My Greatest Favorites Of All Time

I share my greatest favorites of all time.

*Professional Athlete: Michael Jordan

*Musical Band: The Beatles. My favorite song is Let It Be.

*Board Game: Puerto Rico

*Nonfiction Book: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

*Fiction Book: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

*Comic Strip: Peanuts

*Bay Area Sports: Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers, Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors, Buster Posey from the San Francisco Giants, Joe Pavelski from the San Jose Sharks, and Chris Wondolowski from the San Jose Earthquakes.

*Calendar Year: 2005

*Calendar Month: November

*Calendar Day: Sat Oct 4, 2008

*Semester At San Jose State University: Fall 1996

*TV Series: Breaking Bad

*Anime Series: Full Metal Alchemist

*Video Game: The Legend Of Zelda for console. Gauntlet II for arcade.

*Harry Potter Book: Year Seven

*Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

*Meal: Broccoli beef with rice

*Candy Bar: Milky Way

*Cookie: Sugar

*Cereal: Cheerios

*Number: 40

*Color: White

*Favorite Sesame Street Character: Cookie Monster

*Classical Music: Mozart

*Modern Classical Music: Helen Jane Long

*Soda: 7-UP

*Actor: Cary Grant

*Actress: Meryl Streep

*Innovating Common Knowledge Blog: No answer.

Permanent Unemployment

*Charlie composed a message to his LIT 101 online class*
"Dear Fellow Journeymen:
One last lesson:
Fuck these ridiculous essays.
FUCK the readings.
JUST WRITE ME SOMETHING HONEST."

"These assignments--they don't matter. This course doesn't matter. College doesn't matter. These amazing, honest things you wrote--they matter." --Charlie, The Whale (2022)

Today's blog is posted at Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar. Today's blog or essay is inspired from the two quotes above from the movie The Whale (2022). I choose Permanent Unemployment as the topic.

I speak for some long-term unemployed people. The job market has been rough for years. I experience phone interviews, person-to-person interviews, incorrect position interviews, mismatched skills and mismatched experiences interviews, 11th hour job offers rescinded, and another candidate was hired. The job market is harsh today and tomorrow regardless of a good economy or bad economy. The number of job candidates increases at the end of every academic year. The number increase applies to all education levels and all job openings. There are not enough blue-collar jobs and not enough white-collar jobs for the too many job candidates. The demand is greater than the supply.

Further, artificial intelligence (AI) replaces human jobs. I'm not a software engineer. Give it time. AI never stop innovating. A rational executive saves money replacing human labor with a 90% success rate AI. AI can replace outpatient doctor consultations, accountants, and data analysts. I'm not a robotics engineer. AI may not replace a plumber; although, a robot may.

A rising tide raises all boats. More jobs require additional skills and addition experiences. Education is expensive. Training is expensive. Knowledge is more technical; for instance, a Kohl's employee didn't know how to use its proprietary tablet scanner when I picked up an online order. More time is required to learn. More time is required to train. Higher incomes are earned for people who succeed in acquiring the additional skills and additional experiences. Job security is stronger for people who master their responsibilities.

Timing and luck are part of finding employment. Qualified candidates are subjective. Qualified candidates are relative. A job candidate may be a top five in one position. The same candidate may be in the bottom hundreds in another position. It depends on the hiring manager's expectations. It depends on the company. The qualified candidate found the position immediately. He or she is an early job applicant. Conversely, the qualified candidate found the position days later. He or she may be rejected because too many job applications are submitted. Moreover, networking is overrated. Networking does matter; however, imagine a scenario where a hiring manager receives dozens of qualified resumes for the hiring manager's dozens of networks. I remember a conversation with a friend decades ago. If we were educated in the same field, then why help each other find jobs. We want the job. We need an income. The bottom line is everything matters.

Unemployed Me

I'm doing the best I can. I self-train new skills such as Python, R-Studio, Power BI, and Linux. I review existing skills such as Excel, SQL, and data analysis. I'm catching up what I missed in previous jobs. I'm catching up what I missed in my younger years. Also, I learn life skills such as tying rope knots, folding paper airplanes, and using a navigating compass. Never stop learning. The clique wisdom is emphasized in today's Information Age. Never stop innovating.

When am I going to quit job searching? When am I going to stop learning? The quick answer to the two questions is not today. There's no reason to quit searching. There's no reason to stop learning. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. I'm the George Costanza in the family. There is too much free time. I learn indefinitely. It's better than watching TV and playing video games eight hours a day. I stay sharp because a miracle can happen. Timing and luck favor me. I found a new job. I read books, exercise, cook for my parents, maintain the household, write blogs, and watch a weekly movie when I'm not being a self-professional. I'm fortunate there is family support.

The long answer to the two questions is I stop when I'm permanently unemployed. Age is a factor. Resume gaps are a factor. Weak working experience is a factor. Missing skills are a factor. A benefit to job searching is knowing what skills are required for my profession. These factors are not excuses to stop searching and stop learning.

The statements, "a rising tide raises all boats," "more skills are required," and "higher expectations" are valid when job candidates read job descriptions. A cash sweepstakes or a prize contest disclaimer "many people enter, few people win" applies to job candidates applying to multiple job positions. I'm not dumb. People are not dumb. Life is too hard.

Does Everything Happen For A Reason?

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

A common life statement is, "everything happens for a reason." I question does everything happen for a reason. I have been unemployed since May 2015. Companies submit my application for permanent or contract positions. I had interviews. No offers.

Why am I unemployed? Is there a reason? I may find the reason after I begin working. I may find the reason after I achieve mature adult freedom. Why "may?" I may die tomorrow. I may never find a job. Its life. I may lack intelligence to find the answer. I may find the answer with dumb luck.

On the other hand, if my present life is my future life, then I rather close my eyes, stop breathing, and be somewhere else. There is no point living as a loser. There are no rewards being a loser. Life is unfair.

The People Are Lucky

I can give up life easily. How? I watch TV and play video games. I work at a dead-end retail job. Maybe I work as a manager for the extra money. Nobody cares in retail. I weigh at least 200 pounds eating too much processed foods. I avoid exercise. My clothes are tattered because I spend more money on sci-fi goods and less money on quality clothes. I have body odor because I exchange time taking care of my body for time playing more video games. People are lucky I avoid the loser life.

Misunderstood

My intuition tells me the people of the world believes I’m still the Raymond Mar between Oct 2008 and Sep 2014. I retired from anime in Sep 2014. No more anime conventions. No more wearing costumes. No more video games; however, I play a video game app on occasion. Watching television is minimized. No more Family Guy. Gym workouts are consisted. Eating processed foods and eating at restaurants are minimized. The world believes I'm the opposite of these.

I said good-bye to people holding me back. I learn new hiking and backpacking knowledge. My writing skills are improved. My reading speed is faster. I'm gaining strength. Intelligence is expanding. Wisdom is acquired daily. I'm one step closer to become a genius. I'm hungry for new adventures and new experiences.

There are different kinds of loneliness. My loneliness is misunderstanding. I have zero confidence people accept my corrections. I have zero confidence people want to understand. I don't trust the people with my feelings. The people are weak, unwise, and ignorant to hear me. The people reject the present Raymond Mar. They don't listen. Their minds are closed. They can't handle my truth.

I Do My Best

I motivate myself. Boredom is a life killer. I job search five days a week applying to contract positions and full time positions I qualify at least 50% of the requirements. I learn new job skills such as Python. I review existing job skills such as Excel and SQL. I learn JavaScript and CSS which I applied on my webpage Innovate Infinitely. I complete my responsibilities maintaining my household including cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes.

I'm doing my best. I really am. Honestly. Nothing is working out today. I'm not doing enough. Maybe something works out tomorrow. Maybe I find strong, wise, and smart people who handle my truth. Time is the ultimate judge. The future answers the question what I'm doing now is correct.

Update On A Past Blog

There are more reasons why people are quiet from Another Perspective On Quiet People on Feb 20, 2019. People have nothing to contribute. They are being a good listener. They are polite. They may be learning something new. Moreover, other people shouldn't take it personally people are quiet. We're currently nothing. We're currently nobodies. If the conversation is something we contribute, then maybe we speak. The quietness is small stuff. Let the quietness pass.

I repeat the quote from Plato, "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something."

Going Up Or Getting Better Am I?

I question my life. I'm getting smarter learning new job skills, reading books, and writing blogs. My health is good working out at the gym four days a week. I haven't been sick in 2019. I minimized eating processed foods. I rarely watch TV. I watch one or two movies a week. I sleep eight hours a night.

On the other hand, I'm unemployed long-term. My social skills are regressing. My relationships are diverging. It's the natural growing apart from my family and my friends.

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.

Global Fatigue

Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at Innovating Common Knowledge and at Finding Raymond Mar. Finding Raymond Mar contains a personal blog entry.

We’re tired because there is too much to do. There is too much everything. There is too much same routines. Welcome to today's information age internet life. Life is too complex. Life requires more resources, more time, most cost. A rising tide raises all boats.

It's time to set limits. There is no more Superman. There is no more Superwoman. It's time for infinite delays. It's time for final endings. We need more retirements. We need to close more chapters. We need to find someone, something, anyone, anything . . . more people, more places, more responsibilities to set free. People are too busy. People are too tired. People must deactivate their automatic reactions. People need to take a breath. Regardless, time is the same. There are still 24 hours a day. There are still seven days a week.

Personal Blog Entry

I admit I'm tired. My life is the same since 2015. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. I job search six days a week. I learn new job skills and review existing job skills five days a week. I have little friends. I workout at the gym four days a week. My leisure activities are working out at the gym, playing board games, reading books, cooking, maintaining a clean household, watching movies, and watching a little sports on TV.

I try to add variety. I'm not doing enough. My last vacation was September 2016. The last time I went hiking was October 2018 for which it was the only time I hiked in 2018. My priorities have been minimizing spending and maximizing finding a job. Boring. Tiring. When do I concede? When do I give up? When do I declare all hope is lost? It's a judgement call. It's possible I live at home where I grew up my entire life. I'm not the only person experiencing my current life situation.

How Can I Be A Good Person When I'm Not Really A Good Person?

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

My current life is unequal to a good person. I'm currently living a loser life unemployed, live with my parents, few friends, and too much free time; however, most of my free time is spent on taking care of my parents, taking care of the house, exercising, learning new job skills, and job searching. Also, I live maintaining the minimums of a trouble-free life such as being a law abiding citizen, controlling my expenses, and behaving a mature adult.

I have been learning everything to be a good person. I made mistakes. I'm lucky I started learning from my mistakes when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. I experienced new experiences. I found new adventures. I acquired wisdom. Problems are being solved. There are no endings to all of the above--innovate infinitely. My brain absorbs new intelligence. I fight the struggles.

Innovating Common Knowledge Blogs Are Nothing

Today I feel my blogs are nothing. There is no value when a loser writes blogs. There is no creditability. There is no sincerely. There is no honestly. I never experienced what I blogged. There is no value.

I must be a winner to make everything correct. I need a break. I need an opportunity. I need a blessing. I need a chance. Good luck is coming soon. It's time for good fortunes. These are clique. These are true.

Is This My Life?

Blogger's note: I initially wrote the blog for my personal blog Finding Raymond Mar. An event which happened on Tue Dec 4 changed my mind. I choose to post today's blog at Innovating Common Knowledge titled First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays and at Finding Raymond Mar titled Is This My Life? Today's blog is minimally edited for grammar.

2018 is over. I wanted to try a restaurant in another city for the first time. I was in the area on Tue Dec 4. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. Are you serious? The event summed my recent life. Bad luck. Bad timing. Misfortunes. Missed chances. Missed opportunities. Slipped through the cracks. Just one away. Every good moment there is an asterisk or fine print ruining the good moment; in other words, there is a "but" ruining the good. The world didn't come to an end when I get a sore throat, lose my computer data, minor back pain, miss a sale, or don't get the job. My life can't get worse spiritually speaking. I have shelter, I'm in good health, I have a desktop with internet access, and I live with minimal expenses. On the other hand, my life can get worse such as a car accident, cancer, a devastating earthquake, or being lost in the woods. I'm done with 2018. I'm frustrated what I can't control. Bad results happen. I'm frustrated what I can control I receive small rewards. I'm done controlling everything I can control. Life is unfair. I'm the unfortunate more bad moments than good moments.

2018 is the same as 2016 and 2017. All three are dull years. Ironically, 2018 is the fastest year. 2016 and 2017 were fast years, too. 2014 and 2015 were slower years for which they were better than 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Life itself takes over in 2019. I respond what life gives me. I go with the flow. I'm going back to the past when life controlled me. I follow life, destiny, fate, karma, and Act of God. I maintain being a good person--the same life I have been living hoping for the best. I continue self-responsibility. I experienced more good calendar years than bad calendar years when life controlled me. I have done everything I can do in my control. I have done everything life given me. I react. I try to be proactive if the situation calls. It's a judgment call.

It's not bullshit. It's the truth. It's reality. I receive feedback I'm not doing enough. I'm open to opinions. I receive any communication I'm not doing enough, I'm not focus, I'm not working hard enough, and/or I'm making bad choices. I'm past the clique advice. I'm past the common knowledge. I continue to be open. Tell me something new. I welcome new ideas. I ignore communications making the other person feel better taking advantage of my current depressed life.

2018 is the same as 2016 and 2017. I'm 99.99% confident there are other people living my similar life situation.

Living Solo Is Temporary

I take my chances living alone compared to being with people to avoid loneliness. Most of the people I said goodbye in past years dragged me down. There was no joy. There was no happiness. I felt routine being with these people. I was the lowest common denominator. One goal after I earned freedom is create new circle of friends to share life. We help each other live better lives. We help each other keep our life fresh.

My Life Is Like Norma Rae

I thought about my life today. My life is like the characters from the movie Norma Rae (1979). The movie is based on the true story of Norma Rae unionizing the textile mill she worked. The lead actress Sally Field won an Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie is also about blue collar workers living life with no purpose. They live life just breathing doing mostly mindless activities. Almost all of them have poor intelligence, weak motivation, and dull lifestyles. Almost all of them cherish quick leisure to forget their almost depressing life.

My 2018 Thanksgiving holiday is similar to Norma Rae. I have no stories to share. I have boring stories to share if anyone is interested. I have routine stories to share if anyone is interested. I have no purpose on Earth. I have no people to help live better lives. I have no people to help me live a better life. Everything I have been doing are mindless including Black Friday shopping for which 50% of my purchases are bare necessities, dinner with family for which most of the conversations lack intelligence or how the conversation is poor, and nothing new. The brief exception is teaching Hong Kong Mahjong for two hours. I'm tired living the same routine dull life since 2015.

Maybe I feel better when the Thanksgiving holiday is over. On the other hand, maybe I feel the same Norma Rae. My weekdays are job searching, cooking, working out at the gym, learning new job skills, reviewing existing job skills, reading books, and sleeping eight hours a night. I consider myself good intelligence, good motivation, and doing my best to keep my lifestyle active. It's difficult working hard for a fresh life without a job, a small circle of friends, bad luck, bad timing, too many distractions, and few opportunities.

I Was Good I Wasn't Great

I'm backing up my past Innovating Common Knowledgeblogs between Aug 2005 and Mar 2011. I realized scanning the early blogs I was a good person. I was an average good person. I wasn't great. I was the person who's likely you--the reader. I was the person who's waiting at the checkout line in a retail store. I was the person who's riding a public transit. I was the person working in a white collar job cubicle completing responsibilities.

Why did I not raise from average good to average great? I added the word "average" because highly likely we are the same. Almost all of us are average. Let's be honest. If we're great or if we're excellent, then we see our names in the newspapers. The answer to the question is I didn't get better. I didn't innovate infinitely. Today I'm innovating infinitely. I'm learning new job skills. I'm expanding my interests. I'm going back to 2008 months after I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. There were rewards in 2009 when I became good. Unfortunately, there are no rewards currently. Not yet. The rewards are coming. I trust life helps me. I trust life rewards me soon.

I'm Wasting Air

I'm a white collar worker living a blue collar life like the textile factory characters from the movie Norma Rae. The exception is self job training. I live a life with no reason. I live a life with no purpose. There is nobody to live for. I'm not working to make a manger look good. I'm a human being wasting another human being's breathable air. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. I job search six days a week. I job train five days a week. I workout at the gym four days a week. I complete my daily house chores including cooking, laundry, and cleaning. I take care of my body on the outside shaving and showering. I grew out most of my friends-- natural separation. My circle of friends is tiny. I have a little fun on the weekends. There is no stress. I stay out of trouble. No money worries.

The Glue Keeping Me Together

Some people break living a similar life. I know there are people living a similar situation. What's keeping me together is being a good guy. Don't take out my frustrations on other people. Don't be a jerk. Be professional. Stay strong. Be brave. My quiet life is an understatement. I live a boring life. I fight my struggles. I continue living life finding what I want to do. Most days I trust gut, life, and karma I earn an opportunity to achieve freedom. There are a few days life tells me to forget it because I'm a loser. There are winners and losers in life. The reader must acknowledge it.

There Is A Reason For Everything In My Life

I have been unemployed for 1,170 days as of Sun Jul 15, 2018. Everything happens for a reason. Life has an explanation for everything. Maybe there is a reason for the four digit days unemployed. I'm catching up what I missed in my past before I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. I continue catching up. I correct mistakes. I gain strength. I acquire intelligence. I experience wisdom. I'm paying back being naive before Sat Oct 4, 2008. I took life for granted. Life shut all my doors for 1,170 days. Can life shut all my doors permanently? Yes. Some people died living unfortunate lives. Life is unfair. People die everyday. If I die tomorrow, then I die working hard to open doors.

Trust life. Life tells me when I'm ready. Life flows with me. Life shows me the path. Life opens the doors. There are future days I connect the dots backwards telling my there were reasons I lived my past doors closed. My future answers my past. Life tells me the answer in time. Time is the ultimate judge.

Desperate For More Positives

I'm desperate for more positives. I'm desperate for new positives. I want to earn positives beyond movies, books, cleaning the house, and eating new foods for the first time. I want to earn new positives both quantitative and qualitative wise. My life currently sucks. My life is on pause. I'm experiencing more bad luck. I'm living a cursed life. My past years have been bad. I'm walking on the loser life line.

The paragraph above has some truth. I could be dumb. I could be weak. I could have chronic health problems. I could live a worse life. However, I count my blessings. I appreciate what I have. I make the best living in the present.

Have I thought about my fears? Yes. Have I thought about my fears being realized? Yes. My fears are living with my parents for the rest of my life, being unemployed, being lonely, not knowing what I'm going to do with my life and becoming a bad person. My fears are reality. My fears affect my life to the day I die. There are winners and losers. I'm with the losers.

What Is The Feeling For 2018? Good Or Bad Year

The end of each year I have a feeling which predicts the next year good or bad. The accuracy is good. Here is a table of past years which includes the outcomes as accurate and brief comments.

Year	Feeling Next Year	Accurate?	Comment
2000	2001 Good	Yes	An event in San Francisco brought all my friends closer together a few more years. The idea "Innovate Infinitely" was created. Both happened in Sep 2000.
2002	2003 Good	Yes	My manager was fired for incompetence. I created an eBay account. I learned the importance of financial education. These three events happened in Fall 2002.
2003	2004 Bad	No	Initially, 2004 was a bad year. I realized 2004 was a good year blogged here.
2004	2005 Good	Yes	The Las Vegas trip in Dec 2004 was the moment which set up two more good years.
2005	2006 Good	Yes	2005 was a year of many firsts which included a trip to Canada, a trip to Oregon, my first laptop, and an appreciation for classic rock.
2006	2007 Bad	Yes	Staff started to leave my company. No leadership. 2007 is the second worse year of my life; however, I have been questioning the degree of how bad.
2008	2009 Good	Yes	My life changed on Sat Oct 4, 2008 when I realized I must grow up.
2009	2010 Bad	No	2010 was the second of four consecutive good years. Everyone was tired at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. The economy was in the Great Recession. 2010 was a slow start for many people.
2012	2013 Bad	Yes	My life began getting bad after the San Francisco Giants won the 2012 World Series.
2014	2015 Good	Yes	Going back to a white collar job in Nov 2014 opened my eyes how important reviewing existing job skills and learning new job skills continuously are important.
2017	2018 Bad	?	I say with high confidence I felt no good feelings for 2018. As of the blog entry, I have been experiencing setbacks going backwards; for instance, I got sick for two weeks in Jan 2018.

We think about great successes are an accumulation of intelligent hard work. We think about catastrophes are an accumulation of many mistakes. Sometimes one positive discovery or one mistake can change a person's life. The events, the initiators, the beginnings, and the momentum starters are valid to start the new year on a good note or a bad note. A disaster may happen ruining a good year. Recovering from a bad start may or may not happen.

Continuing the 2017 and 2018 predicting a bad year, there is a chance 2018 is a good year. I changed my 2004 opinion from a bad year to a good year. I have been thinking about changing my 2007 opinion from a bad year to a good year because 2007 may have more good moments than bad moments. 2007 included a new job, my first car, and an introduction to tabletop gaming outside old school board games such as Monopoly and UNO. There were no events, initiators, beginnings, and momentum starters at the end of 2017. Time will tell how 2018 turns out.

My Past History Indicates From Worse To Better

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

The late Steve Jobs said, "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." There are sayings regarding a person living a bad life. It can't get worse; it can only get better. Everyone must experience hell before heaven. Frustrations, mistakes, and pain are part of growing up. Be prepared for failures before success. Everyone has bad years and everyone has good years. You win some and you lose some. Sometimes bad years are nobody's fault--it's life. The bottom line is everything we do today affects tomorrow; in particular, if life is bad today, then do something for a good life tomorrow. Trust hard work intelligently, good luck, and favorable timing everything goes well soon. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope for the best.

I share my past bad years which became future good years. I hope my past history dictates what happens for the rest of 2017 and beyond because I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.

2000. The Y2K catastrophe never happened. My company moved to a new building for which everyone settled in slowly. The dot-com stock market crashed creating a recession. Most people didn't know how to handle the uncertainty beginning a new millennium which included myself. Fanime Con 2000 which took place at a convention center and held for four days both for the first time was bad. Anime Expo 2000 which took place at Disneyland could be considered one of the worse big anime conventions in anime convention history.

An event in San Francisco brought all my friends closer together a few more years. I created Innovate Infinitely which became my personal webpage innovateinfinitely.com in May 1, 2004. These two happened in Sep.

2002. 2002 was a year of mistakes I corrected years later. It was like 2001: The Sequel which flopped. My manager was fired for incompetence. I learned one lesson: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody. Working at my company became comfortable up to late 2006. Two small events affecting me today were I created an eBay account and I discovered the importance of financial education.

2004. Wait. Why is 2004 on the list? 2004 Was [Actually] A Good Year. I admit I made a mistake. The anime conventions I attended were bad thereby 2004 was a bad year. The blog link tells otherwise. For instance, I wore a costume to an anime convention for the first time which delayed anime retirement to Sep 2014. I met lots of new people, made new friends, and created memories.

2007. The second worse year in my life. The year started sad because my grandfather died. The permanent downfall started in late May. I took life for granted. I said to myself 2007 was going to be a good year no matter what because I started to wear braces in Jan, started a new job in Mar, and purchased my first car in May. On the one hand, I have a new smile when my braces were removed in Aug 2009 and my car is still in good condition. On the other hand, my job was terminated in Nov 2008 because of the financial real estate bubble.

I was introduced to Japanese MahJong or Riichi in Aug. I quit because it was too hard. A friend challenged me to relearn Riichi in one week on Oct 2009. I play Riichi today. Also, I was introduced to social live chatting at AOL's AIM. I created social networking accounts Facebook in Apr 2009 and Twitter in Nov 2009.

I played The Settlers of Catan board game for the first time. The game reintroduced me to board games as a top hobby. Click Top Ten Favorite Board Games to read my all-time favorites which includes Puerto Rico, Chess, and Dominion.

I played Team Fortress 2 (TF2) video game from Oct to 2011. TF2 was the first time I played online with other people. Side note: I played Starcraft offline and with people on a local network.

2007 was a foolish year I acquired life wisdom. Don't take life for granted. Don't take life too easy. I didn't take responsibility seriously. I didn't earn my successes sincerely and honestly.

Is 2007 the second worse year in my life? I wonder is 2007 actually a bad year?

2008. 2008 was one of three years which started bad and ended good. I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4. 2008 continued 2007 taking life for granted, living with too much fun, being irresponsible, and being dishonest. I made changes which impacted my life immediately. Some of the changes included new clothes, new desktop PC, new mattress, and new blog Finding Raymond Mar. I started to read fiction books. I found new hobbies such as hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. Taking ballroom dancing class in college resulted in earning an AA degree in Accounting in Mar 2011. Almost all the changes and new interests positively influenced my life today.

2013. The second of three years which started bad and ended good. 2013 was too much fun. It was like I graduated from college to take a long vacation. Some memories were created. There was nothing to write home sharing those memories. I continued getting calls and interviews for jobs; unfortunately, no offers.

One mistake I made was job training at Accountemps' self-taught courses. Some of the courses I enrolled were business analyst, Excel, PowerPoint, and accounting. The courses were a waste of time. I learned nothing. However, I corrected the self-taught attitude by watching YouTube tutorial videos starting on Aug 2014. I have been learning new job skills such as Python, CSS, and JavaScript on YouTube today.

2013 ended good because I found a job working at a retail start-up which sold wine. I drank wine for the first time on my second day. I learned almost all wine sold at supermarkets and drug stores are terrible. I drink wine on special occasions only. Also, I wrote work blogs which continued at my next job on Nov 2014.

2014. The third of three years which started bad and ended good. The accounting degree I earned in 2011 helped me at my retail start-up such as purchase orders and accounts payable. The start-up went downhill in May. My contract was terminated in Sep. 2014 ended good because I worked at Palo Alto Networks in Nov learning SAP and Salesforce.

I retired from anime in Sep. The free time is devoted to new interests, new adventures, and new experiences. For instance, more time to read books, more time to workout at the gym, more time playing MahJong, and more time learning new job skills.

Two small events affecting me today were watching Breaking Bad and podcasts. I rarely watch TV. Breaking Bad sets my standards which TV series I watch. I listen to four podcasts which are Sex With Emily, CarTalk, Awesome Etiquette, and Freakonomics.

2016. It's too early to say how 2016 affects my life as of today. 2016 life continues today: job searching, learning new jobs skills, reviewing existing job skills, working out at the gym four to five days a week, reading books, minimizing eating processed foods, and writing blogs. Social life can be more active. 2016 is the worse year of my life because I'm not independent. I'm not giving up living independent.

Explain A New First In 2016 And 2017

Jan 1, 2018 was the first time the years 2016 and 2017 were bad years from Jan 1 to Dec 31. It was expected. Nobody can avoid consecutive bad years in his or her life. 2013 and 2014 were bad years both ended well. 2015 was a good year. The last time I experienced a bad year from Jan 1 to Dec 31 was 2007. Is it possible 2018 brings three consecutive bad years? Yes. I hope not.

The new year starts over again. Super Bowl and Chinese New Year in Feb. Speaking of NFL football, the 2017-2018 NFL season went by fast. NBA Finals are in June, and the NBA season is close to the half way point. Outside sports, taxes in Apr, checkups, new bedsheets, routine maintenances, children's after school activates, new school years, etc. For me, I continue my weekday routines cooking, job searching, learning new job skills, exercising, reading books, brush my teeth, check emails, eat three healthy meals, and sleep. The best I can do is stay active, avoid boredom, and keep my eyes open for lucky opportunities. I'm not settling.

I speak on behalf of those down on their luck in 2016 and 2017: keep moving forward. It's the best we can do. Trust yourself. Trust life somehow finds a way to help you. Good luck!

2017 The Game Is Over

There are 78 days remaining in 2017 counting today. The chances of two back-to-back bad years from Jan 1 to Dec 31 increases while I'm unemployed and living with my parents. It's going to be the first time I live two consecutive bad years. 2013 and 2014 were bad years ending on a good note. 2015 was a good year.

I might as well call 2017 a bad year. It's like the 2017 San Francisco Giants. Their season was over months before the regular season ended. I take it easy. I prepare for 2018. No job is no freedom.

Two consecutive bad years is going to happen. Nobody lives a perfect life all years good from the cradle to the grave. I hope I don't live three consecutive bad years. Moreover, life is unfair. I hope I'm not a person who lives the remainder of his life all bad years. There are people who live a bad life for their entire lifespan.

I continue living life. Life goes on. I continue searching for jobs, learning new job skills, reviewing existing job skills, eating healthy, working out at the gym, and reading books. I hope all my 2017 expectations and goals happen in 2018. Two less worries for the remainder of 2017. Maybe I should go back to 2009 when I'm a beginner again less sure about everything.

Raymond Mar Act III. Act IV Coming Soon.

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

I separate my life from the day I was born to today in three acts. Here they are below:

Act I: 34 Years As A Child (day I was born to Oct 3, 2008). My childhood was boring. My parents provided little guidance. They were too quiet. They were slow. They did have intelligence. Honestly speaking, they were not dumb. I learned more child life lessons watching Sesame Street. I have a small amount of childhood stories to share; likewise for my teenage years. I experienced a less than my share of typical teenage firsts such as first kiss, first date, first school dance, and first girlfriend. My high school years were 50% good and 50% bad for which some may argue I had a good high school life.

I failed to take advantage of living life in my 20s in the 1990s. The mistakes I failed to learn in my 20s caught up in my 30s. I didn't earn my successes. I wasn't responsible. I didn't meet new people. I didn't make new friends. I didn't learn new ideas. I didn't experience new experiences. I didn't seek new adventures. I failed to take advantage experimenting new ideas and trying new activities as a San Joe State University student. I took life for granted.

Act II: De Anza College (Oct 4, 2008 to Nov 19, 2013). I was a late bloomer. I was overdue for adulthood. I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The actions growing up paid off immediately. First, I forgave my parents for doing a poor job raising me as a child. I'm responsible for myself catching up what I missed in my young adult years. Second, I discovered new hobbies such as ballroom dancing thanks to my sister, hiking, reading fiction books, and listening to classic jazz. Third, I purchased a new mattress, new clothes, and built a new desktop personal computer thanks to my dad, gmontem, and Appu for guidance.

I took advantage of the Great Recession going back to college. I earned an AA degree in Accounting at De Anza College. I was satisfied I corrected some mistakes. I experienced what I should have experience when I attended San Jose State University; for example, I met new people and I made new friends. Furthermore, the time from the day I graduated at De Anza College to my first day at my new job I continued seeking new adventures and experiencing new experiences I should have done both during my 20s. I continue catching up what I missed today.

Act III: Lonely Soul (Nov 20, 2013 to day before independence date). I finally got a break working at a retail start-up. It was my first job since I lost my contract job back in Nov 2008. I was hired as a contractor in a networking company for six months after working at the retail start-up. I'm job searching, learning new job skills, and reviewing existing job skills. I pace myself with leisure reading books and watching movies. I stay in physical shape working out at the gym four to five days a week. I'm lonely most of each day.

It was time to say goodbye to people holding me behind. It was time to retire from anime. It was time to go on my own to find my independence. I don't know when I achieve independence. Independence can be tomorrow. Independence can be next month. Independence can be next year. I continue living the present life intelligently. I'm not watching TV eight hours a day. I'm doing what I feel is the best for me today. I'm doing what I feel is the best for me tomorrow. I'm open to new ideas. If I stop living, then I die.

Act IV: Independence (independence date). All of my successes. All of my failures. All of my frustrations. All of my experiences. All of my wisdom acquired. All of my mistakes and the lessons learned. One of these days I connect all of the above backwards to who I am in my future. My future is a strong, intelligent, and independent Raymond Mar. Grit, responsibility, hanging on, strength, courage, and earning my winnings pay off on the day I declare myself independent.

I'm Doing The Best I Can, Really III

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

No more advice. I heard everything. No more telling me because it's highly likely I already know. I'm frustrated when I heard the same lectures I feel I'm a failure because I'm not independent. Change the subject. End the conversation. My ears are open to new ideas. I listen to fresh knowledge. Give me leads.

My life has been the same. I'm still unemployed. I'm still living at home. I'm doing the best I can. I really am. God is my witness. I job search two times a day five days a week. I used to job search six days a week. The Sat search saved little time. I continue learning Python. I continue reviewing my existing skills. Currently, I'm reviewing SQL. I take personal responsibility 24/7.

The late Steve Jobs said, "Keep looking. Don't settle."

My feelings are the same: sacrifice, nothing to lose attitude, going out of my comfort zone, willpower, and not giving up. It has been difficult finding opportunities going out of my comfort zone because I have been indoors more hours per week honestly speaking. No more data entry. I worked data entry hoping those jobs catapult me to higher positions. Failed. My life can't get worse.

I work hard intelligently working my way to live independently. I'm stronger with the pains of rejection. I'm wiser with the mistakes I learn. My brain grows bigger with new knowledge. Each day is devoted to be a good productive day. I trust what I'm doing today benefits me tomorrow.

Furthermore, I'm lucky. I have shelter in my parent's house. I have a solid desktop to job search, learn new skills, and review existing skills. I'm in good health. My gym is 2.5 miles from my house. I minimize expenses. Money is a lower concern. I pace myself. I read books, watch movies, and sleep eight hours a night. I complete my house chores such as cleaning, cooking, and laundry.

Finally, there is more working hard intelligently after I fulfill independence. There are more people to meet. There are more adventures to seek. There are more experiences to experience. Never take life for granted. Never stop learning, training, and reviewing. I never stop innovating my life.

Side note: The first time I wrote I'm Doing The Best I Can, Really was on Oct 8, 2012. The second time I wrote I'm Doing The Best I Can, Really II was on Apr 6, 2016.

Don't Be Me

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

We've been told to like ourselves. Great. There are parts of our lives we dislike. I accept. Here are parts of my life I don't want other people to be. I also share what I'm doing to turn around my dislike to like. Don't live my life I did in my past. I admit today's blog is another "don't make the same mistakes as me" blog. I remind myself as repetition; don't make these mistakes again.

1. Living at home with my parents. I remember reading a college graduating speech saying live with your parents as long as you can. I accepted the bad advice. A person knows the time to move out is when the person becomes an adult. Independence is achieved when a son or daughter moves out of the house. Become independent naturally; however, don't rush being independent. I became an adult too late in my life. I'm a late bloomer. I'm preparing my moving out when my opportunity comes.

2. Unemployed too many times. I worked in Commercial Real Estate for 8.5 years. High job security. Low career advancement. I failed to learn new skills during the 8.5 years. I learned small skills here and there. Those small skills were weak transferrable skills. The best way to minimize unemployment is learn new job skills indefinitely. I learned the lesson in Aug 2014. Job searching is a full time job. I learn new job skills such as Python and Tableau and I review existing job skills such as Excel and SQL when I'm not job searching.

3. Small circle of friends. Call my circle small. Call my circles few. There are too few people in my life. I need more friends. I need more contacts. I said goodbye to some people because I must move on. Some people held me back. Some people and I diverge to different paths. People come and go naturally in our lives. People change as time moves forward. Meet new people continuously. Make new friends continuously.

4. Expand yourself. My mind was closed most of my life when I was introduced to something new or I discovered something new for which I ignored. I opened my mind for the first time in Oct 2008. The world is full of interesting which must be discovered. Keep an open mind when introduced to new hobbies. Hobbies come and go like people. Some hobbies we lose interest naturally. Some hobbies we grow out. Some hobbies we discover new they're better than existing hobbies. Hobbies, interests, experiences, adventures, and people all belong to expand yourself. Get up and do something, anything.

5. Desire more important than knowledge. I was raised to be a smart person. High GPA is important. A's are important. Know everything. Making mistakes mean I'm a stupid person. They're all incorrect. I recently discovered desire or motivation is more important than a high IQ. My desire is the reason I'm learning new skills I never thought I learn which are Python, JavaScript, and CSS. Nobody knows the future. One of these days the new skills help me become successful. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovating infinitely. The last three sentences are motivating me to learn. Nobody needs to be smart to motivate oneself to be a better person.

Side note: Here's the top mistakes blog I wrote in my Finding Raymond Mar blog titled Top Mistakes The Final Part. Click the label "Top Mistakes" below to read my top mistakes blogs.

Anti-Social For The First Time

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

I feel anti-social today and yesterday for the first time in my life. I never believed people can be anti-social. People can be alone to take a break from being with people. People can't be alone to avoid human contact. I'm incorrect. People can be alone to avoid human contact.

I believe I'm anti-social for the entire week. I had trouble sleeping Sun Feb 12. I thought my trouble was drinking Coke and an adrenaline rush--Coke and adrenaline are a bad mix. Today's blog questions the Coke and adrenaline. I workout at the gym yesterday and earlier today only. I didn't workout most of the weekdays. I didn't learn Python and JavaScript the entire work week. I did review Excel and VBA earlier today before going to the gym. I job searched inconsistently. The bottom line is I'm not being myself.

Why do I feel anti-social? Can it be a chemical imbalance? Can it be a hormone imbalance? My brain messes up my feelings. I'm not a psychologist. My answers are yes. Also, I have thought about me being a failure. I'm doing my best to find a job, meet new people, and live independently. None of the three exist. I ask myself what am I doing wrong? Sometimes I answer I'm doing everything correctly. I'm strengthening my resume learning new job skills. I job search two times a day five days a week. I workout at the gym four or five days a week. Sometimes I answer I'm a failure. Almost all the people I know have jobs, live independently, and have a social life. They're mature adults living independently. I want to stay away from them. It's not their fault I feel anti-social. I feel like a failure when I'm in their presence.

Today's blog is an example I'm a human being. Feeling anti-social is temporary. I continue holding on. I hope next week I'm myself again. Life flows my way soon.