Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
I drank sake for the first time. Children learn reality truth reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. There are children spending time outdoors running. Take care of indoor plants. Food inflation is real. Inflation affects banks closing branches. I say goodbye to an underwear.
Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
I was lucky I got a free bottle water using my intuition. New Mahjong sights a portable automatic table and English translation Japanese Riichi tiles. Another new sight was apartments and industrial buildings by the bay water. Also, I saw 116 minutes from the home dishwasher for the first time. All workers should read The Peter Principle to minimize incompetence and to maximize worker habits. The family ate at a new Chinese restaurant for the first time for which the inside included a big picture.
Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
Governments primary responsibility is order. The same reasons for war in the past are valid in the present; moreover, peace is unstable. Another permanent signal light is installed. First time I saw a Japanese themed boba sell models. Appearances can be deceiving. Clipboards are a retail's best friend. Crayons and sports bottles can be recycled. Libraries services are underestimated. I corrected my mistake storing rice.
Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
The boyfriends and husbands help their girlfriends and wives approximately every 28 days. A Hong Kong automatic Mahjong table can play multiple Mahjong styles. Consumers compare prices between hardware stores and general retail stores like Target and Wal-Mart; in particular, Target should sell more garden goods. Costco sale on chicken thighs a first for me. A Chinese restaurant is last restaurant standing. Taylor Swift's music prime continues. Outdoor exercise during an autumn evening is cool. Humanity needs constant reminders morals always change and laws always change. Three life biology lessons not taught in high school biology: competition, selection, and reproduction or breeding. A bonus fourth life biology lesson: Nature can restore balance with famine, pestilence, and war.
The five nominations and their explanations for the moment of the year.
1. December 2025 Depression. A depression caused by the Christmas holiday beyond my control and self-imposed. Life lessons learned. New experiences acquired. I blogged Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression on Jan 6, 2026. Eat well. Sleep well. Stay busy. There's no excuse to be a jerk. Keep going. Move forward.
2. New Webhost Provider. My previous webhosting provider falsely accused me of using too much bandwidth. I found a new provider. I include rewriting my webpage code.
3. Physical Fitness. I combined all the positive and negative physical fitness. The positives were I jogged 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles for the first time. I jogged wearing Hoka shoes for the first time. The Hoka was Bondi 9. I wore a running cap and arm sleeves for the first time.
The negatives were bicep tendonitis and tricep tendonitis on my left arm. The tricep tendonitis is cured. The bicep tendonitis is present. I treat with massages and stretches. My strength training is modified. I wear a left elbow sleeve to maintain my left arm downwards while jogging.
4. Portal 2. The video game nomination for 2025. Is Portal 2 the greatest video game of all time?
5. Riichi Mahjong. I promoted myself as an advanced player. I played at a board game cafe, food hall, and a gaming hall for the first time. I played on Riichi City.
Explanation: I expect the December 2025 Depression to be referenced the next time I'm depressed. The New Webhost Provider ended the five days a week post Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology; for example, I stopped learning WordPress. The Physical Fitness injuries were the first time I experienced non-short-term injuries. The tendonitis has lasted months dating back to Nov 2025. Portal 2 is not a moment of the year.
Riichi Mahjong is the remaining moment. Many people say a tabletop game is not a moment of the year. Fair statement. The rise is huge from intermediate to advanced. Reading books and rewriting my .pdf file Riichi Hands must be recognized.
What Won: Riichi Mahjong.
What Should Have Won: Riichi Mahjong.
My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: Many people say 2025 should be no winning moment. Fair statement. Riichi Mahjong moment took advantage of weak competition. Depression is a no. Webmasters change webhosting providers daily. No more Physical Fitness or gym workouts to win. Video games don't win.
2025 Letter Grade: C+. 2025 was a lower qualitative life. I could write home these five highlights. I didn't expect the home to respond. Also, I didn't expect the home to celebrate with a party. On the other hand, comparing the boring year 2024 and 2025, 2025 was more exciting than 2024 even though the 2025 letter grade is one-third lower.
Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades
2024: Analytics Research Technology. Grade B-.
2023: Physical fitness. Grade B+.
2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.
I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The day changed my life forever. I stopped taking life for granted. Playtime was over. The stress I felt along my back loosened up. Everything and everyone bad happened in the past were forgiven. I detail the immediate changes for the first time. The growing up blogs I wrote beforehand were generalized. Actions spoke louder than words.
Tue Sep 2, 2008. I experienced an identity crisis. Who am I? What do I want? How am I going to achieve it? Where am I going? Why am I experiencing the identity crisis? When am I going to find my true identity? I was lost. I was a wimp. I was unhappy.
Sat Oct 4, 2008. The location was Los Altos, CA. I attended a board game gathering at the Los Altos Library. I met up with a friend to return his DVDs. We played World Of Warcraft for half of the event because of his doctor's appointment in the afternoon. I walked around an arts and wine festival located in Downtown Los Altos.
There were multiple thoughts in my mind walking back to my car. The thoughts were puzzle pieces. One puzzle piece was everyone congregated together. Families, friends, couples, and acquaintances. I was the only person alone. I crossed the street to the side of the library. Eureka! I said to myself, "I need to grow up." I was lucky. It took me 32 days to end the identity crisis. It was time to catch up what I missed. It took me years later to become a mature adult.
Here are the changes and the actions from Oct 4, 2008 to Dec 2, 2009:
*Wisdom. People come and go in our lives including a brief 15 minute encounter, acquaintances, friends, family, co-workers, loved ones . . . any relationship among ourselves. Nobody keeps in touch with everyone.
*New clothes: pajamas, jackets, sport shirts, a leather jacket, slippers for home, v-neck t-shirts, a red cashmere scarf, gym shirts, gym shorts, and The Gap and Calvin Klein boxers underwear. No more polo shirts. No more plain white t-shirts. I include my first stainless steel watch Citizen Eco-Drive.
*New objects: bedsheets set, blankets, gaming desktop PC, tablecloth for the dining room table, mattress, shower brush for my back, daytime backpack which is also my go bag, hiking equipment, a razor for wet shaving, and a tongue cleaner.
*Rearranged my room. Reorganized my book shelf. Recycled old electronics. Removed junk. Donated old clothes.
*New foods and drinks: cranberry juice, Super H2O, a Beard Papa's eclair, Spaghettios, Hawaiian cookies, 98% cocoa chocolate, Honey Bunches of Oates cereal, Juroku Cha drink, Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies, cherries, pomegranate juice, Evolution Orange Juice, multi-grain crackers, Jack In The Box taco, chocolate milk, Toblerone, Pocari Sweat, grits, Pho Vietnamese soup, Cinnabon, Thai ice tea, Japanese maple bread, New York pizza, calzone, Dr. Pepper, Coco Fizz chocolate soda, Bubble Up lemon lime soda, Faygo redpop soda, and gelato.
*Movies worth mentioning: The Godfather trilogy, Mad Max, The Graduate, Batman Begins, Hot Fuzz, The 40 Year Old Virgin, A View To A Kill, The Departed, Transporter 2, Bullitt, The Dark Knight, Goodfellas, Ben Hur, Coraline, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blue Hawaii, Star Trek (2009), UP!, Citizen Kane, Inglorious Bastards, 9, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, and Where The Wild Things Are.
The anime The Place Promised In Our Early Days and Voices Of A Distance Star must be mentioned. I marathoned 13 episodes of Natsume Yuujinchou.
*I changed my email writing style. No more indenting when I typed a new paragraph.
*Music. I became interested in jazz music and classic jazz music. Purchased Porcelain CD by Helen Jane Long.
*Events: sold books at Half Price Books, ate breakfast in Downtown Campbell and visited Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, visited California Academy of Sciences, toured Stanford University and University Of California--Berkeley, watched fireworks at New Year's Eve 2009 in San Francisco, visited Charles M. Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, CA, shopped at IKEA for the first time, listened to jazz at the San Jose Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, CA, and visited a small family amusement park Gilroy Gardens.
A one day trip in San Francisco because I dropped off family members for a vacation cruise. I walked around Pier 39, Fisherman's Warf, and Ghirardelli Square. I ordered the Fudge Sundae. Finally, I visited Japantown and the Viz Video building.
*Anime Events: cosplay gathering at Winchester Mystery House, cosplay gathering at Christmas In The Park in Downtown San Jose, cosplaying at an anime store Christmas party, and cosplay gathering at Hakone Japanese Garden in Saratoga, CA. I walked in the Northern California Cherry Blossoms Parade in San Francisco, CA.
Attended Fanime Con 2009. My best Fanime Con and my best anime convention I attended. I cosplayed Haku from Spirited Away for the first time. A good Fanime Con 2009 convinced me to attend Anime Expo 2009 at the last minute. I thank my mom for making the Haku cosplay.
*I cancelled Napster.
*Books: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Forever by Judy Blume, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, Uncle John's Great Big Bathroom Reader, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Q&A by Vikas Swarup, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus from John Gray.
*I changed the oil in my car the fastest ever. I started at 4:30pm in early Dec.
*Washington Canada 2008 Vacation. Timing was perfect for a distraction. Click on the blog links Washington Canada 2008: Prologue, Washington Canada 2008: Day 1 of 6 Sat Nov 15, Washington Canada 2008: Day 2 of 6 Sun Nov 16, Washington Canada 2008: Day 3 of 6 Mon Nov 17, Washington Canada 2008: Day 4 of 6 Tue Nov 18, Washington Canada 2008: Day 5 of 6 Wed Nov 19, Washington Canada 2008: Day 6 of 6 Thur Nov [20], and Washington Canada 2008: Epilogue. Pictures are included.
*Christmas 2008 was the best Christmas holiday. Christmas 2008 is still my best.
*Video Games. I played Team Fortress 2 (TF2) and Crysis on my gaming PC. I played Rock Band and Rock Band Beatles for the first time.
*New. Ballroom dancing and hiking hobbies. I created a Facebook account and a Twitter account. I followed gym workouts from Body Building.
*Accutane. I started taking the acne medication.
*Computer Files Organization. I transferred 54 data CDs to 5 data DVDs. I transferred data from floppy disks to one CD watching Coraline, Wall Street, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Transporter movies.
*Going Back To School. Enrolled at De Anza College in Cupertino CA. I took Strength Training, Social Dance which is ballroom dancing, and Accounting classes.
*My orthodontist removed my braces. I wore my braces from Jan 24, 2007 to Aug 17, 2009. 936 days or 2.56 years.
First Time. I snuck Junior Mints in the theatre. I visited a coffee shop for which I used their free Wi-Fi. I ate at Pepper Lunch, Curry House Japanese, and Ramen Halu restaurants. I ate donuts at a 24 hour donut shop. I ate at a 24 hour restaurant The Mini Gourmet which was in business for decades. I went to Aki's Bakery. I ate dinner at Clover bakery and cafe. I tried coffee for the first time and the only time.
*My home upgraded the HVAC.
New Tabletop Games: The Settlers Of Catan: Cities and Knights, The Settlers Of Catan: Seafarers, Lifeboat, Balderdash, cribbage, Riichi Mahjong, Bang!, Dominion, and Rat A Tat Cat. Also, Google Scrabble for which the rule is any word which comes up with at least 1,000 Google search results is valid.
Update On A Past Blog
I want to add more wisdom to the blog I Define Self-Respect written on Mar 12, 2015. Self-respect is not dumbing down. Never reduce yourself. Don't lower yourself. I said, "I believe with self-respect includes self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline." Don't disrespect yourself. Be courageous to respect yourself. Stay smart. Stay strong.
Here are my top blogs about changes in my life from Aug 4, 2005 to Dec 31, 2024. Blogs written from Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025 are considered for A Second Look 2025 written in Dec 2026.
Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Dec 13, 2011. I wrote about the changes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.
Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital written on Oct 21, 2017. I was admitted as an in-patient for the first time in my life. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. Some of the changes included drinking less water, changing my job searching schedule, and changing my dental care.
My Four Mount Rushmore Greatest Moments In My Life written on Aug 9, 2020. The first day I cosplayed, the day I grew up, self job training, and The Shawshank Redemption movie are the four moments. Also, the four moments changed my life forever.
Top Ten Plus One Equals Top Eleven Life Changes Since The COVID-19 Global Pandemic written on Feb 11, 2023. The sum of the small life changes added to big permanent life changes. Examples included cooking, shopping in the morning, closing my windows before I sleep, and boiling water at home.
Side note: I rewrite the Connecting My Dots Backwards blog with a new blog post detailing the immediate changes when I realized I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. Also, the title of the new blog is more accurate.
Update On A Past Blog
I watched the movies Planes, Trains & Automobiles on Mon Jan 12, 2026 and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Tue Jan 13, 2026 while I exercised on the stationary bike. The two movies used to be traditional movies I watched during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The two movies were a late consolation for the bad Christmas 2025 Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression written on Jan 6, 2026.
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.
Blogger's note: There are three consecutive Green Steno Notebook blogs. Today is the first of three.
The picture above is the notebook I acquired on the first day of my new white collar job. I wrote notes during my job training. I wrote other notes, reminders, and knowledge thereafter. I share many of them. Here is the ninth blog.
*Jul 22, 2019. Use a paper towel to remove as much oil off the broil grill before washing. Minimize the chances of a clogged drain.
*Jul 23. Red plastic cups are a kitchen staple.
*Aug 11. Meals contained too much salt. Consumed too much caffeine. Too much adrenaline from today's activities. Combine all three blamed for falling asleep too slowly last night. Playing video games to fall asleep faster last night didn't work.
*Aug 12. adjudicate: to reach a judicial decision on something; to make an official decision.
*Aug 26. The air filter for the home A/C and furnace. The air flows down. The heater is the top. The A/C is the bottom.
Air compressor maintenance. Drain the moisture accumulated inside the tank. Place a towel below the moisture drainage. Recommend wear ear plugs. Turn the red handle below downwards. The towel captures the released moisture. The air compressor filters are black color. Wipe away surface dust. Check oil level at the oil plug near the air filters. Use motor oil. Top level is at the end of the threads or rivets. The copper colored oil can is inside the auto liquids and oil change tools cabinet.
*Aug 31. Left calf sore. I bend my left leg driving after a strenuous physical activity. I should straighten my left leg while driving.
*Sep 7. Sometimes the house is clean when I clean the house. Sometimes the house is dirty when I clean the house. I speculate the windows are open for longer hours. The outside dirt and dust enter the house from the opened windows.
*Sep 20. Forgot my wallet at the gym stationary cycle.
I retrieved my wallet on Sep 21 at 7:05am.
*Sep 23. Purchased a Coke at the supermarket next to the gym. The Coke saved my ass from getting sick.
*Sep 28. I read my personal bible. It was also Steve Jobs day. I read his biography's And One More Thing . . . section. I watched the 60 Minutes interview. I watched the D5 interview with Bill Gates.
*Oct 5. No more protein bars. I don't understand protein bars.
*Oct 6. For Sep 3. If by Bread. A song from the 1970s.
*Oct 10. Begin writing with pencils instead of pens for the Green Steno Notebook. Use both pencils and pens.
*Oct 10. For Oct 1. Air fluff the bathrooms carpets instead of vacuuming. More dust is removed by air.
*Oct 17. A car's battery warning light turned on. Causes can be low battery voltage or alternator stopped charging the battery. The car battery works when the voltage is between 13-14 volts while the engine runs. Replace the battery when the voltage reading is 12 volts or below.
*Oct 19. Use my desk fan to dry the mopped floors faster.
*Oct 21. A channel is missing on the television. Solution is rescan channels.
*Oct 28. I air compress or blast compressed air inside the PSU or Power Supply Unit from my desktop for the first time. Lots of dust removed.
*Nov 3. I felt weak after hiking yesterday. I may have dodged the sickness. Never skip meals. McDonalds is better than nothing.
*Nov 4. Add an empty cup to my daily life items. The daily life items include a can of WD-40, dice, a nickel, and duct tape.
The empty cup is a Bruce Lee wisdom reference. "Emptiness the starting point: In order to taste my cup of water you must first empty your cup. My friend, drop all your preconceived and fixed ideas and be neutral. Do you know why this cup is useful? Because it is empty."
*Nov 7. Use a chopping board to cut bell peppers. I almost cut my left index finger holding the bell paper to save time. I was lazy. I thought of SQL while cutting. Not worth saving time. Use a chopping board.
*Nov 10. My car has disc brakes. Each disk break has two brake pads.
*Nov 14. Create a text file .txt file for a short-term reminder. For example, type "get mail" when I hear the postal worker outside.
*Dec 2. For Nov 24. Warm Belvita tastes good. I toast two pieces of bread. I place Belvita on top of the toast. I read Harry Potter.
*Dec 15. No need to insert my entire hand washing vegetables in a pot full of water. Use my fingers and thumbs only.
*Dec 12. I saw two USPS trucks at Walgreens. I saw two UPS trucks going to the gym.
*Dec 27. Replace the brown color sandals because they hurt my feet with the blue sandals.
*Dec 28. It's the holidays. I play the Harry and Hermione card. I can't concentrate doing homework. I go to sleep. For me, it's take a break job training. Do other productive responsibilities.
*Dec 31. For Dec 29. Use yellow Post-It Notes as appreciation notes. Write "I owe you one beer."
*Jan 6, 2020. Parked in the new Monroe Parking Garage at Valley Fair mall for the first time.
Entered Macys to pay credit card bill. The returns line was long. I looked around. I saw another line for credit card payments. Nobody at the credit card payments line. Paid in seconds.
*Jan 11. West Valley Library Book Sale. More books specialty priced. Highest price was $5.
*Jan 27. No unsafe driving. Night driving on southbound 880 near the 29th Avenue exit. Sudden lane change from second lane to first lane. Don't do it again. Change lanes earlier to avoid sudden changes.
*Jan 29. Old desktop weigh 34.2 pounds. New desktop weigh 29.8 pounds. 4.4 pounds lighter.
Dell laptop 7 pounds and 3 ounces. HP Compaq laptop 6 pounds and 2 ounces. HP Spectre laptop 4 pounds and 11 ounces.
*Feb 2. I forgot to turn on the surround sound for Super Bowl LIV. Dad turned it on.
*Feb 4. A mouth with lots of saliva is a sign of good health, said my dentist.
*Feb 24. The car engine hoses are special made. Take the broken hose to an auto store. Tell the store the car make and model. The auto shop sells the replacement hose.
*Mar 6. Don't eat tomatoes on a physical workout day.
*Mar 23. There is a significant difference between one teaspoon and one tablespoon.
*Apr 8. Seinfeld episode titled The Old Man in Season 4. Foreplay suggestion: forbidden pleasure.
*Apr 10. My mom favors higher prices when she purchases New York steak on sale. The pieces are better cuts.
*Apr 22. My parents rescued a lost cockatiel.
*Apr 27. Bank checks are valid for six months.
*Apr 29. Classic radio station KDFC consecutively played the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Main Theme by John Williams and Four Seasons-Spring by Antonio Vivaldi. The E.T. song was my ringtone. The Four Seasons-Spring was my connecting receive phone call song.
*Apr 30. There is a difference between steelhead fish and salmon fish. Reminder. Always look at the label.
*May 8. Add panty hose to my survival backpack.
*May 10. Add nonlubricated condoms to my survival backpack. Bright colors are a plus.
*May 17. Stopped eating oatmeal.
*May 18. For May 16. Begin replacing cups to brush teeth weekly.
*May 29. A procedure to drain the hot water heater to prolong the lifespan. Lower the temperature. Connect the hose. Drain water inside a bucket to remove as much sentiment as possible. Use multiple buckets. Point the hose down. The hose is along the side of the bucket to minimize splash.
*Jun 1. Begin cleaning rice by leaving the water in the rice bowl for a minimum of 30 minutes. Minium 60 minutes is better.
*Jun 15. Local newspaper bill is $350.00 for six months. Four days of newspaper delivery. Household choose no renewing.
*Jun 19. Last day of newspaper is Jan 9, 2021.
*Jul 20. Add empty coffee can and matches to the wisdom items. Include two dice, teapot, nickel, dust tape, painter's tape, and WD-40. Reference entry dates Dec 15, 2018, Dec 16, 2018, and May 19, 2019.
*Jul 24. Went back to use shaving gel when I shave for the second twice against the grain.
*Jul 24. Solved a Grandmaster level in Microsoft Solitare.
*Aug 6. Add a rock hammer. Reference Instant Bullets blog Mar 15, 2020. WD-40, nickel, duct tape, blue painter's tape, teapot, coffee pot, matches, and dice.
*Aug 10. The car's parking brake is located at the rear wheels. Not both front wheels and rear wheels.
*Aug 14. Wash the three bathroom carpets. Quick wash setting. Spin cycle extra fast. Air dry in the backyard on top of buckets. Best on a hot day.
*Aug 14. High temperature 103 degrees.
*Aug 19. Searched for a movie on IMDb. The search criteria was IMDb Most Popular Water Storage Movies and TV Shows. Movie I found is Badlands 2005.
*Aug 24. Best must-have products under $100: some female products better than male products for men; some male products better than female products for women; Shop Vac; step ladder; king size blanket for a queen size bed; and safety razors.
Today's blog likely makes no sense to the reader. It's okay. I'm not a political scientist. I'm not an expert in government. I didn't take any classes on constitutional law. I write an unprofessional opinion on the US politics.
The Democrats won. The liberals won. The left side won. The victories happened decades ago. The best examples include The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, legal abortion maintained, fewer racial discrimination or greater equality or DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, LGBTQ+ rights acknowledged, and more people gaining wealth. More people earn incomes to live a comfortable life.
The victories were too victorious. The wins were too good. The Democrats are unhappy. The Democrats lost their motivation. Bring on the chaos by the Republicans. Bring on stirring the pot stew. Bring on the uncomfortability. Bring on the unprecedent firsts. Bring on the new laws. There are changes. President Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hiliary Clinton and the 2024 election against Kamala Harris; although, some people say the Democrats lost the 2016 election and lost the 2024 election instead of the Republicans winning. Perhaps, the Democrats took for granted they win the 2016 election and the 2024 election. I digress. Abortion is unprotective on a federal level. Tariffs are back. Obamacare is changed on the federal level. Illegal immigrants are being deported. DEI setbacks. Federal health policies are changing.
There is no impeachment against Trump during his second term as of today. I read past news articles a congressman or a congresswoman began the impeachment process. Nothing happened thereafter. There were rallies hosted by the Democrats to convince the US citizens to oppose President Trump and the Republicans. Nothing happened thereafter.
Winners are supposed to be happy. Losers are supposed to be unhappy. Losers can be happy by learning from their mistakes. Winners can be unhappy with an irrational reason. The Democrats are unhappy.
Blogger's note: I increase the number of random blogs from ten to twenty.
Here are twenty random blogs in order of randomly chosen. Duplicate blogs are allowed from past random blogs. There are no duplicates today. The previous random blogs are Ten Random Blogs Jul 2020 on Jul 31, 2020, Ten Random Blogs Aug 2021 on Aug 13, 2021, and Ten Random Blogs Apr 2023 on Apr 16, 2023. Update remarks are included.
1. Watch Wall Street (Sep 26, 2005). I shared my activities before and on Sep 26, 2005.
Update remark: Wall Street is one of my all time favorite movies.
2. Never Stop Learning Lesson Emphasized Because One Of The Shermans Past Away (May 05, 2017). The Shermans was a couple who lived in the neighborhood for decades. They moved to the eastern USA to be closer to their families. The husband past away. The wife passed away in Jul 2017.
The lessons I learned continue today. Never stop learning. Find new experiences to experience. Don't waste life watching television eight hours a day. Some seniors choose the sedentary life watching too much television.
Update remark: Rest in peace Bob and Alice.
3. Three Hours Of Me Time Weekdays (Feb 08, 2013). I wrote my life working Mon to Fri from 9am to 6pm. Wake up, go to work, work at the company building, go home, and sleep eight hours. Three hours of personal time remain. Repeat.
Update remark: No full time worker sleeps eight hours a night on weeknights. More workers lose concentration, act grumpy, feel weaker, and make more mistakes. No full time worker spares three hours of personal time. There are too many responsibilities in today's Information Age. A worker must complete an hour's work in 30 minutes.
A balanced life doesn't exist. The successful people don't live a balanced life to become successful.
4. Throwback Blog: I'm No Longer Nice (Aug 27, 2016). I reuploaded a previous blog be a good person. Don't be a nice person.
Update remark: I posted an I'm No Longer Nice blog update on Aug 21, 2025 Keep Going In Life. I added, "Being extra nice doesn't result in extra rewards. It's not aloofness does pay. It's niceness doesn't pay."
5. It's Okay To Live At Home (Jun 18, 2013). I wrote valid reasons sons and daughters live at home with their parents. Sons and daughters must not take for granted living at home. Sons and daughters must continue living their lives to the best of their abilities.
Update remark: The blog is 100% true today.
6. Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog February 2023 (Mar 05, 2023). California ended the pandemic state of emergency on Feb 28, 2023. It was the start of loosening restrictions and mask mandates.
Update remark: None.
7. Highlight and Favorite 2019 Tweets (Dec 30, 2020). My favorite Tweets in 2019. I share my top favorites:
Tweets
Jan 21: A conversation starter. Ask the question, "What keeps you busy?"
Jul 28: I'm not dumbing down. Never dumb down your life. Don't be an asshole for yourself. Don't let people drag you down. Nobody holds your back.
Jul 28: These people must leave your life. People come and go for good or for bad. Some people leave your life. New people enter your life.
Sep 22: I just finished watching The Shawshank Redemption. My high school and college friend watched the movie when it was released in theaters. It was the most boring movie he watched. He didn't understand the point. I avoided the movie.
Sep 22: I choose to watch the movie decades later. Good movie. Recommended. The movie is slow. I put the pieces together watching the movie without success.
Sep 22: My friend is correct up to the climax of the movie. It's the best full circle movie I have ever watched. Stick around. Don't give up. Have hope. The pieces are together. Good things can happen.
Sep 25: The female middle school student was wise beyond her years. RT @BoyYeetsWorld: one time in middle school i dated a girl for 4 days and when she broke up with me she posted on facebook sometimes your knight in shining armor is really just a loser in tinfoil and to this day that the sickest burn I've ever gotten.
Favorites
Apr 23: @NBCSSharks, BARCLAY GOODROW!!! Watch the Sharks winger's game-winning overtime goal to give San Jose an epic Game 7 victory. Pic Video.
May 12: @SportsCenter, KAWHI. GAME 7. FOR THE WIN. Pic Video.
May 12: @espn, Another look at Kawhi's Game 7 winner. Pic Video.
May 18: @SJEarthquakes, CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI. KING. #WondoWatched Pic Video.
Jun 13: @SportsCenter, Klay turning around in the tunnel and coming back out to shoot free throws had Oracle going nuts. Pic Video.
Jun 13: @BayAreaSportsHQ, This moment is an all-timer. Pic Video.
Jul 14: @SportsCenter, GAME. SET. MATCH. Novak Djokovic outlasts Roger Federer in an epic five-set #WimbledonFinal Pic Video.
Jul 14: @espn, Longest final in #Wimbledon history: 4 hours 55 minutes, 422 points, 68 games, 35 aces. Pic.
Aug 12: @SexWithEmily, As much as we like to beat around the bush, dropping hints to your partner is not the best way of communicating -- your chances of being understood are much higher when you are direct about what needs fixing. #sexwithemily #communicationisalubrication
Sep 14: @HistoryInPics, The Beatle's last live concerts—at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966 and then on a London rooftop three years later—have gone down as some of the most significant events in pop music history. Collector Finds Rare Footage of The Beatles's Top of the Pops Performance in His Attic.
Nov 19: @WakeOfWeek, I will always root for this man because of the way he has handled himself in hard times -- from bad coaches to having a different offensive coordinator every year to losing his job to Kaep to... this. #AlexSmith @lizbsmith11. Alex Smith's wife celebrates ex-49er's recovery from ghastly leg injury in emotional Instagram post.
Dec 11: @espn, Bill Belichick has his players focused on the 53 players in their locker room, not on social media. Pic.
Dec 16: @NBCSGiants, So many memories. @PavlovicNBCS takes you back through all of the best -- and funniest -- moments from MadBum's legendary Giants career. Pic Article.
Update remark: The Shawshank Redemption is my all time favorite movie. The Shawshank Redemption is not a slow movie after many rewatches.
8. Quad 3 Of 4: My Favorite Shape (Oct 24, 2006). The circle is my favorite shape. "My anything, anytime, and anywhere are going to come full circle good or bad. I make sure I create good circles and I innovate the circles."
Update remark: None.
9. Intelligence May Change Your Daily Life Intelligently (Sep 09, 2015). Use intelligence as an adverb. Think intelligently, communicate intelligently, work intelligently, and make mistakes intelligently are some examples.
Update remark: None.
10. Top 2018 Pics (Dec 17, 2019). My favorite pics posted in 2018. I share my top favorites:
Update remark: None.
11. Thought Provoking Information (Sep 03, 2017). A pics blog. The pic which inspired the title is below.
Update remark: None
12. My First Pop Tart (Sep 12, 2007). I ate a pop tart for the first time in my life. It was strawberry and strawberry with icing.
Update remark: No more pop tarts in my diet. I rarely drink milk. I stopped eating oatmeal in 2018.
13. De Anza Week Nov 15, 2010 (Nov 18, 2010). I went back to school to earn an AA degree in Accounting. I blogged one week during Winter Quarter 2010 at De Anza College. The week consisted of students and instructors with too much on their minds and too fatigued.
Update remark: They were the same yesterday. They are the same today.
14. First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays (Dec 09, 2018). I said it best. "2018 is over. I wanted to try a restaurant in another city for the first time. I was in the area on Tue Dec 4. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. Are you serious? The event summed my recent life. Bad luck. Bad timing." The blog continued expressing my frustration 2018 was the year everything went wrong.
Update remark: I have not experienced another 2018. I have not let life take control of me.
15. I Own 15 Pairs Of Shoes (Jan 28, 2021). I posted pics of my 15 pair of shoes. They include exercise, boots, formal, and casual outdoors.
Update remark: None
16. A Procedure To Stop Insanity (Sep 09, 2021). A life wisdom. Everyone is different. Everything is different. Birds of a feather flock together. Different folks for different strokes. There are matches. There are mismatches. A circle can't fit in a square peg.
Update remark: Live your life who, what, where, how, and I match who you are.
17. Lonely And Cheerful (Jul 24, 2007). I felt lonely and depressed in Jul 2007. I didn't feel cheerful. False optimism.
Update remark: The 2007 Summer Sabbatical failed. I did everything wrong. I admit I made a mistake. 2007 should have been one of the best years of my life. 2007 was one of the worst years of my life.
18. Throwback Blog: SOMT: Kodak Declares Bankruptcy (Sep 30, 2017). Toys R Us declared bankruptcy on Sep 19, 2017 which inspired the throwback blog on Kodak declared bankruptcy. The throwback blog was a brief explanation of the Kodak bankruptcy and my experiences using a film camera and a digital camera.
Update remark: Mismanagement, Amazon and Wal-Mart, and poor customer service are not the top reasons Toys R Us declared bankruptcy.
19. Work Mar 8, 2014 (Mar 08, 2014). I blogged the highlights when I worked in a retail start up. Dermatitis on my hands. Refusing a shipment. Both store locations short-handed. Purchased my first bottle of wine Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon "Generations" 2009. Wi-Fi problems.
Update remark: The dermatitis on my hands turned out to be a dirty workstation. I cleaned my workstation. No more dermatitis. I still own my Raymond wine bottle.
No smart person works in retail. Desperate smart people do work in retail.
20. Go To Sleep With A Smile (Oct 21, 2011). I was called for jury duty. I didn't get selected. The prospective jurors answering personal questions during the selection process convinced me my life is good. I sleep with a smile.
Update remark: Domestic violence can be a lifelong trauma. Some people you see when shopping are victims of crimes.
My nephew graduated high school yesterday. There were 750 out of 800 graduating seniors who attended their ceremony held in the football field. No tickets were required. Seniors could invite any number of family members and friends. The open seating area on the field was full. Both sides of the bleachers were filled. Some family members and friends disobeyed the graduation ceremony rules. No big deal at the end of the evening. The graduating seniors met with their family members and friends to share a once in a lifetime moment.
There was a commonality when all graduating seniors received their diplomas. They're all even. They're promoted to high school graduate level 1. A new experience points system is activated. Everyone starts with zero points. Everyone opens a new book starting at chapter 1. Level the playing field.
It doesn't matter who were the high school students. Athletes, trouble makers, C average 2.0, goths, rockers, skaters, geeks, loners, straight A 4.0+, popular students, gamers, and good looking students. If the term "college preps" still exists, then they're included. Weirdos, fat students, bullies, bullied, special ed, and bad looking students. All high school students were included.
The rumors disappeared. The mistakes learned. Popularity no more. No more ranking students in *fill in the blank*. Send the bad memories to vault. There were bygones. There was forgiveness. The past is the past. The past four years matters none. The end arrived. High school is over more for better and less for worse. Time to say goodbye.
Boring Ceremony Not Boring
Parents and younger siblings who said high school graduation was boring must take it back. Retract the boring feeling. If parents said high school graduation was boring, then their high school graduation was boring, too. If younger siblings said high school graduation was boring, then their high graduation is going to be boring. The siblings are going to graduate soon.
High school graduation is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nobody must screw up a once in a lifetime moment.
Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
An afternoon view of cars on a freeway after driving on a freeway. Another batch of pictures of first times. The first time I saw a cigarette disposal and a freeway workers memorial; labels telling customers to microwave their food; repair sunglasses; and soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispenser secured in a hotel room shower. There are eleven pictures in today's blog because I needed an 11th picture to mention the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Spoiler alert: if you didn't read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, then skip picture number seven. Not spoiler alert: a quick lesson on oral sex involving the vulva.
