A 2026 Holiday Depressing Forecast

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

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

Begin The Divergent

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

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

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

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog January 2026

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

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

Sat Jan 3. Night time shopping at Safeway.

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

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

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

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

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

A quick errand at the post office.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Lie If You Want An Exciting Update

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

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

A Reason Some People Lie

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

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

Real Answers

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

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

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

Depression Need Christmas Distraction Before, During, And After December 25

I jogged around my neighborhood on Tue Jan 20, 2026. Yesterday was the first time I jogged in 2026. There were a few homes with their outdoor Christmas decorations. 26 days after Christmas 2025. Beforehand, there were homes with their outdoor Christmas decorations during the first full week of Nov 2025.

There must be families experiencing tough times Christmas must come early. These households needed a distraction. These households have too much time on their hands. The Christmas holiday was unsatisfactory the outdoor Christmas decorations remain outdoors today. Life has been getting harder before the global pandemic, during the global pandemic, and after the global pandemic.

Year 2026 Predicting Like Polymarket

I'm Polymarket today. I predict the year 2026. The 2026 year is 2025 part 2. 2026 is 2025 extended. 2026 continues 2025.

The devil collects more payments. More people made deals with the devil. The bills are due. Repay the contracts no more. Repay the contracts no less. If people don't pay, then chaos results. The devil profits from chaos.

There are more changes in both quantity and quality. Change is a clique at the start of every new year. However, I repeat, there are more changes in both quantity and quality. Take the average number of changes in the last 20 years. Double the average number. I remind the reader changes happen by choice. I remind the reader changes happen beyond people's control. Positive or negative. Lives are changed for better or for worse.

The number of failures increases. More people fail. Some fails are their own fault. Other fails are no fault of their own. Blame life. Blame bad timing. Blame bad circumstances. Blame bad luck. Somebody succeeds and somebody fails.

It's harder to lie. More truths are revealed. More truths are exposed. Deception requires more work.

More relationships are questioned. Examples include professional, personal, romantic, friends, family, neighbors, and online. Humanity has been getting wiser contrary to news reports and social media. The alternatives are considered. The substitutes are looked for a second time. There are more experimenting--trial and error.

Artificial intelligence is more prevalent. Individuals are less dependent on other individuals. More people forget they live in paradise at the end of the day.

A Second Look At 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Costco Oroweat Bread Is Not $7.49

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

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

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

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

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

My First Memories

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.

Beautiful House On The Outside, Ugliness House On The Inside

I live in a middle-class neighborhood. Quiet. Nice streets. Plenty of street parking. Very little crime. A private elementary school. A small public park. Nearby retail stores and restaurants. Easy access to multiple freeways.

The homes are built in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. One-story homes. Two-story homes. Few homes need major repairs. Few homes fully renovated to today's modern look. Most homes maintain their original build. All homes include front yards and back yards.

I jog around the neighborhood two times a week. I see normal neighborhood behavior. Neighbors interact with other neighbors. Some neighbors are friends. People maintain their gardens. People host gatherings when I see multiple cars parked around the house. People fix cars. Children play in the front yard. Homeowners push their garbage cans to the curb for garbage day. Repair trucks are parked in front of a house. Overall, all homes are beautiful on the outside.

Looks can be deceiving. Open the front door. Enter the house. There may be a different look. There may be a different emotion. Many of these homes have problems can't be seen from the outside. It's hard to believe there's something wrong inside these homes. The ugly problems on the inside. Financial debt. Poor medical health. Parents and children fight. Abuse. Distrust. Poor communication. Dirty, messy, dusty, and smelly by neglecting interior maintenance. Clutter. Poor nutrition. It can be hard to believe something is wrong.

My Game Over Is Coming Soon

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

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

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

No Longer Awesome Boring

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

Reject The Alternate Life

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

I'm Tired Stepping Up Making Other People Feel Comfortable

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

The title speaks for itself. Also, I'm tired of being at the short end of the stick too many times. If people want to make me happy, then do better yourselves. Unfortunately, many people lack motivation. It's okay to be angry. Angry is a valid feeling. Angry people don't act like jerks. There are boundaries.

Saturated And Flooded And Swamped Too Much Terrible

A common reason the video game arcades slowly died was the home consoles Atari, Intellivision, Nintendo, and Sega in the 1980s. Sony and the desktop PC continued the arcade death in the 1990s. Another reason was too many arcades. Arcade owners ordered more video game cabinets. Too many video arcade games led to more bad arcade games created people didn't play. Industry profits declined.

Today's Information Age is experiencing the same video game arcades history in the 1980s and 1990s. There are too many movies, television shows, podcasts, books, musicians, video games, board games, foods, drinks, and clothes. Also, there are too many YouTubers, Instagram accounts, bloggers, online tutorials for *insert subject*, TikTok influencers, online posts at bulletin boards, memes, and so-called professionals. Most are terrible.

Google arcade locations. There are arcades in existence. There are two websites which tracks arcades Aurcade and Classic Arcade Game Locations. Dave & Buster's is excluded.

Give it time. Time is the ultimate judge. The terrible fails. The terrible disappears. I'm confident the exceptions televisions, person computers, and radios don't die; on the other hand, never say never.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote a blog to start a conversation blog Tell Me You Games on Dec 22, 2014. Another idea to begin conversations is share current events life changing moments. For example, natural disasters, politics, graduations, marriages, wars, championships, celebrity events, grand openings, and first times. It's a good idea to meet new people. Get people talking. Get people socializing.

Oreo Can't Be Milk's Favorite Cookie

The Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies were part of yesterday's Super Bowl LIX snacks. It has been multiple years since I last ate an Oreo. I didn't eat an Oreo during the COVID-19 pandemic. I purchased a Costco size box on sale in Dec 2024.

I couldn't believe it after taking one bite. The Oreo changed compared to my childhood. There was less cream. The cookie felt lighter in weight. There was no crunch sound. My tongue felt foamy. It was like air holes filled part of the texture.

I read the ingredients. A few ingredients include palm oil, cocoa process with alkali, invert sugar, wheat, and soy. There is a bioengineered food ingredient. A marketing ingredient exclusion is no high fructose corn syrup. I choose not to research further the ingredients for the changed Oreo. I'm not eating Oreos. I take my chances on Costco's bakery cookies.

Mother Nature Demands Payment

The wildfires in Southern CA started on Tue Jan 7, 2025. The biggest current fires in Los Angeles County as of the blog posting: Palisades burned 23,448 acres, Eaton burned 14,021 acres, and Hughes burned 10,396 acres. The Border 2 Fire in San Diego County burned 600 acres. The Palisades and Eaton started on Tue Jan 7. The Hughes started on Wed Jan 22. The Border 2 started earlier on Thur Jan 23.

The record breaking winter snow storm along the Gulf Coast started on Tue Jan 21. The storm stretched 1,500 miles from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Carolinas along the Atlantic Coast. Snow fell in Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Airports closed. Flights cancelled. Road closures. Schools and college classes cancelled.

The Northern CA Bay Area weather is unseasonable warm in the daytime and cold temperatures between the upper 20s to upper 30s in the nighttime. No rain storms in weeks. There is talk about droughts for Summer 2025.

Mother nature assesses penalties to humankind. My household gives partial payments by consuming less. I shave with cold water since Jul 2022. I have been taking cold showers to save water. My mom shops less.

Consumption, destruction, production, reproduction, and expansion for humankind. Mother nature wants payback for all of them. Mother nature wants its share of humankind progress. Mother nature can end the present humankind in minutes. Two million years later another humankind life cycle starts over.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is another forgotten memory for the Top Ten Forgotten Moments written on Feb 15, 2020. There was a Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles mini vacation during the 2002 Thanksgiving weekend. I rode with my uncle, aunt, and grandfather. My family drove separately arriving later. I purchased a jacket at a thrift store for which I wear indoors every winter. The jacket still fits. My dad built a desktop PC when we stayed over in Los Angeles. I forgot my portable CD player containing my Spirited Away anime soundtrack. I retrieved the CD player and soundtrack attending a wedding in Los Angeles in Jul 2003.

Smile For One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars

My regular dental cleaning was in Dec 2024. The dentist said I needed five resins costing $1,300. The resins are a generic term. Specifically, the dentist fills in gaps between the teeth to minimize debris stuck between the teeth and gums, and minimize decay. $1,300 or $260 per tooth is expensive; on the other hand, the alternative is future gum surgery which costs higher and more inconvenience.

I went shopping afterwards. The first two retail locations were two high class malls. I thought about $1,300 dental work and $1,300 for X object(s) many stores sell. The chances of X object(s) are useless for practical uses. A $100 jacket is good as a $1,300 jacket. Almost nobody cares for a $1,300 pretty decoration on a table. I thought "a who cares he or she has it (them)" item(s) for sale in the two malls.

Consumerism at its best. Consumerism creates jobs. We don't complain on televisions, movies, clothes, toys, automobiles, and tech gadgets. We complain on food, insurance, utilities, and dental work. Some people need to re-evaluate their budgets and their priorities. A smile can earn more than $1,300 in money. Nobody wants his or her partner with bad dental hygiene during sex.

All prices increase. Higher costs. Spend wisely. It's the 2025 advice of the year.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is additional information on the blog Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story written on Mar 23, 2024. The media doesn't report the real story.

Many legal homeless people receive government support such as Social Security, disabled veterans pensions, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Some homeless people don't meet the rules for government support.

Some homeless people refuse shelters by choice. Women feels unsafe. Pets are prohibited. Must be sober. Strict curfews; for instance, homeless people with jobs and/or visit family members conflicts with the curfew. Couples must be married to be admitted together.

Screwed Or Not Screwed

I ask questions about myself. I answer "screwed" or "not screwed" followed by an explanation. I choose no NSFW answer "fucked" or "not fucked." There is no 50/50 middle ground. If it's 51% screwed, then I'm screwed. If it's 51% not screwed, then I'm not screwed. Here are the self-analysis questions:

*Find a job: screwed. The unemployed readers know the truth. There are fewer job openings. There are too many unemployed seeking employment from the fewer job openings.

*Health: not screwed. I include physical fitness. I workout four days a week. I minimize eating processed foods. I sleep eight hours a night. I drink water when I'm thirsty.

*Money: screwed. All prices are going up. All costs are going up. All payments are going up.

*Job training: screwed. On the one hand, I finished my self job training on Apr 19, 2024 Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology. On the other hand, the continued job training remains too slow. There is too much to learn. There are good free learning resources. I'm skeptical on paid online training.

*Learning outside the job training: not screwed. Finding new life skills is slow and sure. An advantage being unemployed is plenty of time to learn. These skills can be useful tomorrow.

*Socialize with friends and family: not screwed. I started meeting my friends post pandemic. I started meeting new people post pandemic. I'm patient.

*COVID-19: not screwed. I wear masks. I'm updated on the latest vaccines. I never tested positive.

*Timing, luck, destiny, karma: screwed. The world has not been flowing in my favor for years.

*Time remaining to live life: screwed. My life is either paused or moving forward too slowly. I follow through everything I learned. Too many delays. Too many stalls.

*Happiness in the short term: not screwed. I wrote being a happy loser My Problems Are Nothing on Dec 27, 2024 compared to many people with bigger unhappy problems.

*Happiness in the long term: screwed. Money is not a factor to become happy. However, money helps a person become happy. I don't know the future regarding money.

*Mental: not screwed. I separate physical health and mental health. I read books. I job training. I learn life skills. Never stop learning.

Worried Or Not Worried

I share current events concerns and personal concerns. The concerns are in alphabetical order. Am I worried or am I not worried?

*2024 Presidential election: not worried. The US people speaks on Tue Nov 5. We vote for the correct president.

*Children and teens: worried. Small sample size. I read stories the children of Generation Alpha and teens of Generation Z intelligence are underdeveloped. They're learning few life skills. They're social skills are poor for which it's hard to interact with other people.

*Climate change: worried. The temperatures are increasing. I include the demand for natural resources and demand for utilities increasing. I also include droughts causing lower water supply.

*COVID-19: worried. The unvaccinated must listen to the experts. Get vaccinated. Stop the spread. The virus is smart. The virus mutates. I continue to wear my mask.

*Economy: worried. The economy has been in a recession during COVID-19 and after the COVID-19 inflation. The US can't sustain the record debt. The economy can't kick the can down the road forever. The road must end.

*Food supply: not worried. The experts say there's plenty of food. The problem is the food distribution. However, it seems more people are malnourished.

*Garbage: worried. There is too much trash. The municipal recycling system is confusing. I include too much consumption.

*Guns: not worried. A gun itself doesn't kill. A gun on a person's hand kills.

*Health care: worried. There are too many people. There are not enough resources to satisfy the demand. I include the justice system and the education system.

*Homelessness: worried. The local government homelessness programs can work. The homelessness is reduced significantly by eliminating the drug addiction by 20%. Mental illness is more challenging than drug addiction; although, drug addiction and mental illness overlap for some homeless people.

*Jobs for everyone: worried. The job market has been tough before COVID-19, during COVID-19, and today. There are not enough jobs for the growing number of people looking for work. Artificial intelligence is a factor.

*Loneliness: worried. People must never give up being strong. Strong people attract other people. Unfortunately, more people are giving up their lives repelling potential friends.

*My life long term: worried. Living a life with minimal income is unsustainable. See Jobs for everyone.

*My life short term: not worried. My current life is stable. I read books, exercise, self job train, and take care of the household. No complaints.

*My physical health: not worried. I workout four days a week to minimize health problems. I minimize eating processed foods. I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

*My money: not worried. Keep the discretionary spending in check. Make the best of what I can afford. Stay busy with what I own.

*Nuclear missiles: not worried. No country takes the initiative to launch nuclear missiles. Watch the movie War Games.

*Population decline: not worried. There are plenty of people on planet Earth.

*Population physical health: worried. Too much time on non-physical activities. Too little time on physical activities.

*Racism: worried. Racism and discrimination existed yesterday. Racism and discrimination exist today. Racism and discrimination exist tomorrow. Today's youth can change my mind.

*Sleep: worried. Too many people are sleep deprived. If the busy people spend 20% more time sleeping, then the world is less stressed.

*Smart phones: worried. Self-explanatory. There is too much time spent on smart phones.

*Sports betting: worried. The games are rigged. Otherwise, Las Vegas and the sports betting industry are out of business.

*Stock market: not worried. I admit I'm ironic. I worry about the economy. I don't worry about the stock market. Stocks only go up. Stocks go down when the otherwise happens.

*Successful people and unsuccessful people: worried. There are more people unsuccessful through no fault of their own. There are not enough opportunities for the people working on success. See Jobs for everyone.

*Taxes: worried. I'm 100% pro people pay their fair taxes. People must pay for the government to run the country. The government doesn't run for free.

*Television: worried. There is too much TV to watch. There's no logical reason to watch all the shows.

*Video game addiction: worried. There's nothing wrong with playing video games. I'm worried about the player's life outside the keyboard and/or controller.

*World War III: worried. I don't follow international politics closely. A country or countries lose in the Middle East war. Another answer to the question is another terrorist attack succeeds on the US soil.

Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story

KTVU Fox 2 News reported on a homeless encampment eviction in Oakland, CA on Apr 10, 2023. YouTube link Eviction day for Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment. The homeless were being cleared for a city affordable housing project. The news report was superficial. The YouTube comments and opinions told the real story. I select 24 posted below.

@kxngdavid 11 months ago: "They can't get rid of us. We're dug in like ticks." Spoken like a person who doesn't have any intentions of getting off the streets.

@juanitaannporras3775 7 months ago (edited): The woman who said, "Glorified prisons they're inadequate to feed the basic human needs and rights of a person" might not understand what being homeless means! The transition homes are a step up from sleeping on the sidewalk or living in a tent.

@gls3894 8 months ago: That woman is a prime example of a homeless person whom no matter how much money or [opportunity] you give her, she has no intention of leaving the street. Stop giving them free food and d.ope(sic) and they will leave.

@dylanberg1188 7 months ago: There are more than enough resources available for the homeless. Many of them simply don't want to take advantage of them. They would rather be homeless and live however they want than be exposed to any amount of accountability.

@02SCDC5 11 months ago: it has nothing to do with affordable housing AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH DRUGS

@roroneto 8 months ago: The problem is that shelters don't allow the crime and filth they want to live in. It is not about housing or basic human needs; it comes down to antisocial behavior.

@leeboriack8054 11 months ago: As a person in recovery, you can't help someone, who doesn't want to participate in their own recovery or improving their life.

@m.scottreeder 11 months ago: I served 19 consecutive years in the Alabama Department of Corrections (2002-2021). Around ten days after release, I took a Greyhound from Montgomery, Alabama to Spokane, Washington, where I have been living here since release. When I first arrived in Spokane on 09/01/21, I sought shelter at House of Charity. They took me straight in, not once was I forced to sleep in the streets. There were (and always will be) places across Spokane to get a free meal, not just a bag of snacks. The VA, Goodwill, plus other agencies got me stable shelter, and I have not been homeless since. The point is, to get blessed with what I got, the person wanting to escape the streets MUST go all out to make the f***ing difference. No more excuse-making, smoking that fentapoison, casinos, and other BS. Keep all of your appointments with the VA, Goodwill, the Salvation Army--whomever!! You can't give up on yourself!! Your victory off the streets encourages others to go for it.

@dandorris8531 11 months ago: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

@julieslatton8714 11 months ago: Looks at the mess you made if you can keep it clean maybe you wouldn't get evicted.

@exoressdelivers70 11 months ago: I volunteer at a shelter. We always have open beds available but most of the homeless don't come here because we have an 11:00pm curfew, no drugs or alcohol, and no cohabitating with someone who they're not married to. They say they'd rather live on the streets where they can be 'free'.

@MarcusTheJR 11 months ago: I was homeless myself, from South Carolina to North Dakota. And the overwhelming majority of homeless people don't wanna change. They aren't gonna work hard to not be homeless.

@kingofcorridosfilm2154 11 months ago: Interesting how them paying for their own housing was not even mentioned as an option.

@geigertec5921 11 months ago: It doesn't matter if they have homes or not, they create the same environment for themselves regardless. A neighbor of mine owned a nice house but lived like she was homeless - never cleaned up after herself, abused drugs and alcohol, didn't work, then she died of a drug OD and her body turned into a skeleton by the time anyone realized she was dead.

@catalinaWineMixerfan 11 months ago: I have been homeless with my son bc of bad decisions I made..but if you have a positive mind frame you can turn it around. I worked, we lived in a studio apartment, got government help like welfare and foodstamps, now my son is 16 and we have a good clean simple life. You can turn it around if you want to but you have to try and want it!

@sygnusadun4832 11 months ago: Currently homeless and living out of my pickup while I wait on my new apartment to open up. I've been homeless a few times from living in a storm drain to staying in a shelter and I can 100% vouch that these people 9/10 times don't want help or a way out, they want a handout and get mad when you wont give them one. I have risen out of the hole each time through hard work and frugal spending until I can reach a place of stability. You gotta want it, you gotta earn it

@lickourballs1atatimeok 11 months ago (edited): The HOMELESS don't want any responsibility

@uscustomzauto 11 months ago: These governors and the regular public need to realize that some of these people just want to live like this. It will never stop.

@janinecarson8380 11 months ago: There are different kinds of homeless people. There are the addicts, the mentally ill, and some for whom it's a lifestyle choice. And then there are those folks who just can't find an affordable place to live. The latter category should get the highest priority in my opinion.

@alangrant5684 8 months ago: You can build 1000 million dollar homes with total gov support and funding and it will STILL end up being the same crappy dump because of drug addictions and unwillingness to change.

@pangchang3332 11 months ago: I use to intern at a homeless shelter. Homeless people are some of the most ungrateful people I know. Literally 80% [didn't] want to help themselves. They were given every kind of help to help them get back on their feet or help them learn basic things to sustain their lives but they wouldn't take it they wanted everything to be given to them.

@allisonoconnor8055 7 months ago: Most of the homeless bums on the west coast aren't even from those cities originally

@DavidWilliams-so2dy 11 months ago: Transitional housing and shelter facilities must have rules and guidelines to function without total chaos. These guys aren't willing to abide by anyones(sic) rules. They want to be drunk and high all the time. They want to come and go as they please at all hours.

@saturnstar718 11 months ago: I've worked in social work, here's my estimate (*some people can fit in 2 or more categories):

5% of the people became homeless because of terrible life events (e.g. loss of job, medical issues, never got a high school diploma).

15% of the people became homeless because of mental health issues.

80% of the people became homeless because of DRUGS! They don't want shelters because there are curfews---they won't be allowed to use drugs. Lots of times when they get section 8, their homes become drug dens, affect neighbors and they get evicted.

For those serious about sobriety, let's get them help. Those who need mental health, let's help them (if they are so sick they can't make decisions, commit them indefinitely).

For those playing games and wanting to be "ticks" in their area---PRISON!

Instant Bullets Blog Feb 8, 2024

*The US Prison System. I read from an ex prison guard. Sex based offenses aren't tolerated in general population. The prison he worked these convicts are called SO. The SOs shower separately. SOs, severe mental illness, and ex law enforcement are separated in protective custody units.

Moreover, a lot of prisoners need help. They ended up locked up with sociopaths. Most are under-medicated or over-medicated. All are undertreated.

*Similarly, the foster care system is similar to prisons. Combining children with trauma and mental health problems don't make a nurturing environment. Foster care facilities are a jail for children.

*cordon: a line of circle of police, soldiers, or guards to prevent access to or from an area or building. Prevent access to or from an area or building by surrounding it with police or other guards. The troops cordon around the headquarters. The city center was cordoned off after fires were discovered in two stores.

I thought cordon was pronounced "corner off" when I was a child.

*The World Needs More Kind Teachers. Teachers communicate silently to their students writing notes. Next, teachers walk up to the student's desk to give additional help instead of calling out the student in class. It avoids potential shame.

*Is The Color Grey? Follow the instructions. Both blocks are the same color. Use your finger to cover the middle line. Light plays an important role in how we perceive color.

You may cover half of the middle line above or below.

*Internal Monologue. There are brain mechanisms which cause a person to hear himself or herself talk in their head without speaking. On the other hand, a person visually hears himself or herself talk if he or she doesn't hear his or her inner voice. For example, a person visually looks at a to-do list and can't hear himself or herself think.

*Aphantasia is the inability to visualize images in the brain. Mind blindness. Aphantasia is pronounced a-fan-tas-ia.

*A cow is female given birth to a calf. A heifer is a female cow not given birth to a calf. A bull is a fertile male. A steer is a castrated male calf. An ox is a fully grown castrated male.

*Miscarriage And Stillbirth. A miscarriage is a loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy. A stillbirth is loss of a baby at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. A miscarriage and a stillbirth describe pregnancy loss.

*Harry Potter. Diagon Alley is diagonally. Knockturn Alley is nocturnally. Grimmauld Place is grim old place.

*Snap Fingers. The snapping fingers sound is from the fingers hitting your palm. Specifically, the middle finger hitting your palm. The sound is not the friction between your middle finger and thumb.

Snap your fingers. Hit the palm hard with your finger.

*A Child Is Thirsty. A child asks the parents for a glass of water late night. One of the parents is lazy walking to the kitchen. The mom or dad gets water from the bathroom. The child complains he or she wants kitchen water. Water is water. Don't be fussy.

*Dear Abby Oct 24, 2023. 1. The dad is a bad cook. Her advice is the entire family cooks together. 2. Son getting married and father wants to bring his special friend because mother has dementia. Her advice is no special friend because his special friend is a wedding distraction. 3. Old high school girlfriend heard old high school boyfriend arrested wants to contact his mother. Her advice is contact approved because they continue their relationship. Click Dear Abby Tue Oct 24, 2023 to view the column.

*Rank from 1 to 5 being 1 most important and 5 least important the following: emotional, financial, mental, physical, and spiritual. My rank is 1 physical, 2 mental, 3 spiritual, 4 emotional, and 5 financial. I define my spiritual as sleep because I have no religion.

*Human beings don't know what they need until they have seen what they asked for.

*sanctimonious: making an exaggerated show of holiness or moral superiority. A sanctimonious control freak.

*omniscient: knowing or seeming to know everything. I'm the omniscient narrator.

*Can a person experience the highs without experiencing the lows?

*Make A Marriage Bet. Make a marriage wager. Look at the groom when the bride walks down the aisle in a church. Don't look at the bride. Make the appropriate bet.

Another note. Neither the bride nor the groom wants to reverse engineer or connect the dots backwards a failed marriage. The multivariant equations are weaponized.

*A Granola Person. Granola loves the outdoors, low maintenance, and conscious of the environment. The outside activities including camping, hiking, and skiing. Granola supports local businesses. Granola eats organic foods.

*Successful Marriage? Yes or no. A couple is married for 50 years. 47 of the 50 years are miserable. The couple is not divorced.

*The secret lies in the reading and the writing. You are able to read. Every day you must read one page from some good book to your child. Every day this must be until the child learns to read. Then she must read every day, I know this is the secret. --Mary Rommely, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn