Showing posts with label Moving Forward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moving Forward. Show all posts

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Top Ten Plus Fifteen Equals Top Twenty Five Moment Inspired Blogs

I wrote these 25 blogs inspired from moments.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, July 05, 2026

Sunday July 5, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

Monday, June 08, 2026

A 2026 Holiday Depressing Forecast

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

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

Friday, May 08, 2026

I Forgot The Pic On Apr 20, 2025

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

The gratuity debate continues indefinitely. Eye protection is important. I forgot the SD card broke pic for Apr 20, 2025. Life moves forward in heaven and in hell. People need to sleep more. Teamwork overrated? Smart phones at the restaurant table in 2014 and present. Coke is back at Costco. Support Pokemon books at the library.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Begin The Divergent

I speak from personal experience. I follow the top four North American professional sports baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. The four diverged years ago. Football and basketball are higher priority. Baseball and hockey are lower priority. I believe my sports divergence and other sports fans divergence started at the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Divergence happens. Divergence can be good. Divergence can be bad. Divergence can be happy. Divergence can be sad. Divergence is present. Divergence is change. Divergence is life. There are forks on the road. Which path does the person choose? A or B. Or C. Or D. Workplace, careers, all relationships, hobbies, and opinions are examples. In particular, marriages. I'm not a marriage counselor. Some marriages end in divorce because the marriage diverges. The marriage changes naturally or intentionally for the worse at nobody's fault. The couple grows apart naturally.

Out with the old. In with the new. Close a chapter. Open a new chapter. The garbage collector arrives to pick up the garbage.

Monday, March 30, 2026

2025 Year In Review

The five nominations and their explanations for the moment of the year.

1. December 2025 Depression. A depression caused by the Christmas holiday beyond my control and self-imposed. Life lessons learned. New experiences acquired. I blogged Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression on Jan 6, 2026. Eat well. Sleep well. Stay busy. There's no excuse to be a jerk. Keep going. Move forward.

2. New Webhost Provider. My previous webhosting provider falsely accused me of using too much bandwidth. I found a new provider. I include rewriting my webpage code.

3. Physical Fitness. I combined all the positive and negative physical fitness. The positives were I jogged 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles for the first time. I jogged wearing Hoka shoes for the first time. The Hoka was Bondi 9. I wore a running cap and arm sleeves for the first time.

The negatives were bicep tendonitis and tricep tendonitis on my left arm. The tricep tendonitis is cured. The bicep tendonitis is present. I treat with massages and stretches. My strength training is modified. I wear a left elbow sleeve to maintain my left arm downwards while jogging.

4. Portal 2. The video game nomination for 2025. Is Portal 2 the greatest video game of all time?

5. Riichi Mahjong. I promoted myself as an advanced player. I played at a board game cafe, food hall, and a gaming hall for the first time. I played on Riichi City.

Explanation: I expect the December 2025 Depression to be referenced the next time I'm depressed. The New Webhost Provider ended the five days a week post Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology; for example, I stopped learning WordPress. The Physical Fitness injuries were the first time I experienced non-short-term injuries. The tendonitis has lasted months dating back to Nov 2025. Portal 2 is not a moment of the year.

Riichi Mahjong is the remaining moment. Many people say a tabletop game is not a moment of the year. Fair statement. The rise is huge from intermediate to advanced. Reading books and rewriting my .pdf file Riichi Hands must be recognized.

What Won: Riichi Mahjong.

What Should Have Won: Riichi Mahjong.

My Thoughts On The Winning Moment: Many people say 2025 should be no winning moment. Fair statement. Riichi Mahjong moment took advantage of weak competition. Depression is a no. Webmasters change webhosting providers daily. No more Physical Fitness or gym workouts to win. Video games don't win.

2025 Letter Grade: C+. 2025 was a lower qualitative life. I could write home these five highlights. I didn't expect the home to respond. Also, I didn't expect the home to celebrate with a party. On the other hand, comparing the boring year 2024 and 2025, 2025 was more exciting than 2024 even though the 2025 letter grade is one-third lower.

Past Moments Of The Years And Its Letter Grades

2024: Analytics Research Technology. Grade B-.
2023: Physical fitness. Grade B+.
2022: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2021: Wallstreet Bets. Grade B.
2020: First responders, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Grade B.
2019: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C+.
2018: Consistent gym workouts. Grade C-.
2017: O'Connor Hospital. Grade D.

Monday, February 16, 2026

A Full Time Job For Children

My parents are neither the best parents nor the worst parents. If they teach me one lesson, then they teach me to learn. My full time job was to learn as a child. What did I learn? Read, walk, talk, smile, computers, write, . . . . The two-word answer was learn everything. If I must self-learn, then I self-learn. Unfortunately, my parents are terrible teachers.

I failed to learn when I was a child. My parents failed to teach me when I was a child. They did not teach me their if. My childhood was too much fun, too little learning, and too easy childhood. Fortunately, I realized the mistakes decades later as an adult. I taught myself my if--self-learn. I started catching up when I missed when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The catching up continues today. I learn job skills. I learn life skills. I'm the most physical fitness shape. My emotions are stable. I sleep eight hours a night. I get it. I understand it.

A child's full time job is to learn.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote a blog Some Parents Can't Teach Their Children on Nov 15, 2022 explaining why my parents are poor teachers. I said they're embarrassed of their lack of knowledge, ashamed of their ignorance, and lazy they don't want to learn what they don't know.

I elaborated my too much fun childhood A Childhood Lowlight written on Oct 23, 2011. One can say too much fun is boring because fun can be an addiction. A fun activity can be boring or dissatisfying leads to another fun activity to compensate for the previous fun activity. Repeat multiple times. Repeating fun multiply times results in fun addiction. I incorrectly occupied my childhood time with too much fun; in particular, summer vacations were playing toys, playing video games, and watching TV.

Saturday, January 24, 2026

I Lie If You Want An Exciting Update

The scenario is you and I are at a coffee shop. We converse. You ask for an update. I answer in two ways. My first way is the boring update. My recent changes are boring. I finished reading *insert book title*. I'm currently reading *insert book title*. The last movie I watched was *insert movie title*. My physical workouts are limited because of a left tricep injury. I play classic video games once in a while. You may as well read fake news on the internet. Fake news is exciting. Fake news is entertaining.

Although, my self-job training is completed. Click Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology written on Apr 19, 2024 for the detailed timeline and the skills learned. I finished the extended self-job training HTML, JavaScript, and WordPress. I continue Python and Excel which are boring.

A Reason Some People Lie

The second way is lying. I exaggerate because I hide my boring life; moreover, some people lie to hide personal weaknesses or personal vulnerabilities. There is no right and no wrong living a boring life. There is a good way and a bad way to live a boring life. It has been harder to live my boring life in a good way.

My last exciting change was Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology on Apr 19, 2024. One must look at the big picture to conclude the graduation was exciting. I must mention watching the movie The Shawshank Redemption on Sep 21, 2019. The movie saved my soul. It was one of My Four Mount Rushmore Greatest Moments In My Life written on Aug 9, 2020.

Real Answers

My real answers are boring. They're legitimate. They're genuine. I practice them. Physical fitness is real. My mental capabilities are real. My job candidate prospects pre-pandemic were real. My job candidate prospects post-pandemic are fake. My webpage, my reading books, and my cooking as a single person are real. My programming is fake; although, I can escape the fakeness when I write ad hoc programming for general business data analysis. My data analysis is real.

Update On A Past Blog

The unemployed job candidate rejected after being a finalist for a job opening one reason may be he or she is a threat to the department manager or senior employees' employment statuses. He or she asks the question Can I Be Overqualified? written on Jan 10, 2022. Some hiring managers hire underqualified people or people stupider than himself or herself. There are logical reasons and illogical reasons departments employ underqualified workers.

If you understand the management intention, then you understand the management behavior. The hierarchy must be preserved.

I wrote Raymond Mar 3.0 on Jul 15, 2023. The blog is about me at my best. No Raymond Mar 4.0. Two small unexciting updates. Number 9 Mahjong I'm an advanced skilled Mahjong player instead of an intermediate skilled player. Number 10 Handyman the patience and practice are valid. I continue looking for new life skills to learn.

Friday, January 09, 2026

State Of Raymond Mar 2026

Blogger's note 1: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.

Blogger's note 2: Today's blog is edited minimally for grammar.

Today's blog is a life status update. These updates are in no particular order.

The Negatives. I start 2026 with an upper left arm injury since Nov 2025. The injury is not shoulder related. The injury is muscle related. My research leads me to a left tricep muscle injury. I think it's a strain. More research needed. Treatments are rest, ice, and Diclofenac Sodium Topical gel. I tried Biofreeze. Advil didn't work after five days. Consulting a sports injury doctor is possible.

Another negative is no new job skills to learn. A friend suggested the open source machine learning PyTorch. My quick research tells me PyTorch is not a fit for my career. I need more research. I learned everything I could learn including PowerBI, HTML, SQL, Linux, and Power Pivot in the meantime. Python and Excel are reviews.

My car needs to be serviced by an automotive technician. An initial check is my car needs a new fan belt. I anticipate more problems for my 2005 Toyota Camry.

Another anticipation is the household eats more take out food. The household eats more processed foods. The household maintaining the daily meals quality declines. I must be more proactive unnecessarily through no fault of my own.

Grew Up On Sat Oct 4, 2008. I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The growing up changes I made paid off immediately; for example, new clothes, new mattress, new physical workout plans, and new Gaming PC. Similarly, the changes I made since Jan 1, 2026 also paid off immediately; although, they were smaller changes. I rearranged my desk, I used a longer USB cord to charge my phone, I coated the baking pan with butter to roast chicken to experiment, I played classic arcade games, and I played the Puerto Rico board game with four players as a solo player.

2009 Again? 2026 began with a partial 2009 feeling. Ignorant bliss. Less than too much free time today compared to 2009. Fewer friends, family, and acquaintances to support me today compared to 2009. More serious non-income generating work today. Less serious non-income generating work in 2009.

I bring back the beginner mentality. I need to find new life skills to learn. I tell myself, "I don't know what to do" multiple times. Be a beginner again intelligently. Be ignorant intelligently.

All previous personal projects were completed. Some personal projects are maintained by reviewing or by practicing. Maintenance is not new projects.

No anime, no ballroom dancing, no Accutane treatment, no vacations, no hiking, and no college classes. However, video games are significantly reduced. Counter Strike 2 is the next video game for which I play for the first time. Yes reading books, yes exercise, and yes cooking.

Money. Money resources are not a problem. I continue keeping my expenses in check. I spend intelligently. However, no budget restrictions like the Sat Oct 4, 2008 when I made changes growing up. Black Friday 2025 was like Black Friday 2008. Black Friday 2025 was goods upgraded or goods replaced.

My Foundation. I either improve my existing foundation or create a new foundation. I'm going nowhere. I'm regressing slowly. I'm losing the ability to live an awesome boring life.

The current life path destination is an unsuccessful life. There is failure at the end of the road. Blame life. Nobody wants to live a failed life. No rational person wants to live a George Costanza. There are successes; there must be failures.

I did everything correctly. I learn professional skills. I learn life skills. I ate heathy. I helped the family. I don't buy junk. No rewards. I'm an example of a person who did everything correctly and didn't get the desired results.

On the other hand, I speak up for myself. I share my thoughts and my feelings. I choose the timing. Be tactical. Speak intelligently.

No 2025 Momentum To 2026. 2026 is the first year since I don't know when the last time no momentum from the previous year. No carry over. No ideas, plans, and unfinished projects continuing from 2025 to 2026. My usual activities reading books, writing blogs, and exercising are excluded. Mahjong is excluded. The Counter Strike 2 next video game is excluded.

However, the Black Friday 2025 purchases a 14TB external hard drive and a new gaming PC mouse were upgrades which could have been purchased years ago.

I'm Out Of Bullets. The totality of my life is empty clips. Inside and outside the house. Inside and outside my body. There's nothing. The mini gun is dry. Reloading is possible. I don't know where to find ammunition.

Tuesday, January 06, 2026

Good Way Depression And Bad Way Depression

Blogger's note 1: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.

Blogger's note 2: Today's blog is edited minimally for grammar.

Christmas 2025 was a bad Christmas. No need for a detailed explanation. The one sentence explaining a bad 2025 Christmas was my family did a bad job being boring. Dec 25, 2025 changed my family's lives for better or for worse. Dec 25, 2025 initialized permanent changes. I write bullet points to share my thoughts and my feelings in no particular order.

*I played Portal 2 for the second time. I finished the video game in Sep 2025. I planned to play a second time. I choose to play the second time during the holiday.

*There was one lucky moment. The moment was small. I play Riichi or Japanese Mahjong on Riichi City. I paid $7.99 to support the video game paying for one out of four new characters guaranteed. The guaranteed new character was my first choice Toho Nagi.

*I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I ate like the French during the German occupation in World War II. Food was distributed with ration cards. I ate poor meals after Christmas. No appetite.

*I cleaned the house.

*I watched the beginning scenes from the movies Saving Private Ryan and The Godfather Part I.

*Eat intelligently regardless of proper meals or improper meals. No appetite. Still eat intelligently. There were some days I ate meals like I had the stomach flu.

*I didn't want to cook for the household. There were no reasons to eat well. On the other hand, I admit I completed tasks I delayed months ago with the free time. No cooking was another protest to express my anger Christmas was bad.

Did everyone feel Christmas was bad? My answer is most of us felt Christmas was bad. Nobody verbally expressed it.

*I trusted nobody with my thoughts and my feelings. The family was weak. The family was not strong enough to handle me.

*The world didn't come to an end.

*The cure is stay busy. Stay busy relieves the depression pain. Be active relieves the depression symptoms. Motivation is the key. Motivation is more important than knowledge. Motivation > Knowledge. Hope the depression is cured like taking medication for the common cold.

*There is no reason to be a jerk. There is no excuse to be impolite. Bad behavior is intolerable.

*The feelings and the thoughts no wants and no desires to do something, anything are valid. The feelings and the thoughts must be temporarily.

*The Christmas holiday was effortlessly boredom. There are people who live good boring lives with effort.

*I silently protested how my family celebrated Christmas 2025.

*There is work every day. Work can be a positive distraction to a negative feeling. Work is not necessarily financial or earned income. Household cooking, cleaning, and organizing are examples of work with zero pay.

Personal intelligence is also work. Reading, learning new skills, and doing personal maintenance are work.

*No sex desire. I understood better how depression repress the human sex drive.

*Choose the cure. Choose the distraction. Choose wisely.

*The human being is like an engine. All parts must function well to live a good life. Any parts go down or weaken a negative chain reaction starts. Other parts of the engine compensate. More stress. Life is harder to live.

The engine must be maintained. Sleep is important to rest the engine. Sometimes the engine needs upgrades. A tragedy can disable the engine. Hopefully, the engine can be repaired.

*Backups can be available. Complements, supplements, and substitutions must be effective to keep the human living his or her best.

*I ate one good meal during the depression. It was like the late Steve Jobs while he attended Reed College who said, "I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple." The one good meal was at Panda Express. I ordered fried rice, broccoli beef, and string bean chicken.

Outdoors can be good. I was out of the house. I was out of the bad boredom household. I understood better from decades ago I read an article about multi families staying in a single residence due to low income. Each family spent private time at a fast food restaurant.

*Depression time should be temporary. Depression passes.

*Must eat good meals to live a good life.

*Permanent changes happen afterwards due to self-discovery. Be aware to correct the ongoing mistakes.

*I read my personal bible. Click Inspiration Cheer Up File to download the .pdf file. Continue to live life finding what you want to do. Jobs said, "Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

*I played my all-time favorite board game Puerto Rico solo. I played with four players being solo. I rolled dice to randomly determined the roles.

*I rearranged the PC and tech cables in the computer desk.

*I stored the Christmas tree on Sun Jan 4, 2026. I initially wanted to keep the tree displayed for months as a reminder for a bad Christmas. I changed my mind which was the correct choice. Out of sight, out of mind.

Update On A Past Blog

There were blogs I mentioned my personal bible I didn't include the link to download the Inspiration Cheer Up File. I posted the link again. The blogs were Top 50 Most Memorable Moments written on Sep 18, 2024, The Green Steno Notebook 8 written on Apr 22, 2023, Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog 1 written on Jun 2, 2020, Top 40 Most Memorable Moments written on Sep 27, 2016, My Spirituality Discovery written on Jan 11, 2015, and Exercise Your Body From Head To Toe Inside And Outside written on Jan 6, 2015.

Wednesday, November 05, 2025

My Game Over Is Coming Soon

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

I'm running out of time. I'm running low on the number of chances. Resources and support dwindle. Permanent quitting time is near. I've exhausted everything I can think to earn my freedom. There are winners in life. There are losers in life. I belong to the losers. Nobody's fault. Blame life. I receive bad advice. Some knowledge are acquired incorrectly. I reverse setbacks as much as I can. I did my best. The narrative is I didn't do enough.

I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I think of my past self job training from today to 2015. Some may say my training was too good. Completing some training faster didn't guarantee a job. Time is no longer my friend. I'm not going to succeed.

No Longer Awesome Boring

I'm running out of ideas to keep my life fresh. There are more stale days lately. There are more rotten days recently. The present life is getting old. The general routine is unchanged for decades. I fear the present general routine becomes too comfortable I'm unable to adapt to better changes.

Reject The Alternate Life

Fortunately, the otaku life or the anime and video game life is forbidden. No fat man life. No eight hours of video games a day life. The lifestyle eating healthy and exercising is clear and present. I read books. I maintain the household. Self job training continues; although, what else can I learn which matches my strengths? My choices are few. I sleep well. I move forward.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote an honest blog Permanent Unemployment on Jan 24, 2024. I spoke for some long-term unemployed people like me frustrated with the job hiring system. I mentioned AI replaces human jobs. Job training costs continue to increase which includes money and technology tools. Timing and luck are factors getting hired and getting rejected.

Friday, October 31, 2025

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.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

No Guarantees In Life Including Sports

Sports are percentages. There is pass completion rate, percentage drops, and number of points the defense gives up per game in football. There is field goal percentage and free throw percentage in basketball. There is batting average, walk to strike out ratio, and earned run average in baseball. There is goals against average and shots on goals in hockey. There is no 100%. There is no 1.000.

The percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports applies to life. Chances in life applies to sports. Timing and luck in sports applies to life. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a regular season game. A no big deal. A basketball player experiences a bad shooting night in a championship game. A yes big deal. The thought process applies to a quarterback throwing a football, a place kicker kicking a field goal, a baseball player going 0 for 4 with three deep flyouts, a pitcher giving up four home runs, a winger missing too many shots on goal, and a goal keeper giving up four goals.

We blame the players for the bad performance. We blame the players for the miss critical plays. We blame coaches for bad decisions. Think rationally. No player wants to screw up. No coach wants to lose. The chances are there to connect, and sometimes there are no chances. Timing and luck are not there. The game is lost. The strategies don't work out. It's the other result. It's the opposite of the percentage. It's the other side. A basketball player free throw percentage success is 90.1%. The player missed critical free throws at the fourth period. It's the 9.9% failure percentage. Failed. The team lost the game. Regular season is a no big deal. Try again next time. Championship playoffs is a yes big deal. It's unfair. It's the nature of the sports world. A professional sports team not making the playoffs with at least 50% regular season wins is considered a successful season.

The Odds Are Against Professional Dreamers

There are a limited number of active professional sports players who play in the top leagues. There are 1,696 professional football players in the 32 team NFL out of all the professional football players. There are 450 professional basketball players in the 30 team NBA out of all the professional basketball players. There are 780 professional baseball players in the 30 team MLB out of all the professional baseball players. There are 736 professional hockey players in the 32 team NHL out of all the professional hockey players. Those numbers are small. Practice squad and inactive professional players are excluded from the numbers. The chances of professional sports players in a North American big league roster are slim. Life is rolling the dice. Many try to become professional sports players. Few succeed.

Update On A Past Blog

I add the percentages, rates, ratios, probabilities, averages, sums, and totals in all sports to the blog Top Ten Life Lessons I Learned Watching Sports written on Nov 5, 2016.

I wrote a no guarantees blog A Lesson Learned Tonight written on Feb 2, 2010. The blog talked about Conan O'Brien leaving The Tonight Show with a $45 million settlement on Jan 2010. I remind myself there are no guarantees in life; however, death and taxes are 100% certain.

I repeat an update on a past blog word for word from Owners Hiring The Below Average Worker on May 12, 2023:

Life is chances. The right place at the right time. Timing and luck are in favor. The wind blows behind your back. The odds are good. The dice are rolling well. Probability is close to 100%. Here are two blogs related to chances, odds, and probabilities: Roll The Dice When You Wake Up written on Aug 12, 2019 and The Homeless People Rolled Too Many Snake Eyes written on Apr 8, 2019. Death and taxes are 100% certain. Life is unfair regardless of the probabilities. Times continue to be tough going forward.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Live A Productive Life At Best Or Not Waste My Life

Today I shopped for used books at multiple libraries. Libraries donated books for their used book sales to raise money.

I asked the question at one library, "What am I doing?" I'm wasting my time. My life is George Costanza. I'm long term unemployed. I live with my parents. I didn't ask for my current life. I didn't want my present life. I waste a day shopping for used books. I buy books at cheap prices on a weekday mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Waste is relative. I should be earning an income working instead of shopping. I should be living in freedom.

Life goes on. I read books which is an activity today. I gain knowledge for tomorrow. I acquire wisdom for tomorrow. Today is today. Today is it no matter the degree. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Tomorrow can be a life break in my favor.

Inbox

Today I fully understand the inbox is never empty. At least a piece of paper is in the inbox for tomorrow. The email inbox counter is greater than zero at the end of the day. Do it one at a time. Do whatever I can today. Continue tomorrow. Another responsibility is placed in the inbox tomorrow. There are no rushes. There are no emergencies. Choose and prioritize. I can say no to myself with no penalties. Many times I say another yes to myself with no extra rewards. Stop for the day. Rest, recover, and reset the focus to 100% tomorrow.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Keep Going In Life

I look at my Facebook friend's list. I identify all my friends who attended my high school. Most of them were smart. They enrolled in honor classes. They enrolled in Advanced Placement classes. They were active after school such as sports, arts, and volunteering.

Fast forward decades later. Most of the smart high school Facebook friends are no longer smart. I'm the better person today. I'm smarter. I'm stronger. Why? They stop learning. They settle down. I have been catching up what I missed. I surpass some of them. I continue to catch up. I continue to exceed any expectations. I surpass more of them in time.

Don't quit. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

aloof: not friendly or forthcoming; distant; disinterested.

I wrote a blog on Mar 9, 2010 titled I'm No Longer Nice. I stopped being nice. Nice guys do finish last. Niceness has limits. Niceness is more finite. I started being good. Good guys do finish first. Goodness has fewer limits. Goodness is less finite.

Moreover, being extra nice doesn't result in extra rewards. It's not aloofness does pay. It's niceness doesn't pay. Being extra nice is unlikely to change people's minds. Almost all of the time people's minds are decided.

Friday, August 15, 2025

X Is On The Clock

Patience is a virtue. Sometimes patience pays off with rewards. Sometimes patience costs with penalties. Don't know what to say. Can't respond. Too many unknowns. Processing continues. Adjust priorities. Wait for the favorable timing and luck.

Everything comes in time. The law. The system. The rules. The procedures. All is present in due time. Marriages. Graduations. Job interviews. Evictions. Championship games. Vacations. Car repairs. Medical appointments. New computers. Movie releases. Contract expirations. Academic years. Fiscal years. Full recoveries. All start in time. All end in time. Delays are likely. Cancellations are possible.

There are 24 hours a day. Guaranteed. Nobody speeds up time. Nobody slows down time. The inevitable. Give it time. Give them time. There is an end. There is the conclusion. This is it. Do you understand? Everything is coming soon.

Thursday, August 07, 2025

The Real Moving Forward

Moving forward equals active. Moving forward is closing old chapters. Moving forward is opening new chapters. Life moves on. Strength, courage, intelligence, and wisdom are required.

A person is dying when he or she thinks more about the past than the present and future. There is no more looking ahead. Dying is looking back only. Dying is evaluating what a person has remaining good or bad. It can be knowledge. It can be memories. The person gives up. The person's game is over. The person rewatches old movies and relistens to old music too many times. The planning ahead stops. Making plans to watch the next TV series, play the next video game, or read the next comic book don't count. Make real plans getting up and doing something. Stay busy.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote the blog My Generation X Sucks on Jun 20, 2025. I said the forgotten Gen X is the gunnie pigs in today's Information Age. Gen X made the mistakes to correct for the future generations.

I wrote two blogs the Greatest Generation doomed future generations including Gen X, Gen Y or Millennials, and Gen Z. The Baby Boomers generation is responsible for the doom, too. I listed unsolved problems in the blog The Greatest Human Generation Doomed Their Grandchildren And The Future Thereafter written on Jun 25, 2022. Some of the problems include loneliness, increase costs of living, and poor physical health. The answer is yes to the question Did The Greatest Human Generation Doom Their Grandchildren And Their Future? asked on Mar 14, 2019. The Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers created today's life being too good. It's difficult for future generations to learn from our mistakes.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

I Dislike Going With The Flow

One of my top priorities is physical fitness. I take advantage of my long-term unemployed status to workout four days a week. Two days of jogging. Two days of lifting weights. I feel weak missing a week of workouts. I feel failure missing a week of workouts. I feel unhealthy. I falsely feel gaining weight. All of these feelings should be nothing. I have been sick in the past. I have been injured in the past. I eventually get back to health like professional athletes. There is nothing to worry about.

The week of Mon Jul 21, 2025 I hated going with the flow. Going with the flow reduced stress; on the other hand, stress increased missing physical workouts. Physical fitness decreases stress. The increase and decrease didn't cancel each other. There were events, instances, and circumstances beyond my control. My sister in-law and my nephew stayed overnight on Mon Jul 21. The household didn't have groceries. My brother, older nephew, and niece visited on Tue Jul 22. I cleaned the household on Wed Jul 23 to take advantage of the below average temperatures. I drove a family member to the hospital for multiple appointments on Thur Jul 24. I also experienced multiple stomach aches. The explanations were a poor breakfast and an inadequate lunch. My sister's dog stayed overnight on Fri Jul 25.

The entire week I adjusted my routines. I delayed routines. There were one-time priority tasks. The week of Mon Jul 21, 2025 was a crappy week. Acknowledge the crappy week. Everybody experiences crappy days. Everybody experiences crappy weeks. Nobody plans a crappy week. Unemployed people rarely experience crappy weeks due to fewer responsibilities and fewer obligations. Life happens. Move forward. Fighting the flow can be worse than going with the flow. Sleep well at the end of the day.

Update On A Past Blog

I convinced myself go with the flow on Mar 16, 2022 from the blog Consciously Aware My Mind Is Focused On The Flow. I wrote today's blog to reinforce go with the flow. There were no penalties, fines, and reprimands for the Mon Jul 21, 2025 week. Moreover, my right hip is sore for which I mentioned in the blog. Perhaps, no workout for the week may speed up the healing.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Okay Stupid Past

Stupid then. Not stupid now. Everyone made mistakes yesterday. Everyone makes mistakes today. Everyone makes mistakes tomorrow. There should be a life rule the fewer mistakes a person makes as the person gets older; however, a person learning a new skill is exempt because people learn new skills making mistakes regardless of age. Acquire the wisdom to stop the mistakes cycle. Don't make the same mistakes. Don't repeat mistakes. Life finds a way. Some people make the same mistakes two times, three times, or infinitely. Forget reasoning why. There are no logical answers. Some people never learn.

I'm fortunate I learn from my repeated mistakes. I'm unfortunate I'm still paying for the mistakes. Better late than never correcting my mistakes.

Monday, June 02, 2025

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog May 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. COVID-19 is back in the headlines. The latest strain is the NB.1.8.1. The last time I mentioned a strain was the XEC from the Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog December 2024 blog written on Jan 3, 2025. May 2025 was like Jan 2020. More people are wearing masks. May 2025 was faster than Apr 2025.

Thur May 1. China blamed the US for the origin of COVID-19. China said COVID-19 was present in the US earlier than officially announced; in other words, COVID-19 came from the US before the outbreak in China. China accused the US of a lack of effort to defeat COVID-19. The country recognized the World Health Organization (WHO) study COVID-19 was likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal.

Fri May 2. Health And Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. changed how vaccines are tested. All new vaccines need placebo-controlled clinical trials. Some people receive the actual vaccine. The other people receive the placebo vaccine.

However, flu vaccines are tested by updating the present vaccine with the flu variant. The testing determines an immune response against the variant. The updated COVID-19 vaccines copy the flu vaccines model. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were designed to easily update for COVID-19 variant strains. The updates take months. Vaccine makers receive the updated COVID-19 strain in the spring. The doses are ready in the fall.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory committee meets in May or Jun to recommend the strains for the next updated vaccine. If the FDA deems Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines as new vaccines, then the doses are unlikely available in the fall. The drugmakers must conduct an actual trial as if the updated vaccine is a new vaccine.

Thur May 8. Ran errands at AAA and Safeway. Visited Calibear Cyber Cafe.

Mon May 12. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.

China, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan reported increase in COVID-19 cases.

Sat May 17. The FDA approved the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the only protein-based COVID-19 vaccine in the US. The full approval is for adults age 65 and older or people age 12 to 64 with an underlying risk condition.

Mon May 19. Ran errands at the post office, Stevens Creek Surplus, REI, Nob Hill, Books, Inc., Costco, and Chevron.

Wed May 21. The FDA told Pfizer and Moderna to add warning labels on their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines about the risk of heart injury side effects. The warnings affect Pfizer and BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine and Moderna Spikevax vaccine. The earlier warning labels specified males age 18 to 24 for Moderna and males age 12 to 17 for Pfizer. The new warning applies to males age 16 to 25 for both vaccines.

The FDA announced a plan to limit future COVID-19 vaccine shots to people over 65 years old or people with an underlying health condition. The change applies to future updated vaccine versions. Annual booster shots are not worth the risk for healthy people. However, vaccine makers can pay for trials to test future updated vaccine versions for younger people or healthier people. The new plan recommendation matches other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

There is scientific debate whether annual boosters are necessary for young and healthy children and young adults. Most Americans have immunity from past vaccinations and infections. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) vaccine committee discussed keeping the recommendation people age 6 months and older receive an annual COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC reported an average of 300 people died each week in the US. The average was 1,000 in Jan 2025.

Thur May 22. The CDC detected the COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 from international travelers at airports in CA, WA, and VA. The NB.1.8.1 was detected in New York City. The international travelers came from many countries including Japan, South Korea, France, Thailand, Netherlands, Spain, China, and Taiwan from Apr 22, 2025 to May 12, 2025. OH, RI, and HI reported positive NB.1.8.1 cases.

The variant is dominant in China and parts of Asia. China researchers preliminary research found the variant is no better evading the immune system compared to past strains. However, the variant is more transmissible.

Fri May 23. Ran afternoon errands at Costco. Ran evening errands at Lucky and Nob Hill.

Sun May 25. Shopped at REI first thing in the morning.

Tue May 27. Secretary Kennedy announced healthy children and pregnant women are removed from the CDC's prevention immunization schedule for COVID-19. The immunization schedule is a guide for doctors, insurance coverage, and Medicaid programs which includes government purchasing vaccines.

The latest CDC data reported 13% of children received the latest COVID-19 vaccine as of late Apr 2025. The rate was 14.2% in Apr 2024. 14.4% of pregnant women received the latest COVID-19 vaccine as of late Apr 2025. The rate was 12.3% in Apr 2024.

Thur May 29. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Visited Sports Basement and Books, Inc.

Fri May 30. The CDC updated the COVID-19 prevention immunization schedule for children. Children from 6 months to 17 years old get the vaccines after consulting with a health care provider called shared decision making. Pregnant women don't have any guidance or recommendations.

The shared decision making is patients must consult with a health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccine. A provider is anyone who can administered vaccines including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. The shared decision making vaccines must be covered by insurance. Immunocompromised people also qualify.

The FDA approved the Moderna mNEXSPIKE (mRNA-1283) vaccine. The vaccine is for adults age 65 and older or people age 12 to 64 with an underlying risk condition.