A Dream On Practice

I dreamed last night my high school French teacher taught Calculus III college course. Today was a test. The class was located inside an arcade at the back room on a hill in the south side of San Jose, CA. The classroom consisted of long tables stretched horizontally parallel to the black colored chalkboard. The questions were on a 5X8 index card with various colors. Each color index card included different questions. All formulas were written on the chalkboard. One formula I partially remembered was = A + ___ + Be___e

One student said goodbye to the entire classroom before the test. He dropped out. He couldn't handle the commute driving on the Bay Bridge on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He moved back home to Taiwan.

The teacher passed out the test index cards. I blanked out waiting for my card. Why did I blank out? I didn't over-study. There was no information overload. The answer was I studied too little. The more accurate reason was I practiced too little. It was like I played professional sports. Too little practice. Too few repetitions or reps.

It took me too many adult years to realize studying was practicing. Practicing might be a better verb than studying. I have been practicing five days a week job training. I learn by repetition. I make mistakes. I make corrections. I discover the "oh, I get it now." Practicing. Training. Studying. Schooling. Educating. These words are synonyms. Today's blog all of the words is practicing.

Side note: There was a scene in my dream actor Jackie Chan did stunts with Oreo cookies and the carpool sign at the Highway 85-17 junction. He was on the ramp from Northbound 85 to Northbound 17.

Instant Bullets Blog Jul 19, 2019

*People Adopt In Social Groups. Ars Technica published an article people adopt their behaviors in all social groups to belong. Here is the article People adopt made-up social rules to be part of a group.

*Sometimes you must know the answer before you understand the question. Agree or disagree?

*You Are Learning. Young Caine doesn't take the pebble from Master Kan from Kung Fu. YouTube video.

*You Are Leaving. Adult Caine does take the pebble from Master Kan from Kung Fu. YouTube video.

*Desperate Recruiter. A job recruiter called me at 8:00pm my time zone.

*Perfect NCAA Men's Basketball Sweet 16. A person predicted all 16 teams for the first time in the 2019 March Madness. The person predicted #12 Oregon and #13 UC Irvine which defeated #4 Kansas State advanced to the Sweet 16. Here is the article Perfect Sweet 16.

*NBA Is An Example Everyone Is Human. NBA analysis, journalists, and insiders make mistakes. They predicted the Los Angeles Lakers play in the playoffs. LeBron James didn't play in the 2019 NBA postseason for the Lakers. James played in the last eight NBA Finals for the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Moreover, the Lakers missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season. The Lakers finished the 2018-2019 season 37-45 which is the worse regular season record in a James' team. James' injuries caused him to miss the most regular season games including the last five weeks with a groin injury in his career.

*NBA Is An Example Life Is A Crapshoot. Past performance doesn't guarantee future outcomes good or bad. Present potential doesn't guarantee future success. The NBA Draft is an example. NBA teams drafting players roll the dice. The NBA is human. Opinions vary. The following web links below are examples:

The biggest NBA Draft blunders of all time

Biggest draft busts since the 1980 NBA Draft

On the other hand,

All-time NBA draft: Best player picked at every slot, from 1-30, in league history

25 of the best NBA Draft picks ever

NBA Draft: 30 greatest draft picks in league history

*Rules are good. Rules and exceptions are great.

*If I get a job today or tomorrow, then it's a miracle.

*Whoopi Goldberg Looney Tunes Disclaimer. Goldberg said it best. Stop being politically correct. Relax. History is history. Remember the good. Remember the bad. Here is the disclaimer Opening Commentary by Whoopi Goldberg on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3" on DVD.

*Today's music is garbage. Today's youth must find time to listen 1990s music and 1980s music. They can listen to 1960s music. Today's contemporary music station plays music in the 1990s such as Alanis Morissette, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, Nirvana, Backstreet Boys, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. There are fewer legitimate music artists today compared to the past.

I listened to an adult contemporary music station one day. I was angry listening to a mix of crap songs. I changed stations to all 1980s. I relaxed. Moreover, light music radio stations play mostly 1980s-2000s music.

*Tight Rental Market From A Landlord's Perspective. Most cities experience rental shortages. One reason is landlords make finding housing affordable. On the other hand, landlords say the tight rental market makes finding responsible tenants difficult.

*Household Cleaning Is Part Of Bare Necessities. Walk at the household cleaning aisle in hardware, grocery, and drug stores. There are more choices to clean a residence compared to decades ago. Today's cleaning technology is impressive including chemicals, brushes, buckets, and mops.

*One Sign Poor Self-Esteem. A person has poor self-esteem when he or she has too much time on their hands. He or she has too much free time.

*The Borrow Time Clock Stopped. The San Jose Sharks lost to the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in the 2019 NHL Western Conference Finals. The Sharks should have lost the first round playoffs against the Las Vegas Golden Knights due to injuries and fatigue. Here is the article Sharks' resilience unable to fend off borrowed time in NHL playoffs.

"My disappointment isn't thinking about next year, mine is about the group that we had this year," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said, "and the adversity we faced ... and the number of times they were written for dead and buried, and the number of times they kept getting off the mat. ... That's the disappointing stuff for me. That's stuff you don't see [that] should get rewarded ... but it's a harsh league, and it's a hard trophy to win. So, my disappointment's there."

*Windows 7 Support Ends. January 14, 2020 is the last day Microsoft supports Windows 7.

*The Pursuit Of Happyness Quotes. Two quotes from the movie starring Will Smith below:

It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?

Thomas Jefferson mentions happiness a couple times in the Declaration of Independence. It may seem like a strange word to be in that document, but he was sort of . . . he was an artist. He thought that English is the disturbers of our harmony, and I remember standing there that day thinking about the disturbers of mine. Questions I had whether all this was good. Whether I had make it.

*Dear Abby Advice No Thank Yous. A grandmother sends a birthday card forgetting the money. Read the advice in full dated May 26, 2019 Woman in Love Longs to Hear Three Little Words From Beau. It's the third advice.

*Gentlemen Mature Behavior. Gentlemen must think, act, and behave with our brains and our hearts. We must trust our intuition, too. All three takes priority before we think, act, and behave with our crouches.

*I'm Not Dumbing Down. Never dumb down your life. Don't be an asshole for yourself. Some people leave your life. New people enter your life. Nobody holds you back.

*We Learn More About Human Beings. Yet, common problems exist today. Relationship problems. Health problems. Financial problems. Communication problems. Honesty or lack of honestly. We still have these problems given how we learn human relations as time goes by. These problems exist today. These problems existed yesterday. These problems existed in our parent's generation and grandparent's generations. These problems existed decades ago. There is little change for better and for worse.

*Edited Resumes Submitted. I fail to understand why job staffing agencies submit edited resumes removing all contact information to their clients. The contact information includes web links such as LinkedIn, personal webpages, and online portfolios. Job candidates want the hiring manager to see who we are beyond the resume. Job candidates being interviewed must submit a complete resume to all interviewers. Communicate to the interviewers the complete you.

*New Parents. One common goal is don't repeat the mistakes from their parents when they raised the couple. Noble. New parents must remember to take care of themselves. Be aware there are new mistakes. Solve them. Learn from them. Honestly speaking, I'm not a parent. I'm not parental worthy. I have seen and I have heard new parents fail to get along after making vows to be better parents.

The worse parents in modern history is depicted from the documentary Abducted In Plain Sight. A neighbor slept with one of their daughters for five years including two abductions. The neighbor committed suicide before going to prison on a related, yet unrelated crime. Reference links: IMDB, Wikipedia, Oxygen, and YouTube Trailer.

Does Everything Happen For A Reason?

Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at Innovating Common Knowledge and at Finding Raymond Mar.

A common life statement is, "everything happens for a reason." I question does everything happen for a reason. I have been unemployed since May 2015. Companies submit my application for permanent or contract positions. I had interviews. No offers.

Why am I unemployed? Is there a reason? I may find the reason after I begin working. I may find the reason after I achieve mature adult freedom. Why "may?" I may die tomorrow. I may never find a job. Its life. I may lack intelligence to find the answer. I may find the answer with dumb luck.

On the other hand, if my present life is my future life, then I rather close my eyes, stop breathing, and be somewhere else. There is no point living as a loser. There are no rewards being a loser. Life is unfair.

The People Are Lucky

I can give up life easily. How? I watch TV and play video games. I work at a dead-end retail job. Maybe I work as a manager for the extra money. Nobody cares in retail. I weigh at least 200 pounds eating too much processed foods. I avoid exercise. My clothes are tattered because I spend more money on sci-fi goods and less money on quality clothes. I have body odor because I exchange time taking care of my body for time playing more video games. People are lucky I avoid the loser life.

Misunderstood

My intuition tells me the people of the world believes I’m still the Raymond Mar between Oct 2008 and Sep 2014. I retired from anime in Sep 2014. No more anime conventions. No more wearing costumes. No more video games; however, I play a video game app on occasion. Watching television is minimized. No more Family Guy. Gym workouts are consisted. Eating processed foods and eating at restaurants are minimized. The world believes I'm the opposite of these.

I said good-bye to people holding me back. I learn new hiking and backpacking knowledge. My writing skills are improved. My reading speed is faster. I'm gaining strength. Intelligence is expanding. Wisdom is acquired daily. I'm one step closer to become a genius. I'm hungry for new adventures and new experiences.

There are different kinds of loneliness. My loneliness is misunderstanding. I have zero confidence people accept my corrections. I have zero confidence people want to understand. I don't trust the people with my feelings. The people are weak, unwise, and ignorant to hear me. The people reject the present Raymond Mar. They don't listen. Their minds are closed. They can't handle my truth.

I Do My Best

I motivate myself. Boredom is a life killer. I job search five days a week applying to contract positions and full time positions I qualify at least 50% of the requirements. I learn new job skills such as Python. I review existing job skills such as Excel and SQL. I learn JavaScript and CSS which I applied on my webpage Innovate Infinitely. I complete my responsibilities maintaining my household including cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes.

I'm doing my best. I really am. Honestly. Nothing is working out today. I'm not doing enough. Maybe something works out tomorrow. Maybe I find strong, wise, and smart people who handle my truth. Time is the ultimate judge. The future answers the question what I'm doing now is correct.

Update On A Past Blog

There are more reasons why people are quiet from Another Perspective On Quiet People on Feb 20, 2019. People have nothing to contribute. They are being a good listener. They are polite. They may be learning something new. Moreover, other people shouldn't take it personally people are quiet. We're currently nothing. We're currently nobodies. If the conversation is something we contribute, then maybe we speak. The quietness is small stuff. Let the quietness pass.

I repeat the quote from Plato, "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something."

Past Comic Strips Posted Jul 2019

I photocopied comic strips I read at work or read at home decades ago, or downloaded from the comic strip's website. Here are some of my favorite comic strips I took a picture on my camera. I post more later. Enjoy!

Credits: Dilbert by Scott Adams, Foxtrot by Bill Amend, Luann by Greg Evans, The Lockhorns by Bill Hoest, and Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.

Gauntlet II Secret Room Screenshots

Gauntlet II is my all-time favorite arcade game. I played the game everyone Saturdays at the local arcade with my brother when we were in junior high. Everyone plays Elf because of the character's speed. Speed is the best defense against all the morphed monsters from Gauntlet I. The screenshots below are what happens when a player successfully exits the Secret Room. The player mails a code to receive a t-shirt. The code is generated on how the player enters his or her name.









Update On A Past Blog

I blogged Read Books For Your Life to keep your brain active on Oct 16, 2011. There is another reason why I read books. I need a distraction. The book's world can be a better place. The book's world can be better than my world. The book's world is not a permanent substitute. There are times I need to forget now. I resume normal life activities afterwards. Some of my distractions include Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a Terry Pratchett Discworld book, or a book which gives me intelligence.

Too Many People

The Mercury News published an article titled Churches Go On Building Spree on Jun 16, 2019. The article discussed the San Francisco Bay Area churches building affordable housing on their properties. For instance, the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek, CA is building 44 apartment units. St. Paul's received more than 5,000 applications.

I paused reading the article after the 5,000 applications paragraph. My immediate reaction was 5,000 . . . what the fuck! The odds securing an apartment unit are small. The odds securing an apartment unit are small even if 1,000 applications are removed because of false information and 1,000 applications are removed because their income is too high.

There are too many people. There are too few goods, services, and resources to meet the needs of the overcrowding planet Earth. Growing demand. Limiting supply. Prices go up. Basic economics. I can't say any clearer. The number of winners remains the same. The number of losers increases. The number of opportunities remains the same. The number of applicants increases. Moreover, the number of winners and opportunities are increased or eliminated. The number of losers and applicants continues to increase. Life has always been unfair.

Too and many are the two words causing many of today's world problems. In particular, too many people. The world is overcrowded. Overcrowding causes problems. Overpopulation is the number one global problem. Control population growth. Reduce overcrowding. Many world problems are either solved or minimized. Unfortunately, nobody talks about too many people.

Update On A Past Blog

The Too Many People blog reminded me of a past blog There Are Too Many People Here on Sep 16, 2007. A Slate article said technological advances reduce emissions and save the Earth from any global environment crisis. The Slate article inspired me to blog a fear increase in crime, more garbage, and higher infrastructure costs when the population increase. Burglary has increase including package thefts, car break-ins, and residential break-ins. Garbage is increasing because there are more people. On the other hand, recycling is increasing. There are too many pot holes. People are driving on the roads longer. My neighborhood driving time is longer because more apartments and more retail buildings.

2019 Golden State Warriors Basketball Postseason

I share my thoughts in bullets points.

*Congratulations to the Toronto Raptors winning the 2019 NBA Finals. Congratulations to the Raptors and Canada for winning their first NBA Finals championship.

*The win was fair. There was no diminishing value. The Warriors were injured. The Warriors were banged up. The Warriors played on fumes during Game 6. The gas tank went empty. The Warriors were the 2015 NBA Finals Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers played without two all-stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

*It's life. Good luck, good breaks, many chances, favorable timing, and best opportunities. Winners take advantage.

*It's a life clique. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. The basketball gods blessed the Raptors with the shooter's bounce, players passing and receiving the ball at the perfect place, and health.


*Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr tapped Warriors Stephen Curry's shoulders after a technical foul was called on the final play of Game 6 when the Warriors had zero time-outs. The action signified the game was over. Relax. We did our best. No regrets. We fought valiantly. We played sincerely. No surrendering.

*It's over. Someone must win. Someone must lose. It's ancient history. Smile. Relax. Take the stress out; in particular, Curry was seen mingling with family and friends during the KGO ABC-7 televised post-game show. He wore a white color sports jacket suit. It was a distraction. It was destressing. Fully recover. Get back to work afterwards. Solve problems. Fix problems. Find solutions. Discover answers.

*The distraction and distressing reminded me when I was a student at San Jose State University after finals were over. I smiled. I relaxed. I did something fun regardless of acing the final or flunking the final.

*Warriors DeMarcus Cousins experienced an epiphany how to be a good team basketball player before the playoffs.

*"All those talking heads that say we're better without him, that's ludicrous, that's crazy, this is the best player in the world," said Warriors Klay Thompson on Warriors Kevin Durant after Game 5. Durant suffered a right torn Achilles injury at the 9:46 time mark in the second quarter. He scored 11 points in 12 minutes. Durant's presence reminded fans who believed the Warriors didn't need Durant why he was important for the Warriors to win championships. For instance, Durant spread the opponents defense giving the Splash Brothers Curry and Thompson more open looks to shoot.

*Warriors Draymond Green lost 20 pounds during the regular season. Green grew up. Green controlled his emotions. He kept his temper in check. He became one step closer to become a mature basketball player. Something or someone called him out. Did Green's girlfriend, mom, and/or his child call him out?

*The Warriors played in five consecutive championship series. The Warriors won three of the five. Playing five in a row championship series is fantastic. It's hard. Anyone takes these moments in many life situations.

*Toronto Raptors fans cheered Durant's injury when he was helped off the court to the locker room during the second quarter on Game 5. The fans demonstrated bad behavior cheering an opponent down due to an injury.

*Off the court event. A Warriors minor owner Mike Stevens shoved Kyle Lowry and said a racist statement when Lowry went out of bounds towards the courtside seats to chase a loose ball. The NBA banned Stevens one year from NBA activities and fined $500,000.

*Which NBA Finals loss hurts more? Which NBA Finals loss disappointed more? The 2016 loss when the Warriors won an historic 73 regular season wins or the 2019 loss when many Warriors played injured or out due to an injury? In my opinion, the two losses were apples and oranges. They hurt and disappoint for different reasons. One reason was no worse than the other.

*The Warriors played in the 2015-2019 NBA Finals. The total games played regular season which is 82 regular games per season and post-season totaling 105 games is 515. (82*5) + 105 = 515. The Warriors played 125.6% games. Basketball players are human beings like you and me. Physical bodies can take so much.

*Live the present. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the championship. Take nothing for granted.

*Lebron James played eight consecutive NBA Finals games. He played four with the Miami Heat 2011-2014 winning two and four with the Cleveland Cavaliers 2015-2018 winning one.

*"I've been lucky to be their coach, and that's what I told them in the locker room," said Kerr after Game 6 losing the NBA Finals.

*In my opinion, Fred VanVleet should have won the NBA Finals MVP. I'm in the minority. VanVleet was the X-factor making it hard for Curry.

*The Raptors played with an eight man rotation. All eight shot, played defense, and passed well. All eight were bigger, faster, stronger, and healthier.

*Game 6 was the final game at Oracle Arena. The Warriors played in Oakland for 47 years. The 2019-2020 season the Warriors play at Chase Center in San Francisco.

*The Warriors being a better team without Durant was unfair. The Warriors winning Game 6 versus the Houston Rockets and sweeping the Portland Trailblazers were false impressions. Durant playing in Game 5 reminded Warriors fans Durant was important.

*The Warriors used all their cards. The Warriors lost some of their cards due to injuries. The Raptors played with cards to spare.

*Klay Thompson tore his left knee with an ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in the third quarter of Game 6. Thompson walked back to the court before going to the locker room to shoot his free throws. It was one of the loudest moments in Oracle Arena history. Thompson told Kerr give me two minutes to come back. Thompson never came back. Raptors Danny Green committed the foul blocking Thompson's dunk was clean. Green assured Thompson no malice when Thompson was at the free throw line.

*Warriors injuries: Cousins recovered from his torn Achilles injury during the regular season and suffered a quad injury, Andre Iguodala left and right calf strains, Durant right torn Achilles, Kevon Looney chest cartilage fracture, and Thompson ACL left knee.

*Another off the court event. Toronto Raptors President Of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri allegedly pushed and struck an Alameda County Sheriff deputy. Ujiri tried to come on court for the NBA Finals championship ceremony. He didn't have proper credentials. As of the blog entry, there is an investigation for misdemeanor assault and battery.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is another lesson to add for the Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me on May 2, 2013. The world doesn't revolve around you. The world doesn't follow your life. The world doesn't bow to you. The world doesn't care about your sorrows. The world doesn't care about your mistakes. If you want the world to care about your life positives and negatives, then you must earn the world's respect.