Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
I drank sake for the first time. Children learn reality truth reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. There are children spending time outdoors running. Take care of indoor plants. Food inflation is real. Inflation affects banks closing branches. I say goodbye to an underwear.
Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!
I played a popular classic board game for the first time solo. A Safeway deal is better than a Costco deal. A clean residence is proper maintenance. Families change for the worst--blame life. Replace wear and tear car parts is proper maintenance. There is enough marriage wisdom to avoid a clique marriage husband makes wife's dreams come true. Families must share family history to avoid the clique history always repeats itself. Only death, taxes, and health care costs never decreasing are certain. Physical injuries is not a valid reason to stop exercising.
*Jennifer Lopez. 56 year old New York City native Lopez said she's not going to get married again after four divorces and six engagements. She's choosing herself. The four husbands were Ben Affleck from 2022-2025, Marc Anthony from 2004-2014, Cris Judd from 2001-2003, and Ojani Noa from 1997-1998. The multiple engagements included Sean "Diddy" Combs, Alex Rodriguez, Casper Smart, and Drake. Four divorces suggest she's choosing herself for a long time.
*Endless Potential.
*2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina Condom Shortage. Signs were posted in Olympic Village stating, "Celebrate With A Condom." Officials waited for new shipments. Officials emphasized the program's public-health purpose. Sex for celebration. Sex to relive stress. Sex to cure boredom. Sex is a distraction. Young and horny Olympic athletes. One night stands with other athletes.
Condoms have been provided to Olympians since the 1988 Summer Olympics Seoul to raise awareness of sexually transmitted diseases at the height of the AIDS epidemic. 2024 Summer Olympics Paris distributed 300,000 condoms. 2016 Summer Olympics Rio De Janeiro distributed 450,000 condoms.
*gentrified: (of a formerly poor urban area) changed in character by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process. Having changed from a poor area to a richer one, by people of a richer social class moving to live there. A gentrified neighborhood has transformed from being a poor, working-class area to one where wealthier people live.
Gentrification is a process where increased investment in a neighborhood drives up property values and rents, displacing lower-income residents. Gentrification often increases the economic value of a neighborhood. It can be controversial due to changing demographic composition and potential displacement of incumbent residents. A poor neighborhood is shifted into a wealthy one; however, the people aren't becoming wealthier. The poorer people are being replaced with wealthier people, the previous residents remain poor, and forced out because they cannot afford the raised prices that the new residents have caused.
*precarious: a state of danger, instability, or insecurity, where something is likely to fall, collapse, or fail.
*Snowplow Parenting. The definition is parents remove obstacles, pain, and difficulties from their children's lives. The intent is increase the probability of success. An easy life without conflicts. Other terms include bulldozer parenting or lawnmower parenting.
*Vehicle Recall. Check car recalls for free at Check To Protect.
*supplicant: a person who humbly, earnestly, or submissively asks for something, usually from a person in authority, a deity, or a higher power. Synonyms: petitioner, applicant, suitor, beggar, or beseecher. Usage examples: kneeling in prayer, pleading for mercy, or requesting a favor.
*The Most Interesting Man In The World is back. And he still prefers Dos Equis. Watch on Instagram At Long Last, He's Back - Dos Equis (2026). Watch on YouTube At Long Last, He's Back - Dos Equis (2026).
*disavow: to formally deny responsibility for, connection with, or knowledge of something, often to distance oneself from it.
*allegory: a story, poem, book, or picture which can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, abstract idea, or moral principle. Parable; fable, apologue.
*Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Pumping Iron: The greatest feeling you can get in a gym or the most satisfying feeling you can get in a gym, is the pump. Let's say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles, and that's what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling like your skin is going to explode any minute. It's really tight. It's like somebody blowing air into your muscle. It just blows up and it feels different. It feels fantastic. It's as satisfying to me as coming is. You know, as having sex with a woman and coming. So can you believe how much I'm in heaven? I'm getting the feeling of coming in the gym. I'm getting the feeling of coming at home. I'm getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose out in front of 5,000 people, I get the same feeling. So, I'm coming day and night. I mean it's terrific, right? So, you know, I'm in heaven.
*Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray: Their relationship is a paradox. They don't want each other. They need each other.
*If in doubt, then edit it out.
*Vehicle Accident. Always file a claim to your auto insurance company when you're involved in a car accident with damage. Create an official record.
*90% of X is caused by 10% of Y. Apply the formula appropriately. Follow the patterns.
*If you can't sleep, then read a book. Choose an easy read such as a book you finished reading in the past.
*He is no longer a returning customer. She is no longer a returning customer. They are no longer returning customers.
Baby wipes should be a top invention included with plumbing, freon, internet, light bulb, soap, and coffee. Consider other names for baby wipes. Call them poo poo wipes. Call them save people's butts. Children use them. Adults use them. Remove the sweat. Remove the grim. Remove the slime. Remove the dirt. Remove the poop. Instant clean. Instant freshness. Bring them for vacations. Bring them for emergencies. Baby wipes can minimize uncomfortableness. Baby wipes can help people fall asleep faster.
Today's blog is the first time I said the words "Homeward Bound." My last two homeward bounds were O'Conner Hospital in Apr 2017 and Zion National Park in Sep 2016. The O'Conner Hospital was a short homeward bound. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I was an inpatient for five days and four nights requiring two surgeries Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder in two days. My parents drove me home. We stopped at a Walgreens for a prescription. The pharmacy closed in ten minutes. I choose to fill the prescription at another drug store the next day. I went to sleep immediately when we arrived home. My total sleep time was 12 hours. My dad picked up my prescription.
The Zion National Park homeward bound I flew from Las Vegas, NV to San Jose, CA. My cousin organized a day hike at The Subway Bottom Up. It was my most strenuous hike. My cousin chose to stay at a hotel outside Las Vegas because the price was cheaper and less night time driving from Zion National Park. It was easier to drive from Utah to Las Vegas in the daytime. My flight was delayed because Southwest needed to change pilots. Everyone received a credit voucher with a due date to compensate for the delay.
I'm an unprofessional anthropologist. I'm an unprofessional historian. I unprofessionally answer the question is either 1999 or 2007 the last best year? Here is a quick history of 1999 and 2007.
1999: NASA launched the Mars Polar Lander, President Bill Clinton was not convicted of impeachment, Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl, a hot air balloon circumnavigated planet Earth, Shakespeare In Love won Best Picture, the Melissa worm attacked the internet, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 10,000 and 11,000 for the first time, Kosovo War ended, Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, Napster was created, USA defeated China in the FIFA Women's World Cup, multiple earthquakes in Turkey, New York Yankees won the World Series, Exxon and Mobile merged, and Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned.
2007: iPhone debuted, Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, Virginia Tech shooting killed 32 students, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the USA House of Representatives, British Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned, Bob Barker retired as host of The Price Is Right, European heat wave, The Departed won Best Picture, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 13,000 and 14,000 for the first time, San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds became the all time home runs leader, Southern California wildfires destroyed 1,600 structures, Boston Red Sox won the World Series, and Writers Guild Of America went on strike.
A criteria for the last best year is the highest number of winners. Success is maximized. The winners and the success are measured on a global scale. The chances people become instant winners are high just by participating. People apply for jobs, interview for jobs, and hire for jobs. Colleges accept many students. There are plenty of acceptances to programs. Consumers purchase homes, cars, and long-term durable goods. Banks give loans to entrepreneurs.
More opportunities. More openings. High enrollments. There are plenty of pie slices for everyone. Spend here, invest there, and gamble or bet on the opportunity. Reduce savings to earn more money. Money is plentiful attributed to the central banks such as the Federal Reserve, Bank Of England, Bank Of Japan, Bank Of Canada, European Central Bank, People's Bank of China, and the World Bank.
The above happened in both 1999 and 2007. An economic catastrophe happened their following years. The dot-com bubble burst in 2000 resulted in a recession. The real estate bubble burst in 2008 resulted in The Great Recession. Maybe 2019 was the last best year. The COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 resulted in a recession and an inflation.
What is the last best year for the world? There are multiple answers and explanations because they depend on the perspectives.
Update On A Past Blog
I want to add two more bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings to the Top Ten Bad Advice, Bad Lessons, Or Bad Teachings blog written on Wed Feb 4, 2026. The first is calling out my parents. I connect the dots backwards as I age. I acquire more knowledge, more wisdom, and more experience. The three convince me my parents gave me bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings. Do they mean well for which they didn't want me to be a bad adult? Yes. Do they try to be the best parents they can be? No. I forgave them decades ago on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.
The second is learning Riichi or Japanese Mahjong. I quit learning Riichi in 2007. I'm lucky I relearned Riichi in 2009. The reasons I quit Riichi in 2007 were bad lessons and bad resources. The books I read were terrible. The online resources were confusing. Fortunately, there are more good books and better online resources today. I consider myself an advanced level Riichi player.
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.
California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The year started slow which sped up during the last week. My intuition told me the first days of 2026 few people were happy.
Fri Jan 2. Take out dinner at Blue Sky Restaurant.
Sat Jan 3. Night time shopping at Safeway.
Mon Jan 5. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) released a new schedule recommending the flu and COVID-19 vaccines administered after consulting a health care provider. Also, all children receive vaccines for 11 diseases instead of 18 diseases. Parents can get their children for all 18 diseases. Insurance covers the costs for all the vaccines shots.
The 11 vaccines are the following: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzal type B (Hib), HPV, and chicken pox. The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended based on clinical decision making.
Thur Jan 8. Shopped at Costco Business Center in the morning. Shopped at the Great Mall and Lucky in the afternoon.
Sat Jan 17. Picked up my car at S&K Auto Services for repairs.
Tue Jan 20. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States six years ago today. A man returned from Wuhan, China to Washington state.
A quick errand at the post office.
Thur Jan 22. The US withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO). The US was part of the WHO for 78 years. The withdrawal weakens global responses to new outbreaks. The WHO is the United Nations' health agency. It's mandated to coordinate responses to global health threats, technical assistance to poorer countries, help distribute vaccines, and set health guidelines.
The US was the biggest donor with millions of dollars and specialized health staff. The US pays $111 million a year in member dues on average and $570 million in voluntary contributions on average.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from WHO because of the COVID-19 global pandemic mishandle, no reforms, and the inability to be independent from political influence. Also, no Americans served as the chief executive. The WHO was created in 1948. The US owes the WHO $133 million in financial obligations.
Public health experts said the withdrawal hurt global health initiatives and research to identify new viral threats.
Tue Jan 27. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.
Wed Jan 28. The CDC reported people in the US lived longer because death rates returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Life expectancy continued to rise since 2022. The death rate dropped 4% between 2023 and 2024. Life expectancy increased six months to 79 years old.
The ten leading causes of death accounted for 70% of deaths in 2024. Heart disease and cancer were the top two totaling 600,000 people each. COVID-19 dropped out of the top ten. Regardless, tens of thousands die from COVID-19 yearly.
Schools teach ABC's and 123's. Schools teach 1+1=2, water is H2O, verbs, animals, and telling time. Schools don't teach manners, wisdom, and money. There is too much to learn. There is not enough school funds. There are not enough teachers. Parents must supplement their children's education. I wrote a blog FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too on Jul 30, 2009. I said, "Parents, find time to teach the soft skills schools don't teach."
There are multiple ways children can learn some lessons because we live in the Information Age; for example, YouTube. Parents must be aware some sources are wrong. Parents and children must use their best judgement they're getting accurate information.
Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen lessons schools don't teach:
13. Etiquette, Politeness, And Manners. It's unlikely teachers teach thank you, please, share, honesty, respect, more listening, and less talking. Teachers say them. Teachers don't teach them.
12. Financial Education. No person with a teaching credential knows the stock markets, interest rates, consumer price index, gold, cryptocurrency, and mortgage rates. Otherwise, the teacher works in another industry avoiding children five days a week.
11. Physical Fitness. Put the video game controller down. Turn off the phone. Get out. Move the knees and elbows. I include healthy eating for number 11.
10. Sex. The school districts policies teaching sex are a joke.
9. Depression. Welcome depression. Depression is okay. Do you feel better? If the answer is yes, then solve depression long-term. It's the deal.
8. Intuition. The late Steve Jobs said, "I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work."
Trust your gut feeling.
7. The World Is Not 100% Successful. Some dreams don't come true. Some people fail. Most things don't work out.
6. Don't Take Life For Granted. Self-explanatory.
5. Earn it. Success is not given on a silver platter.
Bonus: Time is the ultimate judge. Time will tell what you're doing in the present results in something good or something bad in the future.
4. Life Is Unfair. The first rule in Bill Gates' 11 Rules For Real Life is "Life is not fair - get used to it."
3. Bad Timing And Bad Luck. Timing and luck are factors to success and to failure. Most successful people never admit timing and luck are factors to their accomplishments. However, they're not the only factors themselves to be successful. Hard work, intelligence, repetition, and grit are factors, too.
2. Stop complaining about your crappy life. Life doesn't care about your problems. Too fat? Get physical. Eat healthy. Poor grades? Self-teach outside the textbook. No friends? Learn social skills. Get help.
1. Change. If you don't want to change, then life finds a way to change your life. You may not like life's choice for change.
Update On A Past Blog
I mention FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too written on Jul 30, 2009 for the second time. I started learning both the soft skills and the life skills in May 2015. I can't explain I consciously follow the lesson daily starting in Sep 2019.
I asked a question, "How do teachers teach failure is good?" in Reward Failure In Schools written on Nov 20, 2018. Did any professional educator find a way to teach students failure is good? Reward failure. Reward intelligent mistakes. The professional educator is a millionaire if the answer is yes.
Here are the top eight pictures I took in 2024. They're sorted from the start of the year to the end of the year. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Enjoy!
I share some of my first memories.
*First dream. I fell down from the sky at Meyerholz Elementary School in San Jose, CA. I saw wise old Asian men watching from the mountains. I landed on top of a waterslide made of square wooden pieces like a 1970s playground metal slide supported by wooden posts shaped in squares. I slid down to the main playground. The air dried me immediately. I walked home minutes away from the school.
*Pre-school. I attended Wilson Elementary School in Cupertino, CA. My teacher's name was Miss Sue. She was red haired. One school day I cried myself to the time-out section with my brown paper lunch bag. The time-out section was a wall cordoned by a large red and white color gym mat perpendicular to the floor. My brown paper lunch bag was written with my first name and last name. I read when I was four years old.
*Pre-school parking lot. The end of my school day I walked around the parking lot sidewalk saying goodbye to the school buses.
*First stuffed animal. My mom sewed. She made a lamb for me and my brother. My mom named the lambs after my brother's first name and my first name. My lamb was Raymond Lamb. There was a day my brother played with all of the stuffed animals except for Raymond Lamb. I played with Raymond Lamb alone pretending to watch the house for all of our stuffed animals. The house was the glass coffee table in the living room. My brother thank me and Raymond Lamb for watching the house when his lamb and the stuffed animals came home.
My mom made Raymond Lamb with a mean smile :< My mom made my brother's lamb with a happy smile :)
*Living room glass coffee table. I favored clean. I cleaned up the living room by moving all the toys under the glass coffee table. I told everyone the room was cleaned.
*A late afternoon walk. My parents, brother, and I walked to Meyerholz Elementary School to play at the playground. I played on the playground equipment doing everything wrong because nobody taught me how to use the equipment.
A common family knowledge is children listen to their parents. Children are taught from their parents. Brush your teeth. Candy is bad for you. Go to sleep. Do your homework. Read books. You're playing too much video games. Eat your vegetables. Include your brother or sister. You don't need *insert unnecessary consumer good*. Say thank you.
Parents are parenting. Parents are also salespeople. Parents interact with salespeople buying a car, buying furniture, and shopping for home improvements. Salespeople must build trust, creditability, and sincerity selling a good or service. Parents must build trust, creditability, and sincerity nurturing and guidance. The children are the parent's customers. Parents adapt the ABC in sales which is Always Be Closing. Or parents practice rough parenting ABP or Always Be Parenting.
I dreamed last night I was a student in high school. One class was like a Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) class. It was taught like a ROTC class. Most of the class material was ROTC. The instructor was like a ROTC who was a retired Marine officer.
The students and I were outside the classroom. The instructor told us to go inside the classroom which was like a mini gym. The ceilings were tall. The classroom was four times bigger than a standard classroom. The students were given a yellow piece of paper with questions. There were a few multiple choice questions. There were two fill in the blank. The rest were short answers.
My dream immediately fast forward to the instructor handing back the yellow piece of paper to the students. It turned out we were given a surprised test. All students did poorly. I scored a 73. The instructor punished the students by telling us to go outside and correct our mistakes. I woke up.
High School Is A Joke
My cynical thinking the ROTC like class was a waste of time. I thought back to my high school years. Many classes were a waste of time. Teenagers need to learn mathematics, learn reading, and learn writing. The deeper question is "How much depth do teenagers need to know US history, world history, geography, science, foreign language, and fine arts?" Parents are told by the government these classes must be taken to graduate with a high school diploma. US citizens should know the civil war, World War II, the capital of the USA, and water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. I reread a few literature books in high school as an adult such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane, and Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. Most of the books stank. Physical education was a joke. I don't know today's physical education curriculum.
My high school is a joke opinion may be weak. College bound high school students must take college requisites. I accept. Otherwise, my opinion has merit. Music, art, and cooking do nothing to get a good paying job in today's Information Age. Students who are lazy may have a point. They're bored. The high school standards and high school policies are a mismatch. I admit they're not perfect.
Start The Conversation
Education is passing knowledge to future generations. Any other definition is probably bullshit.
Update On A Past Blog
I add another lesson learned taking R.O.T.C. in high school. The blog is High School R.O.T.C. Leadership Lesson Another Viewpoint By Rank written on Oct 24, 2020. Here is the lesson on words.
*What is the one most important word? We.
*What are the two most important words? Thank you.
*What are the three most important words? If you please.
*What are the four most important words? What is your opinion?
*What are the five most important words? You did a good job.
*What are the six most important words? I admit I made a mistake.
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.
*Potter's Field. Unknown, unclaimed, or indigent people are buried. Pauper's grave or common grave. These are slang words for an unmarked burial ground.
*A Low Secure Cryptography. Found black wallet. The black wallet owner enters the birthday on the owner's driver license to solve the equation for the contact phone number.
*Bar Security. Picture in the women's bathroom. The secret phrase for communicating problems to the bar staff. Also, the internet shared a common drink order called "angel shot" to communicate to the bar staff I need help.
*Pregnant women shouldn't garden because of the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from contaminated soil. Toxoplasmosis causes birth defects, blindness, and learning disabilities. Likewise for common garden chemicals. Moreover, pregnant women should not change litter boxes. The source of toxoplasmosis is cat feces.
*The Elephant Question In A Job Interview. The question is a common brain teaser to test problem solving, creativity, and decision making. The question is the following: You've been given an elephant. A real life elephant. You can't sell it or give it away. What would you do with it?
My answer is the question is irrelevant to the job. You likely asked the question to make yourself look smart like a politician. Don't be a robot. Ask questions. What do you want to know about me? Let's have a conversation
*Buy it nice or buy it twice.
*Synonyms For "One Less Worry." One less concern, one fewer burden, and one less weight on your mind. Also, no need to worry, all taken care of, forget about it, no problem, and no worries.
Words: carefree, untroubled, unworried, calm, unconcerned, unbothered, unstressed, nonchalant, and lighthearted. Also, low pressure, without worry, easy going, happy-go-lucky, free of concern, free from worries, without worry, free from interference, without problems, free from interruption, and free from disturbance.
*The Best Way To Avoid An Argument. Start a conversation. Make an observation. Tell a joke. Say a riddle. Identify something stupid. The conversation buys time to calm the aggressor. Disarm the aggressor verbally to lower their adrenaline level and reduce their aggression.
*A Lesson Women Attracted To Men From The Movie Once Upon A Time In The West.
Jill: Hey, you're sort of a handsome man.
Cheyenne: But I'm not the right man. And neither is he.
Jill: Maybe not. But it doesn't matter.
Cheyenne: You don't understand, Jill. People like that have something inside. Something to do with death. If that fella lives, he'll come in through that door, pick up his gear and say adios.
*vacuum: a space entirely devoid of matter. Emptiness. A space with no gas or other matter in it. A space most air or gas removed. A volume empty of matter. Free space.
*vacuum: 1. A space empty of matter. Not achievable in practice on Earth. 2. A space all air or gas is extracted. 3. An emptiness caused by somebody or something's absence or removal.
*vacuum cleaner: an electrical appliance which cleans surfaces such as floors, upholstery, and window coverings by sucking dirt and other materials into a bag.
*A transistor radio is a small low-powered solid state electronic device consisting of a semiconductor and at least three electrodes used as an amplifier and rectifier and frequently incorporated into integrated circuit chips.
*A semiconductor is a solid material which has electrical conductivity between a conductor and an insulator.
*bulkhead: 1. A partition inside a ship, aircraft, or large vehicle. 2. A wall to hold back something.
*biome: a division of the world's vegetation that corresponds to a particular climate and is characterized by certain types of plants and animals.
*The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland located in the neck of the human being and other vertebrate animals which secretes the hormones responsible for controlling metabolism and growth. Pic credits: Cleveland Clinic, Terese Winslow, LLC, and WebMD.
*The job market is not really competitive. There are not enough opportunities.
*This sentence is false.
New mission. Refuse this mission.
Does a set of all sets contain itself?
*A Quick Scientific Notation Review. Move the decimal point to the right from the number ten's positive exponent number. Add zeroes when needed while moving the decimal point to the right. For example, 3.8 X 10^16 moves the decimal point between the three and the eight sixteen times to the right. Add zeroes for each opening to the right of the eight. 38,000,000,000,000,000 is the correct answer.
*Cut The Stems Off Flowers. The short answer is to prolong the life expectancy. Cut the stem on the bottom 3/4th inch to 1 inch on a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area allowing flowers to absorb more water. The flower's roots lose access to water when the steam is cut because an air pocket or embolism forms preventing the absorption of water.
Flowers should be re-cut after they are purchased, picked, or delivered. Cut the stems every three days. The stem wound immediately begins to heal itself forming an air pocket or embolism. Clean the vase and change the water.
*Dr. Mehmet Oz on Apr 19, 2025: . . . we're going to reduce chronic disease. How do you do that? 70% of the health care expenditures of this country are driven by chronic disease. And it is your patriotic duty, I'll stay it again, the patriotic duty of all Americans to take care of themselves because it's important for serving in the military, but it's also important because healthy people don't consume healthcare resources. The best way to reduce drug spending is to use less drugs cause you don't need them cause you're healthy. And it feels a lot better as well.
*The pelvis is a bone structure inside the hips, buttocks, and pubic region. It supports the upper body weight when the person sits, stands, or walks. It connects the lower body legs. The pelvis is the body part between your abdomen and thighs sometimes called the pelvic region. The pelvic cavity is the space between the pelvis and abdomen, holds the urinary system, and holds the reproductive organs. The pelvis opening in the female serves as the birth canal. Pic credits: Anatomy Next, Inc., Cleveland Clinic, Terese Winslow, LLC, and Wikipedia.
Blogger's note: I increase the number of random blogs from ten to twenty.
Here are twenty random blogs in order of randomly chosen. Duplicate blogs are allowed from past random blogs. There are no duplicates today. The previous random blogs are Ten Random Blogs Jul 2020 on Jul 31, 2020, Ten Random Blogs Aug 2021 on Aug 13, 2021, and Ten Random Blogs Apr 2023 on Apr 16, 2023. Update remarks are included.
1. Watch Wall Street (Sep 26, 2005). I shared my activities before and on Sep 26, 2005.
Update remark: Wall Street is one of my all time favorite movies.
2. Never Stop Learning Lesson Emphasized Because One Of The Shermans Past Away (May 05, 2017). The Shermans was a couple who lived in the neighborhood for decades. They moved to the eastern USA to be closer to their families. The husband past away. The wife passed away in Jul 2017.
The lessons I learned continue today. Never stop learning. Find new experiences to experience. Don't waste life watching television eight hours a day. Some seniors choose the sedentary life watching too much television.
Update remark: Rest in peace Bob and Alice.
3. Three Hours Of Me Time Weekdays (Feb 08, 2013). I wrote my life working Mon to Fri from 9am to 6pm. Wake up, go to work, work at the company building, go home, and sleep eight hours. Three hours of personal time remain. Repeat.
Update remark: No full time worker sleeps eight hours a night on weeknights. More workers lose concentration, act grumpy, feel weaker, and make more mistakes. No full time worker spares three hours of personal time. There are too many responsibilities in today's Information Age. A worker must complete an hour's work in 30 minutes.
A balanced life doesn't exist. The successful people don't live a balanced life to become successful.
4. Throwback Blog: I'm No Longer Nice (Aug 27, 2016). I reuploaded a previous blog be a good person. Don't be a nice person.
Update remark: I posted an I'm No Longer Nice blog update on Aug 21, 2025 Keep Going In Life. I added, "Being extra nice doesn't result in extra rewards. It's not aloofness does pay. It's niceness doesn't pay."
5. It's Okay To Live At Home (Jun 18, 2013). I wrote valid reasons sons and daughters live at home with their parents. Sons and daughters must not take for granted living at home. Sons and daughters must continue living their lives to the best of their abilities.
Update remark: The blog is 100% true today.
6. Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog February 2023 (Mar 05, 2023). California ended the pandemic state of emergency on Feb 28, 2023. It was the start of loosening restrictions and mask mandates.
Update remark: None.
7. Highlight and Favorite 2019 Tweets (Dec 30, 2020). My favorite Tweets in 2019. I share my top favorites:
Tweets
Jan 21: A conversation starter. Ask the question, "What keeps you busy?"
Jul 28: I'm not dumbing down. Never dumb down your life. Don't be an asshole for yourself. Don't let people drag you down. Nobody holds your back.
Jul 28: These people must leave your life. People come and go for good or for bad. Some people leave your life. New people enter your life.
Sep 22: I just finished watching The Shawshank Redemption. My high school and college friend watched the movie when it was released in theaters. It was the most boring movie he watched. He didn't understand the point. I avoided the movie.
Sep 22: I choose to watch the movie decades later. Good movie. Recommended. The movie is slow. I put the pieces together watching the movie without success.
Sep 22: My friend is correct up to the climax of the movie. It's the best full circle movie I have ever watched. Stick around. Don't give up. Have hope. The pieces are together. Good things can happen.
Sep 25: The female middle school student was wise beyond her years. RT @BoyYeetsWorld: one time in middle school i dated a girl for 4 days and when she broke up with me she posted on facebook sometimes your knight in shining armor is really just a loser in tinfoil and to this day that the sickest burn I've ever gotten.
Favorites
Apr 23: @NBCSSharks, BARCLAY GOODROW!!! Watch the Sharks winger's game-winning overtime goal to give San Jose an epic Game 7 victory. Pic Video.
May 12: @SportsCenter, KAWHI. GAME 7. FOR THE WIN. Pic Video.
May 12: @espn, Another look at Kawhi's Game 7 winner. Pic Video.
May 18: @SJEarthquakes, CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI. KING. #WondoWatched Pic Video.
Jun 13: @SportsCenter, Klay turning around in the tunnel and coming back out to shoot free throws had Oracle going nuts. Pic Video.
Jun 13: @BayAreaSportsHQ, This moment is an all-timer. Pic Video.
Jul 14: @SportsCenter, GAME. SET. MATCH. Novak Djokovic outlasts Roger Federer in an epic five-set #WimbledonFinal Pic Video.
Jul 14: @espn, Longest final in #Wimbledon history: 4 hours 55 minutes, 422 points, 68 games, 35 aces. Pic.
Aug 12: @SexWithEmily, As much as we like to beat around the bush, dropping hints to your partner is not the best way of communicating -- your chances of being understood are much higher when you are direct about what needs fixing. #sexwithemily #communicationisalubrication
Sep 14: @HistoryInPics, The Beatle's last live concerts—at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966 and then on a London rooftop three years later—have gone down as some of the most significant events in pop music history. Collector Finds Rare Footage of The Beatles's Top of the Pops Performance in His Attic.
Nov 19: @WakeOfWeek, I will always root for this man because of the way he has handled himself in hard times -- from bad coaches to having a different offensive coordinator every year to losing his job to Kaep to... this. #AlexSmith @lizbsmith11. Alex Smith's wife celebrates ex-49er's recovery from ghastly leg injury in emotional Instagram post.
Dec 11: @espn, Bill Belichick has his players focused on the 53 players in their locker room, not on social media. Pic.
Dec 16: @NBCSGiants, So many memories. @PavlovicNBCS takes you back through all of the best -- and funniest -- moments from MadBum's legendary Giants career. Pic Article.
Update remark: The Shawshank Redemption is my all time favorite movie. The Shawshank Redemption is not a slow movie after many rewatches.
8. Quad 3 Of 4: My Favorite Shape (Oct 24, 2006). The circle is my favorite shape. "My anything, anytime, and anywhere are going to come full circle good or bad. I make sure I create good circles and I innovate the circles."
Update remark: None.
9. Intelligence May Change Your Daily Life Intelligently (Sep 09, 2015). Use intelligence as an adverb. Think intelligently, communicate intelligently, work intelligently, and make mistakes intelligently are some examples.
Update remark: None.
10. Top 2018 Pics (Dec 17, 2019). My favorite pics posted in 2018. I share my top favorites:
Update remark: None.
11. Thought Provoking Information (Sep 03, 2017). A pics blog. The pic which inspired the title is below.
Update remark: None
12. My First Pop Tart (Sep 12, 2007). I ate a pop tart for the first time in my life. It was strawberry and strawberry with icing.
Update remark: No more pop tarts in my diet. I rarely drink milk. I stopped eating oatmeal in 2018.
13. De Anza Week Nov 15, 2010 (Nov 18, 2010). I went back to school to earn an AA degree in Accounting. I blogged one week during Winter Quarter 2010 at De Anza College. The week consisted of students and instructors with too much on their minds and too fatigued.
Update remark: They were the same yesterday. They are the same today.
14. First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays (Dec 09, 2018). I said it best. "2018 is over. I wanted to try a restaurant in another city for the first time. I was in the area on Tue Dec 4. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. Are you serious? The event summed my recent life. Bad luck. Bad timing." The blog continued expressing my frustration 2018 was the year everything went wrong.
Update remark: I have not experienced another 2018. I have not let life take control of me.
15. I Own 15 Pairs Of Shoes (Jan 28, 2021). I posted pics of my 15 pair of shoes. They include exercise, boots, formal, and casual outdoors.
Update remark: None
16. A Procedure To Stop Insanity (Sep 09, 2021). A life wisdom. Everyone is different. Everything is different. Birds of a feather flock together. Different folks for different strokes. There are matches. There are mismatches. A circle can't fit in a square peg.
Update remark: Live your life who, what, where, how, and I match who you are.
17. Lonely And Cheerful (Jul 24, 2007). I felt lonely and depressed in Jul 2007. I didn't feel cheerful. False optimism.
Update remark: The 2007 Summer Sabbatical failed. I did everything wrong. I admit I made a mistake. 2007 should have been one of the best years of my life. 2007 was one of the worst years of my life.
18. Throwback Blog: SOMT: Kodak Declares Bankruptcy (Sep 30, 2017). Toys R Us declared bankruptcy on Sep 19, 2017 which inspired the throwback blog on Kodak declared bankruptcy. The throwback blog was a brief explanation of the Kodak bankruptcy and my experiences using a film camera and a digital camera.
Update remark: Mismanagement, Amazon and Wal-Mart, and poor customer service are not the top reasons Toys R Us declared bankruptcy.
19. Work Mar 8, 2014 (Mar 08, 2014). I blogged the highlights when I worked in a retail start up. Dermatitis on my hands. Refusing a shipment. Both store locations short-handed. Purchased my first bottle of wine Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon "Generations" 2009. Wi-Fi problems.
Update remark: The dermatitis on my hands turned out to be a dirty workstation. I cleaned my workstation. No more dermatitis. I still own my Raymond wine bottle.
No smart person works in retail. Desperate smart people do work in retail.
20. Go To Sleep With A Smile (Oct 21, 2011). I was called for jury duty. I didn't get selected. The prospective jurors answering personal questions during the selection process convinced me my life is good. I sleep with a smile.
Update remark: Domestic violence can be a lifelong trauma. Some people you see when shopping are victims of crimes.
Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.
I connect the dots from yesterday to today. The following moments were down and out. There were no permanent downs and outs. The following moments could be a catastrophe. Disasters were prevented. The following moments could be negative life changes. I'm fortunate these negative life changes were temporary. The following moments were potential failures. Failures became satisfactory successes. Life found a way to bounce me back up. The system worked at the end of the day. Destiny, intuition, karma, going with the flow, divine intervention, whatever. A bad luck moment was countered with a good luck moment plus more goodness.
Faith, good luck, and/or good choices saved me from a permanent down and out. Many of these moments were luck. Few of these moments were good decisions. I needed help from family, co-workers, and friends. All assistances were appreciated. Here are the moments from oldest to newest. I categorized the moments good luck or good decision. I want to tell the story. Some of these moments connect.
*Changed Majors (Fall Semester 1995). Good decision. I changed majors from Mathematics to Economics as an undergraduate at San Jose State University. The preparing, volunteering, reading, and the guidance to become a high school math teacher were falling apart. I couldn't pass my math classes. I lost my desire.
One could say the change in majors were killing two birds with one stone. The first was switching majors my grade point average went up every semester thereafter. The second was I'm not teaching in high school today. I graduated with a Bachelors Of Science in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. I didn't waste my lower division math classes.
*First Job (Jul 1998). Good luck. It took me six months to find my first job after graduating at San Jose State University. I was a Research Analyst in a commercial real estate company. My parents pressured me to find a job naturally. I thought about going back to San Jose State University to earn a master's degree.
*Second Job (Feb 1999). Good luck. The manager who hired me at my first job hired me for my second job. Same job title in the same industry. I was a Research Analyst in commercial real estate. The second company was better than the first company. A total of five employees quit from my first company to work at the second company. Moreover, the second company saved me from the first company because I thought about quitting the first company.
*My Second Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Good luck. My first boss who hired me at my first job and my second job moved to Australia. My second boss was nothing. Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired.
I warned the office manager she was ineffective. I waited two years for her release.
*Full Metal Alchemist Midnight Marathon (May 2004). Good decision. A Fanime Con 2004 anime convention event was a midnight marathon showing the anime series Full Metal Alchemist. I watched 17 episodes from midnight to 7am. I stayed awake. The end of episode eight I said, "I'm going to cosplay Edward Elric." Edward Elric was the main character. I thank my mom for making my Edward Elric cosplay.
I contemplated retiring from anime for the remainder of 2004 because I talked to a friend much younger than me. He retired from anime. Watching the marathon delayed my retirement for nine years and four months. I officially retired in Sep 2013.
*Third Job (Mar 2007). Good luck. The second company started going downhill in late 2006. People began quitting. My third job was my first tech job. The company was the largest employer in San Jose, CA. I belong working in the tech industry.
*Grow Up (Oct 2008). Good decision. I remember the day for the rest of my life. I was lost in Aug-Sep 2008. I was weak. I realized I must grow up. My life changed forever. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans.
I include going back to school earning an Associate Of Arts degree in Accounting at De Anza College and vacationing in the state of Washington and visiting Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
*First Job In A Start Up (Nov 2013). Good luck. I was a data entry and bookkeeper in a retail start up selling high end beer, wine, and sake at a discount price. Timing was good because I needed a distraction.
*Another Tech Job (Nov 2014). Good luck. My contract job at the start up company was satisfied. I found another contract job supporting an engineer at a networking server company.
*O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2017). Good decision and good luck. I experienced stomach pains since Mar 2017. The pain was too severe. My parents took me to the emergency room. The wait time was minimal. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The hospital was not busy. The hospital was quiet. I was the only patient in a double occupancy room for three out of the four nights. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.
The moment was the first time I was an in-patient and first time doctors performed surgery.
*Safe At Home Plate, 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45, or Self Trained Genius (Aug-Sep 2019). Good luck. I can't choose a title for the Aug-Sep 2019 moment. I include any of the three. Choose any one.
I began hiking again devoting one day per month. I hiked the Montara Mountain Trail in Pacifica, CA for the first time on Labor Day weekend. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. My soul was saved. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I began training to become a self trained genius.
A Song And A Genius On The Uncontrolled Life
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you; When you think everything's okay and everything's going right; And life has a funny way of helping you out when; You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up; In your face. --Ironic, Alanis Morissette
You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. --Steve Jobs
Update On A Past Blog
The Top Ten Saves blog written on Apr 25, 2020 mentioned four moments from above: my second boss was fired at number ten, number seven mentioned The Shawshank Redemption, number four was the Fanime Con 2004 Full Metal Alchemist midnight marathon, number two was O'Connor Hospital, and number one was growing up.
Three high school saves happened in my sophomore year. I took Geometry after my sophomore year in summer school to take Algebra II in my junior year. I played chess during the lunch hour. I played softball in Physical Education.
Another moment in Fall Semester 1995 which was a save. A shoutout to my Physics 61 laboratory partner who majored in General Engineering. He saved my ass.
Gen X is known as the forgotten generation. Gen X is between the bigger size and expressive generations Baby Boomers and Millennial or Gen Y. Gen X are people born between 1965 and 1981. Baby Boomers are people born between 1946-1964. Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1996.
Our childhood was latchkey. A latchkey kid is defined as a child left home alone or without supervision for most of the day because their parents are working. Another definition is a child returns to an empty residence after school or after other activities without supervision. We went to school by ourselves. We went home by themselves. We gathered in feral packs. We roamed the streets. The activities included riding bikes, playing baseball, skateboarding, and jumping rope. We included kids we didn't like because of inclusion. There were commercials reminding latchkey parents about their children; for example, a local news commercial said, "It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are?" Our parents said before we exited the front door, "Be home before dinner." Perhaps, our latchkey childhood explained no parental involvement. No guidance. No teaching. No nurturing.
Gen X prefers calls over text. We desire offline communication over online communication. We are more patient. Persistence and grit are true attributes. The process is more valuable than the result. Privacy is paramount. We prefer cash over credit cards.
Some world events included the Vietnam War, Watergate, the energy crisis in the 1970s, AIDS in the 1980s, President Ronald Regan's Reaganomics, Chernobyl, the Berlin Wall collapse, the Cold War ended, and the Apple and IBM personal computers. There were disco, MTV, and Michael Jackson.
The Gunnie Pigs
Gen X are the first people to watch educational television such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and Schoolhouse Rock! We experienced changes in music from vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and then mp3s. We experienced changes in communication from typewriters to word processors; from landlines, car phones, pagers, mobile phones, cell phones, and then smart phones; from floppy disks, USB storage devices, email attachments, and then the cloud.
Gen X are the first workers with defined contribution accounts. These accounts are 401(k) and IRA for which the workers are responsible for their retirements. Baby Boomers retirement accounts are defined benefit pensions for which the company funded their retirement accounts. Moreover, we are the first generation both parents worked for dual incomes.
We Gen X juggle our lives by taking care of our children and our aging parents. We care about our families. We make sure our children are active such as dance class, band practices, and sports practices. We make sure our parents arrive at their medical appointments and rehab sessions. On the other hand, our generation saw an increase in the number of divorces.
Further, Gen X struggles with personal finances. It's an economic inflation storm of college tuition, utilities, mortgages or rent, insurances, and bare necessities. Some Gen X support their parents and their adult children. The increase costs make some Gen X work in their 60s and 70s. I hope they don't lose their jobs. They experience ageism while finding employment. They experience some jobs replaced with AI.
The 2000s decade Gen X's 401(k) and IRA declined because of the dot com bubble in Mar 2000 and the real estate bubble in Sep 2008. Our retirement accounts declined during a brief inflation in late 2018, COVID-19 global recession from 2020-2022, and the present inflation. We can be the first generation to experience the Social Security collapse. The forecast is Social Security loses all funding in the year 2033. Payments are decreased by 20% to 25%.
Update On A Past Blog
I wrote blogs blaming my parents for my unsuccessful life or loser life. I forgave them decades ago. It's not entirely my parent's fault. Gen X is to be blamed, too. Here are three blogs I blamed my parents: Top Ten Don't Be My Parents written on Mar 17, 2020, There Are Many Children With Parents Like Mine written on Jun 2, 2014, and Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me written on May 2, 2013.
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.
Today I read Dr. Seuss books I didn't read when I was a child. There were plenty of his books I didn't read. Any adult who read either too few Dr. Seuss books or never read Dr. Seuss books must devote three hours to read some of his classics. All parents must read these timeless classic Dr. Seuss books to their toddlers and young children.
Dr. Seuss was born as Theodor Seuss Geisel on Mar 2, 1904 in Massachusetts. Geisel created the Dr. Seuss name while studying at Dartmouth College and Lincoln College, Oxford. He received multiple awards including two Primetime Emmys and a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.
Here are the books I read:
ABC. Toddlers can learn their ABC's.
And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. Seuss's first book written in 1937. The book may awaken children's imaginations and comedian skills.
Are You My Mother? I corrected myself the crying bird is from The Best Nest. Written by P.D. Eastman.
Go, Dog. Go! The only book I read multiple times as a child. One reason was the signal lights. Written by P.D. Eastman.
Great Day For Up. The book may be written for the young parents. It's okay the great day for down.
Green Eggs And Ham. I praise the consistent writing. The child may learn consistency.
Hop On Pop. Good book on rhymes.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas! I watched the animated cartoon when I was a child. Read the book for the first time.
I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words. Teach verbs to children. Written by Michael Frith.
In A People House. Good vocabulary book.
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! Geisel used the book as a satire for the Watergate scandal in the United States from 1972-1974. Mooney was Richard Nixon.
Oh, The Places You'll Go. A number one must read for grade school children.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Introduce the young children on randomness.
Put Me In The Zoo. I remember the book in my room never read for a long time. I might have been an older child I read the book for the first time. Written by Robert Lopshire.
Ten Apples Up On Top! An action book and comedy book.
The Best Nest. The book with the crying bird. Written by P.D. Eastman.
The Cat In The Hat. Read the book for the second time. I needed to be reminded Thing 1 and Thing 2.
The Foot Book. I didn't read when I was a child.
The Lorax. Written in 1971. The book aged well.
The Shape Of Me And Other Stuff. An okay book.
There's A Wocket In My Pocket. I laughed at each page I read. Parents can learn how to communicate silly rhymes to their children.
Wacky Wednesday. My brother's favorite book. My least favorite book. I was a squared child. The incorrectness made me uncomfortable. The wisdom was wackiness must come to an end.
Update On A Past BlogI Read When I Was Five Years Old blog written on Apr 22, 2024 included the Dr. Seuss books. I remember reading Go, Dog. Go! on my desk multiple times.
