Two Lessons Learned When Children Learn To Tie Their Shoes

Parents take advantage of teaching their children how to tie their shoes. The advantage is two lessons for the price of one. The first lesson is obvious. Take the laces of the shoes. Tie the laces. The children tie their shoes.

There is a rhyme for tying shoes:

Make an "X", here we go. Pull one side under, now I know!
Pull the ends tight, and make a loop. Wrap around the bottom, I've got the scoop!
Push through the hole, pull it through once more. Tighten both ends, and give a whoop!

There is the bunny ears story:

Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree.
Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me.
Bunny ears, bunny ears, jumped into the hole,
popped out the other side beautiful and bold.

There are YouTube videos. Here is a selection:

Tie Your Shoes Song | CoComelon Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs
Tying Shoe Laces Song | Original Songs | By LBB Junior
Learn How to Tie a Shoe Step by Step | Tying Shoes Children's Song I Can Tie My Shoes by Miss Patty. Not animated.
Sesame Street - Tying Your Shoelace. Classic Sesame Street. David and Harry sing tying your shoelaces.
Sesame Street - Savion and Elmo "Tying Your Shoelace". Classic Sesame Street. Savion sings to Elmo how to tie shoelaces.
HOW TO TIE YOUR SHOES - Easy for Kids!. A child teaches how to tie shoelaces.

The second lesson is multiples. The children learn from their mistakes. The children learn practice. The children learn patience. The children learn memorization. These second lessons apply at school, at work, with friends, with family, and learning life lessons.

Update On A Past Blog

Curses Are Meant To Be Broken. I wrote the blog on Nov 5, 2010. Major League Baseball was my example of breaking curses. The San Francisco Giants broke the 56 year curse not winning the World Series in 2010. The Chicago Cubs broke their 108 year curse not winning the World Series in 2016 six years later.

However, there are exceptions. The Atuk Curse is a curse which killed actors interested in the leading role. The actors were John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy, and Chris Farley. Also, Michael O'Donoghue and Phil Hartman were killed by being interested in casting.

The Atuk movie was a planned comedy about an Inuk hunter moving to the city. The film adaption from the book The Incomparable Atuk by Mordecai Richler was never produced.

The Real Ramond Mar Correct Choice Is Still

The open choice continues today. The same choice real Raymond Mar is available. There's no change. I'm still a strong choice. Today's blog is an update on a past blog. I reflect past blogs on Raymond Mar from latest to earliest.

Update On A Past Blog

The statements against me dwindled from the The Real Raymond Mar Please Stand Up blog written on Dec 5, 2021. The real George Costanza is temporarily real. Nobody controls bad luck. I'm catching up narrowing the falling behind gap. I compensate my inherited weaknesses such as poor short-term memory and prone to hot temperatures. I'm reading faster. Recent successes are earned.

I Choose Raymond Mar Today written on Apr 9, 2020 is a yes 2,260 days later. The choice was a no beforehand.

Here's an update pic of me from the blog Raymond Mar 2015-2019 Looking Better written on Jan 5, 2020. I'm an example of a person who looks better aging.

The odds on favor are increasing. The payouts are higher. People who placed bets Bet On The Real Raymond Mar Coming Soon on Oct 4, 2014 being patient the long-term rewards pay off. I continue job searching, learning Python, reviewing Excel, working out physically, learning life skills, and completing housework. There's nothing to lose.

Wisdom I Shall Learn Tomorrow I Actually Learn Today

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

The following wisdoms I shall learn in the future. One month later. One year later. Two years later. Or three years later. I learn the wisdoms today. I'm wiser beyond my years. My regular readers shall read these blogs soon.

1. Selective Maintenance. We choose what we maintain ourselves. We decide how we maintain ourselves. There is no correct way. There is no incorrect way.

2. A Nothing Person Doesn't Need Permanent Indoor Residence. The person is a nobody. He or she doesn't need a house or an apartment. Live in a car. Live outdoors.

3. Highest Grades For A High School Education Is A Lie. Grade point averages are important for college applications. Otherwise, high school grades are nothing in real life. A high school student with a 4.0 grade point average is nothing in real life. College life is another league. The workplace is another league. High school education ill-prepares high school graduates for real life. Moreover, the value of a high school diploma has been decreasing for decades.

4. There Is Love And War Every Minute. Love is who we want to be. War is who we really are. A single person is at war with himself or herself if he or she is not in love.

5. Depressed? You Might As Well Clean The Residence. A zero cost temporary cure is cleaning. Cleaning is an example of staying busy.

6. More People Fall Down Through The Cracks. More people are going to be unsuccessful through no fault of their own. Blame the systems.

7. Lonely With A Purpose. More people are lonely by choice. Finding good people to become friends or to become lovers has been getting harder at any age and recent generations. These people take their chances being alone.

8. Innovate Infinitely Is A Lie. The people who question infinite innovation are correct. The innovation returns are diminished the innovation should stop. Incompetence is front and center.

9. Smart People Are Stressed Out Or Smarter Not To Be Stressed Out. Why are some smart people stressed out? These people may not be as smart as they think.

10. No Complaining When Arrived Early. The early bird didn't complain getting the worm first.

11. It Works Out Most Of The Time. The sun rises in the morning. The moon rises in the evening. Life finds a way to make it happen for better or for worse.

12. The Theory Money Buys Happiness. The theory is true. Money. Buys. Happiness. Anyone who disagrees needs a brain scan.

13. Dependent On The Miracle. More people are dependent on the miracle to become successful in today's Information Age. I'm concern most of the miracle successes the receiver screws up.

14. I Forgive Myself For Being Stupid. Better late than never. I forgive all my past stupidity my fault and somebody else's fault. First party, second party, and third parties are forgiven.

15. The Bad Is The Truth. Truths don't care about feelings.

Update On A Past Blog

The Pareto Principle is the 80/20 rule or 80:20 rule. The law of the vital few. The principle of factor sparsity. 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes for many outcomes. Economist Vilfredo Pareto wrote about the 80/20 teaching at the University of Lausanne in 1906. Pareto showed that approximately 80% of the land in the Kingdom Of Italy was owned by 20% of the population.

The Preto Principle reminded me of the blog Today I Want To Talk About The Numbers Greater Than Zero And Less Than Or Equal To One written on Jun 17, 2020. I said, "My life is better if I have 20% more good luck." I also said, "It's my intuition and it's my opinion the world is a better place for everyone when there are small changes." A 20% positive change can affect 80% of a person's life. The short summary is any percentage change can become bigger changes than anticipated. A 20% change is one numerical percentage change.

My Best Motivational Quote On Winning From Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan on winning from The Last Dance documentary aired on ESPN in 2020. A camera crew was given unrestricted access to the Chicago Bulls 1997-1998 season. The ten-part documentary is Michael Jordan's NBA career and the Chicago Bulls' six NBA championships in the 1990s. Here is the entire quote:

"Well, I mean. I don't know, I mean. Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn't want to be challenged. And I earned that right because my teammates who came after me didn't endure all the things that I endured. Once you joined the team, you lived at a certain standard that I played the game. And I wasn't going to take any less. Now if that means I had to go in there and get in your ass a little bit, then I did that. You ask all my teammates. The one thing about Michael Jordan was he never asked me to do something that he didn't fucking do. When people see this, they are going say, 'Well he wasn't really a nice guy. He may have been a tyrant.' Well, that's you. Because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win to be a part of that as well. Look, I don't have to do this. I am only doing it because it is who I am. That's how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don't want to play that way, don't play that way. . . . Break." *Jordan requests a break*

The motivational pics are 4K 3840x2160 resolution. There are two full versions excluding the last sentence when he cried and wanted a break. There is a half version and there is a quarter version for those who want a condensed quote. The full, half, and quarter versions include a clean version without the swearing.

Perspiration Is The Real Work

A common success wisdom is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Success = 10% inspiration + 90% perspiration. Anyone can talk inspiration. Success can walk perspiration. My personal bible Inspiration Cheer Up is the 10% of the total success. The file is as-is with edits, additions, and deletions.

The content includes my personal daily rules such as don't criticize, condemn, and complain; don't daydream when driving; and be discrete. There are Steve Jobs quotes. There are Stephen Hawking wisdoms. Honestly speaking, the 10% explains why I stopped reading my personal bible weekly years ago. I replace the reading time with the 90% working on my daily life priorities. My personal bible doesn't earn income, pay bills, lose weight, become a master in mechanics, increase the number of hours each day, and improve sleep. My personal bible is an inspiration reminder. My personal bible enlightens me up when I feel depressed. Depression is rare because I always work.

Live For Living

Keep going. Keep living. Use the brain. Use the muscles. Be physical. Talk, converse, and socialize. Sleep well. Eat healthy. Keep moving. Read books. Maintain a life full of freshness. Be motivated. Seek new adventures. Experiences new experiences. Innovate infinitely.

The simple sentences above are suggestions to live a strong life. The concise sentences above are suggestions to live an intelligent life. The quick paragraph above can't be any clearer. There is natural decline due to aging. The decline can be delayed by staying active. The decline can be minimized by living a busy life. Don't stop.

Knowledge For Strength

A more accurate title for today's blog is, "I take knowledge for $2,000, Ken." Any knowledge can open doors. The doors can be new job opportunities, new hobbies, meet new people, earn money, and save money. The knowledge for strength isn't necessarily physical strength; although, more knowledge on gym workouts can increase physical workouts. A common wisdom is, "A little knowledge is better than a lot of ignorance."

White collar people can learn blue collar knowledge. Learn cooking. Sew a button. Change the motor oil for an automobile. Diagnose a leaky toilet. Paint a room.

Blue collar people can learn white collar knowledge. Learn basic Excel spreadsheets. Keep up with financial headlines. Understand income taxes. Upgrade from basic computer skills to intermediate computer skills such as memorizing hotkeys and shortcuts for an operating system.

It takes motivation to gain knowledge; on the other hand, it doesn't take knowledge to gain motivation. The examples I mentioned above I completed them. I performed the words with action. I'm one step closer to become a self-trained genius.

A Compilation My Changes Blogs

Here are my top blogs about changes in my life from Aug 4, 2005 to Dec 31, 2024. Blogs written from Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025 are considered for A Second Look 2025 written in Dec 2026.

Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Dec 13, 2011. I wrote about the changes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.

Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital written on Oct 21, 2017. I was admitted as an in-patient for the first time in my life. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. Some of the changes included drinking less water, changing my job searching schedule, and changing my dental care.

My Four Mount Rushmore Greatest Moments In My Life written on Aug 9, 2020. The first day I cosplayed, the day I grew up, self job training, and The Shawshank Redemption movie are the four moments. Also, the four moments changed my life forever.

Top Ten Plus One Equals Top Eleven Life Changes Since The COVID-19 Global Pandemic written on Feb 11, 2023. The sum of the small life changes added to big permanent life changes. Examples included cooking, shopping in the morning, closing my windows before I sleep, and boiling water at home.

Side note: I rewrite the Connecting My Dots Backwards blog with a new blog post detailing the immediate changes when I realized I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. Also, the title of the new blog is more accurate.

Update On A Past Blog

I watched the movies Planes, Trains & Automobiles on Mon Jan 12, 2026 and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Tue Jan 13, 2026 while I exercised on the stationary bike. The two movies used to be traditional movies I watched during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The two movies were a late consolation for the bad Christmas 2025 Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression written on Jan 6, 2026.

Harder To Make Other People Angry

Most people do a poor job making other people angry. It's unnatural to piss off other people. These people are raised and behave to avoid confrontations. It's better to reason or to negotiate than being angry at each other. Proactive is better than reactive.

There are times the anger emotion is valid. The default "fuck you, asshole" rarely works. The other party is unconvinced. The other party thinks, "do better pissing me off." The other party thinks you're not the person to make me angry. Talking anger smart-ass is an art. Trash talking with malice is an art. Communicating degrading criticism is an art. It's like a master sharpshooter intentionally missing the target which is harder than hitting the target. It's like a professional singer singing offkey which is harder than singing on tune. If you want to make other people angry, don't think. Use intuition. Pretend to behave like a professional bully. Be a Homer Simpson. Don't be a Ned Flanders.

Two simple actions may work. One action is ignoring or keep silent; although, passive aggressiveness rarely succeeds. The second action is counterintuitive. Give a thumbs down instead of the middle finger. The PG movie rated family friendly reaction may be better than the R movie rated mature audiences only reaction.

No Guarantees In Life Including Sports

Sports are percentages. There is pass completion rate, percentage drops, and number of points the defense gives up per game in football. There is field goal percentage and free throw percentage in basketball. There is batting average, walk to strike out ratio, and earned run average in baseball. There is goals against average and shots on goals in hockey. There is no 100%. There is no 1.000.

The percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports applies to life. Chances in life applies to sports. Timing and luck in sports applies to life. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a regular season game. A no big deal. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a championship game. A yes big deal. The thought process applies to a quarterback throwing a football, a place kicker kicking a field goal, a baseball player going 0 for 4 with three deep flyouts, a pitcher giving up four home runs, a winger missing too many shots on goal, and a goal keeper giving up four goals.

We blame the players for the bad performance. We blame the players for the miss critical plays. We blame coaches for bad decisions. Think rationally. No player wants to screw up. No coach wants to lose. The chances are there to connect, and sometimes there are no chances. Timing and luck are not there. The game is lost. The strategies don't work out. It's the other result. It's the opposite of the percentage. It's the other side. A basketball player free throw percentage success is 90.1%. The player missed critical free throws at the fourth period. It's the 9.9% failure percentage. Failed. The team lost the game. Regular season is a no big deal. Try again next time. Championship playoffs is a yes big deal. It's unfair. It's the nature of the sports world. A professional sports team not making the playoffs with at least 50% regular season wins is considered a successful season.

The Odds Are Against Professional Dreamers

There are a limited number of active professional sports players who play in the top leagues. There are 1,696 professional football players in the 32 team NFL out of all the professional football players. There are 450 professional basketball players in the 30 team NBA out of all the professional basketball players. There are 780 professional baseball players in the 30 team MLB out of all the professional baseball players. There are 736 professional hockey players in the 32 team NHL out of all the professional hockey players. Those numbers are small. Practice squad and inactive professional players are excluded from the numbers. The chances of professional sports players in a North American big league roster are slim. Life is rolling the dice. Many try to become professional sports players. Few succeed.

Update On A Past Blog

I add the percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports to the blog Top Ten Life Lessons I Learned Watching Sports written on Nov 5, 2016.

I wrote a no guarantees blog A Lesson Learned Tonight written on Feb 2, 2010. The blog talked about Conan O'Brien leaving The Tonight Show with a $45 million settlement on Jan 2010. I remind myself there are no guarantees in life; however, death and taxes are 100% certain.

I repeat an update on a past blog word for word from Owners Hiring The Below Average Worker on May 12, 2023:

Life is chances. The right place at the right time. Timing and luck are in favor. The wind blows behind your back. The odds are good. The dice are rolling well. Probability is close to 100%. Here are two blogs related to chances, odds, and probabilities: Roll The Dice When You Wake Up written on Aug 12, 2019 and The Homeless People Rolled Too Many Snake Eyes written on Apr 8, 2019. Death and taxes are 100% certain. Life is unfair regardless of the probabilities. Times continue to be tough going forward.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog September 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. There was no summer day 100 degrees or higher. Cooler summer. COVID-19 news was reported as non-top of the hour importance.

Mon Sep 1. President Donald Trump said, "Many people think they are a miracle that saved millions of lives. Others disagree! With [the Center Of Disease Control] (CDC) being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it now." Trump was between the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020 during his first term and the vaccine skepticism with the MAGA and Health And Human Secretary (HHS) Robert F Kennedy, Jr. Trump said Operation Warp Speed was a great achievement. Trump is supporting Kennedy's efforts to revamp vaccine policies.

Wed Sep 3. California, Oregon, and Washington announced an alliance to establish vaccine regulations for their states. The HHS said the three states' COVID-19 policies show distrust in public health agencies. HHS ensures policies are based on science and not on politics. Other states formulate their own policies and recommendations.

Sun Sep 7. 2,000 days ago since Tue Mar 17, 2020.

Mon Sep 8. Shopped at Safeway, Lowe's, and Costco. A few more customers and a few more employees wore masks.

A close family member tested positive for COVID-19 for the third time.

Tue Sep 9. The US death rate caused by COVID-19 was out of the top ten in 2024. The rate decreased from 750.5 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 722.0 per 100,000 people reported by the CDC and the National Center For Health Statistics. The three leading causes of death remained unchanged from 2023 to 2024. They were heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury.

The CA Public Health Department reported hospitalizations increased, deaths doubled, and wastewater levels were very high in the last 30 days. The state blamed vaccine confusion. For instance, nobody under the age of 65 can receive a booster. If the person under the age of 65 is considered high risk, then the person can receive the booster.

Thur Sep 11. Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and Minnesota are some states to expand COVID-19 vaccines. These states break away from the federal government health agencies guidance on the COVID-19 restrictions. Anyone age six months or older can receive a vaccine.

Fri Sep 12. Shopped at Costco. Ate dinner at In-N-Out.

Wed Sep 17. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance. The alliance announced vaccine recommendations against the CDC recommendations. All residents older than six months can receive a flu shot. All babies receive the RSV vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is available for children from six months to 23 months old; adults age 65 and older; everyone younger than age 65 with risk factors or in contact with at-risk people, pregnant women, and anyone who wants the vaccine.

Massachusetts is leading a bipartisan eight Northeast states to discuss coordinating vaccine recommendations. New Mexico pharmacists administer the COVID-19 vaccine based on state health department guidelines.

Thur Sep 18. JAMA Network Open published a study from nine teams of researchers. A universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation can save thousands of more lives compared to limiting the recommendation to high risk groups. High risk groups recommendation only reduce 90,000 hospitalizations and 7,000 deaths. All groups recommendation reduce 126,000 hospitalizations and 8,000 deaths.

Fri Sep 19. The CDC recommended the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone who wants the vaccine shot. Many major medical insurance companies cover the costs in 2025 and 2026. A doctor prescription is not required. States can disclose a list of at least six vaccine risks to patients.

Many CDC panelists are selected by Kennedy. The panelists question the vaccine's benefits. Regardless, the panelists allow people access to the vaccine. They should consult with their health care provider for which it's not a requirement.

Sat Sep 20. Ate lunch at Amakara. Shopped at Lowe's.

Thur Sep 25. Shopped at Costco.

Keep Going In Life

I look at my Facebook friend's list. I identify all my friends who attended my high school. Most of them were smart. They enrolled in honor classes. They enrolled in Advanced Placement classes. They were active after school such as sports, arts, and volunteering.

Fast forward decades later. Most of the smart high school Facebook friends are no longer smart. I'm the better person today. I'm smarter. I'm stronger. Why? They stop learning. They settle down. I have been catching up what I missed. I surpass some of them. I continue to catch up. I continue to exceed any expectations. I surpass more of them in time.

Don't quit. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

aloof: not friendly or forthcoming; distant; disinterested.

I wrote a blog on Mar 9, 2010 titled I'm No Longer Nice. I stopped being nice. Nice guys do finish last. Niceness has limits. Niceness is more finite. I started being good. Good guys do finish first. Goodness has fewer limits. Goodness is less finite.

Moreover, being extra nice doesn't result in extra rewards. It's not aloofness does pay. It's niceness doesn't pay. Being extra nice is unlikely to change people's minds. Almost all of the time people's minds are decided.

Down And Out Both Are Never Permanent

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

I connect the dots from yesterday to today. The following moments were down and out. There were no permanent downs and outs. The following moments could be a catastrophe. Disasters were prevented. The following moments could be negative life changes. I'm fortunate these negative life changes were temporary. The following moments were potential failures. Failures became satisfactory successes. Life found a way to bounce me back up. The system worked at the end of the day. Destiny, intuition, karma, going with the flow, divine intervention, whatever. A bad luck moment was countered with a good luck moment plus more goodness.

Faith, good luck, and/or good choices saved me from a permanent down and out. Many of these moments were luck. Few of these moments were good decisions. I needed help from family, co-workers, and friends. All assistances were appreciated. Here are the moments from oldest to newest. I categorized the moments good luck or good decision. I want to tell the story. Some of these moments connect.

*Changed Majors (Fall Semester 1995). Good decision. I changed majors from Mathematics to Economics as an undergraduate at San Jose State University. The preparing, volunteering, reading, and the guidance to become a high school math teacher were falling apart. I couldn't pass my math classes. I lost my desire.

One could say the change in majors were killing two birds with one stone. The first was switching majors my grade point average went up every semester thereafter. The second was I'm not teaching in high school today. I graduated with a Bachelors Of Science in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. I didn't waste my lower division math classes.

*First Job (Jul 1998). Good luck. It took me six months to find my first job after graduating at San Jose State University. I was a Research Analyst in a commercial real estate company. My parents pressured me to find a job naturally. I thought about going back to San Jose State University to earn a master's degree.

*Second Job (Feb 1999). Good luck. The manager who hired me at my first job hired me for my second job. Same job title in the same industry. I was a Research Analyst in commercial real estate. The second company was better than the first company. A total of five employees quit from my first company to work at the second company. Moreover, the second company saved me from the first company because I thought about quitting the first company.

*My Second Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Good luck. My first boss who hired me at my first job and my second job moved to Australia. My second boss was nothing. Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired.

I warned the office manager she was ineffective. I waited two years for her release.

*Full Metal Alchemist Midnight Marathon (May 2004). Good decision. A Fanime Con 2004 anime convention event was a midnight marathon showing the anime series Full Metal Alchemist. I watched 17 episodes from midnight to 7am. I stayed awake. The end of episode eight I said, "I'm going to cosplay Edward Elric." Edward Elric was the main character. I thank my mom for making my Edward Elric cosplay.

I contemplated retiring from anime for the remainder of 2004 because I talked to a friend much younger than me. He retired from anime. Watching the marathon delayed my retirement for nine years and four months. I officially retired in Sep 2013.

*Third Job (Mar 2007). Good luck. The second company started going downhill in late 2006. People began quitting. My third job was my first tech job. The company was the largest employer in San Jose, CA. I belong working in the tech industry.

*Grow Up (Oct 2008). Good decision. I remember the day for the rest of my life. I was lost in Aug-Sep 2008. I was weak. I realized I must grow up. My life changed forever. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans.

I include going back to school earning an Associate Of Arts degree in Accounting at De Anza College and vacationing in the state of Washington and visiting Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

*First Job In A Start Up (Nov 2013). Good luck. I was a data entry and bookkeeper in a retail start up selling high end beer, wine, and sake at a discount price. Timing was good because I needed a distraction.

*Another Tech Job (Nov 2014). Good luck. My contract job at the start up company was satisfied. I found another contract job supporting an engineer at a networking server company.

*O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2017). Good decision and good luck. I experienced stomach pains since Mar 2017. The pain was too severe. My parents took me to the emergency room. The wait time was minimal. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The hospital was not busy. The hospital was quiet. I was the only patient in a double occupancy room for three out of the four nights. 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.

The moment was the first time I was an in-patient and first time doctors performed surgery.

*Safe At Home Plate, 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45, or Self Trained Genius (Aug-Sep 2019). Good luck. I can't choose a title for the Aug-Sep 2019 moment. I include any of the three. Choose any one.

I began hiking again devoting one day per month. I hiked the Montara Mountain Trail in Pacifica, CA for the first time on Labor Day weekend. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. My soul was saved. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I began training to become a self trained genius.

A Song And A Genius On The Uncontrolled Life

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you; When you think everything's okay and everything's going right; And life has a funny way of helping you out when; You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up; In your face. --Ironic, Alanis Morissette

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

Update On A Past Blog

The Top Ten Saves blog written on Apr 25, 2020 mentioned four moments from above: my second boss was fired at number ten, number seven mentioned The Shawshank Redemption, number four was the Fanime Con 2004 Full Metal Alchemist midnight marathon, number two was O'Connor Hospital, and number one was growing up.

Three high school saves happened in my sophomore year. I took Geometry after my sophomore year in summer school to take Algebra II in my junior year. I played chess during the lunch hour. I played softball in Physical Education.

Another moment in Fall Semester 1995 which was a save. A shoutout to my Physics 61 laboratory partner who majored in General Engineering. He saved my ass.

Read Books To Learn Different Wisdom

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

Different wisdom perspectives: You don't need to learn every day, nothing is possible, take and take the opportunity, and quitting or stopping may be the best choice. Ring Security owners a reminder the motion sensor slides up and down from the wall mount. Lowe's sells working gloves. The Riichi junk mat can be used for other Mahjong styles. Blame management for JoAnn Fabrics' bankruptcy. It's okay to spoil oneself for soft serve ice cream.

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.

Throwback Blog: Get Up And Do Something, Anything

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 Get Up And Do Something, Anything written on Jul 21, 2012. I created a life motto "Get out and do something, anything" on the day I grew up on Oct 4, 2008. Sometimes do something, anything is indoors. I changed the life motto to "Get up and do something, anything." More people discover there are plenty of productive somethings and enlighten anythings indoors in today's Information Age and today's economy. A balance life of indoors and outdoors is unnecessary; however, people shouldn't spend all the time either indoors or outdoors.

Furthermore, get up communicates to people to get up from bed or get up from the chair to live life.

There is 5-6 weeks remaining in the summer. School and college begin soon it's like one blink of an eye and classes start. There is still time to take a vacation for the full time workers. The year is going by fast. I hope everyone has done something special. It can be a big trip or a few small moments. Never settle on one small exciting day. Never wait for something to happen.

I changed my life motto from "Get Out And Do Something, Anything" to "Get Up and Do Something, Anything." I changed the word "out" to "up" because I wanted to imply people can have a good life indoors; however, a balance life of indoors and outdoors should be achieved. Some of my favorite indoor activities are working out in the gym, listening to music, ballroom dancing, and reading. Some of my favorite outdoor activities are hiking, visiting new places, and shopping.

Get up and do something, anything. Stop sitting on the chair or lying down on the bed. Find a new adventure. Meet new people. Read a book. Rent a classic movie on DVD. Eat something new. Walk around new places. Improve a part of you. Start fulfilling your to-do list. This blog is a solution to stop being lazy. Find happiness and joy in your life today.

De Anza Fall 2010 Note: Going off topic to end this blog, I realized one of my key for my most successful quarter was my Accounting 86 class. The instructor assigned homework on the fourth week. The first 3 weeks I settled in and concentrated on my other classes more difficult than Accounting 86.

Random Knowledge Or Random Trivia February 2025 Part 2

Blogger's note: I'm years behind sharing. There are two parts for Feb 2025. Today is part 2 of 2.

My Favorite Announcer Calls In NFL History and My Favorite Announcer Calls in NFL History | Part 2.

Hiring managers ask for three references from the job candidate. The job candidate responds by asking the hiring manager for three happy co-worker references.

Say Goodbye To Missionary And Hello To Lotus.

Turkey In The Straw for the Murphy's Oil soap commercial. Turkey In The Straw (First Version 1942). Folk Songs - Turkey In The Straw. Murphy's Oil Soap commercial.

When we sleep, waves of spinal fluid wash over the brain to remove waste.

A military litter is a military stretcher carried on a backpack. A litter is a stretcher or basket shaped to accommodate an adult for search and rescue operations. The person is strapped making safe evacuation possible.

Define women. The correct response is I can't answer the question.

What's the biggest Scam in life that no one wants to admit?

A new study untangles why sunscreen is killing coral reefs and the chemical reactions at play just below the surface.

catharsis: purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity and fear) primarily through art, writing, theater, or music; spiritual renewal or release from tension.

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger on romance and dating in the modern age. "When [women are] not being treated right, they'll often still stick around and keep seeing each other, hoping [men] will change like they were at the beginning of their relationship. As women, we're taught to be polite and service the man. My mom programmed me to be like that and I had to work to break that programming. People are afraid to do that! If their needs are not met, get out!"

"For women, she may not find him cute initially and then goes on the date and comes back with 'I can fix that! And I really liked him as a person.' A man will never want to get 'fixed' because men and women are different animals. I know women will grow into a relationship, but a man will know in a second."

Card game Thirty-One. Wiki link for instructions.

A navy SEAL Reveals How To Survive An Active Shooter.

Bear hits himself in the nuts.

Eichler Homes. Joseph Eichler partnered with progressive and respected architects and architectural firms to build more than 10,300 modernist Eichler homes between 1950 and 1974. The Eichler homes were easily discernable by their open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling glass which help blurred the line between indoor and outdoor living. Wiki Joseph Eichler.

Bruce Lee videos. Bruce Lee 1965 Interview with Chinese and English subtitles. Bruce Lee Interview With Pierre Berton 1971. Bruce Lee 1965 Interview Original.

What are some real but crazy facts that could save your life?

Get In The Fucking Robot Shinji is a catchphrase from the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Shinji Ikari refused to pilot the giant mecha Evangelion Unit 01. The phrase has been used to refer to characters that are forced to do stuff they dislike while mentally weak to decline.

superficial: existing or occurring at or on the surface. Appearing to be the true or real only until examined more closely.

Take Away The Security Blankets

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

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

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

107

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

Highlight and Favorite 2023 Tweets

Here are my 13+1=14 highlight Tweets and 2 favorite Favorites Tweets in 2023. 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. Follow me @inin61. Enjoy!

Highlights

Jan 4: @LiveDoppler7, Today is a stormy day with a Level 5 extreme storm on the exclusive ABC7 Storm Impact Scale. (The first level 5 storm since the inception of the scale 7 years ago). Watch LIVE ABC7 Team Coverage with @DrewTumaABC7 and the #ABC7Mornings team: https://t.co/n3QBk9fCxc https://t.co/IEGq9Eliqj https://abc7ne.ws/2YUq6x7 Pic.

Feb 2: palpable: 1 capable of being touched or felt. 2 easily perceptible. Readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived; obvious. #mynewwordoftheday

Apr 16: A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? $0.10 is the incorrect answer. . . . The correct answer is $0.05. ball+bat=1.10 bat=1.00+ball ball+(1.00+ball)=1.10 2ball+1.00=1.10 2ball=0.10 ball=0.05

Apr 23: Apology is policy.

May 11: The Verge posted a TikTok video summarizing the 2023 Google I/O event promoting their latest and greatest on May 10. Here is CEO Sundar PichAI Link.

May 15: It's not a secret. It's confidential.

May 28: The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones which control the way the body uses metabolism. These hormones affect nearly every organ and control functions including breathing, digestion, nervous systems, and body temp. #mytriviaoftheday

Jun 3: Ask a person to share a boring fact instead of an interesting fact. There is too much pressure to share an interesting fact. One is I don't like mayonnaise on sandwiches. Another boring fact is I take pictures of police cars.

Jul 19: These people didn't commit a crime because they're corrupt. These people committed a crime because they're stupid.

Aug 25: 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan lost the bet drafting Trey Lance. It was a series of unfortunate events. Finger injury, ankle injury, and COVID-19.
Mar 26, 2021: Call it YOLO. Call it all-in. Bet the ranch. The present is now. The San Francisco 49ers traded their 2021 first round pick (12th overall), 2022 first rounder, 2022 third rounder, and 2023 first rounder to the Miami Dolphins for their 2021 first round pick (3rd overall).

Aug 31: Willful blindness is a person avoiding civil liability or criminal charges by ignoring facts for which the person could be found liable or guilty.

Aug 31: Ignorance of law, conscious avoidance, and intentional ignorance are other terms. People commit willful blindness everyday. Link.

Sep 23: @espn, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back in his pregame speech against Colorado. "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins."

Nov 17: Don't make it a big deal fellow family members. Grandma's secret cake recipe is the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Favorite Favorites

Apr 26: @HistoryInPics, Founded in 2002 @SpaceX @elonmusk turned a vision into reality. Pic.

Sep 23: @espn, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back in his pregame speech against Colorado. "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins."

Never Say Never To The Person Who Wore A Headlamp

A common knowledge is nobody can be too prepared in case of an emergency. Meet a person who can be an amateur rescue person. A person always wore a headlamp except when going to bed like taking off eyeglasses. The person placed the headlamp on the nightstand. The person feared darkness except sleeping.

Three events happened in a calendar year. The first event the person drove on the freeway home one winter night. One of the car's tires went flat. The car pulled over to the right shoulder with no streetlights. The person turned on the headlamp. The flat tire was exchanged with the spare tire. The person arrived home safely.

The second event the department participated in an offsite event one hot summer day. The building power shut down. The electrical generator stopped. Some of the emergency lights turned on. Almost total darkness. The person turned on the headlamp. The person led everyone to evacuate the building.

The third event a city blackout in a weekend autumn night. The person turned on the headlamp. Life continued. The emergency radio was on. The candles were lit. The person relaxed.

The fiction story is never say never. The improbable can happen. It's not absolute zero percent. There is always something new. Anything can happen. Anything new happens every day. It may be old to you. It can be new to another person.

The counterpoint to the story is the person could carry the headlamp in a pants pocket or jacket pocket instead of wearing the headlamp on the forehead during waking hours.

An Accident From Flying Lumber

An example of the improbable can happen. An example it's not absolute zero percent. Lumber falls from truck on Pennsylvania overpass, sweeps car right off highway. The YouTube description is the following: Dashcam video captured the moment a load of lumber flew off a truck driving on a Pennsylvania overpass and slammed into a car below.