Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
The gratuity debate continues indefinitely. Eye protection is important. I forgot the SD card broke pic for Apr 20, 2025. Life moves forward in heaven and in hell. People need to sleep more. Teamwork overrated? Smart phones at the restaurant table in 2014 and present. Coke is back at Costco. Support Pokemon books at the library.
Michael Jordan on winning from The Last Dance documentary aired on ESPN in 2020. A camera crew was given unrestricted access to the Chicago Bulls 1997-1998 season. The ten-part documentary is Michael Jordan's NBA career and the Chicago Bulls' six NBA championships in the 1990s. Here is the entire quote:
"Well, I mean. I don't know, I mean. Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn't want to be challenged. And I earned that right because my teammates who came after me didn't endure all the things that I endured. Once you joined the team, you lived at a certain standard that I played the game. And I wasn't going to take any less. Now if that means I had to go in there and get in your ass a little bit, then I did that. You ask all my teammates. The one thing about Michael Jordan was he never asked me to do something that he didn't fucking do. When people see this, they are going say, 'Well he wasn't really a nice guy. He may have been a tyrant.' Well, that's you. Because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win to be a part of that as well. Look, I don't have to do this. I am only doing it because it is who I am. That's how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don't want to play that way, don't play that way. . . . Break." *Jordan requests a break*
The motivational pics are 4K 3840x2160 resolution. There are two full versions excluding the last sentence when he cried and wanted a break. There is a half version and there is a quarter version for those who want a condensed quote. The full, half, and quarter versions include a clean version without the swearing.
The five nominations and their explanations for the moment of the year.
1. December 2025 Depression. A depression caused by the Christmas holiday beyond my control and self-imposed. Life lessons learned. New experiences acquired. I blogged Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression on Jan 6, 2026. Eat well. Sleep well. Stay busy. There's no excuse to be a jerk. Keep going. Move forward.
2. New Webhost Provider. My previous webhosting provider falsely accused me of using too much bandwidth. I found a new provider. I include rewriting my webpage code.
3. Physical Fitness. I combined all the positive and negative physical fitness. The positives were I jogged 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles for the first time. I jogged wearing Hoka shoes for the first time. The Hoka was Bondi 9. I wore a running cap and arm sleeves for the first time.
The negatives were bicep tendonitis and tricep tendonitis on my left arm. The tricep tendonitis is cured. The bicep tendonitis is present. I treat with massages and stretches. My strength training is modified. I wear a left elbow sleeve to maintain my left arm downwards while jogging.
4. Portal 2. The video game nomination for 2025. Is Portal 2 the greatest video game of all time?
5. Riichi Mahjong. I promoted myself as an advanced player. I played at a board game cafe, food hall, and a gaming hall for the first time. I played on Riichi City.
Explanation: I expect the December 2025 Depression to be referenced the next time I'm depressed. The New Webhost Provider ended the five days a week post Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology; for example, I stopped learning WordPress. The Physical Fitness injuries were the first time I experienced non-short-term injuries. The tendonitis has lasted months dating back to Nov 2025. Portal 2 is not a moment of the year.
Riichi Mahjong is the remaining moment. Many people say a tabletop game is not a moment of the year. Fair statement. The rise is huge from intermediate to advanced. Reading books and rewriting my .pdf file Riichi Hands must be recognized.
What Won: Riichi Mahjong.
What Should Have Won: Riichi Mahjong.
My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: Many people say 2025 should be no winning moment. Fair statement. Riichi Mahjong moment took advantage of weak competition. Depression is a no. Webmasters change webhosting providers daily. No more Physical Fitness or gym workouts to win. Video games don't win.
2025 Letter Grade: C+. 2025 was a lower qualitative life. I could write home these five highlights. I didn't expect the home to respond. Also, I didn't expect the home to celebrate with a party. On the other hand, comparing the boring year 2024 and 2025, 2025 was more exciting than 2024 even though the 2025 letter grade is one-third lower.
Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades
2024: Analytics Research Technology. Grade B-.
2023: Physical fitness. Grade B+.
2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.
Here are some quotes from the late co-founder of Apple.
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.
I say Microsoft and Google have a lot in common. Microsoft never had the humanities and the liberal arts in their DNA. It was a pure technology company. And they just didn't get it. Even when they saw the map, they couldn't even copy it well. How dumb do you have to be to not see it--once you see it, you know. But Google is the same way. They just don't get it.
If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will.
Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.
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.
Picasso had a saying--'good artists copy, great artists steal'--we have always been shameless . . . stealing great ideas.
Some people say, "Give the customers want they want." But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, "If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, 'A faster horse!'" People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page."
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
The journey is the reward.
When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life--and your life is just to live inside your world. Try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life.
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.
Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns, just like grooves in a record, and they never get out of them. I'll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I'll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I'm not there, but I'll always come back. . . . If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you've done and whoever you were and throw them away. The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to say, "Bye, I have to go. I'm going crazy and I'm getting out of here." And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.
You're born alone, you're going to die alone. And what exactly is it do you have to lose. There's nothing.
The last quote is three paragraphs.
"I sort of look at us as two of the luckiest guys (Steve Jobs and Bill Gates) on the planet cause we found what we loved to do. And we were at the right place at the right time. We gotten to go to work every day with super bright people for 30 years, and do what we love doing. It's hard to be happier than that. Your family and that. What more can you ask for? So, I don't think about legacy that much. I just think about being able to get up every day and go in and hang around these great people and hopefully create something that other people will love as much as we do. And if we can do that, that's great.
"People say you have to have a lot of passion for what you're doing. And it's totally true. And the reason is because it's so hard that if you don't, any rational person would give up. It's really hard. And you have to do it over a sustained period of time. So if you don't love it, if you're not having fun doing it, you don't really love it, you're gonna give up. And that's what happens to most people actually. If you really look at the ones that ended up being successful *in air quotes* in the eyes of society, and the ones that didn't, oftentimes, it's the ones that are successful loved what they did so they can persevere when it got really tough, and the ones that didn't love it quit cause they're sane. Right? Who want to put up with this stuff if you don't love it. So, it's a lot of hard work. And it's a lot of worrying constantly. And if you don't love it, you're going to fail. So you gotta love it. You got to have passion. And I think that's the high order albeit.
"The second thing is you got be a really good talent scout. No matter how smart you are you need a team of great people. And you got to figure out how to size people up fairly quickly, make decisions without knowing people too well, and hire them, and see how you do and refine your intuition and be able to help build an organization that can eventually just build itself cause you need great people around you."
I remember my junior year and senior year attending San Jose State University. I felt relief when I completed my last final exam of the semester. The relief feeling was the same for a good semester and for a bad semester. All semester obligations completed. The stress was removed. The tension was gone. The brain relaxed. Freedom. My post-semester activity was shopping later in the day after the last final. In particular, I completed my Christmas shopping after the fall semesters. The mandatory stores were Valley Fair shopping mall in Santa Clara, CA; Fry's Electronics; and Barnes & Noble.
There was no post-quarter activity after I completed a quarter when I went back to school at De Anza College. There was no relief. There was no post-quarter activity. Stress and tension were mild compared to San Jose State University. I was in my mid 30's with life experience, maturity, and not repeating my mistakes as a second-time college student.
I digress. The end eventually happens. It's over. Finish. Complete. Victory or defeat. Win or loss. It's the end. Take time off. Stop. Take a breath. Evaluate. Debrief. Reflect. Think of the positives. Think of the negatives. Strengthen the accomplishments. Correct the mistakes. Resume life or continue living life when the break is over. It's the life system.
I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The day changed my life forever. I stopped taking life for granted. Playtime was over. The stress I felt along my back loosened up. Everything and everyone bad happened in the past were forgiven. I detail the immediate changes for the first time. The growing up blogs I wrote beforehand were generalized. Actions spoke louder than words.
Tue Sep 2, 2008. I experienced an identity crisis. Who am I? What do I want? How am I going to achieve it? Where am I going? Why am I experiencing the identity crisis? When am I going to find my true identity? I was lost. I was a wimp. I was unhappy.
Sat Oct 4, 2008. The location was Los Altos, CA. I attended a board game gathering at the Los Altos Library. I met up with a friend to return his DVDs. We played World Of Warcraft for half of the event because of his doctor's appointment in the afternoon. I walked around an arts and wine festival located in Downtown Los Altos.
There were multiple thoughts in my mind walking back to my car. The thoughts were puzzle pieces. One puzzle piece was everyone congregated together. Families, friends, couples, and acquaintances. I was the only person alone. I crossed the street to the side of the library. Eureka! I said to myself, "I need to grow up." I was lucky. It took me 32 days to end the identity crisis. It was time to catch up what I missed. It took me years later to become a mature adult.
Here are the changes and the actions from Oct 4, 2008 to Dec 2, 2009:
*Wisdom. People come and go in our lives including a brief 15 minute encounter, acquaintances, friends, family, co-workers, loved ones . . . any relationship among ourselves. Nobody keeps in touch with everyone.
*New clothes: pajamas, jackets, sport shirts, a leather jacket, slippers for home, v-neck t-shirts, a red cashmere scarf, gym shirts, gym shorts, and The Gap and Calvin Klein boxers underwear. No more polo shirts. No more plain white t-shirts. I include my first stainless steel watch Citizen Eco-Drive.
*New objects: bedsheets set, blankets, gaming desktop PC, tablecloth for the dining room table, mattress, shower brush for my back, daytime backpack which is also my go bag, hiking equipment, a razor for wet shaving, and a tongue cleaner.
*Rearranged my room. Reorganized my book shelf. Recycled old electronics. Removed junk. Donated old clothes.
*New foods and drinks: cranberry juice, Super H2O, a Beard Papa's eclair, Spaghettios, Hawaiian cookies, 98% cocoa chocolate, Honey Bunches of Oates cereal, Juroku Cha drink, Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies, cherries, pomegranate juice, Evolution Orange Juice, multi-grain crackers, Jack In The Box taco, chocolate milk, Toblerone, Pocari Sweat, grits, Pho Vietnamese soup, Cinnabon, Thai ice tea, Japanese maple bread, New York pizza, calzone, Dr. Pepper, Coco Fizz chocolate soda, Bubble Up lemon lime soda, Faygo redpop soda, and gelato.
*Movies worth mentioning: The Godfather trilogy, Mad Max, The Graduate, Batman Begins, Hot Fuzz, The 40 Year Old Virgin, A View To A Kill, The Departed, Transporter 2, Bullitt, The Dark Knight, Goodfellas, Ben Hur, Coraline, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blue Hawaii, Star Trek (2009), UP!, Citizen Kane, Inglorious Bastards, 9, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, and Where The Wild Things Are.
The anime The Place Promised In Our Early Days and Voices Of A Distance Star must be mentioned. I marathoned 13 episodes of Natsume Yuujinchou.
*I changed my email writing style. No more indenting when I typed a new paragraph.
*Music. I became interested in jazz music and classic jazz music. Purchased Porcelain CD by Helen Jane Long.
*Events: sold books at Half Price Books, ate breakfast in Downtown Campbell and visited Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, visited California Academy of Sciences, toured Stanford University and University Of California--Berkeley, watched fireworks at New Year's Eve 2009 in San Francisco, visited Charles M. Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, CA, shopped at IKEA for the first time, listened to jazz at the San Jose Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, CA, and visited a small family amusement park Gilroy Gardens.
A one day trip in San Francisco because I dropped off family members for a vacation cruise. I walked around Pier 39, Fisherman's Warf, and Ghirardelli Square. I ordered the Fudge Sundae. Finally, I visited Japantown and the Viz Video building.
*Anime Events: cosplay gathering at Winchester Mystery House, cosplay gathering at Christmas In The Park in Downtown San Jose, cosplaying at an anime store Christmas party, and cosplay gathering at Hakone Japanese Garden in Saratoga, CA. I walked in the Northern California Cherry Blossoms Parade in San Francisco, CA.
Attended Fanime Con 2009. My best Fanime Con and my best anime convention I attended. I cosplayed Haku from Spirited Away for the first time. A good Fanime Con 2009 convinced me to attend Anime Expo 2009 at the last minute. I thank my mom for making the Haku cosplay.
*I cancelled Napster.
*Books: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Forever by Judy Blume, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, Uncle John's Great Big Bathroom Reader, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Q&A by Vikas Swarup, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus from John Gray.
*I changed the oil in my car the fastest ever. I started at 4:30pm in early Dec.
*Washington Canada 2008 Vacation. Timing was perfect for a distraction. Click on the blog links Washington Canada 2008: Prologue, Washington Canada 2008: Day 1 of 6 Sat Nov 15, Washington Canada 2008: Day 2 of 6 Sun Nov 16, Washington Canada 2008: Day 3 of 6 Mon Nov 17, Washington Canada 2008: Day 4 of 6 Tue Nov 18, Washington Canada 2008: Day 5 of 6 Wed Nov 19, Washington Canada 2008: Day 6 of 6 Thur Nov [20], and Washington Canada 2008: Epilogue. Pictures are included.
*Christmas 2008 was the best Christmas holiday. Christmas 2008 is still my best.
*Video Games. I played Team Fortress 2 (TF2) and Crysis on my gaming PC. I played Rock Band and Rock Band Beatles for the first time.
*New. Ballroom dancing and hiking hobbies. I created a Facebook account and a Twitter account. I followed gym workouts from Body Building.
*Accutane. I started taking the acne medication.
*Computer Files Organization. I transferred 54 data CDs to 5 data DVDs. I transferred data from floppy disks to one CD watching Coraline, Wall Street, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Transporter movies.
*Going Back To School. Enrolled at De Anza College in Cupertino CA. I took Strength Training, Social Dance which is ballroom dancing, and Accounting classes.
*My orthodontist removed my braces. I wore my braces from Jan 24, 2007 to Aug 17, 2009. 936 days or 2.56 years.
First Time. I snuck Junior Mints in the theatre. I visited a coffee shop for which I used their free Wi-Fi. I ate at Pepper Lunch, Curry House Japanese, and Ramen Halu restaurants. I ate donuts at a 24 hour donut shop. I ate at a 24 hour restaurant The Mini Gourmet which was in business for decades. I went to Aki's Bakery. I ate dinner at Clover bakery and cafe. I tried coffee for the first time and the only time.
*My home upgraded the HVAC.
New Tabletop Games: The Settlers Of Catan: Cities and Knights, The Settlers Of Catan: Seafarers, Lifeboat, Balderdash, cribbage, Riichi Mahjong, Bang!, Dominion, and Rat A Tat Cat. Also, Google Scrabble for which the rule is any word which comes up with at least 1,000 Google search results is valid.
Update On A Past Blog
I want to add more wisdom to the blog I Define Self-Respect written on Mar 12, 2015. Self-respect is not dumbing down. Never reduce yourself. Don't lower yourself. I said, "I believe with self-respect includes self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline." Don't disrespect yourself. Be courageous to respect yourself. Stay smart. Stay strong.
Here are my top blogs about changes in my life from Aug 4, 2005 to Dec 31, 2024. Blogs written from Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025 are considered for A Second Look 2025 written in Dec 2026.
Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Dec 13, 2011. I wrote about the changes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.
Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital written on Oct 21, 2017. I was admitted as an in-patient for the first time in my life. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. Some of the changes included drinking less water, changing my job searching schedule, and changing my dental care.
My Four Mount Rushmore Greatest Moments In My Life written on Aug 9, 2020. The first day I cosplayed, the day I grew up, self job training, and The Shawshank Redemption movie are the four moments. Also, the four moments changed my life forever.
Top Ten Plus One Equals Top Eleven Life Changes Since The COVID-19 Global Pandemic written on Feb 11, 2023. The sum of the small life changes added to big permanent life changes. Examples included cooking, shopping in the morning, closing my windows before I sleep, and boiling water at home.
Side note: I rewrite the Connecting My Dots Backwards blog with a new blog post detailing the immediate changes when I realized I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. Also, the title of the new blog is more accurate.
Update On A Past Blog
I watched the movies Planes, Trains & Automobiles on Mon Jan 12, 2026 and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Tue Jan 13, 2026 while I exercised on the stationary bike. The two movies used to be traditional movies I watched during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The two movies were a late consolation for the bad Christmas 2025 Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression written on Jan 6, 2026.
It's the time I look back at my 2024 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 14 blogs are also the 2024 best blogs.
1. Do You Really Care About Other People?
Date: Mon Jan 15
Summary: You must care about yourself to care for other people.
Feedback: There are multiple feedbacks on the blog post and on the Update On A Past Blog. The blog consisted of two paragraphs with wisdom. Boundaries is the one-word summary for the first paragraph. I remind myself boundaries from the blog I'm Tired Stepping Up Making Other People Feel Comfortable written on Mon Oct 13, 2025. Be fair. Stand up for yourself. Don't be taken advantage. Let the other party be angry.
I wrote "Don't sacrifice yourself to care for other people" is the other people don't necessarily pay you back or return the favor. Napoleon Hill said, "The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does." The statement is false. It's not aloofness does pay in the service industry. It's niceness doesn't pay in the service industry. There are exceptions such as five-star hotels.
Self-respect and self-esteem are required to care for other people.
I repeat my favorite wisdom for the second paragraph. "Motivation or desire is more important than knowledge. Further, a little knowledge is better than a lot of ignorance."
One of the Update On A Past Blog is the day I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The blog Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Oct 13, 2011 details the immediate changes. The first two sentences I wrote: I reiterate an action on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The action was "I forgave everything and everyone. . . ."
2. The San Francisco 49ers Third Super Bowl Lost Hurts The Most
Date: Tue Feb 13
Summary: I shared my opinion on the 49ers overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Feedback: The two sentences "I believe the 2024 Super Bowl hurts the most because head coach Kyle Shanahan did everything correct. He did it right." should be corrected to did almost everything correct and mostly did it right because I mentioned "Multiple reports stated some 49ers didn't know the new overtime playoff rules." Moreover, some sports journalists said a Shanahan weakness is he can't adapt and improvise when his game plan fails. Perhaps, the weakness explains Shanahan can't think ahead and anticipate multiple outcomes before the game and during the game.
I stand by my opinion as of today. Shanahan made the correct choice to receive the ball first in overtime. Go on offense, score a touchdown, and attempt the two-point conversion. There is no punting. The offense uses all four downs or all four chances to get first downs. Score eight points to win or lose the Super Bowl.
I reiterate to myself and to the readers. You can do everything correctly. The end result is a lost.
War of attrition. Chiefs won by attrition. No significant in-game injuries.
3. Throwback Blog: The Lesson To Be Successful Rarely Taught
Date: Wed Feb 28
Summary: The rarely taught lessons are timing, luck, opportunity, chance, learn from mistakes, and motivation or desire.
Feedback: Another factor to become successful is not taught in classes. The factor is nature. Natural talent. The powers to be granted something special to the person. I'm not a biologist. Natural selection must be considered.
Timing, luck, opportunity, chance, learn from mistakes, motivation or desire, and nature are factors to be successful.
4. Underachieve And Did Nothing About It
Date: Sun Mar 3
Summary: I dreamed I was an options trader laid off by Roseanne Barr.
Feedback: I wrote seven blogs sharing last night dreams. The blog represented one of the seven.
5. Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story
Date: Sat Mar 23
Summary: The YouTube comments told the truth on a homeless encampment Eviction day for Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment from KTVU Fox 2 News on Apr 10, 2023.
Feedback: The real news reporting is in the comments. The real journalism is from the comments acting as news reporters. There are some life lessons people can learn regardless of age. A favorite: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
6. Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology
Date: Fri Apr 19
Summary: I documented my Analytics Research Technology job training from Aug 2014 to Mar 2024.
Feedback: The post Analytics Research Technology learning started on Jul 15, 2024. JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Excel, Python, and WordPress. I read one book on Power Pivot from Jul 2024 to Sep 2024. Power Query was a drill reminder rereading selected chapters from Aug 2024 to Jul 2025. I cleaned my code for my webpage Innovate Infinitely after JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
The education is Python and Excel as of the blog post. Did I reach my maximum what I needed to learn and to know for a data analyst is a question for the remainder of 2025. I don't know what new skills to learn starting in 2026.
The WordPress deserves its own paragraph. I started in Jul 2024. I ended in Aug 2025. I used my previous web hosting provider to learn WordPress. The web hosting provider accused me of using too much bandwidth. I closed my account. I found a better web hosting provider. I lost interest learning WordPress. The new web hosting provider is one blessing in disguise. A second blessing in disguise is I cancelled copying my Innovating Common Knowledge blogs to a WordPress blog template for further learning. Google Search Console and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are part of the WordPress learning.
R, R-Studio, and VBA are dead. I see no job postings requiring these skills. Linux is unseen in 99% of job postings I'm qualified. Access is seen in 1% of job postings I'm qualified. Moreover, almost all job descriptions the latest and greatest knowledge in Excel is not required; although, almost all job descriptions imply Excel.
7. Crossing The Line To Become An Adult
Date: Tue Jun 4
Summary: I declared myself an adult.
Feedback: I reiterate to correct the blog and the Update On A Past Blog. Age 46 is incorrect. Age 45 is correct. I was 45 years old when I became an adult.
8. Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog July 2024
Date: Fri Aug 2
Summary: My COVID-19 blog for July 2024.
Feedback: One consistent Shelter In-Place COVID-19 blogs is the surges. The virus mutates; however, there's no second COVID-19 global pandemic. No shut downs. No restrictions. No partial restrictions. The vaccines must be working. Herd immunity protects people from COVID-19. Regardless, friends and relatives are still testing positive.
9. Blame Life For Too Much
Date: Wed Aug 14
Summary: There is too much to do with too little time.
Feedback: The title is true. I made a mistake on the content. The content is mostly bullshit. The individual blogs combined for the title blog should not be combined. The bottom line is blame life and blame the Information Age there is too much to do. Life and the Information Age don't increase the number 24 for the 24 hours per day.
10. Half Ass Doesn't Work Anymore
Date: Tue Oct 8
Summary: People can't half ass to become successful.
Feedback: I want to clarify sometimes half-ass is good enough. Half-ass work depends on the responsibility, the assignment, the request, the resources or support available, and timing. It's a judgment call. A lazy person doing everything half-ass is another conversation.
11. Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search
Date: Tue Oct 22
Summary: I recall a word search homework assignment in second grade.
Feedback: I want to reiterate the first grown up lesson. The first lesson applies to everything in life. School, college, workplace, helping friends, helping family, and personal projects. Need more information. Inadequate support. Short amount of time. Can't complete it. Fuck it. Stop doing the assignment.
I wrote ten blogs referencing my past childhood or past childhood in school. The blog represents one of the ten.
12. Throwback Blog: Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything
Date: Thur Oct 31
Summary: Moments from the year 2006.
Feedback: 2006 is the year I talked about the least when it comes to good years. I still agree with the sentence 14 months later. 2006 was a fake happy year. I need reminders 2006 was a fake good year. 2006 was the least good year.
13. The Perfect Error
Date: Wed Nov 6
Summary: I shared my thoughts and opinions on the 2024 US Presidential Elections Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
Feedback: I made a mistake. The title is incorrect. I'm incorrect saying Harris committed the perfect error. If Harris won, then she fulfilled the political miracle in the history of the United States Of America. A reason why Harris and the Democrats lost was no focus. The Democrats were too spread out. The Democrats were too diverse. The Democrats were too diluted.
I wrote the sentence, "Harris did her best to convince the American people to vote for her in 107 days." 107 Days is the title of her new book which reached number one in the New York Times Bestsellers list for nonfiction. I want Harris to name names who screwed up the Democratics and screwed up her political career.
Harris had little fault for her defeat. She was given one star ingredients to make a five star dinner.
14. My Problems Are Nothing
Date: Fri Dec 27
Summary: My life is happy because my problems are nothing.
Feedback: Another end of the day thought. My life is paradise. Shelter, food, sound mental capabilities, no physical injuries, mattress to sleep, minimal expenses, and internet. I'm not lost in the woods. No drugs or alcohol addictions. No video game addictions.
My problems are nothing relatively speaking. My life is not nothing relatively speaking. A person with nothing doesn't need money. A person with nothing doesn't need shelter, food, and the internet. He or she is nothing. Nothing. Period.
I wrote eight blogs referencing my long-term unemployment. The blog represents one of the eight.
The following blog is a honorable mention: The 10 Percent Physical Is Much Bigger With 90 Percent Mental.
Slow down. Relax. Take a breath. Forget multi-tasking. Do everything one at a time. Multi-task one at a time. Be productive rationally. Haste makes waste. Quiet down everyone. Stop panicking. Everything is going to be completed one at a time. Hang on for a second. All tasks are completed in time. Be patient.
Update On A Past Blog
The blog Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Oct 13, 2011 the title is misleading. The blog detailed the immediate changes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. Any previous blogs on growing up should reference the Connecting My Dots Backwards blog.
Sports are percentages. There is pass completion rate, percentage drops, and number of points the defense gives up per game in football. There is field goal percentage and free throw percentage in basketball. There is batting average, walk to strike out ratio, and earned run average in baseball. There is goals against average and shots on goals in hockey. There is no 100%. There is no 1.000.
The percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports applies to life. Chances in life applies to sports. Timing and luck in sports applies to life. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a regular season game. A no big deal. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a championship game. A yes big deal. The thought process applies to a quarterback throwing a football, a place kicker kicking a field goal, a baseball player going 0 for 4 with three deep flyouts, a pitcher giving up four home runs, a winger missing too many shots on goal, and a goal keeper giving up four goals.
We blame the players for the bad performance. We blame the players for the miss critical plays. We blame coaches for bad decisions. Think rationally. No player wants to screw up. No coach wants to lose. The chances are there to connect, and sometimes there are no chances. Timing and luck are not there. The game is lost. The strategies don't work out. It's the other result. It's the opposite of the percentage. It's the other side. A basketball player free throw percentage success is 90.1%. The player missed critical free throws at the fourth period. It's the 9.9% failure percentage. Failed. The team lost the game. Regular season is a no big deal. Try again next time. Championship playoffs is a yes big deal. It's unfair. It's the nature of the sports world. A professional sports team not making the playoffs with at least 50% regular season wins is considered a successful season.
The Odds Are Against Professional Dreamers
There are a limited number of active professional sports players who play in the top leagues. There are 1,696 professional football players in the 32 team NFL out of all the professional football players. There are 450 professional basketball players in the 30 team NBA out of all the professional basketball players. There are 780 professional baseball players in the 30 team MLB out of all the professional baseball players. There are 736 professional hockey players in the 32 team NHL out of all the professional hockey players. Those numbers are small. Practice squad and inactive professional players are excluded from the numbers. The chances of professional sports players in a North American big league roster are slim. Life is rolling the dice. Many try to become professional sports players. Few succeed.
Update On A Past Blog
I add the percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports to the blog Top Ten Life Lessons I Learned Watching Sports written on Nov 5, 2016.
I wrote a no guarantees blog A Lesson Learned Tonight written on Feb 2, 2010. The blog talked about Conan O'Brien leaving The Tonight Show with a $45 million settlement on Jan 2010. I remind myself there are no guarantees in life; however, death and taxes are 100% certain.
I repeat an update on a past blog word for word from Owners Hiring The Below Average Worker on May 12, 2023:
Life is chances. The right place at the right time. Timing and luck are in favor. The wind blows behind your back. The odds are good. The dice are rolling well. Probability is close to 100%. Here are two blogs related to chances, odds, and probabilities: Roll The Dice When You Wake Up written on Aug 12, 2019 and The Homeless People Rolled Too Many Snake Eyes written on Apr 8, 2019. Death and taxes are 100% certain. Life is unfair regardless of the probabilities. Times continue to be tough going forward.
I finished my WordPress self job training last week. Full disclosure. The WordPress was a satisfactory failure. The training resulted in finding a new web hosting provider for my webpage Innovate Infinitely and ending the training project due to costs. The last WordPress tutorial was an offline training I found from the YouTube algorithm. Regardless, I added the skill to my resume.
The remaining self job training skills are Excel, Python, and HTML as of the blog post. Years 2022 and 2023 were peak with the following skills: Excel with Power Pivot and Power Query, Git, Linux, Power BI, Python, R and R-Studio, SQL, and Sublime Text. There is no new job training related to my profession thereafter. Reviewing existing job skills are too repetitious with no additional benefits--borderline boredom and tiredness. It's like no more promotions. There's nothing more going up. My salary is maxed. My rank is at the top ceiling. Anything new adds no additional value; although, I receive information to learn PyTorch for machine learning.
I never thought about running out of new job training skills. I never realized the self job training spanned a decade. Students graduate high school. Students graduate college. The common wisdom is never stop learning; however, all training must come to an end. The student takes the pebble from the master's hand.
The week of Mon Sep 8, 2025 was catching up. There were no physical workouts due to fatigue and a minor injury to my left Achillies heel. Circumstances favored me for which there was no weekly household cleaning. I felt good I caught up with most of my backlogged responsibilities and projects.
The week of Mon Sep 8, 2025 inspired today's blog. Prices are increasing to maintain our lives. The price is not necessarily monetary; however, in today's inflationary economy, all goods and services for maintenance increases. Time is another price increase. More time is required to maintain our lives. If a person has too many priority responsibilities to complete, then the price the person pays is less sleep.
Bare necessities for body maintenance such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and aspirin. Prices increase. Shoes, socks, shirts, shorts and supplemental equipment for physical workouts. Prices increase. Human body services such as medical, dental, and gym membership for those who need gym equipment. Prices increase. Engine oil, tires, windshield wipers, and wax. Prices increase. Utilities, light bulbs, batteries, furnace air filters, and cleaning supplies for residence cleaning. Prices increase. Further, more time is required to complete everything above. And learning new job skills to maintain careers. Prices and time increase.
Cut The Distractions
I admit I'm distracted in today's Information Age. There is a song stuck in my head. I must play the song on my computer. I look up information on Google or on YouTube. Unimportant information catches my attention. I click on the website or I watch the video. There is a breaking news headline. I read the news article. Time wasted. The distractions increase the price of maintenance.
Update On A Past Blog
Here are two blogs on maintenance. The first is Car Maintenance Is Expensive written on Mar 26, 2025. I wrote interior maintenance and exterior maintenance are important. The ultimate price for non-maintenance anything is chaos.
The second is Maintenance Is Important As Innovating Infinitely written on Nov 6, 2016. I repeat what I wrote from the Car Maintenance Is Expensive's Update On A Past Blog: "I shared some of my life maintenances including a clean household, job training, physical fitness, and keeping myself clean and groomed. I admit maintenance can be boring; however, my life is in chaos without maintenance."
I also update Normal Adolescents At Chipotle blog written on Dec 9, 2023. The blog was mature junior high school students socializing at a Chipotle restaurant. I overheard a conversation between three ladies at the gym earlier tonight. Two of the three ladies are high school students. The third is probably college. I'm bad at guessing people's ages. The three of them organize a breakfast meetup at their local cafe on Sat at 9:30am. 9:30am in the morning--on a Sat weekend. My initial thought was high school students sleep-in on Sat mornings. The two high school students are mature and responsible.
My dad and I assisted a family friend with routine garden maintenance. Mowed the lawn. Removed weeds. A lawn mower cut the grass. A weed wacker trimmed the grass edges. A metal rake, shovel, clippers, and loopers were tools to remove weeds. These tools existed at least a century. The front yard is maintained. The front yard is beautiful. Peace is created taking a break from today's Information Age. Effective time spent outdoors. The life lessons gardening are patience, take it one at a time, and breathe.
Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.
I connect the dots from yesterday to today. The following moments were down and out. There were no permanent downs and outs. The following moments could be a catastrophe. Disasters were prevented. The following moments could be negative life changes. I'm fortunate these negative life changes were temporary. The following moments were potential failures. Failures became satisfactory successes. Life found a way to bounce me back up. The system worked at the end of the day. Destiny, intuition, karma, going with the flow, divine intervention, whatever. A bad luck moment was countered with a good luck moment plus more goodness.
Faith, good luck, and/or good choices saved me from a permanent down and out. Many of these moments were luck. Few of these moments were good decisions. I needed help from family, co-workers, and friends. All assistances were appreciated. Here are the moments from oldest to newest. I categorized the moments good luck or good decision. I want to tell the story. Some of these moments connect.
*Changed Majors (Fall Semester 1995). Good decision. I changed majors from Mathematics to Economics as an undergraduate at San Jose State University. The preparing, volunteering, reading, and the guidance to become a high school math teacher were falling apart. I couldn't pass my math classes. I lost my desire.
One could say the change in majors were killing two birds with one stone. The first was switching majors my grade point average went up every semester thereafter. The second was I'm not teaching in high school today. I graduated with a Bachelors Of Science in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. I didn't waste my lower division math classes.
*First Job (Jul 1998). Good luck. It took me six months to find my first job after graduating at San Jose State University. I was a Research Analyst in a commercial real estate company. My parents pressured me to find a job naturally. I thought about going back to San Jose State University to earn a master's degree.
*Second Job (Feb 1999). Good luck. The manager who hired me at my first job hired me for my second job. Same job title in the same industry. I was a Research Analyst in commercial real estate. The second company was better than the first company. A total of five employees quit from my first company to work at the second company. Moreover, the second company saved me from the first company because I thought about quitting the first company.
*My Second Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Good luck. My first boss who hired me at my first job and my second job moved to Australia. My second boss was nothing. Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired.
I warned the office manager she was ineffective. I waited two years for her release.
*Full Metal Alchemist Midnight Marathon (May 2004). Good decision. A Fanime Con 2004 anime convention event was a midnight marathon showing the anime series Full Metal Alchemist. I watched 17 episodes from midnight to 7am. I stayed awake. The end of episode eight I said, "I'm going to cosplay Edward Elric." Edward Elric was the main character. I thank my mom for making my Edward Elric cosplay.
I contemplated retiring from anime for the remainder of 2004 because I talked to a friend much younger than me. He retired from anime. Watching the marathon delayed my retirement for nine years and four months. I officially retired in Sep 2013.
*Third Job (Mar 2007). Good luck. The second company started going downhill in late 2006. People began quitting. My third job was my first tech job. The company was the largest employer in San Jose, CA. I belong working in the tech industry.
*Grow Up (Oct 2008). Good decision. I remember the day for the rest of my life. I was lost in Aug-Sep 2008. I was weak. I realized I must grow up. My life changed forever. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans.
I include going back to school earning an Associate Of Arts degree in Accounting at De Anza College and vacationing in the state of Washington and visiting Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
*First Job In A Start Up (Nov 2013). Good luck. I was a data entry and bookkeeper in a retail start up selling high end beer, wine, and sake at a discount price. Timing was good because I needed a distraction.
*Another Tech Job (Nov 2014). Good luck. My contract job at the start up company was satisfied. I found another contract job supporting an engineer at a networking server company.
*O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2017). Good decision and good luck. I experienced stomach pains since Mar 2017. The pain was too severe. My parents took me to the emergency room. The wait time was minimal. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The hospital was not busy. The hospital was quiet. I was the only patient in a double occupancy room for three out of the four nights. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.
The moment was the first time I was an in-patient and first time doctors performed surgery.
*Safe At Home Plate, 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45, or Self Trained Genius (Aug-Sep 2019). Good luck. I can't choose a title for the Aug-Sep 2019 moment. I include any of the three. Choose any one.
I began hiking again devoting one day per month. I hiked the Montara Mountain Trail in Pacifica, CA for the first time on Labor Day weekend. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. My soul was saved. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I began training to become a self trained genius.
A Song And A Genius On The Uncontrolled Life
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you; When you think everything's okay and everything's going right; And life has a funny way of helping you out when; You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up; In your face. --Ironic, Alanis Morissette
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
Update On A Past Blog
The Top Ten Saves blog written on Apr 25, 2020 mentioned four moments from above: my second boss was fired at number ten, number seven mentioned The Shawshank Redemption, number four was the Fanime Con 2004 Full Metal Alchemist midnight marathon, number two was O'Connor Hospital, and number one was growing up.
Three high school saves happened in my sophomore year. I took Geometry after my sophomore year in summer school to take Algebra II in my junior year. I played chess during the lunch hour. I played softball in Physical Education.
Another moment in Fall Semester 1995 which was a save. A shoutout to my Physics 61 laboratory partner who majored in General Engineering. He saved my ass.
My nephew graduated high school yesterday. There were 750 out of 800 graduating seniors who attended their ceremony held in the football field. No tickets were required. Seniors could invite any number of family members and friends. The open seating area on the field was full. Both sides of the bleachers were filled. Some family members and friends disobeyed the graduation ceremony rules. No big deal at the end of the evening. The graduating seniors met with their family members and friends to share a once in a lifetime moment.
There was a commonality when all graduating seniors received their diplomas. They're all even. They're promoted to high school graduate level 1. A new experience points system is activated. Everyone starts with zero points. Everyone opens a new book starting at chapter 1. Level the playing field.
It doesn't matter who were the high school students. Athletes, trouble makers, C average 2.0, goths, rockers, skaters, geeks, loners, straight A 4.0+, popular students, gamers, and good looking students. If the term "college preps" still exists, then they're included. Weirdos, fat students, bullies, bullied, special ed, and bad looking students. All high school students were included.
The rumors disappeared. The mistakes learned. Popularity no more. No more ranking students in *fill in the blank*. Send the bad memories to vault. There were bygones. There was forgiveness. The past is the past. The past four years matters none. The end arrived. High school is over more for better and less for worse. Time to say goodbye.
Boring Ceremony Not Boring
Parents and younger siblings who said high school graduation was boring must take it back. Retract the boring feeling. If parents said high school graduation was boring, then their high school graduation was boring, too. If younger siblings said high school graduation was boring, then their high graduation is going to be boring. The siblings are going to graduate soon.
High school graduation is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nobody must screw up a once in a lifetime moment.
The five nominations and its explanations for the moment of the year.
1. Analytics Research Technology. I self-trained. I passed my classes for data analysis or data science. The classes were from YouTube videos, online education, books, and articles. I blogged the graduation Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology on Apr 19, 2024.
2. Black Mesa. A fan-made remake of Half-Life. It's the video game nomination for 2024. It's the only video game I played.
3. Gym. I worked out at the gym for the first time since the global pandemic.
4. Discretionary Spending In Check. A 2018 moment nominee. I minimized discretionary spending. For example, one music CD, Steam's annual sale selected video games $1.50 or cheaper, and DVDs at public library sales. Most bare necessities purchased on sale.
5. Taiwanese Mahjong. I learned how to play Taiwanese style. I know Hong Kong and Japanese or Riichi.
Explanation: I completed my like senior year in college with a fake degree in Analytics Research Technology. The consistent and productive job training paid off. Forget the video game, gym, and mahjong. Too trivial. I could continue working out at home. A mini home gym and a full size gym were no comparisons. Keeping my expenses in check was worth mentioning given prices have been increasing. Make everything last as long as possible.
There were multiple setbacks in my physical training. One setback was sickness in July. Another setback was left calf pain solved by wearing a calf compression sleeve. I must jog with a knee brace on my right leg.
What Won: Analytics Research Technology.
What Should Have Won: Analytics Research Technology.
My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: Job training won because I completed the self training. The endgame was accomplished. The post graduate training continues today with Excel, Python, HTML, and WordPress. However, as of the blog post, WordPress is postponed indefinitely. I don't know the replacement. JavaScript is fulfilled satisfactory.
2024 Letter Grade: B-. 2023 year ended fantastic. 2024 year ended subpar. 2023 and 2024 balanced out. 2024 was boring. I could have done a better job making the boring awesome. There were no rewards for morale victories. No payouts for the process. There were setbacks. Results matter. The conclusion received attention. The conclusion was disappointing.
On the other hand, the little wisdoms and the wisdom reminders continue. I continue not taking life for granted. I seek new life skills to learn. I drill existing life skills to remember.
Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades
2023: Physical fitness. Grade B+.
2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.
2016: Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson. Grade F.
"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've been the correct choice. It was always me. Life has been all me. Everything was me. The self-training paid off. I connect the dots backwards. I made good choices. I did it correctly. I continue making mistakes learning anything new. I continue committing mistakes when I aim high and miss. I achieved mature adulthood at the age of 45. I get it. I understand five years before age 50. I realized all since Sep 2019.
Nobody told me my path to success is correct. Nobody taught me a system. I self-discovered my system. The system is common knowledge and common wisdom: eat healthy, exercise, read books, sleep well, never stop learning, learn from mistakes, always meet new people, minimize watching TV, and ignore anything toxic. I hope timing, luck, chance, and opportunity favors me. Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen reasons life has always been me.
13. Be Patient And Go For The Long Run. I thought of the "be patient and go for the long run" when I was a student at San Jose State University. The wisdom was correct. The attitude was correct. The adaption was incorrect. The execution was incorrect. I did it wrong. College life was too much fun and too little learning.
I lived a false sense of getting everything done quickly. It worked in my 20s and early 30s. Somehow my quick life was successful quickly. I didn't have to be patient. I started on something. I completed it quickly.
The patience is back today. I'm doing the "be patient and go for the long run" correctly decades later. Work. Give everything time. Take everything one day at a time. Build a little every day. Add the little accomplishments for the big goals.
12. Talk. Communicate. We have a mouth under the nose and above the chin. If quiet people or introverted people speak up 20% more, then they're going to be happier 20% or more.
People said I talked too much in the past. They didn't explain why. They didn't correct me. My self-discovery was poor self-esteem, seeking attention, nobody teaching me proper social conversations, and being ignorant. All problems fixed today.
11. Steve Jobs. I follow the wisdom of Steve Jobs. I understand the "Stay hungry, stay foolish" wisdom. Trust intuition. Never settle. Be brave making mistakes. We do judge a book by its cover.
"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."
10. Adulthood Preview In Ninth Grade. I studied hard. I spent more hours learning. I spent more hours practicing. Grit. I spent more hours exercising. I spent less hours watching television. The hard work paid off with good grades. I felt smart. I felt strong.
My adulthood was established. Hard work. Motivation. Focus. Strength. Intelligence. What about fun? The fun happened afterwards. I accepted the process. I accepted the challenge.
9. R.O.T.C. In High School. I took the U.S. Marines Reserve Officers Training Corps or R.O.T.C. in high school for three years. I learned leadership attributes and leadership skills. I also learned human relations rules.
8. Physical Fitness. I jog two days a week. I strength train two days a week. I'm the most healthiest I've ever been in my life. Exercising is not an excuse to eat unhealthy in moderation; in other words, exercising and eating unhealthy don't cancel. Exercise and eating healthy must be combined.
7. Read More Fiction Books Than Nonfiction Books. I learned more about life reading fiction books. It started in Oct 2008.
6. Clean And Organize. I self-taught myself how to vacuum, mop floors, clean toilets, and organize. Less stress where there is less clutter. More time saved where there is more organization. Routine maintenance is required to keep neatness. Work is required.
5. Take The Initiative. I admit I'm gun-shy when nothing happens. I know my position at the certain place and the certain time. I know my role in a social situation. I stay within my boundaries. Time is up. Action is required. I take the initiative. I'm successful sometimes. I'm not successful sometimes.
4. Self-job Training. The blog Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology written on Apr 19, 2024 explains everything. I passed the classes for data analysis or data science. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources.
3. Be A Good Person. I'm getting stronger, smarter, kinder, and wiser. I'm not a nice guy. I'm a good guy. I continue catching up what I missed in the past. I'm experiencing new experiences. I'm seeking new adventures.
2. Desire Is More Important Than Knowledge. Practice, practice, learn from my mistakes, improve, progress, practice, practice, practice, . . . . "I will" is more important than "I know." The knowledge follows motivation doing something, anything. The rewards follow motivation when responsibilities are completed.
1. Growing Up. Sat Oct 4, 2008 changed my life forever. It was time to grow up. No more immaturity. No more taking life for granted. I'm responsible for my life.
Update On A Past Blog
I reference the blogs for today's blog on Update On A Past Blog.
*I Made Good Choices After All written on Jan 17, 2025. People said I did it wrong. I made mistakes. The logic was illogical. People didn't follow me. They wanted it their way. My thought process was nonsense. My actions were insincere. Ignore Raymond Mar. Connect the dots backwards. Hindsight is 20/20. I did it correctly.
*Unlearn To Be Better And Unlearn The Incorrect written on Jan 7, 2024. Forgive the past. Unlearn the past. Correct the incorrect. Retrain. Relearn.
*I Correct Be Patient And Go For The Long Run written on Dec 16, 2023. Take my time. I was irresponsible then. I'm responsible now.
*I've Been Doing Everything Correct Mostly written on Apr 12, 2022. The Shawshank Redemption was released on Oct 14, 1994. The movie is currently number 1 on IMDb's Top Rated Movie. If you didn't watch the movie, then watch the movie alone.
*Top Ten I Get It Now written on Nov 21, 2020. I listed ten life concepts, wisdoms, and lessons I understand.
*My High School Freshmen Year Was My First Taste Of Responsible Adulthood written on Jun 6, 2020. See number 10.
*I Choose Raymond Mar Today written on Apr 9, 2020. I realized yesterday's Raymond Mar was not the real Raymond Mar when he made mistakes. The people who believed the yesterday's Raymond Mar was the fake Raymond Mar. The present Raymond Mar is the true Raymond Mar.
*Going Up Or Getting Better Am I? written on Sep 8, 2019. Is my life getting better or getting worse? Is my life going up or going down? Honestly speaking, I'm one step closer to become a genius.
*When Is An Adult An Adult? written on Sep 17, 2017. It's a judgment call. Time will tell everything I'm doing today to live independently tomorrow is successful.
*Top Ten I Was Correct When I Was Young written on Jun 9, 2016. I was told wrong because nobody reinforced my good moments, nobody encouraged me to continue my good successes, and/or people were jealous of my accomplishments. Or it could have been me. I quit reinforcing my good moments to do better. I took my good successes for granted. I was a people pleaser stopping when I was told to stop to make other people happy.
*I Did It Right written on Nov 14, 2013. We experience bad days, bad moments, and bad luck. We can't control everything 24 hours a day. The end of the day we continue moving forward hoping for the best.
"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
People said I did it wrong throughout most of life from Sep 2019 and earlier. I made mistakes. The logic was illogical. People didn't follow me. They wanted it their way. My thought process was nonsense. My actions were insincere. Ignore Raymond Mar because of ineffectiveness.
Times have changed. Attitudes have changed. Opinions have changed. Circumstances have changed. New knowledge acquired. Connect the dots backwards. Hindsight is 20/20. I did it correctly. I could have been successful. The logic was logical. People should have followed me. Their way was problematic. My thought process made sense. My actions were sincere. Listen to Raymond Mar. Take candid pictures. Physical workouts are equally or more important than mental capabilities. A person's inside is equally important than a person's outside. Drinking eight glasses of water per day is false. Read books. Minimize processed foods. There are not enough pie pieces for everyone. There are no valid reasons to watch all those television shows. It's okay to be alone. Sometimes be patient and go for the long run. Don't be a nice person. Do be a good person. Listen to intuition.
I have not been perfect. I admit my mistakes to anything brought to my attention past and present anytime. I should have earned my share of wins. The past is the past. All is forgiven.
It's the time I look back at my 2023 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 14 blogs are also the 2023 best blogs.
1. Too Much Too Tired
Date: Tue Mar 7
Summary: Nobody is at fault for being fatigued because we live in the fast pace Information Age.
Feedback: Fast, faster, and fastest. The assignments, responsibilities, and training should have been completed yesterday. Everyone is doing more 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The same 24 hours a day and seven days a week were our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents generations lived. It's the Information Age. Stop complaining or live somewhere else.
I share two stories. The first story my brother is a cyber security engineer. One of his responsibilities is programming. He uses his company's proprietary AI to write the code. AI saves time. He has too many responsibilities. The second story my niece is a sophomore in high school. Her physical education class is yoga. The instructor allows students to take naps after yoga because students are too tired. There are too many responsibilities for today's high school students they must complete hours of homework in minutes.
2. The Time Is Now And Later
Date: Fri Apr 23
Summary: Go with the flow.
Feedback: Good intention blog. Dumb topic blog. We go backwards sometimes as we move forwards. We hope the net gain is forward. +2-1=+1 is the math formula. Unfortunately, some people the net gain is backwards. Life is unfair.
The timing is good for the second look. I'm surviving Dec 2024 by going with the flow. I hate adjusting my schedules beyond my control. The frustration feeling is recognized. Fewer responsibilities are completed at the end of the day. Finish the rest of the responsibilities another day.
The last two weeks of 2024 are rest weeks. The frustrations continued during the first week. I accepted them. Life goes on.
3. Graduation Means Continue Learning
Date: Sat Jun 10
Summary: I summarized my self job training since May 2015.
Feedback: The final self job training or the endgame started on Jun 7, 2023. The endgame was completed on Mar 24, 2024. I graduated myself with an Analytics Research Technology degree on Apr 19, 2024. The learning continues on Jul 15, 2024 with a weekly schedule Excel, HTML, JavaScript, Power Pivot or Power Query, Python, and WordPress.
4. Do We Fail When We Do?
Date: Sat Jun 24
Summary: Quitting doesn't necessarily equate to failure.
Feedback: The blog is confusing. I meant to say everyone does their best. Not everyone succeeds. Are the people who don't succeed a failure?
Answer the question: successful fail or success failed? Or successfully failed as in I did my best--if I died tomorrow, then could I say I did my best? I did what I must. Success failed can be elaborated as I did everything I was told. I did everything by the book. I followed the plan. I followed the advice. I followed the guidance. Unsuccessful. I failed.
If the chances of success are low or the chances of failure are high, then why do it? Good philosophical discussion.
5. Continue The Lie
Date: Sat Jul 8
Summary: I dreamed last night I faked an analysis report.
Feedback: The feedback is for the Update On A Past Blog for which a co-worker faked the statistics. He was caught. He found another job before he was fired.
Bullshit is not 100% successful. Most bullshit is detected. "I don't know" or "It was that way when I came here" are good ways to deflect blame when in trouble.
There was a Freakonomics podcast on academic researchers faking their reports Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? released on Jan 10, 2024. There is an update Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? (Update) released on Dec 25, 2024
The most successful people and most successful companies didn't make it to their tops on hard work and following the rules. There are some bullshit involved. They and it must be assholes to make it to the top and stay on top. The stakes are too high not to be assholes.
6. All Is Ready Cue The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show Opening Theme
Date: Mon Aug 7
Summary: I posted two YouTube videos and the lyrics on The Bugs Bunny And Road Runner Show opening theme to celebrate completing my self job training.
Feedback: I didn't play the song when I finished the self job training end game resulting in graduating with Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology on Apr 19, 2024. I played the song after I posted the blog.
7. Moving Forward Maturely
Date: Sun Aug 20
Summary: The week of Mon Aug 14, 2023 was a bad week.
Feedback: A second go with the flow blog. The responsibilities for the week of Mon Aug 14, 2023 were completed or incompleted. There was no penalty for half-ass work. There was no reward for maximum completion.
Nobody is perfect. Even professionals are not perfect. They don't win 100% of the time. They can't do it today. There's always tomorrow. Excuses are justified.
The feedback for number seven combines with number two. There are justified excuses from Thanksgiving 2024 to the end of Dec 2024. Dec 2024 is ending the 2024 year on a bad note. There are more bad days than good days. There are unfortunate circumstances. There are unanticipated new priorities clear and present. More frustrations. More bad timing. Responsibilities are being completed or incomplete at the end of the day. A silver lining is lessons learned and wisdom acquired.
8. Life Is Not Fair In My Words
Date: Fri Aug 25
Summary: I shared my thoughts on the common knowledge "life is not fair." The government. The education. The economy. The social class. The world. The system.
Feedback: A quick philosophical feedback. There is balance in life. Does the balance mean a balance of good and evil? Does the balance mean a balance of winners and losers? Does the balance mean a balance of success and fails? There are winners. There are losers. There can't be a world of pure 100% good. There can't be a world of pure 100% evil. Or there can't be a world of 100% destruction.
9. I Have A Brain
Date: Wed Sep 20
Summary: My internal body and external body are sound.
Feedback: I repeat the statement "I made more of my share of life mistakes." I say on the record I experienced more bad luck than good luck. I say on the record I experienced more failures than successes. I say on the record I experienced more defeats than wins. Any past blogs saying the contrary are incorrect.
10. Full Information Acquired
Date: Sun Oct 15
Summary: Full information is not acquired.
Feedback: I reiterate there is always a possibility all information not acquired. There is always uncertainty. Full information or perfect information doesn't exist.
I adapt the uncertainty principle from German scientist Werner Heisenberg for a non-scientific wisdom. The uncertainty principle scientific explanation is particles' positions and velocities can't be observed.
11. Emotionally Draining
Date: Thur Oct 19
Summary: I speculated the three Major League Baseball teams which won 100 or more regular seasons games were eliminated in the 2023 playoffs due to emotionally exhaustion.
Feedback: I learned a wisdom in 2024. The head or the brain is more important than the heart. Intelligences or mental capabilities take precedence over emotions. Physical capabilities take precedence over emotions.
The Golden State Warriors started the 2024-2025 NBA season with a 12-3 record and first place in the Western Conference. The Warriors record is 16-15 and ninth place in the Western Conference as of Dec 30, 2024. I speculate the Warriors 12-3 start were motivated more on emotions and less on intelligence. The emotions are drained.
12. Happy Living An Alternate Life
Date: Mon Nov 13
Summary:
Feedback: I wrote multiple daily life blogs in 2023. I choose the Happy Living An Alternate Life blog to represent these daily life blogs. These daily life blogs are not bullshit blogs. These blogs are honest blogs. One can say I repeat the blogs to increase my blog count. Fair statement. I repeat myself and I reiterate I'm doing the best I can to earn a happy life.
My changed attitude, stronger strength, increased intelligence, and added wisdom changed my viewpoint on the daily life blogs. They're legitimate. Don't take life for granted. I'm one step closer to become a self-trained genius.
More people discover living a happy life by spending more time at home, more time in private residences, or more time indoors due to the global pandemic. Prices are going up. Money can change attitudes.
13. I Worked At Bad Companies
Date: Sun Nov 19
Summary: It was bad luck I worked at bad companies.
Feedback: I wrote a cynical blog. There are good companies. The general population never hears about good companies because they're not newsworthy. Bad companies are known because they're newsworthy.
Luck applies to the North America professional sports teams football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. There are professional drafts bringing new players from high schools, colleges, and foreign countries to these sports teams. The luck involves which player is drafted to which team. Is the team a good company or is the team a bad company? A professional team is a company. All draft pick players hope their company he or she plays include professional treatment, good coaching, good ownership, support, and opportunities. Politics and complaints are minimized.
14. Merry Unmotivational Christmas
Date: Tue Dec 26
Summary: My 2023 Christmas was unsatisfactory.
Feedback: The feedback is cynical. There are always people celebrating a happy first Christmas for *insert reason*. For example, first marriage couple Christmas, first baby Christmas, first Christmas in a new house, and first Christmas cancer free. On the other hand, I sense more sad Christmases for *insert reason*. I sense more people celebrating another melancholy Christmas.
I stand by my opinion on the blog; in particular, the paragraph: All leisure activities including birthdays and holidays require planning. It's an oxymoron work and effort must be completed for play and fun moments. Chaos is the result without work and effort. Chaotic leisure is not leisure. The rewards pay off after the work and effort are completed sincerely and satisfactory.
Motivation is required to celebrate a good Christmas. I'm happy my 2024 Christmas was satisfactory. I corrected my mistakes in 2023. I motivated myself. I hoped my motivation influenced others to work for their happy Christmas 2024.
The following blogs are honorable mentions: Kick The Can Down The Road, The Devil Is Persistent Collecting The Bills, and A Lesson From The Rich People.
