Opinion of 1999

[SingingAnalyst]

After four years of social policy crafted by President Bill Clinton (D) and House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R), violent crime in the US had dropped considerably (the homicide rate per 100k dropped from 9.6 in 1994 to 6.4 in 1999), the suicide rate per 100k among males 15-24 had dropped considerably (from 23.4 in 1994 to 16.9 in 1999--the only time it had dropped significantly outside of wartime), Newt Gingrich had stepped down as House Speaker after mediocre GOP results in the 1998 midterms, Bill Clinton was acquitted in his unpopular impeachment trial, Green Day's "Good Riddance" was popular, Columbine happened on April 20th, and, after an episode of America's Most Wanted, Kathy Soliah, now married to a doctor with 3 children and attending a United Methodist church, was arrested for an attempted crime from a quarter-century earlier, while she was a member of the SLA (her words to the media were, in effect, "I would love to rehash that period in time. The legitimacy of our government was in question").

Liberal morale was at an all-time high; conservative morale had tanked. They had lost the Culture War.

The Twin Towers still stood, President Clinton's approval was high, the war in Kosovo received little media attention, and few had heard of Al-Qaeda.

Well? I vote FY.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I was only seven, but I do have some nostalgia for the year.

[Chips]

FY.

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

My birth year, so FF I suppose.

[SingingAnalyst]

My birth year, so FF I suppose.

Welcome to Presidential voting! I turned 33 that year.

[Suburbia]

Probably one of the peaceful years in American history, but in NYC, police brutality was at it's height in the Giuliani-Safir NYPD years

[Lambsbread]

Great album.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I remember it fondly due to nostalgia but looking at it in a vacuum it was honestly a bit of a cultural low point in many ways, look at the TV and film output of it (The Matrix is an obvious exception), and to say nothing of popular music....even my music that year wasn't all that great (ironic as that's the year I got into it.)

Still personally it was a Freedom Year.

[TDAS04]

Generally a good year.  I completed 5th grade, one of my favorite school years, which was followed by a pretty fun summer.  However, I then started 6th grade, possibly my worst school year (though that was more due to the 2000 part).

[Sumner 1868]

1999 in a nutshell:

[Mr. Smith]

Not a bad year. Can't say I remember that much about it, but.

My friends were gettin' themselves Dreamcasts [if they weren't playin' Smash Bros.] and watchin' Pokemon, I took my first plane flight to the East Coast. I also went to the movies to see Toy Story 2.

Then again, Kindergarten and first grade were cruel places, and I took my first and only Summer School in all my of my K-12 experience.

[John Dule]

Excellent year for movies with one glaring exception.

[Mr. Smith]

Excellent year for movies with one glaring exception.

Yeah, you're right, Secret of NIMH didn't need a sequel!

[Mike Thick]

I just wanna go back. Back to 1999. Take a ride to my old neighborhood.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

party like it's-

[Storr]

Freedom Year simply because of all of the Y2K hysteria.

[Suburbia]

1999 in a nutshell:

The peak of white boomer suburbia. It peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, and stagnated in the 2000s and 2010s. Millennials can't save it

[Progressive Pessimist]

1999 in a nutshell:

The peak of white boomer suburbia. It peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, and stagnated in the 2000s and 2010s. Millennials can't save it

If anything millennials are learning from it and bolting to urban areas.

[Hope For A New Era]

I wasn't alive then, but it seems like it was a very optimistic time. Must have been nice.

[T'Chenka]

Mostly FF year

[Orwell]

I wasn't born yet any year before 2003 doesn't matter since I wasn't there to vibe.

[Badger]

Turned 30 which was fine. Didn't have even the closest inkling of age concerns until I turn 31. Turning 30 is just a guy in his twenties who had a birthday. Being 31 meant you're now "in your 30's".

I was actually seriously dating a 19 year old then. LOL! In my defense she graduated college and had a job in her field at an animation studio before she turned 21, plus we wound up dating for about five years. Her friends she went to college with all liked me too.

Had a great job I enjoyed too. And damn it, I don't care how much of a cultural anachronism it is now I genuinely enjoyed and miss the late 90s Revival of swing dance and ska.

All in all, if it weren't for the fact I was stuck in Lima Ohio at the time (ick!), it would have been probably one of the better years of my life.

[Gracile]

I was only about five at the time, but there's something about that year that brings back a lot of nostalgia.

Also, it was a great year for movies and music.