Brilliant Corners

Last week I finally graduated with a Bachelors degree (English Literature, if you can believe that). When I walked across the stage during the University of North Texas commencement ceremony, I finally made that first step into the working world.

Oh, wait. I'm already there!

My first semester at a university (at Michigan State) was in the fall of 1989. There were many starts and stops, degree changes, and school changes in between. I eventually dropped out about 11 years ago and started working full time.

Then, a few years ago, a good friend of mine re-enrolled and began working on his degree again – after an absence almost as long as my own. Slowly but surely, by taking one or two classes a semester, I completed all the classes I needed to complete my degree. So, now, after almost 17 years, I have completed my college education.

It still boggles my mind that it’s finally over. While going back to school I continued to work full time. We had our second child somewhere in the middle of all this, too. This really wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of my wife, who sometimes didn’t get the breaks she needed when I was at class, or at the coffee shop studying. It was tough at times, but we made it work somehow.

Now, what’s next? Well, that’s the question I'm still asking myself. Stay tuned.

About two hours ago I turned in my graduation application. If I pass the two classes I'm taking right now (no real reason I shouldn’t), I will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in May. Me. Graduating. Finally!

My first semester of college was in the fall of 1989 at Michigan State University. I've had several stops and starts since then, but I've now been on the right track long enough to get my degree. It’s amazing that a) I'm finally getting it done, and b) that it took me as long as it did. Whew!

But that’s not all the big news this year.

Most of you reading this site already know this, but last Friday (January 20th) was my last day as a Yahoo! employee. There really are too many reasons for my leaving to list here, but let’s just say that’s it’s been something in the works for a while. There were several “things” that all happened at just the right time to make leaving Yahoo! the right choice. I'm now contracting with a company that a good friend works with and I couldn’t be happier.

There are more issues to think about now that I'm basically self-employed (health insurance, life insurance, etc.) but I definitely feel up to the task. I have a lot to learn, but I'm enjoying the process so far.

Oh yeah, there’s still some other news, too.

Earlier this month, I broke the news to my parents that we're moving this summer. Sometime in May, or June, or July, we'll be picking up the family and moving from Dallas on up to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Again, there are too many reasons to list here, but this also has been a while in coming. It was hard breaking it to my folks, especially my mom, but I think this move will be good for us. No, great for us.

This has already started out to be a crazy year, and January isn’t even over. I'm sure there are going to be some bumps in the road, but at the end of it all, I know it will all be worth it.

Wish me luck! :)

Another year is now (just about) over and I guess it’s about time I did a yearly media roundup. I've done similar things in the past, but I let the tradition lapse a few years. Since I don’t have the last few years' roundups available for comparison, I'm not too sure if I did any better (consumed more media) this year or not. These lists will just have to stand on their own.

So, without any further ado, here are the lists…

Literature

Thanks to my English classes at school, I've had to read more than I normally would in a year. Here’s the full list of books I've read this year (in the order read):

1. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne (for ENGL 4400)
2. The Polysyllabic Spree – Nick Hornby
3. _The Crying of Lot 49_ – Thomas Pynchon (for ENGL 4400)
4. Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut (for ENGL 4400)
5. The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler (for ENGL 4400)
6. Native Son – Richard Wright (for ENGL 4400)
7. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck (for ENGL 4400)
8. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (for ENGL 4400)
9. My Ántonia – Willa Cather (for ENGL 4400)
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain (for ENGL 4400).
11. Moby Dick – Herman Melville (for ENGL 4400)
12. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
13. _Shutterbug Follies_ (Graphic Novel) – Jason Little
14. _Blankets_ (Graphic Novel) – Craig Thompson
15. _The Tipping Point_ – Malcolm Gladwell
16. _The Postman Always Rings Twice_ – James M. Cain
17. _V for Vendetta_ (Graphic Novel) – Alan Moore
18. _Freakonomics_ – Steven D. Levitt
19. _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone_ – J.K. Rowling
20. _Alias Vol. 1_ (Graphic Novel) – Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Gaydos
21. _Spring Snow_ – Yukio Mishima
22. _Ice Haven_ (Graphic Novel) – Daniel Clowes
23. _Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned_ (Graphic Novel) – Brian K. Vaughan
24. _Superman: Red Son_ (Graphic Novel) – Mark Millar
25. _The Fortress of Solitude_ – Jonathan Lethem
26. Stranger Things Happen – Kelly Link
27. _Men and Cartoons_ – Jonathan Lethem
28. _Tricked_ (Graphic Novel) – Alex Robinson
29. _Gary Benchley, Rock Star_ – Paul Ford
30. _More Box Office Poison_ (Graphic Novel) – Alex Robinson
31. _Magic For Beginners_ – Kelly Link
32. _Double Indemnity_ – James M. Cain
33. _The Golden Compass_ – Philip Pullman
34. _The Pragmatic Programmer_ – Andrew Hunt & David Thomas

Film

I didn’t see as many films this year as I wished I had. We subscribed to NetFlix for most of the year, but we were horrible about using it, and eventually cancelled. That being said, here are some of the better films I saw this year (in no particular order):

• Howl’s Moving Castle
• Hotel Rwanda
• Me and You and Everyone We Know
• Serenity
• City of God
• The Incredibles
• The Bicycle Thief
• Maria Full of Grace
• Vera Drake
• The 40 Year Old Virgin
• Mad Hot Ballroom

Music

I definitely stubled onto (or was introduced) to some fantastic new music this year. Here’s a list of bands or artists that I first heard of, and began listening to this year:

• Emiliana Torrini
• M.I.A. (I think she was this year)
• Diplo
• Keren Ann
• Built to Spill (yes, I'm late to the game here)
• Carla Bruni
• Spoon (late, yet again)
• Klint

Well, that’s about it for 2005. I'm looking forward to many more good books, good films, and some new music in the coming year.

Okay, now off to the New Year’s Eve party!