First, some photos from August and September, later comments on graduate school and the 2009 MTV VMAs.

Man I Love College

An unspoken subplot of my life in 2009 is entering graduate school to get a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). This meant two/three months of studying in the spring that culminated in an epic smack down of the GMAT exam early in the summer. All the while I have a part-time job actually applying to graduate school: writing essays, filling out applications, getting letters of recommendations, fine-tuning my resume.

The end of the story is that I’m now an “evening student” in the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU who is earning his MBA. Essentially, it’s a cool program for working professionals to get an MBA while still keeping their jobs.  Classes so far have been challenging but interesting. Life is more busy now, so I have to work harder to keep a healthy balance of family, work, and school. It’s tough to manage. (Hence the lack of updates to my blog.) The good news is that my classes are just a mile from my house. I revel in the convenience.

2009 MTV Video Music Awards

For the last twenty minutes, I’ve tried to write something witty and insightful about the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards which aired earlier this week. But around the 15-minute mark, I lost motivation because I quit caring. But I do have a some random points I’d like to make:

  • Lady Gaga is a weirdo. Her blood-dripping dance number was disturbing and morbid. Her outfits/costumes aren’t creative or even interesting–they’re just weird. A nest around your head? I know Lady Gaga is trying to make a name for herself before people realize she’s less like David Bowie and more like Ace of Base, but she needs to quit trying so hard.
  • Jay-Z is getting old. He was one of the few guys on stage who opted for loose fitting jeans. With age comes wisdom.
  • Kanye West, as you may have heard, is an idiot. Although I was an early advocate for the entertainer, I can no longer stand by his side and pretend he’s not an idiot. Kanye would benefit from exercising the virtue of prudence.
  • Beyonce and Taylor Swift are class acts. They are both talented and will have long careers. And yes, Beyonce knows how to move.
  • Eminem won rap video of the year? I simply don’t understand how a song that nobody listens to from an album that nobody’s bought can win an award. We have a credibility problem here.
  • T.I. is in jail and could not be there accept an award. Do the Academy Awards ever have this problem?
  • VMA darlings Chris Brown and Rhianna did not attend the awards this year because Chris Brown tried to–in his own words–kill Rhianna.
  • Pink’s acrobatic performance from the trapeze was genuine expression of talent, and somehow too sincere for the VMAs. I’d watch it again if she’d do a wardrobe change.
  • Russell Brand has no place hosting the VMAs. He has no charm. He’s only mildly funny. He shouts too much. Nobody knows who he is. We have a credibility problem here.

Other than that, I enjoyed the show.