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.

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.

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.

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.

The Last Best Year 1999 Or 2007?

I'm an unprofessional anthropologist. I'm an unprofessional historian. I unprofessionally answer the question is either 1999 or 2007 the last best year? Here is a quick history of 1999 and 2007.

1999: NASA launched the Mars Polar Lander, President Bill Clinton was not convicted of impeachment, Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl, a hot air balloon circumnavigated planet Earth, Shakespeare In Love won Best Picture, the Melissa worm attacked the internet, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 10,000 and 11,000 for the first time, Kosovo War ended, Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, Napster was created, USA defeated China in the FIFA Women's World Cup, multiple earthquakes in Turkey, New York Yankees won the World Series, Exxon and Mobile merged, and Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned.

2007: iPhone debuted, Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, Virginia Tech shooting killed 32 students, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the USA House of Representatives, British Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned, Bob Barker retired as host of The Price Is Right, European heat wave, The Departed won Best Picture, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 13,000 and 14,000 for the first time, San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds became the all time home runs leader, Southern California wildfires destroyed 1,600 structures, Boston Red Sox won the World Series, and Writers Guild Of America went on strike.

A criteria for the last best year is the highest number of winners. Success is maximized. The winners and the success are measured on a global scale. The chances people become instant winners are high just by participating. People apply for jobs, interview for jobs, and hire for jobs. Colleges accept many students. There are plenty of acceptances to programs. Consumers purchase homes, cars, and long-term durable goods. Banks give loans to entrepreneurs.

More opportunities. More openings. High enrollments. There are plenty of pie slices for everyone. Spend here, invest there, and gamble or bet on the opportunity. Reduce savings to earn more money. Money is plentiful attributed to the central banks such as the Federal Reserve, Bank Of England, Bank Of Japan, Bank Of Canada, European Central Bank, People's Bank of China, and the World Bank.

The above happened in both 1999 and 2007. An economic catastrophe happened their following years. The dot-com bubble burst in 2000 resulted in a recession. The real estate bubble burst in 2008 resulted in The Great Recession. Maybe 2019 was the last best year. The COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 resulted in a recession and an inflation.

What is the last best year for the world? There are multiple answers and explanations because they depend on the perspectives.

Update On A Past Blog

I want to add two more bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings to the Top Ten Bad Advice, Bad Lessons, Or Bad Teachings blog written on Wed Feb 4, 2026. The first is calling out my parents. I connect the dots backwards as I age. I acquire more knowledge, more wisdom, and more experience. The three convince me my parents gave me bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings. Do they mean well for which they didn't want me to be a bad adult? Yes. Do they try to be the best parents they can be? No. I forgave them decades ago on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.

The second is learning Riichi or Japanese Mahjong. I quit learning Riichi in 2007. I'm lucky I relearned Riichi in 2009. The reasons I quit Riichi in 2007 were bad lessons and bad resources. The books I read were terrible. The online resources were confusing. Fortunately, there are more good books and better online resources today. I consider myself an advanced level Riichi player.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Lessons Schools Don't Teach

Schools teach ABC's and 123's. Schools teach 1+1=2, water is H2O, verbs, animals, and telling time. Schools don't teach manners, wisdom, and money. There is too much to learn. There is not enough school funds. There are not enough teachers. Parents must supplement their children's education. I wrote a blog FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too on Jul 30, 2009. I said, "Parents, find time to teach the soft skills schools don't teach."

There are multiple ways children can learn some lessons because we live in the Information Age; for example, YouTube. Parents must be aware some sources are wrong. Parents and children must use their best judgement they're getting accurate information.

Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen lessons schools don't teach:

13. Etiquette, Politeness, And Manners. It's unlikely teachers teach thank you, please, share, honesty, respect, more listening, and less talking. Teachers say them. Teachers don't teach them.

12. Financial Education. No person with a teaching credential knows the stock markets, interest rates, consumer price index, gold, cryptocurrency, and mortgage rates. Otherwise, the teacher works in another industry avoiding children five days a week.

11. Physical Fitness. Put the video game controller down. Turn off the phone. Get out. Move the knees and elbows. I include healthy eating for number 11.

10. Sex. The school districts policies teaching sex are a joke.

9. Depression. Welcome depression. Depression is okay. Do you feel better? If the answer is yes, then solve depression long-term. It's the deal.

8. Intuition. The late Steve Jobs said, "I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work."

Trust your gut feeling.

7. The World Is Not 100% Successful. Some dreams don't come true. Some people fail. Most things don't work out.

6. Don't Take Life For Granted. Self-explanatory.

5. Earn it. Success is not given on a silver platter.

Bonus: Time is the ultimate judge. Time will tell what you're doing in the present results in something good or something bad in the future.

4. Life Is Unfair. The first rule in Bill Gates' 11 Rules For Real Life is "Life is not fair - get used to it."

3. Bad Timing And Bad Luck. Timing and luck are factors to success and to failure. Most successful people never admit timing and luck are factors to their accomplishments. However, they're not the only factors themselves to be successful. Hard work, intelligence, repetition, and grit are factors, too.

2. Stop complaining about your crappy life. Life doesn't care about your problems. Too fat? Get physical. Eat healthy. Poor grades? Self-teach outside the textbook. No friends? Learn social skills. Get help.

1. Change. If you don't want to change, then life finds a way to change your life. You may not like life's choice for change.

Update On A Past Blog

I mention FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too written on Jul 30, 2009 for the second time. I started learning both the soft skills and the life skills in May 2015. I can't explain I consciously follow the lesson daily starting in Sep 2019.

I asked a question, "How do teachers teach failure is good?" in Reward Failure In Schools written on Nov 20, 2018. Did any professional educator find a way to teach students failure is good? Reward failure. Reward intelligent mistakes. The professional educator is a millionaire if the answer is yes.

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.

Highlight and Favorite 2024 Tweets On X

Here are my 15+5=20 highlight Tweets on X and 4 favorite Favorites Tweets on X in 2024. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Follow me @inin61. Enjoy!

Highlights

Jan 26: Just RT: Commentator Dave Ross shared his only collaboration with the late Charles Osgood on Apr 1992. The topic was Earth Day. They sang a song as world leaders. "There's a hole in the ozone . . . Link.

Jan 29: We work, when we come home, we work some more.

Feb 26: A life wisdom is never give up. A person is one away from success. . . Pic.

Feb 26: . . . On the other hand, sometimes giving up is the correct choice. Quit while ahead. Quit before crap happens. Pic.

Mar 23: You can bring a horse to the river. You can't make the horse drink.

Mar 30: @fermatslibrary, Newton's Laws 1st: An object at rest stays at rest an object in motion stays in motion. 2nd: Force = Mass×Acceleration. The more you push the faster you'll go. 3rd: For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. A rocket can lift off by expelling gas downward. Pic.

Apr 15: YouTube video brief explanation of black holes. Earth is the size of a grape. Sun is the size of an elephant. Distance between grape and elephant is four soccer fields. Black holes are stars at their end of life exploding as supernovas. Link.

Apr 15: Many black holes are smaller than a grain of sand. A singularity is something in the middle. A singularity is the mass. The black sphere around the singularity is the event horizon. Anything inside the event horizon turns into spaghetti noodles.

Apr 24: A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven. --Baron St. Fontanel, Sabrina (1954)

May 23: @espn, The NCAA and its leagues are moving forward with a multibillion-dollar settlement agreement that will allow schools to directly pay players for the first time in the history of college sports. Link.

Jun 20: Weaponized incompetence. Weaponized ignorance. The Office Of Strategic Service (OSS) was the US intelligence agency during WW2. The OSS published a sabotage manual in Jan 1944. Declassified in Feb 1963. Download the .pdf file Link.

Jun 20: Examples of office sabotage: 1 Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. 2 In making work assignments, always sign out the unimportant jobs first. See that the import jobs are assigned to inefficient

Jun 20: workers . . . . 3 Hold conferences when there is more, critical work to be done. 4 Spread disturbing rumors that sound like inside dope. 5 Be as irritable and quarrelsome as possible, without getting yourself into trouble.

Aug 10: @NBCSports, SPLASH AFTER SPLASH AFTER SPLASH AFTER SPLASH! Steph Curry couldn't miss in the final minutes! #ParisOlympics Link.

Sep 19: @Dodgers, HISTORY! SHOHEI OHTANI IS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE 50/50 CLUB. Link.

Sep 28: A Freakonomics podcast talked about multitasking. Almost all of us don't multitask. We prioritize. We switch attention between tasks. An air traffic controller is an example of a multitasker. Link.

Sep 30: @NBCSGiants, BREAKING: The Giants have parted ways with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi after six years and replaced him with franchise icon Buster Posey (via @PavlovicNBCS) Link.

Oct 08: I live near a laundromat. I exchanged two $1 bills for eight quarters. It took me decades to realize I could get quarters at a laundromat instead of buying something at a retail store.

Dec 04: A good lie is say "grandma's homemade secret recipe" or "grandpa's hearty secret recipe."

Dec 30: The excuses are justified.

Favorite Favorites

Feb 20: @SexWithEmily, Fun fact about condoms, they slip more frequently than they break! Use lube: counterintuitive though it may seem, it helps prevent the condom from "catching" on skin and coming off. Happy #NationalCondomWeek!

Apr 16: @Variety, #SNL star Heidi Gardner will "never be able to shake looking over my shoulder and seeing what I saw" during the "Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch that made her break. "I left the stage a little bit in shock. Then the anxiety set in and I was like, 'Oh my God, was that okay?' I had some friends in my dressing room, and they were like, 'Of course, it was okay.' So many other writers and cast members came up and said, 'Good job.' I’m like, 'What? I actually didn’t do my job' . . . It's really hard for me to give myself any sort of credit because I didn't do the job." Read more here: Link.

Aug 10: @NBCSAuthentic, Steph took his iconic celebration to the global stage after his dagger three against France Link.

Sep 23: @abc7newsbayarea, With the A's down to just three games left to play in Oakland, team owner John Fisher finally addressed and apologized on Monday for the team's departure from Oakland. Sports Director @LarryBeilABC7 gives his passionate reaction to the letter. Link.

Costco Oroweat Bread Is Not $7.49

My parents purchased a pack of Oroweat Country Style Buttermilk two loaves of bread at Costco to make stuffing for Thanksgiving Day. I ate a slice of bread. No jellies. No butter. No spreads. The slice tasted terrible compared to the past. Oroweat changed the recipe. Oroweat changed the baking process. Oroweat changed the packaging. No secondary plastic wrap. Either raise prices or lower costs. The answer is obvious. Lower costs. Keep retail prices as low as possible. Inferior ingredients. Inferior materials. Lower workmanship.

I share my experiences. Oreo cookies, spices, some fast food restaurants, fruits, Cheerios, and baked goods. Also, non-edible goods. Shaving gel, toothpaste, soap, clothes, batteries, medical services, and automobile parts.

Be suspicious of no price change since the COVID-19 global pandemic. Question why the price increase is lower than expected during the inflation. Some goods change for the worse. Some services change for the worse. Coke raise prices. The product is the same. People accept the higher Coke prices.

Oroweat made the business decision. Reduce quality to minimize retail price increase. Customers still buy the $7.49 bread at Costco.

There is inflation. There is shrinkflation. There is lower quality. There is lower quantity. There is a combination of any of these.

Past Lesson Blogs

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

Update On A Past Blog

Here are 31 blogs with the word "lesson" in the blog title sorted by date in descending order from Dec 31, 2024 and earlier. Choose any blog to review and/or to relearn past lessons.

1. Grown Up Lessons In Second Grade Completing A Word Search written on Oct 22, 2024. Some assignments can't be completed for whatever reasons. People do cheat. And don't take everything seriously.

2. Reading Books Reinforce Centuries Life Lessons written on May 7, 2024. A pic blog from books Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw, Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, All The President's Men by Carl Berstein and Bob Woodward, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Humans deserve kindness. A person realizes life becomes a joke the longer he or she lives. 99.9% of young people are not going to change the world. The word "rat" can be used in joke, metaphors, and anecdotes. Always verify. Give it time; for instance, it was inevitable Richard Nixon resigned. Every human being has at least one redeeming quality.

3. Throwback Blog: The Lesson To Be Successful Rarely Taught written on Feb 28, 2024. I repost timing, luck, opportunity, and chance blog from Sep 12, 2018.

4. A Lesson From The Rich People written on Jun 27, 2023. Understand the true meaning of work more and play less.

5. Life Lessons And Reminders written on May 21, 2022. A pic blog which includes two pages from the book Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. Remember standard procedures. Narratives can change in minutes.

6. Three Grown-Up Lessons I Didn't Learn When I Was A Child written on Apr 17, 2022. The first lesson is nobody is perfect. The second lesson is actors and actresses don't make one movie and one television show for their entire careers. The third lesson is families change.

7. High School R.O.T.C. Leadership Lesson Another Viewpoint By Rank written on Oct 24, 2020. I rank the leadership attributes and leadership skills by importance.

8. Top Ten Lessons I Learned The Hard Way written on Jun 23, 2019. Never stop meeting new people is number one. Don't take life for granted is number three. Grow up is number four. Earn it is number six. Take care of your body inside and outside equally is number eight. Timing and luck are factors is number ten. These are my favorites.

9. The Lesson To Be Successful Rarely Taught written on Sep 12, 2018. If I can teach timing, luck, opportunity, and chance, then I'm a millionaire.

10. Another Lesson From Never Stop Growing Up Regardless When It Started written on Sep 5, 2018. People come and go in our lives. One reason is we change. People naturally grow apart.

11. Relevant Life Lessons And Trends written on May 23, 2018. Another pic blog. Active parents raise active children.

12. Throwback Blog: Top Ten Life Lessons From The Beatles written on Oct 30, 2017. I repost the Beatles blog from Jul 1, 2015.

13. Never Stop Learning Lesson Emphasized Because One Of The Shermans Past Away written on May 5, 2017. A lesson I repeat. Never stop learning. Innovate infinitely.

14. Top Ten Life Lessons I Learned Watching Sports written on Nov 5, 2016. Support, good coaching, consistency, be professional, and a strong core are some of the lessons.

15. A Lesson From My Bad Years written on Nov 1, 2016. I share a lesson from my bad years in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2014.

16. Life Lessons Learned Playing Mahjong Riichi written on Mar 18, 2016. Skip all the lessons except the last lesson which is luck is part of the game. I'm an advanced mahjong player. My luck is terrible.

17. Life Lessons From Space Brothers written on Aug 17, 2015. My number two all-time favorite anime series. The lessons are part of my Inspiration Cheer Up life wisdom.

18. Top Ten Life Lessons From The Beatles written on Jul 1, 2015. Ten Beatles song titles are life lessons: Let It Be, Get Back, I've Got A Feeling, The Long And Winding Road, We Can Work It Out, Carry That Weight, Something, Here Comes The Sun, You're Going to Lose That Girl, and Getting Better.

19. Top Ten Lessons I Learned Working At My Last Job written on Nov 16, 2014. I worked at a retail startup selling wine. Shipping and receiving require training. There is no such thing as 100% customer service.

20. Top Ten Lessons I Learned Incorrectly written on Jul 28, 2014. I'm happy I corrected these lessons. They're no longer part of my life.

21. Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me written on May 2, 2013. Parents raising children existed for centuries. Parents raising children exist in today's modern world. Unfortunately, some parents make the same mistakes my parents made when they raised me.

New parents remember some of these lessons from my top ten: communicate with your children, don't take life for granted, be mature, learn how to cook, read, and don't ignore problems hoping they disappear.

22. A Life Lesson I Learned Gangnam Style written on Aug 29, 2012. Ignore the lesson. I communicated incorrectly.

23. Lessons From My Office Space written on Jun 17, 2012. The first mistake was I didn't talk and socialize with my co-workers. The second mistake was I didn't realize people supported me in my second company. I believed I was lonely. I believed I was on my own. I had to be strong. I was a coward.

24. Life Lessons I Learned From Alex Smith written on Feb 15, 2012. The fifth lesson summarized Alex Smith's NFL career. Smith experienced bad luck and bad timing. I add a seventh lesson which is grit. Continue grinding. There was no reason to quit.

25. Another Lesson I Learned From My Grandparents written on Oct 15, 2010. My grandparents failed to meet new people and make new friends. People come and go. It's important to be surrounded with people. Make sure the people are good.

26. Derek Paravicini Teaches A Lesson On Life written on Apr 2, 2010. Begin in a friendly way.

27. A Lesson Learned Tonight written on Feb 2, 2010. There are no guarantees in life.

28. A Lesson From The Ants written on Dec 19, 2009. Don't make the same mistake twice.

29. A Lesson On Life Yesterday written on May 5, 2007. It was a reality check. Times have changed in the workplace from my parent's generation and the years before the Great Recession. Workers were on their own to solve problems. Everyone was too busy.

30. One Lesson Of Life Cosplaying written on Aug 28, 2006. The one lesson was don't rush. Take it slow. I add a second lesson of life cosplaying worth repeating is never stop meeting new people.

31. $100.00 Lesson written on Jan 24, 2006. Read the expiration dates for all rebates.

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.

The Price Of Maintenance Increases

The week of Mon Sep 8, 2025 was catching up. There were no physical workouts due to fatigue and a minor injury to my left Achillies heel. Circumstances favored me for which there was no weekly household cleaning. I felt good I caught up with most of my backlogged responsibilities and projects.

The week of Mon Sep 8, 2025 inspired today's blog. Prices are increasing to maintain our lives. The price is not necessarily monetary; however, in today's inflationary economy, all goods and services for maintenance increases. Time is another price increase. More time is required to maintain our lives. If a person has too many priority responsibilities to complete, then the price the person pays is less sleep.

Bare necessities for body maintenance such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and aspirin. Prices increase. Shoes, socks, shirts, shorts and supplemental equipment for physical workouts. Prices increase. Human body services such as medical, dental, and gym membership for those who need gym equipment. Prices increase. Engine oil, tires, windshield wipers, and wax. Prices increase. Utilities, light bulbs, batteries, furnace air filters, and cleaning supplies for residence cleaning. Prices increase. Further, more time is required to complete everything above. And learning new job skills to maintain careers. Prices and time increase.

Cut The Distractions

I admit I'm distracted in today's Information Age. There is a song stuck in my head. I must play the song on my computer. I look up information on Google or on YouTube. Unimportant information catches my attention. I click on the website or I watch the video. There is a breaking news headline. I read the news article. Time wasted. The distractions increase the price of maintenance.

Update On A Past Blog

Here are two blogs on maintenance. The first is Car Maintenance Is Expensive written on Mar 26, 2025. I wrote interior maintenance and exterior maintenance are important. The ultimate price for non-maintenance anything is chaos.

The second is Maintenance Is Important As Innovating Infinitely written on Nov 6, 2016. I repeat what I wrote from the Car Maintenance Is Expensive's Update On A Past Blog: "I shared some of my life maintenances including a clean household, job training, physical fitness, and keeping myself clean and groomed. I admit maintenance can be boring; however, my life is in chaos without maintenance."

I also update Normal Adolescents At Chipotle blog written on Dec 9, 2023. The blog was mature junior high school students socializing at a Chipotle restaurant. I overheard a conversation between three ladies at the gym earlier tonight. Two of the three ladies are high school students. The third is probably college. I'm bad at guessing people's ages. The three of them organize a breakfast meetup at their local cafe on Sat at 9:30am. 9:30am in the morning--on a Sat weekend. My initial thought was high school students sleep-in on Sat mornings. The two high school students are mature and responsible.

Throwback Blog: Follow The Money

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 Follow The Money written on Sep 19, 2019. A person choosing a career can follow the money to find the popular careers today. The popular careers don't necessarily mean a high paying career. Anyone can make six digits or seven digits being a salesperson. Two letters are needed to update the blog in today's Information Age. The two letters are A and I--AI or Artificial Intelligence. A salesperson doesn't need specialized skills, knowledge, education, and experience.

I digress. Companies pay big salaries to people who meet the challenges of complex skills, knowledge, education, and experience in their industries.

I add the education system is the same: four years high school, two years associate's degree, four years bachelor's degree, and additional two years or four years for advanced degrees.

Deep Throat from the movie All The President's Men told Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to follow the money trail to solve the Watergate scandal. The follow the money thinking applies to careers.

Many of today's career challenges are skills, knowledge, education, and experience. We live in the information age. More careers require advance skills, technical training, indefinite education or self-training, longer hours, and more experience. More industries are complex, complicated, and difficult. Reference materials, books, notes, YouTube, and Google are required to research, to look up information, and to refresh our skills. Companies pay high salaries to workers who are strong, gritty, intelligent, motivated, and devoted to long hours. Companies pay high salaries to workers with highly demanded experience, best trained, and strong skills.

Some of the most common industries with high salaries include engineers, programmers, medical, scientists, and business. The five industries are changing rapidly. The best way to monitor the changes is job searching. Job postings inform the latest skills and experience. Job postings are up-to-date compared to college career centers and career counselors. Follow the money to learn the education, skills, and experience required in today's evolving industries.

There are some industries salaries have stayed the same. The reason salaries have stayed the same is because nothing changed. The skills are mostly the same yesterday and today. No technical training or little technical training is required. There is no need for additional education. The hours are the same. Little past experience is necessary. Almost all retail jobs the pay is low. Retail jobs haven't evolved. Post office, waiting tables, cleaning, and bus drivers their pay is low.

College Majors Lower Chances For High Salaries

I don't know how students majoring in humanities, fine-arts, art, music, education, and social science earn high salaries. However, these students can think of ideas earning additional income related to their majors. Podcasting? YouTube? Streaming? Blogging? Write books? Earn an advanced degree? Double major selecting a second major in a technical field or a business field? Generations ago college students can make a living in any major. Today's generation the high salaries goes to people with the latest and greatest skills and experience--the latest and greatest everything.

The workforce is not dumb. The industries are hard.

Update On A Past Blog

I forgot to mention to do something, anything new for which I'm uncomfortable in Get Back To The Basics When In A Jam on Sep 11, 2019. My life is moving forward too slow. It's time to take action. The best way is go back to the past when my life moved forward faster. I'm uncomfortable safely. I'm uncomfortable intelligently.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Random Historical Events I Wanted To Be Present

I randomly thought of ten plus three equals thirteen historical events I wanted to be present. I use a time machine to go back to the past. I could be present at the event or I could be present at a memorial location such as at a college student union, at work, at home watching TV, or vacationing. No changes in my body inside and outside. All knowledge remains with me.

13. San Diego Comic-Con 1998 (Aug 13-16, 1998). Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi made her first US appearance.

12. Governor Bill Clinton Visits San Jose State University (Fall Semester 1992). I was stupid. I went home during a presidential campaign rally. It could have been a lifelong memory participating in US history. Number 11 is a do-over. I blogged my mistake The 1992 Presidential Election Bill Clinton At San Jose State University on Oct 28, 2021.

11. President Richard Nixon Resigns (Aug 8, 1974). Nixon is the only US president to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon. The Watergate scandal was the reason for the resignation. Five men broke in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office building during the 1972 presidential election.

10. Star Wars VI: The Return Of The Jedi Opening Night (May 25, 1983). The third movie in the original Star Wars trilogy. Self-explanatory.

9. Korean Armistice Agreement In Panmunjom (Jul 27, 1953). The Korean War ended. A 4 kilometer or 2.5 mile wide demilitarized zone was established to separate North Korea and South Korea.

8. Japan Surrenders To The United States In World War II (Sep 2, 1945). The surrender was held on the USS Missouri. Japanese officials signed the Japanese Instrument Of Surrender.

7. The Dot-Com Stock Market Crash And Dot-Com Bubble Burst (Mar 2000). I worked in commercial real estate during the dot-com era. A senior executive broker told me a financial analyst on a radio told his listeners to sell everything when the NASDAQ closed at 5,048.62. A staff co-worker told me to "load up on Cisco" in 1999. The staff co-worker was correct. I could have made a fortune buying Cisco in 1999 and selling Cisco in 2000.

Number 7 is not necessarily a do-over; however, I could say I go back to 1997 when the stock market hit records numbers. I could have purchased stocks in 1997 and sold in 2000.

6. The Berlin Wall Fell (Nov 9, 1989). The Peaceful Revolution happened which led to the wall destruction and the fall of communism in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Germany was reunified in Oct 1990.

5. Michael Jordan Wins His 6th NBA Championship (Jun 14, 1998). Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won a second three-peat NBA Finals Championship during the 1997-1998 NBA season.

4. The Catch. Joe Montana Game-Winning Touchdown To Dwight Clark (Jan 10, 1982). The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 at Candlestick Park at the 1981 NFC Championship Game during the 1981-1982 NFL season. The Catch symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination and the start of the 49ers' domination in the 1980s.

The 49ers defeated the AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI.

3. Michael Jackson The Dangerous Tour in Bucharest, Romania (Oct 1, 1992). The concert took place at Bucharest National Stadium. 90,000 in attendance at the sold-out stadium.

2. The Beatles 1965 Tour in New York, New York (Aug 15, 1965). The concert at Shea Stadium was the first musical band at a major stadium concert in musical history.

1. Steve Jobs Debuts iPhone (Jan 9, 2007). A phone, a musical player, and internet access in one.

The Amazon eCommerce Is A Factor For Small Businesses Demise

I went to a local bookstore to purchase a book for a graduation present. The book was not in stock. The book is a New York Times Bestseller in the triple digits weeks on the list. I needed to special order. The wait time was one week.

The one week wait was a small deal because I shopped early before the graduation date. On the other hand, if I needed the book immediately, then I shopped at Barnes & Noble. The local bookstore lost a sale and lost a customer due to lack of inventory.

No Benefit Of The Doubt

Today's blog I call out the ownership and management of small businesses. The big box stores and the big eCommerce retailers attract many customers due to lower prices, greater inventory, and fast shipping. No excuses for the small businesses. Any businesses struggling is ownership and management fault. Any businesses in bankruptcy ownership made bad choices. There are exceptions. Small businesses can't control the market. Small businesses can't control the economy.

I want to support small businesses. Small businesses keep cities alive. If ownership and management practice competence, then customers continue utilizing small businesses goods and services.

The Cabin Air Filter Continued

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

Finish posting the clogged cabin air filter from my car pics. I remember a family ornament gifted from a neighbors couple decades ago. Walked inside a Christmas maze and topside a pirate ship for the first time. I reference the different types of work gloves. I use a staple removal tool the shape of a pen. I saw a dog park for which no leashes on dogs for the first time.

First Time Observation Pics To Remember

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

$9.88 for gas. I saw a fire insurance company fulfilling their obligations. Japanese Miffy bunnies and gashapons. Automotive maintenance pics to remember. There are many Star Wars novels. I got sick in Jul 2024 which was not COVID-19. A falling down pic to remember.

My Bigger Picture Of Nothing

If anyone asks me at a dinner table why I'm quiet, then I reply, "Don't mind me. I'm boring." There is truth. I'm boring. I'm nothing. I'm the George Costanza in my family. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. I do nothing. An anticipated question is what I do with money. Where is my income? Do I have any job? No money is needed to do nothing. An honest answer. Look at my picture. I cook for the household. I clean for the household. I workout four days a week. I job train and I job search five days a week. I watch movies. I read books. I write blogs. Nobody cares. Planet Earth doesn't care.

Property Taxes Change Priorities

Everyone who owns property pays their property taxes. Property taxes pay for county services such as sheriff, fire, ambulance, libraries, schools, parks, roads, and social services. Money must be earned to pay property taxes. There is no fun paying property taxes. All leisure activities, jokes, and discretionary expenses are secondary. Responsibilities are taken seriously. Furthermore, all children who say their parents or guardians being homeowners are boring should be taught property taxes.

The county places a property tax lien on property owners who don’t pay their property taxes. A tax lien is a lien to secure payment for back taxes. A lien is a law term meaning a right to keep possession of the property which belongs to another owner being in debt. If a tax lien is unsatisfied at a future time, then the county auctions the property as a tax default property which includes the land and the house. The winner bidder pays for the winning auction price and the tax lien or back taxes.

Paying insurance is another action which changes priorities. Everyone knows auto, home, life, medical, rental, dental, optical, and personal property.

Update On A Past Blog

Paying property taxes and insurance is a good reminder for the blog The Minimums To Live written on Dec 14, 2023. I wrote food, shelter, and clothing are the minimums. One can say food, shelter, and internet are the minimums. Shelter implies a bed, bare necessities, medications, utilities, and clothes. Internet implies a cell phone. The minimums are paradise at the end of the day.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog March 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Five years ago the world shut down. The media reported the five year anniversary with minimal headline coverage. The COVID-19 Mar 2025 blog is the shortest blog. Another slow month from the first day to the last day.

Wed Mar 12. Shopped at Costco and O'Reilly. Got gas at Chevron.

Sun Mar 16. Five years ago to the day it was the last day before CA shut down due to the global pandemic.

Mon Mar 17. Five years ago to the day CA shut down due to the global pandemic. It was 1,826 days ago. Lives changed forever.

Wed Mar 19. Ran errands at the post office and Costco.

Tue Mar 25. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) took back $11.4 billion in funds for COVID-19. The funds were supposed to fund state health departments, community health departments, nongovernment organizations, and international organizations. The Department Of Health And Human Services said the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The $11.4 billion is transferred to President Donald Trump's Make America Healthy Again.

The federal public health emergency ended May 11, 2023. 1.2 million people died in the United States from COVID-19. Hundreds of people die every week from COVID-19. Long COVID-19 symptoms continue.

Fri Mar 28. Shopped at Safeway first thing in the morning.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote my first shelter in-place blog Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog 1 written on Jun 2, 2020. All shelter in-place blogs thereafter are monthly blogs.