Here are the 11 top pictures I took in 2020. They’re sorted from the start of the year to the end of the year. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Enjoy!
Here are my 16 highlight Tweets and 8 favorite Favorites Tweets in 2020. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Follow me @inin61. Enjoy!
Highlights
Jan 26: @espn, Kobe Bryant was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash, as first reported by TMZ and confirmed by @wojespn.\n\nHe was 41. LinkFeb 20: Movie Spy Game (2001). Robert Redford teaches Brad Pitt to be a CIA agent. All you need is a stick of gum, a pocket knife, and a smile. . . . Always carry cigarettes and a lighter, too. Great ice breaker. Link
Feb 22: magnanimous: generous in forgiving an insult or injury, especially toward a rival or less powerful person #mynewwordoftheday
Feb 24: non sequitur: a conclusion or reply which doesn't follow logically from the previous statement; a reply which has no relevance. #mynewwordoftheday
Mar 12: A different perspective why there's not enough housing and not enough apartments. Single people. For example, 44% of all residences in Manhattan are inhabited by single people.
Jun 18: Excel format cells tip. Cell A1 is My number is *number*. Press Ctrl+A1-->Number-->Category-->Custom-->Type. Under Type, type "My number is "#. Press OK. User types a number in Cell A1 instead of typing My number is *number*. Cell A1 displays My number is *number*. #exceltip
Sep 18: Display the number zero as n/a or as a blank cell in Excel using Format Cells. Numbers are between 0 and 99,999. \n Cell A1 is 0. Cell B1 displays n/a custom format cell #,###;;"n/a". Cell C1 displays blank cell custom format cell #,###;; #exceltip
Nov 02: Human reproduction is the same from the dawn of the human being to today. These four old educational videos on the male reproduction and the female reproduction are relevant today they stand the test of time. No need to change how reproduction is taught.
Nov 02: Teenage physical changes during puberty Link
Nov 02: Parents talk about sex to their children Link
Nov 02: The female menstruation cycle Link
Nov 02: The male wet dream Link
Nov 04: Most driving experts say increase speed when hitting a deer is inevitable instead of breaking hard or swerving. The front of the car rises increasing the chances of going over the deer at impact.
Nov 04: Increase speed is better than breaking for which the front of the car drops increasing the chances the deer goes through the windshield.
Nov 04: Drive with high beams and slow down in deer areas. Article Link
Dec 19: #24 San Jose State Spartans are the 2020 Mountain West champions. #sjsu #gospartans #ncaacfp
Favorite Favorites
Jan 09: @SexWithEmily, The whole notion of vagina's being "loose" or "stretched" is a myth - the vagina has pelvic floor muscles that can become weak, but we can do kegels to build those muscles back up and make them strong again.
Apr 27: @SexWithEmily, Vaginismus The body's automatic reaction to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration. Whenever penetration is attempted, your vaginal pelvic floor muscles tighten up on their own. It can be painful and distressing, but it can be treated.
May 05: @NBCSWarriors, The night Headband Klay was born. NBA record 14 threes in a game. Watch it tonight at 8 pm on NBC Sports Bay Area Link
Sep 05: @SFGiants, The legend of Madison Bumgarner will live forever in San Francisco. Thanks, MadBum. Link
Sep 10: @espn, Today is the first day EVER that the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL will all play on the same day (h/t @EliasSports) Link
Dec 03: @arstechnica, Feds say Facebook broke US law offering permanent jobs to H-1B workers by @binarybits Link
Dec 19: @SanJoseStateFB, Climbed the mountain. The Spartans are the 2020 Mountain West CHAMPIONS! #SpartanUp | #AtThePeak Link
Dec 20: @SanJoseStateFB, Making moves The Mountain West champs are ranked #19 in the nation. @AP_Top25 | #SpartanUp Link
There was no Black Friday 2021 shopping on Fri Nov 26. 2021 was the second year in a row I stayed home. All of my Black Friday shopping was online. I pick up my orders at the retail stores. Many stores offered Black Friday deals during the Thanksgiving week.
Sun Nov 21
Azul, Deluxe UNO 50th Anniversary Reissue, and Ticket To Ride Europe board games at Target. The board games were splurges at 50% off. The 50% was a first time for me. I sell other board games to make room for these three new board games.
Thur Nov 25
Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit 2 Men's Road Running Shoes at Nike. It was the first time I saved money at Nike.
Fri Nov 26
Another pair of Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit 2 Men's Road Running Shoes at Nike.
Calvin Klein black 3-pack classic knit boxers and Jockey black Flex 365 4-pack boxer briefs at Macys. I remember past Black Fridays underwear was 40% off.
Mon Nov 29
Walgreens 30% off online orders. I purchased Vanicream soap, Chloraseptic sore throat lozenges, Imodium A-D diarrhea caplets, and Cortizone 10 ointment. It seems anti-inch ointments are sold at drug stores only.
DenTek Professional Oral Care Kit at Target. There was a 25% off on Beauty and Cosmetics.
Tue Nov 30
Four boxer briefs at Gap Factory.
I shop on Black Fridays to purchase bare necessities which includes stocking up on bare necessities, to buy new durable goods, to upgrade existing durable goods, and to buy DVDs on my wish list. Black Fridays are good shopping days for appliances, clothes, new TVs, desktop parts, and towels. If I can wait for the Black Friday, then I wait.
Update On A Past Blog
I wrote my Summer Sabbatical October 2021 blog on Dec 6, 2021. My 2021 vacation or staycation was correcting my Summer Sabbatical 2007. I remembered I declare my Summer Sabbatical 2007 blogging Summer Of 2001 In 2007 on Jun 1, 2007. I mentioned it was a failure when I wrote Top Ten Wisdom Acquired In 2007 I Failed To Follow on Jan 10, 2020. The Summer Of 2001 In 2007 was number 10. I admitted I "took it too easy, relaxed too much, impatient, rushed, and had too much fun. Summer Sabbatical 2007 was the time I took life for granted. I didn't solve problems I need to solve."
It's the time I look back at my 2020 blogs to give myself feedback. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, correcting errant blogs, and sharing changes. The 10 blogs are also the 2020 best blogs.
1. Who Cares About The High Number Of Bad Luck?
Date: Wed Jan 1
Summary: Nobody cares about a person's bad luck streak. Nobody cares about my bad luck streak in 2018. The world doesn't care.
Feedback: The unsuccessful experience the continuous bad luck only. The bad people experience the continuous bad luck only. I wonder why the unsuccessful and the bad people are unsuccessful and bad. They experience too much bad luck. I never thought I experience continuous bad luck. I write the first paragraph the wisdom of a 20 year old.
Fast forward to today. Bad luck, down on my luck, slumps, and down years. All of them can happen to anyone at any time. They happened to me in 2018. Don't take life for granted. A winner can be a loser in minutes.
I speak on behalf of the world. The world doesn't care about people consistently complaining about bad life, bad luck, slumps, and down years. The world didn't care about my 2018.
2. Do Your Sets And Do Your Reps
Date: Sun Jan 19
Summary: Never stop learning. Practice, drill, repetitions, remind, reinforce, and repeat.
Feedback: I admit I did a good job writing a blog on drills, practice, and repetition. I remind myself, I assure myself, and I reinforce myself my best learning technique is practice, practice, and practice.
I asked myself if I wrote a blog on drilling in Oct 2021. I actually did.
3. My Second Desktop PC And My Third Laptop
Date: Mon Feb 24
Summary: I built a new desktop PC in Jan 2020. I purchased a new laptop on Black Friday 2019. I summarized my hardware specs, wrote a crash course on desktop PC hardware, and summarized my laptop specs.
Feedback: Another example timing is everything. The COVID-19 global pandemic started in early 2020. My new desktop and my new laptop have helped me endure the pandemic. One instance is learning new job skills became easier using a more powerful desktop PC. Another instance is Python and Power Query ran faster. I can run Python on my laptop if needed.
The Black Friday 2021 deals were fewer compared to Black Friday 2019. The supply shortage was a factor. If I remember correctly, the Black Friday 2020 deals were fewer compared to Black Friday 2019.
More people accept computers must be used in today's Information Age. The COVID-19 global pandemic brought computers front and center.
I went to a local computer store to exchange a defective accessory in Aug 2020. The store closed on weekends. My guess was the store needed more time to complete computer repair orders. There was a sign posted at the entrance for computer repairs. The minimum wait time was seven days. The store profited during the pandemic because more people depended on computers. Moreover, knowing basic PC could prevent hiring a professional to repair a computer.
4. Most Things Don't Work
Date: Wed Feb 26
Summary: The first sentence is to the point, "A universal truth most people don't realize is most things don't work."
Feedback: I wrote 16 cynical blogs in 2020. The blog is the first of 16. I reiterate. Most things don't work. They include people, places, things, assignments, projects, relationships, inventions, . . . everyone, every place, and everything in life.
5. Top Ten Plus Nine Equals Top Nineteen Harry Potter Adult Perspective Takeaways
Date: Wed Apr 29
Summary: I shared 19 Harry Potter thoughts.
Feedback: I correct errors. Number 18 author J.K. Rowling was time pressured for volume six. I incorrectly wrote volume four. Number 18 another bad word close to swearing was "slut" in volume six. The word was written in the chapter Tom Riddle visited the Gaunt's house.
An update for number 13. Volume seven is my most favorite volume because Harry takes over the series. All questions are answered including some of the character's past. My previously most favorite volume was five. My updated volume rankings from most favorite to least favorite are 7, 5, 6, 4, 3, 1, and 2.
Rowling said Merlin the Wizard is a Slytherin.
I read Harry Potter a second time and a third time. The third time I read backwards from volume seven to volume one.
6. The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Harder To Fake It
Date: Mon Jun 15
Summary: The global pandemic reveals hidden truths.
Feedback: The pandemic continues. The new, the uncharted, and the unprecedented continue. COVID-19 continues bringing out more truths. COVID-19 equalizing continues. COVID-19 and George Floyd's death with social injustice protests were a coincidence.
Another harder to fake is stupidity. The people hiding stupidity are revealed. The people faking intelligence is called out. Bluffing being smart is called. All idiots come front and center.
I credit the omicron variant timing for those thinking about living a quiet life. Do it. If you never played the quiet life card, then it's time to play the card. Worldwide COVID-19 cases are increasing. It's another winter surge. Omicron variant is prevalent. Live a quiet life to minimize your chances of getting COVID-19. A quiet life can be boring or can't be boring. There's a good way to live quietly. There's a bad way to live quietly. One suggestion living a quiet life is take a break. Slow down.
7. Instant Bullets Blog Aug 24, 2020
Date: Mon Aug 24
Summary: These bullets are life hacks and life wisdom.
Feedback: I reiterate the Some Life Hacks bullets below:
Use a GameBoy cartridge case to carry a condom safely.
Use a colander to separate cereal dust and cereal.
Use a muffin tin to serve condiments at a barbeque party.
Check the fingernails of any person in a senior center because if the fingernails are uncut, then it's a sign of poor care.
Take several pictures before the final posing picture when you help a stranger take a picture of himself, herself, or the party because candid pictures may be better than the final posing picture.
"Fair enough" may be a statement to defuse a tension or a conflict situation.
"Familiar with" may calm or relax the other person instead of saying "know it."
Visit a potential apartment or house at night to research deeper.
8. There's An A In Overachieving
Date: Sun Oct 11
Summary: Professional championship teams must have a superstar, top coaching staff, and dedicated ownership.
Feedback: 1+1+1=3 remains valid. The Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts+Dave Roberts+Los Angeles Dodgers=2020 World Series in a shorten baseball season. Tom Brady+Bruce Arians+Tampa Bay Buccaneers=2020 Super Bowl Champions.
9. The World Has Been Changing Geometrically In Plain English
Date: Wed Nov 18
Summary: Give change time. There are more changes today compared to yesterday per a given time period such as a month, year, or five years.
Feedback: I have two feedbacks for the Four Certainties. The first is I wrote the first answer which is death, taxes, 24 hours in a day, and problems. My second is death, taxes, 24 hours in a day, and people change whether the people cause the change or life causes the change.
Another cynical blog out of the 16 in my Second Look. If you haven't been keeping up with current affairs, COVID-19 changes the world today and tomorrow. Temporary changes today. Permanent changes tomorrow. I guaranteed them.
A permanent changed unrelated to COVID-19; although, one can say COVID-19 may change indirectly. There are more people unemployed. There are more people who can't find a job. Most of them quit finding a job. All of them are forgotten. The media doesn't report on these permanent unemployed. Think intuitively. There are too many people. There are too few jobs to fulfill.
10. An Abandonment Dream
Date: Thur Dec 17
Summary: A dream lead to an irony everyone needs to slow down and take a break eventually.
Feedback: I have been taking a break or taking a staycation once a year since 2019. The primary reason has been I'm behind in responsibilities. My brain felt like jelly. My brain felt like a sponge too wet I can't learn anything new. I took a break. Everyone needs a break.
The following blogs are honorable mentions: Today Is A Lucky Day I Count My Blessings and Three Years Later Scanners For Bar Codes.
Today's blog is an update on a past blog.
Update On A Past Blog
I wrote retail rotation in My Own Commentary On The Daily Life Of Raymond Mar on Jul 31, 2013. Retail employees have rotating shifts and rotating roles. I incorrectly adapted my retail rotation. My retail rotation was fixed. My retail rotation wasn't dynamic. My retail rotation failed to prioritize. I included too much fun. I included too little working responsibilities.
I thought about the retail rotation during the Thanksgiving holiday. I shopped for Black Friday starting on Sun Nov 21 because some retail stores sold Black Friday goods during the Thanksgiving week. I cleaned the house on Sat Nov 27 and Sun Nov 28. My brother's family choose to go home earlier than planned. The house was a mess. I shopped on Cyber Monday on Mon Nov 29. I went outside the house multiple days to pick up my orders. I checked the flashlights, first-aid kit, and smoke detectors as standard emergency maintenance twice per year after changing the clocks by one hour. I practiced my life skills on days other than my scheduled Sundays.
The Thanksgiving holiday changed my daily and weekly routines. I was behind in job training. I didn't watch my one movie of the week. I skipped one workout. I didn't shower on Sun Nov 28. I didn't feel guilty. I wasn't mad at myself. I accepted. I eliminated being too focused. One moment responsibility led to another moment responsibility. Go with the flow. It wasn't the end of the world. There's tomorrow. Move forward.
I correctly adapted my retail rotation. Rotate responsibilities. Rotate priorities. Delay activities. Reschedule commitments. Make a best judgement what to do now, what to do next, what to do in the future, and what to cancel. Movies, video games, social media, watching random YouTube videos, watching sports are either the lowest priorities or cancelled. There's nothing wrong with leisure. Leisure is not an excuse to ignore or to avoid responsibilities and assignments.
Benjamin Franklin said, " . . . nothing is certain except death and taxes." I have four more guarantees.
1. Everyone Is Weird. I wrote a blog You And I Are Weird written on Sep 20, 2017. Be honest. There is something weird about you.
2. Everyone Changes. If you don't want to change, then life changes for you. Life finds a way to change a person beyond his or her control. Give life time. People change. The world changes; for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone changes. You change.
I wrote a blog Change Says No To Raymond Mar on Oct 18, 2017. There were years I was the same person after my life changed forever on Sat Oct 4, 2008 when I realized I must grow up. I changed when I posted an update A Change In The Family Dentist Almost 21 Years Later written on Aug 7, 2019. I finally changed which included reading faster, stronger intuition, highest self-esteem, and I'm the healthiest I've ever been.
3. Everyone Has Problems. I wrote a blog You Have Problems? So Do I written on Oct 8, 2016. Everyone has a problem. The general categories are physical, mental, emotional, financial, spiritual, and relationships.
4. There are 24 hours in a day. There are seven days in a week. Self-explanatory. There is no additional hour. There is no additional day. Time can't speed up. Time can't slow down.
I was tired in Oct 2021. I was tired watching other people living their lives better than me. I was tired living the same routine. I was tired learning. I was tired reviewing. I was tired training. I was tired maintaining me. I was losing my motivation to be stronger. I was tired taking care of me.
I choose to take a break. I choose to relax. I choose to take a staycation. I realized it was a sabbatical while I planned my staycation which was primarily completing less priority obligations and responsibilities. I said to myself, "I correct my 2007 Summer Sabbatical. I do a sabbatical correctly. I don't make the mistakes back in 2007." I detailed 2007 in two blogs 2007 Was Actually A Bad Year admitting 2007 was a bad year and not a good year written on Oct 13, 2008, and The Year Was 2007 mentioning the failed summer sabbatical written on May 17, 2010.
I don't know what I call my second sabbatical as of the blog entry honestly speaking. It can be Sabbatical October 2021, Sabbatical 2.0, or Summer Sabbatical October 2021 to remind myself Summer from the failed Summer Sabbatical 2007 even though October is in the fall season. I detail the highlights I successfully corrected myself a productive, responsible, and mature sabbatical.
Wed Oct 13. I assisted my dad bleeding his truck's breaks. I checked my car's tires air pressure. I watched part of the National League Division Series Game 4 San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers.
Thur Oct 14. Shopped for groceries at Costco. I filled up my car with gas. I drove at maximum speed 65 miles per hour on the freeways because gas is expensive. I watched the last innings National League Division Series Game 5 Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
Fri Oct 15. I watched documentaries on YouTube.
Sat Oct 16. I watched a little college football Purdue Boilermakers upset the Iowa Hawkeyes. I continued watching more documentaries on YouTube.
Sun Oct 17. I watched the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos while I ate lunch. I cleaned my bathroom.
Mon Oct 18. I roasted a boneless pork loin for the first time.
Tue Oct 19. I jogged 4.5 miles which was my longest jog. I finished reading Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling for the third time.
Wed Oct 20 and Thur Oct 21. Read a backlog of articles.
Fri Oct 22. Restored the household cars' headlights. I realized the polish is the more important step than applying the cleaning paste to verify a clean shine. I listened to the American League Championship Series Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox on the radio. I watched the National League Championship Series Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers on TV in the ninth inning. I finished reading Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by J.K. Rowling for the third time. I uploaded music on my phone to listen while I fall asleep.
Sat Oct 23. I uploaded more music on my phone for jogging and for falling asleep.
Sun Oct 24. Rained all day non-stop. I watched part of the Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers Sunday Night football game.
Wed Oct 27. An day of errands. My windshield crack was repaired. My car was smog checked. I shopped for groceries at Costco. I ordered a quick lunch hot dog and soda from the food court kiosk for the first time. I mailed letters at the post office. I finished reading Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling for the third time.
Thur Oct 28. I jogged a new 4.0 mile route. My dad and I prepared new ropes for his truck. I learned new knots.
Sat Oct 30. I finished reading The Big Book Of Beatrix Potter. I watched the last five minutes of the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans football game. I watched Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978). I researched lighters to purchase for everyday carry. Purchasing a lighter was possible for Black Friday 2021.
Sun Oct 31. I watched partial football games San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears, New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints.
Mon Nov 1. I cleaned the kitchen sink. I completed monthly maintenances new bedsheets and new towels. I replaced the dining tablecloth which is changed every two months.
Tue Nov 2. I watched The World Series Game 6 Atlanta Braves at Houston Astros ninth inning.
Wed Nov 3. I got a haircut.
Thur Nov 4. I uploaded new profile pics for all my social media accounts.
What about my daily responsibilities? All of them were completed sincerely. They were checking emails, exercising, job searching, cooking for the household, and listening to podcasts. The biggest difference during the sabbatical was no job training. I used the job training time to catch up. I rested my body, mind, and soul inside and outside even though I was still active body, mind, and soul inside and outside.
I officially dated the sabbatical Wed Oct 13 to Sun Oct 31 even though my highlights included early Nov. I felt refreshed. I felt refocused. The transition was easing. I eased slowly back to my working hard to earn freedom routine. I stared on Mon Nov 1 with the job skill Excel, Tue Nov 2 SQL, Wed Nov 3 Python, Thur Nov 4 Power Query, Fri Nov 5 PowerPoint and Access, and Sat Nov 6 R-Studio. The next week was Mon Nov 8 Power Pivot; Tue Nov 9 Python; Wed Nov 10 routine day off for other responsibilities and commitments; Thur Nov 11 Sublime Text, Linux, and Git; Fri Nov 12 Power BI; and Sat Nov 13 R-Studio. I completed the Access review on Tue Nov 16. I don't have a replacement skill as of the blog entry.
I also ease transition learning and reviewing life skills. The life skills are the following: making paper airplanes, tying knots, pioneering or lashings, sewing a button, sewing using an awl, and shuffling cards. I'm always open to learn new life skills. I don't have any new books to read as of the blog entry.
At The End
The inbox is never empty. The job training never stops. Life skills learning continues indefinitely. Everyone needs to sleep. Spread out intelligently. Don't be too focused. There are stupid people who posts on social meeting for fake self-esteem boost from likes and comments. I spend 30 minutes on all my social media accounts to keep in touch and be informed. The world doesn't come to an end.
Update On A Past Blog
I understand better why some people eat junk food as comfort food. I wrote about eating junk food as comfort food for the first time at 2018 Christmas Holiday Firsts: Stress, Cowardness, Comfort Food on Jan 13, 2019. The junk food as comfort food was an anti-depress, anti-stress, and forget-all-worries.
Eating too much junk food can be a call for help. Eating too much junk food can communicate I'm tired of my life. I'm tired of the routine. I'm tired of boredom. Life is the same old, same old. Eating too much junk food is not a replacement for action to change.
I'm rising up. I'm a self-trained genius. My destiny card says I achieve freedom when I stand up and walk to the front of the stage. I become the real Raymond Mar. The real Raymond Mar stands up. He walks to the front of the stage. The fake Raymond Mars remain seated. The audience doesn't care for the fakes. The audience applauds for the real. It's the truth.
There are two sides in favor of me and against me. I play the personal objective card.
For The Real Raymond Mar
*Growing Up. I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. I never wrote a dedicated blog detailing the day I grew up. I choose a similar blog I Choose Raymond Mar Today to represent the day which changed my life.
I include reading more fiction books than non-fiction books, learning strength training at bodybuilding.com, wearing new clothes, sleeping on a new mattress, accepting responsibility, and not taking life for granted as my immediate changes growing up.
*The Real Innovating Infinitely. I combine all learnings, new adventures, and new experiences. I include learning by drilling and practice by repetition. Life skills learned. Job skills acquired.
*Self-trained Genius. I'm one step closer to becoming a self-trained genius at the end of the day.
*Cooking. I know enough cooking skills to eat healthy meals. I minimize eating processed foods.
*Retired Hobbies. I'm retired from watching anime and playing video games. I'm playing classic video games three hours a week.
*I'm the healthiest I've ever been. I exercise four days a week. The last time I got sick was Oct 2018.
*Maintenance. I practice proper body bare necessities. My residence is cleaned. My car is maintained including oil changes and tire rotations.
Against The Real Raymond Mar
*The Real George Costanza. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents.
*Bad Luck. I experienced bad luck during job interviews. It's not a curse.
*Behind In Life. I'm behind in experience and knowledge. If there's a what a 40s-year-old man supposed to achieve, then I'm behind.
*Inherit Weakness. I have poor short-term memory. I can't trend water. I'm sensitive to heat. I'm partial tone deaf.
*Slow Reading. I'm a slow reader--not reading slow due to poor intelligence. However, for whatever reason, my speed and my comprehension have improved.
*July 1998-March 2007 Jobs. There were no transferrable skills working in the commercial real estate. The commercial real estate industry was my first jobs after I graduated college. Working in a retail start-up and working in data entry were pathetic. Working at Cisco was the best job experience.
*Unearned Successes. Most of my past successes including high school, college, and my first jobs were unearned. I was successful due to good luck, good timing, and good fortune. It was not my fault. I think of unearned success like an unearned run in baseball. It wasn't the pitcher's fault the run scored.
Update On A Past Blog
I wrote past blogs on Raymond Mar. Here are the past blogs with a brief description.
My Own Commentary On The Daily Life Of Raymond Mar written on Jul 31, 2013. I self-questioned and self-answered my daily life for which most of the answers were correct back then. They're incorrect today. I was dishonest for the most part. It was a bullshit blog.
The Myths Of Raymond Mar written on Jul 29, 2014. The four myths were correct back then. They're correct today. I was honest for one of the few days back in 2014. I still don't have a lot of friends. I'm retired from anime never being an anime expert. I still live with my parents. I still know and I still learn computers and technology.
Bet On The Real Raymond Mar Coming Soon written on Oct 4, 2014. The blog was written exactly six years ago when I realized I must grow up. I mentioned job searching, learning, having support, and believing in nothing to lose attitude. All of them are true today. People who bet on the real Raymond Mar is actually betting on Raymond Mar's big break.
Raymond Mar 2015-2019 Looking Better written on Jan 5, 2020. I posted a pic of myself between 2015 and 2019. I looked terrible between 2015 and 2017. I looked better in 2018 and 2019. I post a recent pic of myself for the purposes of today's blog. Fortunately, I look better as I get older.
I Choose Raymond Mar Today written on Apr 9, 2020. I rejected my past self which is the correct answer. I'm getting better. I honestly say I choose myself today.
California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Nov was the fastest month of the year. There were a few days which went slow. Some residences decorated their outsides with Christmas decorations early. The omicron variant is clear and present.
Mon Nov 1. 6% or 9,000 of 378,000 New York City employees are on unpaid leave because they're unvaccinated. The city mandated all employees must be vaccinated starting today. 12,000 employees filed exemptions for medical or religious reasons. These employees must be tested weekly.
Tue Nov 2. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. The vaccine dosage is 1/3 of the adult dosage.
Wed Nov 3. The CDC reported COVID-19 rates increasing in the Bay Area. Solano and Sonoma counties were the worst of the nine counties.
Thur Nov 4. The United Kingdom authorized conditionally the Merck COVID-19 antiviral pill for adults 18 or over who tested positive and has at least one underlying health factor such as obesity or heart disease. The pill is molnupiravir. Patients take four pills two times a day for five days.
Mon Nov 8. Shopped at two Safeway stores and Costco. I shopped at two Safeway stores because I needed Colgate toothpaste for the household. I lost my shopping list which was very rare at Costco. More people shopped Costco while I waited at the check out line.
Wed Nov 10. All Alameda County first responders and workers who transport people for medical reasons must be fully vaccinated by Dec 21 or be tested weekly.
Santa Clara County lifted the booster shots restriction to adults 65 years or older or front line workers. In other words, booster shots are expanded beyond the initial guidelines.
The White House said 900,000 US children age 5-11 received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 28 million US children age 5-11 are eligible for the vaccine.
Fri Nov 12. I admit a stupid lowlight. I failed to spend at least $50.00 in groceries to get a $5.00 check out discount at Safeway. My total was $49 and change.
San Mateo County approved booster shots to all eligible adults. The adults must wait at least six months.
The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Services recommends nursing homes allow visitors at all times for all residents without limitations. No advanced appointments necessary.
The State Of California announced booster shots should be available to anyone age 18 or over who requests a booster shot as long as the person waited at least six months or two months depending on the vaccine brand.
Mon Nov 15. COVID-19 cases increased in Europe. There were two million infections and 27,000 deaths last week according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Belgium and Norway reimposed COVID restrictions. Austria instituted a lockdown for unvaccinated citizens. Germany planned to extend their state of emergency.
14 children at a clinic in Antioch, CA received the adult dosage. The CDC said recipients with an incorrect volume may experience arm soreness, headache, or a fever. In March 2021, 6,000 people received a lower dosage at the Oakland Coliseum mass vaccination site.
Tue Nov 16. I'm a person who showers at night. I showered without washing my hair first thing in the morning. I went to bed immediately after my home workout.
California, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, Colorado, and New York City expanded booster shots for all eligible adults. The expansion is not an official federal policy.
Wed Nov 17. I'm a person who showers at night. I showered without washing my hair first thing in the morning for the second morning in a row. I went to bed immediately after my home workout.
Thur Nov 18. Dentist appointment. I was the only patient in the office. First time for me.
I shopped at Safeway. I paid for my car registration at AAA. It was the first time during the pandemic I didn't wait outside the AAA office.
A federal judge ordered The Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA) to suspend enforcement of the Biden administration COVID vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 or more employees. The mandate was supposed to start on Dec 5.
Fri Nov 19. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for booster shots for all adults 18 or over. The CDC followed up by endorsing booster shots.
I helped my dad get free wood. I replaced my license registration sticker. I tested my car's sun roof for leaks.
Sat Nov 20. Santa Cruz County brought back indoor mask mandates in public or private indoor settings due to rising cases.
US deaths in 2021 surpassed US deaths in 2020. 770,691 total US deaths since the pandemic started. 385,343 died in 2020. 385,348 died as of today. Global deaths totaled 1.88 million in 2020. 1.883 million died as of today.
Mon Nov 22. Black Friday week purchases pick up at Target. Ordered take out at Chicken Meets Rice restaurant for the first time.
I drove to another Target at night to purchase a popular toy for Christmas. It was the third time I drove at night time since Mon Mar 16, 2020.
Austria issued a nationwide vaccine mandate starting on Feb 1, 2022. Netherlands launched a partial shutdown starting on Sat Nov 20.
The White House issued a statement no shutdowns are planned. 82% of US residents have at least one shot.
Tue Nov 23. President Joe Biden announced essential non-resident travelers crossing the US borders by land or by ferry must be fully vaccinated starting on Jan 22, 2022.
A fourth time I drove at night time. I shopped at Nob Hill to purchase 2-liter Coke for Thanksgiving dinner.
Wed Nov 24. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccines for booster shots for all adults 18 or over.
Fri Nov 26. The WHO held a meeting to discuss a new COVID-19 variant discovered in South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong. The name of the variant is omicron. Omicron is highly transmissible. USA, Canada, and the European Union announced new travel restrictions; in particular, the US announced restrictions starting on Mon Nov 29 for the countries of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.
Sun Nov 28. Two cases tested positive for omicron in Canada. The people recently flew from Nigeria.
Mon Nov 29. President Biden delayed all federal workers must be vaccinated or be fired by Nov 22. 96.5% of the 3.5 million federal workers are vaccinated.
Tue Nov 30. More Black Friday pick ups and Cyber Monday pick ups at Walgreens, Target, and Nike outlet stores. A security guard was at the entrance in the Nike outlet store due to the Bay Area smash and grab retail robberies.
My sister's boyfriend tested positive for COVID-19.
A federal judge blocked the Biden's administration for enforcing a vaccine mandate on health care workers in ten states which challenged the mandate.
A federal court blocked the Biden's administration for enforcing a vaccine mandate on businesses with more than 100 employees.
Blogger's note: I numbered the What If blog number one in case I write another What If blog in the future.
What if I didn't work at Grubb & Ellis on Thur Jul 9, 1998? What if the co-worker who trained me to replace her didn't accept her transfer to another office? What if my second co-worker didn't quit weeks later after I started. The short answer is I didn't work in commercial real estate for 7.5 years.
There was workplace drama in my first month. The workplace drama was a warning sign I ignored. I should have started looking for another job; on the other hand, it was my first job after graduating college. Moreover, the drama reminded me when I worked in my second company in 1999. The company hired a full-time buyer. She quit a few months later. My intuition told me she didn't get along with the CFO and she witnessed mismanagement. Another instance happened when I worked in a retail start-up as back-end sales support in 2014. The new beer buyer submitted his two week notice after his first shift. He told me he saw mismanagement. He was correct. I quit the retail start-up four months later.
Update On A Past Blog
I wrote a what if like blog on Oct 19, 2014 titled Alternate Endings. Some of the questionable moments are what if I graduated high school at the same high school I attended from 9th grade to 11th grade? What if I graduated with another degree at San Jose State University? What if my contract at Cisco continued during the 2008 Great Recession? None of the alternate endings mentioned Grubb & Ellis.
I dreamed last night musician Eric Clapton, actor Kevin Bacon, sports journalist Ray Ratto, and an unknown young actor in the Star Trek movie franchise visited our house. I had a family. They were playing a concert after dinner.
Clapton's guitar was on a table. I touched his guitar. Clapton was angry because he just cleaned his guitar. Clapton wanted me to confess. I didn't confess. Clapton rubbed a dirty brush on a yellow and white rabbit figurine on the same table. It turned out Ratto touched Clapton's guitar.
The young actor in the Star Trek movie shared a scene from an upcoming Star Trek movie. The scene took place in Oakland, CA. Jumbo jets were taking off from an army base like the GI JOE Sky Stryker jets taking off GI JOE headquarters in the GI JOE cartoon episode The Synthoid Conspiracy Part 2.
What's the point of the blog? Celebrities are humans. They have lives outside their celebrity jobs. They're normal people living a non-normal life. The public treats them special. They want some time for themselves. Blame the media for interfering the celebrities' private lives. Blame the immature people being assholes to celebrities. Celebrities become assholes by habit because of the immature people being assholes.
Do I want to be a celebrity? My short answer is no. My long answer is unlikely.
Update On A Past Blog
I listened to a Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford podcast Cautionary Tales--Fritterin' Away Genius. The podcast talked about Claude Shannon who invented the information age. What if Shannon spent more time on his work instead of goofing off? The podcast answered the question. Here are a few excerpts from Harford:
*Between those two thunderbolts, Shannon didn't just switch fields, he lived a rich and complicated life. He married and then divorced within a year. He moved to Manhattan to spice things up. He played chess in Washington Square Park. He played clarinet. He loved the jazz scene in New York. He swam. He played tennis. He stayed up too late and played his music too loud. All this was happening when Shannon was at the peak of his intellectual powers. Shannon didn't just hit 35 and abandoned serious thinking in favor of playing around. Shannon was playing around all along. Maybe Shannon's love of fritterin'--and I say fritterin' away his time--on juggling, or unicycling, or music, or chess. Maybe that's not the reason he produced only two truly brilliant ideas. Maybe it's the reason he produced two truly brilliant ideas in the first place.
*Claude Shannon didn't feel that same compulsion to clear his inbox. He often left correspondences unanswered. Then eventually cleared the decks through the use of a trash can marked "letters I procrastinated on for too long." That might seem a trivial thing, but I think it points to something deeper.
Psychologists have identified a tendency called completion bias. If you ever assembled a list of things to do and ticked off all the easy ones while ignoring the important stuff, you demonstrated completion bias. That apparently admirable tendency, persistence, the determination to finish what we start, well, it could be twisted and perverted. If we feel compelled to reach the finish line, we also feel tempted to choose a short racetrack. There's more at stake here than making ourselves feel better by cheating with our to-do list.
Psychologists recently studied completion bias in a high-stake setting--a hospital emergency department. They found that the busier the emergency room becomes, the more the doctors look for quick whims, the patients who aren't really very ill, and can therefore be treated swiftly and ticked off the list. And this behavior is counterproductive. The more serious ill patients wait longer, of course. And the doctors start to slow down after working through a lot of fairly trivial cases. I expect we all know the feeling. But in their subconscious desire to see some work through completion, doctors were harming the patients who were in greatest need.
*Claude Shannon's willingness to set aside projects starts to look like a strength rather than a weakness. Shannon certainly could focus with a building information theory from scratch or building a wearable computer to beat roulette. Yet Shannon also seemed to have an inner confidence that allowed him to declare victory at any point that suited him. If a piece of work was not good enough to publish, fine, he was happy to leave it unpublished.
*When I first thought about writing this Cautionary Tale, I thought it would be a warning not to lose focus like Shannon did. I've changed my mind. Now I think Shannon and [Ed] Thorp are inspiration figures. The Cautionary Tale isn't a warning to keep your focus. Instead, it's a warning not to focus too much. Don't commit yourself so totally to a project you lose heart, or lose sight to a creative ideas, or lose your freedom to change course.
The podcast reminded me when I wrote I'm becoming a genius at Today Is A Lucky Day I Count My Blessings on Feb 23, 2020.
Former Presidential Candidate and Florida Governor Jeb Bush was quoted ". . . people need to work longer hours . . ." to fix the American economy. Click Jeb Bush: To Fix Economy, Americans Need to "Work Longer Hours" to watch the YouTube video. Most people interpret Bush's quote as working at least 40 hours a week with no life or working 60 hours a week with no life.
I have a different perspective on Bush's quote. People need to work longer hours not working at their jobs with their feet nailed to the floor. People need to work longer hours to be better professionals inside work. More jobs today require more hours. More careers require more hours. More training required. Jobs are more technical. Costs are increasing. There is more learning. Blame today's Information Age life.
People need to work longer hours to be mature adults outside work. Don't waste time. The irony is more work for productive leisure. Spend more time for financial planning. Financial education is important. Learn life skills outside work because there's no time to learn life skill inside work. Rest the brain during sleep. Spend more time sleeping and less time watching TV. Blame today's Information Age life.
Be responsible. You may succeed one day. You may win one day. You may understand one day. Practice hard. Practice intelligently. Practice indefinitely. The longer hours inside work may click one day. The longer hours outside work may click one day. Times have changed inside work and outside work comparing today's generation and past generations. The work eight hours a day, go home, and watch TV on a chair drinking a beer are gone.
Are these predictions a joke? Are these predictions serious? Are these predictions a waste of time reading? I let the reader choose. One crazy, weird, and unlikely prediction I hope the reader doesn't experience is all hell breaks loose. A person experiences a day everything is out of his or her control. Everything is outside his or her comfort zone. Here are the top ten plus seven equals top seventeen predictions:
17. $10.00 Per Gallon Gas. I predict one gas station charges $10.00 a gallon anywhere in the US.
16. A terrorist attack succeeds in a developed country impacting the world. I hope the prediction never comes true.
15. Another Pandemic. There are too many people. More people live closer to each other such as high density housing. More people become unhealthy. More people live with underlying health conditions affecting their immune system. More people give viruses more chances to infect more people.
14. All schools add an extra year. The old school system is obsolete. Elementary school pre-kindergarten is mandatory before kindergarten. Junior high schools add a fourth year for grades 6-9. High schools add a fifth year for grades 10-14. There is too much to learn. Expectations are too high. A rising tide raises all boats. Students need more time. School is a full time job. No more summer vacations. Schools are year-around. Parents, school administrators, and the government need more patience.
13. Social Security is going to be bankrupt. More money is paid out to senior citizens than money funding Social Security. The Federal Government must be bold to pass laws to increase money flowing to the social program.
12. Increase Homelessness. More people are going to be homeless globally. There are not enough resources to help them. There are not enough resources to slow down the homelessness rate. The cost of living increases.
11. Too Big To Fail. The global big name companies. The top Fortune 500 companies. The top of the top can't fail. These companies are built to last doing everything legal, border line legal, border line illegal, anything. AT&T, Wal-Mart, NFL, Cisco, Bank Of America, Chase, Google, banks, tech, finance, governments, manufacturing, etc. If any of the above fail, then the impact affects many people in many countries.
10. Work And Life Balance Is False. More people work more hours. The 40 hour work week is outdated. More people work after hours at home. More people work during the weekends.
9. Increase Unemployment. The job market is tight indefinitely. More people can't find work. People graduate school, college, or a trade school every year. The supply of workers increases. There are not enough opportunities to hire new graduates. More people delay retirement. More jobs are eliminated by technology such as robots and automation.
More people are not going to succeed. Life is zero-sum. The world is zero-sum. The size of the pie is always the same. There are people who fail no matter what. There are unsuccessful people no matter what. Many works hard and follow their dreams. Few succeed. Many times something happens beyond their control they become unsuccessful. Blame life. Life is not fair.
8. People continue to hurt other people. Divorces, abuses, assaults, alcoholics, cheats, dishonesty, DUIs, and drug addicts. People make the same mistakes. People don't learn. History repeats infinitely.
7. The average IQ decreases. More people are dumb. More people watch TV and play video games. Life is too easy, yet too complicated.
6. Increase Conservative. More people are scared. More people are afraid of losing. More people are less daring. There is more caution. More people are politically correct.
5. Increase Depression. More people are lonely. More people have poor social skills. More people feel isolated. Today's Information Age living increases anxiety. There is too much screen time on phones and computers.
4. Too Hot. Global warming. Planet Earth is getting hotter. Surface temperatures are increasing. There are more natural disasters including wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. Countries must be bold to pass laws to curb climate destruction by setting limits.
3. The fight against social injustice never ends. There is preferential treatment. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice existed in the past. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice are present. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice exist tomorrow. They continue throughout humankind.
2. Medical insurance dental insurance, and vision insurance increase indefinitely. There are too many people. There are not enough medical resources. Economics 101--supply and demand. The indefinite increase also apply to utilities gas, water, electricity, and sanitation.
1. Another Recession. There is going to be another recession after the COVID-19 global pandemic recession. The stock market is going to crash.
There are no complaints. Eating donuts don't make me happy. Playing video games don't make me happy. Watching YouTube videos don't make me happy except the informative tutorials. Binge watching TV doesn't make me happy. Eating candy doesn't make me happy. There are exceptions or situations eating donuts, finishing a video game, watching non-informative tutorial YouTube videos, binge watching TV, and eating candy does make me happy.
Learning something new on Python makes me happy. Exercising makes me happy. Learning new cooking techniques makes me happy. Reading books makes me happy. Finishing a book makes me happy. Living in a clean residence makes me happy. Visiting a new place makes me happy. Learning a useful life skill such as tying knots and communicating using Morse Code makes me happy.
The activities above making me happy hard work is required for the most part. There is frustration. There are routines. I smile big when I become successful or when I figured it out. I solve the problem. Achievements are earned. There are no routines afterwards. The alternatives are not happiness.
If you have the strength, courage, honesty, sincerely, maturity, and motivation to seek happiness, then life finds a way to reward happiness.
Update On A Past Blog
A Bob Dylan song The Times They Are a-Changin' inspired the blog Times Are Changing written on Sep 17, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic changes the workplace temporary and permanently. Give it time. The changes are clear and present. One permanent change I predict is the workplace becomes fun since who knows when. There are fun procedures to solve problems. No more threats. No more politics. Contests, fun, and joking around are the motivators to complete assignments. Forget reading the procedures; sometimes it's faster to do it learning by trial and error. More collaborations are done outdoors. Veterans helping newbies are sincere and vice versa; moreover, workers help other workers remember their happy moments. Courage and energy are sincere, too. Employees are matched with their strengths. Employees lose track of time because the workplace is fun. Employees are given appropriate time because projects are completed eventually. Employees work together. Teamwork is no longer a clique. The rewards are earned.
I'm all ears. Someone tell me a professional fun company. I haven't heard a fun company from my family and friends in years.
I can't explain why I read the book decades later. I purchased the book containing 19 stories including Peter Rabbit on Sep 2, 2005 at Half Price Books in Washington state. I finished the book on Sat Oct 30, 2021. Some of the children short stories are good. Some of the children short stories are boring. I enjoyed all of the art. Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Johnny Town-Mouse tales are my favorites.
Helen Beatrix Potter was born on Jul 28, 1866 and died on Dec 22, 1943. She was an English writer and illustrator. Potter self-published the successful The Tale of Peter Rabbit book. Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time thereafter. Her art was influenced by owning pets, spending holidays in Scotland observing animals and landscapes, and studying watercolors.
Buster Posey announced his retirement on Thur Nov 4, 2021. He played all 12 years of his professional baseball career with the San Francisco Giants from 2009-2021. Posey retired happily. Posey retired on his terms. His awards and accolades below:
*2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 All Star
*2010 Rookie Of The Year
*2012 Batting Title
*2012 NL MVP
*2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 Silver Slugger
*2016 Gold Glove
*2012, 2021 Wilson Defensive Player Of The Year
*2012, 2021 NL Comeback Player Of The Year
*2010, 2012, 2014 World Series Champion
My favorite Posey moments are his 2012 National League Division Series Game 5 grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds, 2012 World Series Game 4 two-run game leading home run, and his 17th regular season home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his 2010 rookie season. I was joyful when the Giants recalled Posey in 2010. He became the starting catcher, battled clean up in the starting lineup, and an instant spark in the clubhouse. A true professional.
Buster Posey wrote a message to the Giants fans. The Giants posed the message on its Twitter page @SFGiants A message from Buster. The message is below:
To the best fans in baseball . . .
You have most likely heard by now that I have decided to step away from the game and officially retire.
As you can imagine, this was not an easy decision. Kristen and I spent a lot of time discussing and weighing what would be best for our family. I ultimately felt that now is the right time to start a new chapter in my life.
Throughout my life, I have been incredibly fortunate to play the greatest game in the world. Not many kids who start playing baseball at the age of five have the opportunity to continue to play the game they love beyond Little League or even high school. I was one of the lucky ones, and I am truly grateful for all that the game has given to me and my family. It has taken me from my hometown in Georgia to Florida State University to ultimately San Francisco, with many stops in between. The people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve shared with my teammates and family are beyond what I expected. Our family has created a lifetime of memories and lifelong friendships.
During the press conference, I had the opportunity to thank the countless number of people who have supported me throughout my career - Kristen, our children Addi, Lee, Ada and Livvi, my parents, grandparents, siblings, teammates, coaches, training and clubhouse staff, the Giants ownership group and front office. They were the driving force who helped me and inspired me to make my baseball dream a reality.
And, of course, our great fans. How do you thank a fan base? The Giants fan base is more than just fans. It's a community. That sense of community is something we as players can feel in the ballpark when we take the field each night. I hope you have felt it too.
I hope over the years you've been able to see in our teams the sense of pride we all take in coming together each day working hard and pushing each other toward a common goal. Oddly, some of the best times when you look back are the challenging times. When you're going through them they don't tend to be very fun, but when you get on the other side you realize that you've grown from these experiences. I think that's one of the best things about sports and hopefully something a lot of fans can also identify with.
Over the years, I've heard a lot of stories from different fans about what the Giants mean to them. Or, what baseball means to them. When I think back on those stories, there's usually one common denominator -- family and friends. When I was a child, one of my earliest baseball memories was Sid Bream of the Atlanta Braves sliding into home plate to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game Seven of the NLCS to send the Braves to the World Series. To be able to share in the joy with my grandad that Christmas as he proudly displayed a picture of Sid Bream sliding into home on his t-shirt is a memory that I'll never forget.
I'm sure there are kids out there today -- who might actually be adults now -- and parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who can remember exactly where they were when in 2010 Edgar Renteria hit the game-winning homer in Texas that led the Giants to their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco. Or when Sergio Romo stood on the mound, shook me off from throwing a slider (which still scares me to this day) and snuck a fastball past Miguel Cabrera to clinch the second title in three years. Or when Madison Bumgarner came out of the bullpen in Kansas City in Game Seven and 45,000 people went deathly silent because they knew at that point, the World Series was over. Or you remember where you were when Matt Cain stood on the back of the mound and gazed up at the crowd, taking it all in before he recorded the final out of the first ever perfect game in Giants franchise history.
To me, this is what baseball is all about. It's a lot more than just winning or losing a game – although the wins do feel a lot better. It's about time spent with family on countless nights and days pulling for your team, riding the emotions of the highs and the lows. It's ultimately about the people who have come along with you for the ride and making great memories together.
I am so very humbled to have played a part in some of those memories. Thank you for welcoming me into the Giants community 12 seasons ago and for supporting me every step of the way. I look forward to creating new memories of my own and sharing them with my children as I pull for the Giants for years to come.
With deep admiration and appreciation,
Buster Posey
California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Oct was the slowest month of the year. There were a few days which went fast. Christmas sales and early Black Friday sales were seen in stores and in advertisements. Governments issued relaxing restrictions and stopping mandates.
Fri Oct 1. Total US cases 43,500,000. Total US deaths 700,000. Worldwide cases 219,000,000. Worldwide deaths 4,550,000.
Governor Gavin Newsom mandates all eligible students in CA private schools and public schools to be vaccinated. It's the first school mandate in the US beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. The expectation is the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) approves vaccines for ages 5-11 beyond emergency authorization. Religious and medical exceptions are granted when requested.
Tue Oct 5. Northwell Health fired 1,400 or 1.8% of the workforce who failed to comply with New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The company is the largest health care provider in New York.
Wed Oct 6. Kaiser Permanente suspended 2,200 unvaccinated employees nationwide. These employees must be vaccinated before Dec 1 or be terminated.
Thur Oct 7. Shopped at Costco during the 1pm hour. It was dead. Social distancing was easy. I ordered take-out at The Pasta Market afterwards.
Mon Oct 11. TX Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order to ban COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers. He asked state lawmakers to pass the ban into law. MT passed a law preventing employers from mandating workers to get vaccines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Halloween trick-or-treat is safe as long as it's outdoors and everyone is vaccinated.
Tue Oct 12. 70,000 CA residents died from COVID-19. The number was the highest in the US. TX was second. FL was third. CA was below average per capita at 177 deaths per 100,000. The US average per capita was 214 deaths per 100,000.
Thur Oct 14. Purchased gas. Purchased Get Back by The Beatles book and groceries at Costco. The food court opened.
Fri Oct 15. US travel restrictions lifted for fully vaccinated foreigners from 33 countries begin on Mon Nov 8. United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and China are some of the countries. Proof of vaccination and a negative test are required within three days of travel.
Non-essential travel restrictions lifted from Canada and Mexico. The travelers must be fully vaccinated.
San Francisco County and Marin County lifted indoor mask mandates in certain situations. The situations include offices, gyms, religious gatherings, and college classes with less than 100 people. Facilities must be properly ventilated, no recent outbreaks, and no children under 12. Masks are required in restaurants, stores, and K-12 schools. Marin County and Contra Costa County lift indoor mask mandates on Nov 1.
Mon Oct 18. A second friend tested positive for COVID-19.
Former Secretary Of State Colin Powell died from COVID-19 complications. He was fully vaccinated.
People protested the school vaccine mandate at the CA capitol in Sacramento. Some parents pulled their children out of school to attend the rally. Some parents kept their children out from school as a statewide protest.
Wed Oct 20. The FDA approved the Moderna vaccine and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for booster shots. Mixing vaccines are okay.
San Francisco shut down the In-N-Out restaurant for indoor dining in Fisherman's Wharf for violating the city's COVID-19 health order. The staff didn't check customers for proof of vaccination.
Thur Oct 21. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) approved the Moderna vaccine and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for booster shots. Mixing vaccines are okay. Nursing home residents, people with underlying health problems, front line workers, education workers, and people in homeless shelters can get boosters.
Fri Oct 22. A summary for people eligible for boosters. Mixing vaccines from different companies okay. However, the CDC doesn't recommend mixing.
Pfizer and Moderna: People must wait a minimum of six months after the second dose and must be 65 or older. People 18 or older living in long-term care, a front line worker, or with an underlying medical condition.
Johnson & Johnson: People must wait a minimum of two months after the dose. Age 12 or older and other factors are irrelevant.
Sat Oct 23. The COVID-19 delta variant was detected in CA, DC, MA, NC, and WA.
COVID-19 cases increase in Britain. Hospitalizations and deaths increasing. The government is not planning to restrict daily life.
Sun Oct 24. First day of rain for the rainy season. It rained all day non-stop.
Wed Oct 27. Errand day. I went to the post office, repaired my windshield, smog check, and shopped at Costco. Costco crowd was a prepandemic busy afternoon at 3pm. I ordered from the food court kiosk for the first time. The self checkouts were moved closer to the center of the checkout registers.
Fri Oct 29. Music festival Outside Lands happened at Golden Gate Park during Halloween weekend. People must show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test within 72 hours. Masks were required.
Costco's Black Friday ad arrived from the mail.
FDA approved Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 for emergency use. The dosage is 1/3 of the teen and adult dosage. The second shot is administered three weeks later.
Sat Oct 30. Total US deaths 740,000. Worldwide deaths 5,000,000. Britain deaths 140,000. Brazil deaths 600,000. Italy deaths 132,000.
Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.
Today's throwback blog is titled Myself and Many Others’ Crystal Reports Catch 22 written on Apr 18, 2012. I laughed, chuckled, and shook my head rereading the blog. I can't believe I reviewed Crystal Reports in early 2012. I think back today and I think back to 2012. About 1% of all job openings required Crystal Reports. The reporting software program was a joke in 2001, 2006, 2007, and 2012. I'm learning Power BI. I stopped learning Tableau because Power BI is free and there are financial barriers to learn Tableau. I wonder is Power BI easier to use compared to Tableau today?
I finished reading a Crystal Reports book to review and relearn the reporting software. My first exposure was in 2001. I took a class while I worked at Colliers International. Colliers wanted to use Crystal for their new database. I was not involved in the database development and report design. I forgot everything as years went by. I needed another training class as Crystal was revisited for another database in 2006. I took a class again. I used Crystal for a limited time afterwards.
The Crystal Reports training benefited me when I worked at Cisco in 2007. My department used Crystal for their quarterly reports. I struggled initially because it was the first time I used Crystal daily for the weeks after the fiscal quarters ended. I learned from my mistakes and I experimented with different designs to become a person with working Crystal knowledge. That was the best way to learn Crystal—just do it.
Fast forward to today. I finished reading my Crystal Reports books and created reports to practice. I watched YouTube Crystal tutorial videos. That’s all I can do to keep my knowledge strong in my head. I feel reading another book is a waste of time and redundant. All I can do is wait for a job opportunity to apply my knowledge and experience.
I’m in a catch 22. I see job postings requiring at least three or at least five years of experience. How can I gain experience in Crystal Reports if companies don’t hire me? I know the basics. That should be good enough. Books and training courses teach us how to use Crystal. Books and training courses don’t teach us Crystal work experience. The best way to gain Crystal work experience is working in a company. Again, how can I gain experience in Crystal if companies don’t hire me? The best I can do I continue finding a company that gives me an opportunity.
Side note: I’m looking into learning SAS, a statistical reporting software. I don’t know the cost for training. Database software SAP is unlikely because I know their classes are expensive.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton was scheduled to speak at an outdoor rally outside Tower Hall during my Fall Semester 1992. I was on the right side of the stage and podium. The view was good. I missed it. How? I was impatient. I went home. I should have expected Clinton to appear later than schedule like political rallies and musical concerts.
I regretted it. I could have told everyone I attended a political rally. I could have told everyone I saw a future president live. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Lesson learned. Never back away from a potential once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Update On A Past Blog
I mentioned Meyerholz Elementary School in Change Says No To Raymond Mar on Oct 18, 2017. The Cupertino Union School District announced Meyerholz and Regnart elementary schools are closed the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year due to lack of enrollment. The announcement was made on Fri Oct 15, 2021.
*Bob, I got your email last night. A tactical workplace action.
*F. Scott Fitzgerald on exclamation points: "Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke."
*Security Procedure At A Bar. Stop everything. A crime must be prevented. There are asshole coward men.
*Reddit Article: People who quit their jobs on the first day, what was your "I'm outta here" moment? Read the stories. Why some industries can't find workers?
*Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani. The pitcher and designated hitter hit two home runs against the New York Yankees on Jun 29, 2021.
SHOHEI OHTANI GOES DEEP IN THE BRONX, AGAIN! (Re-takes the league lead in home runs with 27!)
Shohei Ohtani Hits 2nd Home Run Of Game! Now Has 28 On Season | Angels vs. Yankees (6/29/21)
Shohei Ohtani continues to mash! (Hits Two Home Runs Tuesday night in the Bronx)
*Realty Check. Don't Take Life For Granted. A YouTube user comment from a YouTube video titled "Locked Up - Life of men Living in Solitary Confinement." The video was removed. Here's the comment I copied and saved: Thank you God for allowing me to be free and enjoy everything that life has to offer. Bless all of these men and forgive them for their sin . . . . Sometimes us standard [people] don't realize how good we have it, our freedom. Watching this is a reminder to not get so upset if someone cuts you off driving etc . . . This doc puts everything in perspective.
*Commodities Trading Summarized. Quotes from the movie Trading Places.
Randolph Duke: We are commodities brokers, William. Now, what are commodities? Commodities are agricultural products--like coffee that you had for breakfast--wheat, which is used to make bread--pork bellies, which is used to make bacon, which you might find in a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. . . . And then there are other commodities, like frozen orange juice--and gold. Though, of course, gold doesn't grow on trees like oranges. . . . Now, some of our clients are speculating that the price of gold will rise in the future. And we have other clients who are speculating that the price of gold will fall. They place their orders with us, and we buy or sell their gold for them. . . . The good part . . . no matter whether our clients make money or lose money, Duke & Duke get the commissions.
Billy Ray Valentine: Sounds to me like you guys a couple of bookies.
Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat. Buy low, sell high. Fear? That's the other guy's problem. Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the absolute carnage you are about to witness. Super Bowl, World Series--they don't know what pressure is. In this building, it's either kill or be killed. You make no friends in the pits and you take no prisoners. One minute you're up half a million in soybeans and the next, boom, your kids don't go to college and they've repossessed your Bentley. Are you with me? --Louis Winthorpe III telling Billy Ray Valentine both walking to the New York Commodities Exchange
*The Real Field Of Dreams. The New York Yankees as the visiting team played the Chicago White Sox as the home team. Ratings for Major League Baseball are down. Attendance is down. The numbers have been going down pre-pandemic. Go back to the past. Go back to the basics. Go back to the core. Click Yankees vs. White Sox Field of Dreams Game Highlights (8/12/21) | MLB Highlights to watch the highlights. The game resulted in high ratings.
*My Definition Of Culture. Culture is undefined. Culture is an intuitively defined concept. Culture is an intuitively defined idea.
*How To Fold Fitted Sheets. A couple argues who is correct folding fitted sheets. Either the relationship is rock solid for which the only argument is a petty folding fitted sheets or each person is a my way or the highway. They can't choose the middle ground. Click link to fold a fitted sheet How to Fold a Fitted Sheet in 30 Seconds.
*New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick won six Super Bowl championships. There are no days off to winning. There are no days off to success. Agree or disagree?
Part 1: Saving Private Ryan - Maybe you should SHUT up!
Part 2: Saving Private Ryan - Machine Gun Nest Attack
Part 3: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN WHEN WADE DIES
Battle assessment and gun battle. No Wade dies.
The YouTube links above is the Saving Private Ryan scene where Captain Miller orders his squad to attack a German nest with a MG42 machine gun. His squad didn't have the number of soldiers and didn't have the proper weapons; in other words, combat ineffective. His squad moved up the hill which was a disadvantage. The objective was high risk, low reward, and no benefit to the mission finding James Patrick Ryan.
A YouTube comment from Neal X: All the people commenting about how the attack on the machine gun nest was a tactical error... yeah, no shit, that's the whole point of the scene. After Miller tells Mike to shut up Mike looks at him in shock - clearly he knows this is unusual behavior for the captain he's known for so long, and he can tell he's not in his normal frame of mind. Miller is struggling with the morality of his mission and with the stress of losing men under his command, and after Wade dies he can't take it anymore. He admits that he's not invincible like his troops make him out to be, he's just an ordinary man who coaches baseball in the summer. He's human, and he makes mistakes, and his mistakes result in people dying. Even when he doesn't make mistakes, people die, because that's the reality of war.
I dreamed last night I took an Algebra II exam in high school. Four questions. Questions one, three, and four were straight from the textbook. The teacher changed the numbers. Easy. Question two was a proof; in other words, prove the equation on the left side of the equal sign matches the equation on the right side of the equal sign. I didn't do proofs in Algebra II. I did proofs in Trigonometry.
The teacher instructed all students who finished early to wait outside. The smartest student who earned straight A's finished the exam first and quick. I finished second ten minutes later. The smartest student and I goofed off quietly at a tree. We answered question two the left side didn't equal the right side. The teacher went outside the door to give both of us thumbs up we aced the exam.
Trust More Intuition And Trust Less Analysis
"I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work." --Steve Jobs
I answered question two last. My first attempt failed. I couldn't get the left side to equal the right side. I tried again. Same answer. They didn't equal. I began to overthink remembering my studying and the concepts. No good. I used my intuition. I concluded the proof didn't equate.
I woke up after the teacher gave the thumbs up. I didn't know how many students finished early after I exited the classroom. I believed the remaining students tried to equate the left side and the right side. I believed the remaining students were certain the left side and the right side equated. Analysis paralysis.
Intuition During My High School
I realized after the dream intuition saved my high school years. There were some classes I didn't understand the concepts. I used intuition. Intuition helped me pass my classes with higher grades. Intuition changed my C's into B's. It was hard to fail high school honestly speaking. Teachers find ways for students to pass classes. I'm certain teachers helped me earned higher grades for which I didn't realize it at the time such as bonus points, lenient grading, and extra credits.
Update On A Past Blog
I remembered taking Geometry in summer school after my sophomore year which allowed me to take Algebra II in my junior year, Trigonometry in the first half of my senior year, and Pre-Calculus in the second half of my senior year. I add summer school Geometry to my Top Ten Forgotten Moments written on Feb 15, 2020.
I add summer school Geometry to my Top Ten Saves written on Apr 25, 2020. The class became my summer vacation activity. In addition, playing chess during the lunch hour and playing softball during PE alleviated my sophomore year depression.
Choose your perspective. Choose your viewpoint. Choose your narrative. Spin it any way. Multiple interpretations. There are multiple sides of the story. The second place Los Angeles Dodgers went 48-21 (.696) after the 2021 all-star break. The first place San Francisco Giants went 49-22 (.690) after the 2021 all-star break. The Dodgers gained zero games against the Giants. Or the first place San Francisco Giants went 49-22 (.690) after the 2021 all-star break. The second place Los Angeles Dodgers went 48-21 (.696) after the 2021 all-star break. The Giants prevented the Dodgers from being tied or becoming second place winning one more game than the Dodgers. Fair or unfair. It's life.
The Giants won 107 regular season games which is a franchise record. The Dodgers won 106 regular season games which tied the franchise record. The 2021 National League West division was an outlier. The Dodgers won their wild card game against the St. Louis Cardinals to face the Giants in the National League Division Series (NLDS). The Dodgers and Giants each won two games out of a best of five games. The teams entered Game 5 with 109 total wins. The Dodgers won Game 5 with a score of 2-1 advancing to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Atlanta Braves.
Game 5 ended on a controversial check swing called strike three. The umpire made an incorrect call. Bad calls happen all the time in competitive sports. Umpires are human beings like you and me. Humans make mistakes. Bad luck and bad timing the bad calls went against the Giants. Giants lost. Move on. It's life.
History was made in Major League Baseball. The Giants and the Dodgers played in the postseason against each other for the first time. The ending narrative was ugly. The series ended on a controversy.
The umpire bad calls didn't cause the Giants to lose the NLDS. The Giants batted .182 overall. The Giants batted .125 with runners in scoring position. The low batting averages were not going to get it done. Were the Giants fatigued? I didn't see fatigue. The Dodgers earned the series win. The Dodgers were the deeper team. Their were more playmakers in the Dodgers team compared to the Giants team. Mookie Betts manufactured a run in Game 5. Max Scherzer saved Game 5 which was Manager Dave Roberts correct decision instead of Kenley Jansen. Jansen had blown saves in past postseason games.
Moreover, the Giants failed to adjust to the home plate umpire's wide strike zone. Adjustments are part of daily life. Some adjustments we like. Some adjustments we don't like.
Finally, the Dodgers changed their Game 5 starting pitcher from Julio Urias to Corey Knebel. Roberts choose a bullpen pitcher using the opener pitching strategy. Why did Roberts changed the starting pitcher? All sports analysts and sports journalists I read didn't know why. My intuition was counterintuitive. If the Dodgers wanted to give up runs to the Giants, then give up runs early. Urias pitches in the middle to late innings to lower the chances of the Giants scoring runs. If the Dodgers trailed early, then the Dodgers had more innings to score runs. My question is why give up runs early in the game. No team wants to give up runs. On the other hand, don't waste time figuring out something which doesn't make sense. Regardless, the opener pitching strategy didn't affect the outcome of the game. Roberts texted Giants Manager Gabe Kapler the night before Game 5 he changed the starting pitcher. The text was an example of a John Wick profession courtesy.
Update On A Past Blog
The Washington Nationals lost 97 games. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 101 games. The Texas Rangers lost 102 games. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles each lost 110 games. The teams were tanking. I wrote Is Tanking The New Way To Succeed? on Oct 16, 2020. These teams believed a mediocre record is not worth the effort. Tank the season. Take advantage of the upcoming offseason high draft picks for the worse standings.
