I watched a bit of “Growing Pains” on Apple TV last night: the 2nd show that has the Bruce Springsteen show tickets. I purchase the series from Apple, probably in year 2016, when Alan Thicke, who acted as the dad in the screen, Dr. Jason Seave, died.
I recall I watched most of the series in early 1990s at my childhood home, mostly during my summer and winter breaks in college years, which seems match the timing 成长的烦恼 showing time in China – “曾在台湾中华电视公司及中国大陆的上海教育电视台从1990年一直播到1994年中播出。”
I recall I didn’t go back much to my childhood home since summer 1993, the year I graduated from college. My parents also moved away a bit from our childhood home.
I have a few thoughts:
in late 1980s and early 1990s, my adolescent and college years, I recall we were very curious about the outside world. I recall seeing movies such as True Lies, Twister (1996 film), Schindler’s List, and many westerns on Shanghai TV channel 2 (the international channel). The society and the country in general were much more open then too, here is some background (in Chinese) how they started to import those TV series – 文汇世纪 | 《成长的烦恼》《神探亨特》…当年上海电视台如何引进第一批美剧？||【话说上海】那些年我们一起追过的剧集 | 海外影视 This is probably my 1st exposure to the American high school (Michael and Carrol). More recently I learned a bit more about American high schools via Gilmore Girls (Netflix).
Below moment is likely not isolated to summer. Sometime between March and July this year (year 2024). One day I took MacBook on sofa, and sit about 6 ft from my 14 year old. We were at the two ends of the sofa (couch). Her response: dad, you are not going to sitting here for good, right? She was on her computer and wanted privacy. My sweet 9 year old said: dad, I want to sit with you 🙂
This morning (early June): while I was driving to my 14 year old to Clayton HS, and I got distracted, passed Ladue road while driving on Warson south bound. Basically I went to the Ladue Middle School – made turn at Price & past JBS, and my 14 year old said: it’s 1st time I saw JBS 🙂
Since this summer, I started to play some board game with my 10 year old (was 9 year old before this past July), almost everyday. This continued even when she was in the Children’s Hospital for a few days in September. We played “spot it” during those days. Our most recent favorite game is Montessori Trinomial Cube (we played a ton lately, I am pretty sure she outgrew it. There goes my original plan to sell it on eBay 🙂 “Trash Panda” is probably the most complicated game for me. And I am glad some days we got to play table tennis in the basement.
PS: for anyone reading, please don’t share this with your teen kids – I am worry about the I may have the Bruce Springsteen show/tickets moments as shown in one of the Growing Pains series 🙂
More from KDSK.com: 2nd suspect charged in deadly kidnapping of Michelle Hampton “According to documents from the U.S. District Court Eastern District, Mosby was the boyfriend of Michelle Hampton’s twin sister, Samantha Hampton.” Also quote this article here: Samantha said she had recently told Mosby that Michelle was holding a $40,000 settlement on behalf of their brother. My take: unfortunately, there is no drug for stupidity. This is partially the reason her twin sister got killed. Maybe I should add the stupid people in the title too.
I have not bought used car for a while, my last two used cars are both Toyota Pre own certified: basically I found the car online, went for a test drive at the dealership and bought them.
But this morning I had opportunity to visit a used car dealer in my old neighborhood: I lived near that place about 20 years ago. I remember the good old days, in late 1990s (1998 and 1999 to be specific), when I was a graduate student in Rolla (Missouri S&T), we would buy the St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper on a Friday, went through the paper auto classified ads section, circle out the cars we were interested, call the private owners and made appointment for Saturday. And so on.
I was not familiar with used car dealers. I did buy a used Subaru from an auto shop (note his specialty is service not selling used cars). And I bought another used Subaru in year 2010, from an owner via local Craigslist. I drove that one for about 3 years and trade it in for the used Toyota Sienna in summer 2013, without losing much value.
Btw, I liked two cars I drove this morning, a 2013 Volvo XC 60 and a 2015 Honda Odyssey EX-L. Both came with leather seats, which my Sienna doesn’t have. They came with about 144 k miles though – which is higher than my current own 2013 Sienna.
Why a used car dealer with a physical presence
I didn’t give it much thought, again you can look at my used car purchase history above. I also bought 2 other used cars while I was in Rolla. One is from a Taiwanese student and it’s a 1984 Toyota Celica (I bought it in Spring 1998).
Warren said that as a law professor studying bankruptcy she saw that consumer protections were weak and fragmented, and that America needed a single federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive practices. “I was stunned by the number of people in financial trouble who had lost a job or got sick but who had also been cheated by one or more of their creditors,” she told Reuters. “For no agency was consumer protection a first priority, it was somewhere between fifth and tenth, which meant there was just no cop on the beat. If the CFPB is not there, people have nowhere to turn when they get cheated.”
Personally, I feel the lack of personal finance knowledge, as well as bad math, are contributing factors for people getting into financial trouble.
(Original) One downside of the free speech in this country, is one can hear or see all kinds of shenanigans or “God damned lies” on TV (both network and cables), on radio, and the latest and greatest the social medias.
Examples of financial frauds in America I read today 11-22-2024 Friday:
(This probably is rare, but I suggest to avoid it) An investor says he put 98% of his retirement funds in Trump Media stock and won’t bail because Trump has a ‘secret’ plan. Since the Enron and WorldCom debacle, many companies started to remove company stock as an investment choice in 401k plans. Personally I think it’s a wise choice. In fact, I noticed the company I used to work for, Siemens, did divest my Siemens stocks (not a lot), and put it in a target date portfolio. Not all companies are doing that though: e.g., I know Arch Coal (now Arch Resources after the emergence post bankruptcy), used to offer the company stock in its 401k plan – note that stock became useless when it went through bankruptcy about 10 years ago. GE had similar issues: it didn’t go through bankruptcy, but at one time its stock went down a lot before its eventually company split (the original company was split into 3 companies).
中国企业家3千万美元搭上川普 获邀任顾问 : don’t just walk, run away from this guy and World Liberty Financial if you could. I remember Warren Buffett famously said he won’t pay $25 for all of the bitcoins. But he was duped by this 孙宇晨（Justin Sun）guy – when Warren was just trying to raise money for charity.
Major’s Rule Number 1
If something is too good to be true: IT IS A LIE e.g.: ‘guaranteed’ 15.25% return (annually?) – Run not just walk, when you hear this kind of guaranteed return.
This is the replacement light bulb at Amazon: last purchased Sep 14, 2022 (replace one about 2 years ago; replace another one this evening). One driver flashed me yesterday evening. And this evening a neighbor told me one of the light for my minivan is out 🙂
Took me a while to find the other light bulb: I placed it along with other regular home use light bulbs.
To replace, the trick is to take out the old one, and put in the new one. There is a clip (snaps) from the electronic cable to the light bulb assembly. This is the YT video I watched this time (I may have watched another one last time around, but it was 2 years ago). Again the trick is to press, to unplug the old one, and the rest is the history 🙂
Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon I drove for Uber the first time, after I thought and talked about it for a bit. Note I still have the day job – this is mostly to supplement my income, and also gain some experience/have some fun. I also wrote a Twitter/X thread here.
A few things to do or think before drive for Uber:
I did give some thoughts on the whole thing before my 1st trip. Here are just some of the things I wrote down on my iPhone notes (MX):
MX: read safety tips (here are Uber Tips for Drivers), I also read a bit more on safety at Google and Reddit too, for example, below thread at Reddit:
Don’t accept any obviously fake names (Smokey, Mr. X, Princess, etc) and if you’re gut says it’s wrong, let rolling and cancel when you get around the block…
Oh, and buy a dashcam! I got one at Walmart for $75. I honestly believe just having it mounted helps avoid issues.
Re: dash cam, I actually did place an order at Amazon, but I decided to cancel the order today after I think more about it. I always get it if needed, down the road. I have a few items that I bought from Amazon that ends up didn’t get used. Try to avoid that mistake again – and I really need to use the items I bought or sell them on eBay (it it’s passed the time to return).
It is not a crime under Missouri law to openly carry a weapon into any place where concealed carry is prohibited, except for a church, school bus, school, or onto the grounds of a school function. According to RSMo Section 571.030, there is no age limit to openly carry a handgun, long gun or any weapon.
But I have purchased neither for now: I think the rearview mirror, along with some items near my driver seat are sufficient for me. Under any circumstances, if I feel that my safety is not 100% guaranteed, in most cases if I am driving and my car is good, I expect to get out of the trouble quickly.
MX: only drive days with daylights, no evenings or nights;
MX: tax or expenses tracking including: miles driven, gas receipts 🧾, and insurance.
But today’s two rides (one cancelled) is mostly around “finding the rider” at the starting point.
Some bugs in the Google Map abd Uber Driver App
For the 1st ride, it took me a few minutes to meet my rider. She had someone else called the ride. And it seems (according to her) Google Map also messed up her home address. I think the Uber Driver App too. But I was able to pick her up and drop her off at the right place. From Clayton road near Hanley road to a house near 270 and Manchester (via highway 64 and 270). My gross income for that ride is about $13.50.
Shortly after I complete my 1st ride, as I am driving back to the Manchester road near 270, I got another ride request, and the starting point is at Eureka. That one took time to drive, and unfortunately, the Uber Driver App pointed me to the wrong place (it was close, but not exact). I texted and called the rider, no response. After 5 minutes or so. I decided to leave, and drive back home. One thing because I followed Uber Driver App, and waited the necessary time, I was paid about $15.50 or the cancelled ride. But I do have some lesson learned and I documented in the Twitter/X as well:
use Apple Map for navigation; also pick the ride when I am stationary and have time to think about it. I picked the 2nd ride when I was just finished the 1st trip, and when I was driving. I think I can let the pass in a situation like this next time. Ideally I would stop accept my new ride when I have ample time.
Bonus points
I liked the view of fall leaves: not quite red or changing yet, but start seeing colors when I drove highway 44 west from 270 towards Eureka, MO (exit 264). I used to enjoy similar sceneries when I was working in an office, more specifically working for the Mastercard at their O’fallon MO office. I drove quite a bit of the Page (Missouri 364) Extension and part of the road was beautiful in the fall (autumn). I understand I may not be able to enjoy nice views everywhere I go – but since I work from home 99% nowadays, and yes sometimes I do miss driving (and not just driving with families, my wife and kids – hope they don’t see this comment 🙂
Also, Fatal crash closes westbound I-44 near Six Flags: note I was there about 2 hours before the accident. This again highlights the risk of driving including drive for Uber and drive on highways (high speed).
PS: I will likely write another post on “driving for Uber” or create a quick YT video hopefully soon: I will write down my thoughts after driving for them for the last 4 days (Monday 10/14 to Thursday 10/17), may include Saturday 10/19 too (if I have some free time).
(Update 10-29-2024) in this short YouTube video, I talked about my thoughts after driving 19 trips for Uber. Also, I noticed quite a few YouTube video in Mandarin on Uber 优步 too – collect them here and here.
(01-23-2025) Last Saturday I learned wustl has an area that its school shuttle covers (don’t know where to find it online). And I came across this one about why people (mainly students I assume) usually live.
其它也有不少地方是安全的,比如 Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Maryland Heights, 绝大部份的 west county, south county. West county 和south county 要稍远一些。
我自己的的经历
我从2000年秋天到圣路易斯。一开始在Bridgeton (机场✈️附近）住了一年。住在那里的主要原因是当时我刚到圣路易斯，我有一个朋友住在那个小区，那个公寓离我上班的地方（办公室）也挺近。This is the apartment. I think it’s generally okay to live there – besides 2 or 3 unpleasant things or exceptions I experienced. I can elaborate later if needed.
A year later, I moved to Park Forest Apartments, off River Des Peres and once the river flooded to the road, and I had to abandon my car on the roadside, and walked uphill. My car was damaged or anything. It was just a flash flood. It’s not perfect, but it’s better in general. Also, a bonus point, that place is about one mile (one way) walk to the famous Ted Drews: arguably the most famous ice cream shop on the route 66.
Graduate Students in WUSTL (Washington University in St Louis)
A little over 20 years ago (fall of 1999 and 2003), I helped my friends find apartment at University Square Apartments (could not find their website, this is just the google map). Both friends are graduate students originally from China. Recently I heard college students (some are likely master/graduate students) are staying at Clayton on the Park – which is a high-end/luxury apartment in downtown Clayton (right across the street from the Shaw Park). This seems also can be an indicator of the economy development of China in last 25 years.
This is for comparison purpose only. One in Overland (this apartment), this unit in a duplex in St. Ann, and one in Berkeley (near UMSL). Note I don’t recommend those. I visited those places because I was helping a neighbor looking for place to stay.
If you are shopping for houses in the St. Louis Area
Personally I like to get an quick overview if I am moving to a new place. Below are two excellent sources.
My 14 year old (when she was almost 14) decided to switch to this electric toothbrush given by the Orthodontist office and after a while she wanted to order the replacement toothbrush heads. This is not the most common electric toothbrush and I had to order the replacement heads at the their official website.
But they didn’t ship after taking my money (via Paypal and CC).
Finally I recalled that they did’t ship, but I cannot get money back because it’s past 6 month or 180 days. I did disputed via Paypal. Below is the reply from Paypal:
We have reviewed this transaction(s) and are denying your case(s). Cases must be filed within 180 days from the date of the transaction. The decision to deny was made because the case was submitted after the 180-day deadline. Therefore, we are unable to offer a resolution toward this matter at this time.
Federal law only protects cardholders for a limited time — 60 days to be exact — after a fraudulent or incorrect charge has been made. Thankfully I noticed the billing error within a few days of it posting to my account and started the dispute process right away.
This probably explains why I don’t see a “dispute” option in my CC website.
I haven’t been to situation like this for a while. I don’t see a “contact us” on the merchant website either. I am not too upset about it due to the relatively small amount: $22.50. Thought something to keep in mind if we shop online and didn’t receive the item.
Related to this thread, it looks like they are going under. I have not received a replacement head since July of last year but I continue to be billed for it. The website features that allow you to cancel or modify your subscription or delete your payment information are disabled. I contacted them and received an auto response that they are not responding to messages “due to unforseen operational issues”. I reported the charges to my credit card and also reported them to the BBB, where you can see a ton of others have reported similar issues.
Btw, I signed up this year’s Olivette Turkey Trot. I probably ran my 1st Olivette Turkey Trot 5K in year 2018. I signed up in year 2017 but I chickened out at the last minute. I was on and off for a few years, I recall one year, probably year 2021, I signed up but we decided to go to Kansas City for a quick trip/family vacation at the last minute. This year I hope to make it and complete the race.
Last but not least, refer to Running, jogging and walking my blog post in which I talked all my running races so far.
