Sights Picture Camera Recorded

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

A permanent signal light is installed. 7-Eleven sells towels--dish towels. The Pokemon Table Card Game (TCG) should be a family household recognized game. Small business fabric stores exist. Cleaning the bathroom sink must include unclogging the sink. There must be a museum for school furniture. There must be reasons few restaurants install bathroom sanitary door handles. Costco sales can include produce items. Smarter people jog as a leisure activity.

Data Analyst Actually Data Entry Dream

I dreamed last night my first day on the job at my new company as a data analyst. The dream began at a signaled intersection on Interstate 880 between Junction 880-101 and Brokaw Road which doesn't exist in real life. I drove northbound from San Jose to Fremont. I waited for the green light driving my 2005 Toyota Camry. I accelerated at an easy slow pace. Traffic was light for a morning commute.

I exited Mowry Road in Fremont. I turned right. I realized I don't know the company location. I drove to a Chevron station to look up the address on my Samsung Galaxy S7.

I arrived at the freestanding Office and R&D two story building. The dream skipped to the main hallway where I met some coworkers. I already received my security ID badge. A manager walked with me to my workstation. I visited a coworker in a private office with no windows before my workstation. The private office contained all company video game magazines back issues. The coworker maintained multiple copies of most monthly back issues.

My work area was not a typical open office with cubicles. I met one co-worker nicknamed Si-Tiger pronounced Psy-tiger. My work area was a sectioned off partition along a wall. The drop ceiling was low--eight feet from the ground. There was a swinging door entering and exiting. The sheet rock was removed along the wall. No insulation. The wall studs could be seen.

My workstation desktop computer was like the late 1990s desktops. 21-inch gigantic heavy monitor. Windows 95 operating system. There was trouble with my emails. There were at least 200 emails unread.

The time was 11am. My training began. The same manager handed me a spiral notebook seen in schools and colleges. Each page contained four columns. Each row contained PC hardware specifications including hard drive size and RAM size. Each column and row represented one desktop PC for a total of four desktop PCs per row. The PC hardware specifications were year 2026 specifications and not 1990s specifications. My job was entering all specifications to the computer. I woke up.

Professional Knowledge Shared As Common Knowledge

Here are knowledge from professionals in their fields people should know. The information can be false. Some professionals may not do. The reader should do their due diligence to verify. Source: What's a "secret" from your profession that everyone should probably know? from Reddit.

1. Financial institutions use older versions of Excel.

2. Document everything.

3. Daycare teachers clean toys and equipment.

4. Gloves are not necessary to handle old books, rare books, and special collection books. Clean and dry hands are the best. Wearing gloves are more likely to rip a page because the person can't feel them well compared with bare hands. There are exceptions such as handling artifacts, moldy items, toxic books, and photographs.

5. Bibles are not rare. The Bible is the most printed book in the world.

6. You need two coats of paint.

7. Bacteria and microbes as a whole are small cells or capsules. They are bad at sticking to random solid objects by themselves. It's like hanging on a rocky hillside with your hands. Water from above hits you. You're going to be flushed down wherever the water goes. A simple water rinse can remove 99% of the bacteria.

8. There are corrupt employers who don't pay their workers, close the business, and reopen under a different name. They fraudulently transfer all their assets under another person's name.

9. Dog and cats need rabies vaccine because rabies is transmissible to humans. Also, pets can have fleas regardless of being indoor pets or outdoor pets. Fleas can be anywhere. And a local veterinarian likely doesn't see wildlife and reptiles.

10. Generally speaking, retail stores don't hide stuff in the back. We want to sell. If it's in the back, it doesn't sell. Everything we sell is out.

11. Fire sprinklers go off where the actual fire is. Not all fire sprinklers go off like in the movies. The water is gross and stinky. A properly maintained sprinkler system is flushed.

12. Most modern homes or residential construction are built with the cheapest ingredients. They may not last more than 30 years without exterior refurbishing. Further, never buy a new home for which the buyer picks a floor plan A, B, C, D, or . . . . 90% of these new homes are made from shitty materials. Buy an actual quality custom home.

13. Dental professionals can't always tell if you floss or not. However, if the dental profession flosses the patient and bleeding occurs, then he or she can tell.

14. If you have the feeling of a medical life threatening emergency, then go to the emergency room.

15. Abusive parents are more common than you think. They include the nicest neighbors and volunteers. Child Protective Services can't catch everyone. There are mental abuse, emotional abuse, and psychological abuse.

16. IT Googles all day. We're better at Googling than other people.

17. Architects say 50% of major home remodels the couple divorces.

18. Financial institutions software security is outdated.

19. Tugboat pilots are bored. They look at their phones 95% of the time.

20. College students should attend classes even if you don't pay attention. Students can accidentally learn. Also, attend class, read the chapters, do the homework, and show up at the office hours. Students are more likely to earn an A or a B.

21. You don't have to top off freon every year for the air conditioner.

22. Buy the cheapest cemetery vault. All vaults are not 100% waterproof.

23. Patients should ask for an itemized bill because it can lower the cost. Hospitals avoid adding unnecessary fees. There are programs to lower medical bills.

24. The majority of children sex crimes are family members. Neighbors, family friends, and pastors are included.

25. Family and relationship therapists' solution for 50% of their clients: just go get a divorce already.

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.

A Garden

My dad and I assisted a family friend with routine garden maintenance. Mowed the lawn. Removed weeds. A lawn mower cut the grass. A weed wacker trimmed the grass edges. A metal rake, shovel, clippers, and loopers were tools to remove weeds. These tools existed at least a century. The front yard is maintained. The front yard is beautiful. Peace is created taking a break from today's Information Age. Effective time spent outdoors. The life lessons gardening are patience, take it one at a time, and breathe.

Top Ten Plus Fourteen Equals Top Twenty Four Favorite Black & White Movies

The classic movies. The black & white classic movies. The best movies established today's movies we see today. Take a break from the fast pace Information Age life. Do something different. Slow down. Watch the classics. They're true today. Here are my top ten plus fourteen equals top twenty four favorite black & white movies. There is no restriction on the release year.

24. Why Worry? (1923). A Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston classic.

23. Some Like It Hot (1959). Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon are the names. A comedy and a musical.

22. Modern Times (1936). My only Charlie Champlin movie I watched. No need for green screens. The rush society in the 1930s was a turtle compared to today's rush society.

21. Psycho (1960). An Alfred Hitchcock classic. The ending twist is fantastic.

20. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939). My second James Stewart movie. The politics in the 1930s were the same today.

19. It Happened One Night (1934). Clark Gable stood his ground. You may not laugh out loud during the comedy scenes. A funny romantic comedy a family enjoys.

18. Harvey (1950). James Stewart could do comedy.

17. The Grapes Of Wrath (1940). The movie about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl did a good job adapting 67% of the book written by John Steinbeck. The ending in the movie was not the ending in the book.

16. Schindler's List (1993). It's bad timing Liam Neeson who played Oskar Schindler lost to Tom Hanks from Philadelphia for best actor. The movie should have double best supporting actor nominations Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth and Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern.

15. Raging Bull (1980). A movie where a person is the best at something and the best at being a terrible person. Robert DeNiro won an Oscar for best actor.

14. The Philadelphia Story (1940). My first Cary Grant movie. The movie included one of the greatest of all time actor James Stewart and actress Katharine Hepburn. It should be a movie all student actors and student actresses watch.

13. All About Eve (1950). A movie about a fictional biography of a successful Broadway star. The movie watchers realize she's ruthless.

12. Seven Samurai (1954). A poor village hires samurais without pay to protect them from bandits. I watched the movie in two days.

11. Roman Holiday (1953). My critical opinion is Gregory Peck didn't have enough charism. Audrey Hepburn won Best Actress.

10. Metropolis (1927). A science fiction classic with no time boundaries. The futuristic city with dividing social classes. A four star movie.

9. The Apartment (1960). It's all about affairs and adultery in a comedy and romantic way. They existed in the 1960s. They exist today.

8. Citizen Kane (1941). Rosebud.

7. Young Frankenstein (1974). I read the book by Mary Shelley and the 1931 movie before watching Young Frankenstein. Hilarious.

6. Rebecca (1940). A classic psychological thriller. Maybe horror. An early black and white mind twist movie. The only Alfred Hitchcock movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.

5. Sunset Blvd. (1950). I heard students majoring in film watch the movie in their undergraduate classes.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). There is a reason why Gregory Peck portraying Atticus Finch won an Academy Award for Best Actor. Finch was a model strong man and strong father.

3. Paper Moon (1973). Father Ryan O'Neal and daughter Tatum O'Neal are the lead actors. Tatum won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 10. She's the youngest to win an Oscar as of today.

2. 12 Angry Men (1957). If your date says 12 angry men is about a movie about 12 angry men, then end the date immediately.

1. Casablanca (1942). Too many movie quotes: Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship; Here's looking at you, kid; Play it once, Sam; We'll always have Paris.

Review And Remind Self-Esteem And Life Guarantees

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

Update On A Past Blog

I want to take another look at two past blogs. The first blog is Be Strong, Be Useful, Strong Self-Esteem All Relationships written on Jul 27, 2020. I want the following attributes for my future spouse: strong self-esteem, be useful, good strength, and high motivation. The second blog elaborates strength and motivation in My Two Question Marriage Is He Or She My Spouse Till Death Do Us Part written on Dec 1, 2019. The strength is the question, "Do you trust your spouse to take of you if you're the weaker person?" The motivation is the question, "Is the couple motivated to work hard on their marriage?"

A third past blog is My Six Guarantees written on Dec 11, 2021. Benjamin Franklin is credited with two of the six guarantees death and taxes. My four of the six guarantees are everyone is weird, everyone changes, everyone has problems, and there are 24 hours in a day and seven days a week.

Generation Alpha May Be The Last Generation To Shop In Malls

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

Update On A Past Blog

The biggest mall in San Francisco is closing due to sales decreasing and lower number of shoppers. The COVID-19 global pandemic, employees working at home, and inflation are factors, too. Popular stores such as Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Whole Foods, LuluLemon, Disney, Macy's, The North Face, J. Crew, and Old Navy announced in summer 2023 they leave the Westfield San Francisco Centre. The Century San Francisco 9 movie theater owned by Cinemark closed in Jun 2023. However, the mall stays open for new businesses renamed to Emporium Centre San Francisco at a later date. I wrote two blogs on malls. The first blog is SOMT: Fast Times At Ridgemont High written on Jan 20, 2018 and SOMT: A Few Malls Still Exists Today written on Mar 24, 2018. SOMT stands for Sign Of My Times, an occasional blog sharing my thoughts how time changes life from when I was young to today. The malls are a people get-together magnet. People gather to socialize.

I remember a conversation with a group of friends back in my college years. It was a Friday night. We were bored. There was a suggestion we go to the mall. One disagreed admirably. He didn't believe in going to the mall to hang out. My opinion on malls is unchanged. Malls are a great place for gatherings. People are present. Human interaction. Face to face socializing. People spend money for the local economy.

Unfortunately, online commerce is another reason malls close. The generation alpha people born from 2013 to present may be the malls' final customers. There are people still shopping at malls at all ages; in particular, generation alpha's grandparents representing the baby boomer generation. The best malls remain. Winning malls stay open. Losing malls close.

Reading Books Reinforce Centuries Life Lessons

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

I posted pics of pages from good books I read. Good knowledge. Good wisdom. Good smarts. Books are great indoors during cool windy days. I can go back in time to watch classic anime series drinking a Coke.

Bad Luck At Schools Predicted My Bad Luck Today

A common life wisdom is life changes. One example is schools. Connect the dots backwards. Reverse the timeline. I write a silly blog the school closures being bad luck from preschool to twelfth grade carried over decades later as an adult. Bad timing, circumstances beyond control, and somebody must lose are the same for the blog. Blame life. I include my preschool as another example of neighborhoods changing.

*Preschool: Closed at the end of the 1988-1989 school year. Demolished to build homes.
*Kindergarten and first grade: Closed at the end of the 1988-1989 school year. A Montessori school today.
*Second grade and third grade: Closed at the end of the 2021-2022 school year due to lack of enrollment.
*Fourth grade and fifth grade: Still exists.
*Sixth grade to eighth grade: Converted to a kindergarten to eighth grade school.
*Ninth grade to eleventh grade: Closed at the end of the 1990-1991 school year due to budget cuts. Became an adult alternative school. A private school today.
*Twelfth grade: Still exists.

Side note: My sister achieved the perfect three for three. She attended the same schools for grade school, middle school, and high school.

Permanent Unemployment

*Charlie composed a message to his LIT 101 online class*
"Dear Fellow Journeymen:
One last lesson:
Fuck these ridiculous essays.
FUCK the readings.
JUST WRITE ME SOMETHING HONEST."

"These assignments--they don't matter. This course doesn't matter. College doesn't matter. These amazing, honest things you wrote--they matter." --Charlie, The Whale (2022)

Today's blog is posted at Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar. Today's blog or essay is inspired from the two quotes above from the movie The Whale (2022). I choose Permanent Unemployment as the topic.

I speak for some long-term unemployed people. The job market has been rough for years. I experience phone interviews, person-to-person interviews, incorrect position interviews, mismatched skills and mismatched experiences interviews, 11th hour job offers rescinded, and another candidate was hired. The job market is harsh today and tomorrow regardless of a good economy or bad economy. The number of job candidates increases at the end of every academic year. The number increase applies to all education levels and all job openings. There are not enough blue-collar jobs and not enough white-collar jobs for the too many job candidates. The demand is greater than the supply.

Further, artificial intelligence (AI) replaces human jobs. I'm not a software engineer. Give it time. AI never stop innovating. A rational executive saves money replacing human labor with a 90% success rate AI. AI can replace outpatient doctor consultations, accountants, and data analysts. I'm not a robotics engineer. AI may not replace a plumber; although, a robot may.

A rising tide raises all boats. More jobs require additional skills and addition experiences. Education is expensive. Training is expensive. Knowledge is more technical; for instance, a Kohl's employee didn't know how to use its proprietary tablet scanner when I picked up an online order. More time is required to learn. More time is required to train. Higher incomes are earned for people who succeed in acquiring the additional skills and additional experiences. Job security is stronger for people who master their responsibilities.

Timing and luck are part of finding employment. Qualified candidates are subjective. Qualified candidates are relative. A job candidate may be a top five in one position. The same candidate may be in the bottom hundreds in another position. It depends on the hiring manager's expectations. It depends on the company. The qualified candidate found the position immediately. He or she is an early job applicant. Conversely, the qualified candidate found the position days later. He or she may be rejected because too many job applications are submitted. Moreover, networking is overrated. Networking does matter; however, imagine a scenario where a hiring manager receives dozens of qualified resumes for the hiring manager's dozens of networks. I remember a conversation with a friend decades ago. If we were educated in the same field, then why help each other find jobs. We want the job. We need an income. The bottom line is everything matters.

Unemployed Me

I'm doing the best I can. I self-train new skills such as Python, R-Studio, Power BI, and Linux. I review existing skills such as Excel, SQL, and data analysis. I'm catching up what I missed in previous jobs. I'm catching up what I missed in my younger years. Also, I learn life skills such as tying rope knots, folding paper airplanes, and using a navigating compass. Never stop learning. The clique wisdom is emphasized in today's Information Age. Never stop innovating.

When am I going to quit job searching? When am I going to stop learning? The quick answer to the two questions is not today. There's no reason to quit searching. There's no reason to stop learning. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. I'm the George Costanza in the family. There is too much free time. I learn indefinitely. It's better than watching TV and playing video games eight hours a day. I stay sharp because a miracle can happen. Timing and luck favor me. I found a new job. I read books, exercise, cook for my parents, maintain the household, write blogs, and watch a weekly movie when I'm not being a self-professional. I'm fortunate there is family support.

The long answer to the two questions is I stop when I'm permanently unemployed. Age is a factor. Resume gaps are a factor. Weak working experience is a factor. Missing skills are a factor. A benefit to job searching is knowing what skills are required for my profession. These factors are not excuses to stop searching and stop learning.

The statements, "a rising tide raises all boats," "more skills are required," and "higher expectations" are valid when job candidates read job descriptions. A cash sweepstakes or a prize contest disclaimer "many people enter, few people win" applies to job candidates applying to multiple job positions. I'm not dumb. People are not dumb. Life is too hard.

Update On A Past Blog

There are two more moments for the blog Top Ten Plus Six Equals Top Sixteen Moments Never On A Top Ten Before written on Jan 11, 2024. I add the 1986 Lake Tahoe trip where my family, my cousin's family, and a friend of the family's family stayed at a cabin. I touched snow for the first time. I include a 1987 Lake Tahoe trip for which I remembered reading a self-help book. The last sentence said, "Normalcy will return." My brother, cousin, and I went fishing at a retail fishing pond.

I also add my sister acquired tickets to watch a live Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? gameshow at a local mall in summer 1994. The game was held at the food court. The host Greg Lee moderated the show with children contestants.

I Worked At Bad Companies

Luck is part of the reason people have good careers and people have bad careers. Anyone who says luck is not a factor knows nothing. I worked at five companies after I graduated at San Jose State University. The first two companies were in the commercial real estate industry. The first company went bankrupt which was bought out by a competitor. The second company went corporate for better or for worse. I say better because there was a chance a corporate manager solved their problems optimistically speaking. The third company was Cisco. Cisco was Cisco. Cisco is Cisco. Cisco is an old dinosaur company people still want to work. The fourth company was a retail start-up which went out of business six years later. The fifth company was a growing company with too much politics. My department was one of the worse departments.

Where are the good companies? Companies cared in past generations. Management cared. The workers stayed in one company throughout their careers. They retired in the same company. Companies cared about their workers during retirement. There was professional nurturing. Openness was natural. Employees and management encouraged each other. Wealth spread out. There was support. I got your back. You got my back. Opportunities were plentiful. Today's companies consist of politics, complaining, people care about themselves attitude, and personal shields on the defensive every minute. People who hate their jobs leave the company instead of helping management solve problems. Google or Alphabet is not a good company. The outside public believes Google is a good company. The inside workers tell the contrary stories.

Daily Life Discoveries

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

No need to be cautious driving at closed retail buildings. Be cautious pumping gas from a slow pump and placing objects in front of a window on a sunny day. Wear gloves to protect our hands from cautious harm. We need sanitizers because we can't wear gloves all the time. Men must keep their important body parts clean without using sanitizers and comfortable for wearing underwear. Costs are increasing for pizzas and new traffic lights.

An Ultimate Life Goal

One of my ultimate life goals is don't live in a nursing home. I want to be independent. Most nursing homes and senior facility care centers are good; in contrast to bad nursing homes and senior facility care centers depicted on news, media, and movies. Some senior citizens depend on nursing homes for medical reasons with all due respect.

I exercise. I move my knees and elbows. I read. I work hard. I also work hard in leisure because work is involved. I seek new adventures. I experience new experiences. I take responsibility. My motivation and my desire are more important than intelligence and knowledge. I hope I'm lucky I don't need to live my final years in a nursing home.

My conclusion is don't be an old fuck. Don't be a grumpy old person. Don't be a person full of criticism. Don't take out my frustrations on others for a terrible less than successful younger life. No regrets. No shame.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog August 2022

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Aug was a fast month for many people. It seemed fast. I'm in the contrary. The day numbers counting up seemed fast. The feeling of the days passing by seemed slow. More people are contracting monkeypox globally. Bay Area COVID-19 infections rates are declining.

Mon Aug 1. Dropped off mail at the post office. Shopped at Nob Hill, Ross, and Nike factory outlet store. The older aged people wore masks.

The omicron subvariants increase the chances of reinfection. Getting infected provided protection during the early pandemic. COVID-19 mutated. There is no immunity from past COVID-19 infections.

Getting COVID-19 a second time increases long term health problems. In particular, long COVID. The long term health problems include an increase chance of hospitalization, weaken organs, increase chance of diabetes, more fatigue, and mental health disorders.

One out of every seven positive cases was a reinfection in CA in Jul. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo was reinfected. The first time Liccardo tested positive was in May 2022. The CA Health Dept. stated 50,000 cases were reinfections.

President Joe Biden was also reinfected. He was considered a Paxlovid rebound.

CA declared a State Of Emergency over the monkeypox outbreak.

Wed Aug 3. Biden's rebound made the COVID-19 headlines. People can pass COVID-19 during a rebound. People with COVID-19 rebound symptoms can get worse. The Director Of National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci is another example. Fauci took another course of Paxlovid. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) issued an alert in May 2022 about a COVID-19 rebound regardless of vaccination status.

Shopped at Costco and Lucky. I saw churros for the first time at the Costco food court.

Thur Aug 4. The US declared monkeypox a public health emergency.

Sun Aug 7. The China beach resort Sanya was locked down. 229 positive cases on Fri Aug 5. 129 positive cases on Sat Aug 6. China government continued to enforce the Zero COVID policy. Tourists departed Sanya must test negative on five PCR tests over seven days.

Biden tested negative twice on Sat Aug 6 and Sun Aug 7. He no longer quarantined in the White House.

Thur Aug 11. North Korea leader Kim Jong-un said the outbreak in North Korea ended. The government downgraded their pandemic vigilance. There is no new cases in the last 2.5 years.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) recommended three home tests instead of two for those exposed to COVID-19 without symptoms. Two tests taken in two days recommended for those exposed to COVID-19 with symptoms.

The CDC recommended people without symptoms take tests five days after an exposure. People get tested before attending an event with symptoms or without symptoms.

The CDC announced COVID-19 updates to their guidelines. The six feet social distance is no longer necessary. The CDC reasoned 95% of Americans 16 and older are somewhat immune being vaccinated or infected. Schools can end routine daily testing. Students exposed to another student with COVID-19 can continue attending school. Masks are optional. Quarantining is unnecessary if exposed to another person with COVID-19; however, people should wear a mask for ten days and get tested after the fifth day. People tested positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days. Isolation ends when the person is fever-free for 24 hours and without symptoms. Consult a doctor if illness is severe or feeling weak. There is no need to test people showing no symptoms and no contact with people having COVID-19.

Sun Aug 14. Helped my dad's friend fixed a mailbox stand. Ate lunch at The Habit.

Mon Aug 15. The United Kingdom was the first country to approve an updated version COVID-19 vaccine to protect against both the original strain and the omicron strain made by Moderna. The updated version is referred to as bivalent. The United Kingdom government independent expert scientific advisory body Medicines And Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the bivalent.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tested positive for the second time. The first time Austin tested positive was Jan 2022.

Tue Aug 16. First Lady Jill Biden tested positive.

Two more omicron variants BA.4.6 and BA.2.75 known as centaurus gained global attention. These two are highly contagious, resistant to vaccines, and evade a person's immune system.

COVID-19 case numbers decreased in CA for the first time since mid-May. The number of average deaths were unchanged at 20 per week since Feb 2022. The average deaths were 50 per week during the 2022 winter surge.

The 6th District Court Of Appeals ruled the Calvary Chapel Church in San Jose, CA doesn't pay $200,000 in fines accumulated in 2020 and 2021. The church accumulated the fines holding religious services when violating the ordinances prohibiting indoor large gatherings. The court ruled the ordinance violated the freedom of religion. The lower courts upheld the ordinance and the fines due to health and safety reasons.

Wed Aug 17. The Marshall Island with a population of 60,000 experienced its first outbreak. 4,000 people tested positive last week. COVID-19 case numbers were minimal beforehand since the global pandemic started. There were no cases recorded in 2021. 72% of the population is vaccinated. 61% of the population is boosted.

Thur Aug 18. The Biden administration ends the federal government paying for COVID-19 vaccination shots and treatments. Healthcare industries take more responsibilities to pay for the vaccination shots and treatments. The Department Of Health And Human Services meets with drugmakers, pharmacies, and state health departments on Aug 30.

Former President Donald Trump administration and the Biden administration planned the federal government to stop paying for COVID-19 shots and treatments. Case numbers were declining. Funding was running low.

Fri Aug 19. Shopped at Costco. Crowds were light at Costco. I filled up my car with gas at Chevron.

Sat Aug 20. Shopped at the Under Armour factory outlet store in the Great Mall, HomeGoods, and Ross. Ate lunch at L&L Hawaiian Barbeque.

The FDA authorized the Novavax vaccine for people age 12-17 under emergency use. The Novavax vaccine is protein based. 80% clinical efficacy. The CDC stated 60% efficacy.

Sun Aug 21. My brother and his youngest child tested positive.

Mon Aug 22. Fauci announced he's leaving as director of the Director Of National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases, chief of the Laboratory Of Immunoregulation, and Chief Medical Advisor to Biden on Dec 2022. Fauci served under seven presidents totaling 38 years as an advisor.

The FDA stated at-home COVID-19 tests have a shelf life and an expiration date. The tests are expected to perform accurately before the expiration date. The CDC stated results are highly reliable. However, a negative result may be false. The FDA advised three at-home tests to ensure no asymptomatic infections. The CDC said take a test when experiencing symptoms. People recovering from COVID-19 must wear a mask for ten days because of the possibility some people test positive again.

Tue Aug 23. Pfizer reported its COVID-19 vaccine is 73% effective for children younger than 5 years old. The vaccinations started in Jun 2022. The American Academy Of Pediatrics said 6% of children from six months to four years are vaccinated with one shot from Jun to mid Aug.

My mom and I picked up medications for my dad. Shopped at Homegoods, Ross, Sprouts, and Costco. I ate lunch at Starbird restaurant.

Wed Aug 24. Japan eases border controls starting in Sep 2022. COVID-19 tests for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers are eliminated. The number of daily entries increased. Isolation days are reduced to ten days with symptoms or to seven days without symptoms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported deaths decreased worldwide 15% since last week. New infections decreased 9% since last week. However, the WHO warned the COVID-19 case numbers are under-estimated because many countries dropped testing and surveillance requirements. The omicron BA.5 is the dominate variant with 70% of cases. The omicron variant is 99% of total cases.

Contra Costa County rescinded an order requiring first responders and emergency personnel to be vaccinated or to test regularly. The order was issued on Aug 13, 2021.

An Israeli study found Paxlovid benefits seniors only to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and death. There was no measurable benefit for people 65 and younger.

First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for the second time as a rebound case.

Fri Aug 26. Moderna filed a lawsuit against Pfizer and BioNTech for patent infringement to the mRNA technology used to create the COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer copied the Moderna vaccine Spikevax to invent their vaccine Comirnaty. Moderna doesn't want to remove the Pfizer vaccine from the market. Moderna seeks no monetary damage from Pfizer sales.

Free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government are suspended on Sep 2, 2022 to preserve supply for a potential rise in infections in the fall season. Congress didn't approve funding to replenish the supply.

Wed Aug 31. The FDA authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster targeting the omicron strain. The latest vaccine boosters are referred as bivalent which contains 50% of the original vaccine and 50% of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron vaccine. The combination is intended to increase cross-protection against multiple variants. The update boosters are available for people who are fully vaccinated with the original vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine booster is authorized for people 12 years and older. The Moderna vaccine booster is authorized for people 18 years and older. The bivalent is not used as an initial vaccination. The US government purchased 170 million doses.

The authorization was ahead of clinical studies in people. Pfizer and Moderna conduct human studies which includes how well the bivalent protects against mutations in the meantime.

Life expectancy decline in the US in 2021. The life span in 2021 was 76.1 years. The life span in 2020 was 77 years. The life span in 2019 was 80 years. The CDC said the pandemic is the cause for the decline.

Ran errands at REI and Target.

Grocery Stores Music Is Better Than Radios Playing Today's Best Hits

The first morning activity was grocery shopping. I noticed the music playing was 1950s. The 1950s music is better than today's best hits. Management knows marketing. The early morning customers tend to be senior citizens. The grocery store maximizes the senior citizens shopping inside. I walked around the store searching for in-store sales while listening to the 1950s music. I felt a happier morning.

My intuition tells me the grocery store doesn't play today's best hits. The afternoon and evening music selections are 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s at the latest.

Retail And The Brave

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

Life comes down to two choices in many situations which is do it or don't do it. Macy's bring back the old selling toys again. The old must be out. The failures must be out. Blood stains must be out. The most secured retail store must be Wal-Mart. Read Black Hawk Down from bravery stories and, perhaps, daily life wisdom. Consumers do the math comparing Costco and another non-member retail store.

Single Pissed Off Human

There are people who remain single for the rest of their lives. Their faces show it. Their behavior displays it. Their communication is obvious. Their physical appearance confirms it. No maturity. No professionalism. These single people are pissed off. These single people are mad. I speak on behalf of the world. The world doesn't care.

There are exceptions. Two pissed off people can get married. An angry person matches with another angry person. Another exception is two useless people can get married. A useless person matches with another useless person. I'm not friends with an angry couple or a useless couple.

An Old Fuck Is Not Sexy

Old fuckers are unsexy. They apply to men and to women. Brains are sexy; however, desire is more important than knowledge. Confidence is sexy. Physical fitness is attractive. Financial stability is relaxing. Good sleep is youthfulness. Stories are ice breakers. Friendships are moment generators. Old fuckers are angry. Don't be an old fuck either single or in a relationship.

Stop the self-pity. Get to work. People 18 or over are adults. Schools aren't responsible to teach never stop learning attitude. Most parents fail to teach their children life is an infinite school. Pissed off sons and daughters forgive your parents. Correct their mistakes. Seek new adventures. Experience new experiences. Never stop innovating life. Fortunately, I learn the lessons myself before I became old.

Jerry Seinfeld is correct. He said 90% of the population is undatable. People increase their chances being datable by relaxing and by being useful. People acting and behaving desperate rarely works.

Listening To Anime Music On CDs

I'm going back in time. I listen to my anime music CDs on a CD player. An old school anime fan. There was no YouTube in the 1990s and earlier where anyone listen to anime music from the video.

Exercise For Balance

The Sep 2021 Costco Connection included an articled titled "Avoiding A Fall" by George Locker. Locker wrote seniors can prevent falling down to avoid injuries by exercising. Exercise prevents imbalance. Exercise requires use of muscles which keeps a person balanced. Use your muscles or lose your muscles.

I want to prevent performing the exercises on the top of the two pages from the pic above when I'm old. The common reasons people exercise are healthy weight, strong muscles, sharpen focus, flexibility, delay aging, and reduce stress. Add maintain balance to the common reasons why people exercise. I don't want to be sedentary who needs walking equipment.