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.

Top Ten Plus Two Equals Top Twelve Hits And Top Ten Plus One Equals Top Eleven Misses

Hits and misses. The simplistic outcome of an event, a choice, a move, or an action. Hits succeed. Misses fail. Hits can be relative success. Fails can be absolute failures; on the other hand, fails can be successful as a successful failure. My number of hits is greater than the number of misses; however, my fails' weight, worth, value, and influence is greater than my hits. In other words, my fails are heavier than my hits on a balance scale. Life is unfair. The numbers are misleading. It's like a baseball game. The winning team scored more runs than the losing team; however, the losing team got more base hits than the winning team. Life is weird.

Here are my the top ten plus two equals top twelve hits:

12. My Two Blogs. I remember a conversation with a friend between Blogger and LiveJournal. He recommended LiveJournal. I choose Blogger. Blogger still exists. My two blogs are Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.

11. eBay. I started buying and selling on eBay in Dec 2002. Thank you for helping me sell my junk.

10. VirtualBox And Ubuntu. Learning Linux and Python are paying off. I'm confident these two skills help me for my next full-time job.

9. Settlers Of Catan. Thank you Settlers for bringing me back to board games starting in 2007.

8. Rich Dad Poor Dad. Robert Kiyosaki may be another person in the many investments experts. His first book educated me why the rich people are rich. WallStreetBets is recognized, too.

7. Innovate Infinitely. My life motto never stop innovating was created in Nov 2000. My webpage Innovate Infinitely went online on May 1, 2004.

6. O'Connor Hospital. I admitted myself to the emergency room on Apr 2, 2017. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.

5. Steve Jobs. The late Apple co-founder influences my self-train genius. I read his biography written by Walter Isaacson twice.

4. Anime. I became an anime fan watching Sailor Moon on TV and purchasing my first anime series Ranma 1/2 in 1996. New friendships, new experiences, and new adventures were created. I retired from anime in 2014. Cosplay is recognized, too.

3. The Shawshank Redemption. There is a reason why the movie is number one in IMDb Charts Top 250 rated by IMDb Users. The movie saved my soul.

2. Infinite Learning. I combine job training, learning life skills, and learning useful skills. Examples of job training include reviewing Excel and SQL, learning Python, and learning basic finance. Examples of life skills include navigating with a compass, pioneering, and making paper airplanes. Examples of useful skills include rope knots, cook meals, and sew a button.

Honorable mention: Team Fortress 2 video game, social dancing, classic rock music including The Beatles, B.S. degree in Economics, and Breaking Bad television series.

1. Growing Up. My life changed forever on Sat Oct 4, 2008 when I realized I must grow up. The changes paid off immediately: new gym workouts, read fiction books, get back to clothes I used to wear, Gaming PC, Fry's Electronics $4 DVD movies, new mattress, new watch, wet shaving, classic jazz, and hiking.

Here are the top ten plus one equals top eleven misses:

11. Books. It's rare a book achieves a 100% approval rate for all its readers. Here is a sample of books I disliked: Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Olive Kidderidge by Elizabeth Strout, Up In The Air by Walter Kim, The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into the Real World by Maria Shriver, Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins, and The Age Of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan.

10. Napster. I was stupid I paid for the subscription.

9. De Anza Classes. Writing a Business Plan, Beginning Japanese, and Beginning Singing were the three worse classes. On the one hand, I dropped Beginning Japanese which was the worse of the three. On the other hand, I should have dropped all three classes because they wasted my time. The Business Plan and Japanese instructors were terrible. The Beginning Singing was a mismatch of teacher and student expectations. I talked to a student the following quarter who completed the Beginning Japanese class. She said more than half of the students dropped out.

8. Green Tea. I'm in the minority regarding the health benefits of green tea. Drinking green tea daily negatively affects my body. Likewise with drinking eight glasses of water a day. I drink water when I'm thirsty. I stopped drinking green tea decades ago. I stopped drinking eight glasses of water after O'Connor Hospital. I'm the healthiest I've ever been today.

7. 2000 Dot-Com Crash. I failed to sell all my shares when NASDAQ reached 5,000. The crash was in the air. Admit it. I could have doubled my money easily.

6. Role-playing Games (RPGs). Many of my past friends hate my number six. Playing RPGs was a waste of my time. RPGs was a poor escape from life. RPGs was a poor leisure activity. It should not have been a match for my hobbies. Ironically, RPGs is a top life moment. I continue catching up what I missed today.

5. Cisco And Palo Alto Networks. I failed to strengthen my resume working at these successful networking companies. Ironically, I strengthen my resume when I worked at Blockbuster Video and a retail start-up selling artisan wines.

4. Growing Up Part 2. I wrote about my Growing Up Part 2 on Dec 6, 2012. The lesson I learned is personality. Be positive, cheerful, kindness, and joyful. I corrected myself on Oct 28, 2013 with The Correct Growing Up Part 2 saying I took the second growing up moment back. I made the wrong changes having too much fun and too little job preparedness. I corrected myself a second time on Oct 7, 2020 with The Correction To The Correct Growing Up Part 2 reiterating I lived life with too much fun. There is no growing up part 2.

3. Accounting. I earned an A.A. degree in Accounting during the 2008 Great Recession going back to school. As of today, the Accounting degree is a miss because I didn't find permanent employment. All my friends who were unemployed during the Great Recession found permanent jobs.

2. 2008 Great Recession. I failed to buy stocks when the stock market was down 50%.

1. 1990s. The 1990s was the best decade in history in my opinion. It was the ten years to be young making mistakes, experimenting, and learning. It was the best time to establish a foundation for the highest probability of long-term success. I fucked up.

Update On A Past Blog

The 1990s should have been my top mistake in Top Ten Mistakes, Bad Decisions, And Bad Choices written on Mar 22, 2013. Number ten Napster was the number one mistake in the blog. Number seven 2000 Dot-Com Crash and number nine De Anza Classes Beginning Singing were mentioned in the blog.

I add Short Circuit 2 to the list of movies I cried on Top Ten Make Me Cry written on Sep 26, 2021. The list of movies I cried is number nine in the top ten.