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.

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.

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.

Throwback Blog: 500

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled 500 written on Aug 6, 2010. I wrote blog number 500. I didn't write a top 50 blogs. I reposted my top 30 blogs from 300 written on Dec 7, 2008. Today's blog is number 1,930.

I update my top 30 blogs. There are changes. Mistakes made. Lessons learned. My life changed. New knowledge. Intelligence expanded. Wisdom changed. Increased strength. Here are the top 30 blogs with updates in italics, strikethroughs, and my remarks noted with RM:

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [earlier] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain, and don't compare with others. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at [their] cute face when talking. RM: Sometimes comparing with others is positive.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from [your] failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations. Life has vacations. Life has seasons like sports and TV series. Fiscal years, resets, endings. Life can say one continuous life; however, there are chapters, volumes, parts, checkpoints. RM: Everyone needs a break. Everyone needs a vacation. Everyone needs days off.
14. Age is just a number. RM: Age is a factor in most situations.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness. Pursue happiness to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy. Increment.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment intelligently.
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics. Go remind yourself the basics which is what I'm doing :D :D :D

Number 500! This blog is number 500 and the 5th anniversary for Innovating Common Knowledge. Good timing. I average 100 blogs every twelve months. That's too low. On the other hand, 100 is a good number because I spread my time writing blogs and many other activities. There are both sides to the discussion whether I spend too much or too little time writing blogs.

On my 300th blog, I shared my top 30 blogs. I choose to repost the top 30 blogs instead of creating a top 50 blogs. The reason is the lessons I learned and the wisdom I gained from my top 30 blogs applies to today's living--and tomorrow's living. They are powerful for me. The lessons and wisdoms are both old lessons such as life is a marathon, not a [sprint] and new lessons such as age is just a number. The timing is good for another review.

I continue to write blogs promoting change, improvement, and innovation. I continue to write blogs to open myself up and to experiment what I can and what I can't do. The Sign Of My Times (SOMT) and Accutane blogs continue as I reflect how life is changed now and when I was a child and my acne treatment, respectively.

Here is the summary of my top 30 blogs:

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [latest] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain, and don't compare with others. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at the cute face when talking.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from you failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations.
14. Age is just a number.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment.
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics. Go remind yourself the basics which is what I'm doing :D :D :D

My first blog was posted on Thur Aug 4, 2005. The 300th blog was posted on Sun Dec 7, 2008. Click 300 to read the entire 300th blog detailing the top blogs.

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.

Wisest Metaphors Sample Language

Memorize and practice these top wisdom metaphors to communicate your high intelligence or your strong opinion.

Okay, Dr. *fill in the blank* . . . . For example, "Explain more, Dr. Horrible." Another example is "Now that you started the conversation, Dr. Know-It-All, enlighten us with your intelligence."

An alternative is Okay, professor *fill in the blank*, what's the solution?

Everyone wears sunscreen.

My answer is a two part answer. Or three part. Or four part. Or five part.

It's rough *fill in the blank*. Examples are rough justice, rough love, and rough parenting.

I'm happy to be the last person to admit *fill in the blank*. I'm happy to be the last person to believe *fill in the blank*. I'm happy to be the last person to see *fill in the blank*.

It's a cry for justice. And it's a cry for help.

There is no bombshell. We already know it.

If *fill in the blank* is the final choice, then *insert person's name* is crazy.

I don't have a strong view. Or I don't have a weak view.

I'm proud to say I have no idea.

The coach must win five times in four games. These are the ridiculous expectations.

When the first silo opens, . . . .

1 + 1 = 6. It's the wrong thinking.

The only person to convince *person's name* to change his mind is *person's name*.

I'm not ducking the question. I'm not dodging the question. I'm not ignoring the question. I don't want to communicate an unexpected answer. . . . I answer the question. You're not going to like it.

It's a two horse race.

Get the big fish. Get the giant marlin.

Don't expect the pony under the Christmas tree. Accept the train set.

Are you talking about the hype or the merit?

Congratulations! Take your victory lap.

You're at Wendy's. Your order a number one Big Mac. The Wendy's cashier says, "Sir, this is a Wendy's." In other words, the restaurant doesn't serve that kind of food.

None of these candidates.

Don't be a stranger.

Do they error on the side of omission or on the side of commission?

You have a mold of clay or a block of clay. Create something your way. Make something to satisfy your desire.

You're fitting a square peg on a round hole. Good luck.

It's interpreted differently coming from you.

They don't understand you. You might as well speak alien.

Somebody went to bed to close the deal.

If you don't like what happening, then change the system.

There is not enough pie for everyone.

It's a fair question.

We are succeeding. The turnaround is happening. The plane with *insert person's name* goes down to maintain success.

If you end the friendship, then don't call me to help you change your car's tire.

Where is it located? Timbuctoo.

What's worst? *fill in the blank* or being lost in the woods?

Person 1: I'm not looking for a fight.
Person 2: I'm not looking for a fight, either.

I screwed up. I wasn't wrong.

It's a dumpster fire.
Name a dumpster after me. That's how people remember me.

A rising tide raises all boats.

Tell me the difference between stupid and illegal.

My Generation X Sucks

Gen X is known as the forgotten generation. Gen X is between the bigger size and expressive generations Baby Boomers and Millennial or Gen Y. Gen X are people born between 1965 and 1981. Baby Boomers are people born between 1946-1964. Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1996.

Our childhood was latchkey. A latchkey kid is defined as a child left home alone or without supervision for most of the day because their parents are working. Another definition is a child returns to an empty residence after school or after other activities without supervision. We went to school by ourselves. We went home by themselves. We gathered in feral packs. We roamed the streets. The activities included riding bikes, playing baseball, skateboarding, and jumping rope. We included kids we didn't like because of inclusion. There were commercials reminding latchkey parents about their children; for example, a local news commercial said, "It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are?" Our parents said before we exited the front door, "Be home before dinner." Perhaps, our latchkey childhood explained no parental involvement. No guidance. No teaching. No nurturing.

Gen X prefers calls over text. We desire offline communication over online communication. We are more patient. Persistence and grit are true attributes. The process is more valuable than the result. Privacy is paramount. We prefer cash over credit cards.

Some world events included the Vietnam War, Watergate, the energy crisis in the 1970s, AIDS in the 1980s, President Ronald Regan's Reaganomics, Chernobyl, the Berlin Wall collapse, the Cold War ended, and the Apple and IBM personal computers. There were disco, MTV, and Michael Jackson.

The Gunnie Pigs

Gen X are the first people to watch educational television such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and Schoolhouse Rock! We experienced changes in music from vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and then mp3s. We experienced changes in communication from typewriters to word processors; from landlines, car phones, pagers, mobile phones, cell phones, and then smart phones; from floppy disks, USB storage devices, email attachments, and then the cloud.

Gen X are the first workers with defined contribution accounts. These accounts are 401(k) and IRA for which the workers are responsible for their retirements. Baby Boomers retirement accounts are defined benefit pensions for which the company funded their retirement accounts. Moreover, we are the first generation both parents worked for dual incomes.

We Gen X juggle our lives by taking care of our children and our aging parents. We care about our families. We make sure our children are active such as dance class, band practices, and sports practices. We make sure our parents arrive at their medical appointments and rehab sessions. On the other hand, our generation saw an increase in the number of divorces.

Further, Gen X struggles with personal finances. It's an economic inflation storm of college tuition, utilities, mortgages or rent, insurances, and bare necessities. Some Gen X support their parents and their adult children. The increase costs make some Gen X work in their 60s and 70s. I hope they don't lose their jobs. They experience ageism while finding employment. They experience some jobs replaced with AI.

The 2000s decade Gen X's 401(k) and IRA declined because of the dot com bubble in Mar 2000 and the real estate bubble in Sep 2008. Our retirement accounts declined during a brief inflation in late 2018, COVID-19 global recession from 2020-2022, and the present inflation. We can be the first generation to experience the Social Security collapse. The forecast is Social Security loses all funding in the year 2033. Payments are decreased by 20% to 25%.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote blogs blaming my parents for my unsuccessful life or loser life. I forgave them decades ago. It's not entirely my parent's fault. Gen X is to be blamed, too. Here are three blogs I blamed my parents: Top Ten Don't Be My Parents written on Mar 17, 2020, There Are Many Children With Parents Like Mine written on Jun 2, 2014, and Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me written on May 2, 2013.