bundling

  Listening to the morning news the medical reporter is all excited. They may be near a combination shot. Yes, a shot that combines the seasonal flu shot and a covid vaccine all in one. My first thought was, I wonder if they talked to Jake from State Farm about bundling. But the story was they had been working on this since shortly after covid was found. Used to be called the coronavirus frequently back then but covid sounded more deadly. Not only that some products sold at the store claimed to kill coronavirus before most of us had ever heard about it. We were quickly warned though, that stuff won't work against this mutant form of coronavirus. Okay, they call them variants, but we all know that is code for mutant. And they keep mutating just like the seasonal flu virus does. That's why that formulation is changed every year based on the expert's best guess. So, I'm guessing it has been decided to just make it a combo meal and call it a day. People just aren't buying them separately anymore. The real importance is in getting compliance, not necessarily how effective the shots actually are. As long as they do no measurable harm it's all good. Some side effects are acceptable however, as long as you list those possibilities. 

  I am constantly amused or annoyed by all the medical advertisements on television these days. I'm amused when they begin to list all the conditions you may have that would preclude you from taking whatever medication they are hawking. I would have to have been previously diagnosed with those maladies or have a medical degree to know what they are talking about. Indocrenesia type 3 with markers? I can't pronounce it let alone spell it, whatever it is they are talking about. I'm also a bit puzzled when I'm informed to not take it if I'm allergic to it. How would I know I was if I don't? The ones that annoy me concern being over fifty. It isn't a death sentence or the end of your warranty! I don't need supplements to stay alive and live my best life. Contrary to what is often portrayed even though I'm seventy years old I don't need a walker, a cane, support stockings, brain supplements, more fiber or diapers! I can still manage to get around independently and feel perfectly safe without a life alert hanging around my neck. And don't get me started on the pills for sexual function! 

  I hear all the warnings about practicing safe sex too. In my day the only safe sex you were having was called being married! Engaging in sex at any other time wasn't a safe thing to do for a variety of reasons. We heard you could get a disease from that, but the real danger was daddies. I'm not talking about baby daddies; I'm talking about baby's daddy. Brothers and cousins were also a real and present danger. Oh, back in my day we had the hippies, free love and all of that. I can assure you there was more talking about it than actually engaging in it. It was the popular thing at that time, today it's all about being in a community of some type. I suspect many claim to be members of those communities but are not actively engaged in that activity. It's more about experiments than lifestyle choices. I'm old enough to remember when if you were engaging in sex you only told that to the other guys impress them. Locker room stuff! Then if it was mentioned outside of that circle, you would deny everything. 

  The goal is one shot does it all. A sort of, one size fits all scenario. I think we all know that never really works out well. Why the experts would think they can establish that for the flu and viruses I don't understand. The experts haven't figured out a way to prevent the common cold, which is, a coronavirus. Yeah, it's all about spike proteins and mutations. The one size fits all thing just isn't going to work. I'm no scientist but can see that based on the past. If the seasonal flu shot has to be changed every year my thinking is the same will hold true for covid. In fact, it already has been shown to mutate, isn't that the problem? Well, we can keep on guessing I suppose. Over the past five years the flu shot has ranged from 29% to 50% effective. About the same odds as being a weather man. I guess fewer shots with more stuff in them is a good thing. Like a combo meal. Yeah, Jake from State Farm is making an impact. Bundling.  "Bundling is a traditional practice of wrapping a couple together in a bed while fully clothed, sometimes with a board between the two of them, usually as a part of courting behavior." I got that from the internet. The article explains how the belief is the couple will get to know each other better without the distraction of sexual behavior. Strange though, each individual is bundled separately. Well, I guess you are saving if you think about it.