Getting Ready for School

I got my new computer strictly for the benefit of my taking online graduate school courses this fall.  While I am still learning about all I can do with this new technology, I still need to focus on that original intent.  I finally have an email address based on my own name ( I really need to change it somehow here too) for school.  I am unsure how online classes work.  There are supposedly videos up on YouTube but that is one of the things I still haven't looked too deeply into.  Three of my classes are literary analysis based.  The first is on Herman Melville.  I will be going over eight of his novels.  Actually, it is seven novel and one collection of four shorter works.  Yes, it does include Moby Dick.  My second course is about the modern British novel.  I will have to read five works.  Three are from the early twentieth century and two are from the last twenty years.  The majority are by women.  At the rate I usually read, I can probably get through one book per day, although some of Melville's works might take two days to properly digest.  My third course is on late nineteenth century American poetry.  I have a two volume collection for that class.  I am guessing that the period falls between the two volumes, otherwise I would have only had to get one of them.  Each book is over seventy dollars, as well.  My final class is on technical writing.  I wanted at least one corse where the focus wasn't on literature, although I would have preferred something more creative. I need three more textbooks, each also over seventy dollars, new, for this class.  One of these books is out of print.  I know this because I was hoping to purchase most of my books through my store, but I'm afraid I might not get to do so.  I am worrying that I might be making a mistake.  I am only taking these classes a way to get letters of recommendation so I can transfer to an MFA creative writing program.  I have already told my advisor this, and he believes it is a good plan.  I haven't determined which program I hope to transfer to.  There are still a few other factors left to see where I would be going (my two best shorts would be UK and EKU).  Still, I am sure I can handle the coursework.  Yes, it has been over twenty years since I graduated college, but I know I can handle it.  Sorry if. today's post is rambling.  I didn't really plan that much ahead, and I am trying to write faster for when I will have slightly less time to compose my posts.  While I am sure to get through the reading fairly quickly, I am not sure what else I will need to do and how much time I will have to do it.  Anyway, I will just have to wait and see.

Does So Compute

I have been hinting about seething for the last few weeks, so I best just go out and conform it.  Last month, I finally bought a computer, a MacBook Pro.  I got it so I could start taking online graduate courses this fall.  As a yet, I still haven't gotten that much beyond the laptop itself.  Just a mouse, and one book to help my learn about it faster.  I don't even have an internet hook-up at home yet, so I pretty much do all my computing at the store.  Already, I have doubled the amount of time I spend on social media, as well as on my online gaming.  I have even downloaded a few simple games, to get the feel of doing such things.  I have been able to download tings I wouldn't have been able to do before on a public computer, as well as check out a few sites that I couldn't before. 😉 I have been taking picture and making movies, as last week's post can attest to.  Some things are still out of my reach though.  I have yet to check out iTunes and iBooks, mostly out of principle since I own a bookstore.  I should get the free user's manual, though, as I have little idea of how to use many of the secondary apps.  Mainly, I am talking about the ones for image manipulation, at least I think that is what they are used for.  I don't think I will ever need Numbers or Keynote (spreadsheets and presentations), although I will use Pages for word processing at some point.  I don't really see the need for Notes, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts.  I have yet to enable the FaceTime and iMessages features, but then again, I am not sure I know anyone who uses an iPhone or iPad for me  talk to anyway.  I am a little scared to try and use Siri; it just creeps me out, even if it is helpful. I wish Apple hadn't gotten rid of the drawing program, though.  I remember using one way back in high school, goofing around.  Once, me and a friend, altered clip art of Santa Claus into a sort of punk rocker, complete with pentagram.  It was hilarious.  Of course, we got caught, but we didn't really get into any trouble.  We even used our names to open some of the programs that no one else had did for the first time.  To get back on track, I still need to get used to being a computer owner, not just a user. Just writing this post, I have had to go back and correct some spelling errors flagged, or not, by the Mac, and not Blogger.  These conflicting rules are driving me crazy.  The Mac automatically changes things without me having to do anything, but sometimes it gets it wrong, especially on smaller words.                  I still have much to explore (Garage Band, fonts, dictionaries, etc.), and I could use any suggestions to make the process easier.  One last note, when I do start back with classes, I might not be  able to post as regularly or as long as I have been.  Sure, my classes are online, and I could view them almost any time, but I will probably not have as much time togo as deeply as I once did.  So, expect shorter posts starting next month.  I might be able to get away with longer ones if I plan carefully, but just wanted to warn you now.  See you next week.

Pushing My Limits

Okay, I'll admit it.  I took last week off.  I didn't plan on doing it, although last Wednesday was a holiday. I was planning on testing out some new equipment of mine, but the initial testing proved to be a bust.  I later got another idea.  Unfortunately, I don't really have an internet connection at my current place, so I wound up skipping a week.  However, this is just a big introduction to what I have planned for you.  As you can see below, I have included a movie clip.  I know, I find it strange myself.  It is under a minute long.  I wanted something a little longer, but I didn't really feel like it.  I just wanted some practice with my movie making app.  While it isn't that great, first intentions rarely are.  It also is a bit silly of me.  Trust me, I usually look a little bit better than the way I presented myself.  It is also the first time I had conformation about how the top of my head looks.  If I had known, I might not have made the video the way I did.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to upload the correct footage.  Instead of the edited and somewhat crafted version, I could only process the raw video.  I think.  There's just a weird symbol on my end.  Anyway, the next time I try and shoot a movie, I will do better.  Wait, I can see me.  It worked.  Watch and learn.