I Die An Incomplete Life

I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. An indefinite goal since the day is catching up what I failed to accomplish at my ages between 21 and 34. There are people like me who missed opportunities during their young years. There are people like me who wasted their young years. It's okay. All is forgiven. Life moves forward.

I feel better telling everyone. Any miracle is required to speed up what I missed while I age older. There is more to catch up. There is more to experience. Here is a sample of accomplishments below in no particular order. I'm late to the party. Better late than never.

*Read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling from Sep 2019 to Mar 2020.
*Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge in Aug 2011.
*Camped in a campground in Oct 2015.
*Learned how to whistle in 2017.
*Dated a woman between Jan 2011 and Sep 2013.
*Sold a stock option in Jan 2022.
*Watched The Shawshank Redemption movie on Sep 21, 2019.
*Rode a cable car in San Francisco in Dec 2010.
*Went inside the San Jose arena for the first time in decades in Apr 2011. I also watched my live first professional sports postseason game. It was a National Hockey League Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks. It was my first hockey game I watched live.
*Worked at a startup between Nov 2013 and Sep 2014.
*Built my first desktop gamin PC in Dec 2008.
*Completed Final Fantasy 7 (FFVII) in Aug 2021.
*Earned an unofficial Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology degree in Apr 2024.
*Ran a 5K run for a school fundraiser in Mar 2026.

The COVID-19 pandemic is both an excuse and not an excuse I accomplished little from 2020 to today. More must be accomplished. Time will tell what I'm doing today opens opportunities to catch up more tomorrow. Repeat.

Update On A Past Blog

I remind customers and clients to Respect The Minimum Wage Workers. I wrote the blog on Feb 12, 2006. These workers are paid too low in today's Information Age economy. These workers are humans like you and me. They have problems like you and me. Most struggle like you and me. For instance, try to solve your problems before asking for customer service assistance.

I add technicians, maintenance staff, security guards, assistants, cleaners, and associates--the underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated to the list of workers. Be friendly because they know everything. Be friendly because they may give you something extra.

Don't ruin retail customer service workers' days. Corporations intentionally understaff to reduce costs. The Snitch Economy equips customers with apps, websites, and surveys to provide feedback or "snitch" being middle management.

No College Summer School Excel Class

I blogged My Four Times At Summer School on Oct 28, 2026 about summer school in grade school and high school. Today's blog is I could have taken an Excel summer school when I went back to college after the 2008 Great Recession. The class title was Accounting For Excel.

Two failures. The first failure was no research. Accounting For Excel was not 100% pure Excel. I thought the Excel class teaches the basics such as rows, columns, cells, formulas, pivot tables, and charts. I was incorrect. The Excel class was learning Excel while learning business such as accounting and finance. There were lectures and there were laboratory exercises.

I explain the second failure soon. I enrolled Accounting For Excel in the fall academic quarter. The instructor was my self-taught Peachtree Software instructor in my previous spring academic quarter. Although, if I took the Accounting For Excel summer school class, then I attend campus for one class on Tues and Thurs during the fall academic quarter for which I attended classes Mon to Thur. Tues and Thurs were Accounting For Excel and Computer Accounting Systems classes. I could have replaced Accounting For Excel with another required class such as Introduction to Business.

The second failure was I should have enrolled in the summer. I knew the expectations after taking the Accounting For Excel class in the fall academic quarter. The class was easy mostly because I used Excel in my previous jobs. If I did my research by looking at the Accounting For Excel course description and/or asking classmates, then I knew the expectations. I attended the first day of class. The classroom was packed with students. The summer school instructor was my Accounting 1A instructor for whom I liked.

Update On A Past Blog

The instructor for the Computer Accounting Systems taught the periodic inventory system. Her lesson helped me passed the Accounting For Excel midterm exam. The midterm exam involved the periodic inventory system. Nobody uses the periodic inventory system. All core accounting instructors concentrated on the perpetual inventory system only. The exception was the Computer Accounting Systems instructor who taught both perpetual inventory system and periodic inventory system when she taught her core accounting classes. I earned a B in the midterm. Almost all of the students failed the midterm because the midterm focused on the periodic inventory system.

I thank Miss Breen in the blog Top Ten Thank Yous written on Nov 22, 2014. Breen is number ten.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog October 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Hot days and warm nights from Thur Oct 1 to Thur Oct 8 for which the bedroom windows were opened all night. Oct was the slowest month of 2026. First Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog no COVID-19 current event news. On the other hand, strong El Nino weather predictions were Bay Area headlines.

Fri Oct 2. Visited a family friend in Alameda. Got gas at Chevron. Went to Kaiser.

Sun Oct 4. Watched Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers.

Tue Oct 6. Shopped at Safeway and Lucky first thing in the morning.

Fri Oct 9. Went to Kaiser and Target at night time.

Sat Oct 10. Shopped at Costco at the 10am hour for the first time other than a Super Bowl weekend. It was busy.

Sun Oct 11. Shopped at Safeway in the morning. Purchased a quick lunch at Nijiya.

Mon Oct 12. Shopped at Costco and Smart & Final.

Wed Oct 14. Morning errands at the West Valley Library, Target, Safeway, The Home Depot, and Nob Hill.

Sat Oct 17. Family event at the World Gourmet Buffett.

Sun Oct 18. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Thur Oct 22. First day of measurable rain. Shopped at Costco and Smart & Final first thing in the morning.

Sat Oct 24. Watched World Series Game 2 Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers from the bottom of the 6th inning to the end.

Tue Oct 27. Went to Chase Bank and Target.

Fri Oct 30. Shopped at Costco first thing in the morning. Too many cars for a Fri morning. The explanation must be Halloween.

Throwback Blog: Doing The Same Routine Boredom

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 Doing The Same Routine Boredom written on Feb 12, 2018. Living the same routine life is boring. However, in today's Information Age, today's Artificial Intelligence, and living the post COVID-19 global pandemic, a routine boring life may be a person's best life choice.

I changed my opinion routines are boring. Routines can be boring from an awesome attitude point of view. If Bert from Sesame Street can make boring awesome, then real people can make their boring life awesome. A boring is life is not 100% defined, not 100% ironclad, or not 100% narrowed. Variety, changes, seeking new adventures, and experiencing new experiences must be incorporated in a routine boring life. Boring people can mix life up.

Routines can be good. The person knows what to do. The person expects the outcome. The responsibilities are completed. The tasks are satisfied. There are times routines are routines. He or she does the same over and over again. They become boring. The person becomes bored. Many people think being bored is nothing to do. True. The routines are another type of boredom.

The same routines boredom is a signal to take action. Getting the signal is easy. How to take action is hard. Is their desire to change something different? Yes. Find something, anything new? Yes. Keep the eyes open. Keep the ears listening. There may be a new interest. There may be a new hobby. Find a distraction. Go back in time. Go front and present doing something, anything new. Maybe a self-discovery is a new long-term activity. Doing something different even half-ass is better than doing nothing; for example, mix-up the daily routines. The goal is eliminate the boredom feeling. Hope for the best.

My Four Times At Summer School

I went to summer school four times. I took a summer school class either after first grade or second grade. I took a reading class after fourth grade. I took reading, English, and math classes after fifth grade. I took a geometry class after tenth grade.

My memory is poor for the summer school class either after first grade or second grade.

The reading, English, and math classes after fourth grade and after fifth grade were a waste of time. I learned nothing. I cared about the fun afterwards. My mind was concentrated elsewhere. Although, the teacher who taught math was too easy. Students passed the class with less than 50% effort. I remember the math teacher's flash cards on math concepts. I aced those cards just by memorization. Memorize by drills and repetitions. No comprehension. I desired GI Joe, Transformers, MASK, and cartoons.

Fortunately, geometry class was worth the time. I needed geometry to enroll in Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus in twelfth grade because of college admissions. Each class session represented one week of a regular high school year; for instance, the first day of class was student and teacher introductions we learned no geometry. Each class was four hours long with one break in between. Six weeks of geometry summer school is one year of geometry regular school year. High school summer school is a cram school like college summer school.

I was focused. I learned something. I concentrated. I cared for the class because college admissions motivated me. I did the homework. I comprehended. There was a difference in maturity between a grade school student and a high school student.

I remember my Algebra I teacher recommending students not take geometry in summer school. It wasn't worth it. He suggested learning "basket weaving." His opinion was learning something outside the high school classroom.

Connect The Dots Backwards

The summer schools I remembered came back to me in any form. The after fourth grade reading class instructor was my brother's second grade teacher. The after fifth grade reading class instructor was my sixth grade English class instructor. The after fifth grade English class instructor was my eighth grade English class instructor. The after fifth grade school summer location was my junior high sixth grade to eighth grade school. The geometry class summer school location was my twelfth grade school. My high school ninth grade to eleventh grade closed due to budget cuts.

Taking Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus in twelfth grade helped me pass the calculus entrance exam in college. It was the only entrance exam I passed. I failed all other entrance exams resulting in required remedial courses. Fast forward decades later. The media reported more colleges offer more remedial courses because more students need remedial courses.

Summer school must be worth the effort for school districts. There must be a minimum percentage of success in their guidelines to offer summer classes. Summer school offers jobs for teachers and for school staff needing extra money. Summer school offers children something to do. Summer school offers some parents free babysitting for the mornings. Summer school gives school districts reasons for government funding.

Side note: I remember the first time my neighborhood streets were repaved during summer school after fourth grade. The city applied loose gravel. The theory was cars drove slow following posted signs of loose gravel. The cars push the gravel on the streets creating a permanent gravel payment.

Update On A Past Blog

The comprehension problem in the grade school summer schools reminded me of two blogs both titled I Wasn't A Dumb Child. The first blog I Wasn't A Dumb Child After All was written on Aug 3, 2013. I blamed my parents for being bad teachers. I couldn't learn from them. It affected my self-esteem because I believed I couldn't learn anything. All is forgiven.

The second blog I Wasn't A Dumb Child After All was written on Apr 17, 2019. The second blog is 100% accurate. My learning problem was poor short-term memory. I learn it. I forget it. I must learn by practice, by drills, and by repetition. I remember afterwards. I become a master.

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.

Planet Earth Still Orbiting Around The Sun

The world didn't come to an end. --Linus, A Boy Name Charlie Brown

The world is not going to end. --Any normal person

This world won't stand long, the captive hollered in conclusion to his tale. God won't let it stand this way long. --Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, page 191. The story took place during the US Civil War.

There are people who believe anything bad ends. The anything bad does end in many situations. I get to the point of today's blog. There are people who believe the world ends. The belief is expressed for years. The belief is expressed for decades. The belief is expressed for centuries. You're still here. I'm still here. The world perseveres. Losers are the people who say everything ends. The lazy. The weak. The irresponsible. The poor self-esteem. The life is over people. People with no self-respect.

I used to be one of the losers. I hated myself back then. I'm lucky the loser chapter closed decades ago. The world is not going to end.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

There are people saying human existence ends in 2036. AI takes over the world. Time will tell.

Update On A Past Blog

I add two more lessons or reasons to the Life Lessons Learned Playing Mahjong Riichi blog written on Mar 18, 2016. An international college student Riichi player from Japan told me if professional Riichi players placed fourth two times in a row, then they stop playing for the rest of the day. It's a timeout lasting the rest of the day. Take a break. Stop the frustration. End the bad flow. Occupy the mind with something else.

I admit it took me years to realize another reason they stopped playing for the rest of the day. The second reason is processing the two fourth place finishes. Think about the mistakes. Learn from the mistakes. Contemplate what went wrong.

Discipline is required to stop playing for the rest of the day. It's easy to continue playing with the false motivation and fake optimism to place first on the next game. I admit I continued playing in the past. No more playing foolishly with the frustrating losses.

Graduate Students Likely Teaching Bullshit

I experienced graduate students as teaching assistants teaching lower division classes when I attended San Jose State University. Almost all of them meant well. They wanted to teach their students the correct way. The course material taught was likely bullshit.

One class taught by multiple graduate students was the Academic English II laboratory from the Linguistics And Language Department. Students attended the laboratory two days a week and the lecture two days a week. Academic English II was the second of two English remedial classes. I was lucky I didn't have to take a full year of Academic English I and II.

One of the graduate student instructors emphasized his students to "think." There was a piece of paper on the table saying "think" in small font. Students must bend their heads down on the table to read "think." It was bullshit. Most successful people don't think. The late Steve Jobs is a good example. Trust intuition.

Academic English II, English 1A, and English 1B failed to teach me how to write. My Economics Writing Workshop taught me how to write.

Update On A Past Blog

The Real Life Match Game blog written on Jun 12, 2019 can be interpreted literally as a match or an equal. I wrote matching relationships between people, places, and things. In particular, relationships between people among friends, dating, and family.

Two people are in a dating relationship. Two people are engaged. Two people are married. The five general categories to determine a matching relationship are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial. Physical includes body shape and sex. Mental includes intelligence and wisdom. Emotional includes calmness and self-esteem. Spiritual includes religion for those practicing a religion and/or sleep. Financial is defined as money discipline.

People are different. Two people with their differences can find matching similarities. Some people are hard. Some people are soft. Some people are strong. Some people are weak. Some people are beginners. Some people are advanced. Some people are loud. Some people are quiet. Recognize the deal breakers. Stand by the deal breakers--be honest with oneself. There are reasons we don't get along with everyone. The deal breakers cause the mismatches. Person A finds another person. Person B finds another person.

I Read The Story About Ping Book In First Grade

I remember a book titled The Story About Ping by Majorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese in first grade. One student read the book during the reading period. A student passed the book to another student at the beginning of the reading period. The teacher didn't log her students who read the book at least once. It seemed my classmates ignored me when passing the book to another classmate. I read the book once during the entire school year. A classmate named Lindsey passed me the book. I was happy because she recognized my presence.

I read the book for the second time today as an adult. My life world awareness was immature and undeveloped being six years old. Ping was not an English word defined as a short sound. Ping was a Chinese name. The story took place in China. Perhaps, my Chinese nationality caused students passing the book to other students. I could relate to the yellow duck being ignored in a positive way during some social situations. Also, luck favored me and saved me in bad moments.

The end of the story my lesson takeaway. Accept the small inconveniences because they can be better than potential big inconveniences.

Instant Bullets Blog Sep 12, 2026

*People should sleep well tonight because tomorrow somebody is doing something stupid. It's not going to be you.

*A restaurant posted the sign for the customers.

*austerity: a set of political and economic policies implemented by a government to reduce its budget deficit.

*Three Years Of Therapy In 60 Seconds. Click Instagram video devin.the.one. Your parents did their best. Also, your parents screwed up.

*1 Corinthians 13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

*Three Historic Bubbles Burst. A brief explanation of the 1637. The Tulip Bubble or Tulip Mania occurred in Holland in Winter 1636-1637. The price of the rare tulip bulbs collapsed in Feb 1637. A futures market emerged where buyers and sellers signed contracts to purchase bulbs while growing in the ground. The contracts traded multiple times a day without the physical flowers ever changing hands. The panic began when buyers didn't show up at a Haarlem auction in Feb 1637 because buyers refused to honor the high priced future contracts.

*The 2026-2027 NBA regular season schedule was delayed because free agent LeBron James delayed signing a contract with a new team. The new team James plays influenced the schedule from the opening week to Christmas Day. James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

James got the league by the balls. No pun intended. Money was the talking point. Also, life is unfair. Some teams get a schedule with fewer national broadcasts and marquee games.

*How To Draw A Wolf. Step 1: Draw a circle. Step 2: Add some details. The pic depicts how boot camp classes are taught; for example, programming, medical, and financial investments.

*A slow day is a good day. The life wisdom applies to many instances.

*If you're over age 35 moving to a new residence, then hire movers. You're friends are too old. Nobody wants a back injury for pizza and beer. Further, movers are professional. They know the techniques to carry boxes and furniture.

*Another restaurant posted the sign for the customers.

*The Cover-Up Is Worse Than The Crime. Hide a mistake or lying destroys trust. There can be additional penalties. Don't conceal. Don't suppress. Don't whitewash to make crimes or scandals look acceptable. Don't disguise the true nature of something. Watergate is a top example. The San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York is a recent example. York pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools for soliciting $160 in a prostitution sting operation in Youngstown, OH. The tool was his phone used to solicit a prostitute.

*Collateral fault is indirect fault. Second party fault. Somebody must pay the price. The cost or the punishment must be administered even though the first party is not present anymore.

*MOR Music TV. I watched music videos on late night in 1994. Viewers could buy the album by calling the toll-free phone number like buying on the Home Shopping Network.

I remember these musical artists: Enya, Sophie B. Hawkins, Bonnie Raitt, ABBA, Yanni, Kitaro, John Tesh, Blues Traveler, Roy Orbison, and Enigma.

*Riddle. An apartment tenant lives on the eighth floor. He takes the elevator from the eighth floor to the first floor to exit. Hours pass. The tenant enters the apartment on the first floor. He takes the elevator from the first floor to the sixth floor. He walks the stairs from the sixth floor to the eighth floor. Why does he take the stairs from the sixth floor to the eighth floor?

The answer is the tenant is too short to press the eighth floor button in the elevator. He's tall enough to press the sixth floor button.

*I'm the stronger person. I'm strong now. I forgave you before you apologized. It's too late to apologize because I already forgave you.

*Need a problem solved? Go to the person in charge such as a manger, director, vice-president, commander, or CEO. Ask the person for a decision. The decision is no. Problem solved.

*Dessert Charcuterie Board Suggestion. Graham cookies, Oreo cookies, chocolate, peanut butter cups, mint candies, marshmallows, strawberries, and nuts.

*A Conversation Starter. Ask the following question: What rule do you want to change?

*Do we have a gentlemen's agreement? It's like we have a Godfather offer.

*capacious: big enough to contain a large quantity

*epitome: highly representative example of a type, class, or characteristic

*oxymoron: a phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect. For example, wise fool and legal murder.

Top Ten Plus Six Equals Top Sixteen The Garbage Collector Picks Up

The garbage collector is a metaphor. A good or service yesterday was useful. A good or service today is useless. It's garbage. Toss the garbage out. The garbage is the old. Clear the garbage. Make space for the new. Bring the replacements. Many people underestimate the power of goodbye. Everything and everyone become garbage eventually; for example, professional computer programmers say "all code is garbage" because new code is written. There are exceptions.

Here are the top ten plus six equals top sixteen the garbage collector picks up.

16. Brita Water Pitcher. I'm allergic to the retail grocery store water filtration products. I was sick in May-Jun 2014. I stopped drinking water from Brita. Instant recovery.

15. Former Family Dentist. The family changed dentists in 2019. The previous dentist was part of the family between 1998 and 2018. The practice went downhill for years. Prices increased. Outdated technology.

14. My Second Boss Was Fired. My second boss at my second company in the commercial real estate industry was fired. Management gave her advance notice to find another job. The termination reason was incompetence. I continue to remember the lesson: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody.

13. Unfollow Twitter Accounts. Self explanatory. People change. I change for which I lose interest. They change their tweets for which I lose interest.

12. Old Technology. Self explanatory. Never stop learning new technology. Use the latest and greatest to be relevant. Use the latest and greatest to be productive.

11. My Bookshelf. My bookshelf is full of books. I purge my own library. The least desirable books are donated or placed inside free neighborhood libraries. Some books may be desirable today. Give it time. Some books may not be needed tomorrow. Free shelf space. Less clutter.

10. eBay Auctions. My junk is another person's treasure. Some examples of my auctions include board games, DVDs, anime, and toys.

9. Clothes. No more polo shirts. No more plain white t-shirts. Dress appropriately for the occasion.

8. Items blocking the walkways are removed.

7. Friends. People come and go in our lives. It's natural partings. It's life. In particular, say goodbye to the people dragging you down. Don't let people hold you back. If you can't find good friends, then take a chance going alone. Mismatches. There are opportunities to meet new people. There is time to find matching friends.

6. Incorrect Gym Workouts. It took me 10 years from 1998 to 2008 to find out my gym workouts were wrong. A friend told me about bodybuilding.com. I threw away bad workout plans. I follow good workout plans.

5. People don't pay their debts. People who don't respect themselves. Tenants not paying rent are stealing. These people are examples of garbage.

4. Role Playing Games (RPG). Many of my past friends and current RPGs disagree with number four. Playing RPGs was a waste of my time. RPGs was a poor escape from life. RPGs was a poor leisure activity. It should not have been a match for my hobbies. I continue catching up what I missed today.

3. Family Guy. I donated all my Family Guy DVDs. My intelligence improved afterwards. I can't explain it.

2. Liquids. No drinking eight glasses of water a day. No drinking milk. No drinking green tea. No drinking processed orange juice when I'm sick.

I'm in the minority regarding the health benefits of green tea. Drinking green tea daily negatively affects my body. I stopped drinking eight glasses of water after my two surgeries at O'Connor Hospital in Mar 2017. I drink water when I'm thirsty. I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

1. Junk Food Or Processed Food. No eating processed food in moderation. I minimize eating processed foods. No candy for breakfast. Fast food restaurants are included in the processed foods. The only day I eat processed foods all day is Super Bowl Sunday.

Update On A Past Blog

My Washington Canada 2008 vacation from Nov 15, 2008 to Nov 20, 2008 summed up a human nature lesson. Every human is the same. We want to be with people. We work. We attend school. We spend our leisure with our favorite hobbies. We want to be happy. I want to add every human wants to succeed. Click link to read my Washington Canada 2008: Epilogue written on Jan 27, 2009.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog August 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Aug was the slowest month in years. Aug was another month I spent more days out of the house. COVID-19 politics were the headlines.

Thur Aug 6. The Senate Homeland Security And Government Affairs Committee voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt. Fauci refused to testify about the US Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The referral was sent to the Justice Department. The department decides whether to charge Fauci with federal contempt charges. The maximum sentence is one year in prison.

Sun Aug 9. Shopped at Nob Hill. Ate lunch at Mitsuwa.

Mon Aug 10. Senators Ron Johnson (R-WN) and Rand Paul (R-KY) released texts from Fauci's former government phone regarding vaccine safety for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci said there was no risk for pregnant women at any trimester. However, he said there could be miscarriages in the first trimester after the second dose. Pregnant women were not included in vaccine trials.

Thur Aug 13. Wasterwater data showed COVID-19 rates were increasing in the Bay Area. Positive test rates were increasing. A new variant was discovered called Cicada. The Cicada showed more mutations.

Ran errands at Toyota-Stevens Creek and Lucky first thing in the morning.

Sun Aug 16. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Mon Aug 17. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported COVID-19 cases increased in the USA. The overall activity was low nationwide. The rates were increasing rapidly. The concentration was the Southern and Western states; in particular, Texas and California.

The XFG.1.1 was the dominant strain accounting for 22%-40% of all cases in Jul 2026. 15% of the cases were the BA.3.2 or Cicada variant.

Wed Aug 19. Former senior adviser at the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases David Morens pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to hide federal records during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens was a senior adviser from 2006 to 2022. The records were related to coronavirus grant funding and the COVID-19 virus origins.

Fri Aug 21. Shopped at Costco. More people wore masks.

Sat Aug 22. Family lunch at Peking Delight.

Mon Aug 24. Dropped off my car at S&K Auto Services for repairs. Shopped at Costco Business Center.

Tue Aug 25. Picked up my car at S&K Auto Services for repairs. Visited the library. Got gas at Chevron.

Wed Aug 26. Car maintenance at Firestone.

Thur Aug 27. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) approved the latest COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Bio N Tech. The mRNA vaccine targets the LP.8.1 strain. The vaccine is for adults 65 and older. The vaccine is also for people ages 5 to 64 with an underlying condition.

The FDA also approved the latest Moderna mRNA vaccine Spikevax. The vaccine is for adults 65 and older. The vaccine is also for people ages 6 months to 64 with an underlying condition. The mNexspike vaccine is approved for adults 65 and older. The vaccine is also for people age 12 to 64 with an underlying condition. The two Moderna targets the XFG subvariant of the JN.1 strain.

And the FDA approved the Novavax vaccine Nuvaxovid. The vaccine is a protein-based vaccine targeting the JN.1 strain. The vaccine is for adults 65 and older. The vaccine is also for people age 12 to 64 with an underlying condition.

All vaccines are available in Sept 2026.

The CDC said the XFG.1.1 was the dominate strain as of early Jul 2026.

Fri Aug 28. Ran errands at Tai Pan Dim Sum, Lion Market, and Smart & Final first thing in the morning. The afternoon errands were Bank Of America and Target. I was the only customer wearing a mask.

Throwback Blog: Self-Esteem Blog

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 Self-Esteem Blog written on Nov 14, 2018. People must develop their own self-esteem. Support is necessary for a person to develop their own self-esteem. It's possible a person himself or herself can develop their own self-esteem. It's difficult.

The timing may be good today's throwback is self-esteem. More people have been talking about more people with poor self-esteem; for example, today's teenagers in high school. Or more people are consciously aware observing more people with poor self-esteem. Perhaps, the Information Age more people with poor social skills explains more people with poor self-esteem, and vice versa. Too much stimuli from screens can be a factor.

The Boring People

The boring people self-esteem may be strong. Never assume boring people are weak and unsure of themselves. The Sesame Street character Bert is boring. Bert self-esteem is strong. Furthermore, people who want to be alone their self-esteem are probably strong. These alone people should know what they're doing. I digress. Perform a self-analysis. Is your self-esteem strong or weak? The question is hard. The question is fair.

How does a person know he or she has poor self-esteem? It's hard for a person to self-asses himself or herself physically, mentally or intelligently, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. He or she does good living a good life for which he or she doesn't question how good. There are people who call out personal shortcomings accurately. How does a person respond when people or the world tells him or her you have poor self-esteem? The question is does he or she accepts the call out sincerely, accepts the call out politely, disagrees the call out knowing it's false, or denies the call out knowing it's true. Recognize and accept or deny. Take note of the conversation tone. It's a personal judgment call.

I'm no expert being a psychologist. I'm no expert teaching self-improvement. I know there is no quick solution to strengthen self-esteem. Time is required. Mistakes are made. Trial and error are required. Prepare to say good-bye to people, places, and things. Patience is necessary. Get healthy. Sleep well. Sitting in front of a television and/or playing video games eight hours a day are prohibited. Spend time with good people. If you don't have good people, then find good people. Good people are hard to find. Prepare for time being alone. Learn to be professional. Learn new skills. Relearn existing skills. Hope for good luck. Hope for fortunate timing.

Update On A Past Blog

Today's blog reminded me a past blog The Person Wants No Help on Mar 24, 2015. I wrote some people don't need help with their problems. Also, how long do people continue telling the problem people they need help? Helpers do the best they can. Some people accept help. Some people refuse help. Maybe the source of a person's problems and the personal choice to accept or to refuse help is poor self-esteem?

Moving Day Is A Judgment Day

One of the best moments to learn about a person is moving day; for instance, the boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancee, or co-worker(s). Moving day is either moving in or moving out. Moving day moves from one place to another place such as a new home, new apartment, or new office building. How do people behave? Moving day shows part of their true selves. Lazy worker? Hard worker? Easily distracted? Laser focus? The people are determined to fulfill their obligations. The organization skills easy to follow. Active socialization people get along with other people. Conversations are interesting. People feed each other's kind morale. Assess the behaviors, actions, trusts, and sincerities. People learn more about their relationships with other people.

The Forgivable Trap

Any person in any social-economic status is gullible to be trapped. The person stops learning. The person stops innovating. The person becomes weak. Intelligence declines. Physical and mental strength maintenance cease. There is emotional instability. Financial discipline disappears. Sleep hours decrease. Memory declines; in particular, the lessons learned to success are forgotten. Life is taken for granted. There is too much complacency.

Fortunately, the trap is temporary. There is an escape strategy. Work is required. Continuous work is required to avoid the trap. Self-improvement is a start. The trap is forgivable because it's easy to fall into the trap. I was a victim. I'm lucky I'm no longer trapped. I work as hard as I can.

"Bud, I like you. Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss. There's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character, and that is what keeps him out of the abyss." --Lou Mannheim, Wall Street

Minor Gum Irritation And Bleeding Treatment Blog Log

I needed a filling on a tooth located at my bottom right. The filling was not a typical filling on the top of the tooth. The filling was on the backside on top of the gum line. It's the best way I can describe it. The dentist used laser to remove a tiny portion of the overlapping gum covering the hole to be filled.

Unfortunately, there was minor gum irritation which lasted ten days. I was afraid I needed post filling treatment. My home treatment succeeded. I blog my treatment as a reminder for future dental problems.

Tue Aug 4, 2026. Filling operation in the afternoon. Used water pix before I went to bed. Felt pain at the resin composite. Bleeding afterwards while brushing my teeth. Saw blood on the gums.

Wed Aug 5. No blood on the gums when I woke up in the morning.

Thur Aug 6. Dental floss at night. Lowered strength for the water pix. No blood. Felt pain.

Fri Aug 7. Increased strength for the water pix to my preferred setting. I avoided spraying water at the filling. Stopped wearing my bottom retainer temporarily.

Sat Aug 8. It seemed I accidentally cut my gum flossing at the left side of the filling tooth. Maybe the cut delayed healing.

Sun Aug 9. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide. I mixed hydrogen peroxide 3% and water to ratio 1:1 or 50% hydrogen peroxide 3% and 50% water. Rinsed once.

I ate food on the left side of my mouth.

Mon Aug 10. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide two times today.

Tue Aug 11. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide three times today.

Wed Aug 12. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide three times today.

Thur Aug 13. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide three times today.

Fri Aug 14. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide two times today.

Sat Aug 15. Rinsed with hydrogen peroxide one time today.

Mon Aug 17. No bleeding since Mon Aug 10. No pain as long as I ate on the left side of my mouth. The dental floss gum cut looking like a cut on skin had been healing. I see the curve line. Wore my top retainer and bottom retainer.

Tue Aug 18. Began eating on the right side of my mouth. I continued focusing my eating on the left side of my mouth.

Facebook Friends

My Facebook friends count is 233 as of today's blog. 233 is a lot. 1,000 friends are more than 233 friends obviously speaking. A rational perspective 233 is a big number. My friends consist of friends, families, co-workers, friends of friends, and acquaintances.

My true friends count is at least 242. Some friends defriended me. Some friends closed their accounts. I recognize friends closing their accounts for personal reasons. The friends who defriended me must have a good reason. I defriended zero friends because life is a full circle; although, I defriended one friend as a request from my sister. I don't know when the next time I see any of my friends. It can be a reunion. It can be a networking opportunity. It can be a contact person when I'm at their home city. It can be an emergency. My reason to defriend must be serious. I don't defriend to clean my friends list. I don't want to burn bridges unnecessarily. Rebuilding a bridge can be difficult.

Keep the relationships. Maintain the support by like, comment, and posting happy birthdays.

Winning The Nonmonetary Lottery

99.99% of lottery winners are not the big tickets winning the big money prize. These nonmonetary lottery winners are winning from the powers to be, the almighty, the heavens, the unexplained, and/or life itself. It depends on the person's perspective. Talent or unique skills is an example of a nonmonetary prize. Some nonmonetary prizes are natural such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson, and Meryl Streep. Some nonmonetary prizes are won through hard work such as Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Tom Hanks, Taylor Swift, and Bill Gates. Unfortunately, most people don't find the prize, don't discover the prize, or not awarded the prize.

Their Life Game Is Over

There are winners and losers in life. Life is not everybody wins. Life is not a 100% success rate. Some people are lazy. Some people are unmotivated. Some people disrespect themselves. These people are genuine losers.

There is another group of losers. I call the another group the false losers. I wrote a blog on These Young People Are False Losers on Aug 7, 2022. These false losers did everything correct. The end results are no successes no matter what happens. Blame bad luck. Blame bad timing. Blame life. Some people must lose. It's like a Major League Baseball season. Each of the 32 baseball teams play 162 games per season. 5,184 total games played. All of the 32 baseball teams aren't winners. Theoretically speaking, all 32 teams at best the percentage win rates are 50% or .500; in other words, all 32 baseball teams end the season with 81 wins and 81 losses. 81 wins plus 81 losses equal 162 games. 162 games multiplied by 32 baseball teams equals 5,184 total games. All 32 baseball teams don't end the season with 81 wins and 81 losses in reality. Some baseball teams win 100 games or more. Some baseball teams lose 90 games or more.

All of the genuine losers and some of the false losers declare their lives game over. There are no reasons to work hard. They say infinite exercises. They say infinite lies. Forget responsibilities. Forget commitments. Forget working. Ignore the rules. Life is all leisure. Life is all fun. They stop living. They start dying.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog July 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Cyclosporiasis scare due to lettuce was the health headline. The World Cup was the sports headline. I watched a few games.

Sat Jul 4. Family BBQ gathering at my uncle's house.

Sun Jul 5. Purchased egg rolls at King Egg Rolls.

Mon Jul 6. Watched USA vs. Belgium World Cup Round Of 16.

Tue Jul 7. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.

Sat Jul 11. West Valley Library book sale.

Sun Jul 12. Ate lunch at Panda Express. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Mon Jul 13. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Wed Jul 15. Watched the second half of England vs. Argentina World Cup Semifinals.

Sun Jul 19. Watched the first half of Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Final. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Thur Jul 23. Used book shopping at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Picked up lunch at Panda Express. Errand at Bank Of America.

Fri Jul 24. Got gas at Chevron. Completed errands at Smart & Final, Safeway, Bank Of America, and Kohl's.

Sat Jul 25. Wastewater tests indicated COVID-19 levels were high in the Santa Clara and San Francisco counties in the last three weeks. The Peninsula and North Bay levels were medium. The State Of California positivity rate was below the 2025 summer surge.

18% of Santa Clara residents are up to date on their vaccinations. The State Of California residents up to date vaccination rate is 11% according to the state health department.

Hospital admissions, positive rates, and hospital in-patient care patient counts due to COVID-19 were low. Most people have protection due to vaccinations and/or previous infections. The recent variants have not increased positivity rates. The XFG variant is the recommended target for the 2026-2027 vaccine formula. The USA test positivity rate was 2.2% ending Jul 18. The percentage was up from 1.6% ending Jul 11. The emergency visit rate was 0.2%.

Mon Jul 27. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released Dr. Anthony Fauci's diary related to the COVID-19 pandemic between Dec 2019 and Dec 2022. Fauci wrote he estimated the death rate at 0.2%-0.3%. Fauci told the House Oversight Committee the death rate was 3% on Mar 11, 2020. The diary entries mentioned his rising influence and appearances in front of the news media.

Fauci wrote in Jan 2020 the Wuhan market was not the source of COVID-19. The animals amplified the virus from animals to humans. A conference call with infectious disease experts thought the virus might not originate in nature. Other entries included the news media accusing Fauci of changing stances such as the true origin of COVID-19, interactions with President Donald Trump, and interactions with Senator Paul.

Wed Jul 19. Fauci testified at the Senate Homeland Security And Government Affairs Committee. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment to decline answering questions 112 times. The questions were his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fauci was subpoenaed by Chairman Paul. Paul said Fauci should be criminally investigated being dishonest in previously congressional testimonies such as the coronavirus origins. President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci in 2025.

The 2009 San Jose Jazz Festival During The 2008 Great Recession

I attended the 2009 San Jose Jazz Festival. It was my first jazz festival. I went on Sat Aug 8 only. I stayed at the main stage most of the time. I was lucky I attended a good festival. I saw some of Black Joe Lewis, the entire Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra, and the entire Allen Toussaint. Good memories.

The other memory was the timing. 2009 was a recession year because the real estate bubble burst resulting in the stock market crash in Sep 2008. People were out of work. People watched their spending. The world slowed down. However, all attendees, performers, and festival staff forgot about the recession on the weekend of Fri Aug 7-Sun Aug 9. The three days were a break. The three days were leisure. Adjust the budgets. Find some discretionary money for fun. People socialized, danced, sang, ate new foods, drank beer, drank wine, and experienced first time moments. Life went on. Life moved forward. The economy moved forward regardless of the pace.

I also attended the 2009 Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey experience was the same as the San Jose experience; although, I couldn't afford the additional fee to attend the main stage. A secondary memory was a video game demonstration for which I forgot the company. I visited a friend who lived in Monterey afterwards. We ate at a Japanese restaurant for dinner.

Update On A Past Blog

Artificial Intelligence has been in the headlines. AI reminded me of two past blogs. The first blog is *Pop* All Bubbles Burst written on Jan 15, 2006. I mentioned the Mar 2000 dot-com bubble burst. The stock market doesn't always go up. The AI stock market is in a bubble.

The second blog is Give It Time The Winners Remain Standing written on Mar 10, 2021. There were too many dot-com companies from 1997 to 2000. The dot-com winner companies are in business today. The dot-com loser companies went out of business. Likewise, there are too many AI companies. The AI winner companies stay in business. The AI loser companies are out of business. Time is the ultimate judge.

A Beginning Of An End Began On Fri Jul 24, 2026

I completed errands first thing in the morning yesterday. I filled my car with gas. I shopped for groceries. I withdrew cash at the bank. I paid a department store's credit card bill. The rest of the day I cooked the household meals. I read books. I job searched. I checked my emails. I exercised.

A day-long thought was in the back of my head. The self job training is ending. I started the self job training in May 2015. I reviewed existing skills SQL, VBA, Excel, and HTML. I learned new skills including Python, CSS, JavaScript, Git, Power BI, Linux, and R. I fulfilled the reviewing and the learning on Mar 25, 2024 self graduating with a degree in Analytics Research Technology. The detailed timeline is the blog Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology posted on Apr 19, 2024.

I reduced the post graduate self job training to three days a week starting on Nov 2024. I finished reviewing HTML and CSS. Python and Excel continue. The AI training is the basics concentrating on Claude and Gemini. There are no plans for a post graduate degree.

Get Back

I may be going back to the year 2010. Get Back to year 2010? I wrote the Get Back blog on Jul 13, 2011. Today's Get Back is somewhat different than the Jul 13, 2011's Get Back. Excel reviewing and Python learning are indefinite. The two are my De Anza College classes. There are free and paid AI classes. Which classes match my career?

Furthermore, there is free time on days I don't self job train. What do I do? There are anime series I neither started nor finished during my anime days. There are video games on my Steam account I never played. Hiking is an option. I can't exclude a visit to San Francisco. Ice skating is being planned for Winter 2026. There are curbs to happy go-lucky days. There are barriers to fun. There are financial limits. My maturity keeps me in check.

Children Growing Use The Bowls Indicators

I poured a bowl of Cheerios in the morning for a quick breakfast before a full breakfast. I woke up late because I woke up multiple times last night. I needed to prepare the household meals.

The size of the bowl was the smallest bowl. I reminded myself the smallest bowl size matched the size I ate Cheerios when I was a child attending grade school. The bowl size increased when my body grew bigger. I realized my stomach grumbled in school too many times. The bowl sized increased again in high school.

Parents use the bowls indicators to determine how fast your children are growing. Use the bowls indicators to budget the household groceries. Use the bowls indicators to prove their physical changes. Be prepared for bigger bowl size changes in rapid time.

The Broccoli Indicator

Another physical change indicator was eating broccoli. I ate four pieces of broccoli when I was a child. One reason was to share the broccoli with the family. Another reason was to control the grocery costs. I listened to my growing body. I ate more broccoli as a teenager.

Update On A Past Blog

The Five Year High School is still a good idea in today's Information Age. I wrote the blog on Jan 28, 2011. I said, "There is more to learn and know. Expectations and requirements are more challenging. Life today is more complex 20 years ago." True today.

There is a four year junior high school if junior high school is defined as sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade. Eighth grade students enroll in eighth grade twice. Click The Journal Podcast The Big Business Of Holding Back Eighth Graders.

Two Lessons Learned When Children Learn To Tie Their Shoes

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

There is a rhyme for tying shoes:

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

There is the bunny ears story:

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

There are YouTube videos. Here is a selection:

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

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

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

Top Ten Plus Fifteen Equals Top Twenty Five Moment Inspired Blogs

I wrote these 25 blogs inspired from moments.

25. All Is Ready Cue The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show Opening Theme (Aug 7, 2023). The introduction song inspires preparation is completed. Everything is ready. Good to go.

24. Turn Back The Clock On Anime (Oct 1, 2017). A tweet showing the character No Face from the anime movie Spirited Away as a smartphone wallpaper inspired me to watch anime in Sep 2017.

23. Merry Unmotivational Christmas (Dec 26, 2023). Christmas was bad. Move forward. Hope the next Christmas is good.

22. Walmart Is Good At Being Walmart (Jan 13, 2022). I shared my observations shopping at a Walmart Neighborhood Market for the first time.

21. Green Tea And Coke Don't Mix (Feb 4, 2006). Support staff from my second company I worked gathered after hours to say goodbye to an assistant. I drank Coke for dinner. I drank green tea before I went to bed. I stayed awake for hours afterwards.

20. My Thoughts On Urban Growth Driving On Interstate 880 (Feb 14, 2016). A Sat drive on a Bay Area freeway seeing new construction and an unusual high amount of cars made me concerned about overpopulation.

19. Mike's Rules (Jul 5, 2014). A night shift gym staffer inspired the name of the rules for getting along with people. Some rules include complement a person, take the initiative, and smile.

18. End It Now (Jun 5, 2022). All of the parents practiced patience and restraint on a Cub Scout graduation event held on a school night. The fatigued parents wanted to go home quickly.

17. Too Many People (Jul 15, 2019). The Mercury News published an article titled Churches Go On Building Spree on Jun 16, 2019. The article discussed the San Francisco Bay Area churches building affordable housing on their properties. Too many people applied for the units.

16. Give It Time The Winners Remain Standing (Mar 10, 2021). I watched a documentary on a military boot camp. The losers quit the training.

15. Take The Advantage, Use The Advantage (Jan 2, 2020). A dream inspired me to take an advantage when given to me.

14. My Girlfriend's Ultimatum Or Her French Black Dress (Mar 15, 2015). All relationships including marriages, business, and friends require work. "She gave me an ultimatum. Either I find a way to keep our relationship going or she breaks up with me. The French black dress was my break-up gift to remember her. I was shocked."

13. My Four Mount Rushmore Greatest Moments In My Life (Aug 9, 2020). 95.7 FM The Game KGMZ selected four Mount Rushmore greatest moments in Bay Area sports history in May 2020. My four Mount Rushmore greatest moments are cosplaying, growing up, self job training, and watching The Shawshank Redemption.

12. Always Protect Your Precious Belongings (Aug 12, 2005). I lost my laptop bag keychain at a retail strip mall. I was lucky a family and their children found it. I have been consistent protecting all my possessions when I'm out of the house.

11. Top Ten Plus Four Equals Fourteen Fry's Electronics Moments (Feb 25, 2021). Fry's Electronics declared bankruptcy. I also include the moment I Fried Fry's Electronics on Nov 25, 2005 when I shopped on Black Friday 2005.

10. Anti-Social For The First Time (Feb 18, 2017). There are multiple blogs when I wanted to escape from reality. I wanted to be alone. The blog was inspired when one of my cousins from Los Angeles visited after he graduated college.

9. Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital (Oct 21, 2017). I was an impatient for the first time on Apr 2-5, 2017. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I needed two surgeries.

8. Maintenance Is Important As Innovating Infinitely (Nov 6, 2016). The Freakonomics Podcast In Praise of Maintenance on Oct 19, 2016 inspired the blog.

7. Seeing Ordinary People Living Their Lives (Nov 4, 2014). An evening shopping observing normal people living one day at a time inspired the blog.

6. First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays (Dec 9, 2018). The bad luck 2018 year cumulated when a restaurant I wanted to try for the first time located out of town closed on Tues instead of the typical Mons.

5. Sort Of Professional Painter (Feb 17, 2019). I'm terrible at home repairs. I'm terrible at home improvements. I hate painting. However, the job must be completed. Maintenance is required. The blog emphasized being a professional. Further, the blog Respect For Hard Work Multiplied By 60 Hours written on Feb 18, 2019 is included.

4. Epilogue (Oct 15, 2005). There were two reasons I visited Washington and Canada. The first reason was visiting my friend at his home state for the first time; in addition, visiting another state and visiting a foreign country. The second reason is inspiration: "Life is a marathon, not a sprint. These people won their marathons and are retired. It takes time to become successful. I should enjoy the marathon. That is the inspiration from the Washington Canada Vacation."

3. Boring Can Save Your Ass (Jan 12, 2022). I went to a tire service center to get my car's tires rotated and balanced. The boring work must be done.

2. Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search (Oct 22, 2024). A difficult word search homework assignment in second grade taught me some assignments couldn't be completed. Also, I said, "The word search was just a word search. Nothing gained on an insignificant assignment was the third lesson. Nothing was rewarded. Nothing was penalized."

1. Stop And Smell The Roses And Read Your Receipt (Feb 3, 2022). An incorrect charge on my receipt reminded me to always check my receipt for errors. Also, slow down. Relax. Take a breath. Stop rushing.

The Worrying Increases

Today's Information Age lifestyle more people are worrying. I accept. It's okay. The feeling is normal. Scarcity is one reason to worry. There are too many people needing too few resources. There are too many people needing too few opportunities. There are too many people and there are too few *fill in the blank*. Demand outpaces supply.

Worry about failing. More people fail. Worry being unsuccessful. Worry about no money. Worry about worsening health problems. If there are no solutions, then worry. If there is no support, then worry. Time runs out. Worry is a normal emotional feeling when there are no answers to the too many unknowns.

Most people are on edge. Most people are living with high concerns we're one incident away from a catastrophe. People are raising shields. People are quieter. People are holding back. People are silent not sharing negative personal instances. Perhaps, we are being too honest by being silent. We should be communicating our worries without judgement. The listeners should be open and unembarrassed. Unfortunately, most of us feel unconfident people judge and people are embarrassed. The worriers are ashamed.

I'm not a professional psychologist. Times have changed. Cynicism is the comfort. Pessimism is heaven. The two are easy to live in today's Information Age. Doing our best is not good enough. Working hard may not reap the expected awards. The past--yes. The present--a weak maybe.

Update On A Past Blog

There are reasons people are quiet. I wrote some of the reasons on Another Perspective On Quiet People blog written on Feb 20, 2019. Some people treat their worries as secrets. Many people worrying is a daily habit. Worrying requires deep thought. Quiet people are thinking deeply.

Sunday July 5, 2026

I purchased egg rolls at a local Chinese fast food restaurant chain to attend an event at the last minute. I want to share observations from my house, the restaurant, and to the event location.

Today is the United States Of America existing for 250 years and one day. Life goes on. Today is another day. People live their lives. People move forward. There are people working. There are people resting. These people need extra rest because of Fourth Of July yesterday. There are people playing. Work, rest, and play. People earn incomes. People volunteer. People helping other people.

In particular, today's workers. The workers operating the city utilities. The cooks and the food servers in restaurants. The cashiers and service associates in clothing stores. The security personnel in the mall. The gas station attendants. The city first responders on duty. The car dealership sales staff and the car dealership support staff. The parks and recreational staff keeping the parks clean.

Another particular is the people not working. The parents raising their children. Friends spending time with other friends. Families on vacation. Children on summer break. The people alone staying busy.

Tomorrow is Monday Jul 6, 2026. Expect a repeat today tomorrow.

Update On A Past Blog

Today's blog reminded me of the blog Seeing Ordinary People Living Their Lives I wrote on Nov 4, 2014. Sunday Jul 5, 2026 was an ordinary day the day after Fourth Of July. People continue to be grateful.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog June 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. June might be the month I spent the most hours out of the house post-pandemic.

Tue Jun 2. I voted by submitting my mail-in ballot at the West Valley Library.

Wed Jun 3. Shopped at Costco and Costco Business Center. I got gas at Chevron.

Mon Jun 8. Shopped at Lucky first thing in the morning. The store was dead.

Sun Jun 14. Ate lunch at Chicken Meets Rice. Shopped at Costco.

Tue Jun 16. Shopped at Kohl's first thing in the morning.

Fri Jun 19. Shopped at Safeway.

Sat Jun 20. Ate lunch at The Olive Garden.

The Director Of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released documents on Dr. Anthony Fauci and COVID-19. The documents included declassified documents Fauci with a conflict of interest as an outside reviewer. Fauci downplayed or diverted the lab-leak theory of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The lab was the location of the COVID-19 virus. Fauci funded research into coronavirus in Wuhan. And Fauci lied to Congress. Further, the document stated the CIA knew the Wuhan Institute Of Virology staff became ill in late 2019. Also, China cleaned the Huanan Seafood Market which destroyed clues how the pandemic began.

Sun Jun 21. Ate a quick lunch from Nijiya.

Wed Jun 24. Visited the dentist for routine cleaning. Errands at Safeway and Lucky. Walked inside the new Campbell Library.

The COVID-19 study blocked by the Center For Disease Control (CDC) was published by JAMA Network Open. The study analyzed the 2025-2026 vaccine effectiveness for adults aged 18 and over with good immune systems during fall and winter 2025. The risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 declined by 55%. The risk of emergency visits or urgent care visits declined by 50%. The CDC blocked the publication in Apr 2026.

Fri Jun 26. Shopped at Lucky first thing in the morning.

Sun Jun 28. Shopped at Nob Hill

Tue Jun 30. Shopped at Lucky.

The Department Of Health And Human Services announced terminating emergency use authorization declarations for certain drugs and medical devices used to treat COVID-19. The declaration for drugs ends Jun 29, 2027. The declaration for medical devices ends Dec 26, 2026. The declarations were issued in 2020 to accelerate access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throwback Blog: Work Sat Jan 10, 2015

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 Work Sat Jan 10, 2015 written on Jan 10, 2015. I was a Data Entry Specialist contractor at a tech company making network servers. I supported a Senior Quality Reliability Engineer. I share my thoughts remembering the time in bullet format.

*I didn't take any vacation time during my six months. I worked on Dec 26, 2014. The company was closed on Dec 24-25, 2014.

*I never ate frozen hash browns for breakfast after my contractor was satisfied thereafter.

*I could have purchased a Calm Radio lifetime subscription for $300.00. I didn't pay because I thought Calm Radio goes out of business. Calm Radio still exists.

*A mistake I vowed never to repeat was waking up late. I must sleep early on the night before I work the next day.

*The language tone convinced me today I was unprofessional. Nobody cared about my commute. The commute text sounded like I complained too much. However, my job was data entry. The job was unexciting.

*The co-worker who was fired didn't know the Excel VLOOKUP function. Only God knew how she was hired. The interview process is more sales pitch or selling oneself and less knowledge and experience. My intuition tells me today's interview system incompetent workers are hired even though the interview exams should eliminate the unqualified candidates.

I forgot to mention security was present during the firing.

*"I met with the SAP administrator for a meeting explaining the SAP export problems. He explained he must follow a procedure including submitting an IT ticket and informing his management. I anticipated a long wait for the SAP enhancements. I'm required to test the enhancements in the development side."

There were procedures. Procedures were procedures. There were rules. Rules were rules. His department didn't revolve around my SAP export problems. I waited.

*". . . there are too many job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. Many job openings don't require lots of experience."

There are too few job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. I still believe many of the few job openings require little experience.

Wed Dec 31: I ate Safeway bagels for the first time working at the company. I purchased frozen hash browns for New Year's Day breakfast. I stored the hash browns in the coffee room freezer.

The audit continued today. Be slow. Be calm. I listened to music from calmradio.com. I checked my Facebook from time to time before lunch.

Thur Jan 1, 2015: Happy New Year. Company was closed.

Fri Jan 2: I arrived to work at 8:45am. I forgot to shave. The building was dead. I was ready to upload the audits from one of the vendors. It should be a smooth export to the SAP database. I spoke too soon. There were problems with the upload and there was a minor error on the interposer template. I emailed the SAP administrator documenting the problems with screenshots. I troubleshooted and corrected the interposer template. I listened to podcasts throughout the day. I listen to more podcasts and less music at work.

The cafeteria closed minutes after I ordered chicken tenders. One out of three stations and the salad bar were open.

Mon Jan 5: I experienced trouble waking up. I was ready physically. I wasn't ready mentally. My mind needed more rest. It was worth the additional rest waking up at 7am instead of 6am. I arrived to work at 9am.

I ate my granola bar in the coffee room. I small talked with the engineer I don't know his name from another department. The conversations included movies and our Christmas holiday.

I saw facility workers installing two cigarette receptacles at the court yard walking to the cafeteria.

My engineer emailed me more RMAs from another vendor to enter in the SAP database. The additional RMAs and the SAP export problems gave me optimism my contract is extended beyond four months.

Tue Jan 6: Another 9am-6pm workday. I was ready physically. I wasn't ready mentally. My mind needed more rest. The morning commute took 30 minutes. I experienced my first red light after El Camino Real. My prior morning commutes the intersections between El Camion Real and before my left turn were 100% green lights.

A co-worker was fired in my work area. It was the first time I was present during a firing. My past company firings I was informed after the employee exited the building. I gave her the extension cord I borrowed and I gave her my contact information. Other co-workers gave her their contact information. She was escorted by someone in human resources. A facilities worker pushed a cart to assist in taking her belongings. The three workers exited using the service elevator.

I met with the SAP administrator for a meeting explaining the SAP export problems. He explained he must follow a procedure including submitting an IT ticket and informing his management. I anticipated a long wait for the SAP enhancements. I'm required to test the enhancements in the development side.

My evening commute took 24 minutes. It was the first time my evening commute was shorter than my morning commute.

Wed Jan 7: Another 30 minute morning commute. I woke up at 7am for the third time in a row. I was awake mentally. I was still tired physically. I went to bed earlier last night. I must be adjusting from my holiday sleep schedule. I contemplated skipping the gym. No skip. I worked out at the company's gym.

Another worker entered the elevator area 3-5 seconds before me arriving to work. He held the elevator door open when I entered the elevator area. My thanks. I pay it forward the next time I'm ahead of another worker entering the elevator area.

Thur Jan 8: I was motivated to wake up at 6am because I want a 20 minute or less morning commute. Today's commute was 17 minutes.

My engineer told me more background story on the RMAs missing data points. He said the problems with the RMA data and the server component database existed before he started at the company. I thought about his story minutes after I sat at my cubicle. I realized why some job openings require lots of experience. One reason is the successful candidate must solve problems on day one. I'm guessing my engineer was hired because he has the experience to solve problems in quality control. On the other hand, there are too many job openings in today's tough job market requiring too much experience. Many job openings don't require lots of experience.

I exited the building at 5:15pm. There was still daylight. Daylight is getting longer.

Fri Jan 9: I continued with the audits. I continued listening to podcasts. I continued listening to KNBR 680AM at 3pm. There's no timetable when I complete the audits in full.

My engineer went home early because he had an appointment. He worked at home for the rest of the day.

Slow Down The Weekdays

Many people say they want the week to end quickly on Mondays. They want Saturday tomorrow. Many people change their desire on Saturday. They want the weekend to end slowly. They want another Saturday tomorrow. These people must change their desire from quickly to slowly on Monday.

Today's Information Age life is too fast. There is too much every day. We want more time. We need more time. More time is impossible. There is always 24 hours a day. No more. No less. Planet Earth can't rotate slower.

People must say they want the week to flow slowly. Take a deep breath. Be patient. Take your time. Do everything one at a time. No need to run to complete one responsibility. Walk to complete all responsibilities. Repeat on weekends. If people slow down and choose their responsibilities wisely, then stress levels decrease.

People Fail Intentionally Or Unintentionally

Today's blog is an update on a past blog.

Update On A Past Blog

I write another thought on the blog I Did It Right written on Nov 14, 2013. I wrote I lived life correctly no matter the good times and the bad times, the successes and the failures, and the good lucks and the bad lucks. The blog was another reminder of growing up. I can't control everything. Never stop learning. Correct mistakes. Be grateful. Forgiveness.

I complete the plan. I follow the instructions. I adapt the system. I perform my job. I work everything correctly. Learning is finished. Training is completed. I'm sincere. I'm honest. The end result is failure.

There are 32 NFL football teams. Two of the 32 teams play for the NFL championship at the Super Bowl. The two teams' coaching staff create a plan. The two teams' players follow their instructions. The systems are established. All players know their jobs. They practice hard. One team wins. The other team loses. One team is successful. The other team and the 30 other teams not playing in the Super Bowl are failures.

An oversimplified hiring process for an open job position. 500 people apply for the job opening. 20% of the applicants qualify. 100 people remain. 20% of the applicants exceed the job requirements. 20 people remain. The hiring manager selects 6 candidates to interview. One candidate is hired. The other 499 people are not hired. The other 499 people fail for whatever reasons.

People can do everything correctly. People do fail. The people include me. The people include the reader. Most projects fail. Most businesses fail. Most relationships fail. Most people fail. Success is relative. Failure is absolute. Although, successful people can be wrong. Successful people can be lucky. Life is weird. Life is unfair.

There are false losers. I wrote about These Young People Are False Losers on Aug 7, 2022. These young people experience bad breaks and bad luck.

The School's Specialty Is Teaching ABCs And 123s

I think back from my kindergarten to my high school senior year. I listen to family stories their children attending K-12 schools. A school's specialty is education. There is nothing more. There can be less. Anything else is a bonus. The supplemental support is available on school campus such as counseling, college advice, nutrition, library services, and medical. School computers meet any minimum standards at best. Expectations should be low. The students receive a public education as a government service funded by the tax dollars. Students who want stronger supplemental learning or supplemental help should look outside the school campus.

Teachers are not the best at their subjects. Otherwise, the teachers aren't in the education field. If the teachers are the best, then they get promoted to an incompetent higher position. The Peter Principle applies in the education field. Likewise, the promotions include counselors, deans, administrators, principals, janitors, and school support staff. Furthermore, if a teacher teaches their students how to learn from making mistakes, the teacher must quit teaching school. Find a better job.

I have an understanding some students blame any teacher, support staff, or administrative staff for not solving their problems. They're not the best. It's the education system. Times have changed. Students and parents bear more responsibility to solve their own problems. Fortunately, in today's Information Age, there are online resources and information. Good luck.

Finally, what's today's public reaction if they saw the 1980s Public Service Announcement commercial Reach For The Power, Teach Teaching PSA, 1988 or 80s Teacher Commercial today? The commercial is not a representation of today's Information Age youth. The youth may be vomiting.

Update On A Past Blog

I Wasn't A Dumb Child After All and I Wasn't A Dumb Child After All. The two blogs were written on Apr 17, 2019 and Aug 3, 2013, respectively. The Apr 17, 2019 blog I realized my poor short-term memory falsely convinced me I was dumb. I learn. I forgot. I must be dumb.

The Aug 3, 2013 blog I blamed my parents because they were poor teachers. Let's be objective. Some people can't teach. Both my parents can't teach.

I wanted to learn. I wanted to succeed. I was motivated. Unfortunately, nobody taught me the skills to learn and to succeed in my childhood. I wanted to do well. I didn't learn flexibility. I didn't learn adaptability. I didn't learn frustration tolerance. I didn't learn problem solving. I worried too much. Nobody taught me to stop worrying too much.