The "What If..." Post: Part II

Several years ago I wrote one of my favorite pieces on Critically Correct: The "What If..." Post. Today I return with a long-overdue Part II.

When: 2003
The Event: I signed up for English 111 in the 11:30am time slot as my very first class at BGSU.
The Fallout: I meet a friend who affects my entire social experience in college.

What Happened: Aryn and I met in English 111 on day one of college, and over the next five years, would get to know each other on and off as our lives crossed paths. She also inadvertently helped me meet Colleen.

What If... I did not take that particular English class? Would I have met Aryn? Probably not. We were not exactly two people who might have struck up conversation on the street as strangers. If I were not in that English class, I may not have met a whole new group of friends, experienced campus life through Colleen, or even drifted from Lacey more than I already did after our breakup. More likely than not, college may have been a considerably lonely experience for me.


When: 2004
The Event: I changed my college major from creative writing to computer science.
The Fallout: I put myself on a solid course of study that ultimately lead to me affording the job and lifestyle that I have always dreamed about.

What Happened: Throughout my early college years I debated what course of study to pursue and changed majors multiple times. In my sophomore year I finally decided to pursue my first love, computers.

What If... I stuck with the "easy path" and chose to finish my creative writing major at BGSU? Well for one I would not be where I am today. I might also have been in school two years longer, as the vast majority of writers coming out of BGSU stick around for an MFA degree. I would have done the same, but I would certainly have ended up not with a successful novel or two, but an ambiguous blend of short stories, novel misfires, or perhaps nothing at all. Could this path have been one where I live now as a starving artist? Quite possibly.


When: 2011
The Event: I left my job in Findlay to find greener pastures.
The Fallout: I find the perfect job, a great apartment, and reconnect with old friends over the best summer of my life.

What Happened: Growing tired of my consistent, stable life in Findlay - oh, and my job - I moved to a new job in Perrysburg. I ended up finding complete happiness. I also returned to my loves in life - hiking, biking, and seeing a wide variety of friends.

What If... I stayed at my job in Findlay? Well, for one, I might still be working constant weekends. My former company has undergone many positive changes since I left, but I do believe I would be even more unhappy now than I was when I left. In fact, Summer 2011 could have been the worst of my life. I would have been unbearably busy and always behind at work. This would have prevented me from learning all the new skills that I have picked up this past summer: HTML5, .NET 4.0, and additions to my PHP and JavaScript skills. I would not have made weekly trips to Cedar Point. I would not have rekindled my loves of hiking and biking. I might have been in worse physical shape now than in the spring - the Findlay area just is not conductive to my staying active. Most importantly, however, I would not be readily available to all my friends, especially the ones I care the most about. Whew.


When: 2003
The Event: Deciding between two amazing girls to pursue, I choose long-time favorite Lacey over Brittany.
The Fallout: I fall in love with my best friend; we eventually date but ultimately break up.

What Happened: Over the course of a year I grew very close to one of my Meijer pals, Brittany. By this time I was already a couple of years into my long-term crush with Lacey, but I did face a decision: which of these two girls - each whom I really, really liked - did I want to pursue a relationship? Despite some back and forth, I chose Lacey.

What If... I chose a path with Brittany instead of Lacey? Spanning nearly all of my young adulthood, seven years of my life were devoted to Lacey. Suffice to say, she was an important part of my growing up. Brittany could very well have been the same thing in my life. I might have stayed focused at BGSU better than I did when Lacey re-entered my life. I would almost certainly have started a family by now - assuming Brittany and I were in a long-term, successful relationship. I might not have ever worked or lived in Findlay for the sake of staying close to Britt. This list could go on and on. When presented with a binary choice as simple as "choose the girl," the possibilities for the road not traveled seem infinite.

B3 out.

Bluer Than Ever: Any Man In America Review

Blue October's last album was a bit of a disappointment for me. While the album grew on me over several months of repeated listening, I ultimately did not care for Justin Furstenfeld's constant whining and the album's inconsistent musical focus.

The latest album from Blue October, Any Man In America, is another romp through Furstenfeld's tumultuous  personal life (as is most Blue October music). This time we are presented with his poetry on his recent divorce. Unlike Approaching Normal's blatant emo lyrics and scatter-shot musical hooks, Any Man In America is a much more solid album.

Furstenfeld attacks every corner of his divorce. He pleads for his wife to stay with him ("The Feel Again"), hurts in the moment of losing his daughter ("For the Love"), yet pleads again for their relationship while reminiscing of better days ("The Chills"). Instead of whining about his miserable situation, however, Furstenfeld holds his head high and goes into full-on attack mode in the titular "Any Man In America." A six-and-a-half minute opus of hip-hop-infused rock, Furstenfeld and the rest of Blue October tear into his ex-wife and a legal system favoring women before racing into a catchy-as-hell chorus warning every man in American to "take back your control."

Musically, Any Man In America is much closer to pop and hip-hop than Blue October's earlier rock-based work (History for Sale). Not every track is a winner here. The latter-half of the album lacks any of Blue October's trademark hooks and comes of a little generic. This might throw of the casual listener and cause all but the truest of Blue October fans to lose interest in the album as it enters the home stretch.

With four songs over six minutes and most other near five, this is not a radio-friendly album. More than any Blue October album before, this is an immediately personal album, and warrants time, patience, and understanding to get through all of Justin's pain. Luckily for us this time, he knows how to move past his moping and look to a positive future.

I'll take it. B3 out.

We Need To Talk, Facebook

As of this writing I am 26 years old. Facebook is 7 years old. I was with Facebook from Day One way back in 2004. It was a different kind of beauty back then - simple, clean, and easy to use. The Facebook we all know and love today is more like 4 years old - the birth of the News Feed changed everything. All in all, I think I have a few years of maturity on this baby. Between Facebook and I, I am the senior in this relationship.

But now it is time to talk about my relationships outside of Facebook. Yes, those.

You see, Facebook, you are causing all sorts of problems in my personal life.

Yes, you are a useful communication tool, an invaluable way to keep up with long-lost or distant friends. In many ways you are the epitome of what communication in the digital era is supposed to be: concise, instant, and always-available.

Yes, you are an interesting distraction. You cater to my almost primal desire to obtain knowledge. That devilish News Feed. Instant and daily updates on what my close friends, former lovers, known enemies, and stray co-workers are up to all day long. It is an addiction, really. All the drama, quotes, lyrics, jokes, and mundane updates I could ever need.

And yes, you are still beautiful. While you're interface can be a little inconsistent and even flabby around the sides, you adhere to enough of a minimalist design to have kept me happy over the years. A little exercise wouldn't hurt, though.

But, Facebook my dear, I have come to the conclusion that you are perhaps a little too useful. It seems some people use you as the middleman - the go-between, the private investigator.

I love my own vanity, no doubt, and will happily post my every whimsical thought, petty joke, skewed insight, and upcoming plan. But boy, Facebook, it sure is annoying when all of my awesome updates get contorted into something else entirely. I'm going where? With who? When? I said what to who?

If people cannot get enough drama in their lives (and similarly, enough Facebook), then you must revel in dishing out my every update. Spread my words to as many people as possible. Let them connect the dots. Let them see who I am one status update at a time. This is where all the problems are in my personal life. Some people just wrongly connect the dots, make assumptions about me, and throw a fit about it. How could you do this, Facebook?

You see, Facebook... Wait. I think it's me. You have been doing what you do all along. You are still beautiful. You keep me connected to all my friends. You work perfectly.

Facebook, I hate to say this, but maybe *I* am the problem. Maybe I shouldn't give you so damn much of my life. Maybe a little change is in order?

I am good at that, after all.

B3 out.

The Best Summer of My Life

What made Summer 2011 so memorable and significant for me? A new job, the glory of rekindling old friendships, staying active on my bike, and plenty of other changes that will define me for years to come.

In short, change defines the best years of my life, and this year has been the prime example of positive change. What follows is a full list of just what happened this summer.

From Findlay to Perrysburg: Seeking Out the Perfect Job

This is the big one, of course. This past spring I grew tired of my job at CRI in Findlay and during a quick browse for jobs online, stumbled upon a small company in Perrysburg, OH. Moving to Perrysburg sounded like a dream come true: I could live close to home, make more money, live in a wonderful city, and get a ton of great experience as a web developer.

I never wanted something so bad in my life, and I worked furiously for nearly a month to prepare for three interviews, a small lab project, and a potential upheaval of my cozy life in Findlay. I got the job, of course, and I did on my own what I had always relied on other people for: I found happiness, success, and comfort all at once.

I have been incredibly happy with my professional life ever since.

Pure, Unadulterated Fate

Right as I moved to Perrysburg, I also met up with an old female friend from college. The two of us never really kicked anything off as friends in college - our lives were just heading in different directions. This past summer we met up for the first time in years and have been having a blast. An absolute blast.

Along with one friend came another: an old Meijer co-worker moved back to Ohio, which has allowed him and I to hang out, catch-up, and have some great times at Cedar Point.

In the end this summer has really hammered one point home: I have some awesome friends all-around.

Back to Biking Basics

In 2001 I biked like my life depended on it, and for nine years since then I have been rather sedentary. School, girls, college, you know the routine. This past summer I rediscovered my love for biking and have made it the single-most important aspect of my outdoor life. I sunk serious time and money into buying a new bike (which I love), and I have integrated biking into my daily life.

The result of this physical activity has been tremendously good for my health. I am in the best shape of my life and I intend to continue improving my health.

Get to the Point

This summer was kicked off with a new tradition for me: weekly trips to Cedar Point. No longer just a twice-a-year event with the family, I turned Cedar Point into a casual weekend affair. I bought a Platinum Season Pass and have been to The Point at least a dozen times already, with at least two or three more trips possible before the park closes for the winter.

Let the Countdown Begin

The title says it all, really.

As this summer comes to an abrupt end (who turned the heat off?), I look forward to fall as a time of change in a couple areas of my life:

The New BrandonBruno.com

This week I will be launching a revised, updated, and outright-cooler home on the web. The new BrandonBruno.com features a new design, revised content, and a couple of new features - chief among them being a blogging engine.

Beginning this October, Critically Correct will become my personal blog - no more tech posts intermixed alongside my daily and weekly posts. Tech talk and similar babble will be published directly on the BrandonBruno.com blog, while personal posts, weekly updates, and my creative writing will be published here. I hope this helps focus my audience for each type of posts.

My ultimate goal for BrandonBruno.com is to morph it into my professional home on the Internet. My personal and professional programming portfolios will be highlighted, as well as the basic technology services that I provide. These sections will be fleshed out in the coming months as well. I intend to go independent as a developer one day, and my refocusing of my website is a huge first step in that direction.

Back to Biking Basics


2011 has been fantastic to my biking. Not since 2001 have I spent so much time on two wheels, and now that warmer weather is giving way to the cool breezes of a chilly (and typically wet) Northwest Ohio fall, I am looking to adapt my biking habits to keep it in my daily life. In fact, that is what I am doing - incorporating biking into my daily life by doing the unthinkable for most people: swapping my car for my bike.

I spend about ninety percent of my time every week in or near Perrysburg - within biking distance, for example - so why not just bike everywhere all the time. That is what I am doing. Thanks to some extensive planning and smart spending, I am now biking to and from work everyday. Light grocery shopping, eating out in Perrysburg, visiting local friends - all of it from my bike.

Critically Correct: Year Six and Beyond

Notice anything different about Critcally Correct?

Just one of many changes rolling out this week as part of a massive redesign and rebranding of BrandonBruno.com.

As always, stay tuned.

B3 out.