January 2, 2006
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Internet Island Topic Entry 4.00: New Year’s Resolutions
The Internet Island blogring Topic entry for Topic Post 4.00: New Year’s Resolutions. 4. If you have blogged on this service for a year or more, and have posted New Year’s Resolutions before, revisit those past posts, and make an assessment of the Resolutions’ worth or worthlessness.
This entry was to be my New Year’s Day entry, themed to the turning of the New Year, and also as the Topic Entry for my Internet Island Blogring. However, the New Year arrived with a bang, along with the rainstorm a transformer blew in the neighborhood and we were without electricity for most of yesterday. I need to visit and respond to at least 10 more topic entries and hope to do this later this afternoon. It was no fun yesterday, but because of no electronic entertainment, I did begin a book yesterday, which is one of my resolutions. Since it got dark early, what with the rain and all, I read a lot of it by candlelight and flashlight.
The turning of the calendar year is always a time for introspection, and since the number at the top of the calendar pages changes, most people on the Earth feel this is a good time to “change” personal habits as well.
The Egyptians celebrated the New Year at the time the River Nile flooded (end of September). The Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after the Vernal Equinox (end of March). The Romans continued to observe the New Year in March, but each new emperor had the desire to tamper with the calendar. Caesar changed the New Year’s Day to January 1 to honor Janus and this is where we get the name for the month of January. While celebrating the New Year on January 1 did spread, most of the Western world didn’t recognize this date until about 400 years ago. People see New Year’s as an opportunity to improve themselves. And what better way to start on the path of self-improvement than with a written list of resolutions? While the making of resolutions is a common New Year’s tradition, the breaking of resolutions seems to be a common tradition for the remainder of the year. Resolutions are nothing new. The Babylonians made resolutions as well, but while popular resolutions today might include quitting smoking or drinking, losing weight, keeping healthy, and spending more time with the family, the most common resolution among Babylonians was returning borrowed farm equipment!I always assess my situation. It’s an ongoing dilemma, and some gains were made this past year, along with a few disappointments.
From Last Year’s Blog:
“New Year’s Resolutions? Stay healthy, try to curb the debt, and find entertainment and enlightenment in every situation. Same as last year. And the year before that.”
This is my “standard resolution” and I use the end of each year to figure out if I am “keeping” my promises to myself.
Health: I didn’t realize at the beginning of 2005 that I would have to have cataract surgery later in the year. For 2006, I vow not to go to the doctor’s as much, but of course if health problems arise, I will go to the doctor’s, as I have been for years. It’s funny for me to think back on the past decades, before my 40th birthday, when I never used to see a doctor. Now I sometimes think I see them for any little thing, but health is the most important thing to me as I age. I do not want to make a New Year’s Resolution, for example, that I won’t be able to keep because I died of ill health.From Last Year’s Blog:
“The financial situation doesn’t look rosy…I do need some new clothing. But I don’t need any more audio/visual/computer toys for a while…I promise not to go making any credit card purchases this year.”
My finances are still in a mess. This year, the credit card companies are increasing the minimum payments. My website bandwidth overages have been monumental. (I’ll discuss what I’m doing to correct that in the section on my website below.) I lied about major purchases making resolutions, as I did end up buy a new computer, but I needed one for a long time, and the credit card I used just upped the minimum payment by 30 bucks a month with the purchase, so that wasn’t too bad. I will, in keeping with health promises, try to cut back on my intake of food, especially food that isn’t any good for me and costs a lot of money at restaurants. I didn’t buy as much home video last year, and this year I have to be frugal in that regard as well. I used up my latest loan paying down credit card debt, and this is still “job #1″ as regards finances. I still need some clothing, but I did buy a bunch of new underwear last year, so this year will be shirts and pants.From Last Year’s Blog:
“I’m too impatient, yet I never know what I’m waiting for. I wait for the workday to end, and then when I get home, I look forward to going to bed..I haven’t read anything in years… As for enlightenment, I will continue my “Universal Blog”, and continue writing poetry. I am slowly revisiting all my websites and accomplishing some revamping/updating. I do want to finish the “History” essay I began in 2002, and hopefully revisit the “Cultural Blender” and insert some much needed content into the site. I also want to complete some more Internet movies for the MikeVideo site.”
I think I shall always be impatient. I want everything to be perfect too. I acknowledge that things will never be perfect, and that I will keep getting upset, but I am less so as the years advance. I did begin a book already, as mentioned.
The Website.
AllThingsMike.
I finally finished “History” (I featured the essay twice last year on the blog) and am in the process of writing the autobiography in the Half Century section. The main page to my website hadn’t been updated in three months, since I put the “Movieland Wax Museum” Webshots Gallery section online. I updated it just recently before the yearly calendar turned. The layout is pretty much the same, but I have added announcements for the newly updated MikeVideo, Webshots, and WhenWordsCollide pages.
ElectricPoetry.
Already in 2006 I have completely updated the 2005 section with all 32 poems I have written this year. Although my poetic output wasn’t as great as in 2004, when I wrote 58 poems, I don’t believe I hit a “sour note” with any of the poetry of 2005.
Cultural Blender/ElectricMovies
I finished the TeeVee chronology/reminisence and created the complete “Robots” website in 2005. Although I haven’t any plans for “weekend website” constructs right now, I want to update the ElectricMovies site, which hasn’t been updated since 2003.
MikeVideo.
Thanks to the recent discovery of the YouTube service, I now have most of my Internet Movies online for instant streaming. I recently updated the MikeVideo page to showcase the video links, and the reason I have not had any music on the blog this week is because of the latest movie I “inserted” into the blog. At the end of this entry, will be three more “movies” you can watch at your leisure from the blog. I’m not only completing the internet movies, but I’m able to show them. I believe I am going to be really “video conscious” this coming year, and some of my blog entries will be vblogs, or video blogs, where instead of reading, as you are doing now, I will have a little “tv” that you can “click” to “hear” and “see” my blog entry. I will be making sure these are not only entertaining, but artistic as well.
From Last Year’s Blog:
“Is this the year I will meet my soulmate?…I’ll gain some satisfaction that through this relatively new blog program I use here at Xanga for my Updates to AllThingsMike, that I am in fact, gaining a small readership, at least through this program. I’m still waiting for that one poem I write or image composite I create to become a “must see” internet icon that people will email to their friends and cyber neighbors. I put enough online that I think is interesting, but so far nothing has been “globally” interesting enough, like those ubiquitous dancing hampsters a few years back… to gain me my 15 minutes of fame. Oh well. Perhaps I’ll gain internet fame and a soulmate in 2005? Why not? It always pays to be optimistic once in a while.”
Liz is certainly a soulmate. Not long after I wrote my internet “resolutions” last year, Liz (the Queen of Swords) came into my life through Xanga. I’d like to say that in 2006 my resolution is to live with her, but I don’t want to “rush” anything in our relationship, which is stronger than any I have ever had in life at this point. I also gained many readers for my blog, and my readership on my regular website has gone up so much that I had those bandwidth overage problems. I’m actually going to upgrade my account to a business account, and attempt to sell my videos on DVDs this year, and perhaps self publish a book of poetry or one of my “novels”. I’m not really too interested in vanity publishing, but who knows? If I could actually make money with my art and writing, maybe I wouldn’t have so many money problems. It’s something to think about. About that internet fame. I can now say I get 20 comments an entry on my blog. The original goal was 35 when I started. Now I want 125 like the other “famous” bloggers. (I asked Liz if she thought I was “addicted” to Xanga, and she says I am. I don’t want to think I’m “addicted” to anything, but I love those comments, and Xanga readership is also boosting my website readership, so I’m happy at least that people are seeing and reading the work, which is why I’m online in the first place.
From Last Year’s Blog:
“There has been a lot of bad news, tragedy and disaster, on a personal as well as global scale, but this does not deter my hope in the capabilities of humanity to find a Universal solution and peaceful coexistence. Bad news, tragedy, and disaster have been around for a long time, but hopefulness, good grace, and inspiration are also with us as well.”
I can’t say it any better this year.
Following in the player is the first part of the MikeVideo “Renaissance Day”. I just gave you lots to read, and if you’re still with me you probably won’t want to watch the first 10 minutes of a 20 minute movie, but this is here if you want to see it. Both parts, including the second, are on the MikeVideo YouTube page, along with the “third” video I mentioned above. It is a musical performance of the Celtic Rock Group “Tempest” who I caught at the Scottish Fesitval in Anaheim last year. Both Renaissance Day and Tempest have been featured on this blog before. ”Renaissance Day” features almost everything that you would see and hear if you were to take a trip to the Renaissance Faire in Southern California. Most was shot before digital video was popular, and my camera was somewhat unobtrusive. If you like my photo essays, you might enjoy this “living photo essay”. What I really want to do, I tell everyone, is direct.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PART 2 IMMEDIATELY
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIVE “TEMPEST” MUSIC VIDEO
Some of the “history” of the New Year’s celebration was researched and taken from the FridgeDoor site.
Comments (23)
I’ve never been one to make resolutions (lately), but it’s interesting at least as an assessment of the past year, and where you want to go in the new one! Good luck with all your goals!:sunny:
Sounds like a very logical assessment of your year. I am glad that you found Liz. Sounds like you two have really hit it off. That is great. I love your videos and your poetry. I suspect that your readership far exceeds your comments. I hear many people reference you here on Xanga. If featured content is where you are headed then you have come a long way. Your blog is very professional and always interesting. I thank you for taking the time and effort to visit the rest of us and leave us long informative comments. We do treasure them.
Hope you have a wonderful 2006
Kat
Mike, you seemed to be doing ok! You do not give yourself enough credit for what yo have accomplished in the last year. You have touched many lives through your blog in a positive manner. I like the fact that you put your goal towards 125 comments per entry. It is a clear and measurable target. Just do not sell your soul to reach your targets. I am looking forward to your vlogs on video. Maybe you will start a new trend. I am sure the numbers will move by itself – all the potential to achieve 125 comments is already visible on your blog.
Mike
A technical question of the master. I can’t seem to get an answer from the powers that be at Xanga. I wanted to set up a Contents section on my site to access certain blogs. I have tried entering into the Custom section but it all runs together. How do you maniupulate the spacing on your section? If you have the time I would greatly appreciate your guidance. I know that you are really busy.
Thanks
Kat
Ah, staying young and healthy are good resolutions. I’ll have to spend some time at You Tube. All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
-Barry, the only boy editor
You’ve accomplished a great deal. I do hope that many of your present dreams come true and you can give birth to some new dreams.
I thoroughly enjoy Xanga and am fascinated with the people here. It amazes me how deeply people can reach through the written word and reveal their soul even more than when face to face.
I am spending a lot of time here now and … I want to keep my friends and I enjoy meeting new friends but….by the time I visit everyone and write, ?? Well, I just don’t think I could ever handle several hundred subscriptions. I have met people who comment and it’s really not a comment on what has been covered in the entry as it is just a word or two so that you can “return” a comment….
I really appreciate people like you who really read the entry!
Blessings,
Fran
My only rezzie, announced at one other blog and there only, is:
Obsess less.
Mike – the most wonderful thing is that you and Liz found one another!
very neat post about reflecting back and forth…
Hiya Mike! :wave:
Wonderful entry! There’s so much, I’ll just say that I really REALLY REEEEAAALLLLYYY love “find entertainment and enlightenment in every situation.” yEs!!! You have described my personal outlook & philosophy!
BE blessed!
Steve
Hi Mike– Happy New Year to you! You have an impressive grip on where you ‘are” vs. where you were planning to go… at least it feels impressive to me, living my own largely laissez faire lifestyle. I never was much good at making New Year’s resolutions (which is part of what made 4.00 tricky for me), and really haven’t made any in about a decade. Which is not to say I don’t have goals; I just don’t center them around the turn of the year. I’m happy for you that you and Liz found each other– this virtual space really is quite a wonderful way to expand our horizons and allow beautiful things to happen. As I run across stories of connections made here, I keep being reminded of the “pen pal” craze of the Victorian era, where people would correspond for years, and then all of a sudden arrange to meet and get married. Hope 2006 is a great year for you! Best, Peter
Mike, what a thorough coverage of the subject! Wow! You really are thorough with every entry, I must say.
Sorry, but I didn’t play the videos – I am on dial-up and it takes forever to load. It seems as if you have been having lots of disasters lately – the plumbing and now that transformer. How is the weather? I noticed that the Governor declared a state of emergency – is this affecting you?
I hope you are safe and dry, and that your finances take a positive turn this year!
John
Dear Mike~ You’ve done such a nice job reflecting on your past thoughts and bringing them into the present. I wanted to resolve to spend less time online, but I do love my computer time, so I’ll just have to try juggling a little harder. I wrote my own New Year’s themed entry this morning for Internet Island, and I’ve enjoyed reading through the other responses. I know I won’t get to everyone’s, but as long as I have the time I’ll keep reading. Hope you have a wonderful new year, and you find happiness with your soul mate!
Dear Mike,
I’m sorry to hear that you were without electricity for those few hours, but I’m sure it helped you to rediscover other activities.
I don’t make resolutions because I can barely handle my daily work goals and appointments, then it makes my life seem too much like work … and I just want to have fun. And thanks for “reposting” your old “resolutions” here and going over them.
Getting to meet you and know you through the year has been one of the best things I could have hoped for. I got to see so many new things and had the pleasure of your company as well. Truly 2005 was a year of discovery, but then aren’t all years like that. Here’s to discovering more together in 2006!
Love,
Liz
That was an interesting read.
I hope you do go into the business of selling your stuff. I may even be inclined to buy a thing or two, but mostly I think it will help your financial problems. Now I must go read more of Liz, and beam happiness at you as so many of your other commenters have done. You are, indeed, more popular than your comments say. There are many who haven’t commented who I know read you regularly. Peace and love!
in the past, i haven’t ordinarily put a lot of stock into new years. time is fairly relative and random and it just hasn’t meant that much. but i guess it’s what you make it.
Hi Mike, Finally I have a first draft version of my 2006 resolutions. As usual in my own peculiar style of thinking. Thanks for the Internet Island prompt.
Just thought I’d drop by to say Happy New year.
peace.
-Jos-
Hello again Mike. Just wanted to stop by and say hello and that I hope that you are doing well. Thanks for creating the Internet Island blog. I have so enjoyed it and met so many people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Just wanted to thank you for that.
Kat
You don’t seem to be a fool. Quite the opposite, in fact. May I use your New Year poem idea?
I liked how you broke down each of your resolutions and compared them to last year. I think it must feel good to see the results that you have made no matter how small. Posting it on your blog is a good way to look back on your results.
:sunny: Hey Mike! I really loved reading over your analysis of last year’s resolutions. I can’t wait to check out your stuff on you tube, I’m finding such great stuff on there. Finally seeing Kristin Chenoweth accepting her Tony was a moment for me. (She’s the one who sings “Taylor the Latte Boy,” if I recall correctly you loved her when I had it on my page). More power to you in 2006, and thank you for inspiring excellence in me.
-Stacey