Their Life Game Is Over

There are winners and losers in life. Life is not everybody wins. Life is not a 100% success rate. Some people are lazy. Some people are unmotivated. Some people disrespect themselves. These people are genuine losers.

There is another group of losers. I call the another group the false losers. I wrote a blog on These Young People Are False Losers on Aug 7, 2022. These false losers did everything correct. The end results are no successes no matter what happens. Blame bad luck. Blame bad timing. Blame life. Some people must lose. It's like a Major League Baseball season. Each of the 32 baseball teams play 162 games per season. 5,184 total games played. All of the 32 baseball teams aren't winners. Theoretically speaking, all 32 teams at best the percentage win rates are 50% or .500; in other words, all 32 baseball teams end the season with 81 wins and 81 losses. 81 wins plus 81 losses equal 162 games. 162 games multiplied by 32 baseball teams equals 5,184 total games. All 32 baseball teams don't end the season with 81 wins and 81 losses in reality. Some baseball teams win 100 games or more. Some baseball teams lose 90 games or more.

All of the genuine losers and some of the false losers declare their lives game over. There are no reasons to work hard. They say infinite exercises. They say infinite lies. Forget responsibilities. Forget commitments. Forget working. Ignore the rules. Life is all leisure. Life is all fun. They stop living. They start dying.

Life Lessons From The Baseball Movie Bull Durham

Click on the YouTube links for scenes from the movie Bull Durham on life lessons.

BULL DURHAM (1988) | Meet Crash Davis | MGM. Any other job is usually better than retail.

Bull Durham (1988) - Kevin Costner - Tim Robbins - Fight. Buy a drink to break the ice to meet up from people in the past. Also, Don't think.

Bull Durham (1988) - Strikeouts Are Fascist Scene (3/12) | Movieclips. Listen to veterans. Listen to experience.

Bull Durham- Wanna Make it to the Show?. Don't date bossy people.

Bull Durham (1988) - Bunch of Lollygaggers Scene (5/12) | Movieclips. A good manager explains in simple words. Motivate explaining in simple words.

Bull Durham - Throw it at the Bull. Diversion is a trick. Diversion is a tactic.

Bull Durham (1988) - Getting Woolly Scene (6/12) | Movieclips. Job skills are more important than material goods. Say no to material objects. Say yes to job skills.

Bull Durham | Winning Streak. The feeling of a winning streak. Maintain the winning streak.

Bull Durham (1988) - Winning's Better Than Losing Scene (7/12) | Movieclips. Cliques can save a person from trouble. Boring can save a person from trouble.

Bull Durham (1988) - I Want you Scene (9/12) | Movieclips. Manners, self-esteem, confidence, strength, and intelligence attract men and women.

Bull Durham- Best Scene. The number one makes a difference. An average of one more makes a difference. Also, talent is more important than intelligence.

Bull Durham (1988) - Kevin Costner - Susan Sarandon. You can't get everything you want in life. There are going to be losers through no fault of their own. Some dreams don't come true. Also, out with the old and in with the new.

tourists in bull durham.mov. Almost all good news and bad news nobody knows.

Update On A Past Blog

The number one makes a difference scene> Bull Durham- Best Scene reminds me of the blog Today I Want To Talk About The Numbers Greater Than Zero And Less Than Or Equal To One written on Jun 17, 2020. Percentages make a difference. 20% increase. 20% decrease. A few percentage points is the difference between *fill in the blank one* and *fill in the blank two*.

I wrote past life lessons blogs. Here are two of my favorites. The first favorite is Top Ten Life Lessons I Learned Watching Sports written on Nov 5, 2016. Some of the lessons include curses are meant to be broken, be professional, and be calm. There are multiple updates on a past blog adding more lessons to the blog which include luck, circumstances, and talent are factors to succeed as a professional athlete; don't waste time thinking about something making no sense; and winning solves problems.

The second favorite is Life Lessons From Space Brothers written on Aug 17, 2015. Space Brothers is my second all-time favorite anime series. Some of the lessons include it's faster to just do it, veterans help newbies, find one interesting think to lose track of time, improve failures, and teamwork.

Throwback Blog: Curses Are Meant To Be Broken

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 Curses Are Meant To Be Broken written on Nov 5, 2010. I used Major League Baseball teams as examples curses were broken. The San Francisco Giants won two more World Series in 2012 and 2014. The Chiago Cubs won the 2016 World Series. The Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Cleveland Indians, continue waiting.

Here are recent first time franchise championships. I don't know their local franchise histories. I believe local fans say there were curses. The Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series. The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. The Florida Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.

The title is self-explanatory. Curses are meant to be broken. However, it's unfortunate some people can't or don't break their curses for reasons beyond their control. Blame life.

The last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series was in 1908, a span of 102 years which is the longest time a team hasn’t won. The second longest is the Cleveland Indians at 62 years. The third longest was the San Francisco Giants at 56 years. The key word is was.

The Giants won the 2010 World Series defeating the Texas Rangers four games to one. The win is the first time in San Francisco franchise history. The torture is over, and that includes torture Giants fans experienced during the last six weeks of the season. Edgar Renteria’s three run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the 7th inning is the Giants most memorable homerun in San Francisco Giants history. The championship is for the Willie Mays, Will Clark, and Barry Bonds eras. The win erases all the Giants curses. Here are some of curses I lived through:

*1987 NLCS. Candy Maldonado’s misplayed fly ball in Game 6 and Jose Oquendo hitting a homerun in Game 7 off Atlee Hammaker against the St. Louis Cardinals. Oquendo hit one homerun in the regular season.

*1989 World Series. Loma Prieta earthquake and the Oakland A’s swept.

*2002 World Series. Anaheim Angels’ Scott Spiezo’s three run go-ahead homerun against Felix Rodriguez in Game 6.

*2003 NLDS. J.T. Snow thrown out at the plate on the last play of the series against the Florida Marlins in Game 5.

Curses are meant to be broken. If you’re in a bad streak of sales, dates, homework and tests scores, interviews for a job, burning cooked dinners, or buying bad goods, don’t worry about it. Don’t give up! Curses are meant to be broken.

Side note: The Boston Red Sox’s broke their curse in 2004.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog April 2024

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Apr was just as fast as Mar. Also, Mar and Apr the last two weeks each month went by fast. I continue living a normal life slowly.

Tue Apr 2. Shopped at three Safeway supermarkets and Costco.

Thur Apr 4. Went to Safelite. Shopped at Lucky.

Tue Apr 9. Shopped at Lucky.

Wed Apr 10. The CA Department Of Health reported COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased from 7 patients per 100,000 CA residents to 1.5 patients per 100,000 CA residents as of Mar 30, 2024. The pandemic peak hospitalization rate was 54 patients per 100,000 CA residents on Jan 2021. The seven day rolling positivity rate decreased from 11.4% to 2.4%.

Deaths was 0.9% caused by COVID-19 as of Mar 30, 2024. The pandemic peak deaths was 42% caused by COVID-19 on Jan 2021.

The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported weekly hospital admissions dropped by 77% from 35,118 to 8,015 nationwide between Jan 6, 2024 and Mar 30, 2024. The peak was 150,650 as of the second week of Jan 2022.

A majority of the CA population has some defense against COVID-19 by vaccination, prior infection, or both. Also, the latest treatments available to help people recover. There are still people dealing with long COVID. 1.1 million US residents died in total. 7 million US residents hospitalized in total.

Mon Apr 15. 3,472 CA residents died since Sep 2023. 60% of the deaths were white. 70% of the deaths were age 75 or older. 14,648 CA residents died during the first six months of the pandemic. 50% of the deaths were Latino. 50% of the deaths were age 75 or older.

Thur Apr 18. A 72 year old male COVID-19 patient from the Netherlands with a blood disorder failing his body to make an immune response from multiple vaccines died. He tested positive for the COVID-19 omicron variant in Feb 2022. It was his first infection. His COVID-19 illness mutated 50 times. Some researchers suggested his illness evaded his immune defenses. There was no evidence he infected other people. His case highlights prolonged infections enable the virus to change spawning new variants. Wastewater samples from the patient's neighborhood resulted in mutated corona-viruses for more than four years. The persistent infections may be causing long COVID for those diagnosed with long COVID.

Thur Apr 25. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for infringing its patents related to messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA was used for Pfizer and BioNTech 's COVID-19 vaccine. GSK said Pfizer used their patents for at least a decade before COVID-19. Pfizer denied the accusation.

Fri Apr 26. The World Heath Organization (WHO) recommended future vaccines based on the JN.1 lineage.

Sun Apr 28. A friend posted on social media she tested positive for COVID-19. It was her second time. The second positive happened on Jan 2024. She has been experiencing trouble concentrating and weaker memory.

Mon Apr 29. A SARS-CoV-2 variant was discovered from the COVID-19 JN.1 variant in winter 2024. The variant is called FLiRT based off two variants F and L, and R and T. The FLiRT variant KP.2 accounted for 25% of new cases during the last two weeks ending Apr 27, 2024.

Update On A Past Blog

New York Yankees radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling announced his retirement on Mon Apr 15, 2024. His retirement is effective immediately. Here are three articles from Awful Announcing on Sterling: Remembering John Sterling's Most Iconic And Funniest Calls, John Sterling Says Goodbye To Yankees Fans: 'My Tank Is Empty', and A Toast To John Sterling. I mentioned Sterling from the blog Instant Bullets Blog Feb 6, 2018 on Feb 6, 2018. I posted a YouTube link 2009 Yankees Extra: John Sterling calls all five Yankee home runs vs the Red Sox (08.23.09).

Emotionally Draining

The 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs saw all three teams with 100 or more regular season wins eliminated in the best of five divisional rounds. The 90-win Philadelphia Phillies defeated the 104-win Atlanta Braves 3-1. The 90-win Texas Rangers defeated the 101-win Baltimore Orioles 3-0. The 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0. The Dodgers and Orioles were the first time multiple 100-win teams who didn't win a postseason game. The Orioles were never swept during the regular season.

In addition, the Rangers defeated the 99-win Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in a best of three wild card round. The Diamondbacks defeated the 92-win Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 in a best of three wild card round.

Full disclosure. I watched zero innings of the wild card and divisional playoffs. I'm not a professional sports journalist. I share my intuitive opinion. I believe winning 100 or more games was too hard. The 2023 season was emotionally draining. There are past 100+ win teams winning the World Series; for instance, the 2022 Houston Astros won 106 games, the 2018 Boston Red Sox won 108 games, the 2016 Chicago Cubs won 103 games, and the 1998 New York Yankees won 114 games. According to Wikipedia List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons, 116 teams won 100 or more regular season games in a season as of the end of the 2023 season. 68 of the 116 teams played in the World Series (.586). 38 of the 68 teams won the World Series (.559). 38 of the 116 total teams won the World Series (.328).

The three 100+ win teams experienced winning emotional fatigue. The winning high was over when the postseason began. The winning feeling was over when the postseason began. Supplemental emotions or auxiliary emotions were required to reach 100+ wins. The three teams clinched a postseason spot. The 100+ wins meant nothing if the teams couldn't win postseason games. I'm sure physical fatigue and mental fatigue were nonfactors. Winning inspirations were jaded. No winning emotions feelings. No championship.

Emotional energy is unsustainable. Emotional energy depletes faster than physical energy and mental energy. Emotional energy is the easiest to achieve maximum. Emotional energy is the easiest to achieve empty. Physical and mental are more important than emotional. Skills, abilities, and knowledge are more important than feeling good. Is motivation or desire an emotional feeling? Is motivation or desire a spiritual feeling? Or is motivation or desire mental for which motivation is a state of mind? I have said motivation is more important than intelligence. I may have contradicted myself.

Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

Human Influence

Another possibility is rigged games. Las Vegas casinos and sports bookies influences the games for which the underdogs won the series.

The National League Championship Series best of seven Phillies lead the Diamondbacks 2-1. The American League Championship Series best of seven Astros and Rangers are tied 2-2. Both series standings are as of today's blog.

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.

Relationship Advice, Life Advice, Relationship Wisdom, Life Wisdom

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Any problems start from the top in an organization. Life advice turn off toilet water hoses during extended household absence. Replace toilet water hoses every five years. Respect must be earned. Ask the question with a deeper mindset, "Are you hiring?" The old and the ugly must be removed. Avoid the weak self-esteem people. Play the best board games. Fuck it, let's read The Beatles Get Back.

San Francisco Giants Catcher Buster Posey Retires His Way

Buster Posey announced his retirement on Thur Nov 4, 2021. He played all 12 years of his professional baseball career with the San Francisco Giants from 2009-2021. Posey retired happily. Posey retired on his terms. His awards and accolades below:

*2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 All Star
*2010 Rookie Of The Year
*2012 Batting Title
*2012 NL MVP
*2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 Silver Slugger
*2016 Gold Glove
*2012, 2021 Wilson Defensive Player Of The Year
*2012, 2021 NL Comeback Player Of The Year
*2010, 2012, 2014 World Series Champion

My favorite Posey moments are his 2012 National League Division Series Game 5 grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds, 2012 World Series Game 4 two-run game leading home run, and his 17th regular season home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his 2010 rookie season. I was joyful when the Giants recalled Posey in 2010. He became the starting catcher, battled clean up in the starting lineup, and an instant spark in the clubhouse. A true professional.

Buster Posey wrote a message to the Giants fans. The Giants posed the message on its Twitter page @SFGiants A message from Buster. The message is below:

To the best fans in baseball . . .

You have most likely heard by now that I have decided to step away from the game and officially retire.

As you can imagine, this was not an easy decision. Kristen and I spent a lot of time discussing and weighing what would be best for our family. I ultimately felt that now is the right time to start a new chapter in my life.

Throughout my life, I have been incredibly fortunate to play the greatest game in the world. Not many kids who start playing baseball at the age of five have the opportunity to continue to play the game they love beyond Little League or even high school. I was one of the lucky ones, and I am truly grateful for all that the game has given to me and my family. It has taken me from my hometown in Georgia to Florida State University to ultimately San Francisco, with many stops in between. The people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve shared with my teammates and family are beyond what I expected. Our family has created a lifetime of memories and lifelong friendships.

During the press conference, I had the opportunity to thank the countless number of people who have supported me throughout my career - Kristen, our children Addi, Lee, Ada and Livvi, my parents, grandparents, siblings, teammates, coaches, training and clubhouse staff, the Giants ownership group and front office. They were the driving force who helped me and inspired me to make my baseball dream a reality.

And, of course, our great fans. How do you thank a fan base? The Giants fan base is more than just fans. It's a community. That sense of community is something we as players can feel in the ballpark when we take the field each night. I hope you have felt it too.

I hope over the years you've been able to see in our teams the sense of pride we all take in coming together each day working hard and pushing each other toward a common goal. Oddly, some of the best times when you look back are the challenging times. When you're going through them they don't tend to be very fun, but when you get on the other side you realize that you've grown from these experiences. I think that's one of the best things about sports and hopefully something a lot of fans can also identify with.

Over the years, I've heard a lot of stories from different fans about what the Giants mean to them. Or, what baseball means to them. When I think back on those stories, there's usually one common denominator -- family and friends. When I was a child, one of my earliest baseball memories was Sid Bream of the Atlanta Braves sliding into home plate to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game Seven of the NLCS to send the Braves to the World Series. To be able to share in the joy with my grandad that Christmas as he proudly displayed a picture of Sid Bream sliding into home on his t-shirt is a memory that I'll never forget.

I'm sure there are kids out there today -- who might actually be adults now -- and parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who can remember exactly where they were when in 2010 Edgar Renteria hit the game-winning homer in Texas that led the Giants to their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco. Or when Sergio Romo stood on the mound, shook me off from throwing a slider (which still scares me to this day) and snuck a fastball past Miguel Cabrera to clinch the second title in three years. Or when Madison Bumgarner came out of the bullpen in Kansas City in Game Seven and 45,000 people went deathly silent because they knew at that point, the World Series was over. Or you remember where you were when Matt Cain stood on the back of the mound and gazed up at the crowd, taking it all in before he recorded the final out of the first ever perfect game in Giants franchise history.

To me, this is what baseball is all about. It's a lot more than just winning or losing a game – although the wins do feel a lot better. It's about time spent with family on countless nights and days pulling for your team, riding the emotions of the highs and the lows. It's ultimately about the people who have come along with you for the ride and making great memories together.

I am so very humbled to have played a part in some of those memories. Thank you for welcoming me into the Giants community 12 seasons ago and for supporting me every step of the way. I look forward to creating new memories of my own and sharing them with my children as I pull for the Giants for years to come.

With deep admiration and appreciation,

Buster Posey

Instant Bullets Blog Oct 22, 2021

*Bob, I got your email last night. A tactical workplace action.

*F. Scott Fitzgerald on exclamation points: "Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke."

*Security Procedure At A Bar. Stop everything. A crime must be prevented. There are asshole coward men.

*Reddit Article: People who quit their jobs on the first day, what was your "I'm outta here" moment? Read the stories. Why some industries can't find workers?

*Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani. The pitcher and designated hitter hit two home runs against the New York Yankees on Jun 29, 2021.

SHOHEI OHTANI GOES DEEP IN THE BRONX, AGAIN! (Re-takes the league lead in home runs with 27!)
Shohei Ohtani Hits 2nd Home Run Of Game! Now Has 28 On Season | Angels vs. Yankees (6/29/21)
Shohei Ohtani continues to mash! (Hits Two Home Runs Tuesday night in the Bronx)

*Realty Check. Don't Take Life For Granted. A YouTube user comment from a YouTube video titled "Locked Up - Life of men Living in Solitary Confinement." The video was removed. Here's the comment I copied and saved: Thank you God for allowing me to be free and enjoy everything that life has to offer. Bless all of these men and forgive them for their sin . . . . Sometimes us standard [people] don't realize how good we have it, our freedom. Watching this is a reminder to not get so upset if someone cuts you off driving etc . . . This doc puts everything in perspective.

*Commodities Trading Summarized. Quotes from the movie Trading Places.

Randolph Duke: We are commodities brokers, William. Now, what are commodities? Commodities are agricultural products--like coffee that you had for breakfast--wheat, which is used to make bread--pork bellies, which is used to make bacon, which you might find in a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. . . . And then there are other commodities, like frozen orange juice--and gold. Though, of course, gold doesn't grow on trees like oranges. . . . Now, some of our clients are speculating that the price of gold will rise in the future. And we have other clients who are speculating that the price of gold will fall. They place their orders with us, and we buy or sell their gold for them. . . . The good part . . . no matter whether our clients make money or lose money, Duke & Duke get the commissions.
Billy Ray Valentine: Sounds to me like you guys a couple of bookies.

Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat. Buy low, sell high. Fear? That's the other guy's problem. Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the absolute carnage you are about to witness. Super Bowl, World Series--they don't know what pressure is. In this building, it's either kill or be killed. You make no friends in the pits and you take no prisoners. One minute you're up half a million in soybeans and the next, boom, your kids don't go to college and they've repossessed your Bentley. Are you with me? --Louis Winthorpe III telling Billy Ray Valentine both walking to the New York Commodities Exchange

*The Real Field Of Dreams. The New York Yankees as the visiting team played the Chicago White Sox as the home team. Ratings for Major League Baseball are down. Attendance is down. The numbers have been going down pre-pandemic. Go back to the past. Go back to the basics. Go back to the core. Click Yankees vs. White Sox Field of Dreams Game Highlights (8/12/21) | MLB Highlights to watch the highlights. The game resulted in high ratings.

*My Definition Of Culture. Culture is undefined. Culture is an intuitively defined concept. Culture is an intuitively defined idea.

*How To Fold Fitted Sheets. A couple argues who is correct folding fitted sheets. Either the relationship is rock solid for which the only argument is a petty folding fitted sheets or each person is a my way or the highway. They can't choose the middle ground. Click link to fold a fitted sheet How to Fold a Fitted Sheet in 30 Seconds.

*New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick won six Super Bowl championships. There are no days off to winning. There are no days off to success. Agree or disagree?

The 2021 San Francisco Giants 107 Wins Plus 2 Equals 109 Wins

Choose your perspective. Choose your viewpoint. Choose your narrative. Spin it any way. Multiple interpretations. There are multiple sides of the story. The second place Los Angeles Dodgers went 48-21 (.696) after the 2021 all-star break. The first place San Francisco Giants went 49-22 (.690) after the 2021 all-star break. The Dodgers gained zero games against the Giants. Or the first place San Francisco Giants went 49-22 (.690) after the 2021 all-star break. The second place Los Angeles Dodgers went 48-21 (.696) after the 2021 all-star break. The Giants prevented the Dodgers from being tied or becoming second place winning one more game than the Dodgers. Fair or unfair. It's life.

The Giants won 107 regular season games which is a franchise record. The Dodgers won 106 regular season games which tied the franchise record. The 2021 National League West division was an outlier. The Dodgers won their wild card game against the St. Louis Cardinals to face the Giants in the National League Division Series (NLDS). The Dodgers and Giants each won two games out of a best of five games. The teams entered Game 5 with 109 total wins. The Dodgers won Game 5 with a score of 2-1 advancing to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Atlanta Braves.

Game 5 ended on a controversial check swing called strike three. The umpire made an incorrect call. Bad calls happen all the time in competitive sports. Umpires are human beings like you and me. Humans make mistakes. Bad luck and bad timing the bad calls went against the Giants. Giants lost. Move on. It's life.

History was made in Major League Baseball. The Giants and the Dodgers played in the postseason against each other for the first time. The ending narrative was ugly. The series ended on a controversy.

The umpire bad calls didn't cause the Giants to lose the NLDS. The Giants batted .182 overall. The Giants batted .125 with runners in scoring position. The low batting averages were not going to get it done. Were the Giants fatigued? I didn't see fatigue. The Dodgers earned the series win. The Dodgers were the deeper team. Their were more playmakers in the Dodgers team compared to the Giants team. Mookie Betts manufactured a run in Game 5. Max Scherzer saved Game 5 which was Manager Dave Roberts correct decision instead of Kenley Jansen. Jansen had blown saves in past postseason games.

Moreover, the Giants failed to adjust to the home plate umpire's wide strike zone. Adjustments are part of daily life. Some adjustments we like. Some adjustments we don't like.

Finally, the Dodgers changed their Game 5 starting pitcher from Julio Urias to Corey Knebel. Roberts choose a bullpen pitcher using the opener pitching strategy. Why did Roberts changed the starting pitcher? All sports analysts and sports journalists I read didn't know why. My intuition was counterintuitive. If the Dodgers wanted to give up runs to the Giants, then give up runs early. Urias pitches in the middle to late innings to lower the chances of the Giants scoring runs. If the Dodgers trailed early, then the Dodgers had more innings to score runs. My question is why give up runs early in the game. No team wants to give up runs. On the other hand, don't waste time figuring out something which doesn't make sense. Regardless, the opener pitching strategy didn't affect the outcome of the game. Roberts texted Giants Manager Gabe Kapler the night before Game 5 he changed the starting pitcher. The text was an example of a John Wick profession courtesy.

Update On A Past Blog

The Washington Nationals lost 97 games. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 101 games. The Texas Rangers lost 102 games. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles each lost 110 games. The teams were tanking. I wrote Is Tanking The New Way To Succeed? on Oct 16, 2020. These teams believed a mediocre record is not worth the effort. Tank the season. Take advantage of the upcoming offseason high draft picks for the worse standings.

Everyone Gets A Piece Of The Pie

The Los Angeles Angels fired visiting clubhouse manager Brian "Bubba" Harkins in Mar 2020. Harkins worked with the Angels since 1990. A visiting clubhouse manager and his staff prepare equipment and uniforms for the players before the game starts. Also, a visiting clubhouse manager is like a hotel concierge.

Harkins provided a "foreign substance" for pitchers to improve their control pitching the baseball. Harkins was taught how to make the "foreign substance" by Angels' pitcher Troy Percival 20 years ago. The substance was available by request. Most pitchers and coaches paid Harkins to cover the costs. No profit was made. Any "foreign substance" on a baseball or doctoring is against baseball rules. Pitchers were quoted Major League Baseball (MLB) allowed doctoring for at least a century. However, the middle of 2021 MLB announced umpires search suspected pitchers for any "foreign substance." Pitchers caught with a "foreign substance" are suspended. No pitcher has been terminated for cheating.

Harkins filed lawsuit against the Angels and MLB for defamation and being the scapegoat on Aug 2020. The Angels and MLB filed a motion for dismissal on Nov 2020. The Orange County Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit on Jan 2021.

Equal Access

My response is the "foreign substance" is open to everyone. Everyone gets access. All pitchers are included. All MLB teams are included. No pitcher wants to exclude another pitcher because the pitcher may get angry. The angry pitcher tells MLB officials the illegal activity even though MLB doesn't enforce the rules. The piece of the pie is available. All parties are satisfied. Everyone is happy at the end of the day.

Update On A Past Blog

Today's blog contradicts The Size Of The Pie Is Still The Same on Jun 23, 2016. I wrote there are too many people living on Earth. The size of the pie doesn't increase to accommodate the increasing amount of people. More people don't get a piece of the pie. A genius can solve the problem by eliminating greed.

The Jul 15, 2019 blog Too Many People was about a church building 44 affordable apartment units. The church received over 5,000 applications. The 44 unit pie didn't increase.

2021 Started Off Fast

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

A reminder Target prices in retail stores and at their webpage may be different. I keep watch when I shop. The Presidential Election 2020 and President Donald Trump impeached twice are events generations today and tomorrow remember for a long time. I go back in time to Jun 1991 in sports and in technology. Korean fried chicken is delicious. Also, generations today and tomorrow remember the 2021 projected federal government $2.3 trillion deficit from the Congressional Budget Office. Is the 2.3 trillion number up or down at the end of 2021? A FYI for people who can't afford dentist quality bite guards. Drug stores sells cheaper bite guards.

Top Ten Plus Four Equals Fourteen Fry's Electronics Moments

Techies who live near a Fry's Electronics store reminisce the good memories and the bad memories. It's inevitable Fry's went out of business officially announced on Wed Feb 24, 2021. The store was the number one source for computer goods and more for techies and non-techies. Fry's sold more than computers, laptops, electronics, printers, phones, software programs, and monitors. The store sold video games, music, movies, TVs, appliances, toys, books, magazines, personal grooming, stationary, light bulbs, batteries, snacks, drinks, and more non-techie goods to satisfy most consumers. Fry's was a one stop store for techies. Bad management and online commerce caused Fry's to shut down.

Fry's posted ads in the local newspaper. Fry's released a seven-page ad every Friday. Loyal customers looked forward to Friday's ads. What's the hardware on sale? What's the video games on sale? What's the DVDs on sale? What's the non techie goods on sale such as stationary, flashlights, food, books, and toys? The trouble signs were clear and present when Fry's stopped the newspaper ads. Fry's was no longer the best buys. Parking lots were full on weekends. No more long lines the next customer looking at the cash registers' green lights or numbered signs for the next open cashier.

A knew a friend who worked in the tech support department wearing the blue lab coats. Most people thought working in the department was the least stressful because they spent more time repairing computers and less time interacting with customers. He said tech support was the most stressful because 99% of the customers were idiots. They didn't know how to operate computers. Tech support taught customers how to operate computers. The technician ran a diagnostic CD every time a customer brought a computer or laptop knowing most of the time the technician already knew how to fix the computer quickly. Fry's policy was all technicians must run a diagnostic CD charging the customer $24.99. Easy money.

Here are the top ten plus four equals fourteen Fry's Electronics moments:

14. Last Fry's Purchase (Jan 2020). I purchased the Arctic Silver Thermal polysynthetic silver compound for my second built desktop PC.

13. 4K TV (Jun 2013). I saw a Sony 4K television for the first time. Sale price was $6,999.99. I purchased a 4K monitor at Black Friday 2018 for $249.99 as a comparison.

12. Last Black Friday Shopping (Nov 2017). I purchased the Logitech Z313 2.1 speakers. Fry's price matched Amazon at $24.99.

11. Non-Fiction Book (Aug 2008). I purchased I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max. It was my only non-computer book.

10. The Movie Outbreak (Dec 1995). I went Christmas shopping after I took my last final which was Physics 62 Electricity & Magnetism at San Jose State University. I saw the movie on a large screen TV. I watched the second half of the movie in its entirety. I turned around when the credits were shown. There was a large crowd behind me.

9. Celine Dion's Falling Into You CD (Spring 1996). I purchased the classic Celine Dion CD.

8. Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill (Fall 1995). I purchased her first CD.

7. Targus Laptop Cooler (Nov 2006). It still works today. The cooler prolonged my two previous laptops.

6. $3.99 DVDs (Fall 2008). I purchased Mad Max, The Graduate, Mr. Mom, X-Men II, Die Hard, and Revenge Of The Nerds.

5. First USB Memory Stick (Summer Or Fall 1998). I purchased the Soyo Cigar Pro I 128MB for $49.99.

4. Michael Jackson Died (Summer 2009). The entire Fry's store played Michael Jackson music on the store speakers, played his music on the stereos, and showed a Michael Jackson concert on TVs. All customers stopped at any TV when they were nearby.

3. The Orange Box (Oct 2007). Many video game publications declared Valve Corporation releasing five video games in one the best deal in a century. The video games are Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2.

2. My First Desktop PC (Fall 2008). I built my first desktop PC named my Gaming PC. I purchased the hard drive, case, thermal polysynthetic silver compound, DVD+RW, monitor, cooling fans, and RAM.

Honorable mentions: I purchased a Spyder3Pro Monitor Calibration in Jul 2011, a Sony cassette adapter to play mp3s in Mar 2014, and classical music CDs each containing 25 songs for $1.99 each in 1998 and 1999. I ate astronaut ice cream for the first time in Dec 2008. I purchased a 7-UP soda in a collectable 7-UP bottle in Mar 2011.

1. A NES Game (1986). My brother and I purchased Rygar for the Nintendo. We purchased the video game at the original Fry's store in Sunnyvale.

Update On A Past Blog

I remember the movie Major League starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, and Corbin Bernsen released in 1989. The movie plot is the new owner of the Cleveland Indians wants the team to tank to move the team outside Cleveland. I wrote a blog on tanking titled Is Tanking The New Way To Succeed? on Oct 16, 2020. A few professional sports teams tank intentionally to receive number one draft picks to rebuild.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog October 2020

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Politics ruled all media. There were day trips to El Cerrito 10 minutes north of Oakland, San Francisco, and Alameda 5 minutes southwest of Oakland. Europe has been experiencing a rise in cases. The pandemic daily life is unprecedented, uncharted, new, unknown, and untested.

Thur Oct 1. Smoky day. Hot temperatures. Spare The Air alert started today which extended to Tue Oct 6. Red Flag alert extended to Tue Oct 6.

I helped my dad with errands in El Cerrito, CA. Minimal traffic jams at major freeway junctions. Minor traffic jams caused by two accidents. Otherwise, I drove between 65mph and 70mph. We listened to the Oakland A's vs. Chicago White Sox baseball game Wild Card round.

President Donald Trump and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19.

Sat Oct 3 and Sun Oct 4. Indoor fans turned on. Desk fans turned on. The weather was not hot enough to turn on the home air conditioner. Windows were closed because of the hot air. No wind.

The State Of California announced four million acres burned for the first time in state history. The size is larger than the state of Connecticut.

Mon Oct 5. Watched the first quarter of the New England Patriots vs. Kansas City Chiefs for a Mon afternoon football game. The NFL delayed the game one day due to some players tested positive for COVID-19 in the Patriots team.

Wed Oct 7. Watched the last 40 minutes of the Vice Presidential debate.

Thur Oct 8. Fewer cars on local roads and freeways continued. I shopped at Costco in the morning. The third time in the last three weeks a Costco employee brought new bananas. The third time the bananas were organic instead of regular. The Oakland A's lost to the Houston Astros in the American League Divisional Series.

Fri Oct 9. Watched the NBA Finals Game 5 fourth period. The week sped up late Tue. The week slowed down in the end.

Sat Oct 10. I hoped I fixed my grandmother's clock by removing dust with an air compressor inside the clock.

Mon Oct 12-Wed Oct 14. Almost complete cleaned the house.

Tue Oct 13. Watched the end of the second quarter and most of the third quarter in the Tue night football game Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans.

Wed Oct 14. Red Flag warning issued which ended Sun Oct 18. Santa Clara County moved to the Tier 3 Orange for the State of California's four tier shutdown system.

Thur Oct 15. Heat Advisory issued which ended Fri Oct 16. Watched four innings of the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves National League Championship Series.

Fri Oct 16. Faster week. The week wasn't a blink of an eye it was the weekend.

Sat Oct 17. I helped my dad with errands in San Francisco. Minimal cars and minimal people in downtown. There was a police incident at a free speech rally at the UN Plaza. We stopped at the Costco Business Center in South San Francisco, CA. The hot dogs are shorter in length. We listened to the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves National League Championship Series. The last stop was The Habit to purchase hamburgers to go.

Weather reports were incorrect. Temperatures were hotter than forecasted.

Sun Oct 18. Dad fixed a minor problem with the ceiling fan. Dad assisted me removing branches, plants, and leaves on top of my engine's intake manifold. We suspected small animals built a home.

Mon Oct 19. Watched most of the first half Mon afternoon football game Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills.

Tue Oct 20. An apartment fire near the neighborhood. The air smelled smoke like lighting a match smell. No jogging outdoors. I watched a few innings of the Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tampa Bay Rays World Series.

Wed Oct 21. Jogged with a flashlight.

Fri Oct 23. The United States reached a record COVID-19 daily cases at 83,000. The FDA approved the anti-viral Remdesivir. Europe reached 8,000,000 COVID-19 cases and 250,000 COVID-19 deaths. France announced a second shut down when it reached 1,000,000 COVID-19 cases.

Sat Oct 24. Watched the World Series Game 4 starting at the bottom of the sixth inning.

Mon Oct 26. I helped my dad with errands in Alameda, CA. Minimal traffic jams at major freeway junctions. We ate lunch at The Cheese Steak Shop. I purchased Dominion at Toy Safari using a gift card.

Tue Oct 27. Repaired a leak from the kitchen faucet. I watched the World Series Game 6 from the bottom of the sixth inning to the MVP presentation.

San Francisco County moved to the Tier 4 Yellow for the State of California's four tier shutdown system. The county was the first in the Bay Area.

Wed Oct 28. Germany announced a partial shut down for one month.

Thur Oct 29. The United States reached a record COVID-19 daily cases at 90,456. Total United States COVID-19 cases 9,031,493.

Fri Oct 30. Faster week. The week wasn't a blink of an eye it was the weekend.

Sat Oct 31. England announced a second national shutdown for one month. The country reached 1,000,000 COVID-19 cases.

Update On A Past Blog

A 2007 blog titled The Need For Speed written on Dec, 22, 2007 was missed in the Top Ten Wisdom Acquired In 2007 I Failed To Follow on Jan 10, 2020. I dreamed I was a running back for the San Francisco 49ers during the Joe Montana and Bill Walsh era. I was too slow to receive a pass. The pass was intercepted. Slow speed was a weakness. I trained to run faster the next day. The Need For Speed blog should have been mentioned in the honorable mentions at the minimum.

Is Tanking The New Way To Succeed?

tank (verb): to make no effort to win; stop trying to win a competition.

I write today's blog on tanking referencing sports. The Houston Astros baseball team lost at least 100 games from 2011 to 2013 and lost 92 games in 2014. The Astros received high draft picks for one of the worse records drafting center fielder George Springer in 2011, shortstop Carlos Correa and pitcher Lance McCullers in 2012, and shortstop Alex Bregman in 2015. These four players played a major factor in the Astros winning the 2017 World Series. The Astros are playing in the 2020 American League Championship Series facing another elimination game down 3-2 out of a best of seven games against the Tampa Bay Rays as of the blog entry. The Astros cheating is another conversion.

The Philadelphia 76ers basketball team won less than 20 games from 2013-2014 season to 2015-2016 season and 28 games for the 2016-2017 season. The 76ers received high draft picks for one of the worse records drafting center Joel Embiid in 2014 and guard Ben Simmons in 2016. These two players are all-stars who turned around the team to NBA Championship contenders. The 76ers were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2019-2020 NBA Playoffs. Head coach Brett Brown was fired. Doc Rivers is the new head coach.

The Miami Dolphins football team were speculated to tank for the 2019-2020 season. The Dolphins ended the season 5-11 and last place in their division. There were pre-season and early season rumors Dolphins players demanded trades to leave the team. The Dolphins tanked because they team wanted high draft picks to rebuild their team to championship contender. The Dolphins are 2-3 and third place in their division for the 2020-2021 season as of the blog entry.

The Golden State Warriors basketball team are tanking intentionally and unintentionally. The Warriors are plagued by injuries including all-stars guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The 2019-2020 is a one-off year given the last five NBA seasons the Warriors played in the NBA finals winning three NBA Championships. The Warriors won the second pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery. Their final regular season record guaranteed the Warriors pick between the first pick and the fourth pick.

There is a new philosophy discussion tanking is the new way to become successful. There is no reason to be in the middle. There is no reason to break even. There is no reason to be above average. All or nothing. Go big or go home. Excellent or fail. Get an A or get a F. 100% or 0%.

Go into debt intelligently. Lose more money to earn more money. Spend more money to earn more money. Deconstruct in its entirely to reconstruct completely. Tear down to the ground to build up to the sky.

Hit a home run or strike out. A pitcher pitches one inning or two innings throwing fastballs, fastballs, and fastballs resulting in strike out, strike out, strike out, and pitcher is relieved. Live or die with the three-point shot. A football team with a top-tier quarterback compensates all team weaknesses. I emphasize top-tier! The rest of the team is ignored regardless of talent and skill.

Am I Tanking?

Time is the ultimate judge. Time answers the question soon. I'm waiting for the next opportunity to succeed. Maybe its bad luck. Is success coming? Is tanking working? I'm unemployed. There is no part-time brain-numbing jobs. I'm self-training. I'm self-reviewing. I'm staying proactive. Everyday I'm one step closer to become a self-trained genius.

How About Cheating?

The New England Patriots football team won six NFL Championships in nine Super Bowl appearances. The Patriots cheated multiple times. The Patriots were caught multiple times. Punishments were a slap on the wrist. Cheat, caught, punished, cheat, caught, punished, cheat, caught, punished, . . . . . The result is six NFL Championships.

There's An A In Overachieving

The 2020 American League West Champions Oakland A's were defeated by the Houston Astros on Thur Oct 8, 2020. The A's defeated the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card round for their first postseason series win since 2006 when the A's played in the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers. The A's has lost 10 of its past 11 postseason series. The bullpen was the A's strength with the lowest ERA in the major leagues at 2.72. On the other hand, the starting pitching ranked 16th in the major leagues at a 4.49 ERA. Poor starting pitching resulted in a fatigued bullpen. The team batting average .225 was the second lowest in the American League.

One superstar plus good coaching plus good management or good ownership equals a championship. 1+1+1=3. The 1+1+1=3 odds improve to win a championship are higher than teams with a sum less than three. The superstar is a high impact player with leadership, charism, highest performance on the field, strong, and intelligent. There have been professional sport teams following the 1+1+1=3 formula in history. Here are some examples below:

*Joe Montana+Bill Walsh+San Francisco 49ers=three Super Bowl championships in the 1980s
*Michael Jordan+Phil Jackson+Chicago Bulls=six NBA Finals championships in the 1990s
*Buster Posey+Bruce Bochy+San Francisco Giants=three World Series championships in five years between 2010-2014
*Derek Jeter+Joe Torre+New York Yankees=five World Series championships 1996, 1998-2000, 2009
*Sidney Crosby+Mike Sullivan+Pittsburg Penguins= back to back Stanley Cup championships 2016 and 2017 for the first time in the salary cap era
*Stephen Curry+Steve Kerr+Golden State Warriors=five consecutive NBA Finals appearances 2015-2019 winning three
*Tom Brady+Bill Belichick+New England Patriots=six Super Bowl championships 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, and 2019

There are 1+1+1=3 examples of teams winning one championship. One championship is good enough in some cases.

*Russell Wilson+Pete Carroll+Seattle Seahawks=2014 Super Bowl Champions
*Patrick Mahomes+Andy Reid+Kansas City Chiefs=2020 Super Bowl Champions

The A's disagree with 1+1+1=3. The team have been overachievers 0+0+0=0. There are no superstars. Manager Bob Melvin should be fired. Ownership is cheap. The A's is a ball team with one of the lowest baseball payrolls. Ownership doesn't pay big contracts to superstar players. The A's develop their young talent, play the best young talent in the major league level with all-star performance, and acquire veteran free agents at the end of their careers. The offseason the A's trade their young all-start talent for new younger potential talent. Buy low, sell high. The A's baseball team plan is Moneyball. The Moneyball method is using statistical analysis and paying bargain contracts for a winning baseball team explained in plain English. Maybe 50 years from now the Moneyball method wins a World Series Championship for the Oakland A's. Prove me wrong.

Top Ten All-Time Bay Area Professional Athletes

KGMZ 95.7 FM The Game requested sports fans to submit their top ten best Bay Area professional athletes. The Game's sports journalists share their lists starting Mon Jul 6, 2020. Here's my top ten list I submitted.

10. Madison Bumgarner, Giants. The 2014 World Series was all Bumgarner. He needs a no-hitter for his career.

9. Joe Thornton, Sharks. A future hall of famer in the Sharks organization and in the NHL.

8. Ronnie Lott, 49ers. Defense wins football games. He was part of the glory years during the 1980s.

7. Klay Thompson, Warriors. Thompson is playoffs dependable game 6 Klay including the 2016 Game 6 Western Conference Finals vs. Oklahoma City Thunder.

6. Rickey Henderson, A's. The greatest leadoff hitter in the history of the MLB. He's the all-time leader in stolen bases.

5. Barry Bonds, Giants. He's the all-time leader in home runs.

4. Jerry Rice, 49ers. The greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL. He's the all-time leader in touchdown receptions.

3. Willie Mays, Giants. His career numbers stand the test of time: 660 HR, .302 BA, 1,903 RBI, two-time MVP, 24-time all-star, and 12 Gold Gloves.

2. Joe Montana, 49ers. Children growing up in the 1980s needed to know Joe Montana to be a 49ers fan.

I add the honorable mentions for my blog. They're the following: Rick Barry, Warriors; Frank Gore, 49ers; Shane Lechler, Raiders; Tim Lincecum, Giants; Patrick Marleau, Sharks; Willie McCovey, Giants; Buster Posey, Giants; Joe Staley, 49ers; Chris Wondolowski, Earthquakes; and Steve Young, 49ers.

1. Stephen Curry, Warriors. He revolutionized basketball.

Edit Fri Jul 10, 2020: I made a mistake. An example of poor research and an example my memory is not perfect. Marcus Allen played for the Raiders in Los Angeles. I thought he played for the Raiders in Oakland before moving to Los Angeles. Allen is removed from the honorable mention. Rick Barry from the Warriors replaces Allen.

Information And Appreciation

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Professional teams with low chances of winning might as well lose intentionally instead of fighting for nothing. Don't ignore the transmission fluid. Don't ignore your neighbors helping you. Show your appreciation with simple gifts. California citizens appreciate the firefighters battling the 2019 wildfires. I was happy seeing the Castle Rock State Park parking expansion. I'm happy when the Monroe parking structure at Valley Fair mall is 100% complete. Black Friday is still the best day for sales. SUVs are here to stay. No more station wagons.

The Reader Takes Something Away With These Pics

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Past architecture buildings and signs are remembered in time. Everyone must share their favorite music genres. All music is music. Ignorance is bliss. There is a safety reason never hide electrical outlets. Take advantage of retail deals. People can be winners losing more than winning. Today's COVID-19 is a reminder we take the outdoors for granted. On the other hand, some retail deals are terrible.

Raymond Mar One Liners 3

Muscle & Fitness July/August 2017 issue interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger titled "Arnold" by Peter McGough. The interview inspired me to write one liners reflecting me. There is no chronological order. I write anything I thought my mind. Here is my third Raymond Mar One Liners. The first was written on Jun 17, 2018. The second was written on Jun 1, 2019.

My first anime online purchased was the Sailor Moon Perfect Collection CD box set from TokyoPop.

No more Brita water for me. I'm allergic to the water. It's not Brita. It's my body. Also, I started to get smarter when I avoided Brita water. Coincidence? Who knows.

I can sleep with no blankets during the spring, summer, and some fall months. My body gets too warm during warm and hot nights.

2006 was a misleading year. It was a successful year learning new skills, meeting new friends, and visiting new places. I earned few successes. They came to me on a silver platter. Life went my way. The life flow went my way.

People who read books must say goodbye to some books eventually. The bookshelf is a finite amount of storage space. Also, our opinions on life changes. One day we want to keep a good book. Another day we realize the good book really stinks.

I can say I drove an Oldsmobile car. It was a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera light blue station wagon. The car sucked. Too much problems. My dad went the maintenance cheap path tormenting myself and my mom driving the car.

Dental care is important. Today's COVID-19 is an example. All dentists are closed. If you have a dental problem, then it's hard to get dental care. Good oral hygiene can prevent you for getting the COVID-19 virus.

Every human being gets white hair and wrinkles during the senior years. Human beauty evens out at old age. If you're not beautiful today, you can delay white hair and wrinkles and become beautiful. How? Exercise and be useful or learn infinitely or innovate infinitely.

I rank the following must read World War II fiction books in order of good, better, and great: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, City Of Thieves by David Benioff, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

The Major League Baseball 1993 season. I was disappointed the San Francisco Giants won 103 games and didn't make the playoffs. The Giants could win against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies could win against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves could win against the Giants. The Phillies and the Braves played for the National League Championship. The Phillies won the championship. The Phillies lost the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Playing chess during the lunch hour, playing softball during PE, and learning Geometry during the 1990 summer school saved my 1990 sophomore year depression and 1990 summer vacation in high school.

An investment lesson I remember for the rest of my life. I should have sold all my investments when the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 10,000 in 1999 or the NASDAQ reached 5,000 in 2000. I contemplated selling all my investments if the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 30,000 in Feb 2020. It never did. The markets dropped because of COVID-19 in Mar 2020.

Eating processed foods in moderation is incorrect. Minimizing eating processed foods is correct. Save eating junk food for birthdays, major celebrations, and the Super Bowls.

The Big Wheel needs to come back to today's children. I'm happy I rode the Big Wheel when I was a child. It was like I drove a car. I imaged I drove anywhere. Pause the technology. Parents buy a Big Wheel.

Training infinitely, learning infinitely, practicing infinitely, and reviewing infinitely are a mistake if they're completed incorrectly. I'm speaking from experience. Fortunately, I corrected my training, learning, practicing, and reviewing mistakes. I started new paths hopefully opening new doors for my future.

I ranked Disney's Pocahontas movie the least favorite moment during my summer 1995.

Speaking of Disney, I have watched no live-action adaptions of Disney animated movies. I don't want to give Disney additional money from me. I admit the Mulan live-action adaption looks great from the trailers. I wait and see.