Career Goals

Why is it that the only time I ever feel like blogging is when I am totally lost?  Ah, yes... That would be because I've given up journaling (not intentionally), don't have a shrink, and apparently have a compulsion that makes it impossible for me to ask open-ended questions or allow uncertainty in my life...

I need to write my "career goals" statement for graduate school.  A couple of weeks ago, I "knew" what I wanted to do with my life, but now that the pressure is on to express it, I am at a total roadblock.

Today, I was searching for photos on the Internet, when it occurred to me that the only career goal that I am passionate about is: Underwater Photographer, which I finally synthesized at that moment (9:57 am, Wednesday, January 19, 2011).  Although I have always been interested in marine biology and talked often about moving to a coast and working with sea turtles, I've never really been able to pinpoint exactly what makes me keep returning to this inconvenient career choice.  I realized this morning that it is all of those amazing underwater photos of tropical fish, The Great Barrier Reef, and sea turtles that prevent me from moving on with my mid-western life and settling on a practical (ie. less expensive) career.  It's not that I'm not willing to dedicate the time to my passion, but rather that during my formative years, such a career was not an option, so I have been trained in just about every other thing available over the past 29 years.

I am applying to Northern Illinois University this month in DeKalb, IL (ie. Farmtown, USA).  While they seem to have some pretty interesting biology programs, I'm pretty sure they don't teach underwater photography.  Additionally, I no longer possess the math skills necessary to be a biology major.  While I love the idea of working for non-profits and fighting for human rights for the rest of my career, the Masters of Public Administration degree that I'm seeking is looking a bit less appealing on this winter day than swimming with sea turtles in The Tropics.

If you have any ideas on how I can possibly align my dreams with my career goals and my reality (completely broke and living in the Mid-West), I'm open to suggestions...

Alley Art Festival

We participated in Downtown Aurora's Alley Art Festival on Aug. 28th, 2010.


As the Fugly Duckling's first art show, we were all anxious to see how we would be perceived.  It ended up being an unexpectedly beautiful day, and we even sold stuff!  I made ~$70, and our booth made ~$700 thanks to Chryssa's amazing painting sale.All in all, we made ~$700 more than I expected and had fun doing it.  On top of all that, we have tons of awesome pictures, a lot more confidence, and another show coming up!


We will be working with the Quad County Urban League at their art show on September 29, 2010 in Aurora, IL.  More info to come!

Fugly Duckling @ Etsy

Fugly Ducklings

Alexandra and I have been customizing rubber duckies all week.  We plan to sell them for $3 at the Alley Art Festival next Saturday.

The Fugly Duckling

In better news, the Tawdry Owl has a sister, The Fugly Duckling.  We are basically selling the same stuff but more (see below).  The Tawdry Owl was originally created with a different image and business plan in mind, so the collective of artists that formed around it decided to create a spin-off company dedicated and open to artists that want to sell their re-purposed, recycled, and embellished goods.  You can fan our Facebook page or buy goods on our Etsy page.

PEER PRESSURE ENTRY

So, my friends have been tormenting me about blogging more.  My argument is that I didn't want this blog to be a journal where I piss and moan about how much life sucks.  However, I've got nothin' else going on, and people seem to think that this type of writing is more "real."  Thus, I've folded.  Here ya go:

I am actually so broke right now that I can't afford to work.  I booked a promo job in Chicago for today, but I literally only have change to my name right now.  I can't fill up my gas tank with change or pay $30/day to park in the city.  I can buy a train ticket in change, but then I have to worry about getting 2 miles to and from my destination, meals, emergencies, etc.  If they paid cash, it would be okay, but I won't see a pay check (as good as it may be) for 6-8 weeks.  Which, brings me to my next point:  Although they pay incredibly well, I HATE doing promotions.  They are so boring and tiring that a chimp would actually be more qualified to work them.  I take that back, what's a dumb animal that won't mind the boredom?  I'm pretty sure a chimp would bail out after like 15 minutes.

On top of having a degree that cost me $80 grand, which I won't ever be able to pay back, and not being able to find a job with it, I am living back at home with my mom and brother.  Approximately every two weeks, she calls to pass along all of my brother's complaints about having me, my partner, and our two dogs living under the same roof as him.  Lately, she's been pressing the I'm worried about your future line b/c, well, it's valid.  She's not planning on living much longer and can't afford her own lifestyle, let alone ours.  Thus, it makes sense to worry about how I'm going to survive, especially since my bro desperately wants us out.  Who cares that I do dishes twice daily, wash everyone's laundry, and continuously follow them around picking up all the shit that they absentmindedly leave in their wake?  That doesn't make up for the fact that the oven, lawnmower, and air conditioning are all broken (at no fault of anyone in the house), and no one has money to pay to get them fixed.  Who cares that I apply for dozens of jobs every week but can't so much as get an interview?  Shit - make that a rejection letter.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  Until my next mood swing....

The Arizona Boycotts

When I first heard about the new Arizona law being proposed, I was not surprised.  Racial profiling of the Latino population in Arizona has been a public issue for years now.  However, I was surprised when it actually passed. 

Legalized discrimination is okay in Arizona.   This may be the case for few bigoted extremists, but now it has been made representative of the general public by the leading Arizona politicians. Given the uniqueness of the border states, I am always surprised when they turn on their own communities.  The rest of the country tends to view Mexicans as migrant workers or the poor laborers, rather than as a substantial part of their own community, but things are different in the South.  While the South has a long history of racism, the Southwest is also Mexican and Native American territory.  None of this information is new to anyone.  I am just always so shocked to see blatant colonizing still happening today.

I lived in Arizona for 2 years, and I loved the state.  I had hoped to move back some day soon, but as long as this law stands in effect, I can't do that.  One great thing about Arizona is the diversity in people and communities.  This law seeks to destroy that and endangers all of Arizona's community members.

Politically and psychologically, I understand the timing of this event.  Republicans are pissed about Obama and his "socialist" policies; The economy is in the shiter and people are fighting over jobs;  A general feeling of discontent and powerlessness has taken over the nation.  However, it is still amazing to me that a racist minority has managed to overthrow centuries of Americans combating bigotry and have managed to get such an non-progressive law passed!

The real reason I chose to blog about this issue is not just to rant about these jagbags, but also to highlight the small glimmer of hope and light at the end of the tunnel.  All morning long, I have been responding to petition requests, pleas for support, and boycotting proposals.  Last night, I actually saw mainstream news coverage on the backlash that lasted for more than 15 seconds!

The fact of the matter is, the general public is not happy about or supportive of this law, and they are not only speaking up about it, but they are actually taking action.  Nationwide, people are boycotting Arizona-based businesses, tourism, sports teams, and more.  They are taking to the streets and protesting outside of immigration and other government buildings. 

It's about time America truly recognized not only the contributions of Mexicans, but of immigrants in general.  Our country was founded by immigrants; Our land was colonized by immigrants; Our nation was built by immigrants; and America thrived from the labor of immigrants!  We have a long history of immigration, and it's time that immigrants and those who support the immigrant populations stop letting the general public dehumanize them and classify them as third class citizens!  After all, when it comes down to it, Americans ARE immigrants, most more so than the Mexican population that is so volatiley discriminatized. 

21st Century Bartering

This is my throw back to the simpler days before Wall Street and Corporate America fucked us all.  I am going back to the simplest form of exchange that I know of.  It's not exactly capitalistic, but I guess if you wanted to screw people out of their stuff so you can gluttonously horde it all, you could call it that.


What am I ranting about?  BARTERING  

In 2nd Grade, Mrs. Birch's class exchanged valuable possessions with our neighboring classes.  We, of course, were learning the version of American colonization where the settlers pretended to share their goods  with the Natives, in order to survive in the foreign land.  Of course, we all know now that this was all pretend niceties used to serve the agenda of the colonizers, but the main theme stuck with me over the years:

As long as we have energy in the form of skills, labor, goods, etc, we can always trade our boring, old toys for new and undiscovered ones! 

With all of this said and the well-known fact that I still am not working for cash, I have decided to start a network of individuals that are known amongst my trusted friends, local, and willing to share their goods and services.

Check out my new Facebook Group:  21st Century Bartering

Why did you even go to college?

"Why did you even go to college?" is a question that I have been asked on more than one occasion, including by my self.

I could make $10 an hour hocking crap to the capitalist-driven general public, but I want to "help people," so I went to college.  Now, I owe well more than my life is worth to the U.S. government, Sallie Mae, and credit card companies.  Yet, my college degree is only god for $10 an hour, entry-level work.

To be clear, a salary is not a concern for buying a house or investing but rather to sustain my life and pay off Discover card, who calls me at least fourteen times a day, and Sallie Mae, who clearly didn't get the memo after they told me (repeatedly) that there was "nothing they could do to work with my situation."  If I even planned to pay off my debt, sustain a family, move up in the social ranks, and invest in retirement, I would need to start at $30 an hour.  I would be perfectly willing to work my way up the financial ladder, but at my age and with my debt, I don't see how that could be fiscally possible.  I say this because I have already been working my way up the ladder for the past decade, and it caps for me at $10 an hour apparently.

Wouldn't it be amazing if the U.S. was one of those "backwards" countries that provides free education?  Or, better yet, one that pays you to learn a trade that provides a social service (similar to Germany)?

Move to America where you can make your own future! 

Unless, of course, you were raised in an Americanesque society that requires you to owe your life, as well as first of kin, just to even play Career Person.

It's amazing that people so intensely and desparetly fight off immigrants that make-up the grunting back-bone of American society, but they don't expend that same energy fighting to change a system that allows people of more progressive (in my opinion) societies to enter into our workforce with an advantage.  People say that immigrants are "stealing our jobs," but the fact of the matter is, our capitalist system, and thus our own society, is enthusiastically giving them away!  The capitalist system is flawed in that it charges us outside of our means to operate within it.  Yet, rather than change it to help us, Americans fight the "commies" and "socialists" and "immigrants" and "Change."

Wake up America!  Capitalism has failed us.  Our government has failed us.  It's time for some serious reform.

Religion and Politics

They say you shouldn't talk religion or politics with friends or family b/c it causes rifts.  While I understand this approach, I find i almost impossible to adhere to.  First of all, religion and politics are constantly intertwined.  Secondly, what else is more important that the two guiding forces in one's life?

Maybe neither seem like priorities in on your life, but religion and politics are cut from the same cloth - they establish rules for living life that have severe punishments if not followed.  For some people, family is a similar guiding force, and thus, not to be upset.  However, for people like me, family is neither a ruling force nor a guiding one.  Family can be chosen, despite popular belief.  I make this choice, and in doing so I choose a family that shares my humanitarian beliefs.