Entry 38 & 39

Day 38 - Superbowl Sunday! My brothers, my friend Sarah, and I sat down to watch the historic first-ever Superbowl victory for the New Orleans' Saints. We had quite the spread for just the four of us, but we were expecting more people to come. Things don't always work out, but we had a great night anyway.

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Day 39 - It was a long day. Not only did I have to stop by the campus to drop off my time sheet for the website work I did last month, but I had to do some "homework" for an interview I had that day for a paid internship.

I suited up again, went in with my laptop, business cards, and résumé. I think the interview went extremely well, and the gentleman who conducted it said he's recommending me for a follow-up. We'll see how that pans out!

The problem with professional favors is that...

...at some point, one would have to ask one of two things:

How can this person ever find the means by which to repay this favor?

OR

Am I willing to -- or can I afford to -- do this out of the kindness of my heart without expectations of any future compensation?

At this point, I really can't afford to do much out of the kindness of my heart; some things tug on my heart strings to the point of crippling pain, but I can only give so much of myself before I'm out on the street.

Unfortunately, I am slowly realizing that I am probably the only solid web designers that many of my close friends know. This comes to my attention, because my last four years have been spent primarily in the company or writers, photographers, reporters, artists, musicians, designers (clothing or similar), models, and a handful of other programmers and engineers.

The programmers find themselves very capable of handling their own web design, but most of them don't have a requirement to sell themselves as an individual product. The same is true for engineers, since both groups would be able to easily work in firms where individual presence is negligible.

Unfortunately for the rest of those people -- the ones who have chosen careers in artistic or individually-competitive fields -- the most crucial tools to them are their experience, professionalism, and marketability as personal product. In today's industry, the fastest way to do this is to make contacts and develop a web presence. I have known this for more than a decade.

But it seems suddenly, many of these people are only just embracing this revelation. That's where I [apparently] come in! In the past 72 hours, I have been approached by at least four different people about the prospect of building them a website. So, I prepared a response which I posted to Facebook earlier today:

"Yes, I know many people want to develop a web presence. Yes, I do know how to build a website and get you the resources people need to make that side functional. But be forewarned: it is not inexpensive to do something that isn't a free blog, at some point you will have to take over control of your site (i.e. I cannot ...be held accountable for user error), and no it will NOT look or function as well as the following:

• Jim Carrey's Personal
• Agatha Group
• Mobalco
• etc...

Because you are most likely not a millionaire. But if you need my help, and you are willing to compensate, then yes, I will help you if I have the time as long as you PROMISE not to be like this: How Web Design Goes Straight to Hell"


So like I said, I'm not opposed to doing favors. As I was reminded this weekend, nothing should be beneath me at this point; but it's not that. Right now it's just a matter of finances and demand. And if one person asks the favor and is willing to compensate, then if I have the time to make myself -- as a personal resource -- available to others, shouldn't I rightly require compensation from them as well?

Just some ranting, and food for thought.


Over and out,

David

Entry 33-37

Got a little behind in my posts this week. Sorry again guys! I have been cleaning, running errands, revising my resume, sending out applications, visiting family, and just a slew of other activities. Well, I'll just let you read about it.


Day 33 - Today was the premier for the final season of LOST. I set aside the evening to just hang out and watch the three-hour event. Being a big nerd, we have our own miniature holidays sometimes -- this was the first major one of the year for me.

I'm still on "Team Desmond," but Jack is still one of my favorite characters. Oh yeah, and the groundhog saw his shadow. More winter!

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Day 34 - Had to go pick up my business cards today. I was going to make some copies of my resume, but I decided to hold off until the weekend. In the mean time, while I was already out and about, I went to pick up my little brother from class.

I love the way the winter looks. I wish that Texas got more snow, but for now the beautiful grey sky and cold rain will do. No sarcasm, I genuinely love it.

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Day 35 - I got my first response today for a paid internship. I set up a phone interview for later in the week, and decided that I would celebrate by starting my spring cleaning early.

It's not the normal way I would celebrate, but I needed to empty the closet anyway so my little brother could move his stuff in there. But the end of the spring, I plan to have the entire apartment in tip-top shape.

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Day 36 - Our father drove in from Washington D.C. today on an impromptu road-trip back to the Rio Grande Valley. It's always great to see him, since he lives so far away.

He insisted on preparing dinner an washing dishes. We didn't argue, because he is an amazing cook (and we all hate washing dishes).

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Day 37 - I woke up at the crack of dawn today to go to the Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Conference in Arlington. I had been looking forward to it for a while, since I had yet to have an opportunity to do any networking in the DFW area.

The keynote speaker was Nancy Barry, a journalist who is also the author of "When Reality Hits." She gave a strong speech about 'soft skills' that all journalists should have, and I realized just how many I have.

I also had the chance to speak to Robert Francis (left) and Susan R. Petty (right) about magazine and book publication after a breakout session. Robert used to be a writer for trade magazines, including some majro computer publications -- the kind of job I'd ideally like to have someday.

In a discussion about convergence journalism, I had the chance to speak with Kent Chapline (left), Matt Stiles (middle), and Elise Who (right) about their respective careers. The all had quite a bit to say about the set of more specific convergence skills that are necessary to be a viable 'product' in today's industry, not just another writer. I realized just how strong my skill set is, and really hope to expand on it

All-in-all a great day. I handed out some cards, got a few myself, and was able to speak to some very talented journalists. I really hope I can find work soon, because I realized how much I miss being involved in the media!

Entry 27 - 32

Sorry I've been dragging my ass. I didn't stop taking photos, just stopped placing them on here. Alright, here's the last week of posts!


Day 27 - Got to chance to have a few drinks with two of my former editors -- Matt and Andrew -- and a few former coworkers. We're all sharing the struggle of the job hunt right now, so we swapped some stories and advice. It was a good opportunity to just stop worrying, and understand that it's not our faults we can't find work.

The job market just sucks.

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Day 28 - The cold front hit today, so I started to clean up the apartment a little bit. I wanted to reorganize my computer corner, since I figure I'll be working there for a little bit longer.

After that, I finished a few more applications, and set an agenda for the following week. Rainy day chores, but I love hearing the pitter-patter...

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Day 29 - I INSTALLED A VIDEO RECORDER ON MY PHONE! God I love iPhones. But, fair warning -- this is a test video, so it sucks.

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Day 30 - Grocery shopping with the boys today. Nothing all that exciting...

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Day 31 -Followed a day of grocery shopping with a night of cooking! I cooked dinner for my brothers -- fresh brewed tea (overnight), white rice,and stir-fried chicken and various vegetables in a homemade sauce.

Last time I made this particular meal, it was for my ex-girlfriend, and it was too spicy. This time I made sure NOT too put in too many peppers.

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Day 32 - Sleeping problems. Yeah. That's it. Let's hope February is more forgiving than January was.

Chronicle Project - Day 25 & 26

I expected the beginning of my week to be quite mundane. While Tuesday, the 26th, lived up to my expectations, the day prior was a big surprise adventure for me. I suppose it was a nice reminder that even without spending a dime, I have friends that can make my day awesome.


Day 25 - I woke up, still battling whatever cold I was coming down with, so I decided it was a perfect day to do some laundry and take it easy. Well, Jessica had other plans.

She called me up, told me to put on my big-boy pants, and get ready to go to Dallas, because I was her "surprise" for our good friends Francisco and Courtney. They just moved into a new apartment, and we were going to be the first to see it.

We drove out there, I helped them move some of the heavier stuff, and then we all had lunch at Chick-Fil-A to celebrate the random occasion. I was glad to see them, and we caught up on a lot of the goings-on in our lives. They got to meet Daisy, Jess's welsh corgi puppy, who then proceeded to make several spontaneous messes in various corners of the apartment.

After that, we drove to Bolsa -- one of the best ranked restaurants in the state if not the country -- to go visit Jess's beau, Kyle. For stopping in, he treated us to an amazing bruschetta tasting tray and some delicious bread pudding. His coworkers got to meet their puppy too, and then we all called it a night.

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Day 26 - Well, what did you expect? I had to get that laundry done eventually. But it's still nice to have fresh, clean towels -- not to mention pants.

Chronicle Project - Day 23 & 24

Day 23 - Saturday was Jessica's birthday. She had a few close friends over, and we celebrated in the normal youthful fashion. It was a good chance for my younger brothers to meet some of my friends in the area.

It was also another good time for me and both Kyles to catch up on our normal manly conversations. It was kind of like a miniature guys' night tucked into a nice birthday party for a friend.

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Day 24 - As a result of weather, and a late night with friends, I started coming down with a cold. So, Sunday I opted to stay in and play some videogames with my little brothers.

It's nice having them around the apartment, even though when I'm sick they have no mercy on me in Halo 3 multiplayer.

Chronicle Project - Day 20-22

It's been a boring few days, but I figured I'd post them anyway. I'll make a post for today (Day 23) tomorrow because it will be about Jess' birthday party. Otherwise, here's the breakdown:




Day 20 - Stayed in and did applications all day today. It was tedious, boring, and so far it feels like it won't get me any close to where I need to be. But I did it anyway. I am just proud of myself for taking my care in what I eat.

An apple a day, or some other saying like that. But I guess using a caramel dip might kind of defeat the purpose. Still, it's more fruit than I normally would have ingested otherwise.

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Day 21 - Last night of the first week of printing for the NT Daily. My former intern -- now webmaster -- ran into a minor issue with posting The Scene to the site. I went in to help him, and then Shaina invited us to go to Lou's for a drink or two.

Uneventful as usual, but I figured I'd snap a picture anyway of our view of the bar from the back. Pool tables, drunken people, and a packed bar on a Thursday night.

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Day 22 - I got a haircut today! My hair was getting kind of long and annoying again, so I just went ahead and got rid of most of it. It's a terrible picture, but I've never been quite good at taking my own photos.

Chronicle Project - Days 15-19

Sorry I've been busy the last week! But I didn't forget about you guys. In fact, I have a nice collection of images to cover day, night, and LATE night events throughout the past few days.



Day 15 - We took our good family friend George out for dinner, to thank him for helping Derek when his car broke down. He's a big fan of the ladies, and we don't disagree...so we all decided to swing by our local Hooters.

We shared some wings, shared some stories, watched the Mavericks get a win, and then saw some dude dancing around for his birthday.

As usual, the pretty young ladies made for good company; our server, however, got fired because the booth next to us was complaining. Poor dear.

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Day 16 - To wind down the week of training, I took Derek to a few of the Fry Street bars to take in some of the local flavor. I figured he might want to decide for himself where was best suited for him.

At Lucky Lou's we saw three guys play the highest stacked game of (giant) Jenga we'd ever seen. The stack was almost as tall as we were when it finally toppled. I think Derek decided Lou's got an A+.

Later we went to The Garage; it was crowded, loud, and watered down as usual. But thankfully, I have an affinity for picking up on fun events. From across the bar, I had a feeling a fight was about to start, so I rushed in to snap a quick pic of this guy arguing with his girlfriend who had apparently cheated on him with one of their friends. I would have taken a picture of the other guy, but he had a death stare, and kept asking where his gun was.

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Day 17 - I got a visit from my friend Mike from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and he brought a few friends with him to "see Texas" on a vacation. They were being shown around by their friend Brittany, from Decatur.

I don't get to see Mike often, so it was a nice surprise. His friends were really funny, and nerdy too. Later on, Derek and I would go pick up Duran from the airport.

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Day 18 - My brothers and I set a goal to finish as much work around the apartment as we could. We made a quick grocery list -- of both typical college and some grown-up items -- and headed to Kroger.

We ran up a rather large bill, but we were glad to get it out of the way. Now we have food to last us weeks.

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Day 19 - I finally got to see one of my best friends, Jessica, for the first time since December. She got a new puppy from her boyfriend, Kyle -- a welsh corgi! Her name is Daisy, but I call her Ein.

She told me about the cruise her family took, we caught up on the goings-on in our lives, and then we hung out with her friend Ben. She had brought him a collection of seashells, and they have a new interesting story behind them.

She collected them last week, off the coast of Haiti. They had apparently been docked there some time around when the earthquake happened, but on the farthest side from the epicenter! I'm glad she's OK and happy to have my wingwoman back.

Chronicle Project - Days 13 & 14

Busy week. I've been helping the NT Daily finish moving their website over, and getting some job-hunting advice from some of my former superiors and successful family members. I figured since the database was downloading, I'd finally have a chance to update again.

Day 13 - Derek had his transfer orientation for UNT Today. He finished fairly quick, and he seems like like the campus so far.

After he was done, we walked over to Jimmy John's for lunch. I think he has a new favorite sandwich place. I Know Duran, Daniel, and me love it too, so I guess it's a Lucio thing to like delicious f-ing sandwiches.

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Day 14 - I got Derek and internship at the NT Daily. Shaina asked if I would come in and help out, and since I was already planning on being at the office for the website anyway, I said yes. I got to see a bunch of friends, and got this picture when a bunch of the editors were just standing around...

Chroincle Project - Days 10, 11, & 12

Sorry for the delay. With traveling back home, running errands, being in meetings, sending out applications, and one fun night of celebrations I might have been a bit sidetracked. But I didn't forget about you! In fact, I have the last three days of posts right here...

Day 10 - Was on the road today. I stopped by in Kingsville to drop of a game KC had left at my family's house, and then spent a short while with my older brother Daniel at his new loft in Corpus Christi. He showed me around the area, and then showed my the awesome view from his building's roof.

He lives right off the bay, and the marina is just beautiful. After that I drove back to Denton, and arrive just before midnight -- I got to see all four of my brothers in the same day. Despite 10 hours of driving, it was a good day.

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Day 11 - I had a busy day, from start to finish. Toward the "winding down" portion of the night, Derek and I got our long-awaited Christmas presents from our parents (UPS got lost en route to the apartment last week).

I got some nice business casual clothes for the job hunt (and eventual find) and a copy of Barney Stinson's newest book "Bro on the Go!" It came just in time, as How I Met Your Mother had its 100th episode that night, so we suited up for the occasion.

Admittedly, this picture was Photoshopped, but I felt like anything else took away from the true meaning of the image-- awesomeness.

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Day 12 - Another day of errands, and by the time we were done I realized just how much I had driven over the past month (reads: 2,590.0 miles since December 15). I spend a lot of time moving back and forth between several points, and I am very glad my car gets 30 mpg.

At least now Derek has a nice lay of the land here in Denton, so when his car situation gets worked out he'll be able to navigate without me around.