrote about this phenomenon in my post Unemployment Sucks...Duh?. Some people seem to think that just because you're unemployed, you must be having the time of your life - sleeping in, doing anything you want, fraternizing with celebrities. Okay, maybe not that last one but you get the point. I admit that when I was unemployed (years ago), I did enjoy the first part of it. After I got over the sting of being let go, I went to the beach, I slept in, I read books. It was sort of like a vacation. But with a vacation, you always have the knowledge that you're going back to something. Eventually, the routine of not having something starts to eat away at your sanity, self-worth, etc.

All this is to say that yes, it's vital to have a set routine when you're out of work. And I don't mean the routine of sleep in, play video games, nap, eat - as tempting as it can be. I wrote recently about my Job Search To Dos and how they kept me sane and productive while looking for work and the concept is not so different. Having something that you do every day while you're unemployed helps to keep you moving forward - or at least gives you the impression that you are moving forward.

The Personal Branding Blog recommends getting up on time, being social, having daily tasks, etc. These are all great ways to stay focused on not being unemployed. For me, I did a lot of work on cutting expenses but one thing I did not cut was the gym - having a daily (okay, every-other-daily) routine of getting myself out of the house and to the gym was immensely helpful, not to mention the fact that working out lowered my stress level.

If you're looking for work, I strongly recommend setting up a schedule for yourself. Whether you do something every day or once a week, creating a routine will help to create relevance and worth in your actions. In a society that places most of one's worth in "what they do", this is vital.

Click here to read the full article from the Personal Branding Blog

Unemployment Might Linger

We've all heard the rumors that the economy is back on its way up. Sure, we hit 10,000 again (woo... yay, late 90s) and the market is showing signs of recovery but what a lot of folks don't seem to be seeing is the return of a robust job market.

According to a recent article that I spied on Boston.com - we've lost 7.2 million jobs as a country since December 2007. 7.2 million is quite a few jobs in case you were unaware. And even more startling is the fact that quite a few economists (from all walks of political life I might add) agree that we might not ever get those jobs back. We're currently hovering around 9.8% for unemployment with reasonable sources telling us that 10% is right around the corner.

10%. Now I know that the unemployment has big pockets in certain industries, towns, etc. but just for giggles, imagine that 10% of your friends and family are out of work. They may already be out of work so it should be easy. You may have a job but if 10% of those around you don't, things will change. Your life will be different. Imagine those 10% clamoring to do your job... better... faster... for less.

Click here to read the full article on Boston.com

Another article, in the Huffington Post, reminds us that our baseline against which we gauge growth is bottom of the barrel. Sure - we're improving. Sure - stocks are on the rise. Sure - the market is stronger than it's been in months. But let's face it - where it's been wasn't so hot. And lingering unemployment will continue to weigh us down.

Click here to read the full article in the Huffington Post

Flight Control World Record!

Don't worry dear readers... I'm not extending my video game world record quest to include the iPhone/iTouch app Flight Control - though it is a truly stupendous game.

However, I was recently send this amazing post on Firemint's blog (the maker's of Flight Control): Denis S. from Germany has recently taken the title for world record on Flight Control with 51,855 planes landed.

For those of you who don't play Flight Control obsessively - it's a very simple game in which you land different types and speeds of planes on to their requisite landing strips.

For some context, my record is something like 318. Denis S. blows me out of the water by a magnitude of roughly 163. However, I can see how one might uncover a sort of zen like pattern to the whole thing and be able to go on forever. Imagine losing at 51,849 though.


Click here to read the entire post on Firemint's Blog and to find out some secrets from Denis S. himself.

Dr. Mario Weighs in on Universal Health Care

You might have seen a post the other day referring to my new favorite site Infendo and a post they had titled Dr. Mario Weighs in on Universal Health Care.

It turns out that this post was actually "borrowing" from another article (who would do such a thing!) on McSweeney's. For those of you who are not "in the know," McSweeney's is a publishing house started by Dave Eggers (who you might remembers from such books as And You Shall Know Our Velocity and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius as well as such organizations as 826 National and their local chapters). Both of his books are quite good, by the way.

McSweeney's also publishes a Quarterly Journal and maintains a humor site online (home to the Dr. Mario article). Needless to say, I love both Dave Eggers and McSweeney's. (If you don't believe that I am a big literary nerd just check out my post on the number of pages I've read this year.) Their article on Dr. Mario weighing in on Universal Health Care (can one really call this an article?) is pretty hilarious if nothing else.

I obviously have some very strong opinions about Universal Health Care and how it relates to real life (and not Nintendo) but that's for another day. In the meantime, make sure to kill those virii.

Dr. Mario Commercial Weirdness

I don't think anyone will find this surprising but when I really, officially started the quest for the Dr. Mario world record, I added a few RSS feeds to my reader - so that I could watch what was happening in the world of Dr. Mario (on the internets).

That said, very little has been happening. Today however, I stumbled upon something pretty amazing! Check out this (totally weird) Dr. Mario commercial from Japan:



If that doesn't make you wonder if something was added to your coffee, I'm not sure anything will. I took a poke around the site the video is on as well (Infendo). I did a search for Dr. Mario posts (quelle surprise) and got back some very interesting reading (did I say interesting... well... we all have our opinions):

Dr. Mario weighs in on Universal Health Care

Dr. Mario Online Rx for WiiWare (where I originally started this journey!)

Review Reviewed

As you all know, I was scheduled to have my mid-intro period review yesterday (45 day review?). Surprisingly, it happened as scheduled (last job consistently canceled and rescheduled such things). The top line is that it went very well. There was tons of positive feedback and a few pieces of constructive criticism - which really were constructive and not destructive!

What I think I found most valuable was a reminder that I have a lot to offer my employer. The few things that were offered as points of possible betterment are all so clearly related to the abusive, destructive relationship I had with my last job. A year of consistently demeaning treatment really gets you down - even when you know it's not your fault.

It's only been 6 weeks but I already feel like a completely different person. I have way more energy and positivity about life in general. I'm back to my old self - eager and curious. I'm still struggling to get my confidence 100% back and I admit, I'm a bit gun-shy about some things. But having your employer say 'hey, we like what we see, give us more!' is a great reinforcement of one's confidence.

Also, just as a note - you might remember that when I first interviewed with my dream job, I had not yet quit my last one. My second interview came nearly a week after I had quit and I was past my phases of fear and sadness... and well into euphoria over quitting. In my review yesterday I mentioned this and said that I think even between those two interviews I felt like a completely different person.

Turns out, they noticed the difference too. Just serves to reinforce the fact that quitting opened possibilities for me. Before I quit, I was just a sad sack, desperate to get out.

Nobody wants that.

Job Search To Dos

This morning I read an interesting post at Applicant on the 7 Things You Need to do Each Day When Searching for a Job. It brought me back to the time when a giant post it note with 3 columns ruled my life... when it became clear to me that I absolutely needed to leave my job, I went about it in the way I go about most things by making (an incredibly anal-retentive, over-achieving, neurotic) list.

My list was simple:
1. Apply for a job
2. Make a connection
3. Think something positive

EVERY DAY. For me, this worked great. Yes, I didn't do every thing, every day, but the focus kept me moving forward. I always felt like I was making a step forward every day (whether or not I actually was). Applying to a job every day was fairly easy - don't get me wrong, they weren't all targeted but it at least got my name out there consistently.

For overall job searches, I found that using today's tools really helped me. I created RSS feeds for many of my job searches and every day I was bombarded by listings. Again, it doesn't mean that they were all good postings but it really helped beat the job search ennui that threatened to overtake me on a regular basis. I also connected with anyone and everyone I thought reasonable and possible. I reached out and made connections everywhere I went. Suffice to say, I was exhausted a lot of the time.

What are your job search tips? Anyone?

Check out these links for more great job search tips:
Applicant: 7 Things You Need to do Each Day When Searching for a Job
Help Wanted Hawaii: 10 Recession Job Search Tips
About.com's Job Search Tips

Review Time!

I know I haven't spoken much about The New Job - mostly because there have been other things to focus on (like getting the world record in Dr. Mario). That said, The New Job has been going pretty swimmingly. I like the folks I work with, I'm learning a ton, I'm challenged and engaged, I don't hate my commute and there's always something going on downtown to watch from my window.

I have noticed that it's hard to kick the reactions that are beaten into you through an abusive workplace. I find myself being a little skittish and unsure of myself sometimes here (things I am not readily identified with in normal life) and I'm trying to get over it, put it behind me, etc. Everyone has been exceedingly positive and I have to guess that they're pleased with my work - fingers crossed - because they don't seem like big fakers to me but...

All of that aside, I angled for a 90 day review in my offer letter (I'm not getting down to specifics but it had something to do with compensation) and tomorrow I am having my mid period check in (45 day review?). I am pretty at ease about it but there's a little part of me that is nervous... what ifs, ya know? I wouldn't say this is particularly abnormal for me - I tend to get nervous about things a lot. Maybe I am paranoid? And they usually turn out fine.

So, think of me tomorrow during your lunch hour. Constructive criticism is a great thing when done right and I'm fairly confident that it will be handled well. Eating a BLT during the pre-review review certainly can't hurt!

The Geography of Jobs

Just on the off chance that you were starting to feel better about the job situation/unemployment/the recession/etc... I wanted to make sure to nip that right in the bud.

Click here to view The Geography of Jobs

You'll see the gains and losses of jobs in the US starting in 2004. Watch for the huge burst of unemployment caused by Hurricane Katrina and the debilitating red circles of last November.

Good news? It's only through July 2009 and as we all know, the recession is very nearly, completely, almost, like for sure over.

Attack of the Video Game Outsiders!

I know it might be hard to believe but I have an update on The Road to the Record post from earlier this week. Actually, I supposed it would be more truthful to say that I did not tell you the entire story from our trip to Funspot, NH. What follows is entirely 100% true and hilarious.

It turns out that our weekend trip to Funspot coincided with the Video Game Outsider's Funspot Tourney - that's right, a full-fledged community of Video Game nerds were at Funspot the same weekend we were. Not only were they there (because really, what is Funspot if not Mecca for Video Game nerds?) but they brought along with them famed TwinGalaxies Referee David Nelson. Now, the members of VGO focused on games that were not Dr. Mario - which is good for me - but they did spend a lot of time on the Donkey Kong machine (duh) which resides only 2 machines down from the Dr. Mario machine.

Why is that relevant you ask?

Well, it means that for a good portion of my 810,000+ game there were a fairly large number of men standing around waiting for their turn. And, as it turns out, some of them were watching me play. Including famed TwinGalaxies Referee David Nelson! Okay, okay. I haven't officially thrown my hat in the ring for the Dr. Mario world record (sorry Quitsville - you hold no weight in video gaming magestry) but this was crazy! Actual people who were not my friends and loved ones watching me! Judging me! And... praising me!

That's right! I, your Intrepid Blogger, was approached by none other than the Video Game Outsiders. My entourage and I were eating pizza and drinking beer in the Funspot Tavern (yeah... I know) after the aformentioned game and this guy just comes over and starts talking to us about the game. Was I playing Dr. Mario earlier? Yes. For like a really long time? Yes. Do I know I have the #2 score? Yes (but actually, I believe it's #3 right now).

And he goes on to tell me how good I am and that I should get the record, etc. It was pretty amazing (which can be confirmed by said entourage). I was waiting to tell you all in case (by some minor miracle) they mentioned me in their podcast. They did not - which is sort of good and bad - but it's still amazing.

Click here to check out the Video Game Outsiders' Blog (and Podcast)

Road to the Record: 810,000

This weekend found me traveling in the pouring rain to New Hampshire for a quick trip to Funspot (the world's largest arcade). I think you already know why... but just for fun, humor me and let me tell you again. Goal #1 (post-Quit) is to get the world record in the Dr. Mario game. I'm focusing on the actual Arcade platform for now but there are high scores for multiple platforms. For this round of the Goal, only two really matter:

NES: 1,358,400
Arcade: 960,600

As you'll see, the arcade platform clocks in at 960,600 for the high score (on the medium level). It's not an insignificant number. That said, I'm rocking my score in around 810,000 as of this weekend. I'm getting far closer with each game - to date, I've played 5 full games of Dr. Mario on the arcade machine. How about a tally:

Game 1 - 319,000
Game 2 - 350,000
Game 3 - 460,000
Game 4 - 560,000
Game 5 - 810,000

Each game takes about 2 hours and on average, I increase about 100-150k. Theoretically, I only need one or two games to really obliterate the record but I suspect it will take a few more times than that.

In the meantime, a photo:

You Are Not Alone

I received an email today from a dear friend of mine stuck in the abusive relationship that is her job. I will spare you the details or the specifics but let's just say that her boss (as well as a number of her coworkers) treat her very badly and do not value her for what she has to offer. I know we all have pluses and minuses and there are always difficult parts to our personality (I am overly emotional and 100% NOT a morning person) but my dear friend - whom I have also worked with - has a great deal to offer. Loads of experience, a charming personality, the desire to foster success in her associates, not to mention the fact that she's incredibly smart and dedicated.

Too often today we see people like this who are simply railroaded by employers who offer no support, no encouragement, and no room for betterment. Whether we are dismissed because of our sex, our age, our political leanings or just because our bosses are morons - it always sucks.

I feel for my dear friend. Her situation sucks - it just sucks! It's easy in my position to take the idealistic view - quit! Not everyone is in a position to quit. Money, family, opportunity, personality, etc. There are a lot of reasons not to quit something. For overachievers this seems especially difficult - I don't quit, I succeed!

I have a number of friends in this situation - the thankless drudgery of a job you hate that tends to hate you back. I want to give all of them the gift of The Quit. It's terrifying but quitting does give you an end to the freefall of suck that takes hold when you hate your job.

For all of you struggling in this situation... I'm here. There are tons of people struggling with you. You are not alone.

Wall Street Bull Kills Bernie Madoff

No, this is not me scooping CNN. Bernie Madoff (though I hear sick) is not dead. But check out this serious piece of "recession" art. Genius.

Click here to see the article on Unemploymentality