Highlight and Favorite 2023 Tweets

Here are my 13+1=14 highlight Tweets and 2 favorite Favorites Tweets in 2023. 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 4: @LiveDoppler7, Today is a stormy day with a Level 5 extreme storm on the exclusive ABC7 Storm Impact Scale. (The first level 5 storm since the inception of the scale 7 years ago). Watch LIVE ABC7 Team Coverage with @DrewTumaABC7 and the #ABC7Mornings team: https://t.co/n3QBk9fCxc https://t.co/IEGq9Eliqj https://abc7ne.ws/2YUq6x7 Pic.

Feb 2: palpable: 1 capable of being touched or felt. 2 easily perceptible. Readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived; obvious. #mynewwordoftheday

Apr 16: A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? $0.10 is the incorrect answer. . . . The correct answer is $0.05. ball+bat=1.10 bat=1.00+ball ball+(1.00+ball)=1.10 2ball+1.00=1.10 2ball=0.10 ball=0.05

Apr 23: Apology is policy.

May 11: The Verge posted a TikTok video summarizing the 2023 Google I/O event promoting their latest and greatest on May 10. Here is CEO Sundar PichAI Link.

May 15: It's not a secret. It's confidential.

May 28: The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones which control the way the body uses metabolism. These hormones affect nearly every organ and control functions including breathing, digestion, nervous systems, and body temp. #mytriviaoftheday

Jun 3: Ask a person to share a boring fact instead of an interesting fact. There is too much pressure to share an interesting fact. One is I don't like mayonnaise on sandwiches. Another boring fact is I take pictures of police cars.

Jul 19: These people didn't commit a crime because they're corrupt. These people committed a crime because they're stupid.

Aug 25: 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan lost the bet drafting Trey Lance. It was a series of unfortunate events. Finger injury, ankle injury, and COVID-19.
Mar 26, 2021: Call it YOLO. Call it all-in. Bet the ranch. The present is now. The San Francisco 49ers traded their 2021 first round pick (12th overall), 2022 first rounder, 2022 third rounder, and 2023 first rounder to the Miami Dolphins for their 2021 first round pick (3rd overall).

Aug 31: Willful blindness is a person avoiding civil liability or criminal charges by ignoring facts for which the person could be found liable or guilty.

Aug 31: Ignorance of law, conscious avoidance, and intentional ignorance are other terms. People commit willful blindness everyday. Link.

Sep 23: @espn, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back in his pregame speech against Colorado. "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins."

Nov 17: Don't make it a big deal fellow family members. Grandma's secret cake recipe is the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Favorite Favorites

Apr 26: @HistoryInPics, Founded in 2002 @SpaceX @elonmusk turned a vision into reality. Pic.

Sep 23: @espn, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back in his pregame speech against Colorado. "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins."

Be Honest, You Cheated

Blogger's note: The following blog was written in Jul 2012. The blog was not published around Jul 2012. It was a draft. Minimal editing.

Raise your hands if you cheated. Be honest. You have cheated to some degree. How about cheating at school? You write an answer hidden somewhere taking an exam. How about something at your job? It could be something like getting information about a competitor's presentation. How about acquiring insider information when buying and selling stocks? Using insider information is illegal. How about cheating in sports? Professional sport players take steroids or performance enhancing drugs (PED). How about cheating playing a board game with friends? You take extra money while nobody else is paying attention. How about cheating in a relationship? Adultery.

The reason I'm writing a blog on cheating is asking the question, "What is cheating?" If I have an advantage at something, anything such as a game, a contest, a sale presentation, a school term paper, then is it cheating? I know I'm speaking in very general terms. I can't express my thoughts in more detailed. Maybe cheating is a case by case scenario. Maybe cheating is subjective. Maybe cheating depends on the people and the situation. Is a person who cheats a cheater? Is someone who cheats cheating, not playing the rules, or that someone is smarter finding a better way or gaining an advantage?

For instance, an accounting class project involved writing journal entries, ledgers, trial balances, reconciliations, and financial statements from accounting transactions such as sales, receivables, and payables. The project must be submitted hardcopy and in handwriting from templates the instructor provided. No computers and spreadsheets were allowed to complete the project. I said screw that. I used Excel to mimic the templates, calculate the debits and credits, and calculate the financial statements numbers. Obviously, I wrote the numbers on the hardcopy templates. I used Excel to generate the numbers.

Was that cheating? Yes. However, I completed the project more efficiently and less chance of making a mistake. I used Excel because it was faster and it was easier to find mistakes. My final grade in the project was a 91 out of 100. I lost points because of formatting such as centering the numbers on the financial statement. Part of the grade was on styling and formatting.

There were people at my workplace who cheated on marketing presentations, audits, expense reports, and quarterly internal reports. Cheating might not be the correct word for some incidents. It was being dishonest. They didn't get caught. They cheated or became dishonest because they needed an advantage, needed an edge, needed advance or insider information to get the job done. High school students cheated on college exams and college projects because they didn't want to. They have to because the college requirements are too hard.

I don't have a single, all purpose, apply daily in life answer to what is cheating. If my blog makes my reader philosophies cheating, then my blog was worth writing. I can tell you any advantage, any advanced information, any knowledge, any skill I earned or acquired honestly or legally, I'm going to use it to whatever I do to successfully complete my responsibility, my task, my project, and my assignment.

Update On A Past Blog

I said take advantages from the blog Take The Advantage, Use The Advantage on Jan 2, 2020. I dreamed I was in a hospital. The doctor challenged me to get a prescription in seven minutes. I was late. I didn't take advantage of a pharmacy on the same floor. Cheating is an advantage. Is cheating an acceptable advantage? It's a judgement call. There are exceptions. I didn't say cheat in the blog.

Take The Chances Being Alone

There are many articles published during the COVID-19 global pandemic more people are living alone. More people live with fewer friends. People come and go in our lives. However, it's harder to meet new people. It's harder to find friends. More people are choosing to live alone. More people are choosing to live with minimal friends. More people are choosing to minimize their time with family.

My unprofessional and unscientific reason more people take their chances of being alone is average intelligence declining. More people are getting dumb. There are fewer strong people. There are fewer smart people. The strong people don't want to be with weak people. The smart people don't want to be with dumb people. They don't want to waste their time with other people who drag themselves down. If a person is making them feel dumb, then the person is out. No idiots in our lives. No morons in our lives. These alone people take their chances by themselves. Rational people avoid crazy, uncomfortable, and rude people. Minor Moby Dick by Herman Melville spoiler alert: "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian."

The common answers work, too much technology making more people anti-social, family responsibilities, and depression are valid. I add lack of strength to the list of common answers people are alone. I add weak goodness to the list of common answers people are alone. Be a good person--don't be a nice person.

Never Say Never To The Person Who Wore A Headlamp

A common knowledge is nobody can be too prepared in case of an emergency. Meet a person who can be an amateur rescue person. A person always wore a headlamp except when going to bed like taking off eyeglasses. The person placed the headlamp on the nightstand. The person feared darkness except sleeping.

Three events happened in a calendar year. The first event the person drove on the freeway home one winter night. One of the car's tires went flat. The car pulled over to the right shoulder with no streetlights. The person turned on the headlamp. The flat tire was exchanged with the spare tire. The person arrived home safely.

The second event the department participated in an offsite event one hot summer day. The building power shut down. The electrical generator stopped. Some of the emergency lights turned on. Almost total darkness. The person turned on the headlamp. The person led everyone to evacuate the building.

The third event a city blackout in a weekend autumn night. The person turned on the headlamp. Life continued. The emergency radio was on. The candles were lit. The person relaxed.

The fiction story is never say never. The improbable can happen. It's not absolute zero percent. There is always something new. Anything can happen. Anything new happens every day. It may be old to you. It can be new to another person.

The counterpoint to the story is the person could carry the headlamp in a pants pocket or jacket pocket instead of wearing the headlamp on the forehead during waking hours.

An Accident From Flying Lumber

An example of the improbable can happen. An example it's not absolute zero percent. Lumber falls from truck on Pennsylvania overpass, sweeps car right off highway. The YouTube description is the following: Dashcam video captured the moment a load of lumber flew off a truck driving on a Pennsylvania overpass and slammed into a car below.

The Dots Connect Backwards To Everything Except Financial Rewards

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

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." --Steve Jobs

I agree with the late Steve Jobs. I must trust myself what I'm doing today rewards me tomorrow. I have been doing the same since 2015. I review my existing job skills such as Excel and SQL. I learn new job skills such as Python and R. They're self job training. Job searching is five days a week. I exercise four days week consisting of two days cardio and two days strength training. I read books. I write blogs. I cook. I eat healthy. I sleep well. I learn life skills such as tying knots, typing Morse Code, making paper airplanes, and memorizing jokes. I catch up what I missed in my 20s and 30s. My movie of the week is on Sundays. I play video games once a month. Never stop learning. Innovate infinitely. Get up and do something, anything. Furthermore, I do my fair share maintaining the household. Costs are minimized. I control my leisure spending. Most of the above are boring; however, I make them awesome. I socialize with people outside the family post-pandemic starting in Aug 2024.

I have been doing everything correct. I have been doing everything right. I'm an example there are people who do everything right. The favorable outcomes don't happen. No job. No income. No freedom. Life moves slowly at best. I'm an example life is unfair. There are winners and there are losers. I'm one of the losers. I'm an example being a loser beyond my control.

What am I going to do? The answer is continue the present path. There are no alternatives. There's nothing to lose. I pay my debts to the family. I appreciate all who supports me. I help the supporters when they need help. Playing video games, watching television, and eating processed foods seven days a week are unacceptable; I might as well die.

A Shout Out To The People Like Me

I'm open to all suggestions to help me escape being a loser. I'm open to all suggestions to correct my unrealized mistakes. However, I don't want to hear easy answers and clique solutions. Go back to school? No. Get a part-time job? Depends. Unlikely my job skills match any part-time position. Network? Overrated. There are too many people applying to the too few job openings. Attend job networking seminars? A waste of time for 90% of the unemployed attendees who are losers. Hire a professional to improve your job search? Waste of money. Most of a professional's advice can be found online for free. Freelance? Not a match with my background. You said do something, anything earlier--do something? I said it. I'm not doing anything half-ass. All-in or all-out. I have nothing to lose. It's a judgment call.

I recognize myself and I recognize the millions of long-term unemployed people with bad luck and bad timing. I recognize us as false losers. Good opportunities pass us. We do our best sincerely. We cause no trouble. We make our lives and the people in our lives as easy as possible.

Update On A Past Blog

Some people experience the opposite Life Is Good Because It's Predictable And Certain on Jan 20, 2025 when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. I wrote the blog on Jan 20, 2022. These people are uncomfortable living an unpredictable life. These people desire a predictable life with 99.9999. . .% accuracy. They don't want bombshells. They want to keep the same security blanket. The 47th President is uncertain as of today. The 2025-2028 future is unclear. Time is the ultimate judge Trump makes the correct decisions for the United States Of America.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog November 2024

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Almost no COVID-19 coverage whether case numbers increased, decreased, or held steady. Post-election coverage was too much. There were more activity outdoors witnessing almost no concern of people getting COVID-19. These activities were more prevalent than the COVID-19 news articles I read.

Fri Nov 1. Shopped at Costco at the 11am hour. There was a Nissan pickup truck the driver locked his keys inside. A tow trucker driver assisted.

Costco was busy inside. There were lots of children. I retrieved a receipt dropped from a customer's pocket after I paid my groceries.

The Southwest District Health in Idaho was no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines. The regional health department appeared to be the first in the USA to restrict administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Demand declined from 1,601 people in 2021 to 64 people in 2024 year-to-date.

Tue Nov 5. I voted. I shopped at Nike afterwards.

Wed Nov 6. Donald Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election.

Fri Nov 8. Shopped at Safeway, Ross, Lucky, Costco, and Smart & Final. I went to the post office to mail letters.

Sun Nov 10. Ate at Kazoo Sushi restaurant.

Tue Nov 12. Shopped at Safeway.

Wed Nov 13. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported 37.6% of seniors aged 65 and older received the latest vaccine. 22.6% received the latest vaccine at the same time in 2023. 27% of nursing home residents received the latest vaccine compared to 21% at the same time in 2023.

Fri Nov 15. I worked out at the gym seeing the most people wearing masks.

A study at Northwestern University found COVID-19 shrunk or slow the growth of cancer. The COVID-19 virus triggers the immune system to kill cancer cells. More studies are planned.

Sat Nov 16. Fastest week of the year to date. Tomorrow was another Sunday in a blink of an eye as if the previous Sunday was yesterday.

Thur Nov 21. First rain storm of the season.

Shopped at Smart & Final and Lucky.

Mon Nov 25. Got gas for my car. Shopped at Walgreens, Dollar Tree, and Cost Plus World Market.

Wed Nov 27. The CDC reported nationwide the COVID-19 positivity rate is 3.6%. The rate was 10.1% the same time in 2023, 6.8% the same time in 2022, 7% the same time in 2021, and 13.6% the same time in 2020. 18% of US adults were up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.

The state of CA positivity rate was 2.4%. Wastewater surveillance indicated minimal viral levels. Hospitalization room visits were low. Weekly deaths reached a record low at 219 for the week of Nov 16, 2024.

A Third Look At 2011

I give a special case to take a third look at the 2011 blogs. I wrote A Second Look At 2011 on Aug 9, 2012. I started A Second Look blogs written in Dec for the 2013 year blogs because 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. I wrote A Second Look At 2011 blogs which were given eight months. A Second Look At 2010 blogs were given five months written on May 13, 2011. There is no plan to take a third look at 2010 as of today. I give myself 13 years relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, correcting errant blogs, and sharing changes from 2011.

1. Established Today And Tomorrow
Date: Sat Jan 1
Summary: Nobody is 100% established. Life finds a way to lower the percentage established regardless of a person's choice.
Feedback: The first 2011 blog makes it to A Third Look. A wisdom acquired I'm reminded. Appearances can be deceiving when people see other people. Is the person or are the people established to the maximum? Is the person or are the people under established? My intuition tells me most people are under established? I can say people's weakness prevent maximum establishment.

2. De Anza Week Jan 31, 2011
Date: Thur Feb 3
Summary: I attended Mission College to take a class on Quickbooks.
Feedback: I forgot I attended Mission College in Winter 2011 quarter and Spring 2011 quarter on Tue nights. The semester class was easy. I attended all classes sitting at the back with my laptop concentrating on the lectures half-ass. The project and the take-home final were easy as long as students started early.

3. De Anza Week Feb 28, 2011
Date: Sat Mar 5
Summary: I mentioned four weeks of fatigue on Mon Feb 28.
Feedback: I hesitate to share my feedback for the fatigue. Most college students experienced fatigue; however, as a college graduate with adult wisdom, if I minimized processed foods, spent less time watching anime, more time working out at the gym, slept more hours, and improved my prioritizations, then I reduced fatigue. Furthermore, I mentioned fatigue and sickness throughout the rest of the Winter 2011 blogs. Those two spread throughout campus like the early COVID-19 global pandemic.

4. De Anza Week Apr 18, 2011
Date: Sun Apr 24
Summary: The Mon Apr 18 entry I dropped Advanced Accounting. The Spring 2011 quarter was Auditing and Quickbooks at Mission College classes.
Feedback: A lesson to remember. A mistake I didn't repeat. It's okay to quit. It's okay to drop out. It was not a match. It didn't match my expectations. Anyone who says never quit a responsibility is partially correct. Staying or quitting depends on the circumstances. Staying or quitting is a judgement call.

Also, a representative from a CPA preparation course gave his sales pitch for students to enroll in CPA preparation courses. The students learned a bachelors degree is required to become a CPA. The professor confirmed the CPA changed. A rising tide raises all boats.

Number four third look is in a second look.

5. Meet Fraudster Barry Minkow
Date: Thur May 5
Summary: The auditing professor passed out an article on 1980s fraudster Barry Minkow.
Feedback: Minkow teaches the lesson, "Do not trust--verify."

60 Minutes Minkow interview Barry Minkow Master Mind of the ZZZZ Best Fraud.

6. De Anza Week June 6, 2011
Date: Mon Jun 13
Summary: I lost interest in Auditing class. Boring lectures. Survival mode. Too much to learn in a quarter. Information overload.
Feedback: The Auditing class is one of my best personal examples there is too much to learn in too little time. We live in the Information Age. More jobs require more training, more knowledge, and higher costs. The additional time spent in leisure doesn't pay the rent.

Number six third look is in a second look.

7. The Unemployed Like Me Has Expenses
Date: Sun Sep 18
Summary: The unemployed people must pay to live.
Feedback: The blog stands the test of time. I said, "The unemployed people living in today's tough economy still has to live life: eat, wear [clothes], drive to places, stay clean, [stay] in touch with people via cell phone and/or internet, mail letters, and more." Also, "The unemployed most likely has more time than money. Use the extra time wisely to prepare for your next job and be a better person."

8. A Childhood Lowlight
Date: Sun Oct 23
Summary: My childhood was inactive. There was no learning outside the schools. I didn't have friends outside the schools. There was too much solo fun. There was little parental involvement. Life was too easy.
Feedback: I can't change the past. I'm correcting as many mistakes as I can today. I continue catching up what I missed all the way back to my childhood. I forgive my parents.

9. I Must Declare Bankruptcy If I Was 15 Trillion Dollars In Debt
Date: Tue Nov 22
Summary: The United States Of America was $15.04 trillion in debt.
Feedback: The United States Of America is $36.05 trillion in debt.

10. The Human's Most Precious Possession
Date: Tue Nov 29
Summary: Memories are the human's most precious possession.
Feedback: True today. Take care of your brains. Never take brains for granted.

Number ten third look is in a second look.

Top Ten Plus Four Equals Top Fourteen Problems Solved Are Impossible

Life is unfair. It's a common wisdom. The world is not perfect. It's another common wisdom. There are always problems every minute. Think about the history of humans. Some of these problems existed since the ancient history. Some of these problems existed since the dawn of the human. These fourteen problems finding permanent solutions for every human being on Earth are improbable. If a person solves one of the fourteen problems below permanently, then the person is a god. I write with 99.9% confidence even though I'm not a professional in their respective fields. Here are the top ten plus four equals top fourteen problems solved are impossible.

14. 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 or Alphabet, banks, tech, finance, governments, manufacturing, etc. If any of the above fail, then the impact affects many people in many countries. Bailouts, mergers, and interventions can prevent failure.

13. World Wars. There is always conflicts between at least two countries leading to war.

12. Natural Resources And Energy Shortages. There are not enough water, electricity, and natural gas. The population increases require natural resources and energy for life. Expect prices to increase indefinitely.

11. US Democracy. The US government democratic system consists of two parties which are Democratics and Republicans.

10. Mass Shooting. The violent crime deserves its own entry. More people die from criminals shooting multiple victims.

9. Divorce. A book can be written by one hundred top marriage counselors. There are always divorces at a divorce rate around 50%. People always change. Couples always change. Families always change.

8. Mental Depression. More people become depressed for whatever reasons such as the current COVID-19 global pandemic, loneliness, loss, and financial problems. 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. Other common mental illnesses anxiety, fear, drug use, and alcoholics are included.

7. Illiteracy. Adults and children can sneak through the cracks during their education nobody taught them to read for whatever reasons.

6. Drunk Driving. Call it brain fart. Call it stupidity. Call it taking life for granted. People drive over the legal alcohol limit for whatever reasons. Some can escape. Some are arrested. Some kill people.

5. Cancer. Humans and life mutate. It's life. It's evolution. Also, there's no cure for the common cold.

4. Crimes. I include violent crimes such as domestic violence, murders, robberies, homicides, and burglary. I also include white-collar crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.

3. 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. In addition, the job market is tight indefinitely. More people can't find work. Homelessness leads to number two . . .

2. Income Inequality. Social economic barriers. The rich gets richer because of the laws, the economic system, and the finance system. There is always poverty.

1. Discrimination And Racism. 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.

The Years 2016 To 2019 Were Better Than The Years 2020 To 2023

I begin backwards. 2020-2023 years excelled. I'm in the minority the COVID-19 Global Pandemic benefited me. The world paused. The world slowed down. I used those years to catch up. The catching up continues today. I'm not finished. Here are some specifics: proper self job training, new physical workouts, faster reading comprehension, acquire new life skills, relearning financial education, and new computers. Unfortunately, no financial rewards and no employment. The four years were good.

On the other hand, the 2016-2019 four years were better. 2016-2019 years sucked. There were struggles. There were frustrations. There were mistakes--too many mistakes. There were trials and errors resulting in no solutions. 2016 was the last year I went on a vacation outside my city. I needed two surgeries in 2017. 2018 was all bad luck and all bad timing. Here are more specifics: improper self job training, poor physical workouts, improper diet, too much leisure, and outdated computers. The turnaround began in 2019. The specific month was Sep. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling for the first time. I hiked four trails. I purchased new desktop hardware and a new laptop in Nov and Dec. I began training as a self trained genius.

I connect the dots backwards. The 2016-2019 created momentum for 2020-2023. The 2016-2019 were the foundation for 2020-2023. 2016-2019 set up 2020-2023. I endured the struggles. I worked my way out of the frustrations. I learned from my too many mistakes. The light bulb on top of my head lit intensely because I figured out the solutions in 2020-2023 from the 2016-2019 trials and errors. I learned from failures. I needed more time. It took four years. The wait was worth it. Patience paid off.

Three Steve Jobs Quotes

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Um, once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."

"Stay hungry, stay foolish."

Top Ten Good Connected The Dots It Was An Introduction

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." --Steve Jobs

I look back at my past moments. I look back at my past actions. I look back at my past choices. I connected the dots . . . it was an introduction. These top ten made me a better person today. These top ten lead to positive outcomes today. Nobody knew these top ten turned out well. I didn't know. I made the best choices which were successful. I made more than my share of bad choices. These bad choices were good choices initially. Time is the ultimate judge. Here are the top ten good connected the dots it was an introduction.

10. Home Version Mini Gym (Mar 2020). I purchased a Muscle & Fitness May 2018 magazine. One article contained weight plate workouts. California announced the state shutdown on Tue Mar 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The people of California were given a 24-hour notice. I purchased a 45 pound plate and a 25 pound plate at a specialty fitness store. All major sport chain stores their fitness equipment were sold out. I began working out at home on Mar 2020.

9. eBay (2002). eBay is a great place to find bargains. eBay is a great place to sell my junk. I have sold lots of junk to create free space. eBay is prioritized over Amazon.

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

7. Washington Canada 2005 and 2008 (Aug 27-Sep 4, 2005 and Nov 15-20, 2008). I visited my Washington friend in his home state for the first time in 2005. It was my first time in Washington. It was my first trip visiting Canada in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2005 trip helped me navigate Vancouver in Mar 2007 for a business trip.

The 2005 trip lead to a second visit in 2008. The timing was good because I needed a life distraction desperately. The vacation satisfied the distraction. One place I visited was REI for the first time in their Downtown Seattle location. I signed up for their REI lifetime membership. The membership paid off because hiking became a new hobby in Apr 2009. My first purchases were hiking clothes, shoes, and a backpack at the REI Anniversary Sale in May 2009.

6. Ballroom Dancing and De Anza College (Jan 2009-Jun 2011). My sister was an amateur ballroom dancer. She introduced me to ballroom dancing. I took dancing classes at De Anza College starting in Mar 2009. I continued attending De Anza College full time majoring in Accounting and taking dance classes. I earned my AA degree in Mar 2011. I finished in Jun 2011. Going back to school was a second chance to relive life as a true college student. My experience was satisfactory.

5. innovateinfinitely.com Is Online (May 1, 2004). I created my first webpage at geocities.com after learning HTML in 1998. Innovate Infinitely was created driving to Japantown-San Jose in Sep 2000. The words "Innovate" and "Infinitely" came to my mind waiting at a signal light. I said the words together, "Innovate Infinitely . . . Never Stop Innovating Life."

I choose to create a web site to promote Innovate Infinitely. The webpage went online on May 1, 2004.

4. I Became An Anime Fan (Summer 1996-Sep 2014). The first anime I watched was Ranma 1/2 in Dec 1993. I exclude Robotech, Transformers, and Voltron in the 1980s for the purposes of the top ten. I watched Sailor Moon in summer 1996. The first anime series I purchased was Ranma 1/2 season one on VHS in Dec 1996. I cosplayed for the first time on Sep 11, 2004. The character was Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. I cosplayed at all anime conventions I attended from Sep 2004 to my last anime convention on May 24-27, 2013. I announced my retirement in Jul 2014 finishing the anime series Space Brothers in Sep 2014. I thank my mom for making the costumes.

3. O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2-6, 2017). I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I required two surgeries for the first time in my life. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. It was the first time I was a hospital in-patient. I lost 28 pounds afterwards. I'm currently at my best health in my life minimizing processed foods and drinking water when I'm thirsty.

Moreover, I eliminated dairy one month earlier. I lost five pounds immediately.

2. Ubuntu, Linux, and Python (Oct 2014). I was unemployed between Sep 2014 and Nov 2014. A friend encouraged me to learn Python by installing Ubuntu. I learn Python and Linux with Ubuntu. Fast forward to today. I learned FFMPEG on Linux. I run MySQL and R-Studio on Linux instead of Windows.

1. Self Job Training (Aug 2014). I failed an interview for a contract Data Analyst position because I failed the Excel tests. It was an example of use it or lose it. I started to relearn and refresh my Excel skills. I added Access, SQL, VBA, and PowerPoint. The job training inspired me to redesign my webpage using Sublime Text, relearning HTML, and learning JavaScript and CSS. I completed my self job training in analytics research technology in Apr 2024 consisting of learning and reviewing Excel, Power Pivot, Power Query, Power BI, SQL, Python, Linux, Git, and R-Studio.

Update On A Past Blog

The Wonder Years television show aired on ABC from Jan 31, 1988 to May 12, 1993. The show is about a suburban middle class family in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Season 1 episode 3 titled My Father's Office the main character 12 year old Kevin Arnold spent a work day with his father Jack Arnold at the fictional defense company Norcom. The scenes in Norcom are true today. Pay attention to the workers' desks. There are no computers. The men wore ties.

[HD] The Wonder Years: Kevin at Jack's Office The first scene Kevin and Jack in Norcom. There was no time for Jack to settle in. There was no time for Jack to tell Kevin his responsibilities. On the other hand, Kevin was impressed with Jack working his butt off. Jack tells Kevin, "Tell you want Kevin. It is time you learned about the most important part of the working day. The coffee break."

The Wonder Years (S01E03) - My Father's Office. I don't remember any scenes between the coffee break and going back to the office. Jack said, "You know, Kevin, you can't do every silly thing you want to in life. You have to make your choices. You have to try and be happy with them. I think we've done pretty well, don't you?" Voiceover older Kevin version said later, "But as we walk back to my father's office, I suddenly realized something that made a lot of things make sense. My dad was too good for this place. Sure, it was a good job, and we were all lucky he had it and all that, but my dad had something finer in him than S-14's and distribution reports. I'll never forget how I felt at that moment I felt that my father was a great man."

The episode reminded me of the blog Can I Be Overqualified? written on Jan 10, 2022. I speculate I may be overqualified because of the self job training learning new job skills. Almost no company wants to hire overqualified workers; although, all companies employ overqualified workers.

Take Another Look At The Happy Life Checklist

Today's blog is an update on a past blog.

Update On A Past Blog

I remember the One Lunch Day In 2000 I wrote on Aug 9, 2007. There was a homeless person with a sign saying all hope is loss. If you're not homeless, then you need to reread the blog Checklist Do You Have The Following written on Mar 16, 2018. Complete the checklist again. For example, check or uncheck the following: shelter, food, bed, and clothes. We live in the Information Age. Add internet and a computer to the checklist. Enjoy your life or complain about your life.

The Perfect Error

Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in a historic 2024 US Presidential Election. The Electoral College is 295 for Trump and 226 for Harris as of the blog entry. 270 is needed to win. The Popular Vote is 72,623,882 for Trump and 67,927,989 for Harris as of the blog entry. AP News is the source. The race wasn't close. I want to share my takeaways. I want to share my feelings. I'm not a political science expert. More information is released to the public from the winning side and the losing side. My personal life lesson is Harris committed the perfect error.

A top reason why Trump won the election is the struggling people and struggling families. I use a father, mother, and two children family as a typical example. The father and/or mother are unemployed. No income. Money is running out. The parents' worries are not abortion, the economy, the Middle East war, climate change, crime, Russia, and education. The parents' worries are food on the table, paying the rent or the mortgage, insurance, clothing, and bare necessities. All other worries are secondary. Moreover, the parents' pride, self-worth, self-confidence, and dignity are weakened. There is jealously neighbor Bob is providing for his family. There is jealously neighbor Dave is providing gifts for his family. The parents voted for Trump because if the struggling family goes down, then the country goes down with them. The parents don't believe Harris provides food, rent or mortgage, insurance, clothing, and bare necessities.

Who's Harris?

The people didn't know who Harris. The people needed Harris' personal information. The people needed a bio on Harris. A top strategy was attacking Trump's character, Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices which factored to overturn Roe V. Wade, and Trump behaving bizarro. Everybody knows Trump. The Trump story is the same. Trump told the truth. His truth was a strength. Harris should have told more truths.

The people wanted to know Harris' agenda. There was no need to protect President Joe Biden. There was no need to support Biden. Biden leaves the White House on Jan 20, 2025. Harris must support herself. The people wanted to know what she wants to do as president. How does Harris lead the country.

Biden deserves blame for Harris' loss. The Democratic National Committee also deserves blame for Harris' loss. The Democratic party failed to convince the 81-year old Biden and his ego not to run for the 2024 election. Biden was forced to drop out. Biden's approval ratings hovered around 40% for most of the four years up to Tue Nov 5, 2024 was a negative. Harris did her best to convince the American people to vote for her in 107 days. Harris needed at least a year to run an effective campaign.

The Democrats lost human connection with working-class people, women, minorities, people under 30, and suburban people. They couldn't decrease Republican influence in rural areas. Harris received bad advice. I anticipate the Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee fire strategists, senior staffers, consultants, and top committee members. The Democratic needs better candidates for 2028.

I watched the Saturday Night Live skit with Maya Rudolph earlier today. If I watched the skit before Election Day, then I said, "The election is over before the votes are casted. Trump wins." Click link to watch 2024 Pre-Election Cold Open - SNL.

The people have spoken. The United States Of America is not ready for a female to become the President. The United States Of America is not ready for a female to become the most powerful person on planet Earth.

The Electoral College

The Electoral College is the group of presidential electors to vote for the president and vice president every four years. The number of electoral votes is equal to each state and the District Of Columbia congressional delegation consisting of two Senators plus the number of House Of Representatives. The total number of electors is 538. A majority of electoral votes 270 or more is required to elect the president and vice president. If there is no majority, then the House Of Representatives elects the president and the Senate elects the vice president.

Update On A Past Blog

I want to correct the bullet point from the blog United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2024 written on Nov 5, 2024 and from the blog Instant Bullet 2020 United States Presidential Election Version written on Jan 20, 2021. The incorrect bullet point below:

*There are 46 Presidents Of The United States. These 46 Presidents are out of all the people who live or lived as naturalized born United States Citizen age 35 or over. 46 dreams came true. It's unfortunate few people accomplish their dreams completely.

The correction is there are 45 Presidents Of The United States on Jan 20, 2025. Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms 1884-1888 and 1892-1896. Donald Trump is going to serve two non-consecutive terms 2016-2020 and 2024-2028 beginning on Jan 20, 2025. The correct bullet point below starting on Jan 20, 2025:

*There are 45 Presidents Of The United States. These 45 Presidents are out of all the people who live or lived as naturalized born United States Citizen age 35 or over. 45 dreams came true. It's unfortunate few people accomplish their dreams completely.

I wrote advice to Trump from the blog An Opinion Letter To Trump And An Opinion Letter To Biden written on Nov 15, 2020. I said to Trump, " All is not lost. Election 2024 is four years away. Begin today. . . . Learn from your mistakes. . . . Take advantage being out of a job to prepare for Election 2024." He learned. He prepared. He wasn't sincere. He wasn't graceful. Everybody remembers Jan 6, 2021.

United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2024

I voted today in the 2024 US Presidential Election. I dropped off my absentee ballot at the local library. I went inside the library to shop at their small used bookstore afterwards. I completed errands at the bank, Nike Store, Ross, and Target.

The first time I saw a vote sign was Nov 1980 at my elementary school. I was in first grade. I read words and sentences being six years old; although, I didn't know it was Jimmy Carter and Ronald Regan. The school was decorated with the standard American flags, voting signs, and direction arrows. I remember a school administrator or a teacher telling me the sign says vote.

The first time I voted in a presidential election was Nov 1992. Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush. I voted in all elections. California should keep the absentee paper ballot system. The old school still works. If it's not broken, then don't fix it.

Time Tells The Narratives

The 2024 presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare multiple speeches. Harris and Trump prepare for all outcomes. Harris and Trump prepare for all narratives. I wrote the blog Prepare Multiple Conversation Subjects on Oct 20, 2016 which stated prepare a victory speech and a defeat speech. I wrote the blog United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2020 on Nov 3, 2020 which stated the system works. The people vote for the best candidate.

Furthermore, the voting system is secured. The media overhyped and overblown the fear people's votes are uncounted.

Some of my bullets points from the blog Instant Bullet 2020 United States Presidential Election Version written on Jan 20, 2021 are valid today. My favorites are the following:

*There are 46 Presidents Of The United States. These 46 Presidents are out of all the people who live or lived as naturalized born United States Citizen age 35 or over. 46 dreams came true. It's unfortunate few people accomplish their dreams completely.

*Any given day the President influences at most 25% of your daily life. Think carefully. Think deeply. The President doesn't affect much.

*The Electoral College works. For example, 18.5 million votes were casted in the battleground states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. Biden won all four states over Trump by 125,000 votes or 0.676%.

300 Revisited 2

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

The number 300 references my 300th blog I wrote on Dec 7, 2008. I selected my top 30 blogs out of the first 300 blogs I wrote. I updated the top 30 blogs for the first time on 300 Revisited on Feb 4, 2009. I update the top 30 blogs for the second time. These are good changes. The blog is another example time changes people's thoughts and opinions. The edits are as-is.

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [updated] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at their cute face when talking.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from 03/02/23-->[your] failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. 12/29/16-->Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations. Life has vacations. Life has seasons like sports and TV series. Fiscal years, resets, endings. Life can say one continuous life; however, there are chapters, volumes, parts, checkpoints. 12/29/2016-->There are times in our lives everyone needs to stop and take a breath. Time outs and checkpoints are part of life.
14. Age is just a number.<--05/04/21
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. 07/12/14-->Everyone has the right to find happiness. Pursue happiness to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. 12/31/16-->Increment from Freakonomics. 04/26/15-->Have fun, learn, and enjoy.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment 07/06/15-->[intelligently].
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics.

I include a bonus. The lessons I learned attending De Anza College:

1. Everyone is human.
2. Go with the flow.
3. Timing is everything.
4. Use it or lose it.

Old Health Pamphlet Advice

I found old health brochures from Kaiser Permanente. I took pics from my cell phone. Some of the information is outdated. Maybe these handouts which belongs in a museum conjure past memories.

Trouble Sleeping? What you can do about insomnia. Revised Feb 1993.

Get It Right When You Grab A Bite. Good nutrition for teens. Copyright 1988. Revised Jan 1991.

Why All The Fuss About Fiber . . . And what to do about it. Copyright 1987. Revised Nov 1993.

Children Cold Self Care. Copyright 1987. Revised Mar 1988.

The Food Guide Pyramid . . . Beyond the basic 4. 1992.

Breast Self-Examination. Your lifesaving choice. 1991.

Corns, Calluses, And Toenails. Copyright 1994. Revised May 2008.

Calcium And Vitamin D. Copyright 2009. Revised Sep 2012.

Low Back Pain. What you can do. Copyright 2009. Revised May 2012.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog October 2024

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Little COVID-19 coverage whether case numbers increased, decreased, or held steady. Election coverage was too much. Received my sixth overall COVID-19 vaccine. October was another fast month in 2024.

Sat Oct 5. Shopped at Safeway, Books, Inc., and Barnes & Noble.

Sun Oct 6. Family birthday celebration at Halal Street Hot Pot & Xinjiang Cuisine. Shopped at Costco afterwards.

Watched most of the Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburg Steelers Sunday Night Football.

Tue Oct 8. Morning errands at Safeway and a nearby laundromat.

Thur Oct 10. Watched most of the San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Thursday Night Football.

Tue Oct 15. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported KP.3.1.1 is the dominate COVID-19 variant in the US accounting for 57.2% of positive cases. The XEC variant is 10.7%. The XEC has been spreading fast. The XEC was first detected in Berlin, Germany in Jun 2024. It spread to France, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Wed Oct 16. Went to Kaiser Hospital to get my updated COVID-19 vaccine. Sixth overall. Quick self-wash my car at a car wash.

The Food And Drug Administration placed a hold on the Novavax flu and COVID-19 experimental combination vaccine. A volunteer developed motor neuropathy resulting in movement problems.

Sat Oct 19. Alameda, Contra Consta, Napa, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties reinstated mask mandates in hospitals, nursing facilities, and other healthcare facilities from Nov 1, 2024 to either Mar 31, 2025 or Apr 30, 2025. The counties wanted to reduce the spread of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Santa Clara and San Mateo required visitors to wear masks. Santa Clara required all patients to wear masks.

Dump used shredder and a broken VoIP device to the neighborhood dumping day.

Wed Oct 23. The CDC recommended a second COVID-19 vaccine dose for seniors age 65 and older and immune-compromised people.

Thur Oct 24. Six Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees won a federal lawsuit claiming they were fired over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A federal jury favored the employees over BART. Each employee received $1.3 million. The employees claimed religious exemptions. The transit agency failed the accommodations even though BART did initially grant the exemptions. The accommodations were work at home or regular COVID-19 testing.

Sun Oct 27. Listened to most of the Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers Sunday Night Football on the radio.

Throwback Blog: Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything

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 Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything written on Jun 30, 2021. Today's throwback is the first throwback throwback, a double throwback, or "A Third Look" blog. Also, today's throwback is the first in the 2020s.

The initial throwback is true today. I continue living my life with the corrected mistakes I committed in 2006. There are two updates. The Ryu's Birthday Party Ryu disappeared in Jun 2019. He reappeared in 2023. The Still 5.25% the Federal Reserve interest rates was 5.25%. The interest rates today are 4.75%-5.00%.

I said in the first throwback, "I was mostly depressed. I was mostly unhappy. Most of the happiness was faked." is true today. There were enough good moments to declare my 2006 a good year. Any past blogs stated a good 2006 year were true. My friend Barnes is quoted, "Enjoy it or complain." The paragraph contains two reminders.

Today's throwback blog is titled A Mixed Bag Of Everything written on Aug 11, 2006. The throwback is actually a second look at Aug 2006. I learn from the mistakes I made. I remind myself lessons learned. I refresh my acquired knowledge. I rediscover wisdom. I correct errors. I write changes. I share my feelings. Pardon the bad grammar. I write what happened first. I write my second look next.

Time Just Froze
Summary: I purchased a new watch which replaced my Casio G-Shock I wore since 1996.
Feedback: I purchased another Casio watch. I realized decades later my Casio watch made me look ignorant in terms of fashion and in terms of proper appearance.

New Laptop Bag
Summary: The grip handle on my laptop bag broke. I sent the laptop bag back to the manufacturer because of their lifetime guarantee. The manufacturer sent me a new laptop bag.
Feedback: I still have the laptop bag. I carry the laptop bag using the shoulder strap like a messenger bag.

Pictures Are Memories
Summary: I took pictures from events in Jul and Aug.
Feedback: I took too many pictures. There are lines between taking enough pictures, taking too many pictures, and taking inappropriate pictures. I stop acting like a professional photographer.

Ryu's Birthday Party
Summary: There was a popular anime fan nicknamed Ryu. He hosted an open invitation birthday party. Attendance reached the thirties. Everyone was having fun.
Feedback: Fast forward to 2008. Ryu's true colors were shown in a negative way. His 2008 birthday party attendance was under ten. He came in and out from the anime community. He disappeared completely in Jun 2019.

Anime Overdose (AOD) 2006
Summary: I attended their third AOD anime convention.
Feedback: AOD changed from Anime Overdose to Animation Overdose. 2006 was the year I attended the most anime conventions at six.

Last Night's Dinner
Summary: My mom cooked leftovers last night. She cooked in a lazy way. I cooked with heart. I cooked doing my best.
Feedback: No changes. My mom continues cooking in a lazy way. I cook with heart. I cook doing my best with infinite improvements.

A Quick Filling
Summary: I got a tooth filling before work. The dentist tried to sell Invisalign. My family suspected our dentist needed money.
Feedback: I took his Invisalign hint months later getting braces on Jan 2007 from an orthodontist. The family changed dentists on Aug 2019. His prices increased. His professionalism decreased. I can't explain why we didn't change dentists earlier.

Alphabetically Ascending A-Z
Summary: I listened to 98.5 KFOX's annual tradition playing their entire classic rock library by song title from A to Z.
Feedback: I continue listening to classic rock. Thank you classic rock. Today's music is garbage.

Broken Dryer
Summary: My dad attempted to fix the dryer.
Feedback: Thank you to our former neighbors the late Shermans for giving us their old dryer.

Green Tea
Summary: I drink expensive green tea from a bag costing $17.
Feedback: I stopped drinking green tea one year later.

Work Today
Summary: Today's work day was busy. I admitted my company stinks.
Feedback: I started job searching in mid-2006. I can't explain why I stopped. I resumed job searching in Jan 2007. I found a new job in Mar 2007. I should have more strength and courage to find a job when I realized the company started going downhill earlier in 2006.

Feeling Sick
Summary: I ate a poor lunch. I was fatigued. I got a sore throat.
Feedback: I repeat the lessons I learned years later. Get enough sleep. Exercise. Minimize processed foods. Eat good meals.

Keeping It Cool
Summary: I was sick during a brief heat wave.
Feedback: I'm proactive taking care of myself and my environment on hot days.

Double Day Off
Summary: There were two people in my department. My dumbass co-worker and I. I get a day off at work when he takes a day off away from work.
Feedback: I talked to one of the veteran brokers on my last day. He disclosed my dumbass co-worker had lots of personal problems. He had a good relationship with my dumbass co-worker because they worked in the company for years.

My coworker was a dumbass. He taught me Excel the wrong way. I unlearned his lessons years later. He taught me real estate statistics incorrectly. I was warned multiple times from past managers. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize them.

A Yummy Dinner
Summary: Inflation was the business headline.
Feedback: The Federal Reserve accepts the current inflation as transitory.

Still 5.25%
Summary: The Federal Reserve kept interest rates at 5.25%.
Feedback: Today's interest rates is 0.25%.

Shopping On eBay
Summary: I purchased a new watch and a new laptop battery on eBay.
Feedback: I believe my new watch stopped working around 2008. eBay is a legitimate ecommerce website.

Final thoughts. I ended the blog saying, "Who is to blame or to be faulted for a mixed bag of events the last two weeks? Nobody. I blame nobody for the last two weeks of completing something and more stuff comes to me. I'm going with the flow. . . . I feel mixed emotions." Going with the flow was accurate. Mixed emotions was accurate.

Honestly speaking, I was mostly depressed. I was mostly unhappy. Most of the happiness was faked. I should have been proactive to minimize chances of being depressed and to maximize chances of being happy. The writings were on the walls what I should have done and what I could have done such as find a new job, self-teach myself Excel correctly, and research gym workout plans. Better late than never. All mistakes in Aug 2006 are corrected.

There Are Too Many Toys Qualitatively Speaking

I received the 2024 Target Toy Holiday catalog last week. There are 80 pages including the front page with the popular toys and the back page with my mailing address. There are too many toys to choose.

My childhood generation the toys included Fisher-Price, Lego, Transformers, Barbie, Play-Doh, GI Joe, Hot Wheels, Disney, Star Wars, Nerf, books, Tonka, board games, art, cosmetics, sports, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch, bikes, manual four-wheel cars, and motorized toy cycles. The top video games were Atari and Intellivision.

Today's childhood generation includes the toys above plus Bluey, Pokemon, Marvel, Melissa & Doug, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jurassic Park, DC Comics, Furby, Giggle Scape, Ms. Rachel, PAW Patrol, Gabby's Dollhouse, Perfectly Cute, Baby Alive, Out Generation, Mini Brands, Monster High, Rainbow High, Unicorn Academy, LOL Surprise, and Jurassic World. The top video games are Nintendo, XBOX, and PlayStation. FAO Schwarz and Sharper Image are available. There are multiple electronic toys companies. Cheap small size circuit boards and processors must be appreciated. There are many more from lesser-known companies. PC video games gifts are worth mentioning even though they're not included in the catalog.

The marketing department knows how to sell. The bottom of each page or the footer sells to the consumer easy ways to buy, free shipping, free store pick-up, batteries, save 5% with restrictions using the Target credit card, and a QR code. Repetition works. Up to three pages are books. Books generate low revenues. Kids what toys requiring batteries.

I'm surprised there are enough pieces of the pie for all of the toys to earn revenues for Target and their companies. Competition is tough. Children can't play all of the toys 24 hours a day. I'm flabbergasted.

A Brief Childhood Moment

I remember playing toys in the toy aisle at TG&Y. TG&Y was a five and dime chain store in the United States. The children and I literally made a mess playing with toys on the floor. An old man in his 50s wearing a shirt and tie told us to stop playing with the toys. He must be the manager. We ignored him. Everyone continued playing. I saw the manager walk around the store ignoring us minutes later.

Update On A Past Blog

I admit a second mistake following the blog It Was My Fault I Made A Mistake I wrote on Jul 23, 2023. The first mistake was arriving late for a family event. It was my fault my mom, dad and I arrived late. The second mistake happened on Mar 14, 2024. The house landlines phone base is connected to the VoIP device. The phone connection was poor. I called the VoIP tech support. The technical ran tests on their end. No error messages. It turned out I connected the ethernet cable from the router to the VoIP device to the wrong port. Otherwise, the VoIP connected wirelessly. I failed to check the blinking lights behind the broadband port to confirm the ethernet cable connected from the router to the VoIP. Another reminder to check and to confirm the little details.

Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search

My second grade teacher assigned homework on Wed nights only. A classmate shared a word search to the class created from his parents. The teacher changed the Wed homework assignment from English to a word search. A word search is a group of random letters organized on a grid. Sometimes the random letters are organized in a shape. There is a list of words below the grid. The objective is search for a group of letters in the grid to find the words. The words are horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, and either forwards or backwards.

I started the homework in the evening. It was difficult. I asked my mom to help. It was difficult for her. Hours was spent on the word search. Bedtime arrived. My mom told me it was okay to submit the incomplete word search. I felt guilty I didn't complete the assignment.

The first conversations Thur morning was the homework assignment. Students told other students how many words they found. Few students found all words. I felt relieved somewhat. What were the adult lessons I could have learned?

The first lesson was some assignments can't be completed. Sometimes assignments need more time. Sometimes assignments lack background information. Sometimes assignments the criteria makes no sense. Time was up. Time to stop. It was bedtime. Be comfortable submitting the incomplete homework assignment tomorrow. I did my best.

Cheating was the second lesson. I cheated. I changed one letter erasing the letter with my eraser to match a word. My mom said no cheating. On the other hand, I reference the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Admiral Kirk told Lieutenant Saavik he cheated in The Kobayashi Maru scenario by reprogramming the simulation. Kirk didn't believe in the no-win scenario. I could have gotten away with cheating because the homework assignment was just a word search which leads me to the third lesson.

The word search was just a word search. Nothing gained on an insignificant assignment was the third lesson. Nothing was rewarded. Nothing was penalized. Low stakes. It was not studying for a spelling test. It was not arithmetic. It was not a book report. The homework assignment didn't affect my grades. The word search was lighthearted. The word search was supposed to be fun. The bonus third lesson was I should have forgotten the word search. I took the assignment too seriously.

Scott Found Nine Words

I remember one student named Scott. He shouted to the entire class he found nine words. Scott reassured the third lesson. The word search was not worth the effort. Quit. Stop. Go watch TV. Go read a book. Listen to music. I should have done something constructive for a normal second grader.

Less Play And More Maturity

The education systems are correct when it comes to free time. There are playgrounds at elementary schools kindergarten to fifth grade. The children play before school starts, recess, and lunch hour. There are no playgrounds at junior high schools and high schools. The students socialize around the halls or complete homework assignments before school starts, break, and lunch hour. Some students play school athletics after school which is their physical activity; although, I played touch football and basketball in the mornings and lunch hours in my junior high years. I don't know if today's junior high students play any athletics during their mornings and lunch hours. An exception is students arrive at school minutes before classes start.

Students who start junior high school and students who start high school for the first time should immediately experience a maturity moment. Less play. Less goofing off. It's another step to become an adult. It's a moment to take life more seriously. There is more homework. There are more exams. There are more people to meet. There are more social activities. There are more mistakes. There are more lessons. Schoolwork and gatherings replace watching Sesame Street television. Reading books with pictures are stopped. Grown up books are read using their brains for pictures. The children toys, children music, and children games begin to collect dust. The play toys time is learning Algebra. Music is anything else such as rock, classical, and hip-hop. Chutes And Ladders and Candy Landy board games are changed to Settlers Of Catan and poker. The children are growing up.

Don't Settle

I'm changing. There is something to learn daily. There is something to change daily. There is a different life flow daily. Sometimes today's life flow is good. Sometimes today's life flow is bad. A discovery can occur when life flow is good or bad.

There are infinite types of good change and bad change. I hope for more good changes than bad changes. I increase my chances for good changes as long as I don't settle. Never settle. Keep learning. Seek new adventures. Experience new experiences. The negative changes settling down are noticeable especially being a second party or third party observer. Intelligence decreases. Lower strength. Motivation weakens. Slower physical abilities. Muddle thinking. Increase desperate actions. Too much hustle. Too many bad choices. A settled person is lucky if he or she notices the negative changes, and he or she acts to unsettle.

Don't settle. Discover daily. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

Today's blog is another example of change says yes to Raymond Mar. I wrote Change Says No To Raymond Mar on Oct 18, 2017. I'm not settling. I continue working to become a self-trained genius. Geniuses don't settle.

Instant Bullets Blog Oct 12, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Random Deep Thinking Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Movie Quote From Office Space (1999):

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

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

*Movie Quote From Waiting (2005):

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

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

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

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

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