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 Outdated technology.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.

The Real Ramond Mar Correct Choice Is Still

The open choice continues today. The same choice real Raymond Mar is available. There's no change. I'm still a strong choice. Today's blog is an update on a past blog. I reflect past blogs on Raymond Mar from latest to earliest.

Update On A Past Blog

The statements against me dwindled from the The Real Raymond Mar Please Stand Up blog written on Dec 5, 2021. The real George Costanza is temporarily real. Nobody controls bad luck. I'm catching up narrowing the falling behind gap. I compensate my inherited weaknesses such as poor short-term memory and prone to hot temperatures. I'm reading faster. Recent successes are earned.

I Choose Raymond Mar Today written on Apr 9, 2020 is a yes 2,260 days later. The choice was a no beforehand.

Here's an update pic of me from the blog Raymond Mar 2015-2019 Looking Better written on Jan 5, 2020. I'm an example of a person who looks better aging.

The odds on favor are increasing. The payouts are higher. People who placed bets Bet On The Real Raymond Mar Coming Soon on Oct 4, 2014 being patient the long-term rewards pay off. I continue job searching, learning Python, reviewing Excel, working out physically, learning life skills, and completing housework. There's nothing to lose.

Wisdom I Shall Learn Tomorrow I Actually Learn Today

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

The following wisdoms I shall learn in the future. One month later. One year later. Two years later. Or three years later. I learn the wisdoms today. I'm wiser beyond my years. My regular readers shall read these blogs soon.

1. Selective Maintenance. We choose what we maintain ourselves. We decide how we maintain ourselves. There is no correct way. There is no incorrect way.

2. A Nothing Person Doesn't Need Permanent Indoor Residence. The person is a nobody. He or she doesn't need a house or an apartment. Live in a car. Live outdoors.

3. Highest Grades For A High School Education Is A Lie. Grade point averages are important for college applications. Otherwise, high school grades are nothing in real life. A high school student with a 4.0 grade point average is nothing in real life. College life is another league. The workplace is another league. High school education ill-prepares high school graduates for real life. Moreover, the value of a high school diploma has been decreasing for decades.

4. There Is Love And War Every Minute. Love is who we want to be. War is who we really are. A single person is at war with himself or herself if he or she is not in love.

5. Depressed? You Might As Well Clean The Residence. A zero cost temporary cure is cleaning. Cleaning is an example of staying busy.

6. More People Fall Down Through The Cracks. More people are going to be unsuccessful through no fault of their own. Blame the systems.

7. Lonely With A Purpose. More people are lonely by choice. Finding good people to become friends or to become lovers has been getting harder at any age and recent generations. These people take their chances being alone.

8. Innovate Infinitely Is A Lie. The people who question infinite innovation are correct. The innovation returns are diminished the innovation should stop. Incompetence is front and center.

9. Smart People Are Stressed Out Or Smarter Not To Be Stressed Out. Why are some smart people stressed out? These people may not be as smart as they think.

10. No Complaining When Arrived Early. The early bird didn't complain getting the worm first.

11. It Works Out Most Of The Time. The sun rises in the morning. The moon rises in the evening. Life finds a way to make it happen for better or for worse.

12. The Theory Money Buys Happiness. The theory is true. Money. Buys. Happiness. Anyone who disagrees needs a brain scan.

13. Dependent On The Miracle. More people are dependent on the miracle to become successful in today's Information Age. I'm concern most of the miracle successes the receiver screws up.

14. I Forgive Myself For Being Stupid. Better late than never. I forgive all my past stupidity my fault and somebody else's fault. First party, second party, and third parties are forgiven.

15. The Bad Is The Truth. Truths don't care about feelings.

Update On A Past Blog

The Pareto Principle is the 80/20 rule or 80:20 rule. The law of the vital few. The principle of factor sparsity. 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes for many outcomes. Economist Vilfredo Pareto wrote about the 80/20 teaching at the University of Lausanne in 1906. Pareto showed that approximately 80% of the land in the Kingdom Of Italy was owned by 20% of the population.

The Preto Principle reminded me of the blog Today I Want To Talk About The Numbers Greater Than Zero And Less Than Or Equal To One written on Jun 17, 2020. I said, "My life is better if I have 20% more good luck." I also said, "It's my intuition and it's my opinion the world is a better place for everyone when there are small changes." A 20% positive change can affect 80% of a person's life. The short summary is any percentage change can become bigger changes than anticipated. A 20% change is one numerical percentage change.

Top Ten Plus Seven Equals Top Seventeen Favorite Arcade Games

Playing video games in the arcade was a childhood moment. Playing arcade games on video game consoles was a childhood moment. The pure arcades are rare today. Computers, emulators, consoles, internet, and cell phones make playing classic arcade games accessible.

I was a below average arcade player. I can say I completed Blood Brothers and Area 51 in one coin without continuing. Moreover, Area 51 was the arcade game I played when I attended San Jose State University. Many of the seventeen arcade games relate to a life memory. Blood Brothers is number five. Area 51 is number two.

I recognize Ghost Squad as a favorite arcade game released in 2004. Ghost Squad was my first game I played at the Golfland weekend opening morning unlimited arcade game play. I'm one of the few players who prefer the shotgun. I also recognize Metal Slug 2 as a favorite arcade game released in 1998. The victory music at the end of every mission is great. Eri was my character.

Here are my top ten plus seven equals top seventeen favorite arcade games. These favorites are from my childhood to my young adult years attending San Jose State University.

17. Super Pac Man. I watched the game for the first timing confused when Pac Man became big he didn't chomp the ghosts. The first time I played I made it to level 3 without dying.

16. Super Mario Brothers. I played the game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I didn't play the game at the arcade. I include the game because I completed the game without warping and without getting additional lives at World 3-1.

15. Rygar. I dedicate number fifteen to Arthur who was a friend to my brother and I. He always died at the last level.

14. 1943. A high school friend and I always died at the last level. No continues allowed. All strategies were used such as changing from Auto to 3-Way. Unsuccessful.

13. X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I was terrible at fighting games. It was entertaining watching people play. I played the game on a modified Sega Saturn. Cammy and Chun-Li were my fighters.

12. Street Fighter 2. Another fighting game I was terrible. My cousin introduced the game to my brother and I.

11. Frogger. I played the game at Marie Callender's restaurant in sixth grade. I continued completing level after level after level attracting a crowd.

10. Raiden 2. Use the cluster bombs for defense.

9. Time Pilot. I was the only student in my fifth grade class who made it to World War II when my class took a lunch field trip to Chuck E. Cheese.

8. Time Crisis 2. The only arcade game I played at anime conventions decades ago even though Time Crisis 2 was released in 1997.

7. Ikari Warriors. The first video game I played with the 360 degree knob on top of the joystick to rotate the character to shoot in eight directions. One of two video games defined my youth at arcades.

6. Twin Cobra. If the helicopter could fly faster and fewer power ups required for full firepower, then the game is a top three favorite. I used the colors of the helicopters red and blue and the word cobra as nicknames in high school: red cobra and blue cobra. I remember playing the game at Great America amusement park with the background music Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison for the eighth grade graduation party.

5. Blood Brothers. I can win the game on one coin.

4. Midnight Resistance. Fire is the gun and nitro is the secondary weapon.

3. Cyberball 2072. The game is optimized for running plays. No passing plays.

2. Area 51. I mastered the video game in Fall Semester 1996 at San Jose State University. I admit I needed a partner; in particular, an art major I partnered multiple times. We never knew our names. We never talked afterwards. We never became friends. One game we thanked each other.

Honorable mentions: Aero Fighters 2, Dragon Spirit, Gauntlet, and Magic Sword.

1. Gauntlet 2. The second of the two video games defined my youth at arcades. The game was popular and was unpopular. The popular times the arcade set 1,000 health for one coin. The unpopular times the arcade set a multiplier when four coins were deposited at the same time for bonus health.

A 2026 Holiday Depressing Forecast

I forecast depression for the 2026 holiday. Forecast, predict, bet, prophecy, or fortune telling. Any future looking verb is valid. I blogged my 2025 holiday depression Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression on Jan 6, 2026. Some 2025 holiday depression experiences and moments are expected in the 2026 holiday. I played video games, read books, and watched movies as a distraction. I skipped meals. I kept my thoughts to myself. There was nobody strong enough to trust.

The forecast comes true for some people in the history of the holidays. Some people are fathoming today. Some people are preparing. Common knowledge is live the present. Worry about tomorrow on tomorrow. However, preparation is necessary to minimize the pain for a painful 2026 holiday.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog May 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. May was the fastest month of 2026. The COVID-19 headline was some people qualify for COVID-19 era IRS tax refunds which must be filed before Jul 10. Ebola outbreaks in the African countries Democratic Republic Of Congo and Uganda.

Tue May 5. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) blocked a publication supporting vaccine safety for COVID-19 and shingles. Scientists analyzed millions of patient records. The serious side effects were very rare. Vaccines saved millions of lives. The publication was blocked because the author's conclusions didn't support the data. The conclusions were flawed.

Thur May 7. Errands at Bank Of America, AAA, Microcenter, and Barnes & Noble.

The USA monitored US residents who traveled the MV Hondius cruise ship. Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia reported travelers aboard the ship. No symptoms shown. No cases documented.

Three people died, three suspected infections, and five other confirmed cases at the MV Hondius. The outbreak started at a birdwatching expedition from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Dutch Health Ministry officials said a flight attendant working with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was hospitalized and tested for Hantavirus. A Dutch woman died after contracting the Hantavirus being a passenger on the flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Amsterdam.

The Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus; in particular, the Andes virus strain can transmit human-to-human. The virus starts with flu-like symptoms including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhea, and vomiting. The virus can be severe. The virus can be a deadly respiratory infection. There is no vaccine. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) said the death rate is between 30% and 40%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said risk to the general public is low. There is no global outbreak. The incubation period is up to six weeks.

Wed May 13. CIA whistleblower James Erdman III testified at the Senate Homeland Security Committee. He said Dr. Anthony Fauci influenced intelligence about the origins of COVID-19 at a laboratory in China. There was a cover up. The virus leaking from a lab was downplayed. The intelligence focused on animals being the origin.

Fri May 15. Shopped at Lucky first thing in the morning. All the people who wore masks were Asians.

Sun May 17. Shopped at Costco. Nobody wore masks. I continued wearing my two masks.

Thur May 21. I watched part of the Paul McCartney interview to the end of the last The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Sun May 24. Shopped at Nob Hill.

Wed May 27. Thunderstorms with pea sized hail.

Sat May 30. Ate lunch at The Olive Garden.

Spoiler Alert If You Didn't Read Wonder

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

I drank sake for the first time. Children learn reality truth reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. There are children spending time outdoors running. Take care of indoor plants. Food inflation is real. Inflation affects banks closing branches. I say goodbye to an underwear.

New Sights And New Experiences

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

I was lucky I got a free bottle water using my intuition. New Mahjong sights a portable automatic table and English translation Japanese Riichi tiles. Another new sight was apartments and industrial buildings by the bay water. Also, I saw 116 minutes from the home dishwasher for the first time. All workers should read The Peter Principle to minimize incompetence and to maximize worker habits. The family ate at a new Chinese restaurant for the first time for which the inside included a big picture.

Family Dynamics

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

I played a popular classic board game for the first time solo. A Safeway deal is better than a Costco deal. A clean residence is proper maintenance. Families change for the worst--blame life. Replace wear and tear car parts is proper maintenance. There is enough marriage wisdom to avoid a clique marriage husband makes wife's dreams come true. Families must share family history to avoid the clique history always repeats itself. Only death, taxes, and health care costs never decreasing are certain. Physical injuries is not a valid reason to stop exercising.

End 2025 With New Wisdom And First Sights

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Governments primary responsibility is order. The same reasons for war in the past are valid in the present; moreover, peace is unstable. Another permanent signal light is installed. First time I saw a Japanese themed boba sell models. Appearances can be deceiving. Clipboards are a retail's best friend. Crayons and sports bottles can be recycled. Libraries services are underestimated. I corrected my mistake storing rice.