Thursday, July 24, 2025

Getting Lost In A Hospital Is Good

I drove a family member to the hospital for multiple appointments. The minor medical concerns were the right knee and left pelvis or left hip area. The first appointment I dropped her off at the wrong building. She walked from one building to the second building. We ate a quick lunch between the first appointment and the second appointment. The second appointment I repeated my mistake. I dropped her off at the wrong building. She walked from the second building to the first building.

I corrected my mistakes. There was a new third appointment at the second building. We correctly walked to the room at the second building without getting lost.

The last time I visited the hospital helping family members were Feb 2018 and in 2013 for which I forgot the month. I also visited the hospital waiting in the parking lot either in 2021 or 2022 during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

There is a good reason getting lost in a hospital. Knowing nothing the rooms, pharmacies, cafeteria, emergency room, medical offices, exam rooms, and in-patient rooms locations imply I don't need hospital services. I do the best to minimize the chances of hospital services. The last time I needed hospital services I blogged the Top Ten Daily Changes After O'Connor Hospital on Oct 21, 2017. It was the first time I went to O'Connor Hospital. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis requiring two surgeries in Apr 2017.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Okay Stupid Past

Stupid then. Not stupid now. Everyone made mistakes yesterday. Everyone makes mistakes today. Everyone makes mistakes tomorrow. There should be a life rule the fewer mistakes a person makes as the person gets older; however, a person learning a new skill is exempt because people learn new skills making mistakes regardless of age. Acquire the wisdom to stop the mistakes cycle. Don't make the same mistakes. Don't repeat mistakes. Life finds a way. Some people make the same mistakes two times, three times, or infinitely. Forget reasoning why. There are no logical answers. Some people never learn.

I'm fortunate I learn from my repeated mistakes. I'm unfortunate I'm still paying for the mistakes. Better late than never correcting my mistakes.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Pencils Are Good

I thought of a silly political movement. Bring back the pencil. There are too many people using pens. There are too many people writing with ink tools. I used a pencil from preschool to 12th grade. The only time I used a pen was English classes. I switched pencils and pens in college. I used pens throughout college. The only time I used a pencil was exams involving numbers including calculus, physics, and economics.

I want people use pencils more. I started using pencils more in Oct 2019. Sharpening your pencils is a positive. It forces people to take a break. Get up from the desk to move. There's something about pencils when people read their own notes in pencils. I can't put it into words. Rough beauty? Pens don't make writing beautiful. Handwriting make writing beautiful. Mechanical pencils are accepted.

Update On A Past Blog

Our past generations were correct regarding exercise and reading books. Prevent physical muscle loss by exercising. Prevent mental brain loss by reading. Exercising and reading are the best ways to maintain strength and intelligence. They maximize transition or application to other activities, functions, and responsibilities. Moreover, aerobic physical exercise benefits mental health, too. Aerobic exercise improves blood flow to the brain. Exercise and reading books can benefit emotional health such as positive behavior, spiritual health such as better sleep, and financial stability such as less time to spend on wasteful goods and services.

The above paragraph applies to three previous blogs on physical fitness and mental fitness. I said more people underestimate physical fitness from the blog More People Must Get Physical written on Oct 13, 2019. Exercise Your Body From Head To Toe Inside And Outside written on Jan 6, 2015 is about use it or lose it physically and mentally. Our bodies are meant to move and to think. The blog title Humans Have The Ability To Improve written on Nov 30, 2009 is self-explanatory for which we can change our physical abilities and mental abilities by exercising and reading.

Here are four blogs related to books for mental fitness. These are My Self-Help Books Recommendations written on Jun 28, 2020. My outdated Top Ten Favorite Books I Read I wrote on Oct 27, 2019 needs to be updated with more favorite books added. I said I prefer printed books which is number eight from the blog Top Ten Old School I wrote on Oct 16, 2019. The blog Read Books For Your Life on Oct 16, 2011 I regretted I didn't read books outside school during my childhood. I also said reading books keep the brain active.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

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.

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

A Garden

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

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Random Historical Events I Wanted To Be Present

I randomly thought of ten plus three equals thirteen historical events I wanted to be present. I use a time machine to go back to the past. I could be present at the event or I could be present at a memorial location such as at a college student union, at work, at home watching TV, or vacationing. No changes in my body inside and outside. All knowledge remains with me.

13. San Diego Comic-Con 1998 (Aug 13-16, 1998). Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi made her first US appearance.

12. Governor Bill Clinton Visits San Jose State University (Fall Semester 1992). I was stupid. I went home during a presidential campaign rally. It could have been a lifelong memory participating in US history. Number 11 is a do-over. I blogged my mistake The 1992 Presidential Election Bill Clinton At San Jose State University on Oct 28, 2021.

11. President Richard Nixon Resigns (Aug 8, 1974). Nixon is the only US president to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon. The Watergate scandal was the reason for the resignation. Five men broke in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office building during the 1972 presidential election.

10. Star Wars VI: The Return Of The Jedi Opening Night (May 25, 1983). The third movie in the original Star Wars trilogy. Self-explanatory.

9. Korean Armistice Agreement In Panmunjom (Jul 27, 1953). The Korean War ended. A 4 kilometer or 2.5 mile wide demilitarized zone was established to separate North Korea and South Korea.

8. Japan Surrenders To The United States In World War II (Sep 2, 1945). The surrender was held on the USS Missouri. Japanese officials signed the Japanese Instrument Of Surrender.

7. The Dot-Com Stock Market Crash And Dot-Com Bubble Burst (Mar 2000). I worked in commercial real estate during the dot-com era. A senior executive broker told me a financial analyst on a radio told his listeners to sell everything when the NASDAQ closed at 5,048.62. A staff co-worker told me to "load up on Cisco" in 1999. The staff co-worker was correct. I could have made a fortune buying Cisco in 1999 and selling Cisco in 2000.

Number 7 is not necessarily a do-over; however, I could say I go back to 1997 when the stock market hit records numbers. I could have purchased stocks in 1997 and sold in 2000.

6. The Berlin Wall Fell (Nov 9, 1989). The Peaceful Revolution happened which led to the wall destruction and the fall of communism in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Germany was reunified in Oct 1990.

5. Michael Jordan Wins His 6th NBA Championship (Jun 14, 1998). Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won a second three-peat NBA Finals Championship during the 1997-1998 NBA season.

4. The Catch. Joe Montana Game-Winning Touchdown To Dwight Clark (Jan 10, 1982). The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 at Candlestick Park at the 1981 NFC Championship Game during the 1981-1982 NFL season. The Catch symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination and the start of the 49ers' domination in the 1980s.

The 49ers defeated the AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI.

3. Michael Jackson The Dangerous Tour in Bucharest, Romania (Oct 1, 1992). The concert took place at Bucharest National Stadium. 90,000 in attendance at the sold-out stadium.

2. The Beatles 1965 Tour in New York, New York (Aug 15, 1965). The concert at Shea Stadium was the first musical band at a major stadium concert in musical history.

1. Steve Jobs Debuts iPhone (Jan 9, 2007). A phone, a musical player, and internet access in one.

Saturday, July 05, 2025

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog June 2025

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The residence didn't need to turn on the air conditioner. The temperatures were unseasonably cooler. I was out of the house many days. I wore my mask.

Mon Jun 2. Shopped at Macy's.

Thur Jun 5. Shopped at REI.

Fri Jun 6. Attended a family high school graduation.

Sun Jun 8. Ate lunch at Amakara restaurant.

Mon Jun 9. Shopped at Costco Business Center. Got gas at Chevron.

Secretary Of Health And Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. fired the entire 17 member Center For Disease Control (CDC) vaccine advisory panel Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices (ACIP). The secretary can remove and appoint members to advisory boards. There were conflicts of interest which included pro-vaccine and biotech companies making money off vaccines.

Wed Jun 11. Kennedy appointed eight new members to the ACIP. The ACIP was established in 1964. It reviews vaccine safety and efficacy. ACIP votes who receives vaccines. Their recommendations determine insurance coverage and physician recommendations. Kennedy promised to restore public trust for vaccines.

Mon Jun 16. COVID-19 cases increased in CA. The latest variant NB.1.8.1 is nicknamed Nimbus. The most known symptom is a painful sore throat feeling like razor blades. The feeling is the throat feels like razor blades moving inside or a person swallowing pieces of glass.

The CDC reported 37% cases from Nimbus. 38% cases from the variant LP.8.1. The case percentages were the two week period ending Jun 7, 2025. The California Department Of Public Health reported 55% cases from Nimbus. Wastewater tests indicated an increase in COVID-19 activity in many counties.

The World Health Organization (WHO) monitored the Nimbus variant. The global health risk was low.

Thur Jul 19. Shopped at Costco and The Home Depot.

I watched the WNBA basketball game Indiana Fever at Golden State Valkyries from the 5 minute mark in the fourth period.

Fri Jul 20. I watched the Boston Red Sox at San Francisco Giants from the bottom of the sixth inning.

Sun Jul 22. Ate lunch at The Olive Garden restaurant. I watched the second half of the NBA Finals Game 7 Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wed Jul 25. Visited my dentist for a routine cleaning.

Thur Jul 26. Shopped at Lucky's.

Fri Jul 27. Shopped at Smart & Final and Lucky's.

The WHO released a report on the origins of COVID-19. The report concluded the COVID-19 global pandemic was caused by bats to through an intermediate host. All information to evaluate all possibilities are not available. All hypotheses must be considered. The WHO requested genetic sequences from people who tested positive with COVID-19 early in the pandemic, animals sold in Wuhan, and laboratory work and biosafety conditions at laboratories in Wuhan. China has not shared the information.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) expanded warning labels on the Pfizer vaccine and Moderna vaccine. Myocarditis is a rare heart inflammation. The warning labels list the risk of Myocarditis. The CDC concluded no increase in risk of Myocarditis.

Sat Jul 28. First back-to-back gym workouts. It was the first time since the pandemic started.

Update On A Past Blog

I blogged building a desktop PC at My Second Desktop PC And My Third Laptop written on Feb 24, 2020. Non gamers should build a low-end gaming desktop PC because the extra few dollars pays off with a more durable desktop. Here is updated information focusing on gaming desktops and gaming laptops.

A Central Processor Unit (CPU) processes instructions to run software programs. The process rate is faster with higher clock speed. A CPU is better with a higher number of cores. An Intel Core Ultra 7 or 9 is good for gamers. An AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 is good for gamers, too.

If the gamer has the money, the Random Access Memory (RAM) can be 32GB. RAM allows the motherboard to quickly store data and access data without going through the hard drives. The minimum and acceptable RAM is 16GB.

VRAM is Video Random Access Memory found in Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) or graphics card. A GPU is a dedicated hardware to display video, graphics, and pictures on a monitor. A GPU displays anything seen on a monitor. A GPU is better than the integrated GPU on the motherboard. A GPU is better with higher clock speed. NVIDIA GeForce RTX/GTX or AMD Radeon RX lines are suggested.

The refresh rate is the number of times per second a monitor displays a new image. The refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz). 144Hz is high for many gamers.

A gaming laptop display should be matte instead of glossy to reduce glare.