Be As Honest As You Can Be

The minimum to live a good life is don't be a jerk or a bitch. There is another minimum. Don't be a faker or a phony. Be as honest as you can be. Nobody is 100% honest. Everyone tells white lies. There are situations we can't tell the whole truth. There are situations we twist the facts. Take the least resistance path. Discretion is required for serious truths. Be tactical for bombshell truths. Choose the best opportunity to say world shattering truths. Be careful.

I digress. Don't be an Elizabeth Holmes, Bernie Madoff, Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried, James Frey, Morgan Spurlock, and Milli Vanilli.

Update On A Past Blog

I blogged The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Harder To Fake It on Jun 15, 2020. Some truths were disclosed. My personal experience was the disclosures happened later. The honestly couldn't be hidden anymore. Give it time. Be patient. The people who kept the lies during the global pandemic the truths are exposed.

One Complaint About Life Which Is Bullshit

I took a week vacation from Mon Oct 5 to Fri Oct 9. I titled the week vacation, "Recover From Fatigue, Catch Up, And Smell The Roses." No self job training. No exercise. Rest. Recover. Don't get sick. The last time I took a vacation excluding the Christmas holidays was the Summer Sabbatical October 2021 from Wed Oct 13, 2021 to Thur Nov 4, 2021. There was a Moby-Dick Vacation where self job training days were halved due to reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville from Oct 2023 to Feb 2024.

In addition, the unseasonably hot days and warm nights convinced me no physical workouts. The destiny, life, karma, go with the flow, and intuition said take a week off. It was time to catch up on unfinished tasks.

Finishing tasks and closing outstanding personal assignments were unsuccessful. There was a serious family situation which altered my vacation plans. I accepted both the altering plans and the distracting losing my concentration. I couldn't control it. I got little done.

Physical Priority Over Mental

My takeaway from last week was equally balance the physical with the mental. The takeaway could be logical or illogical. Emotion, financial, and spiritual were important, too. The days I plan cardio or strength training physical activity is prioritize over mental activity. I anticipate some days the priority is cancelled for whatever reason. A life bullshit is today's Information Age the mental is overprioritized over physical. Today's typical daily work, family, commute, and/or education require the most dedicated time in human history. Most days the person is legitimately too fatigued for physical exercise. Physical fitness is important. Good physical fitness helps mental sharpness. The converse good mental sharpness makes the body move is false; the knees and elbows don't move when working on a desk. Is construction a legitimate physical activity?

I'm lucky my current life gives me free time to workout four days a week. If I'm working, then I prioritize physical workouts over reading books on weekdays and weekends.

The Highest Number Of People Struggles In Their Lives

I predict year 2027 is the most people struggle. The number of people struggling is the highest ever. If there is an Excel spreadsheet counting how many people struggle and how many people at ease, then the struggle count is the highest ever.

More senior citizens are working; in particular, the retail industry and the gig industry. They're assigned simpler responsibilities. One retail employee works in returns and exchanges. Another retail employee works in online order fulfillment. I saw a minivan pick up a customer at a grocery store. He looks like an older father judging by his looks. A senior citizen customer plays the lottery scratching off his lottery ticket on the service counter.

Moreover, policies in various industries restrict their customers and clients. Rules changed. Hours reduced. Services eliminated. Charities strained. Fewer lower prices. The demand is greater than the supply. Wait times increase. No answers from management or ownership. Contracts cancelled. Projects delayed indefinitely. The losses increase.

Patience is tested. Frustration levels must be minimized. Breathe. Stay strong. Take it easy. I admit I lose my emotional stability. I admit I can struggle more in 2027. I may not be prepared.

Exercise And Sleep Are Cheaper Than Medical Bills

Exercise is a good leisure activity. A person moves the elbows and the knees. It can be cheaper compared to other leisure interests. For example, I choose a gym membership instead of a TV streaming service. Use it or lose it. Further, I choose sleep over watching TV; although, I watch a little TV such a sports on network television. I sleep eight hours a night.

I take my chances on the little things exercise and sleep rather than major medical procedures. I decrease my chances of permanent medical conditions by exercising and by sleeping.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss are cheaper than dental bills.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog September 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Sep was another slow month. Went outside too many days considering high gas prices in the $6 range.

Sun Sep 6. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Tue Sep 8. Shopped at Lucky.

Wed Sep 9. Watched the 2026 NFL season first game New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks.

Thur Sep 10. Watched the first half of the San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams in Australia.

Fri Sep 11. Shopped at Barnes & Noble, Kinokuniya, Time Tunnel Toys, and Safeway.

Sat Sep 12. Shopped for used books at the West Valley Library book sale. Ran errands at Bank Of America and Target afterwards.

Sun Sep 13. Ate lunch at Pho Hoa. Shopped at Whole Foods and Safeway.

Mon Sep 14. Spent half of the day outside including Ken's Auto Shop, Chipotle, and Safeway. Ate dinner at The Olive Garden.

Tue Sep 15. Shopped at Lucky first thing in the morning.

Thur Sep 17. The Center For Disease Control didn't approve updated COVID-19 vaccines for the Vaccines For Children program. The program provides the vaccines for uninsured or underinsured children and their families.

Sun Sep 27. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Tue Sep 29. Shopped at Smart & Final.

Wed Sep 30. Shopped at Target.

My All Time Favorite Lists Are Boring

My all-time favorite lists are boring by popular opinion. I accept the favorite lists are weak opinion; however, my selections are good. Favorite books, favorite anime, and favorite movies are some examples. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is my all-time favorite book across all genres. Full Metal Alchemist is my all-time favorite anime. The Shawshank Redemption is my all-time favorite movie. The three examples demonstrate my all-time favorites or personal all-time greatest were boring yesterday. The all-time favorites or personal all-time greatest are boring today. The upcoming updates change nothing. Here are the latest boring blogs. 2026 year-to-date favorite blogs are excluded because they're recent. 2025 favorite blogs are excluded because they may be included in A Second Blook At 2025 blog written in Dec 2026. I write updates to most of these all-time favorites.

My Greatest Favorites Of All Time (Jan 25, 2024). Quick Q&A my personal greatest of all-time favorites. Examples include professional athlete is Michael Jordan, comic strip is Peanuts, candy bar is Milky Way, and actor is Cary Grant.

Top Ten Plus Ten Equals Top Twenty All-Time Favorite Movies (Nov 3, 2023). Many of these movies are not in the greatest all-time lists from professional movie critics such as Wall Street, UP!, and The Shawshank Redemption.

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read (Oct 27, 2019). I should have added more books to the list. I didn't read Moby-Dick by Herman Melville at the time. An update with more books added for a top ten plus is coming soon.

Top Ten Favorite Quotes 2 (Mar 9, 2017). A redo is coming soon combining the Top Ten Favorite Quotes written on Dec 30, 2015 and Top Ten Favorite Quotes 2 written on Mar 9, 2017.

Top Ten Favorite Quotes (Dec 30, 2015). The wisdom quotes affect each person differently. Different quotes for different folks.

Top Ten My All Time Favorite Anime Series (Sep 20, 2014). No updates because I'm retired from anime. I want more people to consider Full Metal Alchemist an all-time favorite for more anime fans.

Top Ten Favorite Brand Cookies (Nov 16, 2013). Almost Home is the only chocolate chip cookies on the list. On the other hand, sugar cookies or vanilla cookies is stronger attraction.

Top Ten Favorite Beatles Songs (Dec 8, 2012). A major update is due. More songs added are due. Let It Be is on many Beatles fans' favorite list.

Top Ten Favorite Board Games (Oct 13, 2012). I admit I haven't played recent board games. Nobody should complain my list contains classics.

A Five Minute Instruction Is Nonprofessional Training

Training for five minutes doesn't equate to being a professional. Five minutes of instructions is not enough to be a professional. Teaching skills and knowledge requires good training, good coaching, good teaching, and good instructions. Be patient. Take the time. Do the boring grind. Learn. Practice. Drill. Repeat.

It takes ten minutes to learn how to play poker. It takes a lifetime to become a master.

Fast forward. Everything is learned. The teacher taught everything. The books are read. No additional practicing required. No more rehearsing. No more reviewing; the brain is jelly. Tests are passed. The graduation commences. What is done afterwards matters more. Use it or lose it. Continue learning, practicing, and drilling. Innovate infinitely.