This is Samus Aran. She’s my little hamster. A midget of a hamster..

I just got a Logitech DiNovo Edge. My Logitech Elite keyboard was starting to behave a little odd- shift keys getting stuck and such-also a little louder than I want.

I also ordered a MX Revolution mouse to replace my MX1000.

It’ll be here soon. I was able to get it for $49.99 since I work for a Logitech partner.

Michael Hanson Mayer

Born on: 2/4/1985

Early Years

I was born in Harvey Illinois. I spent six months there then moved to Huntington Beach, California. My family was uprooted and moved here because my dad (who was working at ARCO) had two choices: to transfer to California or Texas.

I went to public school where I had bad grades, was fat, didn’t have many friends, and stayed late to help my teachers. I sort of found a way to feel good about myself in elementary school by being a volunteer helper for my teachers and for the school. I wore a pin that said "computer kid" and would get called out of class frequently to make a printer print. One of the very last days of elementary school there was an assembly in the MPR (Multi Purpose Room for those who aren’t in the know) where they had signups for a new middle school band program. I signed up. Why? I have no idea.

After finally entering the sixth grade I had a new chance to gain new friends. Puberty was good to me too- I was blessed with the fortunate side-effect of being skinny all of a sudden. This was good- it made lots of girls like me back in the day.

Music

I started to play Bassoon in middle school after the band teacher needed someone to fill that spot. He plucked me out of the clarinet section and gave me this big "bong-like" instrument thing. I played it for a few months before I started playing with the Golden West College band. It was fun at the time. I look back on it now with strange feelings. For one thing, I was the only bassoon player- put an incredible amount of pressure on such a young me. Being thrown under the bus of sorts frequently over there eventually built up my confidence as a musician. I started playing Bass about a year after I started playing Bassoon.

Decidedly more cool-the Bass was my way into playing in my middle school’s jazz band. Pathetic is about the only word that could be used to describe that mess- a clarinet, a variety of saxophones, and me. Where’s the drums? Piano? Rhythm section? Nope, none here. It was very strange to be the only source of rhythm. I yet again found myself being very exposed to the audience. Building my confidence once again I guess. So this goes on for the remainder of middle school. At some point I entered a Disney soloist competition where I challenged all the tiny Asian girls with their pianos and flutes with my mighty bassoon-ing. Of course they won and one judge said on the tape, "Great start for a hard instrument". Yeah, start… about that… that’s around the time I decided I was done with that.

High School
 

Since I was in the middle school band I was automatically enrolled in the high school band. Either by my choice at some point or by some act of God; I received a call from a band booster who said that the band needed a sousaphone player. I was like, why are you asking me… did I make some indication that I wanted to play that… to be honest I was confused. So I said okay. After all, ever see a marching bassoonist? You might have, but he probably wasn’t having a good time. The summer before I started high school I went over to the band room over at Marina High and asked if I could borrow a tuba over the summer to play. I wheeled that huge instrument in its McDonalds colored case from the school to my apartment. You bet the neighbors loved that. So I played tuba. I joined the drum line when I had a chance during the second semester. In between that time I broke up with my cheating ex-girlfriend whom at the time hurt me pretty badly. I was depressed, but who wouldn’t be. I was 14 and the girl that I was dating for a year? Cheated on me and then left me to burn. Though drum line I was able to meet some new friends-Shawn Taylor being one of them. He figured out somehow that I was some kind of nerd and asked me to stay late one day to mix for his band. His band was named Neopolitan. After a few times of this happening it was obvious that their bass player wasn’t going to work out-mostly due to his bad breath and absence. Little did they know that I was secretly learning their music. One day I filled in for him. That was it- I was in their band. I spent most of high school making fun of other kids mostly in part of my own way to cope with depression that I was having mostly because of the girlfriend that I had though high school.

Neopolitan

An integral part of what was me in High School was this group. It enabled me to be incorporated in an elitist group of people. I met lots of new people and I played lots of music. It was fun and all that. We wrote 30+ songs and played all over the place. Made lots of money (then gave it all to promoters). I’m afraid that Neopolitan’s final demise may be a majority of my fault. I wasn’t making any money and was having a hard time paying for rehearsals and such in the end. Then my schooling and girlfriend things ended up disrupting my availability as compared to what it was during high school. It was probably better for it to stop for the time being. We have since been too busy to really maintain such a group to a level that it really needed.

College [Present Day]

I went to Golden West College (naturally) to get my associate’s degree. I jokingly call it the extra two years of high school because its majority is comprised of general education. I also took just about every programming class that the school offered and got As in everything… except 3d game programming which I got a C in-more on that later. I was stuck at Golden West because I’ve always had such difficulties with math. I’ve only recently been accepted to UCI as a social science major. As soon as I’ve completed the differences in the requirements for computer science I’ll be changing my major.

So now I’m going to UCI. No job. I’ve officially had my major changed to Computer Science.

6/23/08: So I’ve started summer school after my first full year at UCI. Very exciting I know.

I just updated my site design:

Some things that I need to improve on…

1) Don’t be dumb

Stop doing the same stupid things over and over.

2) Don’t needlessly be a jerk…

I’ve been trying to improve on this a lot.

3) Take better care of myself

Be healthier both psychologically and physically.

4) Being negative unless given positive

"Guilty until proven innocent" or perhaps unless given positive reinforcement I assume my actions or feelings are negative

…) There is always something to improve on.