A Beginning Of An End Began On Fri Jul 24, 2026

I completed errands first thing in the morning yesterday. I filled my car with gas. I shopped for groceries. I withdrew cash at the bank. I paid a department store's credit card bill. The rest of the day I cooked the household meals. I read books. I job searched. I checked my emails. I exercised.

A day-long thought was in the back of my head. The self job training is ending. I started the self job training in May 2015. I reviewed existing skills SQL, VBA, Excel, and HTML. I learned new skills including Python, CSS, JavaScript, Git, Power BI, Linux, and R. I fulfilled the reviewing and the learning on Mar 25, 2024 self graduating with a degree in Analytics Research Technology. The detailed timeline is the blog Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology posted on Apr 19, 2024.

I reduced the post graduate self job training to three days a week starting on Nov 2024. I finished reviewing HTML and CSS. Python and Excel continue. The AI training is the basics concentrating on Claude and Gemini. There are no plans for a post graduate degree.

Get Back

I may be going back to the year 2010. Get Back to year 2010? I wrote the Get Back blog on Jul 13, 2011. Today's Get Back is somewhat different than the Jul 13, 2011's Get Back. Excel reviewing and Python learning are indefinite. The two are my De Anza College classes. There are free and paid AI classes. Which classes match my career?

Furthermore, there is free time on days I don't self job train. What do I do? There are anime series I neither started nor finished during my anime days. There are video games on my Steam account I never played. Hiking is an option. I can't exclude a visit to San Francisco. Ice skating is being planned for Winter 2026. There are curbs to happy go-lucky days. There are barriers to fun. There are financial limits. My maturity keeps me in check.

People Fail Intentionally Or Unintentionally

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

Update On A Past Blog

I write another thought on the blog I Did It Right written on Nov 14, 2013. I wrote I lived life correctly no matter the good times and the bad times, the successes and the failures, and the good lucks and the bad lucks. The blog was another reminder of growing up. I can't control everything. Never stop learning. Correct mistakes. Be grateful. Forgiveness.

I complete the plan. I follow the instructions. I adapt the system. I perform my job. I work everything correctly. Learning is finished. Training is completed. I'm sincere. I'm honest. The end result is failure.

There are 32 NFL football teams. Two of the 32 teams play for the NFL championship at the Super Bowl. The two teams' coaching staff create a plan. The two teams' players follow their instructions. The systems are established. All players know their jobs. They practice hard. One team wins. The other team loses. One team is successful. The other team and the 30 other teams not playing in the Super Bowl are failures.

An oversimplified hiring process for an open job position. 500 people apply for the job opening. 20% of the applicants qualify. 100 people remain. 20% of the applicants exceed the job requirements. 20 people remain. The hiring manager selects 6 candidates to interview. One candidate is hired. The other 499 people are not hired. The other 499 people fail for whatever reasons.

People can do everything correctly. People do fail. The people include me. The people include the reader. Most projects fail. Most businesses fail. Most relationships fail. Most people fail. Success is relative. Failure is absolute. Although, successful people can be wrong. Successful people can be lucky. Life is weird. Life is unfair.

There are false losers. I wrote about These Young People Are False Losers on Aug 7, 2022. These young people experience bad breaks and bad luck.

Data Analyst Actually Data Entry Dream

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Harder To Make Other People Angry

Most people do a poor job making other people angry. It's unnatural to piss off other people. These people are raised and behave to avoid confrontations. It's better to reason or to negotiate than being angry at each other. Proactive is better than reactive.

There are times the anger emotion is valid. The default "fuck you, asshole" rarely works. The other party is unconvinced. The other party thinks, "do better pissing me off." The other party thinks you're not the person to make me angry. Talking anger smart-ass is an art. Trash talking with malice is an art. Communicating degrading criticism is an art. It's like a master sharpshooter intentionally missing the target which is harder than hitting the target. It's like a professional singer singing offkey which is harder than singing on tune. If you want to make other people angry, don't think. Use intuition. Pretend to behave like a professional bully. Be a Homer Simpson. Don't be a Ned Flanders.

Two simple actions may work. One action is ignoring or keep silent; although, passive aggressiveness rarely succeeds. The second action is counterintuitive. Give a thumbs down instead of the middle finger. The PG movie rated family friendly reaction may be better than the R movie rated mature audiences only reaction.

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.

Parents Are Salespeople, Too

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.

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.

Maxed Out On Career Learning

I finished my WordPress self job training last week. Full disclosure. The WordPress was a satisfactory failure. The training resulted in finding a new web hosting provider for my webpage Innovate Infinitely and ending the training project due to costs. The last WordPress tutorial was an offline training I found from the YouTube algorithm. Regardless, I added the skill to my resume.

The remaining self job training skills are Excel, Python, and HTML as of the blog post. Years 2022 and 2023 were peak with the following skills: Excel with Power Pivot and Power Query, Git, Linux, Power BI, Python, R and R-Studio, SQL, and Sublime Text. There is no new job training related to my profession thereafter. Reviewing existing job skills are too repetitious with no additional benefits--borderline boredom and tiredness. It's like no more promotions. There's nothing more going up. My salary is maxed. My rank is at the top ceiling. Anything new adds no additional value; although, I receive information to learn PyTorch for machine learning.

I never thought about running out of new job training skills. I never realized the self job training spanned a decade. Students graduate high school. Students graduate college. The common wisdom is never stop learning; however, all training must come to an end. The student takes the pebble from the master's hand.

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.

The Green Steno Notebook 11

Blogger's note: There are three consecutive Green Steno Notebook blogs. Today is the third of three.

The picture above is the notebook I acquired on the first day of my new white collar job. I wrote notes during my job training. I wrote other notes, reminders, and knowledge thereafter. I share many of them. Here is the ninth blog.

*Apr 12, 2022. Dream last night. I played for the San Jose State Spartans baseball team. We played to qualify for the College World Series. Men on second base and third base. I hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning on the first pitch to the opposite field.

*Apr 12, 2022. Removed arm rests from the laptop desk chair. I thought the arm rests were permanent. Incorrect. Arm rests were bolted.

*Apr 27. Dad installed a new shower head.

*Apr 30. Everyday carry idea. Fire starters made from cotton balls. Cover each cotton ball with 3/4th Vaseline.

*May 20. REI lifetime membership increased to $30. REI Anniversary Sale fewer items for sale.

*May 21. Four forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force.

*May 22. Albert Einstein's Theory Of Relativity. Energy = Mass X Speed Of Light squared or E = MC^2.

A new theory devised is really an extension of the previous theory. Disprove a theory find a single observation disagreeing with the prediction; however, there can be an exception or an incorrect test.

Werner Heisenberg uncertainty principle. There are limits we know the properties of a pair of particles simultaneously. We know more of one particle and we know less of the second particle.

Space-time is curved. Space-time is not a straight line.

Not finite. There are boundaries.

*May 29. Entropy measures the degree of disorder of a system. Disorder increases if things are left to themselves; for example, stop making repairs around the house. One can create order out of disorder; for example, paint a house. Creating order requires expending energy which decreases the amount of ordered energy available.

Anthropic Principle. "We see the universe the way it is because we exist." There are two versions: the weak and the strong.

*May 29. The correct way below.

*Peel a banana at the bottom.
*Place food required to be cold at the rear of the refrigerator. Maximum coldness and minimize warmness.
*A security procedure. Substitute crossing out words and numbers by adding words, letters, and numbers.
*Peel Post-It notes sideways.
*Bobby pins the scribbly part is downwards.
*The center part is empty when microwaving.
*Use the pizza saver to assist selecting a pizza slice instead of the other hand.
*Put ice cream inside a freezer bag.
*Side sleep on the left side on the mattress. Minimize the chances of digestive stomach pain.

*May 31. Drove from the post office to Costco. Air conditioning on. Switched air circulation from outside to recycle because smog coming out of a black Toyota Camry's tailpipe.

*Jun 22. NFL Commission Roger Goodell testify regarding the Washington Commanders owner Dan Synder's toxic workplace. "We're not perfect, but we do our best."

*Jun 28. Played Puzzle Fighter II for the first time. Slept at 5:30am in the morning.

*Jun 29. Played Puzzle Fighter II for the second time. Slept at 4:00am in the morning.

*Jun 30. Played Puzzle Fighter II for the third time. Slept at 1:00am in the morning.

*Jul 3. Played Puzzle Fighter II for the fourth time. Slept at 4:20am in the morning. Quit. Other priorities.

*Jul 11. Shaved with cold water for the first time.

*Jul 13. Cooking bok choy and other vegetables. One bowl and one plate. Safety. Second batch fully cooked use the one plate to transfer to the one bowl instead of second batch to the almost filled to the top one bowl.

*Jul 16. A gift idea for me. Anything vanilla flavor.

*Jul 28. Broil water at night instead of day. Water cools faster overnight.

*Aug 14. My parents eat whole wheat buns because wheat buns are softer than white buns.

*Aug 19. Air compressed jogging shoes. Too much debris inside.

*Aug 20. Shopped at Under Armour Outlet Store at the Great Mall in Milpitas, CA. Buy one, get one free on socks $24. One pack of socks fit my size. Fitted running shirt $40. Loose workout shirt $25. Poor selections on the shirts. I couldn't find my color. Exited store empty handed.

*Aug 21. Two bathroom carpets at stairway bathroom. Rotated smaller brown bathroom carpet perpendicular to blue bathroom carpet. No carpet overlapping each other.

*Sep 4. Home air conditioner set to 79 degrees. Turned on early.

*Sep 6. Job trained before breakfast. Forecast daytime high 104 degrees. Lower chance of rolling blackout. Perhaps, new procedure on hot days. Job train first. Eat breakfast second.

*Sep 6. 109 degrees. Hottest day on record.

*Sep 7. 1 + 1 = 6. Wrong thinking.

*Sep 8. A complete water shut off is located at the water meter. The house's green knob doesn't shut off the water completely. The house's red knob shuts off the sprinklers. The red knob is stuck--doesn't turn.

*Sep 9. Dad fixed the shower knob.

*Sep 13. Add more clothes during the early washing stage for the washer. Press Pause/Cancel button once. Wait for Door Locked light to turn off. Open door. Add more clothes. Close door. Press Power button.

*Sep 16. 99% Invisible podcast. Google search. Add :reddit with no spaces between the colon and reddit to search at Reddit for information. For example, favorite books:reddit or greatest books:reddit.

*Sep 21. Reinstall Ubuntu 22.04 multiple times. Failed. Reinstall Ubuntu 20.04.

*Oct 2. Heard strange sounds in the dryer. An object? Turned off dryer. Checked inside. Found a soda can pop opener.

*Oct 4. Exit the house from the garage if the floor at the front door is empty after mopping.

*Oct 9. You loose when you're tired. You win when you're insane. Movie from Cold Eyes.

*Oct 10. Installed new car battery. Clean terminals with fine sand paper. Connect positive terminal first. Negative terminal second. No need to remove the perpendicular bar. Loosen the bar.

*Oct 26. Evoland is the video game RPG history of RPG play, graphics, gameplay, and music.

*Oct 30. Ate cold Milky Way for the first time since 2010.

*Nov 7. Replaced windshield wipers. Passenger side blade crumpled when I touched it.

*Nov 10. Costco sold books. A few New York Times Bestsellers. Children books. Examples include Pigeon Ride Roller Coaster and Odder. I was surprised. Must be Christmas.

*Nov 10. Chevron gas station. Pump problems. Slow filling up. Intuition told me to move myself and wait behind my car just in case of topping off. Nozzle topped off spilling gas.

*Nov 17. Need sharp tool in an emergency. Remove the vehicle's license plate. Sharp straight edge length.

*Nov 21. Use a regular towel instead of paper towels when I anticipate washing my hands multiple times while preparing meals. Save paper towels.

*Nov 21. A self-discovery years ago driving. Open the front driver side window and the rear passenger side window for a diagonal line good air ventilation.

*Nov 27. There are matches inside the light brown ceramic bowl in the family room.

*Nov 28. For Nov 24. Create a label with number sequence from 1 to 0 on my monitor below the Windows task bar. The label assists me in navigating programs or togging programs using the shortcut keys Win+1, Win+2, Win+3, Win+4, . . ., Win+0.

*Dec 7. Under Armour Black Friday order delivered one day early. My dad's Amazon order delivered one minute later. I didn't hear the FedEx trucks even though the window is open. Lucky mom was outside to pick up the packages.

*Dec 17. Take off my indoor jacket when I brush my teeth. Lower the chances my shirts get wet.

*Dec 17. Rewrite summary tips jogging. Shoulder blades slightly back. Easier to breathe. More oxygen in lungs. Head straight up. Look forward. Chin slightly up. Arms slightly touching rib cage. 90 degree angle at elbows; loose first, swing arms additional momentum created like hiking with trekking poles. Twist upper body, too? A little. Strong core. Active core. Efficient hip movement. Land your feet at mid-foot. Forward lean. Don't be too upright. Blogger's note: Not an expert at jogging.

*Dec 21. Drove from Kohl's to Safeway-Winchester Campbell. Driving on the streets was slower than driving on the freeway. All signal lights were red when I arrived at the intersection.

*Dec 21. Ate two donuts for the first meal of the day. Stomach ache. No fried foods for the first meal of the day. One donut should be okay.

*Dec 21. Jog wearing boxer briefs. Stinging pain upper right leg. Solution is shave hair off my upper legs.

Professional Knowledge Shared As Common Knowledge

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

1. Financial institutions use older versions of Excel.

2. Document everything.

3. Daycare teachers clean toys and equipment.

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

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

6. You need two coats of paint.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. Financial institutions software security is outdated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Democrats Are Unhappy They Won

Today's blog likely makes no sense to the reader. It's okay. I'm not a political scientist. I'm not an expert in government. I didn't take any classes on constitutional law. I write an unprofessional opinion on the US politics.

The Democrats won. The liberals won. The left side won. The victories happened decades ago. The best examples include The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, legal abortion maintained, fewer racial discrimination or greater equality or DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, LGBTQ+ rights acknowledged, and more people gaining wealth. More people earn incomes to live a comfortable life.

The victories were too victorious. The wins were too good. The Democrats are unhappy. The Democrats lost their motivation. Bring on the chaos by the Republicans. Bring on stirring the pot stew. Bring on the uncomfortability. Bring on the unprecedent firsts. Bring on the new laws. There are changes. President Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hiliary Clinton and the 2024 election against Kamala Harris; although, some people say the Democrats lost the 2016 election and lost the 2024 election instead of the Republicans winning. Perhaps, the Democrats took for granted they win the 2016 election and the 2024 election. I digress. Abortion is unprotective on a federal level. Tariffs are back. Obamacare is changed on the federal level. Illegal immigrants are being deported. DEI setbacks. Federal health policies are changing.

There is no impeachment against Trump during his second term as of today. I read past news articles a congressman or a congresswoman began the impeachment process. Nothing happened thereafter. There were rallies hosted by the Democrats to convince the US citizens to oppose President Trump and the Republicans. Nothing happened thereafter.

Winners are supposed to be happy. Losers are supposed to be unhappy. Losers can be happy by learning from their mistakes. Winners can be unhappy with an irrational reason. The Democrats are unhappy.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog August 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The federal government changed the policies for people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The number of positive cases continue to increase.

Tue Aug 5. The Secretary Of Health And Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. cancelled contracts and funding for vaccines being developed for respiratory viruses. 22 projects totaling $500 million for mRNA vaccines halted. Kennedy removed the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, fired the panel which recommends vaccines, and stopped vaccine endorsements. Pfizer and Moderna are two pharmaceutical companies affected by the cancelled contracts.

Kennedy is a critic of mRNA vaccines. He wants safer and broader vaccines which don't stop working when a virus mutates.

The COVID-19 variant XFG called Stratus was first detected in Jan 2025 in Southeast Asia. Stratus accounted for 14% of the cases in the USA as of late Jun 2025 according to the Center For Disease Control (CDC). The World Health Organization (WHO) added XFG to the watch list in late Jun. Low public health risk. There's no evidence XFG causes more severe sickness or different symptoms.

The CDC reported XFG accounted for 14% of positive cases, NB.1.8.1 43%, and LP.8.1 31% as of Jun 21.

Fri Aug 8. Shopped at Lucky's and Costco. Filled my car with gas at Chevron.

First day in 2025 daytime temperatures were in the 90s.

President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to delete COVID-19 vaccination statuses, prior mandate noncompliances, or exemption requests. Federal agencies are barred from using COVID-19 personal records for any employee related decision. The Trump administration removed pandemic mandates during the Biden administration.

Sat Aug 9. A shooter from Kennesaw, GA named Patrick Joeph White shot rounds at the CDC and a pharmacy. White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine made him depressed and suicidal. DeKalb County police officer David Ross was mortally wounded. White was fatally shot.

Thur Aug 14. Emergency room visits increased because more people tested positive. The XFG variant called Stratus is the most common strain. The significant symptom is a razor blade feeling sore throat. The WHO is monitoring Stratus. The WHO said the current vaccines protect against Stratus.

Sat Aug 16. Purchased a used outdoor garden storage bin in Sunnyvale, CA.

Tue Aug 19. The American Academy Of Pediatrics released an updated recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and young children. Children age 6 months to 23 months receive a vaccine. If these children are allergic to the ingredients or have allergies, then they shouldn't receive the vaccine. Children ages 2 years to 18 years receive the vaccine if they are high risk, residents of long-term care facilities, never been vaccinated, or live in a household with people at high risk for COVID-19.

The CDC recommendation for infants and young children is a discussion between their parents and their doctor. The guidance is called "shared clinical decision making." The prior recommendation was people aged six months and older receive the latest vaccine without third party advice.

Wed Aug 20. Shopping at Safeway, Books, Inc., and Costco.

Fri Aug 22. The American College Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. The CDC removed the recommendation for pregnant women and lactating women.

Sun Aug 24. Lunch at The Olive Garden. Shopped at the farmer's market at the Great Mall.

Wed Aug 27. The FDA updated the COVID-19 vaccine approvals for a limited group of people. Adults age 65 and older and people age 5 to 64 at risk with an underlying condition are approved for the vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is authorized for children age 6 months and older. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people age 5 years and older. The Novavax is authorized for people age 12 years and older. The parents must consult with their doctors before vaccination for people under age 18.

All emergency authorizations are rescinded. A FDA statement stated COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone with a doctor's consultation.

The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine targets LP.8.1 which is a JN.1 subvariant.

CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired by the Trump administration. Several senior CDC officials resigned afterwards. Health And Human Services deputy secretary Jim O'Neill is the acting CDC director.

Shopped at Target.

Thur Aug 28. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Ate lunch at Chipotle.

Sat Aug 30. Played tabletop games at the Guildhouse.

The FDA approved the 2025 updated COVID-19 vaccines for adults age 65 and older and younger people with underlying conditions. Anyone can get a vaccine shop after consulting with a doctor; however, access may be difficult. A doctor prescribes the vaccine as "off label." Off label is defined as a medical product used outside approvals or not FDA approved. The updated vaccines are available in the fall.

CVS Pharmacy administers the vaccines where legally permitted. CVS follows state-level pharmacy regulations. Pharmacists don't administer vaccines not recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices in some states. Walgreens also follow state regulations and FDA policy.

The CDC data reported 71.5% of shots were administered in pharmacies and 9.2% at clinics or health centers during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season. Also, 23% adults and 13% children reported getting the latest vaccine.

People under Medicare and Medicaid who meet FDA policy their vaccines are covered. It's unknown how private insurance companies cover vaccines for their clients. People can get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Sun Aug 31. Watched Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami (FL) Hurricanes from the two minute mark in the third quarter to the end of the game.

Live A Productive Life At Best Or Not Waste My Life

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

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

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

Inbox

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

Down And Out Both Are Never Permanent

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.

People Waited Inside Cars At REI

I arrived at my local REI on Sun May 25, 2025 at 9:50am to avoid the big crowd during the Anniversary Sale. I was the second customer at the front door waiting for the 10:00am open. The REI staff were outside for the preparation meeting. All other customers waited inside their cars. Waited inside? We're REI customers. We're supposed to be outdoors. The customers waiting inside might have their reasons. Maybe some stayed warm inside the unseasonably cooler morning. Maybe some were on a phone call. Maybe some wanted to avoid the crowd at the front entrance due to COVID-19. I wore my mask. Everyone waited at the front entrance at 9:59am.

I purchased a Swiss Army Knife Huntsman for my nephew's high school graduation. My total shopping time was seven minutes. The shopping time could be five minutes if I didn't browse the lighters briefly and unexpectedly waited longer at the checkout line because the two customers ahead of me conversed with their cashiers. I exited REI to my parked car. I was surprised the number of cars doubled in the parking lot. It was the REI Anniversary Sale.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog May 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Time Observation Pics To Remember

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

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

Pursue Happiness

I Googled random happiness quotes. I selected the worse happiness quotes. I selected the weakest happiness quotes. I selected the bullshit happiness quotes. The source of the quote is noted if known. All quotes are my opinions. Here are the quotes below:

*Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life. --Burton Hills
*Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people.
*Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. --Mary Lou Retton
*Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.
*Don't worry. Be Happy --Bobby McFerrin
*The purpose of our lives is to be happy. --Dalai Lama
*You deserve happiness always, no matter what.
*Whoever is happy will make others happy. --Anne Frank
*The less you care, the happier you will be.
*Your anxiety is lying to you. You are loved. Everything is ok.
*I have fond that if you love life, life will love you back. --Arthur Rubinstein
*Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed.
*To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness. --Mary Stuart
*Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. --Bertrand Russell
*The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom. --Arthur Schopenhauer
*The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are. --Goldie Hawn
*Stop comparing yourself to other people, just choose to be happy and live your own life. --Roy T. Bennett
*You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now. --Wayne Dyer
*If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. --Edith Wharton
*Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy. --Stephen Fry
*Be happy in your body. It's the only one you've got, so you might as well like it. --Keira Knightley
*You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. --Albert Camus

Happiness is not a right. Happiness is not deserved. Earn happiness. It's ironic. Work is required to be happy. Work is required to experience fun. Work. Learn. Drill. Practice. Repeat. Complete the boring. Don't take happiness for granted.

What Is The Best Happiness Quote?

There is one good happiness quote. There is one strong happiness quote. All other happiness quotes can be ignored. The one quote is learned in grade school history. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. The declaration included, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Pursuit is the key verb. "Pursue happiness" is the best happiness quote. Pursue happiness is a system.