The Problem with the Kindle

I can buy a paperback for 7.50USD from the local bookstore. Since my region is listed as Asia & Pacific I'm charged and additional 2 dollars for a book. Books are around 10USD if you're in the States, thus I have to pay 5USD more for an ebook than for a paperback. I'm wondering if this was a good investment or not.

What I love about the Kindle is that it's so easy to read. The font is big and the contrast makes it readable anywhere -- in the dark or in sunlight. I don't have to worry about my body's position to the light because there are no pages to cast shadows . It's light and portable. And it's easy to hold and flip pages. No longer do I have to worry about the book's spine, nor do I have to put any effort into keeping the book pages open with my fingers, which is always a pain when I'm reading with one hand.

The Kindle is amazing. I'm just sad that the books I want are either too expensive or not in Kindle format yet.

Bleh

So the previous entry wasn't how I intended it to be. Anyways, here's part 2.

Ever since I was young I didn't know what I wanted to be. I had no aspirations. I still don't. I don't know who I want to be, so I either take the next logical step or refer to other people for what I should be doing.

I just want to do something I'm good at. I know that's a dangerous thing to say as I could be good at being a super villain, or maybe something milder like a custodian. Not that I'm comparing the two. But what I'm trying to say is that I want to do something where people can value my work and say complement me on a job well done. I don't want to be stuck in a job where I'm second guessing myself, worrying about getting scolded for a poor work. I'm scared of failure. I hate letting people down.

Sure, I have some minor esteem issues, but isn't that what everyone wants?

Rearranging my Priorities

A job. I'm looking for a job.

Yesterday I received a call from a company that was looking for Proofreaders. I was skeptical but was curious as to what this job entailed. Honestly, when I applied for the job I wasn't too keen on joining this relatively unknown company and I didn't feel any reason to commit to it, but I was intrigued that they were a non-voice BPO and dealt with e-book for companies in the US and in Europe.

This morning I went to Eastwood and made it barely in time for my scheduled interview (I would've been there sooner if I had flagged down a taxi when I needed one -- but hey! I was on time!). I wasn't too impressed with the building they were located in -- four floors, no elevators, and I didn't see the company's name anywhere. As I came to unit 302 I was surprised to see a door filled with book covers published some time ago. I felt deceived as the website I visited the previous night showed nothing to do with books, but at the same time I was comforted that I had found myself in the publishing industry -- or some form of it.

I was let in by the secretary who asked me to take a short exam. The proofreading exam required me to compare the scanned pages of a book with the ebook that it was converted into. Normally, the conversion tool is 90% accurate, meaning you'd find lots of mistakes. I was to note down the page number, the original error, and beside that the correction. For example:

102 - inside the lockde cabin was- inside the locked cabin was

I was given fifteen minutes for three pages -- I didn't finish. I was half way through the third page when I was asked to stop. After fifteen minutes the boss asked me to step inside a private room for the actual interview. He was impressed with my examination but quickly asked whether I could keep this up for eight hours a day, six days a week. He asked if I was okay with doing tedious work that required me to stare at a computer screen all day. He pretty much pointed out that this probably wasn't what I'd be interested in doing in the long run, especially with the low salary. I admitted that I applied for the job out of curiosity, but expressed my interest in the ebook industry.

He then gave me an education about the ebook industry, talking about their customers at Barnes and Noble, the evolution of the ebook format, and how the iPad had corrupted the ePub format by making it a single-platform through the use of DRM.

He told me that as a Lasallite (or a La Sallian) I was probably more ambitious, probably searching for a business related vocation which would prepare me to start my own business. He guessed that I didn't have any long-term plans for staying with the company, which he found to be a shame because he was searching for new proofreaders. He then asked me what I expected for a starting salary. I gave him a figure and he said he had a position that paid that much, but it required background knowledge and experience, which I had none of. He wracked his mind for job openings that I might be interested in, but the company was too small. In the end, the only thing we could come up with was a 1-year contract as a freelance proofreader, and maybe a promotion in the future. I thanked him for his time and consideration, and for the education about the ebook industry. I left. I felt sad.

The guy was really nice. He was amiable and tried to accommodate me knowing I had higher expectations. I was in an industry that I liked, and would be able to "read" books. At the same time, I knew I couldn't accept a job that paid so low. I knew my living expenses would outweigh my potential income. I knew I didn't want to stare at a computer screen all day (although that's pretty much all I do now). I just felt bad that my priorities were different than I thought they were.

Imagined Priorities:

I wanted a job that I could do well (and apparently, I'm a pretty good proofreader). check

I wanted good pay. no check

I wanted irregular work hours. check

I wanted an accessible location. check, no check, depending if I work there or at home

I wanted something with a future. half-check

I wanted something to do with writing. no check

I wanted a good boss. check

Actual Priorities:

Good pay.

It's kind of ridiculous. I find my pride is getting in the way. I know I'd compare myself with my more successful friends if I took the job. I feel like the job would be a poor return on investment. I feel like the job is for high school drop outs (his words). It's not a great job. But I feel like I'm turning it down for the wrong reasons.

Apple Shampoo

Is there any difference between shampoo for men and shampoo for women? Are they really chemically design for men's scalps or is that just a marketing tool? I've been using shampoo all my life and ... yes, I really have been using shampoo all my life ... and I don't feel my hair has gotten any dryer or more dandruff free because I use a shampoo that's marketed towards women. The only difference I've noticed after switching to shampoo for men is that the shampoo smell is more manly. And... well... Actually... Actually that's good enough a reason for me.

Cat

My uncle keeps lot of pets at his house. A bunch of extraordinary ones as well, such as horn bill, a monkey, two eagles, and a bunch of hens. You don't see these animals unless you're at the zoo, but apparently you'll fond them at my uncle's house.

My uncle also owns a handful of dogs and cats. Most of the cats were feral but he has one kitten that close to being domesticated. And out of all the exotic animals in this zoo-like house, I found this kitten to attract most of my attention. It's just so cute! With its stubby legs and its mechanized movements. Every now and then you'd find it curiously sneak up behind someone as they'd walk by and jump at them like a jaguar, but would retreat at any sign of danger.

I guess what really caught my attention was that the kitten reminded me more of an animated cartoon. It shocks me that animation has become so good that movies like Bolt don't look like an imitation of real animals, they look like the real thing. It also disturbs me that real life now looks like animated cartoons.