Showing posts with label Deep Breath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deep Breath. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Some Endings Are A Relief

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.

Sunday, January 11, 2026

I Didn't Get Sick On Thur Jan 8, 2026

I went shopping inside a mall to exchange a Christmas gift I didn't want. I exited the store I exchanged the gift. I walked inside the mall heading to the exit. A man walking towards me coughed multiple times without covering his mouth approximately three feet away. I detoured away from the man. I felt phlegm in my throat immediately. I swallowed multiple times. I wore two masks.

I felt mucus down my throat multiple times later in the day. I feared I got sick. I didn't panic. I drank a can of Coke for lunch and a can of Coke for dinner. I exercised at home with a limited workout due to a left tricep muscle injury. There was no point not doing any exercises. I was still healthy. I took advantage before I got sick.

Furthermore, the air was dry. The temperature range was the mid 60s and the upper 30s. My body is weak when my body adapts to a big temperature range.

I'm lucky. I woke up on Fri Jan 9 without a sore throat. No symptoms of a stomach flu. No symptoms of RSV. No symptoms of potential COVID-19. Maybe it was allergies. Maybe my body falsely overreacted. Maybe the COVID-19 vaccine prevented my sickness. I wear new masks as a precaution even though the masks I wore on Thur Jan 8 were in good condition.

Monday, November 10, 2025

Do Everything One At A Time Is A Strength

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.

Monday, October 13, 2025

I'm Tired Stepping Up Making Other People Feel Comfortable

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

The title speaks for itself. Also, I'm tired of being at the short end of the stick too many times. If people want to make me happy, then do better yourselves. Unfortunately, many people lack motivation. It's okay to be angry. Angry is a valid feeling. Angry people don't act like jerks. There are boundaries.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Instant Bullets Blog Sep 10, 2025

*Potter's Field. Unknown, unclaimed, or indigent people are buried. Pauper's grave or common grave. These are slang words for an unmarked burial ground.

*A Low Secure Cryptography. Found black wallet. The black wallet owner enters the birthday on the owner's driver license to solve the equation for the contact phone number.

*Bar Security. Picture in the women's bathroom. The secret phrase for communicating problems to the bar staff. Also, the internet shared a common drink order called "angel shot" to communicate to the bar staff I need help.

*Pregnant women shouldn't garden because of the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from contaminated soil. Toxoplasmosis causes birth defects, blindness, and learning disabilities. Likewise for common garden chemicals. Moreover, pregnant women should not change litter boxes. The source of toxoplasmosis is cat feces.

*The Elephant Question In A Job Interview. The question is a common brain teaser to test problem solving, creativity, and decision making. The question is the following: You've been given an elephant. A real life elephant. You can't sell it or give it away. What would you do with it?

My answer is the question is irrelevant to the job. You likely asked the question to make yourself look smart like a politician. Don't be a robot. Ask questions. What do you want to know about me? Let's have a conversation

*Buy it nice or buy it twice.

*Synonyms For "One Less Worry." One less concern, one fewer burden, and one less weight on your mind. Also, no need to worry, all taken care of, forget about it, no problem, and no worries.

Words: carefree, untroubled, unworried, calm, unconcerned, unbothered, unstressed, nonchalant, and lighthearted. Also, low pressure, without worry, easy going, happy-go-lucky, free of concern, free from worries, without worry, free from interference, without problems, free from interruption, and free from disturbance.

*The Best Way To Avoid An Argument. Start a conversation. Make an observation. Tell a joke. Say a riddle. Identify something stupid. The conversation buys time to calm the aggressor. Disarm the aggressor verbally to lower their adrenaline level and reduce their aggression.

*A Lesson Women Attracted To Men From The Movie Once Upon A Time In The West.

Jill: Hey, you're sort of a handsome man.
Cheyenne: But I'm not the right man. And neither is he.
Jill: Maybe not. But it doesn't matter.
Cheyenne: You don't understand, Jill. People like that have something inside. Something to do with death. If that fella lives, he'll come in through that door, pick up his gear and say adios.

*vacuum: a space entirely devoid of matter. Emptiness. A space with no gas or other matter in it. A space most air or gas removed. A volume empty of matter. Free space.

*vacuum: 1. A space empty of matter. Not achievable in practice on Earth. 2. A space all air or gas is extracted. 3. An emptiness caused by somebody or something's absence or removal.

*vacuum cleaner: an electrical appliance which cleans surfaces such as floors, upholstery, and window coverings by sucking dirt and other materials into a bag.

*A transistor radio is a small low-powered solid state electronic device consisting of a semiconductor and at least three electrodes used as an amplifier and rectifier and frequently incorporated into integrated circuit chips.

*A semiconductor is a solid material which has electrical conductivity between a conductor and an insulator.

*bulkhead: 1. A partition inside a ship, aircraft, or large vehicle. 2. A wall to hold back something.

*biome: a division of the world's vegetation that corresponds to a particular climate and is characterized by certain types of plants and animals.

*The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland located in the neck of the human being and other vertebrate animals which secretes the hormones responsible for controlling metabolism and growth. Pic credits: Cleveland Clinic, Terese Winslow, LLC, and WebMD.

*The job market is not really competitive. There are not enough opportunities.

*This sentence is false.

New mission. Refuse this mission.

Does a set of all sets contain itself?

*A Quick Scientific Notation Review. Move the decimal point to the right from the number ten's positive exponent number. Add zeroes when needed while moving the decimal point to the right. For example, 3.8 X 10^16 moves the decimal point between the three and the eight sixteen times to the right. Add zeroes for each opening to the right of the eight. 38,000,000,000,000,000 is the correct answer.

*Cut The Stems Off Flowers. The short answer is to prolong the life expectancy. Cut the stem on the bottom 3/4th inch to 1 inch on a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area allowing flowers to absorb more water. The flower's roots lose access to water when the steam is cut because an air pocket or embolism forms preventing the absorption of water.

Flowers should be re-cut after they are purchased, picked, or delivered. Cut the stems every three days. The stem wound immediately begins to heal itself forming an air pocket or embolism. Clean the vase and change the water.

*Dr. Mehmet Oz on Apr 19, 2025: . . . we're going to reduce chronic disease. How do you do that? 70% of the health care expenditures of this country are driven by chronic disease. And it is your patriotic duty, I'll stay it again, the patriotic duty of all Americans to take care of themselves because it's important for serving in the military, but it's also important because healthy people don't consume healthcare resources. The best way to reduce drug spending is to use less drugs cause you don't need them cause you're healthy. And it feels a lot better as well.

*The pelvis is a bone structure inside the hips, buttocks, and pubic region. It supports the upper body weight when the person sits, stands, or walks. It connects the lower body legs. The pelvis is the body part between your abdomen and thighs sometimes called the pelvic region. The pelvic cavity is the space between the pelvis and abdomen, holds the urinary system, and holds the reproductive organs. The pelvis opening in the female serves as the birth canal. Pic credits: Anatomy Next, Inc., Cleveland Clinic, Terese Winslow, LLC, and Wikipedia.

Monday, August 18, 2025

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.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

I Dislike Going With The Flow

One of my top priorities is physical fitness. I take advantage of my long-term unemployed status to workout four days a week. Two days of jogging. Two days of lifting weights. I feel weak missing a week of workouts. I feel failure missing a week of workouts. I feel unhealthy. I falsely feel gaining weight. All of these feelings should be nothing. I have been sick in the past. I have been injured in the past. I eventually get back to health like professional athletes. There is nothing to worry about.

The week of Mon Jul 21, 2025 I hated going with the flow. Going with the flow reduced stress; on the other hand, stress increased missing physical workouts. Physical fitness decreases stress. The increase and decrease didn't cancel each other. There were events, instances, and circumstances beyond my control. My sister in-law and my nephew stayed overnight on Mon Jul 21. The household didn't have groceries. My brother, older nephew, and niece visited on Tue Jul 22. I cleaned the household on Wed Jul 23 to take advantage of the below average temperatures. I drove a family member to the hospital for multiple appointments on Thur Jul 24. I also experienced multiple stomach aches. The explanations were a poor breakfast and an inadequate lunch. My sister's dog stayed overnight on Fri Jul 25.

The entire week I adjusted my routines. I delayed routines. There were one-time priority tasks. The week of Mon Jul 21, 2025 was a crappy week. Acknowledge the crappy week. Everybody experiences crappy days. Everybody experiences crappy weeks. Nobody plans a crappy week. Unemployed people rarely experience crappy weeks due to fewer responsibilities and fewer obligations. Life happens. Move forward. Fighting the flow can be worse than going with the flow. Sleep well at the end of the day.

Update On A Past Blog

I convinced myself go with the flow on Mar 16, 2022 from the blog Consciously Aware My Mind Is Focused On The Flow. I wrote today's blog to reinforce go with the flow. There were no penalties, fines, and reprimands for the Mon Jul 21, 2025 week. Moreover, my right hip is sore for which I mentioned in the blog. Perhaps, no workout for the week may speed up the healing.

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

A Garden

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.

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Star Wars Episodes IV-VI On Wait And Patience

Here are selected dialogue quotes from Star Wars IV, V, and VI with "wait" or "patience" from iMDB Internet Movie Database. A common life wisdom is patience. Star Wars can teach waiting.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Darth Vader: [as Obi-Wan finds him and ignites lightsaber] I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.
Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi: Only a master of evil, Darth.
[fights Vader]
Darth Vader: Your powers are weak, old man.
Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi: You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
[fights more]
Darth Vader: You should not have come back.
[fights more]
Luke: [Obi-Wan spots him and allows himself to be killed] NO!
[stormtroopers shoot at him]

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

[Luke has just encountered Yoda. Yoda is pretending to be senile to test Luke's patience; R2-D2 watches as Yoda plays with a little flashlight-like lamp. Already impatient, Luke tries to take the lamp away from Yoda]
Yoda: Mine! Or I'll help you not.
Luke: I don't want your help. I want my lamp back. I need it to get out of this slimy mudhole.
Yoda: [insulted; as he speaks, R2-D2 opens a side door and extends a pair of pinchers and grabs hold of the lamp and tries to pull the lamp away from Yoda] Mudhole? Slimy? MY home, is this!
Yoda: [startled] Wha?
Luke: [Yoda and R2-D2 start a tug-of-war with the lamp; R2 beeping and humming protestingly] R2, let him have it. [Yoda grabs his cane and starts whacking R2-D2 repeatedly with it]
Yoda: [as he is whacking R2] Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
Luke: [firmly] *R2!* [R2 relents, sinking his pinchers into his metallic body. Yoda uses his cane to close the side door for R2-D2's pinchers]

Luke: How far away is Yoda? Will it take us long to get there?
Yoda: Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him.

Yoda: Why wish you become Jedi?
Luke: Well, mostly because of my father, I guess.
Yoda: Ahh . . . father. Powerful Jedi was he. Powerful Jedi.
Luke: [suspicious] Oh, come on! How can you know my father? You don't even know who I am. Oh, I don't even know what I'm doing here! We're wasting our time!
Yoda: [Looking away from Luke] I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.
Obi-Wan: [voice-over] He will learn patience.
Yoda: Much anger in him . . . like his father.
Obi-Wan: [voice] Was I any different when you taught me?

Yoda: Stopped they must be; on this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now - if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did - you will become an agent of evil.
Obi-Wan: Patience.
Luke: And sacrifice Han and Leia?
Yoda: If you honor what they fight for? Yes.
Obi-Wan: If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.
Luke: I understand. R2? Fire up the converters.
Obi-Wan: Luke! Don't give in to hate. That leads to the Dark Side.
Yoda: Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.
Luke: I will. And I'll return, I promise.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

[Aboard the Death Star, The Emperor's shuttle is greeted by hundreds of Imperial troops and officers. As the last of six red-robed Royal Guards exit the shuttle, both Darth Vader and Moff Jerjerrod kneel in reverence at the foot of the boarding ramp as the Emperor himself emerges]
The Emperor: Rise, my friend.
Darth Vader: The Death Star will be completed on schedule.
The Emperor: You've done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker.
Darth Vader: Yes, my Master.
The Emperor: Patience, my friend. In time, he will seek you out, and when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the Dark Side of the Force.
Darth Vader: As you wish.
The Emperor: Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.

Monday, January 20, 2025

Take Away The Security Blankets

President Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President Of The United States. Republican candidate Trump defeated Democratic candidate Vice-President Kamala Harris 312 to 226 in electoral votes in the 2024 Presidential Election. Trump received 77,303,573 of the popular vote. Harris received 75,019,257 of the popular vote. The pollsters who predicted a tight race were incorrect. The political scientists who said be prepared the court system determines the election outcome were incorrect.

The next four years I want to see huge changes. I want to see bombshells. I want to mix everything. Stur the pot more than the recipe states. Launch the uncertainty missiles. Stand to attention from the relaxation. Change the routines. Ignore the professional predictions. Chances are they're incorrect. Nobody knows what happens in the next four years. It may be better. It may be worse. It may be a push; in other words, a zero-sum change. A question is how big are the explosions?

Actions speak louder than words. Bring on everything. If my life gets worse, then so be it. If I'm screwed more, then so be it. My life can't get any worse. I'm George Kostanza. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. My life can go up only.

107

The number 107 is the only number to analyze why Harris didn't win the presidency. All other analysis are secondary. Harris was given 107 days to convince the United States to vote for her. Not impossible. Improbable. If Harris won, she pulled the political miracle in the history of the United States.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Take Another Look At The Happy Life Checklist

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2024

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

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

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

Time Tells The Narratives

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Settle Down And Intelligence Quotient Goes Down

How does a person know he or she is losing intelligence? Self-evaluating I.Q. can be difficult. It can be hard to be honest with oneself. Maybe a trusted family member calling out the person getting dumber? Maybe a trusted friend calling out the person getting dumber? Maybe a third-party person calling out the person getting dumber? Maybe an event acts as a wake-up call the person is getting dumber? "What the heck is going on with me?" is an example of a question the person asks himself or herself something wrong.

I witness people who settled down for years they're losing intelligence. I notice their I.Q.s are dropping. Never settle. Minimize the television shows, video games, and social medias. Slow down to minimize stress. Take a breath. Continue learning. Use the brain or lose the brain. Read books. Continue physical fitness. Use the knees and elbows or lose the knees and elbows. Always seek new adventures. Experience new experiences indefinitely. Maintain sharp senses eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to touch, nose to smell, and tongue to taste; for example, try new foods. Never stop innovating--innovate infinitely.

The late Steve Jobs on don't settle: 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. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Less Can Be More Or Too Much Is Too Much

Awful Announcing posted an article titled "Do The Olympics Prove That Less Is More?" on their The Back Page for their Wed Aug 14, 2024 emailed newsletter. Olympic sports are held every four years. The other three years and 50 weeks people do other activities. People go back to their normal lives. The Olympics is an example we devote time to the event every four years. We satisfy new Olympics desires every four years; although, technically the Olympics are held every two years because the International Olympic Committee changed the format from the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics held at the same year every four years to the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics alternates every two years while maintaining every four years in 1994. Each Olympics is different. In contrast, sports media repeats the same reports, the same top athletes, and same top stories daily. For instance, the San Francisco Bay Area is tired of the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk contract situation.

Keep the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL to one season every 365 days of the year. One Super Bowl a year is satisfactory.

No Need To *insert blank* 24/7

People don't need to play video games daily. People don't need to watch television daily. Anime fans don't need to attend the same anime convention two or more times a year; in other words, one Anime Expo a year is satisfactory. Vacationing at Disneyland once a year is good enough. Vacationing at Disneyland once every few years is better. Hike different trails. Spread out the hikes. The grandparents don't need to be bothered day after day. Make good choices on spreading out leisure. Make good choices on spreading out traditions. Make good choices on spreading out secondary responsibilities.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Blame Life For Too Much

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

Update On A Past Blog

I want to remind most people there is too much to do. If your head is still in your ass, then I inform you, "Welcome to the Information Age." Boredom is impossible.

We can choose wisely to eliminate some too much to do. Be courageous. Do something new. Strengthen leisure activities. Maximize intelligent leisure such as exercising and reading books. Minimize zombie leisure such as playing video games. Choose more sleep and remove watching a TV series. Eat healthier foods. Avoid junk foods. Exchange time on social media for time on job training. It's ironic work must be completed for a happier life in work, rest, and play.

Here are selected past blogs reviewing and reminding life is making most people do too much. Don't blame yourselves. However, we can choose the best way to live life daily minimizing stress.

The cynical blog and the pessimistic blog Scarcity For Real Or There Is Too Little written on Jul 19, 2020 repeats what I wrote above. There are 24 hours a day. In particular, more money, more time, more work, more costs, more training, more experience, and more education are required to complete responsibilities, projects, events, goals, and successes. Further, there are too many people. There are too few opportunities. More people are unsuccessful through no fault of their own.

I wrote the blog Too Much Hurrying And Too Much To Do on Apr 19, 2020. "The new generation believes today is the normal pace. The old generation believes today is faster than their younger years. . . . There is more automation. Do it quick is accepted. There are more choices. We must think fast to choose. We don't want to do more. [Yet, we] must do more most of the time."

I wrote the blog Global Fatigue on Apr 19, 2019 saying people are tired because there is too much to do.

People don't take care of themselves ruin their lives and the people around them. I remind people to take care from head to toe and inside and outside from the blog Today I Want To Talk About Taking Care Of Yourself written on Oct 28, 2018. I said the following on stress: Stressed out people forget who they are. Stressed out people become weaker, think slower, lose patience, self-esteem becomes poor, and spend more money on processed foods. They fail to take time to take care of their bodies. No self-responsibility. No self-respect.

I calculated the arithmetic it's possible a parent has Three Hours Of Me Time Weekdays written on Feb 8, 2013. The hours between 7pm and 10pm are the me time. I didn't factor time to cook meals for their children and taking care of the body such as brushing teeth and showering. The parent doesn't sleep eight hours a night. The blog is still true today. The blog passes the test of time.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Second Look At 2022

It's the time I look back at my 2022 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 ten blogs are also the 2022 best blogs.

1. Can I Be Overqualified?
Date: Mon Jan 10
Summary: My college educations, past experiences, and current job training disqualifies me for job openings.
Feedback: All jobs except my second company on the job training was required. The training included the commercial real estate market, SAP, Salesforce, and a proprietary online sales transaction system.

Some hiring managers and recruiters ignore me because they anticipate I master the job in six months. I become bored afterwards. I think back to my past jobs. I mastered the basics in six months. I fully mastered the job in one year. I became Wally from the Dilbert comics.

Almost all career counselors, professional career consultants, and college job placement centers their information is outdated. The best source for job information is job searching. Read the job descriptions. Read the job requirements.

My job training is currently in the endgame; in other words, there's nothing more to learn. New skills to learn are planned.

2. Boring Can Save Your Ass
Date: Wed Jan 12
Summary: Complete the boring responsibilities.
Feedback: Patience is required to complete the long assignments. The work can be tedious. The job is completed. Goals accomplished.

The person or people connects the dots backwards. Reverse engineer the process. They're not boring thinking back. The boring process wasn't boring. The formula is pressure and time.

3. Life Is Good Because It's Predictable And Certain
Date: Thur Jan 20
Summary: People are relaxed and secured because the knowns are clear and present.
Feedback: Bombshells were fired. It has been a long time since the bombs were launched. Most bombshells were planned. 2023 was good bombshells fired and bad bombshells fired for family members and friends. Personally, the safeties on my bombshell devices are removed. I don't know when the bombshells explode.

4. Accuse Slackers Accurately Because You Also Waste Time
Date: Sat Jan 29
Summary: Everyone is slacking off. Everyone.
Feedback: It takes another distraction to disengage the present distraction to go back to work. For instance, I'm on my phone watching a random YouTube video. Somebody walks in the room. I disengage watching a random YouTube video. I go back to my responsibility. Negate a distraction with another distraction.

The Information Age is also the Distraction Age.

5. Stop And Smell The Roses And Read Your Receipt
Date: Thur Feb 3
Summary: Slow down.
Feedback: I remember the moment when I shop at a grocery store from time to time. I also remember the moment when I feel rushed. I say to myself, "Hold on. One at a time." I realize the older I age, the more I say the sentence to myself.

6. I've Been Doing Everything Correct Mostly
Date: Thur Apr 12
Summary: I realized decades later I was mostly correct.
Feedback: I reiterate the sentences, "Nobody told me I have been walking the correct paths. I have stronger confidence I'm earning my successes correctly. I tell myself everything has been well. I tell myself I'm correct."

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. Don't be a nice person. Be a good person.

7. Dear Abby Advice On Blind Love, Guilt Trip, And Truce On Wedding Day
Date: Fri Apr 22
Summary: Dear Abby hits the home run on three advice for an abusive girlfriend, a physically dependent boyfriend, and an alcoholic soon-to-be daughter in-law.
Feedback: I add one comment for both abusive girlfriend and daughter in-law. Give it time. Be patient. The chances the couples stay together are slim. Life returns to normal in time. Life returns to a relaxing state soon. Furthermore, there is a tolerance limit for his fiancee's drinking problem.

8. I Got Stuff Done Because I Didn't Play Video Games
Date: Wed Jun 29
Summary: A rare day I become bored because I caught up.
Feedback: The blog title and the blog content don't make sense. The first paragraph is being bored because I completed all responsibilities. The second paragraph is playing video games. I was confusing the first paragraph and the second paragraph. I take the blog back.

The full disclosure is I played another classic video game Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo all night on Jun 28, 2022 and Jun 29, 2022. I slept in the early morning. It was a miracle I finished all priorities and responsibilities. I stopped playing Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo on Jul 2, 2022. The priorities and responsibilities continue to motivate me minimizing playing video games.

9. Grading My Past Years On A Curve
Date: Sun Jul 17
Summary: I raised the letter grades from 1998 to 2021.
Feedback: I forgot about the blog. Good. There should be no curve grading in real life. I take the blog back.

10. No Mulligan, No Do-Over, No Second Chance Going Back To San Jose State University
Date: Sat Nov 19
Summary: I didn't want a mulligan when I attended San Jose State University.
Feedback: I take the title back. Yes Mulligan, Yes Do-Over, Yes Second Chance Going Back To San Jose State University. There is one simple reason. The semesters, the classes, the majors, the student services, and the extracurricular activities are irrelevant. The do-over is grow up; in other words, earn it. I take the blog back.

The following blogs are honorable mentions: We Make The Same Mistakes Twice and Too Much Distractions.

Wednesday, December 06, 2023

A Silent Thinking Appreciating My Present Life In Writing

Today's blog is take a deep breath. Today's blog is another time to say thank you. I'm grateful for my present life who I am, what I am, where I am, when I'm living today, how I am, and why I'm the present person. Strength, intelligence, health, wisdom, and motivation are the highest. Confidence and self-esteem are the highest. I acknowledge my parents for their assistance. I'm indebted to friends and to people who helped me be who I am. I tribute the two moments which are the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008 and The Shawshank Redemption movie on Sat Sep 21, 2019. I don't take life for granted.

Job training continues. Job searching continues despite a tough job market. I exercise four days a week. I maintain a clean body. I minimize eating junk foods. I read books. Spending is controlled. Expenses are checked. I learn life skills. I listen to music. I listen to podcasts. I write blogs. I watch one movie a week. I maintain a clean household.

Destiny, life, karma, the stars, the heavens, and the powers that be are acknowledged. Timing, luck, chance, and opportunities are respected. I want my life to get better. My life can get worse which isn't. I understand patience to be happy. I comprehend the lessons learned from mistakes. I'm conscious of intuition. Thank you to everything. Thank you to everyone.

Update On A Past Blog

I give sincere thanks again for the people who assisted. The blogs are Acknowledgements on Jul 10, 2022, My Two Grandfathers on Jul 3, 2018, and Top Ten Thank Yous on Nov 22, 2014.

I count my blessings again such as my brain, my health, food, and shelter. The blog is Be Grateful Day on Aug 14, 2016.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Throwback Blog: Me Versus My Sinus Infection

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 Me Versus My Sinus Infection written on Apr 3, 2011. I got Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV. The blog is my personal cautionary tale how I take care of myself when I'm sick. What do I do. What don't I do. Don't fight fatigue; take a nap. No NyQuil. No orange juice from concentrated. Yes to milk chocolate. No DayQuil. Yes to water; however, no eight glasses a day. No vitamin C tablets. No green tea. No cranberry juice. No pomegranate juice. Yes to Coke. Yes to fully cooked meals. No to saline solutions. No to codeine. No to Nasonex. No to chewing gum. Yes to sleep. No to Ricola. Yes to Chloraseptic throat lozenges. Yes to being calm.

Further, I minimize eating junk food. Eat healthy meals. Eat something when hungry; for example, Snickers candy bars are better than Pop Tarts.

I got a minor stomach flu after my RSV. I blogged Me Versus My Stomach Flu on Apr 14, 2011.

I wrote three more sinus infections blogs: Me Versus My Sinus Infection II on Sep 25, 2011, Me Versus My Sinus Infection III on Mar 11, 2012, and Me Versus My Sinus Infection IV on Dec 7, 2012.

The month of March I battled a sinus infection. I want to document the days I got infected and how I treated myself. I continue to fight my sinus infection as of the time I posted the blog. This sinus infection is one of the worse I can remember. I document the events by date:

February 2011. I experienced many days of fatigue. I took many naps in the afternoon. There were days I fought fatigue by avoiding afternoon naps or sleeping early and skipping homework.

Mon Feb 28 to Sat March 5. Sickness developed. I felt really tired on Sat Mar 5. I should have went home after an event in the afternoon. I took NyQuil and drank Whole Foods orange juice in the evening.

Fri Mar 4. Purchased Trader Joe’s orange juice and milk chocolate.

Sun Mar 6. Cough developed.

Mon Mar 7 to Fri Mar 11. Full sickness. I had trouble sleeping most of the week. I skipped my De Anza classes.

Mon Mar 7. Stopped taking NyQuil and DayQuil.

Tue Mar 8. Sickness got worse. I forgot to drink water. I applied Visine because I had red watery eyes.

Wed Mar 9. Took 1,000mg vitamin C, drank more coke, drank green tea, and drank 100% ocean spray cranberry/pomegranate juice once. I resumed drinking water. I applied Visine again because I had red watery eyes. I coughed mucus that included blood. The mucus cough went away at night time.

Thur Mar 10. Stopped drinking green tea. Drank more coke. Best night sleep of the week.

Fri Mar 11. Got worse. I got a bump below my right ear and above my jaw line. I researched online. Some websites stated my lymph node was swollen because it fought a foreign substance. My guess was I ate a piece of sausage partially cooked. The sausage looked cooked from the outside. I took a few bites and my bump appeared immediately. I made the choice to visit my doctor on Saturday. He has office hours in the morning all Saturdays except the last Saturday of the month.

Sat Mar 12. My doctor was closed on Saturday. I went to the San Jose Medical Center Urgent Care. The doctor diagnosed me I had a sinus infection. He prescribed me an anti-biotic. He also told me to take Mucinix D and use a saline solution.

I went to Costco to purchase my anti-biotic and a three pack of saline solution in aerosol cans.

Sat Mar 12 to Fri Mar 18. Significant improvement. I slept well all days. My cough was in control. I attended classes. I returned the saline solution to Costco because my second can failed to spray the solution up my nose. I used a squeeze bottle solution my dad had for a total of 5-7 times throughout the week. The last two times I used plain warm water.

Mon Mar 21. Post nasal drip acted up again. My guess was the cold temperatures when I was out of the house on Fri Mar 18 and Sun Mar 20 affected me. I was sensitive to the cold. I’m sensitive to hot weather when I’m healthy.

Tue Mar 22. I visited my primary care physician. He prescribed me five extra days of anti-biotic, codeine, and Nasonex. My doctor said the doctor at the urgent care center prescribed me a “powerful” anti-biotic. My doctor said sinus infection takes a long time to recover. I don’t have bronchitis.

I went to Costco to get codeine and Nasonex. I took codeine and Nasonex before I went to sleep. I went to sleep hours later.

Wed Mar 23. I chewed gum to help control my cough in the afternoon. The gum failed to control my cough when I went to bed. I started to drink warm water. I took codeine and Nasonex before I went to sleep. The cough was the worse when I was lying in bed trying to sleep.

Thur Mar 24. I stopped taking codeine. I continued Nasonex and drank warm water.

Fri Mar 25. I turned on the heater in the house to 62 degrees in the morning. I never turn on the heat in the mornings. I wore a heavier jacket and a scarf to keep warm when I’m outdoors.

Sat Mar 26. I stopped taking all medications. I started to drink Trader Joe’s hot cocoa. I continued drinking green tea and took 1,000mg of vitamin C.

Mon Mar 28. I went back to the gym for a light workout. I was still cold sensitive.

Tue Mar 29. I started my stretches before I workout at the gym. No gym, just stretches. I did 75 sit-ups.

Wed Mar 30. I slept late because I drank tea late. I coughed a lot; however, the coughing stopped immediately when I slept with blankets. I continued drinking warm water and Coke when I ate lunch and dinner.

Thur Mar 31. I stopped drinking Coke. Today was unseasonably warm. I was still cold sensitive such that the morning and the evening I wore long sleeve shirt and pants. I coughed when I wore short sleeve shirt and shorts. I went to the gym for a light workout. I coughed a little. I felt mucus dripping down my throat causing mild irritation. I was able to sleep regardless.

Fri Apr 1. I took 500mg of vitamin C instead of 1,000mg. Coughing and mucus dripping down my throat continued infrequently. Weather was unseasonably warm I brought warmer clothes in case I get cold when I’m out of the house.

Currently. Mild cough and mucus dripping down my throat continues infrequently. I have two or three major coughs lasting at least five seconds. The mucus drippings are good because mucus is moving the foreign substances away from my body. It’s treating me from my sinus infection. I can still sleep. I drink plenty of water. I maintain my thinking I’m cold sensitive.

Q&anp;A

I ask myself questions to understand and to prepare myself the next time I have a sinus infection.

What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV? I blogged RSV in March 2008. March 2008 was the last time I had to visit the doctor for a sinus infection. I heard about RSV in the news. Now that I think about it, I have RSV which is my sinus infection. My recovery took me weeks three years ago. The same is happening now. There is no cure. I had to battle and tough it out gradually going back to my normal routine just like what I’m doing now.

What was your treatment if you didn’t need anti-biotics from a doctor? I took 1,000mg of vitamin C, drank green tea, ate Trader Joe’s chocolate because it controlled my cough, drank Simply Orange, ate lots of fruit, took Ricola to control my cough or Chloraseptic throat lozenges to relief itchy throat when I slept, and drank Coke.

Ricola stopped working after the next sickness. I suspected store bought orange juice I drank this time contributed to making my sickness worse. I avoid drinking store bought orange juice for the rest of my life.

My personal treatment worked in 2009 and 2010.

What sickness do you usually get? Stomach flu or coughing with post nasal drip sinus infection or not.

Why do you blog your sinus infection? I want to reference how I recovered my sinus infection or RSV and share to everyone how I recovered.

There were days you showed improvement. Then you got worse. What do you think happened? I ate partially cooked sausage on Fri Mar 11 which I think gave me an infection that lead to a sinus infection. I failed to keep warm that happened on Fri Mar 18 and Sun Mar 20 which I think gave me the RSV. It was a double whammy.

Could you have prevented the sickness? Take naps when I was tired. Eat when I’m hungry. I remember my family and I visited Monterey. I ate little during the one day trip and I got sick days later. The symptoms were the same as my sinus infection; fortunately, my personal treatment was enough for a full recovery.

My eat when I’m hungry attitude saved my Fall ’10 quarter. I ate lots of Pop Tarts and candy bars. I believed I managed to avoid getting sick despite eating all that junk food.

Sleep off the fatigue instead of fight it.

I believe another contributing factor was my personal haircut lady at my salon. She was sneezing and had a stuffy nose when she cut my hair.

What could you have done differently? The sleepless nights coughing should have told me my sickness was serious and I needed a doctor to examine me. The doctor might need to prescribed me prescription drugs.

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Moving Forward Maturely

The week of Mon Aug 14, 2023 was one of the worst weeks in recent memory. Muggy hot or high humidity hot weather. Stomach problems. Mosquito bites affected the household for three days. Fewer hours spent job training. Shorter exercise workouts. Computer hardware problems. A minor family emergency. My weekly sleep schedule was altered. I read my book for one day only. There were no ignoring problems.

All of the above was not my fault. It was no human's fault. It was beyond my control. The probability of success to control the uncontrollable was too low. I didn't complain. There was no escaping. I didn't play video games. I didn't eat comfort junk food. I blame life.

Go with the flow was the best choice. Be strong. Be courageous. I accepted the bad week. Each problem solved one at a time. Do something was better than do nothing. Made lemonade out of the non-rotten lemons.

The week of Mon Aug 14, 2023 was a great example of a clique "life goes on." The week was a losing week. Experience experienced. Permanent memory.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Half-Ass Vacation Or Half-Ass Job Training

I approved Dec 2022. It was justified. Something was better than nothing legitimately. I job trained half-ass last month. Or I took a half-ass vacation last month. In other words, I combined job training and vacation. Some days there were more job training and less vacation. Some days there were more vacation and less job training. Either perspective the goals were accomplished.

I thought of the half vacation and half job training when I cleaned the house on Mon Nov 28, 2022 and Tue Nov 29, 2022. There is more to life than work. Or there is more to work than fun. Dec 2022 was catch up during the vacation time. I caught up outstanding life knowledge, lessons, and skills to learn. I couldn't have too much fun. There were mature responsibilities. Distractions were minimized. Lower priorities not finished one day were completed another day. There were no emergencies. All last minute new priorities were minor. One last minute and once in a blue moon event took an entire day.

Injured Reserve

Furthermore, I went with the flow. My physical workouts were half-ass because my left knee strained. I benefited being on 50% injured reserve since Nov. No jogging resulted in at least two free hours each week. Weight lifting continued. I started jogging again on Fri Jan 27, 2023.

Update On A Past Blog

A reminder blog Some People Need A Ferris Bueller's Day Off written on Jun 6, 2021. I accomplished the Ferris Buller.