20 Years of Schooling Will End Thursday
In 1986, I started preschool on a 2-times-a-week basis.  After a year of preschool, it was determined I would go back for a second year, simply because I was right on that summer birthday borderline where I could either go into kindergarten or not.  In 1988, I started kindergarten, and in 2001, I graduated from high school.  That fall, I started college here at DSU, where I would become one of the 33% of students to graduate from the college at which they began in 2005.  So, two years of preschool, plus thirteen years of school at Willow Lake, plus 4.5 years of college adds up to 19.5 years.  But, if you count them as calendar years, then it is 20.  But that all comes to a screeching halt Thursday, December 15, 2005, when I finish my Quantitative Methods final around 3pm.  My first ever teacher was Mrs. Kinder in preschool, and it appears my last ever teacher will be Andrew Shiers, a frequent visitor of this site.  How fitting.

Happy to Pass S.A.D.
When I took Zoology sophomore year, it was the closest I have ever come to failing a class.  I went into the final with a D, bombed the test, and ended with a low D.  Thankfully, Dr. Droge was a kind man, and bumped my grade up to… not a C, but a B.  I really expected to fail that class, quite easily the most difficult subject matter I’ve ever attempted to learn in my life.  I was in a very similar position this semester with Systems Analysis and Design, or SAD.  Again, the subject matter was so foreign to me, Josh Pauli may as well have been teaching it in German.  Still, I maintained a C average in the class, and went into the final with a 76%.  Mathematically, it was impossible for me to fail the class.  I had 608 out of 800 points going into the final, and even if I received a zero on the test, I would still have 608 of 1000 points, meaning I’d end with a 60.8%, good for a passing D.  Unfortunately, after the test, Crystal Rentschler pointed out to me that if the class was required for your major, you needed to get a C to officially pass.  I felt sick to my stomach the rest of the night as I waited impatiently for Josh to post the grades on WebCT.  I felt very uncomfortable with how I did on the test, and even though I would still earn a C with a 47% on the final, I was very nervous.  It turned out I was nervous for no reason, as I passed with a 78% on the test, keeping me at a C for the semester.  I was very happy with that C.  Just imagine what it would be like to fail that one class and have to come back to DSU next spring to take that single class.

Unlike the Twins, I Made a Trade
While the Twins continue to sit on their asses while the White Sox bolster their roster this winter, I at least made a trade Wednesday night that to me seems quite fair.  Planning on keeping my tablet PC from DSU, I won’t need my old Apple iBook anymore.  Brother Alex, however, will need a computer for college next year, and doesn’t much care if it’s new or not.  Alex also has a PS2 that is sitting in his room collecting dust, and 20 games to go with it.  But while playing my Nintendo rip-off SuperJoy III Tuesday night and Jon Mueller’s PS2 Wednesday night (which is quite rare for me; I hadn’t played a video game in months) it dawned on me that I could trade Alex straight-up–a one-time expensive computer for a washed-up PS2.  I made the call, and the deal was finalized.  I tried to get Alex to throw in a player to be named later, but he balked at the suggestion.

Christmas Approaches… That Means Rudolph
The last few years, I haven’t really gotten into that Christmas spirit like I used to, and I thought I knew why.  The signal of the start of the Christmas season as a kid was when I watched that crappy Rudolph special on CBS.  Trying to resurrect past yuletide feelings, I downloaded the video online, only to shake my head at how bad it is.  I forgot all about Rudolph and that stupid elf that wants to be a dentist going to the Island of Misfit Toys.  Did you know the same people tried to make a similar movie about a long-eared Christmas donkey?  I saw it on ABC Family the other day.  How stupid!

Top Ten List | Today’s Topic: 10 Most-Played Songs on My Computer
1. “It’s Easy, MmmKay,” South Park (18)
2. “Photograph,” Weezer (17)
3. “Radio Saved My Life Tonight,” Bon Jovi (16)
4-T. “Wildflower,” Bon Jovi (15)
4-T. “Damage in Your Heart,” Weezer (15)
4-T. “Pardon Me,” Weezer (15)
7-T. “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” Bon Jovi/Sugarland (13)
7-T. “Feel Good, Inc.,” Gorillaz (13)
7-T. “Hung Up,” Madonna (13)
10. “14th Street,” Rufus Wainwright (12)

I guess that’s all for today.  Let the new Ryan Glanzer era begin today!

Ryan