Utah Valley University Graduation Poster

This has been making headlines lately. As an advocate of education, I feel the need to respond to it.

Others have already discussed the relative value of her degree (BS in digital media with a music minor), as well as her attitude toward employment, so I'll leave those points. What I want to address is this part:

But none of that really matters
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As parody or sarcasm, perhaps as an existential rant on employers' recruiting practices as they pertain to non-STEM degrees, I like it. If it's serious, I feel bad for her past four years.

Still, come on, graduation is a milestone in life.

The Billfold on Eating In

Just a great article that sums up my thoughts in a hurry. I agree with it on all points. Plus great cooking can impress people more than having enough money to pay at a restaurant. Yum!

Shirt Laundry Challenge: March 10-April 22, 2013

O Venerable Shirt Laundry Challenge, it was nice knowing you while you lasted. Last night and tonight have entailed an obscene amount of laundry, naturally. That was fun. Certainly let me know it'll be a while before I buy another shirt.

I'd post a picture of the completed laundry pile but I figure the month mark is enough of that.

March's book at some point soonish, I swear.

Twitter Résumé: Your Professional Self, Only in 140 Characters

Apparently this is now a thing.

"And how does one write a 140-character résumé—a single tweet summarizing one's experience and unique attributes—anyway?"

Figured I'd have a go at it. This is what I came up with. Thank you, American spellings, for getting me down to 140 characters.

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Matthew Gordon: BA '09, MILR '12, JD '15, author, book blogger, sports fan, able to move. Interested in labor issues, policy and consulting.

Shirt Laundry Challenge: One Month In

Last month, I announced to the world that I intended to go as long as possible without washing or re-wearing  a shirt. The last time I washed a shirt was March 10th. One month later, I'm low on available shirts but still going strong. I've had the opportunity to try new combinations of clothing thanks to not being able to rely on old mainstays all the time. More strangely, I now have a mountainous pile of shirts sitting beside my laundry basket. Ever wondered what a month's worth of shirts looks like? Well, now you know.

Happy Easter!

To celebrate, here's a kitten cleaning a bunny. Hope you all have a ton of turkey, chocolate, white wine, or whatever it is that gets consumed in your home today!

The Awl: "What Writing Programs Ought to Teach You..."

A couple hours ago, The Awl published this article. It sheds a lot of light on the problems contemporary writers face. The part about student loans is certainly accurate. As someone who's never fully been in favour of educational programs teaching creative writing (teaching creativity is something I can't get behind, and writing is a component of most arts programs anyway), the idea that someone with a MFA would be a more qualified writer than I am is mildly disturbing. I certainly don't see creative writing as a viable career option, both in terms of the ability to get paid and the motivation for writing. Economic incentives can severely change a writer's output...

...which brings me to suggestion #1, The Unworkshop. I don't like its name, which is too much like Uncollege for my liking, but I love the concept. I'd gladly participate, especially as the person who would stand to gain financially. I wouldn't view it as much of an exercise in improving my writing. It's the industrial relations student in me that would get the most fun.

The Accounting sessions would be good. I'm a huge proponent of financial literacy. As someone who's learned the business of freelance writing through continuing education and found it highly educational, at a fraction of university cost no less, this is something I can support.

All I have to say about the Grant Writing section is that if this statement, "Even more important than your own writing, which is what it is, is your ability to write in such a way that people will give you money", isn't sarcastic, it's alarming. If your goal is to make money, writing's about the last thing you should do.

Charm Classes, Sex Ed, and Concentration Class? Sure, why not.