Caution From My Stomach

My stomach acted up on the evening of Sat Aug 22, 2022. I neither felt hungry, upset, needing the toilet for diarrhea, throwing up vomit, nor nervous as if I'm teaching a class in my underwear. My stomach vibrated. Although, I might have avoided serious food poisoning on Thur Aug 18. I went to the bathroom three times on Fri Aug 19. The minor stomach irritations continued today from the food poisoning. No medications have been taken. I have been limiting my meals intake.

What was my vibrating stomach telling me? I may have found the answer. There is a common wisdom trust intuition or listen to your gut. Maybe my gut on Sat evening might be communicating a warning. I could be talking out of my ass. On the other hand, given today's current events in politics, economics, social problems, wars, COVID-19 global pandemic, and climate change, something negatively big is coming soon maximizing the effects on the global population. Be prepared.

I Brush My Teeth To Save Ten Thousand Dollars

My dad went to the dentist for a morning surgery. He received a tooth implant. $10,000 was the cost for the implant. The cost was higher when factoring in pain medications, antibiotics, vomit control pills, and, if he still worked, loss of worktime. The non-monetary costs included throwing up, bedridden, and temporary restricted diet.

I brush my teeth in the morning after breakfast and the evening before bedtime. I floss my teeth after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I blame poor dental advice from past dentists for my deep gum pockets. I use mouthwash after lunch. I use a Waterpik in the evening. I use a tongue scraper in the evening. I wear a retainer to maintain straight teeth and to avoid grinding my teeth when I sleep. The minutes spent day and night for clean teeth is worth the time. In addition, good oral hygiene is important for sex. Sex and $10,000+ are the best motivators to minimize the chances of major dental problems. I hope I have good dental family genes I never need dental surgery when I get old.

The Checkout Line At Costco Is The Population Size For Observing Impatience

I'm the worse person to choose a store checkout line. Costco is a good example. A casher needs a cash drop. A cashier requests a price check. The customer forgets to renew his or her membership account. The customer's payment card doesn't work; in particular, one customer paid by writing a check. There is a cashier change with his or her new register till. A manager is needed for assistance. A cashier is a new Costco employee. For instance, one cashier removed some items from a customer's shopping cart to place on the checkout conveyor belt. The cashier used the register scanner. I place all my items bar code facing up on my shopping cart for the cashier to scan my items with the wireless scanner. The same cashier removed half of my perfectly placed items on the checkout conveyor belt. He used the register scanner.

Any Costco customer experience at least one of the above. I experience all of the above. What are the chances? The best Costco checkout bad luck happened yesterday. The afternoon crowd was light. There were three checkouts opened. I initially choose the middle checkout with one customer waiting. The checkout on the left with two customers waiting with fewer items combined than the middle checkout. I switched to the left checkout. A far left checkout opened ten seconds later. There was a problem. The cashier couldn't scan one item. The cashier scanned multiple times. The cashier adjusted the scanner tag. The cashier typed the item number. Unsuccessful. The cashier requested a manager. The cashier scanned the rest of the items. No manager arrived. The cashier requested a manager for the second time. A manager arrived. Problem solved. The transactions including myself went smoothly thereafter. All customers who lined up behind me and customers who arrived at the nearby checkouts later than me completed their transactions before I finished paying. A second far left checkout opened when I pushed my cart to the exit.

There are two points in today's blog. The first point is I'm bad luck choosing a checkout line. If I'm with other people, then someone else choose for me. I remember a tip from a college friend. He said pick a checkout line and stay there. It's not worth stressing out choosing which checkout line is faster. The second point is too many people rush. There are too many impatient people. All of the customers who lined up behind me moved to another checkout. I recognize they paid for their items faster than me. They couldn’t wait. Today's Information Age life is impatient.

Update On A Past Blog

Yesterday's Costco checkout experienced reminded me of talking to a manager at a supermarket. I wrote the experience in Stop And Smell The Roses And Read Your Receipt on Feb 3, 2022. I returned an item with a missing discount. I was incorrect in the missing discount. I did receive the discount. I also mentioned the Information Age is fast paced.

I wrote blogs on slowing down, taking a break, relax, and be patient. I choose two blogs. The first is Too Much Hurrying And Too Much To Do written on Apr 19, 2020. I wrote, "Everyone is in a hurry. Everything is in a hurry. The world is too fast. The years go by faster and faster even though there are 24 hours per day. The new generation believes today is the normal pace. The old generation believes today is faster than their younger years." The second blog is Yes Slow Down written on Oct 9, 2015. I wrote, "Slow down. We get more done slowing down. Fewer errors. More relaxed."

Too Much Distractions

Almost everyone expresses their frustrations there is too much to do. There is too much work. I'm overwhelmed. The frustrations apply to students, parents, employed, and some unemployed. Some unemployed--the responsible unemployed--have lives, too. The responsible unemployed search for jobs, learn new skills, raise children if any, and prepare for the next opportunity. I digress.

Today's Information Age we can lose our focus easier than yesterday. The computers, laptops, tablets, televisions, and smart phones run multiple programs. Videos, audio, games, social media, memes, jokes, 24/7 news, pictures, text, and email are accessed with a finger tap or mouse click. Distractions are instant opening a program or visiting a website. One can say today's Information Age is a double frustration consisting of too much work and too much distractions. Add the last sentence to the number of reasons why more time is required to get responsibilities completed.

The Irony Of Distractions

I speak from personal experience. Distractions are stress busters. Distractions are stress relief. Distractions rest my brain. Distractions temporary alleviate boredom. I watch a quick YouTube video from a favorite scene in a movie. I open Windows Media Classic to hear a song. I watch a scene from my all-time favorite movie The Shawshank Redemption. I play a classic video game for 10 minutes to wake me up when I feel sleepy. I don't feel fatigue job searching, job training, and taking care of the house at the end of the day. Otherwise, the fatigue affects me for multiple days completing fewer responsibilities.

Perhaps, the solution is focus on both work and distractions one at a time. They're a win-win at the end of the day.

A Robot With A Camera Sees You And A Speaker Speaks To You

Robots take over the world. Some are present. The most common industries are manufacturing, shipping, and technology. Expect more robots replacing humans for routine jobs. Expect more robots to replace incompetent workers. Driverless robots in the transportation industry driving cars, buses, and trucks. Pharmacist robots filling drug prescriptions 24 hours a day. Robots provide customer service in retail stores. Medical robots diagnosing sick patients. Chef robots cooking. Educator robots teaching students. Robots automate the farming industry including picking fruits and fertilizing crops. Robots officiating games. Postal robots transporting and delivering packages. Robots composing music. Robots are more efficient. Robots commit fewer errors. Robots analyze faster than the human brain. Robots don't need breaks. Robots don't need days off work. Robots are cheaper than paying employee salaries.

The job market evolution has been going on for years. More people become unemployed. There are not enough job openings to satisfy the job seekers.

A robot sees you says, "Good afternoon." Thank you for taking someone's job.

Third Party Dream

Three dreams last night. I was the third-party perspective watching from above like a camera drone hovering above in the first dream and the second dream. I was a participant for the third dream.

The first dream. There were two houses next to each other. An old man lived in one house. He was an army veteran. He was late on his rent. He was one month away from being evicted. He dated an old woman who was a Harry Potter fan or Potterhead. The old man became a Potterhead. She helped pay his rent. They played Harry Potter trivia outside the front yard. The neighbor befriended the old man who was also a Potterhead. The neighbor helped the old man in Harry Potter trivia against his girlfriend.

The second dream. There was an apartment complex in a lower-class neighborhood. Colors were brownish tone. The complex was multi-floor. There was no fenced backyard for all first-floor units. One unit had a family of three consisting of the father, mother, and son around four years old. The father became a dead-beat dad leaving the apartment unit. The son didn't know what happened. The mother didn't appear in my dream.

The third dream. I was a rookie business journalist. My editor boss was the Michael Keaton character from the movie Spotlight. My first assignment was finding winning stocks to recommend. I worked hard. I made mistakes. Keaton approved my stocks. My article was printed. The song The Middle by Jimmy Eat World played in my mind. I continued writing good business articles.

There was a brief fourth dream. I walked on my neighborhood street on the opposite side of my house towards the apartments. I saw my dad driving his old white Honda Civic 4-speed manual transmission hatchback towards me.

Two More 1990s Songs

I mention two songs from the movie Empire Records. The first song is Til I Hear From You by Gin Blossoms. The second song is Liar by The Cranberries.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog July 2022

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Two-thirds of Jul slowed down after a fast 2022 first half. Jul was the slowest month. Omicron BA.5 and monkeypox continue the top headlines. However, omicron BA.5 numbers are decreasing in the Bay Area. San Francisco is a top city for monkeypox cases.

Sat Jul 2. 38 of the 58 CA counties were classified as COVID-19 high level according to the Center For Disease Control (CDC). 25 of the 58 CA counties were classified as COVID-19 high level last week. The high level classification is based on new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people. The CDC recommended people wear masks in high levels.

Tue Jul 5. Early research concluded the omicron BA.5 variant is more contagious and resistant to current vaccines. People with past BA.5 are not immune to get BA.5 again.

The CDC stated omicron BA.5 is the majority of US cases. The breakdown is 53.6% BA.5 and 16.5% BA.4 totaling 70.1%. Updated vaccines to protect against omicron are available as early as Oct 2022.

Wed Jul 6. CA public health officials announced no mask requirements for the K-12 2022-2023 school year. Indoor masks and vaccination are recommended. Students and staff are advised to be tested after summer, winter, and spring breaks.

The nine Bay Area counties were classified as high level in the CDC's community level due to omicron BA.5.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) said pharmacists can prescribe the Pfizer drug Paxlovid for people with COVID-19. Previously, physicians prescribed the antiviral drug. Paxlovid must be taken within five days after symptoms begin. Patients age 12 or older requesting Paxlovid must bring their health records. Patients with a possibility of severe illness and current underlying health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer, and older age are recommended to take Paxlovid. Patients with severe kidney or liver problems shouldn't take Paxlovid. Three pills are taken two times a day for a total of five days.

Paxlovid was approved by the FDA in Dec 2021.

Thur Jul 7. Beijing and Shanghai in China reported omicron BA.5.2 variant cases. All residents must show proof of vaccination and negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours to enter a public venue.

Sun Jul 10. Omicron variant BA.2.75 detected in multiple countries including the US, India, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, and Canada. Scientists said it spreads rapidly, immune to current vaccines, and immune to previous infections. Vaccines and boosters are the best defense against hospitalizations and deaths.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted twice.

Wed Jul 13. I shopped at Costco and Safeway. Costco was dead inside. Driving in and driving out of the parking lot was easy.

The FDA authorized the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Adults 18 and older can get the Novavax vaccine. Two doses required. 90.4% efficacy. 170 other countries administer the Novavax vaccine.

1 in 3 Americans are unvaccinated. Less than 50% of the US population are fully vaccinated and not boosted. 28% of the US population over 50 received their second booster.

The White House announced COVID-19 hospitalizations doubled since May nationwide. The breakdown is 65% BA.5 and 16% BA.4 totaling 81%.

Thur Jul 14. I helped my dad's friend with front yard work. I helped my dad complete errands and shopped at Target afterwards.

Fri Jul 15. I helped my dad's friend with front yard work. I completed my errands at Target, Nike, and Grocery Outlet afterwards. I saw more people maskless.

The COVID-19 virus levels in wastewater increased. More people tested positive at home and not reporting their positive results to their county. No Bay Area county considered reinstating mask mandates.

55% of Americans live in a county declared high risk according to the CDC guidelines. 32% of American live in a county declared high risk last week. CDC recommended people wear masks and minimize public indoor activities. Omicron BA.5 is responsible for 67% of positive cases.

Science Advances published an article women experience menstrual changes after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 42% of women bled more. 44% of women no change. 14% of women bled less. Further research needed according to the article such as why the menstrual change happens.

Mon Jul 18. BART mask mandate ended today. The Board Of Directors may reinstate mask mandates later in the month. BART encouraged all riders wear masks.

A man in the Sebastopol, CA is infected with COVID-19 and monkeypox at the same time.

Tue Jul 19. The CDC approved the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The US has 3.2 million doses. The vaccine is based on a conventional technology used for 30 years. The Novavax vaccine is based on protein subunit technology which is used for flu and whooping cough vaccines.

77% of US adults are fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Thur Jul 21. President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19. Biden is fully vaccinated and boosted twice. Mild symptoms. Biden took Paxlovid.

Fri Jul 22. 151 people died in New Zealand from Jul 9 to Jul 16. The previous seven day record death was 115 in Mar 2022. 26 people died in the last 24 hours. 64,780 people tested positive. The Health Ministry said many infections are unreported. The government dropped its zero-COVID policy when the population was vaccinated. The virus spread. There are no plans to reinstate the zero-COVID policy. New Zealand's quick response to the pandemic in 2020 and its geographic isolation kept the country largely COVID-19 free in 2020 and 2021.

Sat Jul 23. I went to my first outdoor activity since Mar 2020 at the Gilroy Gardens in Gilroy, CA. The Gilroy Gardens is a small amusement park.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global health emergency.

Wed Jul 27. Biden ended his isolation totaling five days. He tested negative yesterday and today.

Two published studies concluded The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China is likely the epicenter for the COVID-19 global pandemic. One study stated the virus was present in live animals which were close together. The virus infected the people in the market. The virus spread into other markets and the community.

The second study stated the coronavirus came in two different forms at the same location with animal to human transmission.

Wed Jul 27. One million residents in the Jiangxia district in Wuhan, China are locked down for three days because four people tested positive for COVID-19.

Thur Jul 28. 5% of people worldwide who had COVID-19 experience long lasting loss of smell or taste sense according to the British Medical Association. These people loss these senses at least six months after infection. 75% experience senses recovered in 30 days. 90% experience senses recovered in 90 days. 95% experience senses recovered in 180 days. Treatments are available for people with loss of small or taste.

BART reinstated mask mandates immediately. The mandate ends Oct 1, 2022.

Fri Jul 29. The US Department Of Health And Human Services announced 66 million purchase of the Moderna bivalent booster shot and 105 million purchase of the Pfizer bivalent booster shot. These updated booster shots are available as early as fall pending approval from the federal agencies CDC which recommends and FDA which authorizes.

Sat Jul 30. Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again.

These Young People Are False Losers

The second part of the dream I was outside the biggest restaurant. I walked around the food court. I walked towards a section with big square tables. A past friend recognized my presence. He was with his group of friends playing poker with UNO cards. I walked to him. We conversed updating our current lifestyle. I ended the conversation quickly because I didn't want to tell him I was long-term unemployed. He asked for a request before I turned around. The request was he wanted me to call him the next time I'm free. I was surprised with the request because my past friend was the smarter person between the two of us. Something must have happened in a negative way.

Maybe I'm making up the following post-dream. The small food court dream happened between 11am and 1pm on a weekday. All of the people were young men in their 20s. All of them graduated from high school. All of them were either college students or college graduates. All of them were either underemployed or unemployed. The underemployed were significantly underemployed; for example, retail jobs, data entry, customer service, and mind-numbing positions an employee with a high school education can complete. None of the young men were lazy. None of the young men were criminals. All of the young men were passing time. There were no opportunities to match their capabilities. There were no breaks. They were down on their luck. What could the good young men do?

Update On A Past Blog

67 year Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully past away on Tue Aug 2, 2022 at the age of 94. I posted a Mercury News newspaper pic of Scully with the San Francisco Giants broadcasters Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Jon Miller, and Dave Flemming from Wrap Up 2016 Pics on Feb 15, 2017. Scully's final broadcast was the Dodgers at Giants on the last game of the 2016 season.

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

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

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