The 2009 San Jose Jazz Festival During The 2008 Great Recession

I attended the 2009 San Jose Jazz Festival. It was my first jazz festival. I went on Sat Aug 8 only. I stayed at the main stage most of the time. I was lucky I attended a good festival. I saw some of Black Joe Lewis, the entire Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra, and the entire Allen Toussaint. Good memories.

The other memory was the timing. 2009 was a recession year because the real estate bubble burst resulting in the stock market crash in Sep 2008. People were out of work. People watched their spending. The world slowed down. However, all attendees, performers, and festival staff forgot about the recession on the weekend of Fri Aug 7-Sun Aug 9. The three days were a break. The three days were leisure. Adjust the budgets. Find some discretionary money for fun. People socialized, danced, sang, ate new foods, drank beer, drank wine, and experienced first time moments. Life went on. Life moved forward. The economy moved forward regardless of the pace.

I also attended the 2009 Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey experience was the same as the San Jose experience; although, I couldn't afford the additional fee to attend the main stage. A secondary memory was a video game demonstration for which I forgot the company. I visited a friend who lived in Monterey afterwards. We ate at a Japanese restaurant for dinner.

Update On A Past Blog

Artificial Intelligence has been in the headlines. AI reminded me of two past blogs. The first blog is *Pop* All Bubbles Burst written on Jan 15, 2006. I mentioned the Mar 2000 dot-com bubble burst. The stock market doesn't always go up. The AI stock market is in a bubble.

The second blog is Give It Time The Winners Remain Standing written on Mar 10, 2021. There were too many dot-com companies from 1997 to 2000. The dot-com winner companies are in business today. The dot-com loser companies went out of business. Likewise, there are too many AI companies. The AI winner companies stay in business. The AI loser companies are out of business. Time is the ultimate judge.

Children Growing Use The Bowls Indicators

I poured a bowl of Cheerios in the morning for a quick breakfast before a full breakfast. I woke up late because I woke up multiple times last night. I needed to prepare the household meals.

The size of the bowl was the smallest bowl. I reminded myself the smallest bowl size matched the size I ate Cheerios when I was a child attending grade school. The bowl size increased when my body grew bigger. I realized my stomach grumbled in school too many times. The bowl sized increased again in high school.

Parents use the bowls indicators to determine how fast your children are growing. Use the bowls indicators to budget the household groceries. Use the bowls indicators to prove their physical changes. Be prepared for bigger bowl size changes in rapid time.

The Broccoli Indicator

Another physical change indicator was eating broccoli. I ate four pieces of broccoli when I was a child. One reason was to share the broccoli with the family. Another reason was to control the grocery costs. I listened to my growing body. I ate more broccoli as a teenager.

Update On A Past Blog

The Five Year High School is still a good idea in today's Information Age. I wrote the blog on Jan 28, 2011. I said, "There is more to learn and know. Expectations and requirements are more challenging. Life today is more complex 20 years ago." True today.

There is a four year junior high school if junior high school is defined as sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade. Eighth grade students enroll in eighth grade twice. Click The Journal Podcast The Big Business Of Holding Back Eighth Graders.

Throwback Blog: Work Sat Jan 10, 2015

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 Work Sat Jan 10, 2015 written on Jan 10, 2015. I was a Data Entry Specialist contractor at a tech company making network servers. I supported a Senior Quality Reliability Engineer. I share my thoughts remembering the time in bullet format.

*I didn't take any vacation time during my six months. I worked on Dec 26, 2014. The company was closed on Dec 24-25, 2014.

*I never ate frozen hash browns for breakfast after my contractor was satisfied thereafter.

*I could have purchased a Calm Radio lifetime subscription for $300.00. I didn't pay because I thought Calm Radio goes out of business. Calm Radio still exists.

*A mistake I vowed never to repeat was waking up late. I must sleep early on the night before I work the next day.

*The language tone convinced me today I was unprofessional. Nobody cared about my commute. The commute text sounded like I complained too much. However, my job was data entry. The job was unexciting.

*The co-worker who was fired didn't know the Excel VLOOKUP function. Only God knew how she was hired. The interview process is more sales pitch or selling oneself and less knowledge and experience. My intuition tells me today's interview system incompetent workers are hired even though the interview exams should eliminate the unqualified candidates.

I forgot to mention security was present during the firing.

*"I met with the SAP administrator for a meeting explaining the SAP export problems. He explained he must follow a procedure including submitting an IT ticket and informing his management. I anticipated a long wait for the SAP enhancements. I'm required to test the enhancements in the development side."

There were procedures. Procedures were procedures. There were rules. Rules were rules. His department didn't revolve around my SAP export problems. I waited.

*". . . there are too many job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. Many job openings don't require lots of experience."

There are too few job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. I still believe many of the few job openings require little experience.

Wed Dec 31: I ate Safeway bagels for the first time working at the company. I purchased frozen hash browns for New Year's Day breakfast. I stored the hash browns in the coffee room freezer.

The audit continued today. Be slow. Be calm. I listened to music from calmradio.com. I checked my Facebook from time to time before lunch.

Thur Jan 1, 2015: Happy New Year. Company was closed.

Fri Jan 2: I arrived to work at 8:45am. I forgot to shave. The building was dead. I was ready to upload the audits from one of the vendors. It should be a smooth export to the SAP database. I spoke too soon. There were problems with the upload and there was a minor error on the interposer template. I emailed the SAP administrator documenting the problems with screenshots. I troubleshooted and corrected the interposer template. I listened to podcasts throughout the day. I listen to more podcasts and less music at work.

The cafeteria closed minutes after I ordered chicken tenders. One out of three stations and the salad bar were open.

Mon Jan 5: I experienced trouble waking up. I was ready physically. I wasn't ready mentally. My mind needed more rest. It was worth the additional rest waking up at 7am instead of 6am. I arrived to work at 9am.

I ate my granola bar in the coffee room. I small talked with the engineer I don't know his name from another department. The conversations included movies and our Christmas holiday.

I saw facility workers installing two cigarette receptacles at the court yard walking to the cafeteria.

My engineer emailed me more RMAs from another vendor to enter in the SAP database. The additional RMAs and the SAP export problems gave me optimism my contract is extended beyond four months.

Tue Jan 6: Another 9am-6pm workday. I was ready physically. I wasn't ready mentally. My mind needed more rest. The morning commute took 30 minutes. I experienced my first red light after El Camino Real. My prior morning commutes the intersections between El Camion Real and before my left turn were 100% green lights.

A co-worker was fired in my work area. It was the first time I was present during a firing. My past company firings I was informed after the employee exited the building. I gave her the extension cord I borrowed and I gave her my contact information. Other co-workers gave her their contact information. She was escorted by someone in human resources. A facilities worker pushed a cart to assist in taking her belongings. The three workers exited using the service elevator.

I met with the SAP administrator for a meeting explaining the SAP export problems. He explained he must follow a procedure including submitting an IT ticket and informing his management. I anticipated a long wait for the SAP enhancements. I'm required to test the enhancements in the development side.

My evening commute took 24 minutes. It was the first time my evening commute was shorter than my morning commute.

Wed Jan 7: Another 30 minute morning commute. I woke up at 7am for the third time in a row. I was awake mentally. I was still tired physically. I went to bed earlier last night. I must be adjusting from my holiday sleep schedule. I contemplated skipping the gym. No skip. I worked out at the company's gym.

Another worker entered the elevator area 3-5 seconds before me arriving to work. He held the elevator door open when I entered the elevator area. My thanks. I pay it forward the next time I'm ahead of another worker entering the elevator area.

Thur Jan 8: I was motivated to wake up at 6am because I want a 20 minute or less morning commute. Today's commute was 17 minutes.

My engineer told me more background story on the RMAs missing data points. He said the problems with the RMA data and the server component database existed before he started at the company. I thought about his story minutes after I sat at my cubicle. I realized why some job openings require lots of experience. One reason is the successful candidate must solve problems on day one. I'm guessing my engineer was hired because he has the experience to solve problems in quality control. On the other hand, there are too many job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. Many job openings don't require lots of experience.

I exited the building at 5:15pm. There was still daylight. Daylight is getting longer.

Fri Jan 9: I continued with the audits. I continued listening to podcasts. I continued listening to KNBR 680AM at 3pm. There's no timetable when I complete the audits in full.

My engineer went home early because he had an appointment. He worked at home for the rest of the day.

Top Ten Plus Seven Equals Top Seventeen Favorite Arcade Games

Playing video games in the arcade was a childhood moment. Playing arcade games on video game consoles was a childhood moment. The pure arcades are rare today. Computers, emulators, consoles, internet, and cell phones make playing classic arcade games accessible.

I was a below average arcade player. I can say I completed Blood Brothers and Area 51 in one coin without continuing. Moreover, Area 51 was the arcade game I played when I attended San Jose State University. Many of the seventeen arcade games relate to a life memory. Blood Brothers is number five. Area 51 is number two.

I recognize Ghost Squad as a favorite arcade game released in 2004. Ghost Squad was my first game I played at the Golfland weekend opening morning unlimited arcade game play. I'm one of the few players who prefer the shotgun. I also recognize Metal Slug 2 as a favorite arcade game released in 1998. The victory music at the end of every mission is great. Eri was my character.

Here are my top ten plus seven equals top seventeen favorite arcade games. These favorites are from my childhood to my young adult years attending San Jose State University.

17. Super Pac Man. I watched the game for the first timing confused when Pac Man became big he didn't chomp the ghosts. The first time I played I made it to level 3 without dying.

16. Super Mario Brothers. I played the game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I didn't play the game at the arcade. I include the game because I completed the game without warping and without getting additional lives at World 3-1.

15. Rygar. I dedicate number fifteen to Arthur who was a friend to my brother and I. He always died at the last level.

14. 1943. A high school friend and I always died at the last level. No continues allowed. All strategies were used such as changing from Auto to 3-Way. Unsuccessful.

13. X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I was terrible at fighting games. It was entertaining watching people play. I played the game on a modified Sega Saturn. Cammy and Chun-Li were my fighters.

12. Street Fighter 2. Another fighting game I was terrible. My cousin introduced the game to my brother and I.

11. Frogger. I played the game at Marie Callender's restaurant in sixth grade. I continued completing level after level after level attracting a crowd.

10. Raiden 2. Use the cluster bombs for defense.

9. Time Pilot. I was the only student in my fifth grade class who made it to World War II when my class took a lunch field trip to Chuck E. Cheese.

8. Time Crisis 2. The only arcade game I played at anime conventions decades ago even though Time Crisis 2 was released in 1997.

7. Ikari Warriors. The first video game I played with the 360 degree knob on top of the joystick to rotate the character to shoot in eight directions. One of two video games defined my youth at arcades.

6. Twin Cobra. If the helicopter could fly faster and fewer power ups required for full firepower, then the game is a top three favorite. I used the colors of the helicopters red and blue and the word cobra as nicknames in high school: red cobra and blue cobra. I remember playing the game at Great America amusement park with the background music Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison for the eighth grade graduation party.

5. Blood Brothers. I can win the game on one coin.

4. Midnight Resistance. Fire is the gun and nitro is the secondary weapon.

3. Cyberball 2072. The game is optimized for running plays. No passing plays.

2. Area 51. I mastered the video game in Fall Semester 1996 at San Jose State University. I admit I needed a partner; in particular, an art major I partnered multiple times. We never knew our names. We never talked afterwards. We never became friends. One game we thanked each other.

Honorable mentions: Aero Fighters 2, Dragon Spirit, Gauntlet, and Magic Sword.

1. Gauntlet 2. The second of the two video games defined my youth at arcades. The game was popular and was unpopular. The popular times the arcade set 1,000 health for one coin. The unpopular times the arcade set a multiplier when four coins were deposited at the same time for bonus health.

I Quit Reading A Book

I want to blog a recent event. I stopped reading a book. The reason why I blog quit reading a book is people quit something. Quitting is acceptable. Quitting is a judgement choice. Sometimes quitting is the correct choice. Sometimes quitting is the incorrect choice. Take responsibility making the correct choice or the incorrect choice to quit.

The book I stopped reading is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold at page 150. There are people who enjoyed the book. I recognize their positive opinions. The book is not for me. I also stopped reading Pattern Recognition by William Gibson decades ago. I read one chapter. I never read the rest of Pattern Recognition. I finished reading the following books I should have quit reading: The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, The Adventures Of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green, Up In The Air by Walter Kirn, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and The Rescuers by Margery Sharp.

I also finished reading for which I should have quit reading Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers. The Disney movie is great. The movie is one of my all time favorites. The adaption is fantastic. The book writing style is boring for me.

Riichi Mahjong

I learned Riichi Mahjong in 2007. I quit learning because it was too hard. A friend challenged me and another friend to learn Riichi Mahjong in 2009. We accepted the one week challenge. I have been playing since 2009. I blame poor resources, low motivation, read a poorly written Mahjong book, and no support for quitting in 2007. I corrected my mistakes when I relearned Riichi Mahjong in 2009.

Sometimes there are second chances after quitting the first time.

Review Mistake Number 14

It's okay to quit is top mistake number 14 "Mistake 14: Quit When It's Not Going Well" from my Finding Raymond Mar blog Top Mistakes Part 5 written on Apr 25, 2012. Top Mistakes The Final Part written on Aug 5, 2012 summarizes my top 18 mistakes plus the final top three mistakes for a total of top 21 mistakes.

Update On A Past Blog

I want to mention the Get Back blog written on Jul 13, 2011 as another growing up blog. I wrote an unofficial official growing up blog I Grew Up The Changes Were Immediate Growing Up On Sat Oct 4, 2008 Grow Up on Jan 20, 2026. The Get Back blog mentioned I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008, the change in clothes, the change in physical workouts, and reading fiction books. Specifically, no more dress shirts, slacks, hiking shoes, and SWAT police boots for casual events. I wrote the last paragraph, "I have a better understanding why some successful people who experience a slump or setback revisit their roots. The roots, the core values, the early successes are what made successful people the best they are. It can be people forgot something and they needed to go back and remember the past."

I Grew Up The Changes Were Immediate Growing Up On Sat Oct 4, 2008 Grow Up

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.

A Compilation My Changes Blogs

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.

My First Memories

I share some of my first memories.

*First dream. I fell down from the sky at Meyerholz Elementary School in San Jose, CA. I saw wise old Asian men watching from the mountains. I landed on top of a waterslide made of square wooden pieces like a 1970s playground metal slide supported by wooden posts shaped in squares. I slid down to the main playground. The air dried me immediately. I walked home minutes away from the school.

*Pre-school. I attended Wilson Elementary School in Cupertino, CA. My teacher's name was Miss Sue. She was red haired. One school day I cried myself to the time-out section with my brown paper lunch bag. The time-out section was a wall cordoned by a large red and white color gym mat perpendicular to the floor. My brown paper lunch bag was written with my first name and last name. I read when I was four years old.

*Pre-school parking lot. The end of my school day I walked around the parking lot sidewalk saying goodbye to the school buses.

*First stuffed animal. My mom sewed. She made a lamb for me and my brother. My mom named the lambs after my brother's first name and my first name. My lamb was Raymond Lamb. There was a day my brother played with all of the stuffed animals except for Raymond Lamb. I played with Raymond Lamb alone pretending to watch the house for all of our stuffed animals. The house was the glass coffee table in the living room. My brother thank me and Raymond Lamb for watching the house when his lamb and the stuffed animals came home.

My mom made Raymond Lamb with a mean smile :< My mom made my brother's lamb with a happy smile :)

*Living room glass coffee table. I favored clean. I cleaned up the living room by moving all the toys under the glass coffee table. I told everyone the room was cleaned.

*A late afternoon walk. My parents, brother, and I walked to Meyerholz Elementary School to play at the playground. I played on the playground equipment doing everything wrong because nobody taught me how to use the equipment.

My Game Over Is Coming Soon

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

I'm running out of time. I'm running low on the number of chances. Resources and support dwindle. Permanent quitting time is near. I've exhausted everything I can think to earn my freedom. There are winners in life. There are losers in life. I belong to the losers. Nobody's fault. Blame life. I receive bad advice. Some knowledge are acquired incorrectly. I reverse setbacks as much as I can. I did my best. The narrative is I didn't do enough.

I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I think of my past self job training from today to 2015. Some may say my training was too good. Completing some training faster didn't guarantee a job. Time is no longer my friend. I'm not going to succeed.

No Longer Awesome Boring

I'm running out of ideas to keep my life fresh. There are more stale days lately. There are more rotten days recently. The present life is getting old. The general routine is unchanged for decades. I fear the present general routine becomes too comfortable I'm unable to adapt to better changes.

Reject The Alternate Life

Fortunately, the otaku life or the anime and video game life is forbidden. No fat man life. No eight hours of video games a day life. The lifestyle eating healthy and exercising is clear and present. I read books. I maintain the household. Self job training continues; although, what else can I learn which matches my strengths? My choices are few. I sleep well. I move forward.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote an honest blog Permanent Unemployment on Jan 24, 2024. I spoke for some long-term unemployed people like me frustrated with the job hiring system. I mentioned AI replaces human jobs. Job training costs continue to increase which includes money and technology tools. Timing and luck are factors getting hired and getting rejected.

Wrong Stress

I remember I took a nap at my first job after I graduated from San Jose State University. I was a Research Analyst in a commercial real estate company. The job title was misleading. My job consisted of 90% data entry and 10% analysis. I took a nap because I was stressed out. The stress was neither good nor bad. The stress was menial, repetitive, and boring data entry.

The jobs after working in commercial real estate were legitimate stress. Quick timelines. Bad management; although, management was bad in commercial real estate, too. Poor instructions. Last minute changes. Delays beyond my control.

Stress is relative. Stress is a perspective. The best people minimize stress such as the common knowledge eat healthy, exercise, and sleep for eight hours. I admit I failed minimizing stress. Lessons learned afterwards.

Today's workplace is fast paced. Today's workplace never slows down. More knowledge, more technical skills, and more responsibilities are required for most occupations. The workplace decades ago was kiddie pace compared to today.

Top Ten Plus Fifteen Equals Top Twenty Five Favorite Books I Read

I update my Top Ten Favorite Books I Read blog written on Oct 27, 2019. I repeat some of the introduction: Reading books is one of my favorite hobbies. I started reading more fiction books in 2008. I learn life reading fiction books than nonfiction books. Fiction books give me wisdom. Nonfiction books give me intelligence. I read 75% fiction and 25% nonfiction. I was on volume three in the Harry Potter series at the time of the blog. Harry Potter is number five. Here are my top ten plus fifteen equals top twenty five favorite books I read:

25. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. The author did his research on the Civil War. Some aspects of life exist today such as unfair life, read books, work hard, and despair. A recommendation from my uncle.

24. All The President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. The Richard Nixon Watergate history is part of the book. Persistence is another part of the book. Memorizing all the politicians is not necessary.

23. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The illiterate main character stole books during World War II in Nazi Germany. Read World War II from innocent Germans point of view. Comedy, sorrow, and anger are some of the feelings the reader experiences.

22. Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. I Read Dr. Seuss Books on May 2, 2025. The Places book is a top must read for grade school children.

21. Looking For Alaska by John Green. College students can both be smart and be a prankster. Best John Green book.

20. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. A random book recommendation from a source I forgot. I thought it's an adult literature. It's actually a children's book. The adventure side of a child may open up after reading the book.

19. The Invention Of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I purchased a European edition book. The author wrote the story and drew the illustrations. The main character had courage I wished I had when I was a child.

18 The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Everyone must bring a towel.

17. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. The book is more violent than the movie. The Ian Malcolm character stole the story.

16. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. If you didn't read the book as of the blog post, then don't watch the movie trailer. The movie trailer is major spoilers. I cried three times.

15. The Power Of One by Bryce Courtenay. Teenage boys and teenage girls must read the book. The wisdom is learned at the beginning of the book. The main character practices the wisdom thereafter.

14. Forever . . . by Judy Blume. All teenagers and all parents must read the young adult classic book. The sex scenes and growing up lessons are relevant today.

13. Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Follow the patterns.

12. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. A family lives in multiple cities being in poverty. The reader experiences all emotions in the emotional spectrum. Watch the movie end credits after reading the book to put a face to the family on YouTube. I enjoyed Walls' writing style.

11. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. A book from My Self-Help Books Recommendations blog written on Jun 28, 2020. Discover core habits. Practice, practice, practice the habits.

10. A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking. I learned more than science reading the book. I learned life.

9. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. How do people become rich? Kiyosaki answers the question how. The answer is not a college degree, an MBA, or working a six-figure income.

8. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Readers adapt 20% of his suggestions increases his or her likelihood to meet more new people and create more circle of friends.

7. The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I loved Hemingway's writing style. Short. To the point. No wasted words. An easy and a quick read to satisfy a quick urge.

6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. My all time favorite sci-fi book.

5. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I took me decades to read the book. I read the book three times during the COVID-19 pandemic. My house is Gryffindor. My wand is a white 10.75 inches made of oak with a phoenix feather core. My patronus is a tiger.

4. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The last three chapters were the best last three chapters I ever read. I understand all the references in the media.

3. To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch is strong. Atticus Finch is a model for a man.

2. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell wrote luck and opportunity are the reasons why some people succeed.

Honorable mentions. City Of Thieves by David Benioff, Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett.

1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Jobs was a genius. Jobs was an artist. I promise everyone who reads the book becomes wiser.

Change Priorities

I took a Moby-Dick vacation on selected days from Oct 2023 to Feb 2024. Those selected days I spent less time job training and more time reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

I adapt the Moby-Dick vacation job training starting today. My job training continues. I spend less time job training. I spend more time on life. The reasons for the job training priority change are the job market, AI, the Information Age, and the economy.

Furthermore, I job search five days a week. There have been fewer job openings. There have been more people unemployed. More unemployed people apply for the fewer job openings; although, some job applications are submitted by AI. The probability of finding a job declines year after year. The probability of finding a job declines further in May and Jun when seniors graduate from high school and college.

The Costs Outweigh The Benefits

The more time job training cost outweighs the maintaining maximum job training skills benefit. A company hiring long-term unemployed people is rare. I reduce the job training cost. I benefit more living life not job training. The living life priorities are the following in alphabetical order:

*Cook: Everyone eats healthy.
*Complete errands: Shopping, organizing, and filling my car with gas.
*Emails: Sending and replying email to my family and friends. I also read my favorite articles.
*Learn life skills: Tying knots, shuffling cards, and memorizing jokes and riddles are examples.
*Listen to audio: Music and podcasts.
*Maintain the residences: Vacuuming, washing dishes, laundry, moping, cleaning toilets, and taking out the trash.
*Physical activity: Two days strength training and two days cardio.
*Play video games: Lowest priority. I play classic video games I never played.
*Read books: 75% fiction and 25% non-fiction.
*Social life: Spend time with people.
*Social media: Up to 45 minutes a day is nothing.
*Watch movie: I watch one movie a week.
*Watch television: Lower priority. I watch more sports and less shows.
*Write blogs: Write 100 blogs a year or 8.33 blogs a month is acceptable.

Ignorant consistency is removed. I accept half-ass sometimes because there's no penalty for less than 100% completion. I'm more flexible to priority changes beyond my control. I'm more accepting to adjust priority changes beyond my control. There is no reprimand for finishing a responsibility or a task tomorrow. It's okay to delay lower priorities.

I continue job training for the record. I continue job searching for the record. Finding employment is slim. There's more to life than knowing Excel, Python, data analysis, databases, and web pages.

Update On A Past Blog

I can title today's blog Reset Priorities In A Good Way, Reset Priorities II, Reset Priorities Correctly, or Reset Priorities Maturely. It's another life re-evaluation blog. Fair statement. People should re-evaluate their own lives time to time. Re-evaluate properly. Re-evaluate intelligently. It's okay to make priorities mistakes. Correct priorities mistakes immediately when committed.

I committed priorities mistakes from the blog Reset Priorities written on Sep 18, 2013. The two goals creating three priority tiers were consistency and more hours to sleep. I failed. I admitted my mistake on Feb 28, 2018 Throwback Blog: Reset Priorities saying " The blog is full of crap. I reset my life too many times." There is a limit people resetting their lives too many times indicates professional help may be needed.

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."

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 were 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.

Learn By Example

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

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

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

My Second Boss Was Fired

I experienced a manager was fired for the first time in Sep 2002. She was my second manager overall. It happened at my second company after I graduated at San Jose State University. She was hired in Sep 1999 to replace my first manager who hired me at my first company and my second company. I warned the office manager the replacement was a poor choice. The office manager ignored my warnings like many office managers disregarding worker concerns.

My intuition told me the managing partner needed to layoff staff due to the dot-com recession and the brokers complained about my manager's performance. The managing partner told the office manager to fire my manager. The office manager came to the Research Dept for an impromptu meeting to acquire justification. The meeting lasted ten minutes. The final question was, "Is Research going to be affected if she leaves?" The co-worker and I said the answer "no" immediately.

The office email stated she found another job. I received inside information from a broker's assistant my manager was informed her firing beforehand. The office fired her after she found another job. The broker's assistant also told me my manager's salary was "very high."

I learned a life lesson from my manager firing: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody.

Afterwards

The next 4.5 years another office manager was the Research Dept's manager. The previous office manager admitted her mistake to me in 2003. My co-worker maintained the database. I ran the operations. The managing partner wrote the quarterly newsletters. All was peaceful. Why? Everybody was winners. Each year were record setting revenues. Each year brokers surpassed their previous year's sales targets.

Staff members began to leave the partnership and my office starting in late 2006. I worked at Cisco in Mar 2007. My co-worker worked at another commercial real estate company in Jul 2007. Winning hides weaknesses. Winning ignores problems hoping they go away. Problems were clear and present starting in late 2006.

I Prove Myself Ignorance Is Bliss

Nobody called out my faults throughout my childhood and most of my adulthood. The people accepted my weaknesses. My weaknesses became my normal. The people believed I'm happy being ignorant. The people believed I'm happier being naive. I wasn't going to succeed. Don't waste time correcting me. Don't waste time teaching me. Keep quiet. I was judged let me be. I accepted my weaknesses ignorantly.

Times have changed. I'm on the other side. I identify younger people and older people who used to be me with faults. I make a judgement choice do I call out their weaknesses? Do I call out their mistakes? Can they handle the solution? Can they handle the truth? I understand the teachers, grown-ups, co-workers, and managers when they identified my faults. They made a judgement choice do they call out my weaknesses? All of them were quiet withholding the solutions. All of them were quiet withholding the truths. All is forgiven. The top reason is . . .

Update On A Past Blog

. . . I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. My life changed forever. I welcome maturity, strength, professionalism, courage, and wisdom. I'm lucky. I'm fortunate. There are adults older than me who didn't grow up.

I wrote Growing Up Too Late Was Not My Fault on Nov 14, 2015 not blaming myself I grew up later than a typical adult. My parents were slow raising me. My parents never finished nurturing me. I fell through the cracks in the school systems. My life was too easy.

Generation Alpha May Be The Last Generation To Shop In Malls

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

Update On A Past Blog

The biggest mall in San Francisco is closing due to sales decreasing and lower number of shoppers. The COVID-19 global pandemic, employees working at home, and inflation are factors, too. Popular stores such as Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Whole Foods, LuluLemon, Disney, Macy's, The North Face, J. Crew, and Old Navy announced in summer 2023 they leave the Westfield San Francisco Centre. The Century San Francisco 9 movie theater owned by Cinemark closed in Jun 2023. However, the mall stays open for new businesses renamed to Emporium Centre San Francisco at a later date. I wrote two blogs on malls. The first blog is SOMT: Fast Times At Ridgemont High written on Jan 20, 2018 and SOMT: A Few Malls Still Exists Today written on Mar 24, 2018. SOMT stands for Sign Of My Times, an occasional blog sharing my thoughts how time changes life from when I was young to today. The malls are a people get-together magnet. People gather to socialize.

I remember a conversation with a group of friends back in my college years. It was a Friday night. We were bored. There was a suggestion we go to the mall. One disagreed admirably. He didn't believe in going to the mall to hang out. My opinion on malls is unchanged. Malls are a great place for gatherings. People are present. Human interaction. Face to face socializing. People spend money for the local economy.

Unfortunately, online commerce is another reason malls close. The generation alpha people born from 2013 to present may be the malls' final customers. There are people still shopping at malls at all ages; in particular, generation alpha's grandparents representing the baby boomer generation. The best malls remain. Winning malls stay open. Losing malls close.

A One And A Half Inch Paint Brush Is Useful

My dad is a self-trained handyman. His handyman skills include woodworking, electrical, plumbing, painting, and automotive. He assisted a family friend for interior painting. They supplied painting equipment for each other. My dad and his friend used a 1.5 inch painting brush for the first time in their lives. I asked a question after he told me the story, "You should have purchased the 1.5 inch decades ago." My dad said he had no need.

There is irony from a hardware technology point of view. My dad kept serial port cables, parallel port cables, USB-A cables, keyboards with the keyboard jack, mouses with the mouse jack, power cables, stereo cables, and landline phone cables. My dad was in no position to say he had no need for a 1.5 inch paint brush.

Everyone relates to the above story. There is always an open pouch for a new object in the toolbelts. The arsenal stocking up on something new is infinite. Upgrades, replacements, and strengthening never stops. There are exceptions such as duct tape. Sometimes the old school is still valid today. It's a judgment call.

Equipment, Knowledge Or Training, And Personnel

A standard formula for success is the proper equipment, correct knowledge or good training, and personnel behaving as a team. A trained person can substitute personnel behaving as a team if the situation is a single person. For instance, I self-trained with a new desktop PC, finalized job training schedules, and choosing the correct technology skills to train from Jan 2020 to Mar 2024. The end result was a Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology on Apr 19, 2024. An obvious example is developing children in a family. The parents provide the equipment such as clothes, books, and meals. The children are taught the ABCs and 123s by a good teacher. The children's personnel are their parents providing guidance and nurturing.

A personal belief is never stop innovating--innovate infinitely. Innovate infinitely applies to tools, accessories, equipment, and supplies.

Learn Something Everyday

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Today we learn some homeless people are happy, seal by the side front, some libraries sell used books outside their libraries, some mosquitos are geniuses, sober people are safer than drunken people, give king size candy bars for thoughtful gifts, pet friendly insect traps, all retail stores profit from Halloween, fix a toilet bowl leak, and don't pay full price for a small bag of potato chips.

Update On A Past Blog

The blog Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story on Mar 23, 2024 for which the YouTube comments told the real story instead of the television news story reminded me of the blog The Person Wants No Help written on Mar 24, 2015. Some of the homeless people want no help. The first pic in today's blog is another viewpoint on homeless people. There are happy homeless people.