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.

Throwback Blog: De Anza Week May 23, 2011

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 De Anza Week May 23, 2011 written on May 25, 2011. I reflect these three days I went back to college during the Great Recession. My goal was to earn an A.A. degree in Accounting. I hoped to strengthen my resume when the economy recovered from the Great Recession. I thought a B.S. in Economics and an A.A. in Accounting were a good combination. They didn't work.

I visited the De Anza College-Accounting Department website. Four instructors remain in the department since 2011.

Reading the blog recalled my memory as if the three days happened earlier in the week. The week was memorable with action.

Mon May 23: The bad habit arriving late to class was never eliminated. Bad discipline. I was irresponsible.

Shocked was another verb the students felt when the professor handed out more homework. I finished the initial homework assignments before Memorial Day weekend.

Tue May 24: I missed driving to Mission College every Tue night. The class was easy. Attendance counted in the final grade. Important announcements were given in-class only.

Wed May 25: I should have exchanged contact information with the California State University (CSU)-East Bay graduate. She was informative on the accounting degree. Her accounting knowledge including auditing was good. For instance, there were in-class exercises. She exceled them for which sometimes she didn't read the textbook. The reason was she took an auditing class as an undergraduate.

I mentioned above the Economics degree and Accounting degree combination didn't work. The CSU-East Bay graduate explained a reason for which I was ignorant and I was in denial. The accounting classes taught in junior colleges are the same in four-year colleges; however, some important accounting classes are taught in four-year colleges only. Companies prioritize four-year colleges accounting degrees over two-year colleges accounting degrees. A person can say a two-year A.A. degree is fraud.

I think back about the conversation 13 years and at least three months later. I should have been proactive by researching skills I could learn related to accounting, data analysis, or both. The learning should have continued after graduation.

Mon May 23

The drive to De Anza was the shortest ever. I had one red light which was the first left turn that was a short wait. I still was 10 minutes late. The time could have doubled if I had more red lights.

The professor surprised the entire class. He handed out an additional chapter 5 homework assignment due Wed. 24 multiple choice questions. That's not good for those who wanted to finish the initial homework assignments before Memorial Day weekend. My goal is to finish all homework assignments before Fri.

Tue May 24

I arrived at Mission College at 7:20pm. The instructor said the official start time for the final is 7:30pm. Students can come at 7:00pm. I was running behind in everything. I ate a Snickers candy bar at the parking lot.

I turned in the take home final and received the final. My usual seats at the back of the class were occupied. I moved to the front. The final was doable. I didn't study. I recognized some questions from the take home final and lectures. I completed around 20 minutes. I received the take home final solutions after I submitted the final. It seems I did well because the debit and credit numbers matched what I calculated.

In a small way, I'm going to miss driving to Mission College every Tue night. It was a set activity for the beginning of 2011. I can use the two and a half hours to study for auditing and work out at the gym.

Wed May 25

The professor immediately checked the students completing the additional chapter 5 homework assignment as soon as he walked in the classroom. Then he began lecturing chapter 6. Finally, we reviewed the additional chapter 5 homework. The professor made me read all the questions.

I did poorly on the assignment. I got most of the questions wrong. Most students were surprised at some of the answers to the questions. The classmate who sat on my right was absent on Mon. She got most of the questions correct when she answered the questions before the professor announced the solution.

The classmate and I went to the library after class to photocopy the assignment for her. We talked about accounting degrees and economics degrees. She corrected my knowledge on accounting degrees at the California State University (CSU) systems. An accounting degree is actually a business administration degree. The account part is the business administration's emphases. I incorrectly thought an accounting degree is a stand alone degree with more accounting classes took compared to a junior college. The correction is the number of accounting classes is almost the same between a CSU and junior college. In particular, my classmate noted there are key classes taught at CSU junior college don't teach, and that's a key factor when it comes to companies hiring a person with a four year degree and a two year degree in accounting. The accounting classes I have taken at De Anza are the same as any CSU school. If I transfer to a CSU school, then some of my accounting classes count towards the transfer and I must retake some classes I already took at De Anza.

Update On A Past Blog

I finished reading the book version of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowing, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne. The story is overrated. The plot twist saved the theatre production. I watch the live action play. I prepare myself to avoid being hyped.

I add two more lessons to the blog Top Ten Plus Nine Equals Top Nineteen Harry Potter Adult Perspective Takeaways written on Apr 29, 2020. The lessons happened at the end of Year 4 Goblet Of Fire. Harry, Ron, and Hermione visited Hagrid because there was no Defense Against The Dark Arts class. Hagrid told Harry it was okay to feel bad. Hagrid also told the trio, "Known it fer years, Harry. Knew [Voldemort] was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. . . . No good sittin' worryin' abou' it. What's comin' will come, an' wel'll meet it when it does. . . ."

Be Quiet, Ignorance Is Bliss

My brother's family visited last weekend. One conversation was his department needed to hire IT engineers. He's the hiring manager. He received 400 job applications. There are job openings in good economic times. There are job openings in bad economic times. Some companies earn high profits in good economic times. Some companies earn high profits in bad economic times. The economy is in a recession. I digress.

I didn't tell my brother the truth on today's job market. The job market was tough pre-pandemic. The job market is tough today. The news headlines saying the strong job market is misleading. The government changes the criteria for evaluating the unemployment rate, number of jobless claims, and number of job openings. There are more people unemployed. The number of available job candidates increase in May and Jun because of school and college graduations every year.

Furthermore, I didn't tell my brother people apply to jobs they're qualified at a minimum 50% of the job description. Most job description include irrelevant statements. Most job descriptions overstate the requirements. It's rare the perfect candidate matching 100% of the job description exists. If they don't apply, then they guarantee no chance of an interview.

Keeping quiet for which no need to tell the other person or people the information can be a good choice. Ignorance is bliss.

Top Ten Redos

Today's mulligan blog is a redo. I redo a moment at a different time. I redo a moment the way it should have been in the first place. I redo a moment to increase my chances of being successful. I redo a moment to increase my chances of a better outcome. Here are the top ten redos:

10. Job Search Working At A Start-Up. I started working at a retail start-up selling high-end wines, beers, and sake at a discount price in Nov 2013. I found another job in Sep 2014. I started job searching in Aug 2014.

Redo: I started job searching in May 2014 when the company fired a manager because he was the fall-guy. Bad management was exposed. Also, the new beer buyer submitted his two-week notice at the end of his first day.

9. Anime Expo 2007. It was a disaster when Anime Expo was held at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA. Hotel overbookings, hot weather, not enough parking, convention center too small, and crowds too big for the downtown.

Redo: I skipped Anime Expo 2007 instead of Anime Expo 2008. Anime Expo moved back to the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2008. Anime Expo was held in Anaheim, CA from 2003 to 2006.

8. Fanime Con 2013. I planned Fanime Con 2013 to be my last anime convention for the rest of my life. I skipped day one for good reason. Con attendees waited hours for their membership badges. I was lucky. I waited one hour on day two.

Redo: Fanime Con 2012 should have been my last anime convention. I should have ended my anime convention experience on a good note.

7. De Anza College Winter 2006. I enrolled in a business plan night class. I went back to De Anza College from 2009 to 2011 to earn an A.A. degree in Accounting.

Redo: Take one evening accounting class starting in Winter 2006 instead of going back to school full time in Fall 2009. A bold redo is quit my job, become a full-time student taking accounting classes, and transfer to San Jose State University. I earn a B.A. in Business Administration-Accounting when the economy recovered from the Great Recession in 2011. My full disclosure connecting the dots backwards is who knew about the Great Recession in 2006. Five years is sufficient time earning a B.A. taking night classes.

6. Mahjong (Riichi). I started learning Japanese Mahjong in summer 2007. I quit because it was too hard. I relearned in Oct 2009 because a friend challenged another friend and I to learn the basics in one week. I have been playing ever since.

Redo: I continued learning Riichi finding better ways. Riichi might have saved 2007 from becoming one of the worse years in my life.

5. Moved To The New House. My parents moved the family to a new house in summer 1983. My parents heisted moving in 1982.

Redo: My parents accepted the bold choice to move in 1982. How my childhood life changed moving to a new neighborhood one year earlier is another blog.

4. Job Search Working In Commercial Real Estate. I job searched in Jan 2007 resulting in a new job at Cisco in Mar 2007.

Redo: I job searched starting in summer 2006. Bad management became front and center throughout the partnership.

Redo addendum: I job searched during the Great Recession. Two friends found jobs in 2009.

3. Changed Majors At San Jose State University. I changed majors from Mathematics to Economics in Fall 1995.

Redo: I changed majors in Fall 1994. The Math 42 Discrete Mathematics class should have been a wake-up call in Fall 1994. I struggled proving math formulas and math theories.

2. Stock Investing. I sold all my dot-com stocks after the 2000 dot-com recession. Most of the stocks sold were at a loss.

Redo: I sold all my stocks the day after NASDAQ closed above 5,000 for the first time in history. I remember a conversation with a senior executive broker who listened to a financial expert who said sell all stocks. Also, I purchased stocks during the Great Recession when the markets were down an average of 50%.

1. The Day I Grew Up. I grew up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. The changes were immediate. For example, new clothes, new workouts, new desktop computer, and reading more fiction books.

Redo: I grew up on Mon Mar 17, 2007 which was the first day I started working at Cisco.

Update On A Past Blog

I add more life saves to the Top Ten Saves blog written on Apr 25, 2020. These saves are ordered date descending.

Wall Street Bets (Jan 2021). GameStop, AMC, Sundial Growers, and Nokia. Stock options. Short squeeze. Naked short selling. The stock market events made me a smarter investor. The stock market events revitalized my interest in the stock market. There is no more passive stock investing.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (Sep 2019-Mar 2020). I fail to explain why Harry Potter was not mentioned on the same month I finished reading all seven books. Hindsight is 20-20. The COVID-19 global pandemic shut down the world on Mar 2020. I'm reading the books for the third time. Moreover, the next blog was Top Ten Plus Nine Equals Top Nineteen Harry Potter Adult Perspective Takeaways blog written on Apr 29, 2020.

The Shawshank Redemption (Sep 2019). I mentioned the movie in saves number seven. A special recognition. The movie saved my life. The movie saved my soul. The movie set me free.

Python (May 2015). I mentioned Python in saves number three. A special recognition. I thank my friend Appu for introducing Python, Linux, and a text editor together.

Physics 61 Lab (Spring 1995). My lab partner JoshC. We were the worst lab team. I was the worst lab student. I couldn't pass the class without your help.

Today Is Not Your Parent's Or Grandparent's Days

Blogger's note: Today's blog is edited minimally for grammar.

Sometimes the old ways are still the best ways. Nothing beats the classics. They don't make them like they did in the past. These are common wisdom comparing life today and life yesterday. Sometimes the common wisdom is true. Sometimes the common wisdom is false. Today is the present. Today is not your parent's or grandparent's days.

The stock market is changed. There are new techniques to invest in companies. Artificial intelligence analyzes the data. Algorithms make the choice to buy or to sell. Forget fundamentals. Forget the statistics. Forget the financial statements. Follow the money. WallStreetBets opened eyes on new investing. Time will tell decentralized finance is the best global economy. I'm not a licensed financial advisor. I'm not giving financial advice.

I'm not a professional handyman. I see new tools at hardware stores. I see improved parts for plumbers and for electricians. Automobiles are getting smarter with computers operating engines for fuel efficiently.

Computer programming changed. Anyone can learn Python. More jobs require more skills. More skills require more time. More time requires less time outside the workplace. Costs go up for more training. There are engineers who know both hardware and software. More full-time employees require technical skills. Fewer full-time employees work 40 hours a week.

Professional sports changed. Baseball is adapting new rules to speed up the games. Football is adapting new rules to protect players from injuries. Basketball is being revolutionized with three-point shooting since 2015. There are more overtime games in hockey playoffs. All professional sports rely more on computers analyzing players.

Forget telephones. People carry cell phones everywhere 24/7. People may need to carry a barf bag when listening to today's music. The movie writers seem to be out of new ideas. We're seeing more remakes, additional sequels, and unheard prequels. There are too many cable channels in television. Households were happy with clear signals decades ago.

There are more pandemics. There are more problems in the economy--maybe more recessions. There are more wildfires because of climate change. I'm looking forward for summer rains in the Northern Hemisphere. There are fewer uses for military soldiers. There are greater uses for hackers. The keyboard is stronger than the gun.

More people are going to be sick. Families with newborns are out of the hospital at the end of the day. My Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder in Apr 2017 could have been an outpatient appointment. I was hospitalized with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. A Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy required inpatient care decades ago.

Board gamers recognize The Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Ticket To Ride, Pandemic, and Carcassonne as the modern classic board games. Few board gamers talk about Monopoly, Life, Clue, and Sorry.

Fortunately, there are TV stations broadcasting classic movies, radio stations playing classic rock, book stores selling classic literature, the website Internet Archive, and YouTube watching videos of our parent's and grandparent's days.

The parent's or grandparent's days may be irrelevant today. The parent's or grandparent's days are remembered forever.

Sensing Desperation And Feeling Desperation

My sophomore year in high school could be described in one word. The word was desperation. I sensed desperate. I felt desperate. I acted desperate. It wasn't urgency. I was desperate to keep my friends. I was desperate to get good grades. I was desperate to keep my sanity. Maybe I was lost. The desperation avoided losing myself in a negative way. I didn't have direction in tenth grade.

I wasn't desperate in my freshmen, junior, and senior years. My freshmen and junior years were too easy. I attended another high school in my senior year because my initial high school closed due to budget cuts. I went with the flow. Going with the flow should have been my adult lesson in twelfth grade. I digress.

Adult Desperation

Call it adult desperation. Call it 2022 desperation for government. Call it 2022 desperation for economics. Call it 2022 desperation for businesses. Call it 2022 desperation for long-term pandemic victims. Ironically, I'm long-term unemployed and live with my parents. I look out the window. I sense desperation is clear and present. I run errands outside. I feel desperation is clear and present. The fear of losing is intense. Acting desperate is rarely successful; for example, watching professional sports team losing towards the end of the game. The chances are low. If all parties behave desperately, then one party should win. Time will tell afterwards. There is indefinite time to evaluate afterwards.

Personally speaking, I keep my senses open when I feel desperate. I pause. I assess. I remain calm. There are exceptions such as a sense of emergency my life is in danger. I remember past moments I was desperate. I connected the dots backwards. Time told me the unsuccessful percentage was high.

Instant Bullets Blog Oct 13, 2022

*Whiffle Ball On A Fishing Pole. Watch the YouTube video how to set up your child to hit a whiffle ball or a baseball on a fishing pole instead of a T-ball Fishing rod baseball - how to teach kids to baseball - T-ball tips.

*sycophant: a person who tries to win favors from wealthy or influential people by flattering them up; a flatter; a suck up. A servile self-seeking person.

*Raymond Mar University. If I'm president of the Raymond Mar University in New York, New York, then I'm raising my annual tuition $10,000. President Joe Biden and his student loan debt forgiveness is free money. Nothing personal. It's business. I need to pay for my professors, my university staff, my security, and run my facilities. The costs increase every year.

Thank you, Mr. President. Your $100,000 donation to the Democratic Party is in the mail.

My school mascot is the white tiger.

*The Best Forgiveness. Winning is forgiveness. Winning is forgetting the bad. The championship erases the horrible memory. Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshawn Watson is suspended 11 games and fined $5 million during the 2022 NFL season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. If Watson wins a Super Bowl, then all is forgiven.

*Marketing. Client 1: I have a sob story. Marketer: We can sell it.

Client 2: I have a happy story. Marketer: Did you get abused beforehand?

*I would have just languished in a job I hated, doing just enough to get by, and would become bitter and disillusioned, like almost every lawyer I know. --Tucker Max, I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell

*Calvin And Hobbes Time Management. Comic by Bill Watterson.

*Mad Libs. The word game is created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. The player asks other players for words to be substituted in blanks for a story. Mad Libs can be played solo. Everyone must play at least once in their life. There are free games at their website Mad Libs.

*Smooth Criminal. Listen to the song Smooth Criminal instrumental only Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Instrumental). Listen to the song Smooth Criminal lyrics only Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal Vocals Only.

*Wrong Predictions. Nobody can predict the future 100% correctly. Nobody. Time will tell. Time is the ultimate judge. The jury is still in the courtroom regarding Bill Gates and NFTs.

*Bluff Game Carrot In A Box. Watch Sean Lock and Jon Richardson play the game from the TV show 8 Out Of 10 Cats "Carrot in a Box" Jimmy Carr IN TEARS After Game with Sean Lock & Jon Richardson! | 8 Out of 10 Cats. The rematch Sean Lock & Jon Richardson's Hilarious Carrot in a Box REMATCH! | 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Jon Richardson plays for a third time Carrot In A Box III: Jon Richardson vs Lee Mack! | 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Channel 4. Sean Lock died from cancer on Aug 16, 2021.

*Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger Q&A interview on romance and dating in the modern age. Direct link to article Sexual Health Magazine July 2022 Patti Stranger. Two favorite quotes from the interview. The first is the following, "When [women are] not being treated right, they'll often still stick around and keep seeing each other, hoping [men] will change like they were at the beginning of their relationship. As women, we're taught to be polite and service the man. My mom programmed me to be like that and I had to work to break that programming. People are afraid to do that! If their needs are not met, get out!"

The second is the following, "For women, she may not find him cute initially and then goes on the date and comes back with 'I can fix that! And I really liked him as a person.' A man will never want to get 'fixed' because men and women are different animals. I know women will grow into a relationship, but a man will know in a second."

*A Dating Advice. Don't ask a girl where she wants to eat. Tell her to guess where you're taking her to eat. Then take her to the first guess. Likewise for a girl asking a guy where he wants to eat. The advice works both ways.

*I Work In Human Resources. Raise your hand if you wanted a career in human resources as a child.

*President Joe Biden on the economy from CNN on Oct 11, 2022: I don't think there will be a recession. If it is, it will be a very slight recession. That is we'll move down slightly.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the US is likely to enter a recession in the next six to nine months on Oct 10, 2022.

Seven Thousand Dollars 1998 Mentality In 2022

$7,000 was in my savings account at the beginning of 1998. I graduated from San Jose State University in Dec 1997. I share my thoughts in bullet points below:

*Guilt spending is my attitude, behavior, and conscious anytime I want a good either by necessity or by desire. I continue my 24/48 Rule waiting 24 hours to buy a splurge good or service under $100 or waiting 48 hours to buy a splurge good or service $100 and over.

*Black Friday 2021 was another boring Black Friday which can be good. I purchased two pairs of running shoes, two board games, underwear, and replacing outdated items in the first-aid kid. I sold older board games I lost interest on eBay to make room on the game shelf and to help pay for the two board games. I didn't purchase a new tablet. I didn't purchase a new phone to replace my old phone going six years in 2022.

*Obviously, my savings are going down. Financial discipline is high. Monthly financial statements are checked carefully.

*Be grateful for what I own. Take care of my personal goods such as clothes, computer, laptop, phone, and books. Take nothing for granted. There is no neglecting maintenance. Maximize the life cycle for all durable goods and accessories. Make the best for what I have.

*I'm also grateful for living in my parent's house. I do my share of household maintenance.

*Find the sales. Buy on sale.

Also 2008 Feeling In 2022

I got the 2008 feeling in 2022. I was a business analyst at Cisco working as a contractor. There were days I did nothing. The days I did something my assignments were completed quickly because I developed an efficient and an accurate system. In addition, there were uncertainty which contractors' contracts were extended or were terminated. Cisco renewed contracts every fiscal month instead of every fiscal quarter starting in Oct 2008. My contract was terminated in Nov 2008. There was a news article published in 2009 Cisco employed no contractors.

There was economic uncertainty because of the real estate bubble. The bubble popped and the stock market collapsed in Sep 2008.

The uncertainty feeling is back. There is economic uncertainty. When is the next recession coming? Late 2022 or 2023. How long is the inflation? Is there hyperinflation or stagflation? There is pandemic uncertainty. When does the COVID-19 global pandemic end? Cases decrease. People talk about the pandemic ending. People behave pre-pandemic. Restrictions loosen. Mandates end. Time passes. Cases increase. Restrictions tighten. Mandates begin again. Mandates end. Repeat.

The 2008 summary feeling "whatever happens, happens" is back in 2022.

And 2009 Attitude In 2022

My attitude is like 2009. I'm a beginner again. I learn new life lessons. I experience new experiences. I reinforce past life lessons. My opinions and my beliefs are confirmed. I consume new goods minimally. Fun is carefully checked. More responsibilities are completed. Focus is stronger. Structure is reinforced.

I apply today's life from everything I learned, acquired, and experienced from Oct 4, 2008 to Dec 31, 2021.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote a blog Unemployed Borrowed Time on Apr 27, 2018. I'm long-term unemployed. Nobody on planet Earth knows when my clock stops. My life is over when I'm out of time. No food. No clothing. No shelter. No support. Luck eventually runs out. Ironically, bad luck can't last forever for which I find a job. There is a defined borrowed time.

I finished reading Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. I mentioned Dewey in the Instant Bullets Blog Nov 11, 2017 written on Nov 11, 2017. The book was on my wish list from the bullet point Top Ten New York Times Books Best Seller list in 2008. I finished the other book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho on Feb 2018.

Top Ten Plus Seven Equals Top Seventeen Unprofessional, Bold, Stupid, Nonexpert, Who Knows, Possible Predictions

Are these predictions a joke? Are these predictions serious? Are these predictions a waste of time reading? I let the reader choose. One crazy, weird, and unlikely prediction I hope the reader doesn't experience is all hell breaks loose. A person experiences a day everything is out of his or her control. Everything is outside his or her comfort zone. Here are the top ten plus seven equals top seventeen predictions:

17. $10.00 Per Gallon Gas. I predict one gas station charges $10.00 a gallon anywhere in the US.

16. A terrorist attack succeeds in a developed country impacting the world. I hope the prediction never comes true.

15. Another Pandemic. There are too many people. More people live closer to each other such as high density housing. More people become unhealthy. More people live with underlying health conditions affecting their immune system. More people give viruses more chances to infect more people.

14. All schools add an extra year. The old school system is obsolete. Elementary school pre-kindergarten is mandatory before kindergarten. Junior high schools add a fourth year for grades 6-9. High schools add a fifth year for grades 10-14. There is too much to learn. Expectations are too high. A rising tide raises all boats. Students need more time. School is a full time job. No more summer vacations. Schools are year-around. Parents, school administrators, and the government need more patience.

13. Social Security is going to be bankrupt. More money is paid out to senior citizens than money funding Social Security. The Federal Government must be bold to pass laws to increase money flowing to the social program.

12. Increase 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.

11. 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, banks, tech, finance, governments, manufacturing, etc. If any of the above fail, then the impact affects many people in many countries.

10. Work And Life Balance Is False. More people work more hours. The 40 hour work week is outdated. More people work after hours at home. More people work during the weekends.

9. Increase Unemployment. The job market is tight indefinitely. More people can't find work. People graduate school, college, or a trade school every year. The supply of workers increases. There are not enough opportunities to hire new graduates. More people delay retirement. More jobs are eliminated by technology such as robots and automation.

More people are not going to succeed. Life is zero-sum. The world is zero-sum. The size of the pie is always the same. There are people who fail no matter what. There are unsuccessful people no matter what. Many works hard and follow their dreams. Few succeed. Many times something happens beyond their control they become unsuccessful. Blame life. Life is not fair.

8. People continue to hurt other people. Divorces, abuses, assaults, alcoholics, cheats, dishonesty, DUIs, and drug addicts. People make the same mistakes. People don't learn. History repeats infinitely.

7. The average IQ decreases. More people are dumb. More people watch TV and play video games. Life is too easy, yet too complicated.

6. Increase Conservative. More people are scared. More people are afraid of losing. More people are less daring. There is more caution. More people are politically correct.

5. Increase Depression. More people are lonely. 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.

4. Too Hot. Global warming. Planet Earth is getting hotter. Surface temperatures are increasing. There are more natural disasters including wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. Countries must be bold to pass laws to curb climate destruction by setting limits.

3. The fight against social injustice never ends. 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.

2. Medical insurance dental insurance, and vision insurance increase indefinitely. There are too many people. There are not enough medical resources. Economics 101--supply and demand. The indefinite increase also apply to utilities gas, water, electricity, and sanitation.

1. Another Recession. There is going to be another recession after the COVID-19 global pandemic recession. The stock market is going to crash.

Same Shit. Different Day. Everything Happens.

I'm a 95 year old person today. I've seen everything for the purpose of today's blog. I know everything for the purpose of today's blog. I've heard everything for the purpose of today's blog. I experience everything for the purpose of today's blog.

Today is another same day. Watch the news. Read the news. 99.99% is the same. There is a killing. There is a robbery. There is a protest. There is a company making record profits. There is a company declaring bankruptcy. Many professional athletes play sports. Few professional athletes play in the majors. They are the winners getting media attention. The rest are the losers who disappear. A celebrity is involved in personal drama. Another celebrity is given a big break. Unemployed is going down one day. Unemployment is going up another day. Nobody knows when the US deficit decreases. Global climate problems result in too many natural disasters. Nobody knows when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Politicians can't work together. Local governments, state governments, and federal governments bicker at everything. A world conflict is inevitable today and tomorrow.

The same happens each day not newsworthy. One person out of many received a job offer. A person is admitted to jail. Maybe the person doesn't have money to pay for bail. A prison inmate is transferred to solitary confinement. More people are diagnosed with mental illness. There are surgery failures. A first responder can't save a life today. Injustice happens globally. A winning buyer and the family move in their first home out of multiple buyers submitting offers. A family lost their home.

A high school senior earns a college scholarship out of the tens or hundreds of senior applicants. The rest of the high school seniors apply to another college scholarship, apply to a less prestigious college, delay college, or quit to find other options. Parents can't afford therapy for their child. A single parent struggles with little to no support. A car owner can't find $30 for an oil change.

There are car accidents. Felonies are committed. A worker is unjustifiably fired. A parent must steal for the children. Library books are overdue. Rentals are returned damaged. Mosquito bites can result in medical emergencies. A couple breaks up. Too many cheats. Too many lies. Too many misunderstandings. There is a lack of communication. People are losing strength. People are losing courage. People are scared.

There are too many people. There are too few resources to satisfy the people. The world is full of scarcity. There are limits. Many try. Few succeed. Life is unfair.

There Are Always Exceptions

The COVID-19 global pandemic and world wars are two exceptions to the same shit on a different day. I ask the reader can you name exceptions?

Goodbye Newspapers

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

The household cancelled our newspaper subscription. Newspapers are going to like Fry's Electronics--out with the old, in with the new. An example of the new has been current events published on the internet. Furthermore, more in the new are wage increases, electronic certificates of authenticity, and permanent lifestyle changes from the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe wage increases lower the unemployment rate--or not. My personal new or first are learning about fish veterinarians and using ratchet straps.

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.

Active, Slow, Plain, Quiet Summer 2020

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

Reading Harry Potter was a peaceful activity. The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates near zero to keep the economy moving slowly. The State Of California became planet Mars during the wildfires. More people struggled with poverty and hunger during the global pandemic. New fitness equipment was a physical peaceful activity. Follow the advice travel with towels from the book The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I laughed when I saw my last name on a Dodge Ram truck. The minimal car maintenance is open the hood for a visual engine inspection. A history reminder the 2020 US Presidential election was close.

Times Are Changing

I dreamed last night I went back in time to an old hobby. I attended a smaller Anime Expo anime convention in the Bay Area. I organized a MahJong gathering. There were seven people at the gathering. I needed one more person. I searched for an eighth person. One place I searched was the video game room. The video game room was located in a tiny room like a crawl space. The eighth person was a father son dual arrived at the gathering. The dream ended with the song The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan.

Dylan wrote the song to jump start change in the 1960s. The song influences society to welcome change. There was no connection between the dream and the song. I recognize the dream caused the song to play in my head. I finally understand the song for myself personally speaking.

2020 is a year of significant changes. I can't recall a past year of global significant changes. It's like Beelzebub is collecting the bill for almost a decade of prosperity after the 2008 real estate bubble burst and the 2009-2010 global recession. Governments declare shelter in-place for the COVID-19 pandemic. Black lives matter. The people demand social justice. The people demand end police brutality. Modified professional sports seasons. Schools and colleges teach their students online. Climate change or global warming. The economy is in another global recession; on the other hand, the stock markets show no signs of a global recession. All businesses cutting back on spending and laying off employees. A few businesses are closed permanently; for example, restaurant buffets. Travel, leisure, professional or recreational conferences, and vacations cancelled. The USA election day on Nov 3, 2020 may be the biggest significant change of the year or for the next four years. The USA votes for the next President Of The United States. COVID-19 competes for the 2020 significant change.

The times are changing.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog August 2020

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. The Aug month was the fastest month in 2020. The Aug month was the hottest in 2020. There were too many wildfires. Air quality was poor for many days. The pandemic daily life is unprecedented, uncharted, new, unknown, and untested.

Sun Aug 2. Watched my first NBA game Portland Trailblazers vs. Boston Celtics during the pandemic. Watched my first NHL game Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins during the pandemic. Partially cleaned the exterior and the bottom of the refrigerator.

Mon Aug 3. Weather forecasted high temperature 83 degrees. Actual high temperature 88 degrees. Throat irritation. Craved for Coke. Fatigued symptoms. I didn't fully recover from the stomach ache last week.

Tue Aug 4. Ate Tony & Alba's All Meat Pizza. Weather forecasted high temperature 76 degrees. Actual high temperature 81 degrees.

Wed Aug 5. Weather forecasted high temperature 71 degrees. Actual high temperature 73 degrees. I'm sensitive to big temperature changes in a 24 hour period.

Thur Aug 6. Mopped all floors.

Mon Aug 10. Flat tire on dad's truck driver side rear. I assisted. There were too many people walking at 7:30pm. I jogged at 8:14pm. There were fewer people.

Tue Aug 11. Costco sold soft-serve ice cream in the food court. Costco began selling Halloween candy packs and children's costumes. I saw the most people between 9:30am-10:00am. It must be back to school. Inventory shelves stocked. I realized Costco doesn't sell men's and women's shaving cream or gel.

A car backed out from its parking space while I drove to the exit. The slowly backing car didn't yield. The car blocked the path causing both directions to stop. I noticed the backing car's rear windshield had Uber and Lyft stickers. The car tried to get into an accident to get insurance money?

The street near the fire station was repaved. Gas prices increased.

The PAC-12 college conference delayed all fall sports programs.

Wed Aug 12. Trash collected one day late. I forgot to mention the regular postwoman no longer delivers mail weeks ago. I jogged at 8:15pm. There were too many people outside.

Fri Aug 14. I woke up at 8am. Washed bathroom rugs. I purchased Coke at Safeway three for $5.00. Weather temperature forecasts incorrect all week. The days went from warm to hot. The high temperature was 103 degrees. I worked out in the afternoon while the air conditioner was on instead of the evening with the windows opened. I went to bed at 2am. The windows were fully opened all night while sleeping.

Sun Aug 16. Rain, thunder, and lightning. Three big wildfires started from the lightning.

Mon Aug 17. California rolling blackouts. The record heat wave continued.

Tue Aug 18. I arrived at Costco at 10:13am. I was running late doing errands. There were fewer customers compared to last week. Five wildfires burning in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. I closed the windows before I went to bed because of the smoky air. I turned on a desk fan while I slept.

Wed Aug 19. 20 wildfires in five counties. Total acres burned 85,000. Governor Gavin Newson declared State Of Emergency. I started to watch some old episodes of Roseanne on COZY-TV.

Sat Aug 22. Air less smoky during the late afternoon to evening. Spare The Air alerts continued.

Sun Aug 23. I'm out of new books. I began rereading Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

Mon Aug 24. Humid, hazy, and unhealthy air forecasted for the next seven days. Today's weather thunder and dry lightning which didn't happen in the Santa Clara County.

Tue Aug 25. I slept with the desk fan turned off. The air was cleaner because of the fog. I opened the window at 25%. The REI Labor Day sale ad arrived. The sales were the best in years with deeper discounts and more useful items IMO.

Wed Aug 26. Most professional sports scheduled were postponed to protest police brutality and the Jacob Blake shooting.

Thur Aug 27. Morning errands. The City Of Cupertino was dead. Few cars. No commute traffic on the freeway. Costco hours changed. Costco opens weekdays between 9am-10am for seniors and the disabled. Costco opens weekdays at 10am for all customers. My nearby Safeway there is a new line for self-checkout for which the Safeway worker must call the next person in line because it's hard for customers to see the right side of the self-checkout.

Fri Aug 28. Used the air compressor to drain the air conditioner drainage pipe. Debris was removed. Dad fixed the thermostat problem which was not powered.

Governor Newson announced a color coded four-tier business reopening plan. The colors are purple or widespread, red or substantial, orange or moderate, and yellow or minimal. There is no green color. 38 of the 58 counties in California are purple, nine are red, eight are orange, and three are yellow.

Sun Aug 30. Two of the three wildfires caused by lightning currently the second and third largest in California history. The LNU Lightning Complex in Sonoma County 368,888 acres burned. The SCU Lightning Complex in Stanislaus County 368,671 acres burned. The largest wildfire in California history is the Mendocino Complex in July 2018 459,123 acres burned.

Mon Aug 31. I shopped at Target to purchase shaving gel. I shopped at Smart & Final to purchase tri-tip. Three businesses closed which were Men's Wearhouse near Target, and Omaha Steaks and Edible Arrangements near Smart & Final. Traffic minimal on streets. One reason was back to school. There was no smoky smell; however, the smoke could be seen up at the hazy sky.

Seven telemarketing or robocalls in the morning.

Six million Americans infected with COVID-19.

Temperatures forecasted lower 80s for the week.

First Days Living COVID-19 Shelter In Place

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

Sports are affected with COVID-19. Daily life is altered because of COVID-19. Time tell us how life is changed after COVID-19. Not all pics are COVID-19. There is a crash course on air conditioning. My parents did a good deed of the day.

Throwback Blog: Picture Time

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 Picture Time on Aug 3, 2011. I'm posting picture blogs one day ahead of the month of May. May is the month I blog pictures I took on my smart phone. The ten pics I posted were a decade ago between Jan 23, 2010 and May 22, 2010. A gas station sold gas at $2.99. Gas is cheaper today because of the economic slowdown due to COVID-19. I still play board games. Beyond Balderdash is my top ten favorite. There are more LED street lights. The last time I visited Japantown-San Francisco was 2014. I was a full-time student a decade ago earning an AA degree in Accounting. The store I purchased milk after classes closed; moreover, I stopped drinking milk in Mar 2017. How many Japanese stories specializing in anime close during the present economic slowdown? There are more LED lights in households. Nabisco bring back the Arrowroot Biscuits. The last pic I looked at the DVD/TV combo instead of the Dyson fan.

I forgot the last time I posted a picture blog. I have many pictures I took with my old cell phone. Posting pictures on my blog has been on the back of my mind. I take a break writing blogs by posting picture blogs. Enjoy!