Family Dynamics

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

I played a popular classic board game for the first time solo. A Safeway deal is better than a Costco deal. A clean residence is proper maintenance. Families change for the worst--blame life. Replace wear and tear car parts is proper maintenance. There is enough marriage wisdom to avoid a clique marriage husband makes wife's dreams come true. Families must share family history to avoid the clique history always repeats itself. Only death, taxes, and health care costs never decreasing are certain. Physical injuries is not a valid reason to stop exercising.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Lessons Schools Don't Teach

Schools teach ABC's and 123's. Schools teach 1+1=2, water is H2O, verbs, animals, and telling time. Schools don't teach manners, wisdom, and money. There is too much to learn. There is not enough school funds. There are not enough teachers. Parents must supplement their children's education. I wrote a blog FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too on Jul 30, 2009. I said, "Parents, find time to teach the soft skills schools don't teach."

There are multiple ways children can learn some lessons because we live in the Information Age; for example, YouTube. Parents must be aware some sources are wrong. Parents and children must use their best judgement they're getting accurate information.

Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen lessons schools don't teach:

13. Etiquette, Politeness, And Manners. It's unlikely teachers teach thank you, please, share, honesty, respect, more listening, and less talking. Teachers say them. Teachers don't teach them.

12. Financial Education. No person with a teaching credential knows the stock markets, interest rates, consumer price index, gold, cryptocurrency, and mortgage rates. Otherwise, the teacher works in another industry avoiding children five days a week.

11. Physical Fitness. Put the video game controller down. Turn off the phone. Get out. Move the knees and elbows. I include healthy eating for number 11.

10. Sex. The school districts policies teaching sex are a joke.

9. Depression. Welcome depression. Depression is okay. Do you feel better? If the answer is yes, then solve depression long-term. It's the deal.

8. Intuition. The late Steve Jobs said, "I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work."

Trust your gut feeling.

7. The World Is Not 100% Successful. Some dreams don't come true. Some people fail. Most things don't work out.

6. Don't Take Life For Granted. Self-explanatory.

5. Earn it. Success is not given on a silver platter.

Bonus: Time is the ultimate judge. Time will tell what you're doing in the present results in something good or something bad in the future.

4. Life Is Unfair. The first rule in Bill Gates' 11 Rules For Real Life is "Life is not fair - get used to it."

3. Bad Timing And Bad Luck. Timing and luck are factors to success and to failure. Most successful people never admit timing and luck are factors to their accomplishments. However, they're not the only factors themselves to be successful. Hard work, intelligence, repetition, and grit are factors, too.

2. Stop complaining about your crappy life. Life doesn't care about your problems. Too fat? Get physical. Eat healthy. Poor grades? Self-teach outside the textbook. No friends? Learn social skills. Get help.

1. Change. If you don't want to change, then life finds a way to change your life. You may not like life's choice for change.

Update On A Past Blog

I mention FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too written on Jul 30, 2009 for the second time. I started learning both the soft skills and the life skills in May 2015. I can't explain I consciously follow the lesson daily starting in Sep 2019.

I asked a question, "How do teachers teach failure is good?" in Reward Failure In Schools written on Nov 20, 2018. Did any professional educator find a way to teach students failure is good? Reward failure. Reward intelligent mistakes. The professional educator is a millionaire if the answer is yes.

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.

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.

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.

Throwback Blog: 500

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 500 written on Aug 6, 2010. I wrote blog number 500. I didn't write a top 50 blogs. I reposted my top 30 blogs from 300 written on Dec 7, 2008. Today's blog is number 1,930.

I update my top 30 blogs. There are changes. Mistakes made. Lessons learned. My life changed. New knowledge. Intelligence expanded. Wisdom changed. Increased strength. Here are the top 30 blogs with updates in italics, strikethroughs, and my remarks noted with RM:

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

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations. Life has vacations. Life has seasons like sports and TV series. Fiscal years, resets, endings. Life can say one continuous life; however, there are chapters, volumes, parts, checkpoints. RM: Everyone needs a break. Everyone needs a vacation. Everyone needs days off.
14. Age is just a number. RM: Age is a factor in most situations.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness. Pursue happiness to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy. Increment.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

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

Number 500! This blog is number 500 and the 5th anniversary for Innovating Common Knowledge. Good timing. I average 100 blogs every twelve months. That's too low. On the other hand, 100 is a good number because I spread my time writing blogs and many other activities. There are both sides to the discussion whether I spend too much or too little time writing blogs.

On my 300th blog, I shared my top 30 blogs. I choose to repost the top 30 blogs instead of creating a top 50 blogs. The reason is the lessons I learned and the wisdom I gained from my top 30 blogs applies to today's living--and tomorrow's living. They are powerful for me. The lessons and wisdoms are both old lessons such as life is a marathon, not a [sprint] and new lessons such as age is just a number. The timing is good for another review.

I continue to write blogs promoting change, improvement, and innovation. I continue to write blogs to open myself up and to experiment what I can and what I can't do. The Sign Of My Times (SOMT) and Accutane blogs continue as I reflect how life is changed now and when I was a child and my acne treatment, respectively.

Here is the summary of my top 30 blogs:

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

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations.
14. Age is just a number.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment.
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics. Go remind yourself the basics which is what I'm doing :D :D :D

My first blog was posted on Thur Aug 4, 2005. The 300th blog was posted on Sun Dec 7, 2008. Click 300 to read the entire 300th blog detailing the top blogs.

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.

Pursue Happiness

I Googled random happiness quotes. I selected the worse happiness quotes. I selected the weakest happiness quotes. I selected the bullshit happiness quotes. The source of the quote is noted if known. All quotes are my opinions. Here are the quotes below:

*Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life. --Burton Hills
*Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people.
*Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. --Mary Lou Retton
*Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.
*Don't worry. Be Happy --Bobby McFerrin
*The purpose of our lives is to be happy. --Dalai Lama
*You deserve happiness always, no matter what.
*Whoever is happy will make others happy. --Anne Frank
*The less you care, the happier you will be.
*Your anxiety is lying to you. You are loved. Everything is ok.
*I have fond that if you love life, life will love you back. --Arthur Rubinstein
*Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed.
*To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness. --Mary Stuart
*Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. --Bertrand Russell
*The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom. --Arthur Schopenhauer
*The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are. --Goldie Hawn
*Stop comparing yourself to other people, just choose to be happy and live your own life. --Roy T. Bennett
*You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now. --Wayne Dyer
*If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. --Edith Wharton
*Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy. --Stephen Fry
*Be happy in your body. It's the only one you've got, so you might as well like it. --Keira Knightley
*You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. --Albert Camus

Happiness is not a right. Happiness is not deserved. Earn happiness. It's ironic. Work is required to be happy. Work is required to experience fun. Work. Learn. Drill. Practice. Repeat. Complete the boring. Don't take happiness for granted.

What Is The Best Happiness Quote?

There is one good happiness quote. There is one strong happiness quote. All other happiness quotes can be ignored. The one quote is learned in grade school history. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. The declaration included, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Pursuit is the key verb. "Pursue happiness" is the best happiness quote. Pursue happiness is a system.

Mother Nature Demands Payment

The wildfires in Southern CA started on Tue Jan 7, 2025. The biggest current fires in Los Angeles County as of the blog posting: Palisades burned 23,448 acres, Eaton burned 14,021 acres, and Hughes burned 10,396 acres. The Border 2 Fire in San Diego County burned 600 acres. The Palisades and Eaton started on Tue Jan 7. The Hughes started on Wed Jan 22. The Border 2 started earlier on Thur Jan 23.

The record breaking winter snow storm along the Gulf Coast started on Tue Jan 21. The storm stretched 1,500 miles from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Carolinas along the Atlantic Coast. Snow fell in Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Airports closed. Flights cancelled. Road closures. Schools and college classes cancelled.

The Northern CA Bay Area weather is unseasonable warm in the daytime and cold temperatures between the upper 20s to upper 30s in the nighttime. No rain storms in weeks. There is talk about droughts for Summer 2025.

Mother nature assesses penalties to humankind. My household gives partial payments by consuming less. I shave with cold water since Jul 2022. I have been taking cold showers to save water. My mom shops less.

Consumption, destruction, production, reproduction, and expansion for humankind. Mother nature wants payback for all of them. Mother nature wants its share of humankind progress. Mother nature can end the present humankind in minutes. Two million years later another humankind life cycle starts over.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is another forgotten memory for the Top Ten Forgotten Moments written on Feb 15, 2020. There was a Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles mini vacation during the 2002 Thanksgiving weekend. I rode with my uncle, aunt, and grandfather. My family drove separately arriving later. I purchased a jacket at a thrift store for which I wear indoors every winter. The jacket still fits. My dad built a desktop PC when we stayed over in Los Angeles. I forgot my portable CD player containing my Spirited Away anime soundtrack. I retrieved the CD player and soundtrack attending a wedding in Los Angeles in Jul 2003.

Top 2023 Pics

Here are the top five pictures I took in 2023. They're sorted from the start of the year to the end of the year. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Enjoy!

Update On A Past Blog

2024 is over. I shut down my life during the Mon Dec 23, 2024 and Mon Dec 30, 2024 weeks. These two weeks remind me of the blog First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays I wrote on Dec 9, 2018. I declared 2018 was over. I said, "Bad luck. Bad timing. Misfortunes." Dec is ending on bad luck, bad timing, and misfortunes. I adapt the "I respond what life gives me. I go with the flow." It's time to take a break. It's time to rest. Two reasons are loss of focus and fatigue.

I took partial breaks and spread the partial breaks from Oct 2023 to Jan 2024 to finish reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The time span was the last time I took any break or any vacation.

The Dots Connect Backwards To Everything Except Financial Rewards

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

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

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

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

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

A Shout Out To The People Like Me

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

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.

Crossing The Line To Become An Adult

It's like crossing the finish line in a race. The race is over. The race is finished. The race is successful. A person becomes a true adult crossing the adult line. All puzzle pieces fit together. The dots connecting backwards are connected. The patterns are established. The adult makes the connections. No stupidity. Full understanding. Circles are fully drawn.

Adult Continues Work After The Race

There are more races to cross the finish line. Professionalism is practiced daily. Responsibilities never ends. Never take maturity for granted. Always seek new adventures. Continue experiencing new experiences. Always sharpen the saw. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

The blog I Have An Answer To When Is An Adult An Adult written on Jan 6, 2021 answer is 50 years old. I'm lucky I became an adult at age 45. I crossed the line five years earlier. I incorrectly wrote, "I'm four years ahead." The correct sentence is, "I'm five years ahead." The correction applies to Grading My Past Years On A Curve written on July 17, 2022. I incorrectly wrote, "I achieved an adult is an adult four years ahead." The correct sentence is "I achieved an adult is an adult five years ahead."

2023 Year In Review

The six nominations and its explanations for the moment of the year.

1. Job training. Excel, Python, R and R-Studio, Linux, Power BI, SQL, and more. The basics were learned. I began the endgame which was the final review, final practice, and combined documentation from my favorite books and favorite videos. Five days of training per week plus one day for life skills training.

2. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. I spent less time job training and more time finishing Moby-Dick for seven job training days. The last three chapters were the best final chapters I have ever read. I understand the jokes and references from other medias.

3. My 2005 Toyota Camry. The roof, trunk, left quarter panel, and right quarter panel were repainted. The headliner or the fabric inside the car's ceiling was replaced. I hand wash and hand wax four times a year to protect my classic car.

4. Physical fitness. My longest daily jog was 6.1 miles. I created a fifth workout plan for my mini home gym. I jogged with a knee brace on the right knee temporarily.

5. Wallstreet Bets. I learned more about Wall Street and financial investments in 2023 than in the past decades and the classes when I was a student at San Jose State University and De Anza College.

6. Video Games. I completed Left 4 Dead 2.

Explanation: The consistent and productive job training approached the final year like a senior year in college; moreover, I continued the Moby-Dick days spending less time job training like a graduating senior in high school suffering from senioritis. An all-time classic Moby-Dick deserved a nomination. Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson won in 2016. A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking was nominated in 2022. Forget my car and video games. Too trivial.

I incorrectly mentioned my left rear knee injury in Nov-Dec 2022 from the 2022 Year In Review. It was my right rear knee. I learned a correct way to jog for which I don't need a knee brace. Wallstreet Bets continues my attention since Jan 2021. Financial education is part of my life skills training.

What Won: Physical fitness.

What Should Have Won: Physical fitness.

My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: I'm 0.1 miles away from running a 10k marathon. I continue learning better jogging techniques. I jogged from 3.0 miles in 2022 to 6.1 miles in 2023. I purchased a pair of ASICS jogging shoes not Nike for the first time. No major injuries.

Job training shouldn't win because I'm not completed with the training. It can win in 2024 when I complete the endgame.

2023 Letter Grade: B+. 2023 year ended fantastic. There were plenty of little wisdoms. There were plenty of wisdom reminders. Add those wisdoms for something big. Be grateful. Appreciate the present life. Don't take for granted the minimums food, shelter, and clothes; in addition, don't take for granted the Information Age minimums cell phones and computers with internet access. The minimums shouldn't be boring. There are some teenagers with wisdom beyond their years. There is a good way and there is a bad way to be patient. Life moves forward regardless of good moments and bad moments. The COVID-19 global pandemic survival mentality continues.

Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades

2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.
2016: Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson. Grade F.
2015: Zion National Park. Grade A.

Unlearn To Be Better And Unlearn The Incorrect

All parents are not perfect. There are some lessons not taught. There are some lessons taught incorrectly. There are some lessons outdated. Bad nurturing. Incomplete guidance. In addition, the companies provide bad training leading to future dead-end careers or obsolete job skills. And life itself can teach bad lessons. Nobody corrects the incorrect. The person falls through the cracks without anyone calling out the fault. Regardless, self-awareness, personal responsibility, and motivation are required to unlearn. Forgive the past. Unlearn the past. Correct the incorrect. Retrain. Relearn.

I'm a person from the above paragraph. I work years to unlearn the incorrect. I work years to confirm what I knew I was correct. I realize some people didn't want to teach me correctly. Maybe they didn't want me to succeed. Maybe they wanted to hide their ignorance. Maybe they helped me with little effort. All is forgiven.

I used to live life as life must go my way. I got angry when life didn't. I also got angry when I can't control my life; although, I admit life was great when I controlled life and life flowed my way like the late Steve Jobs' reality distortion field. I used to take life for granted. I didn't take life seriously. I lived life with too much fun. Mistakes were ignored. Problems were ignored. I got away with some of the mistakes and some of the problems. The other mistakes and problems affected me later. I was a coward. I was weak.

The past is the past. Chapters are closed. Some of the above are not my fault because support was poor, mentoring was weak, nobody called me out, and nobody helped me. Nothing is forgotten because I learn from these life events. I don't take life for granted. I'm no longer angry when life doesn't go my way. Nobody controls all of life. I take more of my life seriously. Fun is checked. I'm lucky I correct my mistakes myself. There are more mistakes to correct. Problems are solved. I'm courageous. I'm stronger. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

I remind myself I was correct despite many bad lessons, bad teachings, and falling through the cracks. I wrote Top Ten I Was Correct When I Was Young on Jun 9, 2016. Be gritty, no hoarding, exercise, and being a good person are some of the life lessons I have been correct.

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.

I Correct Be Patient And Go For The Long Run

I thought of the "be patient and go for the long run" when I was a student at San Jose State University. The wisdom was correct. The attitude was correct. The adaption was incorrect. The execution was incorrect. I did it wrong. College life was too much fun and too little learning. Obviously, any student read the book, attended the lectures, and passed the exams to graduate. I took life for granted. Outside the classroom was unproductive growth.

I'm doing the "be patient and go for the long run" correctly decades later. Work. Give everything time. Take everything one day at a time. Build a little every day. Add the little accomplishments for the big goals. My job training approaches the endgame. I learn investing following WallstreetBets since Jan 2021. I'm training for a 10k marathon since 2021. I'm close to the 6.2 miles. My longest distance is 6 miles. It took me six months to read Harry Potter from Sep 2019 to Mar 2020. I researched two hours every Sun from Jul 2019 to Nov 2019 to build a new desktop. Furthermore, medical scientists continue to research the COVID-19 virus since 2020.

I was irresponsible then. I'm responsible now. It's okay for immediate fun and leisure. Work for most of the week. Take a break for a few. I did none of these as a college student. Perhaps, my biggest regret was being a naive person in my 20s. The regret is forgiven. My life catching up continues.

The Minimums To Live

A human being lives comfortably with the minimums. The minimums are food, shelter, and clothing. A shelter is a room, a bathroom, and a kitchen for those who want to get technical. Intuitively, a shelter is a roof with the basic amenities.

Many people take food, shelter, and clothing for granted. Many people focus their attention too much to their phones, the next TV show to binge watch, the next celebrity gossip, the next professional sports trade, the next must own stock, the next urge moment to play video games, and their work. Many people forget to stop, to breathe, and remind themselves who we are. More people neglect to stop, breathe, and appreciate their present life. The present life can turn the worse anytime and anywhere. The certain becomes uncertain.

More Minimums Than The Minimums

There are more minimums than the initial minimums food, shelter, and clothing. Today's Information Age communication using cell phones and computers connected to the internet are minimums. A radio is a valid and legitimate substitute. There are non-electrical minimums. Detergent, dishwasher soap, pots, pans, mattress, basic first aid, fire extinguisher, towels, toothbrushes, degreaser chemicals, and pens are good examples.

Maintain the minimums proactively. They're not boring. Living life becomes easier.

Update On A Past Blog

There are common statements on things and people. Good things happen to good people. Bad things happen to bad people. Life is uncertain. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people.

I remind myself there are false losers. People do everything correct. The outcomes are unfavorable. The results are poor. These people lost. I wrote These Young People Are False Losers on Aug 7, 2022 from a dream about a group of young educated men unsuccessful through no fault of their own.

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.

Rename Past Blogs Titles Because The Original Title Are Incorrect Or Misleading

I rename 26 past blogs because the title is deceptive. The title doesn't explain the blog content. The title relating to the text makes no sense. 15 of the 26 or 58.70% blogs are between 2007 and 2009. 18 of the 26 or 69.2% blogs are between 2007 and 2010. Four blogs reference cooking. Three blogs reference taking life for granted. Technically speaking, these past blogs are updates on a past blog.

Update On A Past Blog

Original Title: Free Bird
Date Written: Apr 15, 2007
Renamed Title: Cooking Solves The Problem Being Stressed And Do Something Solves The Problem Being Bored
Explanation: I posted two life tips still valid today. The first tip is cooking destresses a person. Cooking is an activity to take a break. Cooking minimizes eating processed foods. The second tip is avoid being bored doing something out of the ordinary. For instance, I became sick in Apr 2022. I relaxed such as catching up writing blogs, watching old DVDs, and listening to old CDs to recover.

Further, I wrote, "Do something, anything, . . ." which became a life motto when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.

Original Title: A Lesson On Life Yesterday
Date Written: May 5, 2007
Renamed Title: Practice Personal Responsibility
Explanation: I learned personal responsibility on my second month working at Cisco. Nobody was going to help me with my assignments. I was responsible to learn what I didn't know. Asking for help was the last resort.

Original Title: A Moment Being Selfish
Date Written: Jul 12, 2007
Renamed Title: My Dream Home
Explanation: I thought how I live life owning a home. I cook my meals, park my car in the garage, and invite friends and family for social activities. The last paragraph is true today: . . . I think about the millions of people who can't afford a home. It's sad, yet life is unfair.

Original Title: Something New To Me
Date Written: Aug 6, 2007
Renamed Title: People Thanking Me Is New To Me
Explanation: The first time in my life people thanked me. The first time in my life people helped me. The first time in my life people appreciated my presence. Beforehand, I thank other people, I helped other people, and I appreciated other people.

Original Title: One Lunch Day In 2000
Date Written: Aug 9, 2007
Renamed Title: I Saw A Homeless Person One Lunch Day In 2000
Explanation: The specific lunch day I saw a homeless person with a sign saying all hope is loss. I should have purchased a sandwich for the homeless person.

Original Title: A 12 Year Mistake
Date Written: Aug 12, 2007
Renamed Title: Making No New Friends Was A 12 Year Mistake
Explanation: The renamed title is self-explanatory. I failed to make new friends from college to beginning cosplaying at anime conventions.

Original Title: I Wake Up, Now What
Date Written: Jan 5, 2008
Renamed Title: What Am I Doing In My Life?
Explanation: The renamed title is self-explanatory. I questioned how I lived my present life. I worked at Cisco, I lived at home with my parents, I watched anime, I worked out at the gym, and I read books. Marriage and moving out of the house were afterthoughts.

Original Title: Runners Stop And Walk
Date Written: May 31, 2008
Renamed Title: Run To Get One Done Or Walk To Get Them All Done
Explanation: Physical fitness is irrelevant. I paraphrase the last paragraph: Two choices. The first choice is run completing tasks hastily increasing the chances for errors. The second choice is walk completing tasks one at a time decreasing the chances for errors.

Original Title: Straight From My Gut
Date Written: Oct 18, 2008
Renamed Title: Straight From My Gut Trust Intuition
Explanation: I realized my intuition helped me through fearful moments. I realized my intuition saved me from tough situations.

Original Title: Point A to Point B. Where's Point C, D, E, F, G, . . .
Date Written: Oct 26, 2008
Renamed Title: Don't Take Life For Granted
Explanation: I shared past moments I took life for granted. Never stop improving. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Original Title: How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It?
Date Written: Jun 4, 2009
Renamed Title: Some People Have The Charisma, Good Vibes, And Good Looks
Explanation: There are people who attracts other people to them. I questioned my charisma, good vibes, and good looks.

In particular, one friend attracts people at anime conventions. High school educated, worked in retail, overweight, talked slowly, learns slowly, and a standard geek. I saw him conversing with new groups of people most of the time I saw him. The same friend watched an anime convention masquerade from the side stage because he got a press pass.

Original Title: My Solution To Solve Problems
Date Written: Jun 20, 2009
Renamed Title: Cooking Skill Can Solve Some Problems
Explanation: Cooking may not solve world problems. Cooking can solve some personal problems. One less personal problem is one less problem the world deals with.

Original Title: I'm Keeping The Door Closed
Date Written: Dec 27, 2009
Renamed Title: I Say No To Death
Explanation: I'm not ready to die.

Original Title: Gratitude
Date Written: Dec 28, 2009
Renamed Title: No More Taking Life For Granted
Explanation: Another reminder don't take life for granted.

Original Title: Riding On Bad Luck
Date Written: Dec 31, 2009
Renamed Title: Riding My Car's Tire On Bad Luck
Explanation: I shared past moments I had a flat tire.

Original Title: A Lesson Learned Tonight
Date Written: Feb 2, 2010
Renamed Title: There Are No Guarantees In Life
Explanation: I learned the life lesson when Conan O'Brien agreed to a $45 million settlement to leave "The Tonight Show," with $33 million to O'Brien and the staff receiving $12 million from NBC. The Jay Leno Show and O'Brien hosting The Tonight Show were failures.

Original Title: Dumb and Dumber
Date Written: Mar 28, 2010
Renamed Title: Don't Spend Time With Dumb People
Explanation: You may become dumb if you spend time with dumb people. I repeat, "[Don't] lower yourself to get along with the friend or group. Whether you continue to spend time with the friend or group is another discussion.

Original Title: A Frozen Dinner
Date Written: Jul 9, 2010
Renamed Title: Try Eating New Foods
Explanation: Eating new foods can add a little excitement. Eating a new junk food is approved.

Original Title: 23 Is Too Short
Date Written: Jan 28, 2011
Renamed Title: A Friend Died At Age 23. 23 Is Too Short.
Explanation: A friend died from sickness complications at age 23. I blogged what my life was at age 23.

Original Title: I Know It Lifestyle
Date Written: Dec 9, 2011
Renamed Title: A Dynamic Life Or A Predictable Life
Explanation: There's no right way or wrong way to live life. Either choose a predictable and routine life or a dynamic and "on the fly" life.

Original Title: Ice, Ice, And More Ice, Baby
Date Written: Mar 13, 2013
Renamed Title: Ice Is Important In A Residence
Explanation: Every freezer must have ice.

Original Title: What Is Wrong With This Picture?
Date Written: Apr 4, 2013
Renamed Title: What Is Wrong With The 2003 Raymond Mar In This Picture?
Explanation: This picture refers to me. I critically analyzed my appearance in 2003. The short answer is I looked pathetic.

Original Title: What Happened?
Date Written: Jul 28, 2013
Renamed Title: Connect The Dots Backwards Life From Mar 2007 To Jul 2013
Explanation: I looked back at in my life from Mar 2007 to Jul 2013. There were mistakes including taking life for granted, failing to earn my successes, and being weak. I corrected a few. The mistakes I failed to correct continued to affect me.

Original Title: Frustrating, Adjusting, Taking Action, Changing
Date Written: Aug 13, 2013
Renamed Title: The 2013 San Francisco Giants Adjustments
Explanation: I wrote my opinions how the Giants took action to adjust and to change.

Original Title: Bringing Home Meals
Date Written: Oct 30, 2014
Renamed Title: Meal Preparation Describes A Person Or Family
Explanation: Pay attention to the meals when people meet other people for the first time and families meet other families for the first time inside their residence. The meals are signs how the person or people live their daily lives. People or families who cook are more happier. People or families who don't cook are less happier.

Original Title: There's An A In Overachieving
Date Written: Oct 11, 2020
Renamed Title: The Oakland A's Are Overachievers
Explanation: The professional baseball team lost 10 of its past 11 postseason series on Oct 2020 when the A's lost to the Houston Astros. Management trades its star players at the prime of their careers; in other words, sell high, buy low for which buy low is acquire young baseball talent at low salaries or old veterans at the end of their careers. Ownership is cheap.

I also wrote 1+1+1=3 which is one superstar plus good coaching plus good management or good ownership equals a championship.