New Year's Resolutions

Ahh, New Year's Eve... a day of special significance for me, because it just so happens to be the anniversary of the birth of one Michael David Paul...

Actually, what I'd like to write about today is New Year's resolutions, because I'm pretty sure I'm about to break the only New Year's resolution that I've ever been able to keep for an entire year, a resolution that I made three or four years ago: to stop making New Year's resolutions.  Because let's face it - no one ever really manages to keep their New Year's resolutions past January, do they?.  So I said to myself, why even bother trying anymore?

However, in light of my experiences this past semester, I really feel that I need to make some serious changes in my life (cue a certain Michael Jackson song).  I've let myself waste too much time on the internet and stayed up til ungodly hours of the night.  As a result of my actions, I've deprived myself of much-needed sleep and neglected my studies.  While a 3.66 GPA isn't too shabby to most people, I know I could have achieved my goal of getting a 4.0 last semester if only I'd put more time into my schoolwork.  Last semester was the first time I've ever flat-out refused to finish a paper by the due date simply because I wasn't feeling up to it, both physically and psychologically.  I've also fallen back into the bad habit of consuming large amounts of less-than-healthy food, and I haven't had any major exercise since the beginning of the semester.  I'm gaining back the inches around my midsection that I've so desperately tried to lose these last few years, and overall, I just don't have the energy or the willpower that I used to have.  And all of this really makes me feel down in the dumps.

Sooooo...

Here are my resolutions for 2010:

1) Start on my homework as early as possible, and not put it off until late at night, when I'm too tired to do it.
2) Cut down on the time I spend on the internet.  
2) Go to bed before 1 a.m. on school nights, 3 a.m. on weekends.
3) Do at least thirty minutes of jogging or swimming every other day, as the health of my knees permit.
4) Meditate at least every other day (a practice I learned in my Japanese Philosophy class last semester that I'd like to continue).
5) Be more punctual, instead of stumbling into class several minutes late.
6) Limit my consumption of junk food.

I know these are some pretty lofty ambitions, but I think it's all a matter of attitude.  In the words of Master Yoda, "Try not.  Do."

I wish you all a happy, prosperous, and safe 2010 and beyond.  And for those of you who are actually making New Year's resolutions, I wish you the very best of luck.  May you find the strength, both from without and from within, to not only achieve your goals, but to excel at them.  Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get a head start on Resolution # 2.  I won't start on # 6 until after the New Year actually begins, though, because there's still birthday cake and ice cream to be enjoyed!

*<B-)__@


P.S.  For those of you who are trying to lose weight or just live a healthier lifestyle, I highly recommend Mike Huckabee's book, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork.  It's a very unique, down-to-earth approach that I believe is accessible to anyone.

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"...?

As Christmas approaches, the air is filled with the sounds of familiar Christmas carols.  But does anyone really stop and think about what the lyrics actually say?  For example, I've always found the lyrics to the second verse of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" kind of counter to the whole spirit of the season.  Y'know, the line that goes, "Now bring us some figgy pudding (repeat 3x)"?  The song starts out sounding real sweet and sincere, but then they go and throw in the demand for a sugary snack that I'm not even sure anyone makes anymore... and they don't even say "please"!  This could inspire a rather comical scene on someone's doorstep:  "Wait a minute... you're not really here to wish me a Merry Christmas!  You just want some of my figgy pudding!"  "Yeah, that's right!  And we're not going til we get some!  So fork it over!"  I'm just grateful they leave the demand at figgy pudding.  Can you imagine someone trying to rob a bank with that kind of ploy?  "Merry Christmas!  Now gimme all your money!"  Umm, yeah... maybe parents shouldn't teach that song to their kids until they're old enough to learn some manners. "Merry Christmas, Mommy!  Now buy me that tricycle!" 

If I don't post again before then, I wish all of you out there in Reader Land a Merry Christmas!  And no, you don't have to give me any figgy pudding... though I could go for a Boston Creme Pie...

*<:-}>

Gotta Catch 'Em All... Again?

Today, I gave into the new trend that's been sweeping the Facebook community this month - Pokemon Profile Pic December - thus breaking the promise I made to myself when I first joined Facebook that I wouldn't make a picture my profile pic unless my face was clearly visible, 'cuz how else would people know what I look like?  But for some odd reason, I just couldn't help myself.  I will admit, it was a somewhat difficult decision as to which Pokemon I'd use.  I'd originally planned to use Charmander, since that was my favorite one back in the day, but I ultimately went with Totodile, since it identified more with my hyperactive nature. 

But I wonder, where did this idea come from?  Was it something instituted by the people on 4Chan?  Or did it come from somewhere else?  And why the sudden revival of the Pokemon craze?  As far as I could tell, Pokemon had been pretty much out of style with my age group for the last eight or nine years.  I distinctly remember, because it became uncool as I soon as I started playing the games, watching the show, and buying the cards.  (Oh, man, how much money did I waste on Pokemon cards that could have been put to much better use today?... but that's for another post...)  I guess it's just like a lot of other old trends - sometimes they come back into fashion just because people are curious.  I highly doubt, though, that Pokemon Profile Pic December is signaling the complete re-emergence of the Pokemon fad.  I think it's just 'cuz people are feeling a tad nostalgic and want a small reminder of what life was like back in middle school (was it really that long ago?  Daaaang!)  Also, I'm pretty sure that, like other trends, this one will soon cease to be cool now that Mike Paul is doing it.  I always seem to be the extra passenger that overloads the bandwagon and causes it to break down.  Seriously, it's more than just a coincidence that Pokemon went out of style as soon as I joined the craze, so what's to say that I haven't killed off the Profile Pic trend already?  But in the meantime, though I initially found this trend annoying, I now find it kind of amusing to see how many of my friends recall those days and what different kinds of Pokemon they choose (pun kinda intended!) 

B-)

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

I just got back from Loyola's annual Snow Ball at Camden Yards.  The bus that took us back to LoCo had a few less seats than passengers in need of a ride, and all but one of those who had to stand or sit on a friend's lap were of the female gender.  If I hadn't already been standing, I would have gladly given up my seat to a lady.  All of the other guys on the bus were sitting.  This is utterly shameful!  Whatever happened to the days when guys used to be gentlemen?  Fellows, you're not going to win a girl's heart by making her stand on the bus, especially when she's wearing heels (as the driver was quick to remind us).  If you choose to keep your seat, you're just showing that you're so weak that you can't even stand up for just a few minutes and show a common courtesy towards a lady.   Trust me guys, women don't care for men who are weak.  I myself had spent the last two hours doing some pretty intense dancing - and I'm not even that athletic!-  plus I was running on very little sleep; and yet I was able to remain standing until we got back to Loyola.  I'm sure you all can do better than I did.  Guys, if a girl needs a seat, let her have yours.  Also try to hold the door for her if necessary, and if it's raining and you see a girl without an umbrella, share yours with her.  It's just the gentlemanly thing to do!

World's Worst Gift Ideas

As I returned home to Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving weekend and sat down to watch TV for the first time in ages, I knew soon enough that the Christmas season will soon be upon us, because the Pennsylvania Lottery has started showing this year's version of their "Lottery Tickets Make Great Gifts" commercial (I'd provide a YouTube link, but I couldn't find one).  I beg to differ.  Lottery tickets do NOT make great gifts, because most of them have less than a 1-in-1000 chance of actually being worth something significant.  If you're really trying to show someone how much you care about them, giving them a lottery ticket in lieu of any other gift is not really a good way to do it.  And guys, they're definitely NOT a good gift idea for your girlfriends.  "Oh, you got me a lottery ticket... this means that there's a one-in-a-million chance that you care about me very, very much, or more likely that you don't care squat about me!  Thanks... you're the best!" 

Facebook Privacy

My mom just drove home to me a point that I'm sure many of you out there in Reader Land may have reason to be concerned about pretty soon.  She suggested (to put it mildly) that I need to "clean up [my] Facebook page", because prospective grad schools are probably gonna look at it when I start applying this winter.  Now, I'd like to believe that none of the material on my page could be considered controversial.  Yes, there's pictures of me having a good time, but all of the events depicted - including Senior 250's - were school-sponsored.  There are no pictures of me holding alcohol, at least not as far as I can tell.  I've done my best to keep the coarse language to a minimum, and I highly doubt that the pictures of me in my swim trunks when I was whitewater rafting could be considered provocative.

The nature of my page's content aside, my question is this:  How will prospective grad schools and / or employers be able to see the contents of my Facebook page when I've specifically designated my privacy settings so that only my friends can see my page?  I'd like to think that I have nothing to worry about, even if I might have something that could possibly be misconstrued in the wrong way.  But could someone please answer me honestly: am I being naive here?  Could the powers-that-be at the place I'm applying to somehow override my privacy settings and see what I intended to be kept hidden?  I'm really troubled by this right now.  Am I going to have to do like Jack Donaghy did on "30 Rock" and hire a detective to uncover any hidden issues that could jeopardize my career?  ":-|

Football Games

I just love how Baltimore can claim to be a football city while blacking out practically every game that isn't the Ravens.  When I checked the online TV guide last Wednesday night, it said that the Steelers-Bengals game would be shown on Sunday at 1 on CBS.  But when I turned on CBS this afternoon, instead of the game, I saw an infomercial.  WTF?  It's one thing if the Ravens are playing at the same time and on the same network as the Steelers; I graciously acknowledge that the local team takes precedence.  But when the Ravens aren't even playing til Monday night, it's just plain rude to deny fans of other teams the chance to watch their team.  Moreover, it's rude to football fans in general, because most of us set aside our Sunday afternoons for the sole purpose of watching football.  If you're not even going to show football, at least show something that's worth watching, instead of bombarding us with three hours of infomercials. 

Lack of Ride and Lack of Social Life

I've just been looking through my Facebook news feed and saw all of pictures of all the cool Halloween costumes and fun times people had last night, and I'm kinda starting to feel depressed because I didn't join in the festivities.  Well, for one thing, I didn't get up til 4:15 in the afternoon because I desperately needed to catch up on all the sleep that my grueling class schedule has deprived me of this past week.  Secondly, I don't have a car, and am too strapped for cash to pay for a cab (say, whatever happened to Loyola's EnviroRide program?).  Third, and most importantly, I didn't really have any friends to hang out with.  Yeah, I have friends, but they're all pretty tight with one another and always seem to leave me out of the loop, or they're too busy for me, or something like that... How does one manage to have over six hundred friends on Facebook and (for all intents and purposes) no friends in real life?  Ever since I got here as a freshman, I've wanted to go out and explore as much of Baltimore as I possibly could, but my lack of both a ride and friends who are able and willing to drive me have made this impossible.  And any time I've had the chance to actually get out, something always comes up to get in the way.  For example, I almost went to my first Orioles game at Camden Yards in September, but I couldn't get to the stadium because all the damn Towson kids had usurped every seat on the shuttle.  And just last week, my roommates and I had tickets for the Maryland Renaissance Faire, but didn't have any way to get there because the person who was supposed to drive us couldn't make it.  Oh, and there's also that time two summers ago, when I was in Baltimore and the Pirates (then my favorite team) were playing at Camden Yards, and it was Student Night so I could get in cheap, but I had no way to get there because the shuttle wasn't running and none of my friends were around and I wasn't about to go by myself... Why is no one ever there for me when I need them?

And y'know, this lack of a vehicle also makes it kinda hard to get a girlfriend... it's hard to convince a girl that you're worth spending an evening with when you don't have a feasible way to get the two of you to the place you want to go... I've never actually gotten a girl to go on a date with me, but I'm a little worried about how awkward it might be if she has to be the one to drive, because then I feel like I'm just using her to get somewhere, when I'm really not trying to, I just want to spend some time with her; it ain't my fault my family's dirt poor and I can't afford to own a car....

I'm a pretty socially awkward person, so it's hard for me to organize a group of friends to actually do something fun with me.  I don't like to try to force myself into a group, cuz then I just feel like I'm intruding and cramping their style.  People, it's okay to invite me to hang out with you on the weekend.  I'm a really nice guy, and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy my company if you just take the time to get to know me.  I'm not looking to get riproaring drunk and get into trouble; all I want is to be able to live a little in the five or six months I've got left here at Loyola before I graduate...

B-)

Oh, and by the way, if you're still reading, I am taking the Math GRE next Saturday morning at 8 at Towson University, and I am in serious need of a ride.  I will probably also need a ride to the ProMetric Testing Center in Towson the Saturday after that at noon for the general GRE.  If anyone is at all able and willing to help me out, please please PLEEEEEEEASE let me know ASAP!  I will be more than forever grateful for any help you can give me!  Thanks!

B-)

Divine Intervention in My Social Life?

I'm starting to think that God is trying to send me some sort of sign that I should become a priest, because it seems like every attempt I've made to ask a girl out on a date has been either rejected, ignored, or foiled.  Just this afternoon, I finally caught up with this girl in one of my classes in whom I'd had an interest for quite some time now.  My plan was to casually (?) ask her what her plans were for the weekend, and,  if she indicated that she was free, to ask her to dinner and a movie.  Unfortch, in the middle of our conversation, she had to answer a phone call from her sister, and as she was on the phone, we reached the point where we went our separate ways.  I never did get to actually ask her for that date.  Coincidence?  I hardly think so?  And now I wonder, is God trying to tell me that I wasn't meant to be involved in a romantic relationship?  Or is it a sign of something else?  Whatever the case, I still can't believe the crappy luck I've had with women over the last God knows how many years of my life!  FML! 

The Paperless Revolution, and the Paper Counter-Revolution

Everyone's trying to go green these days.  Many businesses are trying to go paperless and run everything through the internet, and LoCo (oh, sorry - LU!) is no exception.  Almost all important forms can now be accessed online, our course catalog is going paperless, and most importantly, homework and reports can be turned in electronically.  Not all teachers have embraced this, and that's okay for the most part.  What's not okay is teachers asking for both an electronic copy and a hard copy.  Hel-loooo?  Isn't this completely defeating the purpose of allowing us to submit our work through Digital Dropbox or by email?  It's certainly not helping the environment any!  Besides, I don't have a printer of my own, and I really don't feel like leaving my room, making the trek to the computer lab (BTW, where is the closest one to Seton?), and waiting for one of LoCo's obnoxiously slow computers to start up and load my document - which I had to waste additional time emailing to myself, because the G:/ drive doesn't always work - just so I can print out something that I already emailed to the professor in sixty seconds flat.  I could have easily used that time to work on homework (right!), sleep (more likely), or even procrastinate on Facebook or (my newest option) post on my blog. 

Hats

I was reading a post on a friend's Facebook this evening about people not dressing appropriately for formal occasions, which reminded me of this.  Last Saturday at Loyola's Honors Convocation, I saw at least two of my classmates wearing hats.  Not top hats or bowlers or anything classy like that.  I'm not going to name names, but there was one guy wearing a baseball cap, and another guy wearing a woolen ski cap, which was clearly not a yarmulke because it had some sort of logo on it.  This really irritated me.  Were you born in a barn or something?  This wasn't a hip-hop party, this was an Honors Convocation, which, the last time I checked, was a formal event.  Wearing a hat with formal attire not only looks uncivilized, but also degrades the dignity of an academic ceremony and shows that you don't take pride in your school or in your accomplishments, because you obviously don't have enough pride to dress and behave in a fitting manner.  Unless it's for religious reasons or to cover up a serious head injury, hats have no place at a formal ceremony. 

One more thing...

I just wanted to mention that this blog is experimental in nature, meaning I can't guarantee how long it's gonna last.  Also, I have no routine planned on when I'm posting to this blog (daily, weekly, etc.)   I'm just posting whenever and whatever I feel like. 

B-)

About My New Blog

Oh hey!  I'm so glad you made it!

First, I apologize for any confusion stemming from the title of my blog being different from the URL.  I intended to make the URL "mikespace.blogspot...etc." for easy remembering, but it seems that there's someone else out there named Mike who thinks along the same creative lines as me.  So just remember that you have to add the word "blog" after "mikespace". 

Anywhoooo...

Yes, I too have caved in to the man and jumped aboard the blogging bandwagon.  I needed some place to get random thoughts out of my head.  Some of these were too long to post as Facebook statuses, or too random to be worth posting as notes.  That's where this blog comes in.  I think the easiest way to describe this blog is to break down what you should and should not expect to see. 

What might be on this blog:

• Short, random thoughts.  This will probably be my most frequent type of post. 
  
• Some longer posts about topics of concern to me.  
• Recipes.  I love to cook, and I often experiment with different recipes I find on the web or in cookbooks, so I may post recipes I like from time to time.  
• Recommendations of movies, books, music, websites, and other stuff that I like.  
• Basically, in the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "Whatever I feel like, gosh!"  

What won't be on this blog: 

• Status updates.  That's what my Facebook page is for.   
• Organized writing.  I'm a mathematician, not a writer, and I just want to express myself without the constraint of trying to sound eloquent.  Therefore, I don't plan to care about the organization of my writing.  If you want to read Pulitzer-worthy writing, get off your computer and visit your local library.  (Plug!)

I think that's about it.  Hope you enjoy reading my blog, and stay tuned.

Peace!