Sights Picture Camera Recorded

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

A permanent signal light is installed. 7-Eleven sells towels--dish towels. The Pokemon Table Card Game (TCG) should be a family household recognized game. Small business fabric stores exist. Cleaning the bathroom sink must include unclogging the sink. There must be a museum for school furniture. There must be reasons few restaurants install bathroom sanitary door handles. Costco sales can include produce items. Smarter people jog as a leisure activity.

Do Everything One At A Time Is A Strength

Slow down. Relax. Take a breath. Forget multi-tasking. Do everything one at a time. Multi-task one at a time. Be productive rationally. Haste makes waste. Quiet down everyone. Stop panicking. Everything is going to be completed one at a time. Hang on for a second. All tasks are completed in time. Be patient.

Update On A Past Blog

The blog Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Oct 13, 2011 the title is misleading. The blog detailed the immediate changes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. Any previous blogs on growing up should reference the Connecting My Dots Backwards blog.

X Is On The Clock

Patience is a virtue. Sometimes patience pays off with rewards. Sometimes patience costs with penalties. Don't know what to say. Can't respond. Too many unknowns. Processing continues. Adjust priorities. Wait for the favorable timing and luck.

Everything comes in time. The law. The system. The rules. The procedures. All is present in due time. Marriages. Graduations. Job interviews. Evictions. Championship games. Vacations. Car repairs. Medical appointments. New computers. Movie releases. Contract expirations. Academic years. Fiscal years. Full recoveries. All start in time. All end in time. Delays are likely. Cancellations are possible.

There are 24 hours a day. Guaranteed. Nobody speeds up time. Nobody slows down time. The inevitable. Give it time. Give them time. There is an end. There is the conclusion. This is it. Do you understand? Everything is coming soon.

A Garden

My dad and I assisted a family friend with routine garden maintenance. Mowed the lawn. Removed weeds. A lawn mower cut the grass. A weed wacker trimmed the grass edges. A metal rake, shovel, clippers, and loopers were tools to remove weeds. These tools existed at least a century. The front yard is maintained. The front yard is beautiful. Peace is created taking a break from today's Information Age. Effective time spent outdoors. The life lessons gardening are patience, take it one at a time, and breathe.

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.

My Generation X Sucks

Gen X is known as the forgotten generation. Gen X is between the bigger size and expressive generations Baby Boomers and Millennial or Gen Y. Gen X are people born between 1965 and 1981. Baby Boomers are people born between 1946-1964. Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1996.

Our childhood was latchkey. A latchkey kid is defined as a child left home alone or without supervision for most of the day because their parents are working. Another definition is a child returns to an empty residence after school or after other activities without supervision. We went to school by ourselves. We went home by themselves. We gathered in feral packs. We roamed the streets. The activities included riding bikes, playing baseball, skateboarding, and jumping rope. We included kids we didn't like because of inclusion. There were commercials reminding latchkey parents about their children; for example, a local news commercial said, "It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are?" Our parents said before we exited the front door, "Be home before dinner." Perhaps, our latchkey childhood explained no parental involvement. No guidance. No teaching. No nurturing.

Gen X prefers calls over text. We desire offline communication over online communication. We are more patient. Persistence and grit are true attributes. The process is more valuable than the result. Privacy is paramount. We prefer cash over credit cards.

Some world events included the Vietnam War, Watergate, the energy crisis in the 1970s, AIDS in the 1980s, President Ronald Regan's Reaganomics, Chernobyl, the Berlin Wall collapse, the Cold War ended, and the Apple and IBM personal computers. There were disco, MTV, and Michael Jackson.

The Gunnie Pigs

Gen X are the first people to watch educational television such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and Schoolhouse Rock! We experienced changes in music from vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and then mp3s. We experienced changes in communication from typewriters to word processors; from landlines, car phones, pagers, mobile phones, cell phones, and then smart phones; from floppy disks, USB storage devices, email attachments, and then the cloud.

Gen X are the first workers with defined contribution accounts. These accounts are 401(k) and IRA for which the workers are responsible for their retirements. Baby Boomers retirement accounts are defined benefit pensions for which the company funded their retirement accounts. Moreover, we are the first generation both parents worked for dual incomes.

We Gen X juggle our lives by taking care of our children and our aging parents. We care about our families. We make sure our children are active such as dance class, band practices, and sports practices. We make sure our parents arrive at their medical appointments and rehab sessions. On the other hand, our generation saw an increase in the number of divorces.

Further, Gen X struggles with personal finances. It's an economic inflation storm of college tuition, utilities, mortgages or rent, insurances, and bare necessities. Some Gen X support their parents and their adult children. The increase costs make some Gen X work in their 60s and 70s. I hope they don't lose their jobs. They experience ageism while finding employment. They experience some jobs replaced with AI.

The 2000s decade Gen X's 401(k) and IRA declined because of the dot com bubble in Mar 2000 and the real estate bubble in Sep 2008. Our retirement accounts declined during a brief inflation in late 2018, COVID-19 global recession from 2020-2022, and the present inflation. We can be the first generation to experience the Social Security collapse. The forecast is Social Security loses all funding in the year 2033. Payments are decreased by 20% to 25%.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote blogs blaming my parents for my unsuccessful life or loser life. I forgave them decades ago. It's not entirely my parent's fault. Gen X is to be blamed, too. Here are three blogs I blamed my parents: Top Ten Don't Be My Parents written on Mar 17, 2020, There Are Many Children With Parents Like Mine written on Jun 2, 2014, and Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me written on May 2, 2013.

Top Ten Plus Five Equals Top Fifteen Moments From Oct 2013 To Aug 2019

Common life wisdoms. Learn from mistakes. Get better. Moments define us. We learn from moments. We grow from moments.

I'm proud no mistakes are repeated between the dates. Something good happened. These 15 moments are good moments and bad moments. There are life pains. There was a literal life pain in Apr 2017. 2016 was the fastest year. 2018 was the unluckiest year. Aug 2019 was the last time daily melancholy stopped. Patience and hard work paid off.

Here are the top ten plus five equals top fifteen moments from Oct 2013 to Aug 2019.

15. The Worst Day Of My Life (Sep 2014). There was a company located in Palo Alto, CA I worked for two days. The business activity was border line illegal. I felt sorry for the uneducated and the unfortunate who needed the job for income.

14. The Golden State Warriors Won The 2015 NBA Finals (Jun 16, 2015). I was less than one year old when the Warriors won the 1975 NBA Finals. It felt good the Warriors won a championship as a conscious awareness human.

13. Breaking Bad (Dec 2012-Dec 2014). My all-time favorite television series. The show is number one in the IMDb Top 250 TV Shows.

12. Pacific Mahjong League (Mar 2015-Feb 2019) and South Bay Mahjong (Aug 2015-Aug 2019 continue). Shoutouts to the Mahjong groups playing Hong Kong and Riichi styles. I include a Riichi self-promotion to intermediate level in 2017. The South Bay Mahjong continues past Aug 2019.

11. South Bay Job Search Network (Oct 14, 2013). I joined a local job networking group. Their experiences and their knowledge helped me get a job in Nov 2013. I used their information to improve my job search. They inspired me to continue learning new job skills and to continue reviewing my existing job skills. Joining the CSIX job networking group is included in the moment.

I include all job interviews in moment number 11. If you want me to share job interview stories, then we eat either lunch or dinner. Coffee is too short.

10. Steve Jobs (Feb 26, 2016). I read the late Jobs' biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Steve Jobs is my all-time favorite book. Lessons learned. Wisdom acquired. Click Steve Jobs Compilation Blog I wrote on Aug 12, 2020 to read my past Steve Jobs blogs.

9. Artisan Wine Depot (Nov 2013-Sep 2014) and Palo Alto Networks (Nov 2014-May 2015). I combine these two companies which failed to strengthen my resume. The experiences from the mistakes and the politics inapplicable on a resume were greater than the work experience itself.

8. Joaquin Miller Park (Oct 6, 2018). A friend recommended hiking at Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland, CA hills. I include the four hikes at the end of 2019. There were the San Pedro Valley Park And McNee Ranch State Park in Pacifica, CA in Aug 2019, another Joaquin Miller in Oct 2019, Castle Rock State Park in Nov 2019, and Mission Peak in Dec 2019.

7. Mission Peak (Sep 2015, Sep 2016, and Feb 2017). The Mission Peak moments receive a separate entry. I hiked the Hidden Valley trail ascending to the 2,517 feet elevation peak. Mission Peak is located in Fremont, CA.

6. Zion National Park (Oct 3-4, 2015 and Sep 16-17, 2016). My cousin organized the two visits to Zion National Park. My first time visiting Utah. My first time in the Mountain Time Zone. My first time camping. My first time backpacking.

5. Retired From Japanese Anime (Sep 20, 2014). Anime gave me experiences, adventures, lessons learned, and fun memories. It was time to move on. New priorities. New choices. Click Top Ten My All Time Favorite Anime Series I wrote on Sep 20, 2014 to read my all-time favorite anime series. Full Metal Alchemist is my all-time favorite anime series.

4. New Webpage Design (Jun 29, 2016). The 2015 and 2016 job training inspired me to redesign my webpage using Sublime Text, relearning HTML, learning JavaScript, and learning CSS.

3. The Real Job Training (Oct-Nov 2014 and May 2015-Aug 2019 continue). The skills include Power BI, R-Studio, Excel, Python, and SQL. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources. My self job training continues past Aug 2019.

2. Restaurant Closed On Tuesdays (Tue Dec 4, 2018). It was the first time I saw a restaurant closed on Tuesdays. Not Mondays. Tuesdays. The event summed up year 2018. Bad luck. Bad timing. Misfortunes. Missed chances. Missed opportunities.

1. O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2-Apr 6, 2017). I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I wrote the blog Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital on Oct 21, 2017. I changed number seven New Jobs Search Schedule to one day from Mon to Sat.

A Bonus Pic On Good Habits Three Pics Total

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.

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.

2024 Year In Review

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

1. Analytics Research Technology. I self-trained. I passed my classes for data analysis or data science. The classes were from YouTube videos, online education, books, and articles. I blogged the graduation Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology on Apr 19, 2024.

2. Black Mesa. A fan-made remake of Half-Life. It's the video game nomination for 2024. It's the only video game I played.

3. Gym. I worked out at the gym for the first time since the global pandemic.

4. Discretionary Spending In Check. A 2018 moment nominee. I minimized discretionary spending. For example, one music CD, Steam's annual sale selected video games $1.50 or cheaper, and DVDs at public library sales. Most bare necessities purchased on sale.

5. Taiwanese Mahjong. I learned how to play Taiwanese style. I know Hong Kong and Japanese or Riichi.

Explanation: I completed my like senior year in college with a fake degree in Analytics Research Technology. The consistent and productive job training paid off. Forget the video game, gym, and mahjong. Too trivial. I could continue working out at home. A mini home gym and a full size gym were no comparisons. Keeping my expenses in check was worth mentioning given prices have been increasing. Make everything last as long as possible.

There were multiple setbacks in my physical training. One setback was sickness in July. Another setback was left calf pain solved by wearing a calf compression sleeve. I must jog with a knee brace on my right leg.

What Won: Analytics Research Technology.

What Should Have Won: Analytics Research Technology.

My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: Job training won because I completed the self training. The endgame was accomplished. The post graduate training continues today with Excel, Python, HTML, and WordPress. However, as of the blog post, WordPress is postponed indefinitely. I don't know the replacement. JavaScript is fulfilled satisfactory.

2024 Letter Grade: B-. 2023 year ended fantastic. 2024 year ended subpar. 2023 and 2024 balanced out. 2024 was boring. I could have done a better job making the boring awesome. There were no rewards for morale victories. No payouts for the process. There were setbacks. Results matter. The conclusion received attention. The conclusion was disappointing.

On the other hand, the little wisdoms and the wisdom reminders continue. I continue not taking life for granted. I seek new life skills to learn. I drill existing life skills to remember.

Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades

2023: Physical fitness. Grade B+.
2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.
2016: Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson. Grade F.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Reasons Life Has Always Been Me

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

I've been the correct choice. It was always me. Life has been all me. Everything was me. The self-training paid off. I connect the dots backwards. I made good choices. I did it correctly. I continue making mistakes learning anything new. I continue committing mistakes when I aim high and miss. I achieved mature adulthood at the age of 45. I get it. I understand five years before age 50. I realized all since Sep 2019.

Nobody told me my path to success is correct. Nobody taught me a system. I self-discovered my system. The system is common knowledge and common wisdom: eat healthy, exercise, read books, sleep well, never stop learning, learn from mistakes, always meet new people, minimize watching TV, and ignore anything toxic. I hope timing, luck, chance, and opportunity favors me. Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen reasons life has always been me.

13. Be Patient And Go For The Long Run. I thought of the "be patient and go for the long run" when I was a student at San Jose State University. The wisdom was correct. The attitude was correct. The adaption was incorrect. The execution was incorrect. I did it wrong. College life was too much fun and too little learning.

I lived a false sense of getting everything done quickly. It worked in my 20s and early 30s. Somehow my quick life was successful quickly. I didn't have to be patient. I started on something. I completed it quickly.

The patience is back today. I'm doing the "be patient and go for the long run" correctly decades later. Work. Give everything time. Take everything one day at a time. Build a little every day. Add the little accomplishments for the big goals.

12. Talk. Communicate. We have a mouth under the nose and above the chin. If quiet people or introverted people speak up 20% more, then they're going to be happier 20% or more.

People said I talked too much in the past. They didn't explain why. They didn't correct me. My self-discovery was poor self-esteem, seeking attention, nobody teaching me proper social conversations, and being ignorant. All problems fixed today.

11. Steve Jobs. I follow the wisdom of Steve Jobs. I understand the "Stay hungry, stay foolish" wisdom. Trust intuition. Never settle. Be brave making mistakes. We do judge a book by its cover.

"Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Um, once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."

10. Adulthood Preview In Ninth Grade. I studied hard. I spent more hours learning. I spent more hours practicing. Grit. I spent more hours exercising. I spent less hours watching television. The hard work paid off with good grades. I felt smart. I felt strong.

My adulthood was established. Hard work. Motivation. Focus. Strength. Intelligence. What about fun? The fun happened afterwards. I accepted the process. I accepted the challenge.

9. R.O.T.C. In High School. I took the U.S. Marines Reserve Officers Training Corps or R.O.T.C. in high school for three years. I learned leadership attributes and leadership skills. I also learned human relations rules.

8. Physical Fitness. I jog two days a week. I strength train two days a week. I'm the most healthiest I've ever been in my life. Exercising is not an excuse to eat unhealthy in moderation; in other words, exercising and eating unhealthy don't cancel. Exercise and eating healthy must be combined.

7. Read More Fiction Books Than Nonfiction Books. I learned more about life reading fiction books. It started in Oct 2008.

6. Clean And Organize. I self-taught myself how to vacuum, mop floors, clean toilets, and organize. Less stress where there is less clutter. More time saved where there is more organization. Routine maintenance is required to keep neatness. Work is required.

5. Take The Initiative. I admit I'm gun-shy when nothing happens. I know my position at the certain place and the certain time. I know my role in a social situation. I stay within my boundaries. Time is up. Action is required. I take the initiative. I'm successful sometimes. I'm not successful sometimes.

4. Self-job Training. The blog Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology written on Apr 19, 2024 explains everything. I passed the classes for data analysis or data science. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources.

3. Be A Good Person. I'm getting stronger, smarter, kinder, and wiser. I'm not a nice guy. I'm a good guy. I continue catching up what I missed in the past. I'm experiencing new experiences. I'm seeking new adventures.

2. Desire Is More Important Than Knowledge. Practice, practice, learn from my mistakes, improve, progress, practice, practice, practice, . . . . "I will" is more important than "I know." The knowledge follows motivation doing something, anything. The rewards follow motivation when responsibilities are completed.

1. Growing Up. Sat Oct 4, 2008 changed my life forever. It was time to grow up. No more immaturity. No more taking life for granted. I'm responsible for my life.

Update On A Past Blog

I reference the blogs for today's blog on Update On A Past Blog.

*I Made Good Choices After All written on Jan 17, 2025. People said I did it wrong. I made mistakes. The logic was illogical. People didn't follow me. They wanted it their way. My thought process was nonsense. My actions were insincere. Ignore Raymond Mar. Connect the dots backwards. Hindsight is 20/20. I did it correctly.

*Unlearn To Be Better And Unlearn The Incorrect written on Jan 7, 2024. Forgive the past. Unlearn the past. Correct the incorrect. Retrain. Relearn.

*I Correct Be Patient And Go For The Long Run written on Dec 16, 2023. Take my time. I was irresponsible then. I'm responsible now.

*I've Been Doing Everything Correct Mostly written on Apr 12, 2022. The Shawshank Redemption was released on Oct 14, 1994. The movie is currently number 1 on IMDb's Top Rated Movie. If you didn't watch the movie, then watch the movie alone.

*Top Ten I Get It Now written on Nov 21, 2020. I listed ten life concepts, wisdoms, and lessons I understand.

*My High School Freshmen Year Was My First Taste Of Responsible Adulthood written on Jun 6, 2020. See number 10.

*I Choose Raymond Mar Today written on Apr 9, 2020. I realized yesterday's Raymond Mar was not the real Raymond Mar when he made mistakes. The people who believed the yesterday's Raymond Mar was the fake Raymond Mar. The present Raymond Mar is the true Raymond Mar.

*Going Up Or Getting Better Am I? written on Sep 8, 2019. Is my life getting better or getting worse? Is my life going up or going down? Honestly speaking, I'm one step closer to become a genius.

*When Is An Adult An Adult? written on Sep 17, 2017. It's a judgment call. Time will tell everything I'm doing today to live independently tomorrow is successful.

*Top Ten I Was Correct When I Was Young written on Jun 9, 2016. I was told wrong because nobody reinforced my good moments, nobody encouraged me to continue my good successes, and/or people were jealous of my accomplishments. Or it could have been me. I quit reinforcing my good moments to do better. I took my good successes for granted. I was a people pleaser stopping when I was told to stop to make other people happy.

*I Did It Right written on Nov 14, 2013. We experience bad days, bad moments, and bad luck. We can't control everything 24 hours a day. The end of the day we continue moving forward hoping for the best.

The Bottom Line Is A Big Change Influencer

Here's a typical scenario. A customer, client, patient, or buyer recognizes an error, discrepancy, miscalculation, or exclusion. The party converses professionally to management, agent, doctor, ownership, or seller. The talking points are clear. Tones are calm. Spoken words are mature. Everyone is patient. Unfortunately, sometimes talking points are confusing. Tones are conflicted. Spoken words are shouted. No more patience. Regardless, there is no change. The management party and the like changes nothing even if the customer party and the like are correct.

Follow the pattern. There are more errors, discrepancies, miscalculations, or exclusions. The management party and the like continue changing nothing. It doesn't matter who's correct and who's incorrect. The system is unchanged. Give it time. The best change instigator is money. The catalyst for change is profit. The bottom line is the wake up call. We see changes everyday in the business news. A company misses their forecasts. A company announces changes. We see changes everyday in the sporting news. A professional sports team with multiple losing seasons. Ownership announces coaching changes.

Money talks. Profit talks. Problems are no longer ignored.

Screwed Or Not Screwed

I ask questions about myself. I answer "screwed" or "not screwed" followed by an explanation. I choose no NSFW answer "fucked" or "not fucked." There is no 50/50 middle ground. If it's 51% screwed, then I'm screwed. If it's 51% not screwed, then I'm not screwed. Here are the self-analysis questions:

*Find a job: screwed. The unemployed readers know the truth. There are fewer job openings. There are too many unemployed seeking employment from the fewer job openings.

*Health: not screwed. I include physical fitness. I workout four days a week. I minimize eating processed foods. I sleep eight hours a night. I drink water when I'm thirsty.

*Money: screwed. All prices are going up. All costs are going up. All payments are going up.

*Job training: screwed. On the one hand, I finished my self job training on Apr 19, 2024 Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology. On the other hand, the continued job training remains too slow. There is too much to learn. There are good free learning resources. I'm skeptical on paid online training.

*Learning outside the job training: not screwed. Finding new life skills is slow and sure. An advantage being unemployed is plenty of time to learn. These skills can be useful tomorrow.

*Socialize with friends and family: not screwed. I started meeting my friends post pandemic. I started meeting new people post pandemic. I'm patient.

*COVID-19: not screwed. I wear masks. I'm updated on the latest vaccines. I never tested positive.

*Timing, luck, destiny, karma: screwed. The world has not been flowing in my favor for years.

*Time remaining to live life: screwed. My life is either paused or moving forward too slowly. I follow through everything I learned. Too many delays. Too many stalls.

*Happiness in the short term: not screwed. I wrote being a happy loser My Problems Are Nothing on Dec 27, 2024 compared to many people with bigger unhappy problems.

*Happiness in the long term: screwed. Money is not a factor to become happy. However, money helps a person become happy. I don't know the future regarding money.

*Mental: not screwed. I separate physical health and mental health. I read books. I job training. I learn life skills. Never stop learning.

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 Years 2016 To 2019 Were Better Than The Years 2020 To 2023

I begin backwards. 2020-2023 years excelled. I'm in the minority the COVID-19 Global Pandemic benefited me. The world paused. The world slowed down. I used those years to catch up. The catching up continues today. I'm not finished. Here are some specifics: proper self job training, new physical workouts, faster reading comprehension, acquire new life skills, relearning financial education, and new computers. Unfortunately, no financial rewards and no employment. The four years were good.

On the other hand, the 2016-2019 four years were better. 2016-2019 years sucked. There were struggles. There were frustrations. There were mistakes--too many mistakes. There were trials and errors resulting in no solutions. 2016 was the last year I went on a vacation outside my city. I needed two surgeries in 2017. 2018 was all bad luck and all bad timing. Here are more specifics: improper self job training, poor physical workouts, improper diet, too much leisure, and outdated computers. The turnaround began in 2019. The specific month was Sep. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling for the first time. I hiked four trails. I purchased new desktop hardware and a new laptop in Nov and Dec. I began training as a self trained genius.

I connect the dots backwards. The 2016-2019 created momentum for 2020-2023. The 2016-2019 were the foundation for 2020-2023. 2016-2019 set up 2020-2023. I endured the struggles. I worked my way out of the frustrations. I learned from my too many mistakes. The light bulb on top of my head lit intensely because I figured out the solutions in 2020-2023 from the 2016-2019 trials and errors. I learned from failures. I needed more time. It took four years. The wait was worth it. Patience paid off.

Three Steve Jobs Quotes

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

"Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Um, once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."

"Stay hungry, stay foolish."

Maintain Daily Order In The Daily Disorder

entropy: 1 physics: a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system; a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work. 2 lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder. Everything in the universe eventually moves from order to disorder, and entropy is the measurement of that change. The degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system.

There is daily disorder in life. Disorder existed yesterday, disorder exists today, and disorder exists tomorrow. Disorder is clear and present no matter the laws, controls, safeguards, discipline, machinery, rules, and human knowledge. Energy is required to create order. Effort is needed to stop disorder. Education and training are necessary to learn order. Disorder is easy. Order can be hard. Disorder is inevitable. Order is a choice. The ordered person practices order and repeats by repetition order. The disordered person is the person with no life motivation. A messed up person lives a life of disorder.

Throwback Blog: Curses Are Meant To Be Broken

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 Curses Are Meant To Be Broken written on Nov 5, 2010. I used Major League Baseball teams as examples curses were broken. The San Francisco Giants won two more World Series in 2012 and 2014. The Chiago Cubs won the 2016 World Series. The Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Cleveland Indians, continue waiting.

Here are recent first time franchise championships. I don't know their local franchise histories. I believe local fans say there were curses. The Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series. The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. The Florida Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.

The title is self-explanatory. Curses are meant to be broken. However, it's unfortunate some people can't or don't break their curses for reasons beyond their control. Blame life.

The last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series was in 1908, a span of 102 years which is the longest time a team hasn’t won. The second longest is the Cleveland Indians at 62 years. The third longest was the San Francisco Giants at 56 years. The key word is was.

The Giants won the 2010 World Series defeating the Texas Rangers four games to one. The win is the first time in San Francisco franchise history. The torture is over, and that includes torture Giants fans experienced during the last six weeks of the season. Edgar Renteria’s three run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the 7th inning is the Giants most memorable homerun in San Francisco Giants history. The championship is for the Willie Mays, Will Clark, and Barry Bonds eras. The win erases all the Giants curses. Here are some of curses I lived through:

*1987 NLCS. Candy Maldonado’s misplayed fly ball in Game 6 and Jose Oquendo hitting a homerun in Game 7 off Atlee Hammaker against the St. Louis Cardinals. Oquendo hit one homerun in the regular season.

*1989 World Series. Loma Prieta earthquake and the Oakland A’s swept.

*2002 World Series. Anaheim Angels’ Scott Spiezo’s three run go-ahead homerun against Felix Rodriguez in Game 6.

*2003 NLDS. J.T. Snow thrown out at the plate on the last play of the series against the Florida Marlins in Game 5.

Curses are meant to be broken. If you’re in a bad streak of sales, dates, homework and tests scores, interviews for a job, burning cooked dinners, or buying bad goods, don’t worry about it. Don’t give up! Curses are meant to be broken.

Side note: The Boston Red Sox’s broke their curse in 2004.

To Read Or Not To Read

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

I'm too young to read books. I question more if I have stronger reading skills. I waste time eating potato chips increasing in price. I need therapy to stop mental declining. My therapist said read more books.

Routine oil changes are required for a car driving hundreds of thousands of miles as long as the car owner possesses the necessary tools. Don't use new towels when changing oil. New towels are unfounded at evicted tenant's residences.

Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology

The college diploma is fake. The degree is fake. The award is earned. The training is real. I passed the classes for data analysis or data science. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources. The part time self-training took nine years and two months. The self-training could have been completed in five years if I trained full time. The reasons for the part time included household responsibilities, family obligations, other personal commitments, and mistakes from Aug 2014 to Dec 2019. Nov 2014-Mar 2015 were excluded because of a contract job.

I summarize my self job training completion from start to finish.

Aug-Oct 2014: The Preview, The Foreshadow, The Seed

I failed an interview for a contract Data Analyst position because I failed the Excel tests in Jun 2014; in particular, I failed the VLOOKUP test. I never used VLOOKUPs in past jobs. I couldn't explain how I used Excel successfully without VLOOKUP. Bible truth.

I reviewed and learned Excel which included reviewing pivot tables and learning VLOOKUPs watching YouTube videos in Jul 2014. My contract job with a retail startup wasn't renewed in Sep 2014. My friend Appu introduced me to Python for the first time and Ubuntu for the second time. He introduced me to Ubuntu for the first time in 2008. My first Python learning came from a book written for kids. The self job training ended in Nov 2014 when I found another contract job in a networking company.

May 2015-Dec 2019: I Didn't Know What I Was Doing

I actually started in Apr 2015 during my last month at my contract job. The first topic was relearning Oracle SQL. I continued Excel which included dashboards, statistics, and data analysis in May 2015 when I became unemployed. I taught myself Salesforce watching YouTube videos and reading a tutorial book. I created a free Tableau account to learn Tableau from a .pdf book. I quit both Salesforce and Tableau because there was no progress.

VBA was added on Feb 2016. I continued Oracle SQL and Excel. Python began in Apr 2016 learning online from CodeUpStart promotion on Kickstarter. The lessons were terrible. The CodeUpStart convinced me to be skeptical when paying for online training courses. Linux and the text editor Sublime Text began in May 2016. I reviewed HTML, learned CSS, and learned JavaScript. I uploaded my redesigned webpage Innovate Infinitely on Jun 29, 2016.

A major change happened on Apr 2017. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I was admitted as an in-patient in a local hospital requiring an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones and a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. There was no job training for the entire month. The self job training became a consistent five-day responsibility thereafter. Git was added in May 2017. Appu introduced me to Project Euler to practice Python in May 2017. Drill training began in Jun 2017. Excel was the first drill training topic; for example, formulas, tables, and pivot tables. VBA drill training began in Sep 2017.

The self job training became six days a week in Feb 2018. My friend Spiritsnare told me about free Salesforce official online courses which I learned on Sundays. I stopped the Salesforce in Mar 2018. The six days a week stopped in May 2018 because I got sick in Apr 2018. Power Pivot and Power Query were added in Jun 2018. Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) was added in Oct 2018.

The year 2019 became inconsistent for the topics I learned for the week. Some weeks its Power Pivot and Power Query one day, Python another day, and Power BI another day. Other weeks its Python and SQL one day, Excel another day, and VBA another day. Each week and each day were random topic or topics. I continued six days a week job training between Jul 2019-Nov 2019. No new topics were added.

Jan 2020-Mar 2024: The Light Bulb Turned On Bright

I built my second desktop PC in Jan 2020. Upgraded hardware. Windows 10 operating system. Office 365 subscription. Upgraded Ubuntu from 18.04 to 20.04. I also re-evaluated the topics. Power BI, Power Pivot, Power Query, Python, and SQL were the five topics each week. JSON were added on Apr 2020. A two group and two-week rotation started in Jun 2020 which continued to Mar 2024. The initial first group was Excel, Git, Linux, Power Pivot, Python, and SQL for six days. The initial second group was JSON, Power BI, Power Query, Python, and Sublime Text for six days. The COVID-19 global pandemic made the six day weekly rotation easier. Data analysis was combined with Power Pivot and dashboards was combined with Power BI starting on Aug 2020. I completed JSON in Sep 2020.

The year 2021 started with a winter break from Dec 20, 2020 to Jan 16, 2021. I changed my two group and two-week rotation. Excel and data analysis, finance, Power Query, Python, and SQL were the first group for six days a week. Git, Linux, Sublime Text; Power BI and dashboards; Power Pivot; and Python were the second group for five days a week. PowerPoint replaced finance in Jun 2021. R and R-Studio were added in Jul 2021 for Saturdays. Also, Access was added in Jul 2021 for which I finished in Nov 2021. Data analysis ended in Aug 2021. I took a Summer Sabbatical October 2021 from Oct 13, 2021-Thur Nov 4, 2021 because I was tired.

The groups changed in 2022. Excel, Power BI, Power Pivot, PowerPoint and dashboards, Python, and R and R-Studio were the first group for six days a week. Sun was the day off. Linux, Sublime Text, and Git; Power Query; Python; R and R-Studio; and SQL were the second group for five days a week. Thur and Sun were the days off. I combined Excel with PowerPoint and dashboards in the first group in Jul 2022. Thur and Sun were the days off for the first group and the second group in Jul 2022. R and R-Studio was replaced with another Python in the first group in Sep 2022.

I added Windows 10 drill training on Jan 2, 2023. Windows 10 became part of the first group. The Thur and Sun days off changed to Sat and Sun days off in Mar 2023. Jun 27, 2023 was the turning point. It was my senior year. It was time to wrap up the topics. It was time to final review everything. Here came graduation. The endgame began. Power BI, Power Pivot, Python, R and R-Studio, and SQL were the endgame topics. Git and PowerPoint and dashboards were excluded in the endgame topics. Excel, Linux, Power Query, and Sublime Text topics continued as drill training. Excel, Linux, Power Query, Python, SQL, and Sublime Text were the endgame first group. Power BI, Power Pivot, Power Query, Python, and R and R-Studio were the endgame second group. Oracle SQL was the first endgame final completed on Jul 10, 2023. Windows 10 stopped in Aug 2023.

The rest of the endgame topics were completed in 2024. I finished Power BI on Jan 16, 2024. I finished Power Pivot on Jan 17, 2024. I finished SQL on Feb 14, 2024. I finished R and R-Studio on Mar 7, 2024. Topics completed were replaced with incomplete topics; for instance, one week two days of R and R-Studio and two days of Python because Power BI and Power Pivot were finished. I finished Python on Mar 25, 2024. I congratulated myself graduating. I never paid for any online training courses.

Apr 2024-?: Never Stop Learning

I began researching new skills to self-train on Mar 26, 2024. The new skills are the graduate self job training. The topics are either Excel and Power Pivot or Excel and Power Query, HTML and CSS, JavaScript, Python, and WordPress. Power Pivot and Power Query rotates every two weeks with Excel. One group. Sat and Sun are days off. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

There are multiple family priorities since Apr 1, 2024. There is no graduate self job training as of today.

Suggested Learning Sources

Here are suggested YouTube video channels, online education, and books in alphabetical order.

YouTube
Corey Schafer. Multiple topics for beginners to experts.
EJ Media. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery.
Excel Campus - Jon. Excel career training.
ExcelIsFun. Excel, Power BI, Power Pivot, and Power Query. Best for Excel newbies.
Kevin Stratvert. All purpose educational content creator.
Manish Sharma. Oracle SQL expert.
MarinStatsLectures-R Programming & Statistics. R-Studio.
MyOnlineTrainingHub. Excel and Power BI career training.
ProgrammingKnowledge. Linux, Ubuntu, and VirtualBox.
sentdex. Professional programmer.
Socratica. Educational courses.
thenewboston. Bucky is a genius in multiple programs and multiple technologies.
WiseOwlTutorials. Excel and Excel VBA.

Online Education
Codecademy. Free and paid courses in technology. Examples are AI, programming languages, web design, data analysis, and game development.
Codewars. Learn programming by solving problems. Free to join.
Kaggle. Download data sets to practice data analysis.
Project Euler. Solve mathematical problems by writing code. Create an account to track progress and access solutions which must be solved by the user first.
Socratica. Free and paid courses in math and science.
SQLZoo. Learn SQL following their tutorials.
w3resource. Free online tutorial to learn and to practice.

Books
M Is For (Data) Monkey by Ken Puls And Miguel Escobar. Beginner Power Query.
Master Your Data With Excel And Power BI by Ken Puls And Miguel Escobar. Intermediate to advanced Power Query.
Python For Kids by by Jason Briggs. If you can't understand Python written for children, then change your career choice.
Supercharge Excel by Matt Allington. Power Pivot or DAX.
Supercharge Power BI by Matt Allington. Power BI and Power Pivot or DAX.
The Visual Display Of Quantitative Information Second Edition by Edward Tufte. Create professional charts. No chart junk.

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.