Ten things I know…

OK, I finally broke down and purchased Guitar Hero III. Actually, I redeemed some of my Dave and Buster’s points for a Guitar Hero III bundle that included a wireless guitar. I also purchased Guitar Heroes I and II in a discount package. Sure, I knew about Guitar Hero and I knew it was w wild, runaway success, but I was never very interested in the game. I tried to play it once at a display in Best Buy and I got wrecked. I slunk away as some ten-year-old kid picked up the controller and started shredding like Hendrix.

Then, I discovered Frets on Fire, a free, open-source Guitar Hero clone for the PC. I had so much fun playing Frets on Fire that I decided I had to give Guitar Hero a try. I can honestly say that Frets on Fire is responsible for my purchase of Guitar Hero I, II, and II, as well as two guitar controllers, so evil corporations take note. I mastered the easy level fairly quickly and moved on to medium. Medium was a bit more challenging, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Sadly, my girlfriend was unable to make the jump to medium, so our duets became less frequent, but I continued to progress. I don’t claim to be great at the game, but I have finally reached the “Hard” level of play and I am enjoying the challenge.

When I was learning to play, I noticed that almost all of the Guitar Hero II videos being posted to various internet sites were of people playing impossibly complex songs at the expert level. I found this daunting and uninspiring, as I really couldn’t see playing at that level as a realistic goal while I was still stuck at medium. I really wanted to see videos of people playing medium and hard songs, something that I could relate to and aim for in the immediate future. Because of that, I’ve decided to record videos of myself playing songs at the hard level, which should be attainable for most people willing to put in a little work. This is the first such video, “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain, which I finished with a perfect 100% and a score of 107,000+.

If you’d like to request a song played at medium or hard, email me or post in the comments below.

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In October of 2007, my girlfriend and I packed our car with everything we owned that didn’t make it onto the moving van, including one ornery cat, and started driving toward Miami. When we moved from Cleveland to Las Vegas, we set what must be some kind of land speed record for moving a household, leaving Cleveland a little after 1:00am on Friday and arriving in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon. That was one hell of a trip, but we decided that we’d set a slightly more leisurely pace for our second cross-country move. When planning the route, I decided to make a slight detour and visit the fabled N’awlins.

That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’m not much of a drinker or party animal (although the tale of my first drunkening is worthy of a post of its own), and I don’t normally like crowds, but my girlfriend and I had a fantastic time in New Orleans. We explored the suburbs a little, ate an amazing hamburger, took in a few sights, and spent an entire night walking up Bourbon Street and back. I can’t say exactly what it was about the city, but New Orleans soaked into our bones in the day-and-a-half we were there. Las Vegas seemed boring and common when we compared it to N’awlins. That walk up and down Bourbon street is one of the best times my girlfriend and I ever had together; tiny hole-in-the-wall stalls selling cherries soaked in Everclear, zydeco versions of top-40 tunes wafting into the streets, sex shops rubbing elbows with restaurants, fascinating architecture, people throwing beads from the balconies, almost everyone smiling and having a good time.

We’re finally going back. A good friend of mine is coming for his first visit to Miami and we’re going to drive up to New Orleans and spend a few days. Like me, this friend is a late bloomer in the party game. Neither one of us have ever really been drinkers or party animals (he refused a can of beer on his twenty-first birthday, to give you an idea) but that all changed when he bought a bar on the west side of Cleveland. My visits to the Midwest became festivals of drunken foolishness punctuated by bar brawls (breaking them up, not starting them) and trips to the strip clubs in the Flats.

Needless to say, I have high hopes for this visit to New Orleans. I’m planning to drive up late on a Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning and stay until Sunday. My girlfriend will join us on Friday, most likely. Although I definitely plan to get faced and act a bit of a fool, I also want to take in some of the city’s famed culture, including live music, historic architecture, and the like. So, I’m looking for advice: what sights and sounds should I be sure not to miss while I’m there? Where should I go to hear some good live blues and rock? Who has the best catfish in town? You get the idea, feel free to leave your tips and suggestions in the comments of this post, I am interested in anything you can tell me about where to go and what to do on my upcoming visit.

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Yes.

Here are some more statistics on high school dropout.

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I will make this brief: a high school diploma is not a guarantee of honesty, punctuality, work ethic, or intelligence. Don’t dismiss a candidate out of hand just because he doesn’t bring a high school diploma with him.

I sincerely hope that the above question does not apply to dropouts who have obtained a GED. Going back to get your GED required dedication, motivation, and the ability to apply all the same skills a high school graduate needs.

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In short, yes, but you will not find as many opportunities as a person with a high school diploma or a more advanced degree. Please search this site for “dropout” and “high school” to find more information. I have covered this subject from many angles.

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I guess I did just about everything wrong my last time out with the camera. These four photos are the only ones I consider even remotely presentable, and they’re pretty lousy. I got wildly different results from frame to frame and I’m not really sure why. Two photos taken within seconds of each other using a tripod and identical settings would yield one too dark to see and one colored bright yellowy-orange. I’m not an expert photographer by any means, but I’ve never had such poor overall quality and so many odd problems with this camera, before.

[Show as slideshow]

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Different states have different laws governing dropouts, which can have an effect on your ability to take the test immediately after leaving school. In general, the answer is, “Yes,” you will be able to take the GED very soon after you leave school. Be sure to check with your local department of education and adult education centers for details.

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Well, here are a few off the top of my head:

Al is married to Peggy Bundy, nee Wanker.
Al has a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Bud. Kelly is the older of the two children.
Al was a star halfback when he played high school football for Polk High in Chicago, Illinois. Al set a school record by scoring four touchdowns in a single game, and the team he played on (presumably his senior year) is the only undefeated team in Polk High history.
Al was courted by various colleges and may have played college ball, but he suffered both a leg injury and a shotgun wedding.
Al sells women’s shoes (or fails to sell women’s shoes) at Gary’s Shoes in the New Market Mall.
Al’s salary at Gary’s Shoes is $12,000 per year, which was revealed in an episode where he was offered a retirement buyout.
Al’s address is 9764 Jeopardy Lane or 9674 Jeopardy Lane, depending on the episode.
Al loves Motown music.
Al has a dog named Buck, who Al ignores or dotes on, depending on the episode.
Al’s dog, Buck, (who was supposed to be Bud’s dog), a French Briard, eventually dies and is replaced by Lucky, a Spaniel.
In nearly every episode, we first see Al when he comes through his home’s front door after work, usually with a story about a fat woman who came into the store that day. 

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Getting your GED will not immediately make you rich or turn your life into a 24-hour party, but it does have a lot to recommend it. Check out my “TTIK… Getting a GED” article to learn more.

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There are many, many jobs available for a person with a high school diploma. The problem is not the quantity of jobs available, it’s the quality of the available jobs. Most higher-paying positions, as well as most positions considered “professional,” require degrees or certifications beyond a high school diploma or GED.

Jobs you can get as a high school graduate include almost any labor job (construction, landscaping, demolition, mining, waste management, etc), most service industry and related jobs (retail clerk, sales, foodservice, assistant or lead manager in some foodservice and retail establishments, security guard, janitorial), various telephone jobs (surveys, customer service), and many decent civil service jobs (clerk at a government office, postal employee, clerical worker).

In addition to the fairly standard array of jobs listed above, there are always more unusual opportunities in less mainstream industries (dog walking, mobile car washes, specialized gardening services, freelance photography, and many others).

The opportunities are out there, but like almost everything else in life, the more prepared you are, the better off you are. Yes, you can find a very good job as a high school graduate, but you are much more likely to end up in an anonymous, mediocre job. With a BA or BS degree, your chances of a really good job go up; with an MS, MBA, or other advanced degree, your odds improve even more. Advanced schooling isn’t for everyone, though, so just be sure to do your research and know what is available in your area, or places you are willing to go, at various educational levels.

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