United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2024

I voted today in the 2024 US Presidential Election. I dropped off my absentee ballot at the local library. I went inside the library to shop at their small used bookstore afterwards. I completed errands at the bank, Nike Store, Ross, and Target.

The first time I saw a vote sign was Nov 1980 at my elementary school. I was in first grade. I read words and sentences being six years old; although, I didn't know it was Jimmy Carter and Ronald Regan. The school was decorated with the standard American flags, voting signs, and direction arrows. I remember a school administrator or a teacher telling me the sign says vote.

The first time I voted in a presidential election was Nov 1992. Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush. I voted in all elections. California should keep the absentee paper ballot system. The old school still works. If it's not broken, then don't fix it.

Time Tells The Narratives

The 2024 presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare multiple speeches. Harris and Trump prepare for all outcomes. Harris and Trump prepare for all narratives. I wrote the blog Prepare Multiple Conversation Subjects on Oct 20, 2016 which stated prepare a victory speech and a defeat speech. I wrote the blog United States Of America Today Is Election Day 2020 on Nov 3, 2020 which stated the system works. The people vote for the best candidate.

Furthermore, the voting system is secured. The media overhyped and overblown the fear people's votes are uncounted.

Some of my bullets points from the blog Instant Bullet 2020 United States Presidential Election Version written on Jan 20, 2021 are valid today. My favorites are the following:

*There are 46 Presidents Of The United States. These 46 Presidents are out of all the people who live or lived as naturalized born United States Citizen age 35 or over. 46 dreams came true. It's unfortunate few people accomplish their dreams completely.

*Any given day the President influences at most 25% of your daily life. Think carefully. Think deeply. The President doesn't affect much.

*The Electoral College works. For example, 18.5 million votes were casted in the battleground states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. Biden won all four states over Trump by 125,000 votes or 0.676%.

300 Revisited 2

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

The number 300 references my 300th blog I wrote on Dec 7, 2008. I selected my top 30 blogs out of the first 300 blogs I wrote. I updated the top 30 blogs for the first time on 300 Revisited on Feb 4, 2009. I update the top 30 blogs for the second time. These are good changes. The blog is another example time changes people's thoughts and opinions. The edits are as-is.

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [updated] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at their cute face when talking.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from 03/02/23-->[your] failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. 12/29/16-->Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations. Life has vacations. Life has seasons like sports and TV series. Fiscal years, resets, endings. Life can say one continuous life; however, there are chapters, volumes, parts, checkpoints. 12/29/2016-->There are times in our lives everyone needs to stop and take a breath. Time outs and checkpoints are part of life.
14. Age is just a number.<--05/04/21
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. 07/12/14-->Everyone has the right to find happiness. Pursue happiness to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. 12/31/16-->Increment from Freakonomics. 04/26/15-->Have fun, learn, and enjoy.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment 07/06/15-->[intelligently].
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics.

I include a bonus. The lessons I learned attending De Anza College:

1. Everyone is human.
2. Go with the flow.
3. Timing is everything.
4. Use it or lose it.

Old Health Pamphlet Advice

I found old health brochures from Kaiser Permanente. I took pics from my cell phone. Some of the information is outdated. Maybe these handouts which belongs in a museum conjure past memories.

Trouble Sleeping? What you can do about insomnia. Revised Feb 1993.

Get It Right When You Grab A Bite. Good nutrition for teens. Copyright 1988. Revised Jan 1991.

Why All The Fuss About Fiber . . . And what to do about it. Copyright 1987. Revised Nov 1993.

Children Cold Self Care. Copyright 1987. Revised Mar 1988.

The Food Guide Pyramid . . . Beyond the basic 4. 1992.

Breast Self-Examination. Your lifesaving choice. 1991.

Corns, Calluses, And Toenails. Copyright 1994. Revised May 2008.

Calcium And Vitamin D. Copyright 2009. Revised Sep 2012.

Low Back Pain. What you can do. Copyright 2009. Revised May 2012.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog October 2024

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Little COVID-19 coverage whether case numbers increased, decreased, or held steady. Election coverage was too much. Received my sixth overall COVID-19 vaccine. October was another fast month in 2024.

Sat Oct 5. Shopped at Safeway, Books, Inc., and Barnes & Noble.

Sun Oct 6. Family birthday celebration at Halal Street Hot Pot & Xinjiang Cuisine. Shopped at Costco afterwards.

Watched most of the Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburg Steelers Sunday Night Football.

Tue Oct 8. Morning errands at Safeway and a nearby laundromat.

Thur Oct 10. Watched most of the San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Thursday Night Football.

Tue Oct 15. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported KP.3.1.1 is the dominate COVID-19 variant in the US accounting for 57.2% of positive cases. The XEC variant is 10.7%. The XEC has been spreading fast. The XEC was first detected in Berlin, Germany in Jun 2024. It spread to France, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Wed Oct 16. Went to Kaiser Hospital to get my updated COVID-19 vaccine. Sixth overall. Quick self-wash my car at a car wash.

The Food And Drug Administration placed a hold on the Novavax flu and COVID-19 experimental combination vaccine. A volunteer developed motor neuropathy resulting in movement problems.

Sat Oct 19. Alameda, Contra Consta, Napa, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties reinstated mask mandates in hospitals, nursing facilities, and other healthcare facilities from Nov 1, 2024 to either Mar 31, 2025 or Apr 30, 2025. The counties wanted to reduce the spread of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Santa Clara and San Mateo required visitors to wear masks. Santa Clara required all patients to wear masks.

Dump used shredder and a broken VoIP device to the neighborhood dumping day.

Wed Oct 23. The CDC recommended a second COVID-19 vaccine dose for seniors age 65 and older and immune-compromised people.

Thur Oct 24. Six Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees won a federal lawsuit claiming they were fired over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A federal jury favored the employees over BART. Each employee received $1.3 million. The employees claimed religious exemptions. The transit agency failed the accommodations even though BART did initially grant the exemptions. The accommodations were work at home or regular COVID-19 testing.

Sun Oct 27. Listened to most of the Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers Sunday Night Football on the radio.

Throwback Blog: Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything written on Jun 30, 2021. Today's throwback is the first throwback throwback, a double throwback, or "A Third Look" blog. Also, today's throwback is the first in the 2020s.

The initial throwback is true today. I continue living my life with the corrected mistakes I committed in 2006. There are two updates. The Ryu's Birthday Party Ryu disappeared in Jun 2019. He reappeared in 2023. The Still 5.25% the Federal Reserve interest rates was 5.25%. The interest rates today are 4.75%-5.00%.

I said in the first throwback, "I was mostly depressed. I was mostly unhappy. Most of the happiness was faked." is true today. There were enough good moments to declare my 2006 a good year. Any past blogs stated a good 2006 year were true. My friend Barnes is quoted, "Enjoy it or complain." The paragraph contains two reminders.

Today's throwback blog is titled A Mixed Bag Of Everything written on Aug 11, 2006. The throwback is actually a second look at Aug 2006. I learn from the mistakes I made. I remind myself lessons learned. I refresh my acquired knowledge. I rediscover wisdom. I correct errors. I write changes. I share my feelings. Pardon the bad grammar. I write what happened first. I write my second look next.

Time Just Froze
Summary: I purchased a new watch which replaced my Casio G-Shock I wore since 1996.
Feedback: I purchased another Casio watch. I realized decades later my Casio watch made me look ignorant in terms of fashion and in terms of proper appearance.

New Laptop Bag
Summary: The grip handle on my laptop bag broke. I sent the laptop bag back to the manufacturer because of their lifetime guarantee. The manufacturer sent me a new laptop bag.
Feedback: I still have the laptop bag. I carry the laptop bag using the shoulder strap like a messenger bag.

Pictures Are Memories
Summary: I took pictures from events in Jul and Aug.
Feedback: I took too many pictures. There are lines between taking enough pictures, taking too many pictures, and taking inappropriate pictures. I stop acting like a professional photographer.

Ryu's Birthday Party
Summary: There was a popular anime fan nicknamed Ryu. He hosted an open invitation birthday party. Attendance reached the thirties. Everyone was having fun.
Feedback: Fast forward to 2008. Ryu's true colors were shown in a negative way. His 2008 birthday party attendance was under ten. He came in and out from the anime community. He disappeared completely in Jun 2019.

Anime Overdose (AOD) 2006
Summary: I attended their third AOD anime convention.
Feedback: AOD changed from Anime Overdose to Animation Overdose. 2006 was the year I attended the most anime conventions at six.

Last Night's Dinner
Summary: My mom cooked leftovers last night. She cooked in a lazy way. I cooked with heart. I cooked doing my best.
Feedback: No changes. My mom continues cooking in a lazy way. I cook with heart. I cook doing my best with infinite improvements.

A Quick Filling
Summary: I got a tooth filling before work. The dentist tried to sell Invisalign. My family suspected our dentist needed money.
Feedback: I took his Invisalign hint months later getting braces on Jan 2007 from an orthodontist. The family changed dentists on Aug 2019. His prices increased. His professionalism decreased. I can't explain why we didn't change dentists earlier.

Alphabetically Ascending A-Z
Summary: I listened to 98.5 KFOX's annual tradition playing their entire classic rock library by song title from A to Z.
Feedback: I continue listening to classic rock. Thank you classic rock. Today's music is garbage.

Broken Dryer
Summary: My dad attempted to fix the dryer.
Feedback: Thank you to our former neighbors the late Shermans for giving us their old dryer.

Green Tea
Summary: I drink expensive green tea from a bag costing $17.
Feedback: I stopped drinking green tea one year later.

Work Today
Summary: Today's work day was busy. I admitted my company stinks.
Feedback: I started job searching in mid-2006. I can't explain why I stopped. I resumed job searching in Jan 2007. I found a new job in Mar 2007. I should have more strength and courage to find a job when I realized the company started going downhill earlier in 2006.

Feeling Sick
Summary: I ate a poor lunch. I was fatigued. I got a sore throat.
Feedback: I repeat the lessons I learned years later. Get enough sleep. Exercise. Minimize processed foods. Eat good meals.

Keeping It Cool
Summary: I was sick during a brief heat wave.
Feedback: I'm proactive taking care of myself and my environment on hot days.

Double Day Off
Summary: There were two people in my department. My dumbass co-worker and I. I get a day off at work when he takes a day off away from work.
Feedback: I talked to one of the veteran brokers on my last day. He disclosed my dumbass co-worker had lots of personal problems. He had a good relationship with my dumbass co-worker because they worked in the company for years.

My coworker was a dumbass. He taught me Excel the wrong way. I unlearned his lessons years later. He taught me real estate statistics incorrectly. I was warned multiple times from past managers. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize them.

A Yummy Dinner
Summary: Inflation was the business headline.
Feedback: The Federal Reserve accepts the current inflation as transitory.

Still 5.25%
Summary: The Federal Reserve kept interest rates at 5.25%.
Feedback: Today's interest rates is 0.25%.

Shopping On eBay
Summary: I purchased a new watch and a new laptop battery on eBay.
Feedback: I believe my new watch stopped working around 2008. eBay is a legitimate ecommerce website.

Final thoughts. I ended the blog saying, "Who is to blame or to be faulted for a mixed bag of events the last two weeks? Nobody. I blame nobody for the last two weeks of completing something and more stuff comes to me. I'm going with the flow. . . . I feel mixed emotions." Going with the flow was accurate. Mixed emotions was accurate.

Honestly speaking, I was mostly depressed. I was mostly unhappy. Most of the happiness was faked. I should have been proactive to minimize chances of being depressed and to maximize chances of being happy. The writings were on the walls what I should have done and what I could have done such as find a new job, self-teach myself Excel correctly, and research gym workout plans. Better late than never. All mistakes in Aug 2006 are corrected.

There Are Too Many Toys Qualitatively Speaking

I received the 2024 Target Toy Holiday catalog last week. There are 80 pages including the front page with the popular toys and the back page with my mailing address. There are too many toys to choose.

My childhood generation the toys included Fisher-Price, Lego, Transformers, Barbie, Play-Doh, GI Joe, Hot Wheels, Disney, Star Wars, Nerf, books, Tonka, board games, art, cosmetics, sports, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch, bikes, manual four-wheel cars, and motorized toy cycles. The top video games were Atari and Intellivision.

Today's childhood generation includes the toys above plus Bluey, Pokemon, Marvel, Melissa & Doug, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jurassic Park, DC Comics, Furby, Giggle Scape, Ms. Rachel, PAW Patrol, Gabby's Dollhouse, Perfectly Cute, Baby Alive, Out Generation, Mini Brands, Monster High, Rainbow High, Unicorn Academy, LOL Surprise, and Jurassic World. The top video games are Nintendo, XBOX, and PlayStation. FAO Schwarz and Sharper Image are available. There are multiple electronic toys companies. Cheap small size circuit boards and processors must be appreciated. There are many more from lesser-known companies. PC video games gifts are worth mentioning even though they're not included in the catalog.

The marketing department knows how to sell. The bottom of each page or the footer sells to the consumer easy ways to buy, free shipping, free store pick-up, batteries, save 5% with restrictions using the Target credit card, and a QR code. Repetition works. Up to three pages are books. Books generate low revenues. Kids what toys requiring batteries.

I'm surprised there are enough pieces of the pie for all of the toys to earn revenues for Target and their companies. Competition is tough. Children can't play all of the toys 24 hours a day. I'm flabbergasted.

A Brief Childhood Moment

I remember playing toys in the toy aisle at TG&Y. TG&Y was a five and dime chain store in the United States. The children and I literally made a mess playing with toys on the floor. An old man in his 50s wearing a shirt and tie told us to stop playing with the toys. He must be the manager. We ignored him. Everyone continued playing. I saw the manager walk around the store ignoring us minutes later.

Update On A Past Blog

I admit a second mistake following the blog It Was My Fault I Made A Mistake I wrote on Jul 23, 2023. The first mistake was arriving late for a family event. It was my fault my mom, dad and I arrived late. The second mistake happened on Mar 14, 2024. The house landlines phone base is connected to the VoIP device. The phone connection was poor. I called the VoIP tech support. The technical ran tests on their end. No error messages. It turned out I connected the ethernet cable from the router to the VoIP device to the wrong port. Otherwise, the VoIP connected wirelessly. I failed to check the blinking lights behind the broadband port to confirm the ethernet cable connected from the router to the VoIP. Another reminder to check and to confirm the little details.

Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search

My second grade teacher assigned homework on Wed nights only. A classmate shared a word search to the class created from his parents. The teacher changed the Wed homework assignment from English to a word search. A word search is a group of random letters organized on a grid. Sometimes the random letters are organized in a shape. There is a list of words below the grid. The objective is search for a group of letters in the grid to find the words. The words are horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, and either forwards or backwards.

I started the homework in the evening. It was difficult. I asked my mom to help. It was difficult for her. Hours was spent on the word search. Bedtime arrived. My mom told me it was okay to submit the incomplete word search. I felt guilty I didn't complete the assignment.

The first conversations Thur morning was the homework assignment. Students told other students how many words they found. Few students found all words. I felt relieved somewhat. What were the adult lessons I could have learned?

The first lesson was some assignments can't be completed. Sometimes assignments need more time. Sometimes assignments lack background information. Sometimes assignments the criteria makes no sense. Time was up. Time to stop. It was bedtime. Be comfortable submitting the incomplete homework assignment tomorrow. I did my best.

Cheating was the second lesson. I cheated. I changed one letter erasing the letter with my eraser to match a word. My mom said no cheating. On the other hand, I reference the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Admiral Kirk told Lieutenant Saavik he cheated in The Kobayashi Maru scenario by reprogramming the simulation. Kirk didn't believe in the no-win scenario. I could have gotten away with cheating because the homework assignment was just a word search which leads me to the third lesson.

The word search was just a word search. Nothing gained on an insignificant assignment was the third lesson. Nothing was rewarded. Nothing was penalized. Low stakes. It was not studying for a spelling test. It was not arithmetic. It was not a book report. The homework assignment didn't affect my grades. The word search was lighthearted. The word search was supposed to be fun. The bonus third lesson was I should have forgotten the word search. I took the assignment too seriously.

Scott Found Nine Words

I remember one student named Scott. He shouted to the entire class he found nine words. Scott reassured the third lesson. The word search was not worth the effort. Quit. Stop. Go watch TV. Go read a book. Listen to music. I should have done something constructive for a normal second grader.