The Last Best Year 1999 Or 2007?

I'm an unprofessional anthropologist. I'm an unprofessional historian. I unprofessionally answer the question is either 1999 or 2007 the last best year? Here is a quick history of 1999 and 2007.

1999: NASA launched the Mars Polar Lander, President Bill Clinton was not convicted of impeachment, Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl, a hot air balloon circumnavigated planet Earth, Shakespeare In Love won Best Picture, the Melissa worm attacked the internet, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 10,000 and 11,000 for the first time, Kosovo War ended, Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, Napster was created, USA defeated China in the FIFA Women's World Cup, multiple earthquakes in Turkey, New York Yankees won the World Series, Exxon and Mobile merged, and Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned.

2007: iPhone debuted, Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, Virginia Tech shooting killed 32 students, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the USA House of Representatives, British Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned, Bob Barker retired as host of The Price Is Right, European heat wave, The Departed won Best Picture, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 13,000 and 14,000 for the first time, San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds became the all time home runs leader, Southern California wildfires destroyed 1,600 structures, Boston Red Sox won the World Series, and Writers Guild Of America went on strike.

A criteria for the last best year is the highest number of winners. Success is maximized. The winners and the success are measured on a global scale. The chances people become instant winners are high just by participating. People apply for jobs, interview for jobs, and hire for jobs. Colleges accept many students. There are plenty of acceptances to programs. Consumers purchase homes, cars, and long-term durable goods. Banks give loans to entrepreneurs.

More opportunities. More openings. High enrollments. There are plenty of pie slices for everyone. Spend here, invest there, and gamble or bet on the opportunity. Reduce savings to earn more money. Money is plentiful attributed to the central banks such as the Federal Reserve, Bank Of England, Bank Of Japan, Bank Of Canada, European Central Bank, People's Bank of China, and the World Bank.

The above happened in both 1999 and 2007. An economic catastrophe happened their following years. The dot-com bubble burst in 2000 resulted in a recession. The real estate bubble burst in 2008 resulted in The Great Recession. Maybe 2019 was the last best year. The COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 resulted in a recession and an inflation.

What is the last best year for the world? There are multiple answers and explanations because they depend on the perspectives.

Update On A Past Blog

I want to add two more bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings to the Top Ten Bad Advice, Bad Lessons, Or Bad Teachings blog written on Wed Feb 4, 2026. The first is calling out my parents. I connect the dots backwards as I age. I acquire more knowledge, more wisdom, and more experience. The three convince me my parents gave me bad advice, bad lessons, or bad teachings. Do they mean well for which they didn't want me to be a bad adult? Yes. Do they try to be the best parents they can be? No. I forgave them decades ago on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.

The second is learning Riichi or Japanese Mahjong. I quit learning Riichi in 2007. I'm lucky I relearned Riichi in 2009. The reasons I quit Riichi in 2007 were bad lessons and bad resources. The books I read were terrible. The online resources were confusing. Fortunately, there are more good books and better online resources today. I consider myself an advanced level Riichi player.

I Quit Reading A Book

I want to blog a recent event. I stopped reading a book. The reason why I blog quit reading a book is people quit something. Quitting is acceptable. Quitting is a judgement choice. Sometimes quitting is the correct choice. Sometimes quitting is the incorrect choice. Take responsibility making the correct choice or the incorrect choice to quit.

The book I stopped reading is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold at page 150. There are people who enjoyed the book. I recognize their positive opinions. The book is not for me. I also stopped reading Pattern Recognition by William Gibson decades ago. I read one chapter. I never read the rest of Pattern Recognition. I finished reading the following books I should have quit reading: The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, The Adventures Of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green, Up In The Air by Walter Kirn, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and The Rescuers by Margery Sharp.

I also finished reading for which I should have quit reading Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers. The Disney movie is great. The movie is one of my all time favorites. The adaption is fantastic. The book writing style is boring for me.

Riichi Mahjong

I learned Riichi Mahjong in 2007. I quit learning because it was too hard. A friend challenged me and another friend to learn Riichi Mahjong in 2009. We accepted the one week challenge. I have been playing since 2009. I blame poor resources, low motivation, read a poorly written Mahjong book, and no support for quitting in 2007. I corrected my mistakes when I relearned Riichi Mahjong in 2009.

Sometimes there are second chances after quitting the first time.

Review Mistake Number 14

It's okay to quit is top mistake number 14 "Mistake 14: Quit When It's Not Going Well" from my Finding Raymond Mar blog Top Mistakes Part 5 written on Apr 25, 2012. Top Mistakes The Final Part written on Aug 5, 2012 summarizes my top 18 mistakes plus the final top three mistakes for a total of top 21 mistakes.

Update On A Past Blog

I want to mention the Get Back blog written on Jul 13, 2011 as another growing up blog. I wrote an unofficial official growing up blog I Grew Up The Changes Were Immediate Growing Up On Sat Oct 4, 2008 Grow Up on Jan 20, 2026. The Get Back blog mentioned I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008, the change in clothes, the change in physical workouts, and reading fiction books. Specifically, no more dress shirts, slacks, hiking shoes, and SWAT police boots for casual events. I wrote the last paragraph, "I have a better understanding why some successful people who experience a slump or setback revisit their roots. The roots, the core values, the early successes are what made successful people the best they are. It can be people forgot something and they needed to go back and remember the past."

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Lessons Schools Don't Teach

Schools teach ABC's and 123's. Schools teach 1+1=2, water is H2O, verbs, animals, and telling time. Schools don't teach manners, wisdom, and money. There is too much to learn. There is not enough school funds. There are not enough teachers. Parents must supplement their children's education. I wrote a blog FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too on Jul 30, 2009. I said, "Parents, find time to teach the soft skills schools don't teach."

There are multiple ways children can learn some lessons because we live in the Information Age; for example, YouTube. Parents must be aware some sources are wrong. Parents and children must use their best judgement they're getting accurate information.

Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen lessons schools don't teach:

13. Etiquette, Politeness, And Manners. It's unlikely teachers teach thank you, please, share, honesty, respect, more listening, and less talking. Teachers say them. Teachers don't teach them.

12. Financial Education. No person with a teaching credential knows the stock markets, interest rates, consumer price index, gold, cryptocurrency, and mortgage rates. Otherwise, the teacher works in another industry avoiding children five days a week.

11. Physical Fitness. Put the video game controller down. Turn off the phone. Get out. Move the knees and elbows. I include healthy eating for number 11.

10. Sex. The school districts policies teaching sex are a joke.

9. Depression. Welcome depression. Depression is okay. Do you feel better? If the answer is yes, then solve depression long-term. It's the deal.

8. Intuition. The late Steve Jobs said, "I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work."

Trust your gut feeling.

7. The World Is Not 100% Successful. Some dreams don't come true. Some people fail. Most things don't work out.

6. Don't Take Life For Granted. Self-explanatory.

5. Earn it. Success is not given on a silver platter.

Bonus: Time is the ultimate judge. Time will tell what you're doing in the present results in something good or something bad in the future.

4. Life Is Unfair. The first rule in Bill Gates' 11 Rules For Real Life is "Life is not fair - get used to it."

3. Bad Timing And Bad Luck. Timing and luck are factors to success and to failure. Most successful people never admit timing and luck are factors to their accomplishments. However, they're not the only factors themselves to be successful. Hard work, intelligence, repetition, and grit are factors, too.

2. Stop complaining about your crappy life. Life doesn't care about your problems. Too fat? Get physical. Eat healthy. Poor grades? Self-teach outside the textbook. No friends? Learn social skills. Get help.

1. Change. If you don't want to change, then life finds a way to change your life. You may not like life's choice for change.

Update On A Past Blog

I mention FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too written on Jul 30, 2009 for the second time. I started learning both the soft skills and the life skills in May 2015. I can't explain I consciously follow the lesson daily starting in Sep 2019.

I asked a question, "How do teachers teach failure is good?" in Reward Failure In Schools written on Nov 20, 2018. Did any professional educator find a way to teach students failure is good? Reward failure. Reward intelligent mistakes. The professional educator is a millionaire if the answer is yes.

Year 2026 Predicting Like Polymarket

I'm Polymarket today. I predict the year 2026. The 2026 year is 2025 part 2. 2026 is 2025 extended. 2026 continues 2025.

The devil collects more payments. More people made deals with the devil. The bills are due. Repay the contracts no more. Repay the contracts no less. If people don't pay, then chaos results. The devil profits from chaos.

There are more changes in both quantity and quality. Change is a clique at the start of every new year. However, I repeat, there are more changes in both quantity and quality. Take the average number of changes in the last 20 years. Double the average number. I remind the reader changes happen by choice. I remind the reader changes happen beyond people's control. Positive or negative. Lives are changed for better or for worse.

The number of failures increases. More people fail. Some fails are their own fault. Other fails are no fault of their own. Blame life. Blame bad timing. Blame bad circumstances. Blame bad luck. Somebody succeeds and somebody fails.

It's harder to lie. More truths are revealed. More truths are exposed. Deception requires more work.

More relationships are questioned. Examples include professional, personal, romantic, friends, family, neighbors, and online. Humanity has been getting wiser contrary to news reports and social media. The alternatives are considered. The substitutes are looked for a second time. There are more experimenting--trial and error.

Artificial intelligence is more prevalent. Individuals are less dependent on other individuals. More people forget they live in paradise at the end of the day.

Permanent Changes Due To COVID-19 Is Another Change Reference Point In Time

California Governor Gavin Newsom shut down California 2,107 days ago on Tue Mar 17, 2020. People reference many permanent changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 permanently changed *fill in the blank*. Schools. Colleges. Job searching. The hiring process. Work environment. Shopping. Contracts. Human relations. Governments. The financial system. Entertainment. Professional sports. Technology.

There are many historical reference points changing everything. The points I know are the following: the airplane, World War II, President Richard Nixon got the USA off the gold standard, the internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and COVID-19. There are more historical reference points changes coming soon.

A common knowledge is time changes everything--almost everything. The typical life is the same. A person is born. His or her parents raise their baby. Go to school. Graduate high school. Some graduate college or a trade school. Get a job. Get married. Raise a family. Retire. Death. Repeat. The circle of life.

However, the world changes. Humanitity changes. They are guaranteed. Generations change. Out with the old. In with the new. Let's hope future generations change for the better. Systems change. Processes change. Rules change. Opinions change. Time will tell the change is good or the change is bad. We connect the dots backwards. Forecasting or predicting is bullshit. The forecaster or predictor must sell with confidence to make it come true. Time is the ultimate judge.

High School Campus Is A Teenage Day Care Center

I dreamed last night I was a student in high school. One class was like a Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) class. It was taught like a ROTC class. Most of the class material was ROTC. The instructor was like a ROTC who was a retired Marine officer.

The students and I were outside the classroom. The instructor told us to go inside the classroom which was like a mini gym. The ceilings were tall. The classroom was four times bigger than a standard classroom. The students were given a yellow piece of paper with questions. There were a few multiple choice questions. There were two fill in the blank. The rest were short answers.

My dream immediately fast forward to the instructor handing back the yellow piece of paper to the students. It turned out we were given a surprised test. All students did poorly. I scored a 73. The instructor punished the students by telling us to go outside and correct our mistakes. I woke up.

High School Is A Joke

My cynical thinking the ROTC like class was a waste of time. I thought back to my high school years. Many classes were a waste of time. Teenagers need to learn mathematics, learn reading, and learn writing. The deeper question is "How much depth do teenagers need to know US history, world history, geography, science, foreign language, and fine arts?" Parents are told by the government these classes must be taken to graduate with a high school diploma. US citizens should know the civil war, World War II, the capital of the USA, and water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. I reread a few literature books in high school as an adult such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane, and Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. Most of the books stank. Physical education was a joke. I don't know today's physical education curriculum.

My high school is a joke opinion may be weak. College bound high school students must take college requisites. I accept. Otherwise, my opinion has merit. Music, art, and cooking do nothing to get a good paying job in today's Information Age. Students who are lazy may have a point. They're bored. The high school standards and high school policies are a mismatch. I admit they're not perfect.

Start The Conversation

Education is passing knowledge to future generations. Any other definition is probably bullshit.

Update On A Past Blog

I add another lesson learned taking R.O.T.C. in high school. The blog is High School R.O.T.C. Leadership Lesson Another Viewpoint By Rank written on Oct 24, 2020. Here is the lesson on words.

*What is the one most important word? We.
*What are the two most important words? Thank you.
*What are the three most important words? If you please.
*What are the four most important words? What is your opinion?
*What are the five most important words? You did a good job.
*What are the six most important words? I admit I made a mistake.

The Democrats Are Unhappy They Won

Today's blog likely makes no sense to the reader. It's okay. I'm not a political scientist. I'm not an expert in government. I didn't take any classes on constitutional law. I write an unprofessional opinion on the US politics.

The Democrats won. The liberals won. The left side won. The victories happened decades ago. The best examples include The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, legal abortion maintained, fewer racial discrimination or greater equality or DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, LGBTQ+ rights acknowledged, and more people gaining wealth. More people earn incomes to live a comfortable life.

The victories were too victorious. The wins were too good. The Democrats are unhappy. The Democrats lost their motivation. Bring on the chaos by the Republicans. Bring on stirring the pot stew. Bring on the uncomfortability. Bring on the unprecedent firsts. Bring on the new laws. There are changes. President Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hiliary Clinton and the 2024 election against Kamala Harris; although, some people say the Democrats lost the 2016 election and lost the 2024 election instead of the Republicans winning. Perhaps, the Democrats took for granted they win the 2016 election and the 2024 election. I digress. Abortion is unprotective on a federal level. Tariffs are back. Obamacare is changed on the federal level. Illegal immigrants are being deported. DEI setbacks. Federal health policies are changing.

There is no impeachment against Trump during his second term as of today. I read past news articles a congressman or a congresswoman began the impeachment process. Nothing happened thereafter. There were rallies hosted by the Democrats to convince the US citizens to oppose President Trump and the Republicans. Nothing happened thereafter.

Winners are supposed to be happy. Losers are supposed to be unhappy. Losers can be happy by learning from their mistakes. Winners can be unhappy with an irrational reason. The Democrats are unhappy.

Throwback Blog: Follow The Money

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 Follow The Money written on Sep 19, 2019. A person choosing a career can follow the money to find the popular careers today. The popular careers don't necessarily mean a high paying career. Anyone can make six digits or seven digits being a salesperson. Two letters are needed to update the blog in today's Information Age. The two letters are A and I--AI or Artificial Intelligence. A salesperson doesn't need specialized skills, knowledge, education, and experience.

I digress. Companies pay big salaries to people who meet the challenges of complex skills, knowledge, education, and experience in their industries.

I add the education system is the same: four years high school, two years associate's degree, four years bachelor's degree, and additional two years or four years for advanced degrees.

Deep Throat from the movie All The President's Men told Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to follow the money trail to solve the Watergate scandal. The follow the money thinking applies to careers.

Many of today's career challenges are skills, knowledge, education, and experience. We live in the information age. More careers require advance skills, technical training, indefinite education or self-training, longer hours, and more experience. More industries are complex, complicated, and difficult. Reference materials, books, notes, YouTube, and Google are required to research, to look up information, and to refresh our skills. Companies pay high salaries to workers who are strong, gritty, intelligent, motivated, and devoted to long hours. Companies pay high salaries to workers with highly demanded experience, best trained, and strong skills.

Some of the most common industries with high salaries include engineers, programmers, medical, scientists, and business. The five industries are changing rapidly. The best way to monitor the changes is job searching. Job postings inform the latest skills and experience. Job postings are up-to-date compared to college career centers and career counselors. Follow the money to learn the education, skills, and experience required in today's evolving industries.

There are some industries salaries have stayed the same. The reason salaries have stayed the same is because nothing changed. The skills are mostly the same yesterday and today. No technical training or little technical training is required. There is no need for additional education. The hours are the same. Little past experience is necessary. Almost all retail jobs the pay is low. Retail jobs haven't evolved. Post office, waiting tables, cleaning, and bus drivers their pay is low.

College Majors Lower Chances For High Salaries

I don't know how students majoring in humanities, fine-arts, art, music, education, and social science earn high salaries. However, these students can think of ideas earning additional income related to their majors. Podcasting? YouTube? Streaming? Blogging? Write books? Earn an advanced degree? Double major selecting a second major in a technical field or a business field? Generations ago college students can make a living in any major. Today's generation the high salaries goes to people with the latest and greatest skills and experience--the latest and greatest everything.

The workforce is not dumb. The industries are hard.

Update On A Past Blog

I forgot to mention to do something, anything new for which I'm uncomfortable in Get Back To The Basics When In A Jam on Sep 11, 2019. My life is moving forward too slow. It's time to take action. The best way is go back to the past when my life moved forward faster. I'm uncomfortable safely. I'm uncomfortable intelligently.

Pencils Are Good

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

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

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

Saturated And Flooded And Swamped Too Much Terrible

A common reason the video game arcades slowly died was the home consoles Atari, Intellivision, Nintendo, and Sega in the 1980s. Sony and the desktop PC continued the arcade death in the 1990s. Another reason was too many arcades. Arcade owners ordered more video game cabinets. Too many video arcade games led to more bad arcade games created people didn't play. Industry profits declined.

Today's Information Age is experiencing the same video game arcades history in the 1980s and 1990s. There are too many movies, television shows, podcasts, books, musicians, video games, board games, foods, drinks, and clothes. Also, there are too many YouTubers, Instagram accounts, bloggers, online tutorials for *insert subject*, TikTok influencers, online posts at bulletin boards, memes, and so-called professionals. Most are terrible.

Google arcade locations. There are arcades in existence. There are two websites which tracks arcades Aurcade and Classic Arcade Game Locations. Dave & Buster's is excluded.

Give it time. Time is the ultimate judge. The terrible fails. The terrible disappears. I'm confident the exceptions televisions, person computers, and radios don't die; on the other hand, never say never.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote a blog to start a conversation blog Tell Me You Games on Dec 22, 2014. Another idea to begin conversations is share current events life changing moments. For example, natural disasters, politics, graduations, marriages, wars, championships, celebrity events, grand openings, and first times. It's a good idea to meet new people. Get people talking. Get people socializing.

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.

You made your bed. You sleep on it.

99% of people are expendable. Are you a Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Meryl Streep, or Tom Brady of *insert group*? No. Then you're expendable.

The hammer costs $1,000. $100 for the hammer tool. $900 on using the hammer properly.

Don't take pride being second on a one horse race.

You're cooking a steak. Don't savor on the sizzle. Savor on the steak.

The person changed everything making chicken salad out of chicken shit.

No risk-it. No biscuit.

It's a *insert noun* measuring contest. It's a penis measuring contest. It's a bra measuring contest.
It's a *insert noun* counting contest.

The mistake is coming soon. One foot is on the banana peel.

Demotion through promotion. It's how we get rid of *insert person, place, or thing*.

It's magic the person transforms coal to diamonds.

I want The Godfather deal. Or I want The Godfather offer.

You have the ingredients. Bake the cake.

The ducks are quacking. Feed them.

He or she convinces anybody. He or she sells ice to an Eskimo. Or the person is too good he or she can sell ice to an Eskimo.

It was yesterday's special.

Who is the mouse? Who is the cheese?

90% of X is caused by 10% of Y.

He is no longer a returning customer. She is no longer a returning customer. They are no longer returning customers.

A Bonus Pic On Good Habits Three Pics Total

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

An afternoon view of cars on a freeway after driving on a freeway. Another batch of pictures of first times. The first time I saw a cigarette disposal and a freeway workers memorial; labels telling customers to microwave their food; repair sunglasses; and soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispenser secured in a hotel room shower. There are eleven pictures in today's blog because I needed an 11th picture to mention the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Spoiler alert: if you didn't read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, then skip picture number seven. Not spoiler alert: a quick lesson on oral sex involving the vulva.

Pursue Happiness

I Googled random happiness quotes. I selected the worse happiness quotes. I selected the weakest happiness quotes. I selected the bullshit happiness quotes. The source of the quote is noted if known. All quotes are my opinions. Here are the quotes below:

*Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life. --Burton Hills
*Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people.
*Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. --Mary Lou Retton
*Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.
*Don't worry. Be Happy --Bobby McFerrin
*The purpose of our lives is to be happy. --Dalai Lama
*You deserve happiness always, no matter what.
*Whoever is happy will make others happy. --Anne Frank
*The less you care, the happier you will be.
*Your anxiety is lying to you. You are loved. Everything is ok.
*I have fond that if you love life, life will love you back. --Arthur Rubinstein
*Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed.
*To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness. --Mary Stuart
*Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. --Bertrand Russell
*The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom. --Arthur Schopenhauer
*The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are. --Goldie Hawn
*Stop comparing yourself to other people, just choose to be happy and live your own life. --Roy T. Bennett
*You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now. --Wayne Dyer
*If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. --Edith Wharton
*Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy. --Stephen Fry
*Be happy in your body. It's the only one you've got, so you might as well like it. --Keira Knightley
*You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. --Albert Camus

Happiness is not a right. Happiness is not deserved. Earn happiness. It's ironic. Work is required to be happy. Work is required to experience fun. Work. Learn. Drill. Practice. Repeat. Complete the boring. Don't take happiness for granted.

What Is The Best Happiness Quote?

There is one good happiness quote. There is one strong happiness quote. All other happiness quotes can be ignored. The one quote is learned in grade school history. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. The declaration included, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Pursuit is the key verb. "Pursue happiness" is the best happiness quote. Pursue happiness is a system.

Top Ten Plus Fourteen Equals Top Twenty Four Favorite Black & White Movies

The classic movies. The black & white classic movies. The best movies established today's movies we see today. Take a break from the fast pace Information Age life. Do something different. Slow down. Watch the classics. They're true today. Here are my top ten plus fourteen equals top twenty four favorite black & white movies. There is no restriction on the release year.

24. Why Worry? (1923). A Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston classic.

23. Some Like It Hot (1959). Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon are the names. A comedy and a musical.

22. Modern Times (1936). My only Charlie Champlin movie I watched. No need for green screens. The rush society in the 1930s was a turtle compared to today's rush society.

21. Psycho (1960). An Alfred Hitchcock classic. The ending twist is fantastic.

20. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939). My second James Stewart movie. The politics in the 1930s were the same today.

19. It Happened One Night (1934). Clark Gable stood his ground. You may not laugh out loud during the comedy scenes. A funny romantic comedy a family enjoys.

18. Harvey (1950). James Stewart could do comedy.

17. The Grapes Of Wrath (1940). The movie about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl did a good job adapting 67% of the book written by John Steinbeck. The ending in the movie was not the ending in the book.

16. Schindler's List (1993). It's bad timing Liam Neeson who played Oskar Schindler lost to Tom Hanks from Philadelphia for best actor. The movie should have double best supporting actor nominations Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth and Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern.

15. Raging Bull (1980). A movie where a person is the best at something and the best at being a terrible person. Robert DeNiro won an Oscar for best actor.

14. The Philadelphia Story (1940). My first Cary Grant movie. The movie included one of the greatest of all time actor James Stewart and actress Katharine Hepburn. It should be a movie all student actors and student actresses watch.

13. All About Eve (1950). A movie about a fictional biography of a successful Broadway star. The movie watchers realize she's ruthless.

12. Seven Samurai (1954). A poor village hires samurais without pay to protect them from bandits. I watched the movie in two days.

11. Roman Holiday (1953). My critical opinion is Gregory Peck didn't have enough charism. Audrey Hepburn won Best Actress.

10. Metropolis (1927). A science fiction classic with no time boundaries. The futuristic city with dividing social classes. A four star movie.

9. The Apartment (1960). It's all about affairs and adultery in a comedy and romantic way. They existed in the 1960s. They exist today.

8. Citizen Kane (1941). Rosebud.

7. Young Frankenstein (1974). I read the book by Mary Shelley and the 1931 movie before watching Young Frankenstein. Hilarious.

6. Rebecca (1940). A classic psychological thriller. Maybe horror. An early black and white mind twist movie. The only Alfred Hitchcock movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.

5. Sunset Blvd. (1950). I heard students majoring in film watch the movie in their undergraduate classes.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). There is a reason why Gregory Peck portraying Atticus Finch won an Academy Award for Best Actor. Finch was a model strong man and strong father.

3. Paper Moon (1973). Father Ryan O'Neal and daughter Tatum O'Neal are the lead actors. Tatum won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 10. She's the youngest to win an Oscar as of today.

2. 12 Angry Men (1957). If your date says 12 angry men is about a movie about 12 angry men, then end the date immediately.

1. Casablanca (1942). Too many movie quotes: Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship; Here's looking at you, kid; Play it once, Sam; We'll always have Paris.

Mother Nature Demands Payment

The wildfires in Southern CA started on Tue Jan 7, 2025. The biggest current fires in Los Angeles County as of the blog posting: Palisades burned 23,448 acres, Eaton burned 14,021 acres, and Hughes burned 10,396 acres. The Border 2 Fire in San Diego County burned 600 acres. The Palisades and Eaton started on Tue Jan 7. The Hughes started on Wed Jan 22. The Border 2 started earlier on Thur Jan 23.

The record breaking winter snow storm along the Gulf Coast started on Tue Jan 21. The storm stretched 1,500 miles from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Carolinas along the Atlantic Coast. Snow fell in Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Airports closed. Flights cancelled. Road closures. Schools and college classes cancelled.

The Northern CA Bay Area weather is unseasonable warm in the daytime and cold temperatures between the upper 20s to upper 30s in the nighttime. No rain storms in weeks. There is talk about droughts for Summer 2025.

Mother nature assesses penalties to humankind. My household gives partial payments by consuming less. I shave with cold water since Jul 2022. I have been taking cold showers to save water. My mom shops less.

Consumption, destruction, production, reproduction, and expansion for humankind. Mother nature wants payback for all of them. Mother nature wants its share of humankind progress. Mother nature can end the present humankind in minutes. Two million years later another humankind life cycle starts over.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is another forgotten memory for the Top Ten Forgotten Moments written on Feb 15, 2020. There was a Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles mini vacation during the 2002 Thanksgiving weekend. I rode with my uncle, aunt, and grandfather. My family drove separately arriving later. I purchased a jacket at a thrift store for which I wear indoors every winter. The jacket still fits. My dad built a desktop PC when we stayed over in Los Angeles. I forgot my portable CD player containing my Spirited Away anime soundtrack. I retrieved the CD player and soundtrack attending a wedding in Los Angeles in Jul 2003.

Take Away The Security Blankets

President Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President Of The United States. Republican candidate Trump defeated Democratic candidate Vice-President Kamala Harris 312 to 226 in electoral votes in the 2024 Presidential Election. Trump received 77,303,573 of the popular vote. Harris received 75,019,257 of the popular vote. The pollsters who predicted a tight race were incorrect. The political scientists who said be prepared the court system determines the election outcome were incorrect.

The next four years I want to see huge changes. I want to see bombshells. I want to mix everything. Stur the pot more than the recipe states. Launch the uncertainty missiles. Stand to attention from the relaxation. Change the routines. Ignore the professional predictions. Chances are they're incorrect. Nobody knows what happens in the next four years. It may be better. It may be worse. It may be a push; in other words, a zero-sum change. A question is how big are the explosions?

Actions speak louder than words. Bring on everything. If my life gets worse, then so be it. If I'm screwed more, then so be it. My life can't get any worse. I'm George Kostanza. I'm unemployed. I live with my parents. My life can go up only.

107

The number 107 is the only number to analyze why Harris didn't win the presidency. All other analysis are secondary. Harris was given 107 days to convince the United States to vote for her. Not impossible. Improbable. If Harris won, she pulled the political miracle in the history of the United States.

Smile For One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars

My regular dental cleaning was in Dec 2024. The dentist said I needed five resins costing $1,300. The resins are a generic term. Specifically, the dentist fills in gaps between the teeth to minimize debris stuck between the teeth and gums, and minimize decay. $1,300 or $260 per tooth is expensive; on the other hand, the alternative is future gum surgery which costs higher and more inconvenience.

I went shopping afterwards. The first two retail locations were two high class malls. I thought about $1,300 dental work and $1,300 for X object(s) many stores sell. The chances of X object(s) are useless for practical uses. A $100 jacket is good as a $1,300 jacket. Almost nobody cares for a $1,300 pretty decoration on a table. I thought "a who cares he or she has it (them)" item(s) for sale in the two malls.

Consumerism at its best. Consumerism creates jobs. We don't complain on televisions, movies, clothes, toys, automobiles, and tech gadgets. We complain on food, insurance, utilities, and dental work. Some people need to re-evaluate their budgets and their priorities. A smile can earn more than $1,300 in money. Nobody wants his or her partner with bad dental hygiene during sex.

All prices increase. Higher costs. Spend wisely. It's the 2025 advice of the year.

Update On A Past Blog

Here is additional information on the blog Homeless Encampment Eviction Day Real Story written on Mar 23, 2024. The media doesn't report the real story.

Many legal homeless people receive government support such as Social Security, disabled veterans pensions, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Some homeless people don't meet the rules for government support.

Some homeless people refuse shelters by choice. Women feels unsafe. Pets are prohibited. Must be sober. Strict curfews; for instance, homeless people with jobs and/or visit family members conflicts with the curfew. Couples must be married to be admitted together.

Change Priorities

I took a Moby-Dick vacation on selected days from Oct 2023 to Feb 2024. Those selected days I spent less time job training and more time reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

I adapt the Moby-Dick vacation job training starting today. My job training continues. I spend less time job training. I spend more time on life. The reasons for the job training priority change are the job market, AI, the Information Age, and the economy.

Furthermore, I job search five days a week. There have been fewer job openings. There have been more people unemployed. More unemployed people apply for the fewer job openings; although, some job applications are submitted by AI. The probability of finding a job declines year after year. The probability of finding a job declines further in May and Jun when seniors graduate from high school and college.

The Costs Outweigh The Benefits

The more time job training cost outweighs the maintaining maximum job training skills benefit. A company hiring long-term unemployed people is rare. I reduce the job training cost. I benefit more living life not job training. The living life priorities are the following in alphabetical order:

*Cook: Everyone eats healthy.
*Complete errands: Shopping, organizing, and filling my car with gas.
*Emails: Sending and replying email to my family and friends. I also read my favorite articles.
*Learn life skills: Tying knots, shuffling cards, and memorizing jokes and riddles are examples.
*Listen to audio: Music and podcasts.
*Maintain the residences: Vacuuming, washing dishes, laundry, moping, cleaning toilets, and taking out the trash.
*Physical activity: Two days strength training and two days cardio.
*Play video games: Lowest priority. I play classic video games I never played.
*Read books: 75% fiction and 25% non-fiction.
*Social life: Spend time with people.
*Social media: Up to 45 minutes a day is nothing.
*Watch movie: I watch one movie a week.
*Watch television: Lower priority. I watch more sports and less shows.
*Write blogs: Write 100 blogs a year or 8.33 blogs a month is acceptable.

Ignorant consistency is removed. I accept half-ass sometimes because there's no penalty for less than 100% completion. I'm more flexible to priority changes beyond my control. I'm more accepting to adjust priority changes beyond my control. There is no reprimand for finishing a responsibility or a task tomorrow. It's okay to delay lower priorities.

I continue job training for the record. I continue job searching for the record. Finding employment is slim. There's more to life than knowing Excel, Python, data analysis, databases, and web pages.

Update On A Past Blog

I can title today's blog Reset Priorities In A Good Way, Reset Priorities II, Reset Priorities Correctly, or Reset Priorities Maturely. It's another life re-evaluation blog. Fair statement. People should re-evaluate their own lives time to time. Re-evaluate properly. Re-evaluate intelligently. It's okay to make priorities mistakes. Correct priorities mistakes immediately when committed.

I committed priorities mistakes from the blog Reset Priorities written on Sep 18, 2013. The two goals creating three priority tiers were consistency and more hours to sleep. I failed. I admitted my mistake on Feb 28, 2018 Throwback Blog: Reset Priorities saying " The blog is full of crap. I reset my life too many times." There is a limit people resetting their lives too many times indicates professional help may be needed.

Take The Chances Being Alone

There are many articles published during the COVID-19 global pandemic more people are living alone. More people live with fewer friends. People come and go in our lives. However, it's harder to meet new people. It's harder to find friends. More people are choosing to live alone. More people are choosing to live with minimal friends. More people are choosing to minimize their time with family.

My unprofessional and unscientific reason more people take their chances of being alone is average intelligence declining. More people are getting dumb. There are fewer strong people. There are fewer smart people. The strong people don't want to be with weak people. The smart people don't want to be with dumb people. They don't want to waste their time with other people who drag themselves down. If a person is making them feel dumb, then the person is out. No idiots in our lives. No morons in our lives. These alone people take their chances by themselves. Rational people avoid crazy, uncomfortable, and rude people. Minor Moby Dick by Herman Melville spoiler alert: "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian."

The common answers work, too much technology making more people anti-social, family responsibilities, and depression are valid. I add lack of strength to the list of common answers people are alone. I add weak goodness to the list of common answers people are alone. Be a good person--don't be a nice person.

Top Ten Plus Four Equals Top Fourteen Problems Solved Are Impossible

Life is unfair. It's a common wisdom. The world is not perfect. It's another common wisdom. There are always problems every minute. Think about the history of humans. Some of these problems existed since the ancient history. Some of these problems existed since the dawn of the human. These fourteen problems finding permanent solutions for every human being on Earth are improbable. If a person solves one of the fourteen problems below permanently, then the person is a god. I write with 99.9% confidence even though I'm not a professional in their respective fields. Here are the top ten plus four equals top fourteen problems solved are impossible.

14. Too Big To Fail. The global big name companies. The top Fortune 500 companies. The top of the top can't fail. These companies are built to last doing everything legal, border line legal, border line illegal, anything. AT&T, Wal-Mart, NFL, Cisco, Bank Of America, Chase, Google or Alphabet, banks, tech, finance, governments, manufacturing, etc. If any of the above fail, then the impact affects many people in many countries. Bailouts, mergers, and interventions can prevent failure.

13. World Wars. There is always conflicts between at least two countries leading to war.

12. Natural Resources And Energy Shortages. There are not enough water, electricity, and natural gas. The population increases require natural resources and energy for life. Expect prices to increase indefinitely.

11. US Democracy. The US government democratic system consists of two parties which are Democratics and Republicans.

10. Mass Shooting. The violent crime deserves its own entry. More people die from criminals shooting multiple victims.

9. Divorce. A book can be written by one hundred top marriage counselors. There are always divorces at a divorce rate around 50%. People always change. Couples always change. Families always change.

8. Mental Depression. More people become depressed for whatever reasons such as the current COVID-19 global pandemic, loneliness, loss, and financial problems. More people have poor social skills. More people feel isolated. Today's Information Age living increases anxiety. There is too much screen time on phones and computers. Other common mental illnesses anxiety, fear, drug use, and alcoholics are included.

7. Illiteracy. Adults and children can sneak through the cracks during their education nobody taught them to read for whatever reasons.

6. Drunk Driving. Call it brain fart. Call it stupidity. Call it taking life for granted. People drive over the legal alcohol limit for whatever reasons. Some can escape. Some are arrested. Some kill people.

5. Cancer. Humans and life mutate. It's life. It's evolution. Also, there's no cure for the common cold.

4. Crimes. I include violent crimes such as domestic violence, murders, robberies, homicides, and burglary. I also include white-collar crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.

3. Homelessness. More people are going to be homeless globally. There are not enough resources to help them. There are not enough resources to slow down the homelessness rate. The cost of living increases. In addition, the job market is tight indefinitely. More people can't find work. Homelessness leads to number two . . .

2. Income Inequality. Social economic barriers. The rich gets richer because of the laws, the economic system, and the finance system. There is always poverty.

1. Discrimination And Racism. There is preferential treatment. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice existed in the past. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice are present. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice exist tomorrow. They continue throughout humankind.