Choose a College Major You Like

It Makes Little Difference in the Long Run

Results from the latest study by ACT found that 1/3 of college freshmen are choosing a major that's a 'poor' fit for their interests. Although the study of more than 1.2 million 2013 high school graduates also found that another 1/3 are choosing a major that's a good fit for their interests, I do worry for the four million freshmen across the country that are only making their college experience harder by choosing a major that doesn't fit their interests.

When I was a student at Saint Louis University (I graduated in 2010), I met too many students who were majoring in things like biology, chemistry, and biochemistry but hated their majors. They were only majoring in these things because they were told at one point that there were jobs in these fields. They may have only been majoring in these things because they were pre-med, and were opting for a major that seemed complimentary to medicine (pre-med itself isn't a major). However, there's no requirement that if you're pre-med you need to major in biology or chemistry. Some may say that majoring in the sciences is better because it prepares you better for medical school, but statistics show that as long as you meet the requirements for entry and keep your grades up, a pre-med philosophy student isn't any less prepared for medical school than a pre-med biology or pre-med chemistry student.

Spend that Time on Something You Like!

The pre-med example is just one that illustrates my ultimate point: your major doesn't necessarily determine your job prospects or how employable you'll be once you graduate. If people can get into medical school without needing to study a hard science, then people don't necessarily need this degree or that degree to get a job. Granted, some fields do require a specific degree. You're not likely to get an engineering job without an engineering degree, and you're not likely to be a physical therapists without studying physical therapy, but for the most part companies with open positions aren't going to focus on the major. So, why not spend the four years majoring in something you like? Four years is a long time to spend studying something you aren't interested in only to prepare yourself for something that you might not be interested in either.

At SLU, I doubled majored in international studies and political science with a double minor in communication and Russian. It's a mouthful. I just tell people I studied in political science. After I graduated, I took a temporary job making cold calls. Next, I became a freelance writer writing about everything from recruiting to nitrogen tire inflation, from government trends and initiatives to small business technology. After that, I started my own content marketing agency. That didn't end up working for me, which was fine because I hated having to convince potential clients over and over again that they couldn't talk about themselves on their company blogs and that the needed to create content that potential customers would like, not just stuff that advertised and made a sales pitch. I like content marketing when it works well. I hate it when it's not working well and now you have to evangelize and give advice. But, they aren't paying you for that advice and they didn't ask for it in the first place. Because they didn't ask for it, it's unlikely they'll implement it.

I digress, but within that whole story I didn't really need or rely on my political science degree. None of my clients cared I had the degree. The telemarketing job overlooked the fact that I didn't have business degree, even though everyone else they hired with me had one. I didn't need a degree, let alone one in political science, to become a freelance writer or to become an entrepreneur. I have the professional background that I have because I was a good writer, spending three years at SLU writing for the college newspaper and having a few journalism internships to boot. At this point in my life (I turn 26 in January and I only graduated three years ago), no one is going to care about my major no matter what I choose to do with my life. Yes, they will care that I got a college degree, but employers care about the fact that I got the degree and they care about the skills that I have. Since major won't matter, even as soon as three years out of higher education (of course, major makes a difference if you want a masters and/or PhD), then choose something you're interested in.

Then Why Do Employers Specify Majors on Their Job Postings?

They do it because they need a way to weed out bad applicants and to deter them from applying, although a requirement like 'four-year degree in marketing" rarely stops anybody. The average job seeker spends 76 seconds looking at a job description, with much of that time typically spent reviewing job title, compensation, and location. If you think that's bad, then consider that the average hiring manager spends six seconds on a resume. Four of those six seconds are spent looking at four main parts of the resume:

• Job titles (42% restrict their hiring based on previous job titles, and these are just the hiring managers that don't have a problem filling an open position)
• Companies You Worked At
• Start/End Dates
• Education

This means that, on average, the hiring manager is spending one second looking your educational background. This is one-third of the time spent looking at your work history. Even if majors were designed to deter people or to encourage certain people to apply, it's not something hiring managers are really spending time evaluating, even when they do look at education. They have other things in mind when looking for the perfect candidate (besides, you know, finding perfect person with everything the employer wants).

Trust me, as someone who has covered the recruiting industry for a year-and-a-half, they don't care about degrees and college majors all that much. They're not good indicators of success in the position, and are hardly ever used as factors to decide on one candidate over another. As the research has shown, employers are worrying about having college graduates who are ready for the workforce and who can write a sentence without spelling and grammatical errors. They're more focused on filling positions with people who can do the job and don't need a lot of training to do it. Studying history, philosophy, anthropology, or another "useless" subject isn't going to hurt your chances of getting to this point than studying something "more practical." Granted, employers are also worrying about things that are outside of your control, like only hiring people who have the same exact job title on their resume, but you also need to be spending time in college developing skills through internships and extra-curricular activities. Simply getting the degree isn't enough and won't necessarily prepare you adequately for the workplace.

If You Want a Practical Degree that Gets You a Job, Then Go to a Trade School

If all you're after is the security that you'll be employable and jobs in your field once you get out, then go to a trade school. Study something like auto repair, veterinary assisting, medial billing & coding, or nursing. These are practical jobs that are never going away, and attending a trade school ensures that everything you do there will have to do with whatever trade you choose to study. You don't have to make room for three semesters of theology or four semesters of foreign language at a trade school. Plus, you finish faster and have to do fewer papers and exams to do it. Why spend four years getting a job when you can do the same thing at a trade school at two, and for much cheaper too? Better yet, there's a lot of jobs that don't even need a college degree. If you're just after earning money, then there are plenty of ways to do that without spending the time and money to go to fancy university in the first place.

College is supposed to be about more than getting a job. College is also supposed to be about exposing yourself to new things, developing your critical thinking skills, meeting new people, and being able to do things that you might not be able to do outside of college. College should be fun, and fun doesn't have to exclude your classes. I got a degree in political science and have turned out just fine in the real world. You don't necessarily need to get a degree in a field that you plan to work in. You really need to get the degree, and get a lot more skills and experience on top of that.

The Texas Senate is Back in Session

And I Am Prepared to Stay Up All Night to Watch the Shenanigans

The Texas Senate reconvened at 2 p.m. today, and have been debating since then about HB2, the anti-abortion bill that received national attention for Sen. Wendy Davis' filibuster a couple of weeks ago. It's been two-and-a-half hours since I started "watching" (I'm more listening and getting other things done), and the Senate has just finished going through 20 amendments to the bill (all of which have been tabled, although some of them were very good and sensible amendments). Nothing is happening right now, but a vote is expected to happen today, and this session is predicted to end "late in the evening". It's possible debate could continue into Saturday, but it's unlikely that any filibustering or parliamentary maneuver could stop it this time.

I Think This Stuff is Quite Fascinating

It really is, and it's also very productive too. It's neat to hear all the different sides of the issue, all the little points you need to think about when putting together and passing a bill, and all that happens when our representatives convene in session to get something done. I just finished Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government (great book, and another book off of my summer reading list), and the closing argument in that book is that it will be up to local governments to collaborate amongst each other to improve transparency and to utilize data and technology to make government better and to make it engaging. It's events like this that bridge this gap and make government engaging. It'll be the local issues, state governments, and city governments that are going to be the ones to take the town square digital and to reinvent government.

I wouldn't say entertaining. There's a lot about this that isn't entertaining, but I'm not here to be entertained, even on a Friday night. Even though this bill and this issue is only about Texas right now, it's very likely it will go beyond Texas. It's projected that abortion-rights groups will file a federal lawsuit as soon as Perry signs the bill into law. I'm interested in seeing how this issue will progress as it moves to the national level, as well as how the technology and the activism will remain as well. So many previous cases and issues have moved from the city and all the way to the Supreme Court, but if this lawsuit and this issue does get to that level, I'm interested to see how social media and technology play a part in relaying what's happening.

What Can We Do About Women's Health and Women's Rights?

Although the big issue here is abortion, I can't help but think about what else needs to be address when it comes to women's health and women's rights. There are many other issues, such as maternal health, domestic violence, economic empowerment, and equal pay, that matter as well and still need to be addressed (I came across this article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from April. Pretty good stuff. I like the points on women with chronic conditions, because I don't think this has been studied or tracked all that much. I also like that St. Louis is being proactive about this.). What to do? What to pick? How do you address it?

This whole thing is actually tiring. My guess it will end in two hours, probably more, but my guess is that it will end at 1 a.m. my time. But, I am learning stuff and feeling productive and I still think this whole thing is pretty awesome. It's also pretty awesome that they've been at it this whole time and they didn't even take a much of the break.

Seriously, Yo. Creative Work is Hard Work

I'm a writer, not a graphic designer, but I empathize with this graphic designer's attitude. I've come across my fair share of job posts wanting blog posts and articles for free, offering experience, exposure, or (the worst), a piece of the pie when the money starts rolling in and the online publication turns into the next Huffington Post (or something equally lofty). Of course, no one wants amateurs, even though the "payment" offered for these services are exactly what amateurs are looking for. Why this hasn't gone viral yet, I have no idea. With a tumblr like Clients from Hell, this attitude is a common experience among creative professionals.

I've also come across my fair share of clients who don't think this work takes any effort at all, who think that us writers and content creators are able to write 20 articles per day. Because they think we can write 20 articles per day, they also think that $5 or $3 an article is a fair price. Or, the worst, when clients only want to pay upon acceptance, or use those crowd sourcing strategies to give their own customers choices in content. These tactics often shaft writers because if our pieces aren't accepted, we're stuck with hard work that didn't get paid for (and that we might not have another use for) and, oftentimes, we are stuck without feedback to understand what it would take to get accepted the next time around.

What most people don't realize with this line of work is that you get what you pay for. If you're only offering $5 an article, then someone who typically charges $25 or $50 an article isn't going to be interested in doing work for you. The money isn't there for their time (and their skill and expertise). By offering $5 an article, you're only going to get those who are interested in working at $5 an article, which means you get those who blast through content to make a quota so the work is worth while, or you get someone who isn't all that good and needs whatever work they can get to earn a few dollars.

Creative Work is Hard Work

It differs from other services because it's very subjective, and it's not just a matter of picking and choosing a pre-manufactured product.  If that were the case with blog posts and logos and such, then there would be a lot more copyright infringement and plagiarism than there is now because it would mean that you are purchasing something that someone else is already using and claiming as their own. This work isn't as simple or as easy at seems because you've watched someone use Photoshop or you write a blog yourself, or you think you could do it yourself if you have another 30 minutes in your day. If this were the case, then you wouldn't be needing PROFESSIONAL HELP to get this done. This is why us writers and graphic designers TAKE TIME to create something new from scratch and something that is customized to your brand and your needs. WE CHARGE FOR OUR TIME because we don't just sit and whip something together. We think about what we need to accomplish. We do drafts before we hand something over, and most of the time, we are willing to do more drafts. Believe it or not, we don't want to put the 'starving' in "starving artist."

Creative work isn't free, and shouldn't be free, because it's a process. You can't pick up web designs and white papers at a garage sale or at the nearest Target. If you're not willing to pay for the process, then you should expect a horrible process. Much like in any other process or business: if you aren't willing to pay, then we aren't willing to deliver.

I'm a Night Owl. I Said It.

Ever since I've changed direction with my business and have needed to salvage what I can from the content-marketing-agency wreckage, I've turned into a night owl. I feel so accomplished if I'm awake by 10 a.m. The stereotype is that night owls are lazy, unprofessional, undisciplined, and don't spend much time doing anything when we are awake. In fact, there are successful night owls who just happened to be productive and accomplished when everyone else is sleeping.

My mother would probably say that when I wake up so late that "half the fricken day is gone." Half of her day maybe gone, sure. I am sleeping when she is working hard, yes. But she's in bed by 9 p.m. At 9 p.m., I'm ready to put in another four to five hours of work, maybe more if I get on a roll and stumble upon something big, like I did last night. Besides, night owls aren't as bad off as some may think. New research from the University of Madrid found that night owls are better at inductive reasoning and problem solving, abilities associated with more prestigious occupations and higher incomes.

Society Isn't Kind to Night Owls

It's really not. Most workplaces that offer a night shift aren't awesome jobs (you know, they're not necessarily professional jobs that require a degree or special training). Most businesses aren't open late at night, although that is changing somewhat (I could walk across the street to the grocery store at 11 p.m. if I wanted to. But, I live in the inner city, so I'm not going to do that). Even the "disease" associated with being a night owl, delayed sleep phase disorder, is defined as, "a circadian rhythm sleep disorder affecting the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, the core body temperature rhythm, hormonal and other daily rhythms, compared to the general population and relative to societal requirements."  Being a night owl is a disorder because it's different from what everyone else does and what society wants. Yay.

It doesn't help that both of my parents are morning larks and proud of it. They've never been fond of the idea of staying up late and sleeping during the day. They see these activities as all those stereotypes previously mentioned. Although, I admit, there were times where my brothers and I stayed up late to go out and to play video games and such. But, alas, we were teenagers when we did all that stuff. Well, maybe the stay up late to go out kind of stuff. My brother works the night shift in Las Vegas. My parents still complain that he sleeps til noon and that the kids do too. I grant, the whole family will have some trouble when the kids start going to school. But when my brother gets home at 1 a.m. it's not all that realistic to expect him to wake up at 6 or 8 a.m.

I Enjoy the Privacy of the Night

My fiance is in bed by nine or 10 because he starts work at 6:30 a.m. (he has less than two weeks on this job though, so this schedule is ending soon). I like that after he goes to bed, I feel like I have the apartment to myself and that my time and space is unrestrained. There are fewer distraction at this hour, and I don't feel worn out or dragging. I feel ready to work and able to pursue new ideas and to come up with new ways to think about things. It's a great time for creative pursuits, and in my line of work, it's all about the creativity.

Fortunately, Lab1500 is going to have 24-hour access soon. I'm excited.

Today is Going to Be the Day

It's getting really close to midnight, so "today" could actually be up for debate here. But, today is going to be the day that I make a few changes for the better, that I do what needs to be done to build myself a successful business and to be recognized as an expert in my chosen fields. I need to get myself going and to make some progress.

I'm Going Back to the Office

It's been weeks since I was at Lab1500. I've been there once in the past month, and that was to do my VIP day. Other than that, I've been staying home and working. The biggest reason for this is that my sleep schedule is all screwed up. I've been going to bed at 1 a.m. for at least a week, which makes it hard to get up at a reasonable hour the next morning. Getting up late means that it's tough to get down to the office because they close at six, and I don't want to go down there for just two or three hours. Lab1500 did just announce that they were going to do 24/7 service, but I do think I need to get my sleep schedule fixed. It does mean spending one or two days completely tired, but I just need to bite the bullet and get it done. I also feel really guilty about being a night owl, sleeping when everyone else is working. Then again, I am working when everyone else is sleeping. I don't quite know what to do. I'll ask my business coach.

Working on My New Business Ventures

I haven't made much progress on my upcoming coffee blog either. I created a contact page today, and did research on how to write a review policy, but that's it. I will get the first coffees that I'm going to review, and find a good shop to review as well. However, I am starting to think that I might have to do a few reviews first, and then develop a policy. You know, figure out the system first and then put it into writing. Haven't had the funds to get everything started on the right first. I do need to buy the domain name, and figure out the hosting stuff. I also need to catch up on all the great stuff Sean Ogle has sent me.

Speaking of which, I do need to start migrating my pages off my site from HubSpot. I need to cancel my account because I can't afford it, but I don't want to lose the work that I've done so far. I'll put that on my task list for the weekend. I think I'll move them all either to my Stirring Standard blog or to my current Stirring Media site, which does need revamping also since I will be changing the direction of my business. I think I need to make another giant To-Do list.

This is What I Need to Do...

And today is going to be the day to do it. I've been slouching around a little too long, and perhaps I needed a bit of a break or impromptu vacation, but it's gotta end sometime cause I can't be this way forever. I don't think I'm going to get that successful business or accomplish any of my goals with this kind of schedule and this kind of pace. I'm getting things done, but I'm not getting enough done. Just doing what needs to be done and I'm going to end up running in place again. I don't think I got far with my previous business because I spent too much time doing what needed to be done today, instead of doing things that moved the business forward and put it in a position to grow.

I'll Do It!

I'm not Allison Mack, or Bill O'Reilly, but I am just as fabulous.

How's that for a tagline/niche? I need a new one, since I don't even know what "All is On with Allison" is even all about. I'm thinking that I just have a pretty darn good life that I should be a bit more appreciative of, so I should just blog about and blog about what goes on here in St. Louis and in business and that other fun stuff. Although, I must say, 'Mack' is a pretty cool last name. It reminds me of a Mack truck, and that's pretty cool.

I mean, it's a start for a tagline right? I just read this long article about the dysfunctional guide to blogging and business success, and I think that 'dysfunctional' is a good word for me. I prefer different and original, but dysfunctional would work too. People probably do think I am dysfunctional. After all, I did go vegan and then I ran out of money for food so I had to eat all the meat that I had stored up and now I'm a horrible, horrible vegan.

A Week of Moping

Yeah, that's seriously what my last week and a half it's been. Probably the worst week and a half to mope too, since Memorial Day weekend is this weekend and I should have started the moping three days later. Time it with the vacation so that I wouldn't have been moping when everyone else was at work being productive and doing things with their lives. I haven't been working enough and being productive, even though work is slow and that's part of the reason why I'm moping.

I don't want to be moping. The moping is turning me into a loser. I want to be better and to be awesome! I am doing that by going to my VIP day tomorrow to work on my business and my personal branding. It starts at 8:30 a.m. and I will be getting free breakfast and lunch. How could I not go? I'm also going to be spending the day with my business coach and she will guide me in the right direction and help me tap into my purpose power and all that good stuff. I can do it! I will have a successful business and make money and save the world!

You Can Do It!

I can totally do it, and I must do it because the great Daniel Negreanu said I could do it. He totally said this when he participated in a Q&A on the FlopTurnRiver poker forum. I asked him a question about veganism, and how to go vegan, because he's also vegan, and this is what I got:

First, watch Forks Over Knives | Official Website it has a lot of great information. Then pick up the cookbook it's incredible. Also checkout Vegetarian & Vegan Starter Kit | Guide on How to Become Vegan / Vegetarian | PETA.org for help getting started. Good luck and congrats on your decision! Stick with it and you won't regret it.

Okay, so there's nothing in there that's all that encouraging except the 'stick with it' part. However, I've been telling myself that he was encouraging for like, six months, so I'm just going to 'stick with it' and tell people that Daniel Negreanu encouraged me through the interwebs and so that's why I can do it and that I won't fail.

That also really has nothing else to do with the rest of my life, except poker, but that's okay too.

I've also just concluded that my tagline sucks. I'm working on it. I also need to work on this whole page too.

My New Plan Towards Saving the World (and Reaching Oprah Status)

May has so far been a stressful, spring-cleaning, rethinking, must-build-identity-capital, sort of month. This month has been all about making the key decisions that will define, oh I don't know, the rest of my life or something like that. My business is just about broke, which isn't fun, and this is the primary reason that I've been stressed, and thinking, and building identity capital. I've lost some major revenue sources, on top of the fact that my latest big project ended up costing me money than making me money. It just seems like I make the money, but the costs keep increasing and have finally increased more than what I've been making. I need to do something quickly. I'm thinking that since I've come to terms with the idea of my business failing and having nothing but a website, and a domain name, and inbound marketing skills, that I should try something new with all that. Do some sort of 180, perhaps almost ditching all that I've done before.

I'm Actually Thinking YouTube

So, my magnificent plan B here is to go for it with YouTube; just start making videos and posting them, figuring out how to make great videos and to create that identity capital that turns me into a YouTube star. From what I've read, YouTube is the untapped gold mine, where there's not only a lot of traffic but there's also tons of opportunity to create great content and for YouTube and advertisers to help you create that content and to help you make money from that content. YouTube is competing with Hulu and Netflix, and they want to compete with television when all is said and done, so I think there's a huge opportunity there to create great videos, to create content that's of value to people and entertaining at the same time.

I don't have much idea of the kind of content I'd like to produce. I could fit the gamer girl niche. I could also produce a talk show or news show, interviewing awesome people doing awesome things. I could just make some sort of YouTube reality show, of me doing things in life and commenting on them. I could film my journey as a Half the Sky Ambassador, spreading the word about those issues and spreading the word about what others are doing. I do, however, have a fake fireplace in my office. I totally intend to use that, make that all camera worthy. My home office, it turns out, was totally made for YouTube videos.

What Is Oprah Status?

Oprah status is my phrase for being so awesome that you can just start your own television network, you know, because you're Oprah and you have that kind of clout. Then, you're so awesome that when your network isn't doing too well, the way to save it is to go back to hosting your own television show, on your own television network, and that does the trick. That's essentially how it went down at OWN, and I know this because I wrote a 700-word article for a client on the future of OWN. Oprah's back doing what she does best, so I'm not worried.

Did I mention Oprah also has her own magazine and website and book club and what not? The woman is fantastic. I mean, she said something about not liking beef, and then the beef industry got angry and sued her because she was Oprah, and the beef industry knew she had the power to turn everyone against beef. That's the kind of influence she has, and that's the kind of influence I want to have. I will use that influence to save the world, you know, end women's oppression and end poverty and good stuff like that. It's going to be fantastic.

Back on Track

I woke up today and committed to making today a productive, awesome day. I committed to making today a great day and to getting things done. Not only did I accomplish that, but I also found a dollar bill this morning on my way to the bus stop. It's the second dollar bill I've found in a three-day period. I hope I find more money on the sidewalk within the next few days, the next one being a 10 or a 20. You know it's going to be a good day when you find money on the ground, especially when the ground is covered in snow.

However, I'm Nervous

I applied for an Arch Grant about two months ago, and today is the day when they are notifying who moves on to the next round. Haven't heard anything yet, although they announced on Twitter three hours ago that the notifications will go out by the end of the day. It's less than an hour until the end of the day and I haven't heard anything. What's considered the end of the day? I'm nervous because if I don't get the grant, I will start on my project that I hoped to fund through the grant. If I do move on, then I will do the next round and go through the waiting game once more. Getting this grant will be huge, but I think my idea is even better, and I will want to make the idea a priority. However, I don't want to start on it if I do move to the next round. When will I hear something? Eeek!

Other Than That...

Today was a committed and productive day, and I will continue this by playing poker tonight (or maybe game night with the neighbors, as they haven't said anything yet). I played a SNG yesterday and lost, but I was incredibly spaced out. Before I knew it, I only had 2/3 of my original chip stack, and it felt like I hadn't played any hands or made any bad moves. I had no idea where the money went. Alas, I will play again tonight. It will be fun, and I will make the best decisions possible.

Poker, Poker, Poker

I need to practice for my Las Vegas trip, which is less than month away. I am super excited to go! I can't wait. I have this trip to look forward to as well as the Heartland Poker Tour in April. On Pokertube, they have videos of two separate HPT final tables. I plan to watch that to get a glimpse of how tough the competition is that these HPT events. I'm excited, and nervous. I feel my awesomeness exponentially growing. I want to be featured on Pokertube because that would be the coolest thing ever. I would be a semi Internet star. Also, if I happen to win big over the next few months, I could maybe make it out to the World Series of Poker to play one tournament or two. I want to play in the WSOP so bad, even though 2014 is probably when I'll make my first appearance. I need to win super huge to be able to play this year, even though a couple of events have a $1000 buy-in.

Finishing Up

I need to hurry and to finish this post because I want to catch the 5 p.m. bus. I was hoping to catch the 4:30 p.m. bus, but I took too long thinking of something to write about and then I got distracted with the Arch Grant announcement. I keep hitting refresh, hoping to see the notification, but a watched pot never boils. It'll probably come in while I'm on the bus, and then I'll get home and completely forget about it. Then, I won't see it until tomorrow morning or something. Why wouldn't it happen that way? It's usually how these sorts of things go.

Getting Back into It

It's been a hectic past few days, from having to put the cat down to having a headache/migraine all day yesterday. This morning, the front door to our apartment building got busted overnight. Fortunately, it was our stupid neighbor's friend/roommate trying to get back to the apartment, and not a burglar. However, it's now quite easy for a burglar to get into the building now. Thanks, dude! Other than all that, everything's dandy.

However, without that busted door, I might not have gotten up and forced myself to get something done today. It's been a productive day considering the amount of work I need to get done, and I'm beat. But, it's actually looking really good for me to catch up this week, so I'm pretty sure that I'll be in the groove and back on track for making things happen. In a way, I needed something else in my life that I couldn't put off, something that I needed to do right away for the sake of others as well as myself. Busted front doors can do that.

Getting Back to Saving the World

I realized over the past few days that I've strayed from my ultimate goal of saving the world. I'm caught up reading poker and business books, so I haven't been reading things that relate to saving the world. I haven't been watching my documentaries, I didn't go to the last Amnesty International meeting, and I haven't been as committed to this blog as I used to be. Granted, I have been preoccupied with a lot for the past week, and I still have a lot on my horizon (i.e. taxes and trip to Las Vegas), but I do think I am at a point to start making these things the priority they once were. Still, that's no exist as my efforts to save the world have been waning for longer than week. Granted, I did get bogged down with that huge content marketing order at the beginning of the months, but now it's just excuses, excuses, excuses. All I really needed as a good kick to the butt.

Plans for the Next Few Days

They are looking awesome, especially since I might not have to work a whole lot this weekend to catch up. I do have an event tomorrow and Friday, although I'm not sure if the event tomorrow is still happening because of the weather. It's supposed to have snow and sleet and ice rain for most of the day, so there's still a chance they may postpone the event. However, I haven't heard anything yet, so I still plan on attending, unless of course the ice rain makes the sidewalks so bad that I can't even walk anywhere without slipping. Then I might not even leave my house. I do hope the even isn't something where no one shows up because everyone decided to go home and stay out of the weather instead. That would be a waste.

If everything works out right, and I don't have to do a lot of work this weekend, then I'll be able to use this weekend to relax, to do house chores, to play lots of poker, and perhaps think really hard about getting a new kitty. We probably won't get a new one over the weekend, but we do want a new kitty in our lives and I'd like to do some perusing and really thinking about the type of kitty we want. I want one that's big and fuzzy, who wants to be a lap kitty and everyone's friend. Those are the best. But, that's only if everything falls into place and I'm able to get things done.

Politics, Poker, and... What Else Is There?

At first, I was going to write this after the State of the Union address and include my thoughts about that. However, I plan to play the State of the Union drinking game, and so I don't want to risk indefinite publication of whatever thoughts will come out (relevant to the speech or otherwise). I also don't think blogging while intoxicated is against my blogging case study rules, but I have no idea what sort of things I would type, so I'm going to avoid the shame and embarrassment. I also have no interest in the pre-speech coverage, as there are better things to cover and we don't need two plus hours of coverage, so I suppose I have nothing good to say about the speech now and will have nothing good to say about it later on tonight or tomorrow.

My my, Isn't My Intelligence Progressing Forward?

Probably not, but it's not like I'm not trying either.Tonight is also the premier of the PBS Frontline on the fiscal cliff, so I do plan to watch that afterward (PBS is good about posting their episodes like the minute after it ends on the air). I can guarantee that I'll learn anything new about the fiscal cliff, but I'm sure it'll be a much more accurate presentation of the whole thing than what we've been getting through cable news and other news outlets. Has that whole thing even been averted? I don't remember.

Okay, I'm Easily Distracted

There's also those documentaries I need to watch. I haven't watched documentaries in a long time, since I've been preoccupied watching Netflix's new original series (way dramatic and intense, characters and relationships are weird and therefore intriguing, worth watching) and all sorts of poker reruns and interviews. They're live-streaming major tournaments on PokerTube, and they're really great to watch since the action isn't edited to a few select hands and the commentary is insightful and can actually help you in how to think about hands. Granted, it's only great if you're into poker the way I am. Granting that it's currently WPT season, and that WSOP season starts in June, I'm not watching another documentary until August or September. Then, I have a month or two window until the WSOP main event final table, which will be 14+ hours of glorious poker. After that, I have another three months or so until this cycle starts all over again. Hopefully by then, I'm part of the cycle instead of just watching it.

Politics, Poker, and... What Else Is There?

I feel like this sort of combination and attitude makes me something real special. I suppose if anything, it makes me someone who likes things that start with the letter, 'P', although pickles and pork are out. Pickled mango and pork barrel legislation are totally in, however. Pocket pairs and Pokemon are, of course, wonderful. I hoped to end my title with one more thing that starts with a 'P', but I couldn't think of one that wasn't random or something that I couldn't nicely discuss in a paragraph. I do like paragraphs, but they are no fun for the most part.

I'm kind of waiting around for a client to call back. Not sure if he will or not. Essentially, his website is broken from the back-end and there's nothing I can do to update it, fix it, or to diagnose what's wrong. Whatever the case may be, I'm catching the 5:35 p.m. bus home, because I've finished all my work for the day and I'm hungry, so I want to go home and eat dinner. I have no idea what I'm going to eat. I need more recipes.