Instant Bullets Blog Oct 12, 2024

*The following can kill someone accidentally: a dental infection spreads to the brain; hit the head becoming unconscious due to head trauma; go to sleep drunk and choking on vomit; mixing bleach and ammonia creates chloramine gas; mixing vinegar and bleach creates chlorine gas.

If you see somebody on the ground in a vehicular accident, then don't move the person because he or she may have a spinal injury. However, if there is an immediate threat, then move the person to safety.

Keep all body parts in a vehicle. Nobody knows when an accident happens. Limbs can be injured or lost. Herman from The Simpsons - Bart gets war advice from Herman, "Well, let me put it this way, next time your teacher tells you to keep your arm inside the bus window, you do it!"

A non-life threating advice. Replace cracked toilets. If the toilet breaks, the cracks slice your leg and butt.

*Don't drive on standing water. The vehicle can lose control and stall at six inches of deep water. The vehicle can float at 12 inches or one foot of deep water. The vehicle floats and can drift at 24 inches or two feet of deep water.

*inure: to accustom to accept something undesirable. Frequent exposure to something bad; accustomed. Get used to something difficult or unpleasant. Pronounced in-nor.

*wistful: having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing. Melancholy. Sad longing. Sad appearance. Thinking sadly about something. Full of yearning.

*inimitable: so good or unusual as to be impossible to copy; unique. Can't be imitated. Can't be copied.

*blithe: 1 happy, cheerful, carefree. 2 casually indifferent.

*inept: lacking the competence or skill for a particular task

*Random Deep Thinking Thoughts:

*Death is the loss of information. Death is the loss of memory. If we can store memory, we achieve immortality.
*What matters more? The racing car or the driver? They both matter. If the racing car is half of the horsepower of the competitors, the best driver loses the race. If the racing car is twice the horsepower of the competitors, then the average driver can win.
*We have a 2024 Presidential Election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris who seem more like reality show stars than serious thinkers.
*A media creates a narrative. Other media outlets copy each other. The narrative is repeated. Information value is lost.

*Kinzang Lhamo. The 2024 Paris Olympics marathon runner from Bhutan finished last with a time of 3 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. She walked part way due to exhaustion and heat. Last-place finisher in Olympic marathon delivers a first-class Olympic moment | Paris Olympics. Close up video of the crowd supporting her.

*Think Simple With A 3X3 Magic Square. A student completed a three row, three column, and two diagonal sums of zero.

*Zombo Com. If you never visited Zombo, then click link Welcome To Zombo Com. Wiki Zombo information.

*Fishy Local Story. A local news station reported a fire destroyed a house. The house was looted afterwards. Cash and jewelry stolen. I questioned the story.

*Movie Quote From The Bad News Bears (1976):

Timmy Lupus: Mr. Buttermarker, I don't know about you, but I want to win, so don't send me in.
Morris Buttermaker: Listen, Lupus, you didn't come into this life just to sit around on a dugout bench, did ya? Now get your ass out there and do the best you can.

*The spelling for cockamamie and the pronunciation cock-a-may-mie. The definition is ridiculous; implausible; pointless; stupid or silly.

*The English language reading is top to bottom or left to right. The reading is big first and small second in terms of marketing techniques. Read from biggest to smallest.

*A Strong Relationship Sign. The other person gets along with the family members at a family event. For instance, the partner or spouse socializes with the siblings. The talking with the parents is default. The communication with the non-parents is the sign.

*Movie Quote From Office Space (1999):

Stan: Joanna.
Joanna: Yeah?
Stan: We need to talk. Do you know what this is about?
Joanna: My, uh . . . flair?
Stan: Yeah. Oh, uh, your lack of flair. Because, uh, I'm counting and I only see 15 pieces. Let me ask you a question, Joanna. What do you think of a person who only does the bare minimum?
Joanna: Huh. What do I thi--. Uh, you know what, Stan? If you want me to wear 37 pieces of flair, like your pretty boy over there, Brian, why don't you just make the minimum 37 pieces of flair?
Stan: Well, I thought I remembered you saying that you wanted to express yourself.
Joanna: Yeah. You know what? Yeah, I do. I do want to express myself, okay. And I don't need 37 pieces of flair to do it.
[flips off Stan]
Joanna: All right? There's my flair, okay. And this is me expressing myself. Okay? There it is. I hate this job. I hate this goddamn job, and I don't need it!

*Electrical Engineer. I have been learning basic electricity to continue learning life skills. I should have majored in electrical engineering.

*Movie Quote From Waiting (2005):

Monty: Amy! Serena! Calvin needs our help.
Calvin: No. No, I don't need help.
Monty: Shh, shh.
Monty: Women like assholes, am I right?
Serena: Well, I agree that you're an asshole.
Monty: Okay. "A," fuck you. "B," just answer the question.
Serena: Well, okay. Girls like assholes, not women. What women are attracted to is self-confidence.
Amy: Yes, and we absolutely fucking hate insecurity.
Serena: Yes! The more insecure you are, the more you ask, Is something wrong?
Amy: Is everything okay?
Serena: What are you thinking about?
Amy: What's wrong? And the more you do that, Calvin, the more it becomes this self-fulfilling prophecy.
Serena: You just need to relax and not worry so much. Okay? Calvin?
Calvin: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.

*Former President Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old on Oct 1, 2024. Carter is the first former US President to reach 100. Carter replied to a question what's a secret to a long life. "I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse: someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life," said Carter.

*Parents Help Or Bail Out Your Unemployed Children. Parents tell his or her child they're bailing him or her out by living at home rent free. The child responds saying bail me out by helping me find a job--a real job. Help me get a referral or an interview.

Any half-ass parents can give money, find their child a job in retail, and lecture.

*Oscar Bait. Oscar bait describes movies produced to earn Academy Award nominations and wins. Wiki on oscar bait. Oscar bait has been mentioned since 1942.

Half Ass Doesn't Work Anymore

I was a high school senior when a classmate told the entire classroom any high school student graduates with a 2.0 grade point average. Students could earn C grades applying 10% of their brain. I don't know if the 10% applies today because high school graduation requirements changed. Expectations are higher. There is more to know. Requirements for college are tougher for college bound students.

Moreover, I'm confident applying up to 50% of the brain doesn't work to be an average success outside school and college. More jobs require more responsibilities. More jobs require more skills. Tell me what jobs Excel are not required. More jobs requiring technical skills require Python programming. Hardware engineers know software engineering, and vice versa. A rising tide raises all boats. Competition is fierce. Retail, janitors, and waiting tables jobs are exempt from the higher expectations and requirements. There is no evolution in cleaning toilets and serving plates with meals.

On The Other Hand, Better Than Nothing

A common sense statement is better to do something compared to do nothing. I agree. Doing something better than nothing is a judgement call depending on the situation, seriousness, timing, and stakes. Half ass doesn't apply to changing a motor vehicle's breaks.

Prove Me Wrong

There were plenty of opportunities decades ago. There were plenty of success pie slices generations ago. Fewer requirements and fewer knowledge required to complete responsibilities. Expectations were easier.

There are fewer opportunities today. The size of the success pie is the same. More people are not going to get a slice. There is more to know. More jobs require getting more done with less time. There is still 24 hours a day. There is still seven days a week. I guarantee them. There is no evolution in time. Humans must sleep.

Update On A Past Blog

I uploaded a better picture for the article My Lunch With 2 Fraudsters: Food For Thought For Investors written by Herb Greenberg for MarketWatch. The article can be viewed at the blog Meet Fraudster Barry Minkow posted on May 5, 2011. "Do not trust--verify," said Minkow.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog September 2024

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. COVID-19 coverage has been decreasing. One reason was the same news including new vaccines, new variants, and high viral wastewater levels. September slowed down after a fast first week.

Mon Sep 2. Jogged to and from Safeway for a quick grocery shopping.

Thur Sep 5. Watched Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs for the first NFL game of the 2024 NFL season. I watched the first half and the fourth quarter starting at the 5:00 mark.

Fri Sep 6. CA Secretary Of Health And Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly is leaving on Sep 30, 2024. Governor Gavin Newsome appointed Department Of Social Services Director Kim Johnson to replace Ghaly. Ghaly has been the secretary since Mar 2019. He led CA in the COVID-19 response. Johnson's appointment must be confirmed by the state Senate.

Mon Sep 9. Shopped at Lucky first thing in the morning. Watched New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers for the first 49ers game of the 2024 NFL season.

Wed Sep 11. The latest data collected by the Center For Disease Control reported 23 states wastewater viral activity at very high levels. 22 states reported high levels. Four states reported moderate levels. Three states reported no data.

The KP.3.1.1 variant accounted for 42.2% of infections. The KP.2.3 variant accounted for 14.6% of infections.

Fri Sep 13. FL Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo questioned mRNA COVID-19 vaccines safety and effectiveness. The state suggested people aged 65 or over or underlying health conditions choose non-mRNA vaccines.

Wed Sep 18. The newest COVID-19 variant XEC was identified in half of the US. The XEC variant was first reported in Europe last month which spread fast. Scientists said the newest COVID-19 vaccine protects against XEC.

Fri Sep 20. Scientists identified which animals at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China tested positive for the virus which caused COVID-19. The animals included the raccoon dog, hoary bamboo rat, European rabbit, Amur hedgehog, Malayan porcupine, Reeves's muntjac, Himalayan marmot, and masked palm civet. The evidence was circumstantial the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmitted from the infected animals to humans. The scientists used metagenomic sequencing which analyzed genetic material searching for the virus.

Sat Sep 21. Shopped for used books at the West Valley Library.

Thur Sep 26. Free COVID-19 tests available for free from the federal government. Each household receives four home test kits at COVIDTests.gov. The USPS ships the tests starting Mon Sep 30. It's the seventh time the government provided free test kits. 900 million free tests were mailed since Winter 2021.

Went to Santa Cruz, CA with my dad for an errand.

Worried Or Not Worried

I share current events concerns and personal concerns. The concerns are in alphabetical order. Am I worried or am I not worried?

*2024 Presidential election: not worried. The US people speaks on Tue Nov 5. We vote for the correct president.

*Children and teens: worried. Small sample size. I read stories the children of Generation Alpha and teens of Generation Z intelligence are underdeveloped. They're learning few life skills. They're social skills are poor for which it's hard to interact with other people.

*Climate change: worried. The temperatures are increasing. I include the demand for natural resources and demand for utilities increasing. I also include droughts causing lower water supply.

*COVID-19: worried. The unvaccinated must listen to the experts. Get vaccinated. Stop the spread. The virus is smart. The virus mutates. I continue to wear my mask.

*Economy: worried. The economy has been in a recession during COVID-19 and after the COVID-19 inflation. The US can't sustain the record debt. The economy can't kick the can down the road forever. The road must end.

*Food supply: not worried. The experts say there's plenty of food. The problem is the food distribution. However, it seems more people are malnourished.

*Garbage: worried. There is too much trash. The municipal recycling system is confusing. I include too much consumption.

*Guns: not worried. A gun itself doesn't kill. A gun on a person's hand kills.

*Health care: worried. There are too many people. There are not enough resources to satisfy the demand. I include the justice system and the education system.

*Homelessness: worried. The local government homelessness programs can work. The homelessness is reduced significantly by eliminating the drug addiction by 20%. Mental illness is more challenging than drug addiction; although, drug addition and mental illness overlap for some homeless people.

*Jobs for everyone: worried. The job market has been tough before COVID-19, during COVID-19, and today. There are not enough jobs for the growing number of people looking for work. Artificial intelligence is a factor.

*Loneliness: worried. People must never give up being strong. Strong people attract other people. Unfortunately, more people are giving up their lives repelling potential friends.

*My life long term: worried. Living a life with minimal income is unsustainable. See Jobs for everyone.

*My life short term: not worried. My current life is stable. I read books, exercise, self job train, and take care of the household. No complaints.

*My physical health: not worried. I workout four days a week to minimize health problems. I minimize eating processed foods. I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

*My money: not worried. Keep the discretionary spending in check. Make the best of what I can afford. Stay busy with what I own.

*Nuclear missiles: not worried. No country takes the initiative to launch nuclear missiles. Watch the movie War Games.

*Population decline: not worried. There are plenty of people on planet Earth.

*Population physical health: worried. Too much time on non-physical activities. Too little time on physical activities.

*Racism: worried. Racism and discrimination existed yesterday. Racism and discrimination exist today. Racism and discrimination exist tomorrow. Today's youth can change my mind.

*Sleep: worried. Too many people are sleep deprived. If the busy people spend 20% more time sleeping, then the world is less stressed.

*Smart phones: worried. Self-explanatory. There is too much time spent on smart phones.

*Sports betting: worried. The games are rigged. Otherwise, Las Vegas and the sports betting industry are out of business.

*Stock market: not worried. I admit I'm ironic. I worry about the economy. I don't worry about the stock market. Stocks only go up. Stocks go down when the otherwise happens.

*Successful people and unsuccessful people: worried. There are more people unsuccessful through no fault of their own. There are not enough opportunities for the people working on success. See Jobs for everyone.

*Taxes: worried. I'm 100% pro people pay their fair taxes. People must pay for the government to run the country. The government doesn't run for free.

*Television: worried. There is too much TV to watch. There's no logical reason to watch all the shows.

*Video game addiction: worried. There's nothing wrong with playing video games. I'm worried about the player's life outside the keyboard and/or controller.

*World War III: worried. I don't follow international politics closely. A country or countries lose in the Middle East war. Another answer to the question is another terrorist attack succeeds on the US soil.

Children Following Sports Should Learn Life Is Unfair

There are four major professional sports leagues in North America. The National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB). The NBA has 30 teams divided in two conferences and six divisions total. The NFL has 32 teams divided in two conferences and eight divisions total. The NHL has 32 teams divided in two conferences and four divisions total. MLB has 30 teams divided in two leagues and six divisions total.

What is one commonality among the four sports leagues? The answer is one team wins their championship in a season. All other teams lose. One NBA Finals winner. One Super Bowl winner. One Stanley Cup winner. One World Series winner. There is no second-place winner. There are no playoff participation awards. There are lots of good teams in each league. A few of the good teams are championship caliber. I repeat. Only one team wins their championship. All other teams lose. Life is unfair.

There are more popular teams. There are less popular teams. There are teams the ownership provides the necessary monetary funds. There are teams the ownership limits monetary funds. There are teams with many all-stars. There are teams with few all-stars. There are teams in big markets. There are teams in small markets. There are teams with good coaching staff. There are teams with bad coaching staff. There are teams with the latest stadiums and facilities. There are teams with outdated stadiums and facilities. There are teams with strong fan bases. There are teams with weak fan bases. There are no equal teams in each league.

Timing and luck are factors. Which team has the fewest players on the injury list? Which team has the most players on the injury list? Which team is the healthiest during the championship game or championship series? Good weather or bad weather? Does the ball bounce perfectly? Does the ball tip to an opposing player? What team benefits the puck ricochets off the wall? Which team wins the attrition battle? Which team their star-players are in a slump? Which head coach or manager guesses correctly? Which player makes a winning gamble move? Which team benefits from an incorrect referee call? Which team gets the breaks?

Update On A Past Blog

I reminded people There Is Truth Serum During COVID-19 And After COVID-19 on Sep 16, 2024. I want to add some truths change life from good to bad. The blog Life Is Good Because It's Predictable And Certain written on Jan 20, 2022 said bombshells shook people's sense of predictability, certainty, and calmness. Life changed after the smoke cleared and damage assessed.

Learn By Example

I remember the first time I learn by example. It was in fourth grade English. I didn't know I learn by example at the time. Every homework exercise the teacher assigned the first question which included the answer at the bottom of the page. I understood the English concepts clearer following the first question and answer than the teacher lecturing on the chalkboard. My best example was learning subject-verb agreement. The singular and plural are opposites, unmatched, or not equal. A singular noun is followed by a plural verb. A plural noun is followed by a singular verb. One noun is followed by more than one verb. More than one noun is followed by one verb. For example, Tom runs to the store for which Tom is a singular noun and runs is a plural verb ending in s. Another example, Tom and Jane run to the store for which Tom and Jane are plural nouns and run is a singular verb without ending in s. It may not be grammatically logical. The logical fits my thinking process.

The learn by example continued in my high school math classes. I completed the homework assignments. I checked the answers at the back of the book. If I got the answer wrong, then I corrected the mistake by figuring out my incorrect calculations. I thought the answers at the back of the book was for students to cheat. I admit I was naive. The answers helped students check their work for students to confirm they solved the problems correctly.

Moreover, most of my high school math teachers believed in learn the concepts instead of practicing and drilling. These math teachers assigned fewer problems covering the section for which they believed if the students understand how to solve the fewer problem, then they understood the concepts. Any problems could be solved. I was in the minority. My learning process was practicing and drilling. The more I practiced. The more I drilled. The more I find patterns. The more I thought instinctively. The more I understood the concepts myself.

Practicing and drilling with examples are my best way to learn being an adult. My intuition becomes stronger. My reflexes become stronger. I think quicker.

Update On A Past Blog

I remind Beelzebub continues to collect the bills from the blog Times Are Changing written on Sep 17, 2020. People who made deals with Satan better pay up. Never overestimate or overspend. Know the limits. Nobody imagines the consequences.

Top 50 Most Memorable Moments

Number 50. 50 years on planet Earth. A life milestone. Life can be better. Life can be worse. We do the best. I do my best. These top 50 are the moments from when I was born to my 50th birthday. Each person is responsible to live a memorable life. Here are the Top 50 Most Memorable Moments:

50. My Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired. The reasons were incompetence and doing nothing. Lesson learned: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody.

49. The Golden State Warriors Won The 2015 NBA Finals (Jun 16, 2015). I was less than one year old when the Warriors won the 1975 NBA Finals. It felt good the Warriors won a championship as a conscious awareness human.

48. Neverland Album By Nirvana (Aug 1, 2025). I can't explain why it took me decades to listen to the album. There are some songs I didn't realize Nirvana sang from other medias.

47. Bonchon (Jan 27, 2021). I ate Korean fried chicken for the first time. The fried chicken is fried twice.

46. Team Fortress 2 And Final Fantasy VI-VIII (Oct 21, 2007, Dec 20, 2020, Aug 9, 2021, and Feb 2, 2022). Team Fortress 2 was my first video game I played online with other players. I took advantage of the COVID-19 global pandemic to play classic Final Fantasy games. VI is my favorite out of the three Final Fantasy games.

45. Witnessed An Eviction (Mar 6, 2024). I helped a family friend evict a tenant who took advantage of the COVID-19 global pandemic eviction moratorium living rent free without paying back rent. Lesson learned: it's coming--give it time. Everything happens in time.

44. Riichi Mahjong (Oct 2009). I played Japanese Mahjong Riichi for the first time in summer 2007. I hated it. I quit. I accepted a challenge from a friend to relearn Riichi. I accepted. Mahjong is one of my all-time favorite table top games. I also play Hong Kong and Taiwanese styles.

43. Moby-Dick By Herman Melville (Oct 17, 2023). The last three chapters are the best last three chapters I have ever read. I understand all the jokes and references from other medias.

42. Breaking Bad (Dec 2012-Dec 2014). My all-time favorite television series. The show is number one in the IMDb Top 250 TV Shows.

41. Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling (Sep 2019-Mar 2020). I can't explain why it took me decades to read a modern classic. I read the books two more times during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Harry Potter is my favorite character. Gryffindor is my house. My favorite volume is either Year 5 The Order Of The Phoenix or Year 7 The Deathly Hallows.

40. Classic Rock Music (Sep 2005). I was introduced to the local classic rock station 98.5 KFOX. The station saved me from driving without music. I lost interest in pop music. Classic rock is one of my favorite music today. The Beatles is my favorite band.

39. Rent A DVD From The De Anza College Library (Oct 2010-Mar 2011). I rented one DVD a week for my movie of the week. Almost all of the movies I rented were from the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies 1997 edition. Some of the movies I rented include King Kong, Singin' in the Rain, Midnight Cowboy, Vertigo, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

38. Las Vegas 2004 (Dec 13-15, 2004). My friend from Washington and I met in Las Vegas. Both of us won money at the Luxor casino playing craps and playing the camel race machine. We visited Fremont Street where we played limit poker at Binion's. The casinos we stayed overnight were Paris Las Vegas and Bellagio. The Bellagio is my all-time favorite hotel and casino.

37. Oregon Trip (Nov 16-20, 2005). My parents, uncle, aunt, and I drove from the Bay Area to Oregon for a road trip. We visited Portland, Salem, and Multnomah Falls. Shopping, sightseeing, and real estate were our top activities. I won $100 at an Indian gaming casino along Interstate 5.

36. Anime Expo 2006 (Jul 1-4, 2006). Best Anime Expo I attended. Some of the highlights included the guest of honor CLAMP, cosplay gatherings, meeting new people, and sneaking in the dealer's room without lining up. It was the last year Anime Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center.

35. South Bay Job Search Network (Oct 14, 2013). I joined a local job networking group. Their experiences and their knowledge helped me get a job in Nov 2013. I used their information to improve my job search. They inspired me to continue learning new job skills and to continue reviewing my existing job skills. Joining the CSIX job networking group is included in the moment.

34. Steve Jobs And Stephen Hawking (Feb 26, 2016 and May 25, 2022). I read the late Jobs' biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and the late Hawking's A Brief History Of Time. Two geniuses. Steve Jobs is my all-time favorite book. Lessons are learned. Wisdom acquired.

33. Paul McCartney Up And Coming Tour (Jul 10, 2010). I missed the opportunity to see Paul McCartney at the HP Pavilion in 2005. I wasn't making the same mistake twice. I saw Paul McCartney at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Great concert. He played for almost three hours.

32. Podcasts (Various Dates). I listen to 99% Invisible, Awesome Etiquette, Damon Bruce: Plus, Freakonomics, Lex Fridman, MuggleCast, Sex With Emily, Stuff You Should Know, The Dave Ross Commentary, and The Problem With Jon Stewart. My current events podcasts are 60 Minutes and Nightline. My retired podcasts are Car Talk and NBC Sports Bay Area Happy Hour.

31. Artisan Wine Depot (Nov 2013-Sep 2014). My first start-up company I worked. My second retail company. Great business idea selling high-end wine at discount prices.

30. Palo Alto Networks (Nov 2014-May 2015). It was nice going back to a tech company. The timing was good I earned money for the 2014 Christmas Holiday. The experiences from the mistakes and the politics were greater than the work experienced itself.

29. New Laptops And New Desktops (Various Dates). My first laptop was the Dell 8600 Inspiron in Feb 2005. My second laptop was the HP Compaq 8510p in Jul 2008. My third laptop was the HP Spectre in Nov 2019. I built my first desktop in Jan 2009. I built my second desktop in Jan 2020.

28. My Bible (Aug 7, 2012). I created my bible from past blogs. My bible reminds me who I am, my strengths, and my lessons learned from my mistakes. I say with high confidence I am who I am today reading the bible: stronger, smarter, kinder, wiser, confident, and having faith in myself.

27. My Blogs (Aug 4, 2005 and Sep 2, 2008). I created two blogs. The first blog is Innovating Common Knowledge. Innovating Common Knowledge innovates life's common knowledge. My second blog is Finding Raymond Mar. Finding Raymond Mar is my personal blog for which I blog anything without restrictions.

26. The Perfect Semester At San Jose State University (Fall 1996). I attended classes on Tue and Thur. I learned how to write. 3.64 semester GPA. I mastered the shooting arcade game Area 51. I worked part-time at Blockbuster Video. I lost weight. I began listening to music while I studied.

25. Washington Canada 2005 (Aug 27-Sep 4, 2005). I visited my Washington friend in his home state for the first time. It was my first time in Washington. It was my first time in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Some of my highlights included visiting the Space Needle, winning money at an Indian casino, shopping for used books, visiting small towns, and seeing new sights I never saw in California. I don't consider Canada my first foreign country because anyone in the United States can visit Canada easily.

24. My First Car (May 19, 2007). I purchased my first car from my neighbor who moved to Virginia. It was the Toyota Camry 2005 XLE V6. Very dependable car. No major problems. I take my car to the auto repair shop for routine repairs. I change the oil myself using Castrol. I fill my car with Chevron gas.

23. My New Face And My New Haircut (Sep 2004 and Apr 2017). My new haircut was a buzzcut in Sep 2004. I lost weight which included a new face in Apr 2017. Today is the best I've ever looked.

22. Cisco (Mar 19, 2007-Nov 22, 2008). My first job working at a tech company. I experienced working in a cubicle for the first time, eating in a cafeteria, and my first work-issued laptop. I went on a business trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on my second week. My 18 months was good experience in the tech sector. My contract was terminated because of the financial real estate bubble burst leading to the Great Recession.

21. Hiking (Apr 2009-Present). Hiking became a new hobby. My first trail was Uvas Canyon in Morgan Hill, CA. Some of my favorite trails include Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, CA; Point Lobos in Monterey, CA; and Pinnacles in Paicines, CA. I purchased hiking clothing, shoes and a backpack at the 2009 REI anniversary sale. I recognize four hikes in four months between Sep-Dec 2019. The hikes were Montara Mountain trail at San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica, CA; Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, CA; Castle Rock State Park; and Mission Peak in Fremont, CA.

20. Ballroom Dancing (Jan 2009-Mar 2011). My sister was an amateur ballroom dancer. She introduced me to ballroom dancing. Dancing is a great social activity. I took dancing classes at De Anza College. I met new people and made friends.

19. De Anza College (Mar 2009-Jun 2011). I choose to go back to school after I lost my job at Cisco. I took Beginning Weightlifting and Social Dance in Spring Quarter 2009. I choose to go back to school full time majoring in Accounting. Accounting was an alternate major when I attended San Jose State. I earned my AA degree in Mar 2011. I finished in Jun 2011. Going back to school was a second chance to relive life as a true college student. My experiences were satisfactory.

18. Fanime Forums Valentine's Day Gathering (Feb 18, 2006). It was my first forum gathering. We met at a bowling alley. I made lots of new friends. I keep in touch with most of them on social networking.

17. Innovate Infinitely Was Created (Nov 2000). There is no innovateinfinitely.com without Innovate Infinitely. Innovate Infinitely was created driving to Japantown-San Jose. The words "Innovate" and "Infinitely" came to my mind waiting at a signal light. I said, "Innovate Infinitely . . . Never Stop Innovating Life." I innovate infinitely. Always find something new to learn, always improve, always create, and always becoming a better person.

Blogger's note: Sep 2000 is incorrect in the Top 40 Most Memorable Moments. Nov 2000 is correct.

16. innovateinfinitely.com Is Online (May 1, 2004). I created a web site to promote Innovate Infinitely. It took 10 months finding a web hosting company, learning how to register a domain name, learning how the domain name servers work, and learning the basics of web pages and the Internet.

15. Fanime Con 2009 (May 22-25, 2009). Best Fanime Con I attended. Everything started on time. The weather was perfect for cosplayers. I made lots of money at the Swap Meet. I danced at the Black And White ball. I always did something. It was the perfect con with minimal problems.

14. COVID-19 (Mar 17, 2000-Present). California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I'm in the minority. My life has been improving. There are life changes such as new cooking techniques, old school boiling water to drink clean water, completing more errands in the morning, and sleeping with the windows closed. A few COVID-19 moments appear in the Top 50.

13. The Year Of The Role Playing Game (RPG) (1997). 1997 was the perfect year for RPG. Everyone was in San Jose, everyone adjusted their college and work schedules, everyone participated in the action, and the plots were terrific. The memories are remembered for a long time.

12. Washington Canada 2008 (Nov 15-20, 2008). I visited my Washington friend in his home state for the second time. We went to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The highlights included visiting Hurricane Ridge, playing Betrayal At the House On The Hill board game, touring The Underground Tour in Downtown Seattle, and shopping for books. I also climbed the indoor wall at REI in Downtown Seattle. The timing was good because I needed a life distraction desperately. The vacation satisfied the distraction.

11. Japanese Anime (Summer 1996-Sep 2014). I became an anime fan watching Sailor Moon on TV. The first anime series I purchased was the first season of Ranma 1/2. Anime influenced my life. I created many memories. I officially retired in Sep 2014. Full Metal Alchemist is my all-time favorite anime series.

10. The Shawshank Redemption (Sep 21, 2019). There is a reason the movie is number one in the IMDb Top 250 movies. The movie is my all-time favorite.

9. Life Skills (Various Dates). Learning life skills is part of my training to become a self-trained genius. The skills I have been learning include rope knots, paper airplanes, shuffle cards, sew a button, read a compass, and basic electricity. I'm open to new suggestions.

8. The Triple Play (1984-1988). My brother and I played G.I. Joe, Transformers, and MASK. We played on Saturdays and during the summers. We created plots to determine the scenarios like a cartoon episode. Our collections were not the biggest. I believed having enough toys for the three series was better than having all the toys for one series. There was a lot of variety.

7. Zion National Park (Oct 3-4, 2015 and Sep 16-17, 2016). My first time visiting Utah. My first time in the Mountain Time Zone. My first time camping. My first time backpacking.

6. Cosplaying (Sep 11, 2004-May 27, 2013). I attended anime conventions cosplaying from Sep 11, 2004 to May 24-27, 2013. Memories were created. I made friends at cosplay gatherings. Cosplaying saved me from quitting anime at the end of 2004. I thank my mom for making the costumes.

5. Wall Street Bets And Superstonk (Jan 2021-Present). I learn more about financial investing following the two Subreddits wallstreetbets and Superstonk compared to my B.S. in Economics and A.A. in Accounting degrees combined. It's an example people learn more outside the classroom.

4. The Real Job Training (Oct-Nov 2014 And May 2015-Present). The skills include Power BI, R-Studio, Excel, Python, and SQL. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources. My self job training is completed with a graduation in analytics research technology on Mar 2024. I began my graduate self job training on Apr 2024.

Blogger's note: Oct-Nov 2013 And Jul 2014-present are incorrect in the Top 40 Most Memorable Moments. Oct-Nov 2014 And May 2015-present are correct.

3. O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2-Apr 6, 2017). I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.

2. 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45 (Sep 2019). In my opinion, a genuine adult is a genuine adult at age 50. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I crossed the line four years and 11 months ahead of schedule.

1. Growing Up (Oct 4, 2008). My life changed forever when I realized I must grow up. I walked to my car after attending the Los Altos Fall Festival when the moment happened. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans. I live life stronger, smarter, wiser, kinder, and mature. The real innovate infinitely continues today.