Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Top Mistakes Part 2

I started to write the Top Mistakes blogs yesterday. There are many mistakes I learned throughout my life. Here are three more.

Mistake 4: Reading Non-Fiction Books Only

I started to read books consistently on 2002. The first book was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I followed reading business, leadership, self-help, and stock investment books. Some of the books were really good and worth my time reading. However, there was something missing.

I started to read fiction books on Oct. 2008. The first book was The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I followed that book with The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and Forever by Judy Blume. I read classic books such as The Old Man And The Sea by Ernst Hemingway and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read 75% fiction and 25% non-fiction today.

The lesson I learned is read fiction books. I believe people learn more about life reading fiction than non-fiction.

Mistake 5: Complaining, Nagging, Taking It Out On Others

I remember working at Grubb & Ellis on Nov. and Dec. 1998. I complained, nagged, and criticize daily. I took out my life frustrations on other people. I was a guy you don’t want to be with on a Fri. night. I continued the unprofessional and negative attitude throughout my careers at Colliers International and Cisco. I believed my negative attitude affected my work productivity and my mental health. I believed work could have been less stressful if I relaxed and took a breath.

The lesson I learned is don’t criticize, condemn, and complain. They very rarely change the situation.

Mistake 6: An Immature Adult

I want to go straight to the lesson I learned on Oct. 4, 2008: grow up. Stop acting and behaving like a child. Don’t take life for granted. If I want a good life, I must earn it. I must be man with strength, courage, and honesty. Learn from my mistakes. Never stop innovating life.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Top Mistakes Part 1

I thought of the Top Mistakes blog on the first week of October. I wrote down a list of mistakes I corrected here and there thinking about the list in the back of my mind. Next, I choose the top ten mistakes. I changed the number of mistakes from ten to all. All of my mistakes were worthy to share. Finally, I chose to separate the Top Mistakes into separate blogs. Here is the first blog entry of my mistakes in no particular order:

Mistake 1: Living Life With Nobody

I lived life most of the time alone. I had few friends. My family has been the people I interact. I read and hear about successful people daily such as from the entertainment, sports, politics, and business worlds. One commonality is they succeeded with people. They didn’t reach their highest potential alone.

The lesson I learned is always meet new people and make new friends. Friends come and go in our lives. People come and go in our lives. Interacting and being with people influences who and what you are. We are humans. We must have people in our lives, at least for the bare minimum to live.

Mistake 2: Take Life For Granted

I took life for granted for 34 years. I lived life saying to myself, “Life treats me good. I deserve a good life because I’m me. I’m Raymond Mar. I’m good at everything and I must be treated with respect. Nothing bad ever happens in my life because I’m Raymond Mar. I’m an all-star.” That’s the wrong way to life my life.

The lesson I learned is never take life for granted. Earn it. Life doesn’t come to me in a silver platter. Live life. Learn from my mistakes and never repeat my mistakes. Don’t sit around and hope the good life comes to me. Take action to have a better life. Work smarter. Practice smarter.

Mistake 3: My Workout Schedule

My old workout was incorrect. I took my life for granted saying my workout was the best for a person who wanted to workout for good health. One mistake was I completed one set only for all my workouts.

I want to thank Punkbuster for introducing me to Bodybuilding.com. I downloaded beginning workout plans from their website on Sept. 2008. My workouts significantly improved; for example, I separate my weight lifting and cardio into separate days instead of doing both in one day. My cardio consists of treadmill and stationary bike.

The lesson I learned is workout is important in a person’s life. I must improve my workout consistently including new workout plans and eating as healthy as possible.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, December 26, 2011

10 Question And 55 Answers

I ask myself 10 questions and the number of answers per question is the numbered question. It’s self-explanatory when you start reading. Here we go:

1. How many Mahjong (Riichi) games I won? One.

2. What college degrees do I have? B.S. Economics and A.A. Accounting.

3. What companies I work at after I graduated San Jose State? Grubb & Ellis, Colliers International, and Cisco.

4. Where did I visit in the United States? Nevada, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon.

5. What video games did I complete on your PC? Command & Conquer, Team Fortress 2, Crysis, StarCraft 2, and Portal.

6. What Simpsons volumes do I own? Volumes 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. I need more Simpsons.

7. Where did I visit in San Francisco for the first time? Rode the cable car, walked around Union Square, visited Crissy Field, walked the Golden Gate Bridge, visited The Palace Of Fine Arts (since 1988), shopped at the Fillmore Shopping District, and hiked on Angel Island.

8. Who did I where a costume at anime conventions? Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, Syaoran from Tsubasa Chronicles, Toshiro Hitsugaya from Bleach, Chrono Harlaown from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Haku from Spirited Away, Ikkaku Madarame from Bleach, Allen Walker from D. Gray Man, and Medic from Team Fortress 2.

9. List the last nine books I read: Animal House by George Orwell, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne, The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, The Season by Patricia Hornung and Robin Moore, To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, and The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

10. Share ten items in My Bucket List: Weekend at Carmel, skydive, hike at Big Basin, European trip to England, San Francisco Embarcadero walk, find a job, move out, drive an Audi A6, ride the Santa Clara County Lightrail, and visit the City of Pacifica.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Positives Mon Dec 12-Fri Dec 23, 2011

*Reread The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

*Purchased Family Guy Vol 6.

*Ate jerk chicken for the first time and at Dona Maria restaurant for the first time.

*Played Quarriors for the first time.

*Watched In Time and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

*Read Animal House by George Orwell.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, December 12, 2011

Positives Tue Nov 29-Sun Dec 11, 2011

*New family Christmas tree with LED lights and old ornaments as far back as early 1980s.

*Hiked at the Los Gatos Creek Trail.

*Yard work. Raked leaves and helped my mom trimmed the trees.

*Satisfied finishing Access SQL. I begin practicing with another database.

*Finished reading Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne.

*Purchased Transporter 3.

*Ate at Cocola Bakery in Santana Row for the first time.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Positives Thur Nov 17-Mon Nov 28, 2011

*Finished and relearned Crystal Reports XI. I reread a learning manual from a class I took in 2006.

*Ate at Pho 54, Baklava, Albert’s Cafe, The Counter, and Sonoma Chicken Coup

*Watched Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and Hugo movies.

*Chewed Wrigley’s 5 Cobalt Peppermint gum for the first time.

*Happy Thanksgiving Day. I celebrated the holiday with my family, brother’s family, and closest relatives.

*Black Friday. Purchased Family Guy Vol 5, Glee Season 1, and Firefly.

*I also purchased screen protectors and a outlet power surge protector with USB charge ports on Cyber Monday.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Who Do You Want To Give Thanks?

Today is Thanksgiving Day. I want to give thanks to some people. My shoutouts:

*My parents and family. I’m still down and living at home. Everything is okay as long as I continue to do my share in the house. I’m ready to go when the moment says so. I thank my sister for introducing me to ballroom dancing.

*Alien cat. It’s almost a year we’re dating. More adventures and experiences to seek.

*The guys. mDuo13, Tsubasa, Spiritsnare, Last Exlir, Appu, gmontem, and Chun. Anime, board games, video games, J-Pop, and talking about the little things in life. There are more out there and we experience them.

*The cosplayers. Kimu, Captain Mom, Shokora, Ginryuu, Duo Monkey, Dee, Evelyn, Seattle group, Eliteslayer, SoCal FMA cosplayers, CLAMP cosplayers, and many more. Anime cons are fun being with everyone.

*Thundercloud. AD&D and other RPGs, stocks, books, and the Washington Canada trips.

*Alien cat’s friends. We need to have more game nights.

*Punkbuster. Bodybuilding.com and battle.net.

*Arashi. Some teens are wiser than adults.

*De Anza. Good memories and good opportunities. I made a few new friends. I also met a variety of classmates from recently graduated high school to students my age going back to school. The accounting department is solid.

*Colliers staff during my finals months. I think the years together were the best staff with all-star performance. I have complements to all the brokers treating me professionally.

*And everyone else I met with a connection and a where and when I met you in my life. There are always thanks.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Positives Mon Nov 7-Wed Nov 16, 2011

*Updated my web page Innovate Infinitely.

*Replaced old windshield wipers with new wipers.

*Installed software for my uncle’s new laptop.

*Mini-marathon and finishedKamisama No Memochou.

*Hiked the Stevens Creek Trail for the first time.

*Ate at Sweet Tomatoes for the first time in a long, long time and Chef Liu for the first time.

*Purchased my first Groupon, $20 for food and drink at Hobee’s for $10.

*Watched the movie Serenity.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, November 7, 2011

Positives Sun Oct 30-Sun Nov 6, 2011

*Drank Arizona Tea for the first time.

*Purchased a new pair of dress shoes and a optical illusions deck of cards.

*Ate at Yogurtland for the first time. Oatmeal cookie flavor tasted good. I also ate at Smart Alec’s, a fast food restaurant serving grass fed burgers and air cooked fries.

*MahJong (Riichi). I memorized all the hands and learned how to score.

*Finished watching Kamisama Dolls anime.

*Went book shopping in Berkeley. Alien cat and I parked at the Daly City BART station and we took BART to Downtown Berkeley. It was my first time I rode inside the Trans Bay Tube and my first time on BART since 1984.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Positives Thur Oct 20-Sat Oct 29, 2011

*Satisfied my jury duty being summoned to serve.

*Purchased a new pair of sunglasses.

*Hiked at Edgewood Park & Preserve and Rancho San Antonio.

*Ate at Thai House, Muracci’s, Checker’s Pizza & Ribs, and Sushiya restaurants for the first time.

*Watched The Most Important Lecture “Arithmetic, Population, and Energy: The Greatest Shortcoming of the Human Race is our Inability to Understand the Exponential Function” by Albert Bartlett on YouTube.

*Passed my smog check for my car.

*Finished watching the TV series Firefly. Thank you alien cat for lending me the DVDs.

*Finished watching the anime series No. 6.

*Watched the movie Driver.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Quiz: Disney Solutions

The answers are in bold. Hope you scored 12 out of 12 enough to earn a Mickey Mouse pin :3

1. When was the first year I attended Disneyland?
a. 1984
b. 1986
c. 1988

2. When was the latest year I attended Disneyland?
a. 1995
b. 2000
c. 2005

3. Beauty And The Beast and Pocahontas were movies I watched outside San Jose. Where did I watch them?
a. San Francisco
b. Santa Barbara
c. Los Angeles

4. Which of the following stuffed characters do I own?
a. Mickey Mouse and Meeko
b. Mickey Mouse and Donald
c. Mickey Mouse and Dopey

5. I attended Disneyworld.
a. True
b. False

6. What was the last non-Pixar or Disney-only movie I watched in the theatres?
a. Lilo and Stitch
b. Hercules
c. Tarzan

7. Which Disney-Pixar movie I didn’t watch in the theaters?
a. Toy Story
b. Toy Story 2
c. Toy Story 3

8. Which Disney afternoon TV show I never watched?
a. Darkwing Duck
b. Talespin
c. Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers

9. Which of the following NES Disney video game I played?
a. Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers
b. Ducktales
c. Mickey Mousecapade

10. Choose two of the four movies I own in laserdisc?
a. The Little Mermaid
b. Beauty And The Beast
c. Aladdin
d. The Lion King

11. Choose two of the four Disneyland rides my family and I were stuck?
a. Pirates of the Caribbean
b. It’s A Small World
c. The Haunted House
d. Monorail

12. Which of the following movies I own collectible cards?
a. The Little Mermaid
b. Beauty And The Beast
c. Toy Story
d. All Of The Above

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Positives Sun Oct 2-Wed Oct 19, 2011

*Purchased The Lion King in BD and DVD and a new suit.

*My new suit was altered in an Italian suit boutique.

*Finished watching Madoka Magica.

*Ate yogurt at Yumi Yogurt and caramel pecan cereal for the first time.

*Hiked at Pulgas Ridge Open Preserve and visited a Vista Point on Interstate 280 nearby for the first time.

*Visited and hiked on Angel Island State Park for the first time.

*Updated my resume and cover letter.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Quiz: Disney

It’s time for another quiz. I choose Disney for the theme because The Lion King was released on Tue Oct 11. I post the answers seven days later. Here we go.

1. When was the first year I attended Disneyland?
a. 1984
b. 1986
c. 1988

2. When was the latest year I attended Disneyland?
a. 1995
b. 2000
c. 2005

3. Beauty And The Beast and Pocahontas were movies I watched outside San Jose. Where did I watch them?
a. San Francisco
b. Santa Barbara
c. Los Angeles

4. Which of the following stuffed characters do I own?
a. Mickey Mouse and Meeko
b. Mickey Mouse and Donald
c. Mickey Mouse and Dopey

5. I attended Disneyworld.
a. True
b. False

6. What was the last non-Pixar or Disney-only movie I watched in the theatres?
a. Lilo and Stitch
b. Hercules
c. Tarzan

7. Which Disney-Pixar movie I didn’t watch in the theaters?
a. Toy Story
b. Toy Story 2
c. Toy Story 3

8. Which Disney afternoon TV show I never watched?
a. Darkwing Duck
b. Talespin
c. Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers

9. Which of the following NES Disney video game I played?
a. Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers
b. Ducktales
c. Mickey Mousecapade

10. Choose two of the four movies I own in laserdisc?
a. The Little Mermaid
b. Beauty And The Beast
c. Aladdin
d. The Lion King

11. Choose two of the four Disneyland rides my family and I were stuck?
a. Pirates of the Caribbean
b. It’s A Small World
c. The Haunted House
d. Monorail

12. Which of the following movies I own collectible cards?
a. The Little Mermaid
b. Beauty And The Beast
c. Toy Story
d. All Of The Above

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Positives Sun Sep 18-Sat Oct 1, 2011

*Finished four books: The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and The Season by Patricia Hornung and Robin Moore.

*Attended a preseason San Jose Sharks hockey game.

*Ate at Amici’s restaurant for the first time.

*Played RA and High Society board games for the first time.

*Visited The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Positives Sun Sep 4-Sat Sep 17, 2011

*Ate at Tai Pan, Green Elephant, and China Delight restaurants for the first time.

*Finished watching Ano Hina and A Channel anime series. Ano Hina is on my all time favorite list.

*Purchased Star Wars Trilogy on VHS. I wanted the originals. No Greedo shooting his gun. I also purchased the Star Wars Saga Blu Ray.

*Played Race To The Galaxy board game for the first time.

*Purchased a new pair of shoes for the winter and rainy days.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, September 11, 2011

My Life Separated By The Presidents Of The United States Of America Part 2

I shared random events, moments, accomplishments, mistakes, successes, and failures in my life during President Ronald Regan’s term on Sunday June 5, 2011. I continue sharing my life during President George H.W. Bush.

President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993): Still Too Conservative

“Read my lips, no new taxes.” --President George H.W. Bush

The George H.W. Bush administration had no affect on me personally. I still had Ronald Regan in me. I continued to behave like a goody two-shoes. I concentrated most of my time on school work and tests. I had a few high school moments. Regardless, I failed to spend more time being a teenager. I failed to act, behave, and think like a teenager. I failed to make mistakes—good mistakes to learn life lessons. My sophomore year was the most active for better or for worse.

*If my high school offered comeback student of the year awards, I won the award. I had a bad academic year in my sophomore year. I received four A’s and two B’s in my junior year spring semester. What a turnaround. In all honestly, I didn’t deserve the high grades because the teachers were easy going by giving big grading curves. Blackford was closing due to the recession. The district gave the students bonus three day weekends. The teachers scrambled their lesson plans to make sure the required material was taught.

*I cheated on my first essay exam in high school. I told my English I instructor I was sick yesterday and I missed the review for To Kill A Mockingbird. I asked him to take the exam another day. He accepted. I managed to get a copy of the questions. I studied the questions the night before the make up exam. I scored an A.

*My first semester at San Jose State was too easy. It gave me a false sense college was easy—easier than some of my high school classes. I remember my brother stayed up late night finishing his homework while I slept.

*I wore stonewash black and white jeans, Nike basketball white and gray high top shoes, and a short-sleeve white button down shirt with black rectangle shapes on my first day of my freshmen year.

*My first girlfriend and my first kiss took place in my freshmen year. She was in eighth grade.

*The PE teacher put me at lead off when we played softball because of my fast speed to outrun ground balls for infield hits. I had a slump I failed to reach base for days. One day, the instructor said if I didn’t get a hit, I had to run a mile the next day. I got a hit. What a relief.

*My family and I watched our first San Francisco Giants baseball game. The opponent was the Philadelphia Phillies. Will Clark hit his first career grand slam. The Phillies’ manager and starting pitcher were ejected. The “big daddy” Rich Reuschel was the winning pitcher.

*One flag football game the instructor randomly picked teams. My team and the opponent’s team were unbalanced. We were the underdogs as if we played in the NFL. The game was close most of the time because I scored all the touchdowns. The opponent double covered me and eventually we lost the game by a landslide.

*I scored an 86 the first time on my driving test.

*I played role playing games for the first time: Shadowrun in my sophomore year and Robotech in my senior year.

*The PE locker rooms offered limited 16oz sodas for $.50. One of my friends had PE before lunch hour. I told him to get me a soda for lunch because the days were hot.

*Operation Desert Storm took place when I was a junior. I heard about it watching the news. I called a friend to tell him we attacked Iraq. He said a passerby in the park told him.

My history instructor played taped NBC nightly newscasts to teach us the Iraq War.

*Entertainment time. TV shows worth mentioning: The Simpsons and Married With Children. Movies I watched on opening night: Batman and Ghostbusters II. I watched a live performance of Madonna on cable in my uncle’s house. The live audio broadcast on radio bleeped out the profanity and the live cable didn’t.

*Every two weeks I skipped a class to attend a group meeting with my fellow classmates discussing how to prevent teenage drinking with a counselor. The meeting took place for six weeks during my sophomore year. The group got along really well. There was a connection, a chemistry as if we could have been friends if we stayed together.

The group meeting ended because there was confusion. The counselor ran the meetings as if we were alcoholics. The meetings were actually AA meetings to help us stop drinking. We were not alcoholics.

*My family went to Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios. We saw the Phantom Of The Opera.

*The Loma Preta earthquake took place on October 17, 1989. I was a sophomore studying Algebra I in my room. I ran under my door frame for cover.

*I was a freshmen when Pan America Flight 103 from London to New York crashed in Lockerbie. A bomb in the forward cargo-hold blew up the front section. I never realized I experienced terrorism at such a young age.

*I parked at the San Jose State park & ride shuttle in my first semester. I parked at the seventh street parking garage Tuesday afternoons and Fridays.

*I never went to my junior and senior proms. I don’t regret missing the proms.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Positives Wed Aug 24-Sat Sep 3, 2011

*Purchased my first LivingSocial Deal which was 50% one car wash.

*Finished customizing my smart phone Droid x2.

*Played Amorica card game for the first time.

*Four years late. Started and finished the video game Portal.

*Ate a hot dog at Wienerschnitzel. I don’t know the last time I ate at Wienerschnitzel. I upgraded to 100% beef.

*Uploaded Anime Expo 2011 cosplay pics

*Rearranged my room donating used clothing and throwing away junk.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Positives Tue Aug 2-Tue Aug 23, 2011

*Ate Cinnamon Chex, Reese’s Pieces, and Lay’s 50% Reduced Salt chips for the first time.

*Finished uploading Fanime Con 2011 Cosplay Pics

*Ate a Haagen-Dazs ice cream for the first time since 2006 and at Sizzler restaurant for the first time since 2005.

*Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge.

*Purchased a new pillow for better sleep.

*Watched E.T. The Extra Terrestrial movie outdoors.

*Played Scrabble Slam card game for the first time.

*Successfully updated my video drivers in my laptop.

*More comfortable sitting. I purchased a D ring to hold my keys on my belt.

*Ate at the San Francisco Food Festival for the first time. The festival is a collection of food trucks and street food vendors.

*Made Jell-o pudding for the first time.

*Went to my optometrist to adjust the temples on my glasses to relive the tight pressure on my head.

*Recycled my old shoes at a clothing recycle company.


Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Positives Mon July 18-Mon Aug 1, 2011

*Anime catch up. Finished watching Kimi Ni Todoke second season, Gosick, and Dog Days.

*First time cereal eating run. Ate Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries, Fiber One Honey Clusters, Golden Grahams, and Wheat Chex.

*Broiled chicken with Harris Ranch Lemon Garlic Salt for the first time.

*Ate at J.T. McHart’s Pizza for the first time.

*Played Pandemic On The Brink expansion and Looting London board games for the first time.

*Purchased Vivaldi’s Four Seasons CD. This was my last purchased at Borders.

*Calibrated my monitor using monitor calibration software.

*Stir-fried bell pepper beef using bell peppers from the farmer’s market.

*Finished reading To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee.

*Watched Indian Jones And The Last Crusade outdoors. It was the first time I watched a movie out in the open excluding drive-in movie theaters.

*Ate a tostada for the first time. How do I eat a tostada?

*Went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival for the first time.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

My Answer To The Question How I Live Life

What Is Your Answer?

I live my life to lower my chances of getting Alzheimer’s Disease.

What Do You Mean?

I consistently find new adventures, experience new experiences, meet new people, and get out and do something, anything. I stay physically active such as going to the gym and hiking. And I keep my mind focus such as reading books.

You’re Saying To Stay Active?

Yes. Stay active and do better. Always find ways to change so you be a better person. Never stop innovating your life—innovate infinitely. Never settle for the same routine day after day after day.

No Matter How Big Or How Small.

An active life creates big and small changes, adventures, and experiences. Try new foods, visit a new store, drive a different route from point A to point B, take a vacation, listen to new music, and watch a new TV show are some examples. Find a new hobby such as painting, gardening, and cooking. Hiking is an easy new hobby.

Eating Healthy Is Important, Too.

Absolutely. I like cooking as a hobby because a person can cook healthy meals. Cooking also saves money from eating out. Healthy eating and exercising are required to lower a person’s chances of getting Alzheimer’s.

What Are Some Side Benefits?

My life has fewer stressful moments, almost no boring times since there’s always something to do, I’m open to learn something new, and I smile daily. I stay positive. Make lemonade out of lemons when I have a bad day.

What can a person do tomorrow?

Go outside and do something, anything. First, eat a healthy breakfast. Try a new cereal.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, July 18, 2011

Positives Fri July 8-Sun July 17, 2011

*Hiked at Shoreline Park for the first time.

*Watched The Maltese Falcon movie at the Stanford Theater.

*Purchased Cribbage board game.

*Updated my webpage uploading the 2011 Nor Cal Cherry Blossom Festival cosplay pics.

*Began taking vitamins daily after breakfast. Thank you tsubasa for the recommendation.

*Car washed.

*Installed 2TB hard drive in my gaming PC.

*Pumice stone. Used the pumice stone to remove dead skin on my feet.

*Played Citadel card game for the first time.

*Attended the Menlo Park Street Fair.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Friday, July 8, 2011

Positives Sun June 19-Thur July 7, 2011

*Completed De Anza Spring ’11 quarter.

*Car maintenance. Three of my tires had ozone damage. All four were replaced with new tires. And alignment check.

*Attended Anime Expo 2011. Highlights were Hatsune Miku concert, Spirited Away cosplay on the first day, and Fullmetal Alchemist gathering. Lowlights were Valve gathering and getting sick.

*Purchased more Vocaloid CDs and Fullmetal Alchemist art book #3.

*Ate Picola for the first time.

*Upgraded my cell phone to a smartphone Droid X^2.

*Officially graduated De Anza with an AA degree in Accounting.

*Finished reading The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Positives Thur June 2-Sat June 18, 2011

*Played 7-Wonders and Turns & Taxis board games for the first time.

*Watched X-Men: First Class movie.

*Car maintenance: oil change and headlight restoration.

*Sprinkled ground cinnamon on toast for the first time.

*Ate Trader Joe’s Olive Oil potato chips for the first time. Too oily. I also ate Safeway sandwich creame cookies for the first time.

*Attended my cousin’s high school dinner celebration.

*Visited Coyote Point in San Mateo for the first time.

*Hit softballs in a batting cage. The last time I hit a softball was in 2002.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, June 5, 2011

My Life Separated By The Presidents Of The United States Of America

I thought about this blog idea on my bed being lazy. I share random events, moments, accomplishments, mistakes, successes, and failures in my life divided by US Presidents. There are no restrictions—anything goes. I choose to write the blog in bullet format. I start with President Ronald Regan.

President Ronald Regan (1981-1989): Too Conservative

From the movie “Back To The Future”:
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then tell me, "Future Boy", who's President in the United States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor?

Ronald Regan defined my childhood for the most part. He was a conservative Republican. I was too conservative. I was afraid to talk to people, afraid to try new foods, and had no friends. I never took risks. I lived my life playing alone except with my brother. I avoided trouble and conflicts. I was too well behaved. My parents had little involvement in my childhood life.

* Some people say my parents did a decent job raising me. They never abused me. They didn’t divorce. I was well fed, clothed, and lived in a house. On the other hand, we never talked about drugs, sex, money, the f-word, and the common sense lessons in life. If something wasn’t broken, it wasn’t fixed. All was quiet and calm in the house, and my parents never changed how they raised me.

* I went to a private school from kindergarten through third grade between 1980-1983. My first exposure in public school was in fourth grade starting. It was also the first time I heard the f-word. And it was the first time I had to sell something for school fund raising.

* My first girlfriend was in 1988. We meet at the Christmas dance. I was in eighth grade and she was in seventh grade.

* A fellow classmate gave me the nickname “rapid” when I played lunch hour football in eighth grade. I scored many touchdowns.

* I never had any friends visit my house throughout my days in elementary school and junior high. My parents failed to teach me friends are important. That explains why my parents have very little friends and nobody visits our house.

* My brother and I played GI Joe, Transformers, and MASK. Those three TV series and toys were our “triple play.” We took turns playing the good guys and the bad guys. I thank my cousin who introduced us to GI Joe that lead my brother and I to Transformers and MASK.

* The first family boardgame was Monopoly. We played it wrong. My mom was too lazy to read the rules. I was embarrassed playing Monopoly incorrectly at a neighborhood kid’s birthday party.

* I got the chicken pox in second grade in 1982. On a rainy afternoon, there was a stray dog that jumped the side fence and stayed in the backyard. My parents called animal control. An officer came by and caught the dog.

* There were many new changes in my junior high school when I started sixth grade in the 1985-1986 school year. The sixth graders had a separate line for food in the cafeteria. Sixth graders were prohibited using lockers. My sixth grade started a ban on students taking showers after PE. And it was the last year the school awarded ice cream parties to the grade that sold the most fund raising magazines.

* There were times in elementary and junior high I was picked and teased. Obviously it wasn’t my fault. Thinking back I could have prevented it by wearing better clothes, acted and behaved a normal kid, and be more sociable. I’m glad I never told my parents because they most likely give me bad advice on how to deal and solve my bad treatment.

* The first video game consoles were pong my dad made from scratch, Atari 2600, the Coleco Telstar Arcade, and the original Nintendo Entertainment System. We played pong and the Atari 2600 on a black and white television. WTH?!?

* The first movies I watched showing nudity were Smoky and the Bandit Part II, Private School, and Revenge Of The Nerds. The first published media I saw showing nudity was a Hawaiian calendar that showed topless women.

* I almost repeated fourth grade. My studying skills and basic skills were at border line failing. I had to take a special reading class in second, fifth, and sixth grades. I have been a slow reader. How did I graduate high school and college? I must have done some big improvement I never realized.

Written report cards were given to students to give to their parents. The parents received the copied version and the teachers retained the original version. I remember the distinct report card smell. My junior high report cards were printed from a computer.

* I ran a mile every Wednesday in third grade. I participated in the weekly running program at the end of my second grade and throughout my third grade. My fast running helped me win third place in my fifth grade elementary school Olympics. My elementary school had an Olympics day were each grade competed with each other in Olympics events such as running.

* One of my favorite activities I played alone was operating a cash register in a pretend store. I used a broken old calculator I put on top of a small file cabinet which was the till. I used play money I placed inside the small file cabinet. I used colored blocks for the display so the customer knew the price. And I drew the price scanner on a piece of paper and taped it on the table.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Positives Fri May 13-Wed June 1, 2011

*Finished watching Yumekui Merry and Trinity Blood.

*Watched The Adjustment Bureau movie.

*Tried Costco Peach Apple juice, Fage yogurt, and Trader Joe’s cocoa with cold milk.

*Attended the Mountain View A La Carte Craft Faire.

*Finished Quickbooks class at Mission College.

*Ate at Flames and Tomatina restaurants for the first time.

*Fanime Con ’11. Highlights were I debuted Medic from Team Fortress 2 cosplay, my first video game cosplay; cosplay; swap meet; mah jong; Valve cosplay gathering; and being with friends and making new friends.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Friday, May 13, 2011

Positives Mon May 3-Thur May 12, 2011

*Finished reading Superfudge by Jude Blume.

*Ate Chocolate Cheerios for the first time.

*Finished watching Star Driver.

*Visited Tanforan Mall for the first time.

*Bowled at Bay Mateo. The last time I went bowling was in 2007 in Milpitas.

*Ate at Fresh Choice for the first time since 2001.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, May 2, 2011

Positives Fri Apr 15-Sun May 2, 2011

*Hiked at Stanford University’s The Dish trail.

*Ate salt & pepper potato chips for the first time.

*Walked in the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival cosplaying Syaoran.

*Checked and updated the first aid kit, flashlight batteries, and fire extinguishers.

*Shopped at the Gilroy Outlet Malls. I purchased a pair of hiking shoes for urban walking. I also shopped at the Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City and Stonestown Galleria Mall in San Francisco for the first time.

*Finished reading Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.

*Purchased Clerks movie on DVD.

*Cleaned the washer with bleach.

*Sang karaoke in a karaoke booth for the first time.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Quiz: The First Decade In The 21st Century

The answers for the correct year are in bold.

2001-2010 is actually the first decade in the 21st century because there is no year zero. Guess the year that happened. Each year is used once.

First time in a foreign country which was Canada, purchased my first laptop, Innovating Common Knowledge blog created: 2004, 2005, 2006?

Visited Sea World and the San Diego Zoo, purchased Game Boy Advanced, family’s first DVD player: 2001, 2002, 2003?

Began reading business and investment books, visited Museum Mystique, started buying and selling on eBay: 2002, 2003, 2004?

Purchased my first digital camera, vacationed in Las Vegas with family, played poker: 2003, 2004, 2005?

Didn’t attend Anime Expo after nine consecutive years, visited Washington and Canada, changed my entire clothing from hats to shoes: 2006, 2007, 2008?

Started working at Cisco, purchased my first car, wore braces in my first year: 2006, 2007, 2008?

Took ice skating lessons, hiked at Pinnacles and Points Lobos for the first time, attended Paul McCartney concert: 2008, 2009, 2010?

Went bowling on Valentine’s Day weekend, met lots of new friends, took day off to visit the Santa Cruz Boardwalk: 2006, 2007, 2008?

Cosplayed for the first time at an anime con, my webpage Innovate Infinitely went online, stayed awake for 28 hours at Fanime Con: 2003, 2004, 2005

Went back to school at De Anza College taking accounting classes, visited Charles M. Schulz museum, created Facebook and Twitter accounts: 2008, 2009, 2010?

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Friday, April 15, 2011

Positives Sun Apr 3-Thur Apr 14, 2011

*First day of school. Spring ’11 quarter started. I’m taking Auditing and Advanced Accounting.

*Finished reading Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Thank you mDuo13 for the suggestion and Alien Cat for giving me her second copy.

*Went to the monthly book sale from the Friends of Palo Alto Library. I purchased Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge by Judy Blume.

*Ate turkey bacon for the first time. I think I ate it a long time I ago.

*Purchased a San Jose Sharks cap because . . .

* . . . I watched my first live hockey game at the HP Pavilion. It was the first time I entered the HP Pavilion, and first time I watched a live major sports playoff game. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime.

*Dropped my Advanced Accounting class. Time will tell whether I made the correct choice. I dropped Beginning Japanese in Spring ’09 that was the correct choice.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Positives Mon Mar 28-Sat Apr 2, 2011

*Finished watching Welcome To The NHK. Thank you mDuo13 for the anime series.

*Drank Trader Joe’s hot cocoa for the first time.

*Replaced my car’s cabin air filter.

*Hiked at Uvas Canyon County Park. The last time I hiked there was June 2009. The heavy rainfalls was shown from the waterfalls and streams.

*Ate mu shu pork for the first time since I think was a child.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Monday, March 28, 2011

Positives Wed Mar 16-Sun Mar 27, 2011

*Watched A Streetcar Named Desire movie.

*Ate at Ed’s Teriyaki, Shiva’s Indian Restaurant And Bar, Hana Japan, and Bob Sang Korean restaurants for the first time.

*Winter ‘11 quarter at De Anza completed.

*Purchased a new San Francisco Giants baseball cap.

*Visited Hillsdale Mall for the first time.

*Ate pumpkin flavor Pocky and drank Trader Joe’s Hot Chocolate for the first time.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Quiz: The First Decade In The 21st Century

2001-2010 is actually the first decade in the 21st century because there is no year zero. Guess the year that happened. Each year is used once.

First time in a foreign country which was Canada, purchased my first laptop, Innovating Common Knowledge blog created 2004, 2005, 2006?

Visited Sea World and the San Diego Zoo, purchased Game Boy Advanced, family’s first DVD player 2001, 2002, 2003?

Began reading business and investment books, visited Museum Mystique, started buying and selling on eBay 2002, 2003, 2004?

Purchased my first digital camera, vacationed in Las Vegas with family, played poker 2003, 2004, 2005?

Didn’t attend Anime Expo after nine consecutive years, visited Washington and Canada, changed my entire clothing from hats to shoes 2006, 2007, 2008?

Started working at Cisco, purchased my first car, wore braces in my first year 2006, 2007, 2008?

Took ice skating lessons, hiked at Pinnacles and Points Lobos for the first time, attended Paul McCartney concert 2008, 2009, 2010?

Went bowling on Valentine’s Day weekend, met lots of new friends, took day off to visit the Santa Cruz Boardwalk 2006, 2007, 2008?

Cosplayed for the first time at an anime con, my webpage Innovate Infinitely went online, stayed awake for 28 hours at Fanime Con 2003, 2004, 2005

Went back to school at De Anza College taking accounting classes, visited Charles M. Schulz museum, created Facebook and Twitter accounts 2008, 2009, 2010?

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Positives Thur Feb 17-Tue Mar 15, 2011

*Watched Jaws, King Kong (original), and Singin’ In The Rain.

*Celebrated Valentine’s Day.

*Purchased Peanut’s Guide To Life book. It’s a future coffee table book.

*Watched Swan Lake ballet. The last time I watched Swan Lake was in March or April 1993.

*AteFrosted Mini Wheats Maple Brown Sugar flavor for the first time.

*Attended the sjDanceCo Dance A Thon fund raiser.

*Ate at Chef Chu’s for the first time.

*Went to an urgent care clinic for the first time. My month long fatigue resulted in a sinus infection; although, I think my boring classes was a factor. I took Mucenix D and a saline solution for the first time. The doctor prescribed an anti-biotic.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Quiz: My All Time Favorite . . .

The answers are below. Life is easier with three choice quizzes ;)

1. Anime?
a. Fullmetal Alchemist
b. Magic Knights Rayearth
c. Sailor Moon

2. Classic Video Game?
a. Space Invaders
b. Pac Man
c. Gauntlet II

3. Anime Con?
a. Anime Expo 2003
b. Fanime Con 2009
c. Anime Expo 2005

4. Cookie?
a. Chocolate chip cookie (It’s great soft.)
b. Sugar cookie (I realized this was a strong possibility. It counts.)
c. Peanut butter

5. Soda?
a. Coke
b. Pepsi
c. 7-UP

6. Semester At San Jose State?
a. Fall ‘92
b. Spring ‘95
c. Fall ‘96

7. Board Game?
a. Settlers Of Catan
b. Life
c. Alhambra

8. Disney Movie?
a. Beauty And The Beast
b. UP!
c. Toy Story

9. Color?
a. Red
b. Blue
c. White

10. Vacation Spot?
a. Las Vegas
b. Disneyland
c. Grand Canyon

11. *bonus* Race In StarCraft?
a. Protoss
b. Terran
c. Zerg

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Positives Wed Feb 2-Wed Feb 16, 2011

*Visited Union Square and Chinatown in San Francisco.

*Super Bowl XLV. Ate Trader Joe’s lemon cookies, drank Thumb’s Up soft drink and Safeway’s French Lemonade sparkling soda for the first time.

*Ate a gyro wrap for the first time.

*Purchased my first w00t! t-shirt.

*Celebrated Chinese New Year with the family.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Positives Fri Jan 21-Tue Feb 1, 2011

*Visited and hiked a small length at Bay Front Park.

*Ate the best strawberry shortcake at La Baguette in the Stanford Shopping Center.

*Watched The Philadelphia Story, Terminator Salvation, and On The Waterfront.

*Welcome back supersets exercises for my workouts.

*Hiked at Castle Rock State Park. It was the first time I hiked in the rain. The last time hiked here was January 2010.

*Ate Parle-G, a biscuit from India for the first time.

*First day of class at Mission College. I’m taking a class on Quickbooks.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Quiz: My All Time Favorite . . .

My answers are posted at a later date.

1. Anime?
a. Fullmetal Alchemist
b. Magic Knights Rayearth
c. Sailor Moon

2. Classic Video Game?
a. Space Invaders
b. Pac Man
c. Gauntlet II

3. Anime Con?
a. Anime Expo 2003
b. Fanime Con 2009
c. Anime Expo 2005

4. Cookie?
a. Chocolate chip cookie
b. Sugar cookie
c. Peanut butter

5. Soda?
a. Coke
b. Pepsi
c. 7-UP

6. Semester At San Jose State?
a. Fall ‘92
b. Spring ‘95
c. Fall ‘96

7. Board Game?
a. Settlers Of Catan
b. Life
c. Alhambra

8. Disney Movie?
a. Beauty And The Beast
b. UP!
c. Toy Story

9. Color?
a. Red
b. Blue
c. White

10. Vacation Spot?
a. Las Vegas
b. Disneyland
c. Grand Canyon

11. *bonus* Race In StarCraft?
a. Protoss
b. Terran
c. Zerg

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Friday, January 21, 2011

Positives Thur Jan 6-Thur Jan 20, 2011

*Drank JAL Sky Time, a drink served in the JAL or Japanese airlines airplanes.

*Played Perplex City for the first time. I purchased Perplex City. Thank you mDuo13 for the recommendation.

*Ate Trade Joe’s frozen pizza Pizza Palermo’s, Melty Blend candy, and Cinnamon Blast Cheerios for the first time. I also ate Total cereal for the first time since I was a child. There was a $2 cereal sale I take advantage to eat different cereals.

*Watched Chinatown, Grease, and Rear Window movies.

*Finished anime series for fall season: Ika Musume, MM!, and Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru.

*In Mountain View, I ate at New Mongolian BBQ, walked around downtown for the first time since I was a child, and the Mountain View Cal Train station moment was very memorable.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Our Differences Between Them, You, And Me

I got this blog idea last night in bed. It’s obvious everyone is different in many ways. We have different interests, different hobbies, different beliefs, different careers, different intelligence, different emotions, different physical features, different personalities, etc. We are unique, and our individual uniqueness defines our differences.

Why are you blogging an obvious observation?

The friends I spend time with the most our strongest commonality are anime, video games, computers, board games, and anything related to the anime hobby; however, I am the lowest common denominator among them. In other words, they have a stronger interest, a stronger connection, a bigger desire in our commonality than I do. I’m fortunate we have our Friday night hangouts and they invite me to events they know I have a good time. They don’t invite me to video game tournaments because they know I’m not going to have fun since I play on a causal level.

You have more friends in addition to the guys

I have other friends. I spend less time with them. They’re either busy with other activities, busy with commitments, and/or busy with their closer friends. When we do gather, they more we know each other, the more we earn our friendships, the more we become closer, then the more we spend more time. Also, there are moments and events I meet new people and make new friends. The new friends I make we may become friends at a faster rate because the connection develops quicker.

I’m fortunate and happy that all my friends share parts of who I am. The guys and I spend time on anime, computers, and board games. I have another group I play board games. And I have another group we go dancing (although we haven’t danced in a long time).

I want to meet more people and make new friends. For example, I want to have friends share my other hobbies including hiking and cooking. I want to meet new people who have the desire to go outside and do something new such as visit a new place for the first time. I want to meet people who ice skate. My desire to ice skate happened in March 2010. The bottom line is I want to meet new people and make new friends to share my other hobbies, satisfy my other desires, and match my personality (more importantly, no jerks, bitches, and assholes). The guys have friends outside our Fri night hangouts.

There is no guarantee

I was naive years ago. I thought I get along with everyone I know and meet. If I follow Dale Carnegie’s human relation rules, I always succeed. I don’t succeed. For example, my dumb ass co-worker at Colliers International. We never got along. He was stupid and childish. He was someone I don’t want to be. There are lots of people I meet I have no connection for a good reason. The few people I meet and have the connection I look forward to developing a casual, professional, or personal relationship.

Still growing up, still learning

It’s getting better. I’m getting better. I still have lots to learn, adventures to seek, experiences to experience, and wisdom to gain. In time, I’m going to achieve being a good guy. Good guys seek and attract people. After I accomplish being a good guy ten times better than today, I continue to learn, seek adventures, find new experiences, and expand my wisdom.

Side note: The blog was initially for Innovating Common Knowledge. I changed my mind to post at Finding Raymond Mar because the more I wrote, added, and deleted, the more it became personal. I choose to keep the original title.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Positives Sat Dec 25, 2010-Wed Jan 5, 2011

*Christmas Day. Celebrated with my parents, brother’s family, and one of my uncle’s family from Southern California.

*Also on Christmas Day, we drank cranberry sparkling cider for the first time.

*Tried eggnog and a blueberry tart for the first time.

*Rode the cable car in San Francisco for the first time. We rode from Market and Powell to Hyde and Beach.

*Repaired my crack on my windshield. Insurance paid for the repair.

*Got new maps for my car. Three years was a good time to update my road maps. I think four years could be good.

*Finished reading Lord Of The Flies by William Golding.

*First Day Of School. I’m taking Intermediate Accounting Part 2, Introduction To Business, and Social Dance.

*Played Guesstures and Set board games for the first time.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge

Saturday, January 1, 2011

What Were Your Raymond Mar Life Key Moments?

There are moments in my life I realized something new. It was like I powered up in a video game or leveled up playing role playing games. It was like I earned a promotion in Raymond Mar. I became a new person. I became wiser. My soul became brighter. Life was going my way. I earned more luck and good fortunes.

Here are the key moments in my life that changed me and continues to influence me today since 2000:

*September 2002: My co-worker at Colliers introduced me to Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad book. I became interested in reading books and learning financial education. Other moments included buying and selling on eBay and my manager was fired. The lesson I learned when my manager was fired was if you’re a nobody, you’re going to be treated as a nobody.

*September 2004: I wore a costume for the first time in an anime convention. I have worn a costume thereafter. I attend anime conventions with friends, meeting new people, and making new friends. I meet new people and make new friends even outside anime conventions.

*October 2008: I realized I must grow up. I must act and behave as a grown up. I must wise up and stop acting naive. I continue to grow up and catch up from the years I was an idiot.

*December 2010: 2010 continues from October 2008. There are new experiences, new adventures, and new knowledge in the years to come.

Always Innovating and Changing Innovating Common Knowledge