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.

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.

Remember These Lessons From These Pics

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

The boyfriends and husbands help their girlfriends and wives approximately every 28 days. A Hong Kong automatic Mahjong table can play multiple Mahjong styles. Consumers compare prices between hardware stores and general retail stores like Target and Wal-Mart; in particular, Target should sell more garden goods. Costco sale on chicken thighs a first for me. A Chinese restaurant is last restaurant standing. Taylor Swift's music prime continues. Outdoor exercise during an autumn evening is cool. Humanity needs constant reminders morals always change and laws always change. Three life biology lessons not taught in high school biology: competition, selection, and reproduction or breeding. A bonus fourth life biology lesson: Nature can restore balance with famine, pestilence, and war.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog April 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. COVID-19 headlines disappeared; however, COVID-19 politics remained. A tiring Apr. Hope everyone gets extra rest in May.

Thur Apr 2. Earthquake at 1:41am. 4.6 magnitude centered at the Boulder Creek area in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Fri Apr 3. Shopped at Costco, Smart & Final, and Lucky.

Sun Apr 5. Shopped at Safeway in the morning.

Thur Apr 9. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) delayed publishing a report showing the COVID-19 vaccine decreased the chances of healthy people needing hospitalization for Winter 2025 by 50%. The reason for the delay was the methods to create the report.

Sun Apr 19. Shopped at Costco during the lunch hour.

Wed Apr 22. The CDC refused publishing a report showing the COVID-19 vaccine reduced the chances of hospitalizations. The vaccine reduced emergency visits by 50%. The CDC head and US National Institutes Of Health director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya stopped the publication in the CDC journal the Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report. The editorial staff rejected the research methods. The research methods have been used for other seasonal respiratory viruses such as the flu and RSV.

Thur Apr 23. Ran errands at Staples, The Home Depot, Bank Of America, Sports Basement, post office, and Lucky.

Sat Apr 25. Got gas at Chevron.

Sun Apr 26. Shopped at Costco during the lunch hour.

Tue Apr 28. Former senior advisor at the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases David Morens was indicted by a federal grand jury in early May 2026. Morens faced five counts charged with conspiracy, destruction of records in federal investigations, and concealment of records all related to the COVID-19 virus. Morens served as a senior advisor from 2006 to 2022 under Anthony Fauci. He and two co-conspirators were alleged to evade federal public laws.

Instant Bullets Blog Apr 27, 2026

*Jennifer Lopez. 56 year old New York City native Lopez said she's not going to get married again after four divorces and six engagements. She's choosing herself. The four husbands were Ben Affleck from 2022-2025, Marc Anthony from 2004-2014, Cris Judd from 2001-2003, and Ojani Noa from 1997-1998. The multiple engagements included Sean "Diddy" Combs, Alex Rodriguez, Casper Smart, and Drake. Four divorces suggest she's choosing herself for a long time.

*Endless Potential.

*2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina Condom Shortage. Signs were posted in Olympic Village stating, "Celebrate With A Condom." Officials waited for new shipments. Officials emphasized the program's public-health purpose. Sex for celebration. Sex to relive stress. Sex to cure boredom. Sex is a distraction. Young and horny Olympic athletes. One night stands with other athletes.

Condoms have been provided to Olympians since the 1988 Summer Olympics Seoul to raise awareness of sexually transmitted diseases at the height of the AIDS epidemic. 2024 Summer Olympics Paris distributed 300,000 condoms. 2016 Summer Olympics Rio De Janeiro distributed 450,000 condoms.

*gentrified: (of a formerly poor urban area) changed in character by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process. Having changed from a poor area to a richer one, by people of a richer social class moving to live there. A gentrified neighborhood has transformed from being a poor, working-class area to one where wealthier people live.

Gentrification is a process where increased investment in a neighborhood drives up property values and rents, displacing lower-income residents. Gentrification often increases the economic value of a neighborhood. It can be controversial due to changing demographic composition and potential displacement of incumbent residents. A poor neighborhood is shifted into a wealthy one; however, the people aren't becoming wealthier. The poorer people are being replaced with wealthier people, the previous residents remain poor, and forced out because they cannot afford the raised prices that the new residents have caused.

*precarious: a state of danger, instability, or insecurity, where something is likely to fall, collapse, or fail.

*Snowplow Parenting. The definition is parents remove obstacles, pain, and difficulties from their children's lives. The intent is increase the probability of success. An easy life without conflicts. Other terms include bulldozer parenting or lawnmower parenting.

*Vehicle Recall. Check car recalls for free at Check To Protect.

*supplicant: a person who humbly, earnestly, or submissively asks for something, usually from a person in authority, a deity, or a higher power. Synonyms: petitioner, applicant, suitor, beggar, or beseecher. Usage examples: kneeling in prayer, pleading for mercy, or requesting a favor.

*The Most Interesting Man In The World is back. And he still prefers Dos Equis. Watch on Instagram At Long Last, He's Back - Dos Equis (2026). Watch on YouTube At Long Last, He's Back - Dos Equis (2026).

*disavow: to formally deny responsibility for, connection with, or knowledge of something, often to distance oneself from it.

*allegory: a story, poem, book, or picture which can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, abstract idea, or moral principle. Parable; fable, apologue.

*Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Pumping Iron: The greatest feeling you can get in a gym or the most satisfying feeling you can get in a gym, is the pump. Let's say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles, and that's what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling like your skin is going to explode any minute. It's really tight. It's like somebody blowing air into your muscle. It just blows up and it feels different. It feels fantastic. It's as satisfying to me as coming is. You know, as having sex with a woman and coming. So can you believe how much I'm in heaven? I'm getting the feeling of coming in the gym. I'm getting the feeling of coming at home. I'm getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose out in front of 5,000 people, I get the same feeling. So, I'm coming day and night. I mean it's terrific, right? So, you know, I'm in heaven.

*Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray: Their relationship is a paradox. They don't want each other. They need each other.

*If in doubt, then edit it out.

*Vehicle Accident. Always file a claim to your auto insurance company when you're involved in a car accident with damage. Create an official record.

*90% of X is caused by 10% of Y. Apply the formula appropriately. Follow the patterns.

*If you can't sleep, then read a book. Choose an easy read such as a book you finished reading in the past.

*He is no longer a returning customer. She is no longer a returning customer. They are no longer returning customers.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog March 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. COVID-19 headlines are back. Record high temperatures 90 degrees and greater like the summer season from Mon Mar 16 to Fri Mar 20.

Tue Mar 3. Morning errands shopping at Costco and filling up gas at Chevron. Anyone wearing masks the chances they're Asians. I still wear my mask.

Wed Mar 4. Moderna settled a lawsuit for the COVID-19 patent. Modern pays up to $2.25 billion to Genevant and Arbutus. $960 million pay on Jul 2026. An additional $1.3 billion on a separate legal appeal. Moderna doesn't owe royalties for future vaccines. The Pfizer and BioNTech lawsuit is ongoing.

Thur Mar 5. Ran errand at Bank Of America. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Ate lunch at Chipotle.

Sun Mar 8. Ate dinner at China Lounge.

Wed Mar 11. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) suspended not recommending the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine temporarily. The plan is politically motivated. The Republicans fear losing the 2026 midterm elections.

Sat Mar 14. Ate lunch at Sushi Arashi.

Mon Mar 16. Shopped at Costco and Nob Hill first thing in the morning.

Wed Mar 18. The Science Advances Journal published a study the US death toll during the beginning of the pandemic was undercounted. The research estimated 155,000 died from COVID-19 were uncounted in 2020 and 2021. The undiagnosed dead more likely Hispanic and people of color. Also, the undiagnosed dead more likely in the South states and Southwest states.

The CDC said 1.2 million died from COVID-19 in the USA. 67% occurred in 2020 and 2021.

Thur Mar 19. NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness. I watched Howard vs. Michigan and Saint Louis vs Georgia both games in part.

Fri Mar 20. Watched the overtime between Santa Clara and Kentucky.

Sat Mar 21. Watched TCU vs Duke in part.

Tue Mar 24. A new BA.3.2 variant was detected according to a Mar 19 CDC report. There is no sign the variant causes a surge. The variant is spreading across multiple continents. BA.3.2 was first detected in South Africa on Nov 2024. BA.3.2 has mutated extensively with a 70% to 75% genetic changes in the spike protein.

Wed Mar 25. 23 countries reported the BA.3.2 variant as of Feb 11, 2026 according to the CDC. The variant changes between 70 and 75 in the gene sequence of its spike protein which helps enter the human cells. 25 US states reported the variant from wastewater samples. BA.3.2 increased starting in Sep 2025. The first US confirmation happened in Jun 2025. BA.3.2 may partially evade existing immunity or prior COVID-19 infection.

BA.3.2 is nicknamed Cicada.

The World Health Organization (WHO) listed BA.3.2 as a variant to be monitored. The XFG variant is the current dominate strain affecting 53% of cases. LF.7 is 10.3%.

Fri Mar 27. Shopped at Costco, Smart & Final, and Lucky.

Sun Mar 29. Shopped at Costco and Lucky.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog February 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. More measles news headlines. Less COVID-19 news headlines. 2026 Winter Olympics Milan Cortina, Epstein Files, and I.C.E. dominated the news headlines. Feb was the opposite of Jan. The month started fast which slowed down during the last two weeks. The Feb Shelter In-Place is the shortest blog.

Fri Feb 6. Shopped at Safeway, Smart & Final, and Lucky.

Sat Feb 7. Went to the West Valley Library book sale. Shopped at Costco.

Sun Feb 8. Super Bowl LX.

Tue Feb 10. Shopped at Lucky and Smart & Final.

Thur Feb 19. Ran errands at the post office, bank, and Safeway.

Bio N Tech filed a lawsuit suing Moderna for patent infringement. The lawsuit alleges Moderna's mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccine violated Bio N Tech's messenger RNA vaccine design. There is a 2022 ongoing lawsuit Moderna sued Bio N Tech and Pfizer for patent infringement over Comirnaty.

Sat Feb 21. Shopped at Mitsuwa.

Sun Feb 22. Shopped at Smart & Final first thing in the morning.

Fri Feb 27. The United States attacked Iran.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog January 2026

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The year started slow which sped up during the last week. My intuition told me the first days of 2026 few people were happy.

Fri Jan 2. Take out dinner at Blue Sky Restaurant.

Sat Jan 3. Night time shopping at Safeway.

Mon Jan 5. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) released a new schedule recommending the flu and COVID-19 vaccines administered after consulting a health care provider. Also, all children receive vaccines for 11 diseases instead of 18 diseases. Parents can get their children for all 18 diseases. Insurance covers the costs for all the vaccines shots.

The 11 vaccines are the following: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzal type B (Hib), HPV, and chicken pox. The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended based on clinical decision making.

Thur Jan 8. Shopped at Costco Business Center in the morning. Shopped at the Great Mall and Lucky in the afternoon.

Sat Jan 17. Picked up my car at S&K Auto Services for repairs.

Tue Jan 20. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States six years ago today. A man returned from Wuhan, China to Washington state.

A quick errand at the post office.

Thur Jan 22. The US withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO). The US was part of the WHO for 78 years. The withdrawal weakens global responses to new outbreaks. The WHO is the United Nations' health agency. It's mandated to coordinate responses to global health threats, technical assistance to poorer countries, help distribute vaccines, and set health guidelines.

The US was the biggest donor with millions of dollars and specialized health staff. The US pays $111 million a year in member dues on average and $570 million in voluntary contributions on average.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from WHO because of the COVID-19 global pandemic mishandle, no reforms, and the inability to be independent from political influence. Also, no Americans served as the chief executive. The WHO was created in 1948. The US owes the WHO $133 million in financial obligations.

Public health experts said the withdrawal hurt global health initiatives and research to identify new viral threats.

Tue Jan 27. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.

Wed Jan 28. The CDC reported people in the US lived longer because death rates returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Life expectancy continued to rise since 2022. The death rate dropped 4% between 2023 and 2024. Life expectancy increased six months to 79 years old.

The ten leading causes of death accounted for 70% of deaths in 2024. Heart disease and cancer were the top two totaling 600,000 people each. COVID-19 dropped out of the top ten. Regardless, tens of thousands die from COVID-19 yearly.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog December 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. December was the slowest month of the year. Too many national headlines and world headlines. All respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 were overshadowed. The rain fell during the Christmas holiday.

Mon Dec 1. Shopped at Microcenter for Cyber Monday and Stevens Creek Toyota for Black Friday pickup.

Fri Dec 5. Shopped at Lowe's. Also shopped at Under Armour and ASICS for Black Friday pickups.

Sat Dec 6. Vice President Of Public Health Advocacy at Northwell Health Sandra Lindsay became the first person in the US to receive the COVID-19 vaccine five years ago.

Mon Dec 8. Picked up a Cyber Monday order at CVS.

Tue Dec 9. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) investigate deaths related to the COVID-19 vaccine for all age groups. An early analysis examined 96 children deaths. 10 of the 96 deaths were linked to the vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 700 million doses administered in the US. Serious side effects are rare. The FDA requires death after vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) regardless of low probability the vaccine was the cause of death.

Thur Dec 11. Shopped at Sports Basement and World Market.

Fri Dec 12. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) released a study COVID-19 vaccines protect healthy children from severe illness. The vaccines reduced emergency room and urgent care visits due to COVID-19 by 76% for ages 9 months to 4 years and 56% for ages 5-17. 98,000 children were the total count in the study from Aug 2024 to Sep 2025. Immunity levels varied from previous COVID-19 infections and vaccinations. The study concentrated on added protection.

Shopped at Sports Basement. More people shopped today compared to yesterday.

The FDA proposes "black box" warnings on COVID-19 vaccines. The text includes warnings about the risks of death or reactions causing disabilities. The proposal is not finalized.

Thur Dec 18. Dentist appointment in the morning. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Ate lunch at Chipotle.

Tue Dec 23. Ran errands at O'Reilly Auto Parts, Bank Of America, and Illusive Comics And Games.

Tue Dec 30. I voted. Ate lunch at Panda Express.

Permanent Changes Due To COVID-19 Is Another Change Reference Point In Time

California Governor Gavin Newsom shut down California 2,107 days ago on Tue Mar 17, 2020. People reference many permanent changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 permanently changed *fill in the blank*. Schools. Colleges. Job searching. The hiring process. Work environment. Shopping. Contracts. Human relations. Governments. The financial system. Entertainment. Professional sports. Technology.

There are many historical reference points changing everything. The points I know are the following: the airplane, World War II, President Richard Nixon got the USA off the gold standard, the internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and COVID-19. There are more historical reference points changes coming soon.

A common knowledge is time changes everything--almost everything. The typical life is the same. A person is born. His or her parents raise their baby. Go to school. Graduate high school. Some graduate college or a trade school. Get a job. Get married. Raise a family. Retire. Death. Repeat. The circle of life.

However, the world changes. Humanitity changes. They are guaranteed. Generations change. Out with the old. In with the new. Let's hope future generations change for the better. Systems change. Processes change. Rules change. Opinions change. Time will tell the change is good or the change is bad. We connect the dots backwards. Forecasting or predicting is bullshit. The forecaster or predictor must sell with confidence to make it come true. Time is the ultimate judge.

A Second Look At 2024

It's the time I look back at my 2024 blogs to give myself feedback. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, correcting errant blogs, and sharing changes. The 14 blogs are also the 2024 best blogs.

1. Do You Really Care About Other People?
Date: Mon Jan 15
Summary: You must care about yourself to care for other people.
Feedback: There are multiple feedbacks on the blog post and on the Update On A Past Blog. The blog consisted of two paragraphs with wisdom. Boundaries is the one-word summary for the first paragraph. I remind myself boundaries from the blog I'm Tired Stepping Up Making Other People Feel Comfortable written on Mon Oct 13, 2025. Be fair. Stand up for yourself. Don't be taken advantage. Let the other party be angry.

I wrote "Don't sacrifice yourself to care for other people" is the other people don't necessarily pay you back or return the favor. Napoleon Hill said, "The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does." The statement is false. It's not aloofness does pay in the service industry. It's niceness doesn't pay in the service industry. There are exceptions such as five-star hotels.

Self-respect and self-esteem are required to care for other people.

I repeat my favorite wisdom for the second paragraph. "Motivation or desire is more important than knowledge. Further, a little knowledge is better than a lot of ignorance."

One of the Update On A Past Blog is the day I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The blog Connecting My Dots Backwards written on Oct 13, 2011 details the immediate changes. The first two sentences I wrote: I reiterate an action on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The action was "I forgave everything and everyone. . . ."

2. The San Francisco 49ers Third Super Bowl Lost Hurts The Most
Date: Tue Feb 13
Summary: I shared my opinion on the 49ers overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Feedback: The two sentences "I believe the 2024 Super Bowl hurts the most because head coach Kyle Shanahan did everything correct. He did it right." should be corrected to did almost everything correct and mostly did it right because I mentioned "Multiple reports stated some 49ers didn't know the new overtime playoff rules." Moreover, some sports journalists said a Shanahan weakness is he can't adapt and improvise when his game plan fails. Perhaps, the weakness explains Shanahan can't think ahead and anticipate multiple outcomes before the game and during the game.

I stand by my opinion as of today. Shanahan made the correct choice to receive the ball first in overtime. Go on offense, score a touchdown, and attempt the two-point conversion. There is no punting. The offense uses all four downs or all four chances to get first downs. Score eight points to win or lose the Super Bowl.

I reiterate to myself and to the readers. You can do everything correctly. The end result is a lost.

War of attrition. Chiefs won by attrition. No significant in-game injuries.

3. Throwback Blog: The Lesson To Be Successful Rarely Taught
Date: Wed Feb 28
Summary: The rarely taught lessons are timing, luck, opportunity, chance, learn from mistakes, and motivation or desire.
Feedback: Another factor to become successful is not taught in classes. The factor is nature. Natural talent. The powers to be granted something special to the person. I'm not a biologist. Natural selection must be considered.

Timing, luck, opportunity, chance, learn from mistakes, motivation or desire, and nature are factors to be successful.

4. Underachieve And Did Nothing About It
Date: Sun Mar 3
Summary: I dreamed I was an options trader laid off by Roseanne Barr.
Feedback: I wrote seven blogs sharing last night dreams. The blog represented one of the seven.

5. Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story
Date: Sat Mar 23
Summary: The YouTube comments told the truth on a homeless encampment Eviction day for Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment from KTVU Fox 2 News on Apr 10, 2023.
Feedback: The real news reporting is in the comments. The real journalism is from the comments acting as news reporters. There are some life lessons people can learn regardless of age. A favorite: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

6. Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology
Date: Fri Apr 19
Summary: I documented my Analytics Research Technology job training from Aug 2014 to Mar 2024.
Feedback: The post Analytics Research Technology learning started on Jul 15, 2024. JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Excel, Python, and WordPress. I read one book on Power Pivot from Jul 2024 to Sep 2024. Power Query was a drill reminder rereading selected chapters from Aug 2024 to Jul 2025. I cleaned my code for my webpage Innovate Infinitely after JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

The education is Python and Excel as of the blog post. Did I reach my maximum what I needed to learn and to know for a data analyst is a question for the remainder of 2025. I don't know what new skills to learn starting in 2026.

The WordPress deserves its own paragraph. I started in Jul 2024. I ended in Aug 2025. I used my previous web hosting provider to learn WordPress. The web hosting provider accused me of using too much bandwidth. I closed my account. I found a better web hosting provider. I lost interest learning WordPress. The new web hosting provider is one blessing in disguise. A second blessing in disguise is I cancelled copying my Innovating Common Knowledge blogs to a WordPress blog template for further learning. Google Search Console and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are part of the WordPress learning.

R, R-Studio, and VBA are dead. I see no job postings requiring these skills. Linux is unseen in 99% of job postings I'm qualified. Access is seen in 1% of job postings I'm qualified. Moreover, almost all job descriptions the latest and greatest knowledge in Excel is not required; although, almost all job descriptions imply Excel.

7. Crossing The Line To Become An Adult
Date: Tue Jun 4
Summary: I declared myself an adult.
Feedback: I reiterate to correct the blog and the Update On A Past Blog. Age 46 is incorrect. Age 45 is correct. I was 45 years old when I became an adult.

8. Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog July 2024
Date: Fri Aug 2
Summary: My COVID-19 blog for July 2024.
Feedback: One consistent Shelter In-Place COVID-19 blogs is the surges. The virus mutates; however, there's no second COVID-19 global pandemic. No shut downs. No restrictions. No partial restrictions. The vaccines must be working. Herd immunity protects people from COVID-19. Regardless, friends and relatives are still testing positive.

9. Blame Life For Too Much
Date: Wed Aug 14
Summary: There is too much to do with too little time.
Feedback: The title is true. I made a mistake on the content. The content is mostly bullshit. The individual blogs combined for the title blog should not be combined. The bottom line is blame life and blame the Information Age there is too much to do. Life and the Information Age don't increase the number 24 for the 24 hours per day.

10. Half Ass Doesn't Work Anymore
Date: Tue Oct 8
Summary: People can't half ass to become successful.
Feedback: I want to clarify sometimes half-ass is good enough. Half-ass work depends on the responsibility, the assignment, the request, the resources or support available, and timing. It's a judgment call. A lazy person doing everything half-ass is another conversation.

11. Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search
Date: Tue Oct 22
Summary: I recall a word search homework assignment in second grade.
Feedback: I want to reiterate the first grown up lesson. The first lesson applies to everything in life. School, college, workplace, helping friends, helping family, and personal projects. Need more information. Inadequate support. Short amount of time. Can't complete it. Fuck it. Stop doing the assignment.

I wrote ten blogs referencing my past childhood or past childhood in school. The blog represents one of the ten.

12. Throwback Blog: Throwback Blog: A Mixed Bag Of Everything
Date: Thur Oct 31
Summary: Moments from the year 2006.
Feedback: 2006 is the year I talked about the least when it comes to good years. I still agree with the sentence 14 months later. 2006 was a fake happy year. I need reminders 2006 was a fake good year. 2006 was the least good year.

13. The Perfect Error
Date: Wed Nov 6
Summary: I shared my thoughts and opinions on the 2024 US Presidential Elections Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
Feedback: I made a mistake. The title is incorrect. I'm incorrect saying Harris committed the perfect error. If Harris won, then she fulfilled the political miracle in the history of the United States Of America. A reason why Harris and the Democrats lost was no focus. The Democrats were too spread out. The Democrats were too diverse. The Democrats were too diluted.

I wrote the sentence, "Harris did her best to convince the American people to vote for her in 107 days." 107 Days is the title of her new book which reached number one in the New York Times Bestsellers list for nonfiction. I want Harris to name names who screwed up the Democratics and screwed up her political career.

Harris had little fault for her defeat. She was given one star ingredients to make a five star dinner.

14. My Problems Are Nothing
Date: Fri Dec 27
Summary: My life is happy because my problems are nothing.
Feedback: Another end of the day thought. My life is paradise. Shelter, food, sound mental capabilities, no physical injuries, mattress to sleep, minimal expenses, and internet. I'm not lost in the woods. No drugs or alcohol addictions. No video game addictions.

My problems are nothing relatively speaking. My life is not nothing relatively speaking. A person with nothing doesn't need money. A person with nothing doesn't need shelter, food, and the internet. He or she is nothing. Nothing. Period.

I wrote eight blogs referencing my long-term unemployment. The blog represents one of the eight.

The following blog is a honorable mention: The 10 Percent Physical Is Much Bigger With 90 Percent Mental.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog November 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. November continued the slow down. I was a little more happier again. Slow news for the COVID-19 events.

Sat Nov 1. Take out donuts at Dunkin. Shopped at Costco.

Tue Nov 4. I voted. Shopped at Target and Costco. Ran errands at the bank. Visited Gamers Heaven Bay Area.

Sat Nov 8. Watched Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions from the 11:00 in the 4th quarter.

Mon Nov 10. Shopped at Costco and Lucky. More Costco employees wore masks.

Tue Nov 11. Smog checked my car. Errands at Costco, Chevron, and Books, Inc. Ate a quick lunch at Starbird.

Sat Nov 15. West Valley Library book sale.

Wed Nov 19. Ran errands at Target and AAA.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog October 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The last two weeks of October slowed down. I was a little more happier.

Wed Oct 1. Shopped at Target and Costco.

Fri Oct 3. Shopped at Target and Stevens Creek Toyota.

Mon Oct 6. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) dropped the universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation. Patients age 6 months and older are recommended to discuss the benefits and risks with their doctor before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC said people under age 65 with underlying conditions benefit the most. People under age 65 with no increased risk for COVID-19 benefit the least. Many insurers cover the cost in 2025 and 2026.

85% of the US adult population received the primary vaccine. 23% of the US adult population received the latest booster. Patients don't need a prescription.

Pfizer and Moderna updated their vaccine for the LP.8.1 strain. The strain dominated the US population in early 2025. Novavax updated their vaccine for the JN.1. LP.8.1 accounted for 3% of the cases as of Sep 27, 2025. The XFG strain is the dominate strain affecting 85% of new cases.

Thur Oct 9. Fastest week while doing little productivity. It was the fastest week of 2025.

Fri Oct 10. President Donald Trump received the COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine at Walter Reed Medical Center. Trump received another physical exam. He received a physical exam in Apr 2025.

Mon Oct 13. Got my COVID-19 booster. First day of rain.

Shopped at Target and O'Reilly Auto.

Wed Oct 15. All 13 Bay Area Public Health Departments recommend the flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines. People age 6 months and older are recommended to get the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Infants, the elderly, and pregnant women should also get the RSV vaccine.

Sat Oct 18. Neighborhood dumpster day.

Tue Oct 21. Watched a 2025-2026 NBA season opener game. It was the Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers from the 8:00 in the third period to the end.

Thur Oct 23. The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University Of Florida published a preliminary research in Nature. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna can extend the lifespan for people with advanced lung or skin cancer while taking immunotherapy drugs. The vaccines improved the immune system to fight tumors.

Tue Oct 28. Shopped at Safeway.

Throwback Blog: Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog January 2023

Throwback Blog: Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog January 2023

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 Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog January 2023 written on Feb 1, 2023. Bay Area people remember the big rain storm in Jan 2023 causing widespread power outages. The tripledemic COVID-19, the flu, and the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) was weak. California ended the public health emergency on Feb 28, 2023. President Joe Biden ended the COVID-19 national emergency on May 11, 2023. The ending emergencies seemed they happened a long time ago.

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The COVID-19 winter surge tripledemic COVID-19, the flu and the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) was weaker than expected. Strong winter rains. Near freezing temperature lows. Jan started the year slowly.

Tue Jan 3. Went to the bank. Shopped at Smart & Final and Nike Outlet. More people wore masks and more people didn't wear masks.

The biggest rain storm in decades arrived in the Bay Area.

Wed Jan 4. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the omicron variant XBB.1.5 is the dominant and the most transmissible COVID-19 variant. There is no evidence XBB.1.5 made people sicker. The initial research concluded XBB.1.5 is more resistant to vaccines compared to XBB and XBB.1. Infection rates doubled every two weeks. XBB.1.5 was identified in 29 countries.

Thur Jan 5. 90% of people with long COVID-19 started with mild symptoms according to a study published in the American Medical Association. Long COVID-19 is defined as the continuation or development of symptoms three months after the initial infection. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive problems such as brain fog are common long COVID-19 symptoms. Women are twice as likely as men and four times as likely as children to develop long COVID-19. COVID-19 patients hospitalized increase their risk with long COVID-19 with longer lasting symptoms. Researchers don't know why some symptoms disappear, reappear, and new symptoms develop. Other symptoms include loss of smell, loss of taste, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and headaches. The initial evidence shows lower risk of long COVID-19 from omicron. Most people in the research were infected with deadlier variants.

Mon Jan 9. 89% of the residences in the Henan province in China tested positive with COVID-19. The province is the third most populated. Total infection 88.5 million. A possible reason for the spike is ineffective China vaccines compared to the effective US vaccines.

Tue Jan 10. Power outage started at 2:30am. The household listened to the news with the emergency radio. It was the first time the household turned on the emergency radio due to the weather. The emergency radio was used two times overall. Power was restored at 4:30pm.

Secretary Of Defense Lloyd Austin officially rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for the military. The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act required the mandate dismissal.

The Washington Post reported an international expert estimates 5,000 people die each day and 1,000,000 people die in China from COVID-19 for 2023. The Chinese government official stated 5,200 people died since the start of the pandemic.

Satellite images of certain China provinces showed cars and crowds at crematoriums and funeral homes.

Wed Jan 11. The US renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency to April 2023. The emergency protected public health insurance coverage for millions, provided hospitals with greater flexibility to respond to patient surges, and expanded telehealth. Hospitals lose flexibility deploying staff, adding beds, and caring patients during surges when the public health emergency ends. Millions are expected to lose health insurance under Medicaid.

President Joe Biden said the pandemic was over in Sep 2022.

Thur Jan 12. A hospital in Beijing in China reported half of its 2,000 staff tested positive for COVID-19. They all recovered taking traditional Chinese medicine. Pfizer's Paxlovid is in short supply. A local manufacturer is contracted to manufacture Paxlovid available in three to four months to the Chinese people.

Fri Jan 13. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) said a possible safety problem with Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Regardless, the CDC recommended people are updated with vaccines. It's possible people 65 and older increases their chances of a stroke.

Sat Jan 14. China reported 59,938 deaths from COVID-19 since Dec 2022. 5,503 deaths were due to respiratory failure and 54,435 deaths were due to COVID-19 plus other health ailments.

The CDC reported the tripledemic didn't happen. RSV and flu cases and hospitalizations declined in Dec 2022; although, some states experienced higher illnesses than other states. COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in Dec 2022. The RSV and flu mostly affected the children.

Mon Jan 16. Multiple celebrities tested positive for COVID-19 after the Golden Globes on Sun Jan 8, 2023. Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Jen Statsky were some of the celebrities. Experts said it was no surprise because many people gathered indoors and poor COVID-19 safety practices.

The CDC said weekly COVID-19 cases topped 400,000 for the last six weeks. Weekly deaths increased with 3,907 reported as of Jan 11, 2023. However, flu cases declined.

Wed Jan 18. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell tested positive for COVID-19. Mild symptoms. Powell is fully vaccinated and boosted up to date.

Thur Jan 19. I shopped at Target to purchase Bar Keepers Friend to clean sinks. I shopped at Smart & Final. I purchased the last pack of chicken.

Fri Jan 20. Shopped at Costco and Sports Basement. The cell phones and service booth was closed. The booth was covered with Costco services displays. Costco was dead inside at the 10am hour. I exchanged a Christmas gift at Sports Basement.

Wastewater samples show COVID-19, flu, and RSV rates declined in the Santa Clara County. Hospitalizations declined 30% from one month ago. COVID-19 hospitalizations were less severe because more people have antibodies and more vaccinated people.

Sat Jan 21. Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center For Disease Control And Prevention said 80% of the people in China is infected with COVID-19. Infections increased during the Lunar New Year. The government reported 60,000 people died from COVID-19 as of Jan 12, 2023.

Sun Jan 22. Watched Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers football game.

Mon Jan 23. Shopped at Smart & Final. There were lots of customers at 9:45am.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) assessed the COVID-19 vaccine administered as an annual one shot like the annual flu shot before the flu season. Two doses may be needed for the children, the elderly, or the immune compromised. The goal is improved vaccine coverage rates and simplify vaccine deployment. Currently, most people receive the original COVID-19 vaccine two times separated 3-4 weeks apart. A booster is administered three to four months later.

Wed Jan 25. The North Korea capital Pyongyang was locked down for five days due to an unspecified respiratory illness. Citizens measured their temperatures which are reported to a hospital by phone four times a day. North Korea declared the pandemic ended on Aug 2022.

Thur Jan 26. The FDA pulled AstraZeneca's Erusheld from the market because it's not effective against at least 90% of the COVID-19 subvariants in the US. Erusheld is ineffective against BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and the XBB subvariants.

The CDC said omicron XBB.1.5 accounts for 49% of new cases. XBB.1.5 is adaptable to evade antibodies which block infection. 93% of new cases are the BQ and XBB variants.

Sat Jan 28. Shopped at Costco. It was busy at 9:45am. I avoid parking in the area next to the gas station in the future. I was lucky I found an open space near the entrance.

Sun Jan 29. Watched the San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles football game. I also watched the Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs starting at the 2:00 in the second quarter football game.

Mon Jan 30. The WHO said COVID-19 remains a global health emergency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world transitions out of the emergency phase of the pandemic in 2023. Reduce hospitalizations. Minimize deaths. The health system manages COVID-19 in a sustainable way. At least 90% of the world population has some immunity to COVID-19. Tracking has declined detecting new variants difficult. Regardless, COVID-19 continues to kill. Resources must continue to research COVID-19.

President Joe Biden ends the COVID-19 national emergencies on May 11, 2023. The federal government roles are reduced for the COVID-19 pandemic response. The medically insured pay some out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments. The medically uninsured pay fully for COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.

Tue Jan 31. The following are anticipated changes for COVID-19 government policy when the US public health emergency ends on May 11, 2023:

*The FDA authorizes COVID-19 home testing kits, vaccines, boosters, and products for emergency use. However, insurers no longer are required to cover the costs for home testing kits. Vaccines and boosters are free because the government purchased them. Congress didn't fund future vaccine and booster purchases.
*Medicaid enrollment increase during the pandemic because states can't remove people during the public health emergency. States can remove ineligible people in Apr.
*Title 42 allows the federal government to deny people seeking asylum to prevent COVID-19 spreading inside the US borders. The end of the public health emergency may end Title 42.
*More patients use telehealth to communicate with their doctors on a smartphone or a computer. Patients under Medicare pay nothing because Medicare covers the service cost. Congress extends telehealth for Medicare to the end of 2024.
*State public health emergency varies state by state. California public health emergency ends Feb 28, 2023.
*Hospitals no longer receive an extra 20% financial compensation for treating COVID-19 patients on Medicare.

The House passed two bills to end the COVID-19 government public health emergency. The bills are the Pandemic Is Over Act and the Freedom For Health Care Workers Act. The freedom act ends the mandate federal health care workers must be vaccinated.

High School Campus Is A Teenage Day Care Center

I dreamed last night I was a student in high school. One class was like a Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) class. It was taught like a ROTC class. Most of the class material was ROTC. The instructor was like a ROTC who was a retired Marine officer.

The students and I were outside the classroom. The instructor told us to go inside the classroom which was like a mini gym. The ceilings were tall. The classroom was four times bigger than a standard classroom. The students were given a yellow piece of paper with questions. There were a few multiple choice questions. There were two fill in the blank. The rest were short answers.

My dream immediately fast forward to the instructor handing back the yellow piece of paper to the students. It turned out we were given a surprised test. All students did poorly. I scored a 73. The instructor punished the students by telling us to go outside and correct our mistakes. I woke up.

High School Is A Joke

My cynical thinking the ROTC like class was a waste of time. I thought back to my high school years. Many classes were a waste of time. Teenagers need to learn mathematics, learn reading, and learn writing. The deeper question is "How much depth do teenagers need to know US history, world history, geography, science, foreign language, and fine arts?" Parents are told by the government these classes must be taken to graduate with a high school diploma. US citizens should know the civil war, World War II, the capital of the USA, and water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. I reread a few literature books in high school as an adult such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane, and Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. Most of the books stank. Physical education was a joke. I don't know today's physical education curriculum.

My high school is a joke opinion may be weak. College bound high school students must take college requisites. I accept. Otherwise, my opinion has merit. Music, art, and cooking do nothing to get a good paying job in today's Information Age. Students who are lazy may have a point. They're bored. The high school standards and high school policies are a mismatch. I admit they're not perfect.

Start The Conversation

Education is passing knowledge to future generations. Any other definition is probably bullshit.

Update On A Past Blog

I add another lesson learned taking R.O.T.C. in high school. The blog is High School R.O.T.C. Leadership Lesson Another Viewpoint By Rank written on Oct 24, 2020. Here is the lesson on words.

*What is the one most important word? We.
*What are the two most important words? Thank you.
*What are the three most important words? If you please.
*What are the four most important words? What is your opinion?
*What are the five most important words? You did a good job.
*What are the six most important words? I admit I made a mistake.

Three Random Lists

Blogger's note: The three lists below were initially part of the Instant Bullets Blog Sep 10, 2025. The lists were too long to be their instant bullets. I separated the three lists as their own blog.

*A Person's Name Says More Than People Think. The following actors and actresses changed their names. Source: Who was/is forced to hide their ethnicity to make it in Hollywood? from Reddit.

*Margarita Carmen Cansino was Rita Hayworth. Half Irish and half Spanish.
*Helen Lydia Mironoff is Helen Mirren. Half English and half Russian.
*Ramon Antonio Gerald Estevez is Martin Sheen. Half Irish and half Spanish.
*Carlos Irwin Estevez is Charlie Sheen.
*Issur Herschelevitch Danielovitch was Kirk Douglas.
*Kemal Amen Kasem was Casey Kasem. Lebanese.
*Jameel Joseph Farah is Jamie Farr. Lebanese.
*Farrokh Bomi Bulsara was Freddie Mercury. Parsi.
*Krishna Pandit Bhanji is Ben Kingsley. Half English and half Indian.
*Chloe Michelle Wang is Chloe Bennet. Half Caucasian and half Chinese.
*Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff was Doris Day.
*Dino Paul Crocetti was Dean Martin.
*Natalie Zacharenko was Natalie Wood. Russian and Ukrainian descent.
*George Kyriacos Panayiotou is George Michael. Half English and half Greek.
*Jennifer Ellen Chan is Jennifer Tilly. Half Caucasian and half Chinese.
*Eric Marlon Bishop is Jamie Foxx.
*Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson was Merle Oberon. Welsh and Ceylonese descent. Ceylonese is now Sir Lankan.
*Jo Raquel Tejada was Raquel Welch. Bolivian.
*Linda Jean Cordova Carter is Lynda Carter. English, French, Irish, and Spanish descent.
*Catherine Bachman is Catherine Bach. Half German and half Mexican.

*What are some things younger gamers don't understand today? Source: Gamers 30+, what's something from "back in your day" that younger gamers today wouldn't understand from Reddit.

*Clean the wheels from the mouse's ball.
*Buy a game because of the box art and description.
*Demonstration discs in gaming magazines.
*No streamers and no internet to find game secrets.
*Blow air in cartridges.
*Wipe a CD on your shirt.
*Multiple floppy disks or multiple CDs to install a video game.
*Set the channel to channel 3 on a television set to play consoles.
*Change discs to continue playing a game.
*Read instruction manuals before playing the game.
*No patches.
*Character passwords to restore or to continue games.
*Need the manual to look up a password or answer a question to continue installing a game.
*Can't play online because parents expect a phone call.
*The GameShark and the Game Genie.
*Browse the video rental store to rent video games.
*Trip over a controller cord.
*Lose memory cards.
*Draw dungeon maps on graph paper.
*Load a game from cassettes.

*The BoardGameGeek Hall Of Fame. The following 25 games are the first inductees to the BoardGameGeek Hall Of Fame to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The hall of fame focuses on modern board games. Classic games such as Chess, Backgammon, Go, and traditional 52-card games are excluded. Source: The BoardGameGeek Hall Of Fame.

1. 1830: Railways & Robber Barons
2. 7 Wonders
3. Acquire
4. Agricola
5. Brass: Lancashire
6. Carcassonne
7. The Castles Of Burgundy
8. Catan
9. Caylus
10. Civilization
11. Concordia
12. Cosmic Encounter
13. Diplomacy
14. Dominion
15. El Grande
16. Magic: The Gathering
17. Pandemic
18. Power Grid
19. Ra
20. Race For The Galaxy
21. Terra Mystica
22. Through The Ages: A New Story Of Civilization
23. Ticket To Ride
24. Tigris & Euphrates
25. Twilight Struggle

Update On A Past Blog

The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart podcast interviewed Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Sep 25, 2025. Stewart admitted in the post-interview the podcast was a hard listen. The Democratic leadership is weak. YouTube video WANTED: Democratic Leadership with DNC Chair Ken Martin | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart.

The interview reminded me of the blog The Democrats Are Unhappy They Won written on Sep 8, 2025. I listed past major victories including Obamacare, DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, and more people earning higher incomes. I add the Democrats are on different pages. There are too many goals. The Democrats are too divided. The Democrats are too diluted. The Democrats are too spread out. The Democrats fail to maintain their victories at the minimum.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog September 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. There was no summer day 100 degrees or higher. Cooler summer. COVID-19 news was reported as non-top of the hour importance.

Mon Sep 1. President Donald Trump said, "Many people think they are a miracle that saved millions of lives. Others disagree! With [the Center Of Disease Control] (CDC) being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it now." Trump was between the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020 during his first term and the vaccine skepticism with the MAGA and Health And Human Secretary (HHS) Robert F Kennedy, Jr. Trump said Operation Warp Speed was a great achievement. Trump is supporting Kennedy's efforts to revamp vaccine policies.

Wed Sep 3. California, Oregon, and Washington announced an alliance to establish vaccine regulations for their states. The HHS said the three states' COVID-19 policies show distrust in public health agencies. HHS ensures policies are based on science and not on politics. Other states formulate their own policies and recommendations.

Sun Sep 7. 2,000 days ago since Tue Mar 17, 2020.

Mon Sep 8. Shopped at Safeway, Lowe's, and Costco. A few more customers and a few more employees wore masks.

A close family member tested positive for COVID-19 for the third time.

Tue Sep 9. The US death rate caused by COVID-19 was out of the top ten in 2024. The rate decreased from 750.5 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 722.0 per 100,000 people reported by the CDC and the National Center For Health Statistics. The three leading causes of death remained unchanged from 2023 to 2024. They were heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury.

The CA Public Health Department reported hospitalizations increased, deaths doubled, and wastewater levels were very high in the last 30 days. The state blamed vaccine confusion. For instance, nobody under the age of 65 can receive a booster. If the person under the age of 65 is considered high risk, then the person can receive the booster.

Thur Sep 11. Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and Minnesota are some states to expand COVID-19 vaccines. These states break away from the federal government health agencies guidance on the COVID-19 restrictions. Anyone age six months or older can receive a vaccine.

Fri Sep 12. Shopped at Costco. Ate dinner at In-N-Out.

Wed Sep 17. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance. The alliance announced vaccine recommendations against the CDC recommendations. All residents older than six months can receive a flu shot. All babies receive the RSV vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is available for children from six months to 23 months old; adults age 65 and older; everyone younger than age 65 with risk factors or in contact with at-risk people, pregnant women, and anyone who wants the vaccine.

Massachusetts is leading a bipartisan eight Northeast states to discuss coordinating vaccine recommendations. New Mexico pharmacists administer the COVID-19 vaccine based on state health department guidelines.

Thur Sep 18. JAMA Network Open published a study from nine teams of researchers. A universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation can save thousands of more lives compared to limiting the recommendation to high risk groups. High risk groups recommendation only reduce 90,000 hospitalizations and 7,000 deaths. All groups recommendation reduce 126,000 hospitalizations and 8,000 deaths.

Fri Sep 19. The CDC recommended the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone who wants the vaccine shot. Many major medical insurance companies cover the costs in 2025 and 2026. A doctor prescription is not required. States can disclose a list of at least six vaccine risks to patients.

Many CDC panelists are selected by Kennedy. The panelists question the vaccine's benefits. Regardless, the panelists allow people access to the vaccine. They should consult with their health care provider for which it's not a requirement.

Sat Sep 20. Ate lunch at Amakara. Shopped at Lowe's.

Thur Sep 25. Shopped at Costco.

The Democrats Are Unhappy They Won

Today's blog likely makes no sense to the reader. It's okay. I'm not a political scientist. I'm not an expert in government. I didn't take any classes on constitutional law. I write an unprofessional opinion on the US politics.

The Democrats won. The liberals won. The left side won. The victories happened decades ago. The best examples include The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, legal abortion maintained, fewer racial discrimination or greater equality or DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, LGBTQ+ rights acknowledged, and more people gaining wealth. More people earn incomes to live a comfortable life.

The victories were too victorious. The wins were too good. The Democrats are unhappy. The Democrats lost their motivation. Bring on the chaos by the Republicans. Bring on stirring the pot stew. Bring on the uncomfortability. Bring on the unprecedent firsts. Bring on the new laws. There are changes. President Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hiliary Clinton and the 2024 election against Kamala Harris; although, some people say the Democrats lost the 2016 election and lost the 2024 election instead of the Republicans winning. Perhaps, the Democrats took for granted they win the 2016 election and the 2024 election. I digress. Abortion is unprotective on a federal level. Tariffs are back. Obamacare is changed on the federal level. Illegal immigrants are being deported. DEI setbacks. Federal health policies are changing.

There is no impeachment against Trump during his second term as of today. I read past news articles a congressman or a congresswoman began the impeachment process. Nothing happened thereafter. There were rallies hosted by the Democrats to convince the US citizens to oppose President Trump and the Republicans. Nothing happened thereafter.

Winners are supposed to be happy. Losers are supposed to be unhappy. Losers can be happy by learning from their mistakes. Winners can be unhappy with an irrational reason. The Democrats are unhappy.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog August 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The federal government changed the policies for people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The number of positive cases continue to increase.

Tue Aug 5. The Secretary Of Health And Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. cancelled contracts and funding for vaccines being developed for respiratory viruses. 22 projects totaling $500 million for mRNA vaccines halted. Kennedy removed the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, fired the panel which recommends vaccines, and stopped vaccine endorsements. Pfizer and Moderna are two pharmaceutical companies affected by the cancelled contracts.

Kennedy is a critic of mRNA vaccines. He wants safer and broader vaccines which don't stop working when a virus mutates.

The COVID-19 variant XFG called Stratus was first detected in Jan 2025 in Southeast Asia. Stratus accounted for 14% of the cases in the USA as of late Jun 2025 according to the Center For Disease Control (CDC). The World Health Organization (WHO) added XFG to the watch list in late Jun. Low public health risk. There's no evidence XFG causes more severe sickness or different symptoms.

The CDC reported XFG accounted for 14% of positive cases, NB.1.8.1 43%, and LP.8.1 31% as of Jun 21.

Fri Aug 8. Shopped at Lucky's and Costco. Filled my car with gas at Chevron.

First day in 2025 daytime temperatures were in the 90s.

President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to delete COVID-19 vaccination statuses, prior mandate noncompliances, or exemption requests. Federal agencies are barred from using COVID-19 personal records for any employee related decision. The Trump administration removed pandemic mandates during the Biden administration.

Sat Aug 9. A shooter from Kennesaw, GA named Patrick Joeph White shot rounds at the CDC and a pharmacy. White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine made him depressed and suicidal. DeKalb County police officer David Ross was mortally wounded. White was fatally shot.

Thur Aug 14. Emergency room visits increased because more people tested positive. The XFG variant called Stratus is the most common strain. The significant symptom is a razor blade feeling sore throat. The WHO is monitoring Stratus. The WHO said the current vaccines protect against Stratus.

Sat Aug 16. Purchased a used outdoor garden storage bin in Sunnyvale, CA.

Tue Aug 19. The American Academy Of Pediatrics released an updated recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and young children. Children age 6 months to 23 months receive a vaccine. If these children are allergic to the ingredients or have allergies, then they shouldn't receive the vaccine. Children ages 2 years to 18 years receive the vaccine if they are high risk, residents of long-term care facilities, never been vaccinated, or live in a household with people at high risk for COVID-19.

The CDC recommendation for infants and young children is a discussion between their parents and their doctor. The guidance is called "shared clinical decision making." The prior recommendation was people aged six months and older receive the latest vaccine without third party advice.

Wed Aug 20. Shopping at Safeway, Books, Inc., and Costco.

Fri Aug 22. The American College Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. The CDC removed the recommendation for pregnant women and lactating women.

Sun Aug 24. Lunch at The Olive Garden. Shopped at the farmer's market at the Great Mall.

Wed Aug 27. The FDA updated the COVID-19 vaccine approvals for a limited group of people. Adults age 65 and older and people age 5 to 64 at risk with an underlying condition are approved for the vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is authorized for children age 6 months and older. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people age 5 years and older. The Novavax is authorized for people age 12 years and older. The parents must consult with their doctors before vaccination for people under age 18.

All emergency authorizations are rescinded. A FDA statement stated COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone with a doctor's consultation.

The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine targets LP.8.1 which is a JN.1 subvariant.

CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired by the Trump administration. Several senior CDC officials resigned afterwards. Health And Human Services deputy secretary Jim O'Neill is the acting CDC director.

Shopped at Target.

Thur Aug 28. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Ate lunch at Chipotle.

Sat Aug 30. Played tabletop games at the Guildhouse.

The FDA approved the 2025 updated COVID-19 vaccines for adults age 65 and older and younger people with underlying conditions. Anyone can get a vaccine shop after consulting with a doctor; however, access may be difficult. A doctor prescribes the vaccine as "off label." Off label is defined as a medical product used outside approvals or not FDA approved. The updated vaccines are available in the fall.

CVS Pharmacy administers the vaccines where legally permitted. CVS follows state-level pharmacy regulations. Pharmacists don't administer vaccines not recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices in some states. Walgreens also follow state regulations and FDA policy.

The CDC data reported 71.5% of shots were administered in pharmacies and 9.2% at clinics or health centers during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season. Also, 23% adults and 13% children reported getting the latest vaccine.

People under Medicare and Medicaid who meet FDA policy their vaccines are covered. It's unknown how private insurance companies cover vaccines for their clients. People can get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Sun Aug 31. Watched Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami (FL) Hurricanes from the two minute mark in the third quarter to the end of the game.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog July 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. A cool month literally speaking. Temperatures were cooler. Most of the month was calm and cool for me. Maybe, the month was too cool in a negative way. However, positive numbers increased.

Thur Jul 3. Shopped at Target and Safeway.

Sat Jul 5. Shopped at Safeway.

Mon Jul 7. US Health And Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., US Food And Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, National Institutes Of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and acting Director Of The US Center For Disease Control (CDC) Matthew Buzzelli are being sued for limiting access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The US medical associates, medical professionals, and scientists filed the lawsuit in US District Court in MA. The lawsuit stated Kennedy and the Trump administration acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" by changing the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations as unlawful. Kennedy said the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer recommended for pregnant people and healthy children on the CDC immunization schedule in May 2025.

Thur Jul 10. The Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the FDA for children at increased risk from age six months to 11 years. Spikevax was previously approved for emergency use for pediatrics.

Fri Jul 11. The CDC reported COVID-19 cases increased in 25 states. The states were mostly in the southeast, south, and west coast. The entire US activity was low based on wastewater samples. However, last week was very low activity.

The CDC analysis concluded the virus surges two times a year. The surges happen from Jul to Sep and from Dec to Feb of the next year. The spike protein which binds to human cells undergoes a genetic change during the surges.

Sat Jul 19. Attended a used book sale at the West Valley Library.

Tue Jul 22. Watched the overtime game between England and Italy in the Union Of European Football Associates UEFA Women's Euro Cup semifinal at the 96th minute.

Thur Jul 24. Kaiser Hospital and lunch at L&L Hawaiian BBQ.

Sun Jul 27. Visited the State Street Market food hall.

Wed Jul 30. Kaiser Hospital. Shopped at Lucky.