February is over. I've kind of failed at the book challenge (at least at this rate making it to 50 is going to be difficult considering I haven't picked up a book since I finished We). I've also failed at keeping myself off of fast food for at least five months (I spent the week in New Paltz and at the end of my visit I gave in). I haven't gotten a job. I'm running low on cash. 2011 is turning out to be really shitty so far.

In spite of that, I don't quite hate everything. I mean, I kind of do. Especially when I'm at home because I've got more time to myself and I think about it a lot more. I really wish I could just land a job somewhere, regardless of pay. That would help at least when it comes time to start paying off my loans.

I spent the last week and a half in New Paltz though, where I didn't worry about any of those things. I was really happy there and being home just sucks. I really need to be more aggressive here in the city to help get the ball moving. Finding a temp job to at least get some sort of cash flow going, getting my license so I can drive myself around places... that kind of thing would help with getting me to a place that isn't my parents basement and out with people that I want to spend time with. My problem is that when I was at school it wasn't that difficult for me to get what I was looking for. I was already on campus, which helped with getting away from home, and three out of the five jobs I applied for, I got without a problem. I had connections there and it has kind of spoiled me down here in the city where I don't really know anyone. I've still kind of got the mindset that it'll be an easy thing for me to do but I'm slowly learning the hard way that things are different here.

I've still got 10 months to make this year a good one. Here's to hoping.

50 Book Challenge: Book 5

It's been awhile blog.

The book I just finished was We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

For those who don't know, We is the one of the original dystopian novels and it played a huge influence on George Orwell's 1984. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't love 1984 and that's the main reason I checked out this book.

Now that I've finished We, I noticed that a lot of the ideas and general plot points were almost a direct influence on Orwell's masterpiece. A society that seems perfect on the outside; male protagonist who believes the system to be great; meets a woman who shows him otherwise; he attempts to change what he believes and so on. I'm sure the book is more of a commentary of Russian culture in the early 1900's as opposed to being about 1940's Europe, but I guess that's to be expected.

The book did drag on at some points. I might have to re-read it somewhere down the line, maybe catch some subtleties that I missed the first time around. Overall, I really liked a lot of the ideas (like no one having an identity; all people are referred to as "Numbers" and a letter prefacing their number) but some of the execution bored me at times. I know it doesn't help that I got sick in the middle of reading the book so that probably affected the way I read it. Maybe I was just tired though, I don't know.