# Strange but realistic dream jobs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661 "2001-08-17T00:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/41 "2001-08-23T02:01:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pestie \* > \*\* > There. I’ve said it. **Now** you can call me the lamest, most immature loser on the SDMB. Thank you. \*\* No, pestie, for all the reasons you mentioned, it’s an intriguing set of challenges. I always start thinking about it whenever I see an internet porn site. “How would I do this better? What do people like about this site? How would changing the charge structure change membership figures? Has anyone tried this, or that?” ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/42 "2001-08-23T06:02:08Z")
I’ve got several. I would have liked to have been a doctor. It would be nice to be able to figure out what’s wrong with people, including myself. I am a writer… but I’d love to be a well-paid writer with many published books and something _meaningful_ to say. I have stuff to say, but I doubt anyone finds any of it meaningful. I’d enjoy being a personal assistant/schedule orgainzer for someone very famous. If they were nice, especially, that would be cool, and if not, hey, then I’d write that tell-all book about 'em. I’d schedule them to go to all of these animal welfare related do’s and promote them. And a bartender. Can you imagine all of the stuff you hear? And lots of free drinks. Or a UPS person, delivering packages. People are always excited when a package comes to their door. Actually, one of my way out there dream jobs actually does exist… but it’s filled. It was in the news in his hometown, about this guy who knew somebody in catering and was helping backstage at an Aerosmith concert. He made some pies for the band. They liked them, and called him, and said, ‘come on the road with us and make us pies.’ So that is his job now, touring the world with Aerosmith, making pies for them. I hate that man. That should be me. ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/43 "2001-08-23T14:06:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ticker \* > \*\*This probably won’t mean much to those outside the UK but for a long time my dream job has been to be the person who creates all the BBC2 twos that go between programs (where the commercials go for you unfortunate Americans) > \*\* I know what you mean. Whoever does those has an amazing imagination. How many different ways can there be to display a large “2” on a TV screen? Some of them are downright beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/44 "2001-08-23T16:34:12Z")
I would like to be a travel writer (preferably Bill Bryson-type stuff rather than interminable listings of hotels in rural Slovenia, but I’ll take either). Unfortunately, I don’t think I have enough of a way with words to pull it off. What I hope I _will_ be doing in a year or two is teaching English abroad. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherScrim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@BrotherScrim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherScrim)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/45 "2001-08-23T16:44:49Z")
Honestly, my true dream job would be a dishwasher, only I get paid like, $50k/year. It sounds dumb, I know, but I used to wash dishes and derived a great deal of pleasure from being able to work alone, thinking about whatever I wanted to, and listening to the radio for a living. That, or the writer/editor or an independant comic book company. ---
**Author:** ![Thrasybulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Thrasybulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasybulus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/46 "2001-08-23T21:12:29Z")
DJ#1: James Suckling’s job. (Editor for Wine Spectator that covers Bordeaux, Port & Tuscany). Though by no means would I want his name. DJ#2: Travel show personality. (I know that travel writer has been posted but I would prefer to do the documentary style- for example Michael Palin’s Pole to Pole or Full Circle.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/47 "2001-08-28T14:27:28Z")
> [@](#): > > _ **drachillix** said:_ > If my dream job happens I need to hire you. Thanks! Looks like I’d better get busy on my portfolio! 🙂 > [@](#): > > _ **toadspittle** said:_ > Sounds like an Art Director (in the movies) does a lot of what you’re talking about– I’m starting to do research on this again. Yes, Art Director is close. This past weekend I discovered the book Hollywood 101 which describes how the movie production process works. \ Roughly, the Art Director is responsible for getting the movie to look right. The Art Director’s _boss_, however, is the Production Designer, who chooses the look in the first place. \ I’m not giving up on this this time. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/48 "2001-08-28T15:45:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Honestly, my true dream job would be a dishwasher, only I get paid like, $50k/year. It sounds dumb, I know, but I used to wash dishes and derived a great deal of pleasure from being able to work alone, thinking about whatever I wanted to, and listening to the radio for a living. There was a This American Life episode which included a segment by a man who loves washing dishes so much, he prints a dishwashing magazine. I thought that was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/49 "2001-08-28T16:21:20Z")
Theater person: Several branches here, doing odd jobs, or costuming, or managing, or producing (and, perhaps, one night when the star breaks her leg and someone asks, who knows the words, stepping forward into the spotlight and … well, too far into the dream and away from the reality) Or the answer person at the library. The one that gets called up, when someone asks weird and unusual questions, and then looks them up and answers them. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/50 "2001-08-28T16:46:16Z")
I’m already working on attaining my dream job: Working as a professional magician. I worked at a restaurant last winter doing close-up magic and plan on doing it again. Eventually I’ll start working on a stage act and perform that wherever people want me. It will be fun! ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/51 "2001-08-28T21:47:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Athena \* > \*\*I always wanted to be the person who bought the books for the library. Buying lots o’ books with other people’s money… what could be better? \*\* Since there are many libraries around I don’t feel bad about saying this has to be the best job I’ve seen on this thread. That or Park Ranger at the lighthouse on Kauai. ---
**Author:** ![tradesilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tradesilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tradesilicon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661/52 "2001-08-28T22:33:06Z")
I would say that as a professional, I have attained several dream jobs earlier in life than I ever thought possible. Ran my own company for a while, and now work in an incredible job with the best group of people I ever met (professionally). I consider myself most firtunate. This is all in the world of technology. In the other world, I would love to be the owner and manager of the classiest restaurant and nightclub around! Incredible food ('cause I love it!), incredible drink ('cause I _really_ love it!), and incredible music ('cause I _really, really_ love it!). After all, a man can only install so many network servers…I have thought about it for years, but the Mrs. won’t hear of it. I just need to convince her that it would be a fun hobby. sili [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-realistic-dream-jobs/76661.md?page=2)