It's The Second Year That Counts

There's a common saying you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The saying has merit. Nobody wants to see a potential worker dressed in a Hawaiian shirt being interviewed for an executive position. Nobody? *Clears weird thought in my head*

Thinking one step ahead, the second year, the second go around, the sophomore year determines how good someone or something is. My freshmen year in high school was excluded from my college applications—colleges looked at sophomore to senior year grades. My first year at my present company gave me the wrong impression how friendly my company was—the company began going downhill in terms of workplace morale. Some people I met I thought they were cool people at first—the more I knew them, the more I realized they were jerks. And my laptop I purchased in 2005 worked without problems even though other people reported problems on my model in their first year of use—so far so good in the second year ^_^

When everything is going smoothly in the first year taking classes at high school, the first year working in a company, the first year in a serious relationship, the first year driving a new car, whatever first year, the second year determines how good it is. In the first year, some people tend to have the mindset, the thinking, and the attitude that everything was going perfectly, flawless, and joyful. The first impression was positive. Everything was mistake free or problem free; unfortunately, mistakes and problems are going to happen sooner or later. The second year determines if any mistakes and problems could be corrected to continue the classes, the career, the relationship, keeping the laptop.

Every year, Major League Baseball awards the top rookie in the American League and National League the Rookie Of The Year awards. Mark McGuire, Derik Jeter, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Mike Piazza won Rookie Of The Year awards and have hall of fame careers. On the other hand, Walt Weiss, Jerome Walton, Junior Felix, and, damn, a lot of no namers won Rookie Of The Year awards and have crappy careers in their second years many never played at the major league level thereafter. These players likely brought with them the attitude of everything is going great and no need to worry about messing up to training camp in their sophomore year. These overconfident players' attitudes were wrong.

If you have a great first year at something, then keep the momentum going in the second year and beyond because it's the second year that counts. Continuing innovating to be better and innovate infinitely.

2006 Las Vegas Trip: Third Day and Epilogue

Day 3: Going Home

Steve and I woke up at 8:00 A.M. Steve took a shower and I packed and watched ESPN =__= We arrived at the taxi departure area to the airport and we split a cab with a person who was on a business trip from Phoenix who stayed a Treasure Island with a buddy. It was the first time I split a cab with someone. His name was Scott and he lived in San Diego. My apology to Mr. Scott because I incorrectly calculated his share. I said 50/50 because I was paying for Steve. The correct share was 33/33/33 for which I pay 67% and he paid 33%. I did the math and Mr. Scott paid an extra $2.00. I hope Mr. Scott forgave me paying more than his share XD

All three of us arrived at the airport at 9:45 A.M. The taxi driver took the freeway for which seemed longer; however, he avoided the strip traffic and signal lights. At the airport, I choose to skip breakfast and I purchased a Baby Ruth candy bar, bottle water, and a copy of the Los Angeles Times newspaper. I purchased the newspaper to compare car prices in the Los Angeles area and the Bay Area. My uncle told me prices in Southern California are cheaper than Northern California, and the information is useful to negotiate.

Steve ate a piece of pizza for breakfast and his lunch :-) Our flights departed five minutes apart. My flight departs at 10:55 A.M. and Steve's flight departs at 11:00 A.M. Our gates were at opposite ends of Gate C. The LA Times newspaper contained useless information for me and I placed the newspaper on a chair and I picked up a Wall Street Journal to read on the airplane. I kept the LA Times auto classified ads.

I boarded the airplane and sat at the last row on the left side aisle seat. There were 90 passengers including 8 passengers from the 9:45 A.M. flight to San Jose which was canceled. The flight departed the airport on time. Midway through the flight, I read the evacuation procedures because if an emergency occurred, I was responsible for opening the door and inflating the emergency ramp `__* I arrived in San Jose at 12:10 P.M. and my Mom picked me up.

Epilogue

The vacation was a lot of fun. I have positive experiences for the three days in Vegas. Sure I won $149.00 on the one hand and on the other hand, I wanted to do more activities. Timing was in my favor with the hot Crap table at Tropicana and the Bellagio outdoor water show technical problems earlier in the evening and viewing multiple shows in a short amount of time during my stay. And, for the record, if I was in the losing end of my gambling, I gamble up to my stop loss of $200.00.

I like to thank Steve for choosing and organizing the Treasure Island hotel reservations. Good choice. And thank you for coming to Vegas with me. Sorry about the gambling losses $-{

2006 Las Vegas Trip: Second Day

Day 2: How Many Miles Did I Walk?

Steve wanted to sleep as long as possible. No problem with me. I woke up around 8:30 A.M. and watched TV . . . mostly ESPN -__- Steve and I ate breakfast at 9:50 A.M. at the Treasure Island buffet. The price was around $15.00 including tax and tip. Good breakfast. Worth the money.

At 11:30 A.M., we went to Casino Royale. Steve played Blackjack and Craps, I played some Craps. The Crap table was $3.00 minimum, a first for me at Vegas. I played $20.00 for about 40 minutes. I walked away with $19.00 for my final net winnings $149.00. The table never got hot and after the 40 minutes, the table became cold. The Come bets saved me big time.

Steve and I left Casino Royale and went to Harrahs. We separated around 2:15 P.M. Steve continued gambling and I walked the strip and went shopping. I visited Paris Las Vegas for 10 minutes walking around and remembering the 2003 and 2004 visit briefly including the deli Steve and I ate for lunch in 2004. At 2:35 P.M., I purchased a Bellagio, Treasure Island, and Mandalay Bay deck of cards for $3.25 at a gift shop. My next and last shop was the Bellagio gift shop where I purchased a picture magnet of the Bellagio at night time with the water show for $3.25.

Steve contacted me on cell phone around 3:40 P.M. He was going to be at The Mirage and he wanted me to meet him. No problem. I arrived at The Mirage at 4:00 P.M. I had trouble finding Steve because The Mirage was filled with gamblers. The table game environment was a dark, yet impressive gaming condition. Steve said his Dad and I were calling him on cell phone. When he wanted to answer the cell phone, he must remove himself from the Blackjack table. He lost his seat immediately after he removed himself :-(

After a few additional cell phone communications, we found each other. Steve wanted to check out Caesars Palace. I followed. We arrived at Caesars and the table minimums were $10.00 and over. Steve thought about what to do because he wanted to play $5.00 minimums. He chose to gamble horse racing. Steve gambled at horse racing before and has some experience. He said gambling horses is a social activity because people talk between the races. While Steve gambled, I went back to the hotel room to get a new SD memory card for my digital camera and drop off the deck of cards and magnet. When I arrived back, Steve said he wanted to finish the horse racing schedule. No problem. I went to FAO Schweetz to get my ice cream and brownie. I got the ice cream and brownie for $8.00. Honestly speaking, it's the last time I pay $8.00 for ice cream and a microwave warmed brownie *__* Steve took a bite of my ice cream and brownie and loved it. I agreed. The dessert was good.

Dinner Time

We skipped lunch and we ate at Chipotle at 7:45 P.M. We ordered burritos. The burritos were big I failed to eat the entire burrito. It was the ice cream :-< LOL! We talked about a lot of random topics. After dinner, we went to Imperal Palace. Steve played Let It Ride. After watching Steve played for five minutes, we separated at 8:20 P.M. I went to the Bellagio to take pictures of the indoor Christmas garden and recorded the water show for my YouTube. I was lucky to watch a batch of the Bellagio water shows because there were problems earlier in the night. Bellagio played a bunch of water shows in a short amount of time and while I was at the Bellagio. Good timing :D After Bellagio, I walked to New York New York to walk off the burrito. I saw a group of guys getting the prostitution pic cards and trading them like baseball cards. I choose to get some myself >.> I arrived at New York New York and saw the location where I first gambled in my life in 1997. I watched a few Craps tables for a few minutes each. On my way back, I got more of the hooker pic cards <.< I videotaped one more Bellagio water show on my digital camera before going to the hotel room.

I arrived back at the hotel at 11:00 P.M. I was surprised to see Steve in bed. He arrived at the hotel around 9:30 P.M. I showered and watched Colors staring Robert Duvall and Sean Penn. I went to bed around 3:00 A.M.

2006 Las Vegas Trip: Introduction And First Day

Introduction

My friend Steve and I took a vacation in Las Vegas Monday December 11, 2006 to Wednesday December 13, 2006. We stayed at Treasure Island for our hotel and we saw Folies Bergere for our show entertainment. We gambled playing slots, Craps, and Blackjack and walked around the strip. The trip was fun and we had a blast. I arrived at McCarran International Airport at 8:05 AM and Steve arrived around 2:00 P.M. We flew back home at 10:55-11:00 A.M. on Wednesday.

Day 1: Patience Is A Virtue

My flight departed on time from San Jose to Las Vegas. My dad gave me a ride to the airport. The flight totaled 50 passengers. Southwest told everyone to just line up and enter without following the A, B, and C groups. Everyone got either orange juice or coffee. No peanuts :-( I sat on the left side next to a window. I saw snow on the mountains and lots of residential development at the outside of Las Vegas.

I arrived at McCarran Airport at 8:05 A.M. I walked around the C gate looking at the restaurants. I choose to eat at Burger King. $7.50 for a sausage and egg bagel combo :-P After breakfast, I walked to the ground transportation. I saw the security line which was long. McCarran airport is the best airport I have visited. Those passengers should pass by security quickly.

I took a shuttle from the airport to Bellagio. I wanted to stop at the Bellagio first to view the indoor Christmas garden. The shuttle fare was $5.50 which was good. Waiting 20 minutes for the shuttle was bad. There was no rush. The shuttle made a stop at Aladdin first. The second stop was Bellagio at 9:40 A.M.

I stayed briefly at the Bellagio indoor Christmas garden because viewing the garden at night time was better looking. I took a few pictures. I noticed there were more shops opened on the backside of the garden and the polar bears were at the left side. The 2004 visited the polar bears were at the left side.

I walked to Treasure Island and arrived at the check in line at 10:40 A.M. Check in time was 11:00 A.M. I was the fourth person in line. When check in opened, the line grew big time. I got my keys and room and walked to the room on the 14th floor. Fortunately, Treasure Island devoted elevators to specific floors. Steve and I waited seconds for the elevators throughout the vacation. The room was similar to Bellagio in 2004. Bellagio is still my all time favorite hotel room because the room and bathroom were bigger and more elegant. After settling in, I went to the gift shop to buy bottle water, Lay's potato chips, and cookies. I watched TV mostly ESPN while I wait for Steve to arrive. I saw two window washers at the Venetian hotel washing the windows floor by floor.

Steve Arrived

Steve arrived at 2;30 P.M. He called me on cell phone he arrived at the airport. I was watching Viva Rock Vegas, a Flintstones movie. Coincidence ^^; I told him to come straight to the room because I got his keys. When he knocked on the door, I was surprised because I expected him to arrive at a later time. The reason why Steve arrived quickly was because he took a taxi ^^ Steve relaxed for about 15 minutes and settled in. Then we walked out of Treasure Island. Our first destination was the Greek Isles.

Along the way to the Greek Isles, we stopped at Fashion Show Mall Food Court at 3:00 P.M. for lunch. I ate at Taco Maker and ordered the number 1 combo which was three tacos, potato wedgies, and a soft drink. Steve ate Chinese. We ate there for 30 minutes. The food court reminded me of the Washington Canada trip because the food court was at the top floor and there lots of windows. Steve made a toast to the Las Vegas trip. We walked down the stairs outside the food court and visited the Wynn hotel for 10 minutes. I saw the waterfall by the outdoor restaurant and the main lobby decorated with trees.

After the Wynn, we saw the Stardust gated and closed. Steve found out the Stardust is going to be blown up and torn down for a new hotel and casino. I saw a Las Vegas Police Department station. I watched CSI briefly from time to time and I joked whether the show is filmed at the location. And I wanted to see some Las Vegas police cars because I wanted to take pictures for my webpage XD

At 3:50 P.M., we arrived at Greek Isles. Wow! Wow again! The Greek Isles was the smallest casino we ever saw. Fortunately, we stayed at Treasure Island. After staying for three minutes, we headed back to the strip. The plan was to walk to Treasure Island to get the tickets, visit Luxor because our favorite Camel Ride machine might be back, and then Tropicana to watch Folies Bergere. We stopped at Frontier casino for some gambling. I played Craps and walked away ahead $10.00. The table was cold and I considered myself lucky. Steve played Craps and some Blackjack. After Frontier, we walked to Treasure Island and got the tickets.

Steve and I were ahead of schedule. We stopped at O'Shea's casino. Steve played Blackjack. I played slots. I lost money $-( After O'Shea's, we walked to Luxor. I asked Steve about New Years Eve on the strip. He visited Vegas on New Years Eve one year. He said it's worth visiting on New Year's Eve once in a lifetime. One year, I'm going to visit Vegas on December 31.

We finally arrived at Luxor after me screwing up the Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay tran at 7:10 P.M. Steve saw a deli and made the call to eat dinner. I agreed and we ate. I ordered the roast beef sandwich and Steve ordered the corn beef sandwich. After dinner, I lost $20.00 on a slot machine :-\

Bam, Bam, Bam Waiting For The Hot Table For Action

We arrived at Tropicana at 8:00 P.M. The Folies Bergere started at 10:00 P.M. The plan was to arrive to our seats at 9:00 P.M. If anyone of us were having a hot streak at the tables, we seat at 9:30 P.M. I played Craps and Steve played Blackjack. The Crap table was hot. One of the shooters made his point three times in a row. The table remained hot throughout my stay. There was a pause for casino staff to restock chips. And there was a brief pause to change the minimums from $5.00 to $10.00. It was the first time I saw a change in minimums and the second time the table paused for chip restocking. I started with $40.00 and walked away at 9:30 P.M. with $186.00 for a net winning of $150.00. I kept $1.00 in a Tropicana chip for souvenir.

The Folies Bergere show started a little after 10:00 P.M. I missed the opening act getting bottle water at the bar. A couple of people were joking on ordering a cola. A cola is a cola they say whether it's Coke or Pepsi. The show was entertaining. Loved it. BTW, the show was topless O__O *Hee, hee, hee* My favorite scene was the last scene which was the Can Can and the dancing acrobats doing their acrobat stunts. Did I mention topless??? ;-) The dancers were very attractive 8-)

After the dance, we walked back to Treasure Island. On the Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard bridge between MGM Grand and Tropicana, I saw a Las Vegas Police car at a distance. I took a few pictures. I hope one of them turns out good to post on my webpage ~~ It appears the officer pulled over the car because the license plate was missing. We stopped at Walgreens to purchase snacks and bottle water. I purchased a bottle water, Fritos corn chips, and a Twix candy bar. I wanted to get an ice cream which I choose to get tomorrow. Steve made a joke saying I wanted ice cream on a cold night.

At 12:30 A.M., we arrived back at the hotel room. I showered, watch some of the original Blue Brothers movie and then went to bed. I realized if I want to buy a used police car, I must buy a California Highway Patrol because most of their miles are freeway miles.

Speaking Softly

Just random stuff to let everyone know I’m alive and O.K. <3

On Wednesday, I got a sore throat. It became worst in the evening. What caused my sore throat? It could be the leftover Costco chicken for dinner, someone at the checkout line at Safeway was sick, dozed off and slept without blankets (although my Mom kept the heater on all night) all three on Tuesday, or fatigue from Sunday’s Sacramento trip catching up, or more than one of the above. Today, my sore throat is gone. I don’t know what happened??? Could it be drinking two cups of green tea, taking vitamin C supplements, drinking Coke, sprinkling salt down my throat, sore throat drops, or more than one of the above? I consider myself lucky. I hope I don’t get a double whammy of soar throat and then bronchitis ^.^ I have been sick too many times in 2006 :-\

I just checked my YouTube account. Six people viewed my first VBlog. People are reading my Blogs ^__^ Thank you <3 Currently, I’m figuring out how to convert my VBlog from .wma to .avi because YouTube recommends videos in .avi and in 320x240 resolution. My Logitech webcam saves the video in .wma. I tried using Windows Media Player to save in .avi for my first VBlog. There is one .avi option in 720x480 and 30 frames per second (fps). I record more VBlogs after I learn how to convert .wma to .avi. Thanks for waiting.

My priorities for the Christmas break are update my webpage, continue learning Crystal Reports, update my webpage, start reading Business @ The Speed Of Thought by Bill Gates, update my webpage, write more Blogs, and update my webpage `__*

Also on Wednesday, the managing partner treated the staff to a surprise lunch. *sighs* Yeah, a surprise. When the staff carpooled to the surprise location, the lead car got lost. It could be the driver didn’t know how to get to the freeway or the passenger gave wrong directions. It was both bad and embarrassing since most of us live in the South Bay. When we got to the surprise location, we were less than joyed and we were polite. The restaurant was Dave & Busters. I never been there before because I heard the place was expensive. It’s expensive $-( The food, at least my order, tasted terrible. When everyone was talking, the managing partner looked at his PDA twice to check his email =P I said a few words. I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I keep a low profile at work @__@

Furthermore, nobody knew the restaurant when we met at the front desk. Bad move. What if someone got lost and needed to take an alternate route to the restaurant? Well, we did get lost. Fortunately, we were together.

My First VBlog

Yesterday, I uploaded my first Video Blog or VBlog on YouTube. Yay! Check it out. Thank you.

My First VBlog

1% Geek? 10% Geek? 100% Geek?

One must be part geek or part nerd in today's lifestyle. No exceptions. In the information age where information is exchanged rapidly, more everyday tasks are becoming automated, and basic computer skills are just as important as driving a car. Having a geek side is good. If you read my Blog, you are a step ahead because there are some people who don't know how to browse the Internet.

We are becoming more dependent on computers and technology. There are good sides and bad sides which is another subject; however, technology is everywhere including the appliances, the automobiles, our workplaces, the shopping malls, banks, entertainment, and your local government.

I'm no society expert . . . I think nerds and geeks benefited the most in the information age which started in the mid 1990s. How many jobs and companies were created involving nerds and geeks? A ton *__* How many must want gadgets do we want? A ton starting with cell phones, mp3 players, PS2, laptops, GPS, and HDTVs. Thank the microprocessor for today's tech goodies ^^

Are nerds and geeks part of society? No. Are nerds and geeks accepted in society? No. Nerds and geeks belong in our society. In the 1980s, nerds and geeks were the out crowd. Remember the movie "Revenge Of The Nerds?" *Hee, hee* If you're computer incompetent, you're glad to know geeks and nerds who can help you out XD

Yours truly is a geek. I'm a geek who works out at the gym, hangs out with friends, keeps up with the sports headlines, follows the stock market, cooks, and desires to learn more technology. And I'm looking for a new career path in technology :-) I know I interchanged nerd and geek in the Blog. We're the same `__*

Side Note: I delay following the stock market. I resume following the market after I find a new job ^^

The Fastest Week Ever

November was a fast month. October still was the fastest month ever in my life. November, though, gets a recognition. The recognition is the last week of November was the fastest week ever in my life. All of a sudden, it's Friday and Saturday and Sunday, one week after Thanksgiving weekend.

On Monday, my Thanksgiving holiday was extended because my dumb-ass co-worker took Monday off. I wonder if he enjoyed his vacation visiting his family.

On Tuesday, my department had a quick meeting with the office manager. The meeting was pointless. Nothing much was said. After work, I paid some credit card bills and quickly checked my bank statement. And my Creative Zen M 30GB MP3 player I ordered online on Black Friday arrived.

On Wednesday, I attended a staff meeting discussing the company's 2007 employee handbook. Nothing really new. And the company announced health care costs are going up 15%. All of the workers with dependents were concerned. The company pays 100% of the deductibles for the employee.

On Wednesday evening, I went shopping at Safeway. I purchased 5 one gallon Crystal Geyser water and a package of Farmer John sausage. I cooked a piece on Thursday morning and the oil caught on fire. I cooked a second piece and tasted terrible. I continue to buy Jimmy Dean sausage for breakfast.

Also on Thursday, I started to listen to my MP3 player hooking my player on my workplace PC. The player is awesome. I want to upload more songs on Saturday or Sunday. I took home my Sony stereo, CD player, and alarm clock I purchased at Costco in December 2004. I'm going to bring my MP3 player to work everyday. If I want to listen to Classic Rock, my MP3 player has FM radio capability. If I want to listen to Classical Music, I listen to a radio station streamlining on the Internet.

Thursday evening I went to Longs Drugs to visit my friend Loktera. Three weeks ago, I dropped my sunglasses and he picked them up while a group of us were at Oakridge mall. We were busy between three weeks ago up to yesterday because of work and college classes. Thank goodness he found them or I must buy another one for at least $100.00 $-(

On Friday, at work I did lots of catch up. I finished inputting a stack of closed deals which I was a week behind. It's boring I know, and it's another reason why I'm looking for another job. I must open new doors and seek new opportunities.

And on Saturday I did lots of personal catch up. I checked all my email and purchased Business @ The Speed Of Thought by Bill Gates at amazon.com. There were no good deals at half.com. And my Dad and I went to Milpitas to look at a used Toyota Tacoma truck for sale. My Dad is looking to buy a used truck to replace the 1984 truck.

Today is December 2006. I wonder if December is going to outpace October? Time will tell. Events in December include a trip to Las Vegas, visit Santa Cruz, and attend my company's Christmas party which is a first for me ^_^

My Black Friday

Black Friday is the first day of shopping for the Christmas Holiday season or the day after Thanksgiving. The color Black means retailers make a profit; in other words, retailers are in the black, they are making money whereas retailers in the red means retailers are losing money.

My Black Friday store was Best Buy. The store priced a 19 inch Samsung flat panel widescreen monitor for $129.99. The regular price was $249.99. All of the other retailers had great deals. The Best Buy monitor caught my attention and I needed a monitor for dual monitors when I use my laptop O__^ The store opened at 5:00 A.M.

I woke up at 2:30 A.M., went to 7-11 at 2:50 A.M. to purchase a Twinkie, Baby Ruth, and Orange Juice for breakfast, and arrived at Best Buy at 3:15 A.M. When I arrived, there were people with tents and sleeping bags. I guess a few families Thanksgiving tradition was participating in Black Friday. The weather conditions were very cold with the temperature in the low 40s.

When I lined up, the line started to move forward. WTF @__@ Somebody told me the Best Buy workers arrived to their shifts and people tried to enter and move forward to get a voucher. Minutes later, Best Buy employees told everyone must be in single file line to issue vouchers. Vouchers were available for the door buster items. No voucher, no door buster item. I saw Milpitas police stopped a car for a traffic violation. I think Milpitas police needed to reevaluate their priorities such as the more important Best Buy line. Throughout the early part of the line, only one Milpitas police officer provided security.

At 4:00 A.M., Best Buy workers issued vouchers. The front of the line was chaos. People who received no voucher were mad. At least one person got arrested. A Milpitas police van drove to the front of the line. Five minutes later, the van drove off. I was in the middle of the line and the front line was out of my sight. Other people in line were in groups and sent one person to check out the front line. They said the front was chaotic :X

Around 4:30 A.M., only three door buster vouchers reached my line. No chance for the $400.00 laptop, LOL. Someone asked what line I was in. I told him, “Best Buy. Sorry. End of the line over there.” I wonder if he wanted to go to Borders because I was at the front of Borders *__* Or maybe Wal-Mart which was on the other side of the park. And I saw a mother with her baby. WTF, man. The group behind me were making jokes such as the baby couldn’t cry because the mouth was frozen shut and saying that was child endangerment.

5:00 A.M. came and the line moved in a single file. Three Milpitas police officers were watching the front doors. I entered the store at 5:20 A.M. Best Buy let people in the store in groups. I rushed to the monitor section and all of the monitors on sale were gone. I walked forward to the PC section and the monitors shelves were gone. I saw one customer climbed up the shelves to a stack of Samsung monitors. The Best Buy worker said those Samsung monitors were a different model. Another customer looked at the ad said otherwise. The Best Buy worker looked a second time and confirmed the Samsung monitors were the ones on sale. The worker made everyone line up single file to wait for the ladder. There was pushing and shoving. The customer in front of me brought his wife and two kids. The kids were being squished. I told everyone to stop the pushing and shoving. What did the father do? He focused on the monitors. *Shakes head in disappointment*

The ladder arrived. There were 12 Samsung monitors. The customer in front of me wanted four because he brought his wife and two kids. The Best Buy worker said no. The father wanted to sell the monitors for a profit someplace else $-\ I got the fifth monitor and went straight to the cashier. At 5:40 A.M., I drove back home lucky I got a monitor. I was lucky because some customers took the wrong monitor they thought were the ones on sale, and it explains why the monitor shelves were empty.

Somebody told me the reason for the voucher system is because one time Wal-Mart had $20.00 DVD players and one person was trampled close to death. The Best Buy line control was great compared to me at Fry’s in Black Friday’05; on the other hand, I overheard two people say last year was more organized.

Next year, I feel the major retailers must have more Black Friday items on the website. Less crowds at the stores and much easier to shop. Yeah, right :-| To the people shopping on Black Friday, respect the workers. The workers are paid crap, yet they come to work. I just hope the stores give them something as appreciation and as a thank you. Next year I shop on-line and pay the shipping and handling. If the item I want is available in store only, I find a substitute even if the price is a little higher. It wasn’t worth it.

Workplace X Factor

What is the ultimate factor when choosing a company to provide a service? The service can be technology, law, real estate, taxes, sports, or even automobiles. Also, let’s say you’re visiting the company’s site. You walk to the kitchen with the team to get a drink of water from the water cooler. There is a problem. The water cooler is out of water. All of the water bottles are empty. The water cooler is the ultimate factor when choosing a company. If the company’s water cooler is out of water, then you refuse the company’s service.

The water cooler is the location where workers get up from their work areas to hang out. Gossip or water cooler talk is given. On the other hand, workers talk and chit chat to get to know each other better, know their family and friends, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and thoughts. The water cooler is the offline Blog. Share you thoughts drinking water. The water cooler is a magnet for workers. Workers must move around to get their water.

The kitchen sink is full of dishes. No problem. The workplace is messy with lots of papers. No problem. The closet is full of old computers. No problem. The bathroom smells as if someone did a dump. No problem. The water cooler has no water. Problem.

Water is important for workers to concentrate. It’s important for our bodies, our soles and our well-being. Companies must provide water to meet the needs of the workers to work effectively.

The water cooler is the Workplace X Factor.

Potluck

O__o Today I voted in the 2006 mid-term elections. I waited one hour to vote. A couple of booths experienced technical difficulties. Before I voted, I requested the poll worker to reactivate my card to make sure the card is active while voting. I’m going to miss calls from President Bill Clinton and Clint Eastwood telling me who to vote LOL!

O__o Help, call the police. If you’re in a situation where the last means of communications is writing, then write “Help, 911” or “Help, call police” on paper, cardboard, or anything. There are places where people can buy help banners. And remember when the U.S.A flag is flown upside down, it’s a signal for help.

O__o Do you want an investment that costs $6.00? Purchase the “How To Be Popular: You’re Never Too Young or Too Old” booklet by Abigail Van Buren aka Dear Abby. Send a check or money order for $6.00 written to Dear Abby and a business-size, self-addressed envelope to the following address (postage is included),

Dear Abby
Popularity Booklet
P.O. Box 447
Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0447


Also visit www.dearabby.com for additional information and other booklets. I read a few pages and I learned something already. I learned to stop mumbling and never sell to your family and friends no matter how strongly you believe in it.

O__o 13 time all-star and 4 time NBA champion Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal formed a Miami-based real estate company in September 2006 named The O’Neal Group. O’Neal’s company plans to enter the real estate markets in New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California. O’Neal’s private real estate portfolio is valued over $50 million.

The basketball player played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to the Miami Heat after the 2003-04 season. O’Neal won the NBA MVP in the 1999-2000 season. O’Neal is a reserve police officer for the City of Miami.

O’Neal is one example thinking ahead for his retirement $-)

Here Is Why The St. Louis Cardinals Won The 2006 World Series

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-1 under manager Tony La Russa. The championship gave the Cardinals ten World Series championships and their regular season record 83-78 is the lowest win total for a champion. The win gave La Russa two World Series championships and he's the second manager to win a World Series in the American League and National League. How did the underdog Cardinals win? Focus.

In Game 2, Tigers' pitcher Kenny Rogers was spotted with dirt-like substance in the first inning. The umpires asked Rogers to wash his hands. In the second inning, his hands were cleaned. Pitchers use foreign substances such as pine tar to get a better grip on the baseball to pitch more effectively. Any pitcher with foreign substance or other objects are subject to ejection.

Substance or no substance, Rogers dominated the game enabling the Tigers to win Game 2 and even the series 1-1 heading to Game 3 in St. Louis. After the game, La Russa downplayed the incident telling the media the Cardinals were focusing on Game 3. Focus. The key word. The team focused on winning the series and Rogers never affected the team. I bet when the team flew to St. Louis, the Cardinals forgot about Rogers and focused on the championship.

I learned a lesson on life. Focus. The Cardinals never lost sight of their goal. The team focused on winning. Distractions, criticisms, anything that could have caused the Cardinals to lose focus failed. The Cardinals kept the Rogers situation and potential controversy aside. Also, the Cardinals took advantage of the Tigers' poor defense. If the Cardinals lost the World Series, the team blamed themselves for losing their focus.

Keep the focus when working on goals, assignments, and completing responsibilities.

Goodbye Childhood Bakery

Wilson’s Jewel Bakery in Santa Clara, CA closed for business after 85 years due to economic reasons. When I was a kid, my family and I visited the bakery to buy donuts, pastries, pound cake, cookies, and birthday cakes. My parents always bought the lemon filling birthday cakes for my brother and I even though my parents hated the lemon filling. Who knew why my parents kept buying something they never liked? As we grew up, my parents tried different flavors. The results were mixed. Regardless the bakery was so good, it was worth the 15 minute drive from San Jose to Santa Clara. Also, after we visited Kaiser Hospital, we drive to Wilson’s and purchased goodies.

My favorite pastry was the butter horn. It’s a soft and tasty pastry with white colored vanilla glaze. For a while, my parents never purchased donuts because donuts were junk food. I really didn’t understand the difference between donuts and pasties. They’re both junk food. It’s just donuts have more sugar *heh, heh* And when we purchased donuts, most of the time we purchased twists because we get more donut for the price.

I also liked the cookies. I begged my Mom to buy the sugar cookies and the sprinkles cookies. She said they were bad buys and always purchased the chocolate chip cookies. The sugar cookies and the sprinklers were the best.

I remember the last two purchases. The first was two donuts for breakfast. There was a farmer’s market nearby every Saturday mornings. My parents and I visited once in 2004. The second was my family purchased a wedding cake for my brother’s wedding reception. We visited the bakery several times and stayed in the bakery for a couple of hours on the day my parents choose the cake. I walked around the bakery looking at the various cakes.

Wilson’s Jewel Bakery was a complete bakery with donuts, cakes, brownies, muffins, cookies, pastries, coffee cakes, eclairs, birthday cards, cupcakes, breads, and even the Victorian house cookie jars. In the late 1980s I believe, the bakery expanded into a closed cafe. The bakeries at Costco, Wal-Mart, and any major supermarkets are nothing compared to Wilson’s. Wilson’s was a complete, authentic bakery making yummy treats from their hearts.

Unfortunately, it’s another example of nothing lasts forever. The best one can do is keep it going as long as one can just like it lasts forever. In today’s economic and business climate, mom-and-pop businesses are closing down ;__; Make every effort to last forever.

Note: The owners tried to sell the business for which there were no buyers.

Quad 1 Of 4: Friday October 20 To Sunday October 22

Here’s a triple shot plus one I call a Quad. Yay! It’s been very busy in October. And, yeah, it’s a fast month. Fastest ever? Maybe? I don’t want to jinx October. Heh, heh, heh. Here is Quad 1 of 4.

On Friday October 20, I had a bad day. I had a really bad day. It’s so bad I forgot about the last bad day which was . . . in April I think? At work, I made a ton of errors some of the brokers were getting into my case. I’m sure there was no full moon @__@ Friday evening was productive. I got my Syaoran cosplay ready to go and did some small errands.

On Saturday October 21, I went to Yaoicon for the first time. I went with Jessica and met up with some of my friends including Karisma, DLZ, Jerry, Ryu, Craig, and Ruby. It was fun hanging out with my friends. And I met new people, too XD One highlight was I played the Bleach game for ten minutes on the PlayStation 2. The game gives me another reason to get the PS2 :D Some of us stayed to watch the main events. We watched the masquerade and the bishi auction. The bishi auction was where attendees bid on men to hang out with during the con. The winning attendee spent a couple of hours with their man ;-) One guy went for $1,500. Overall, compared to last year from what people told me, 2006 Yaoicon was tamed. Oh, and Jessica and I left Yaoicon at 12:30 A.M. Sunday (-,-)

On Sunday October 22, I was really tired from Saturday. Sunday was divided into two activities. The first activity was catch up and doing the little errands. Then I took a nap. The second activity family visited and we celebrated my grandfather’s birthday.

Quad 3 Of 4: My Favorite Shape

Here’s a triple shot plus one I call a Quad. Yay! It’s been very busy in October. And, yeah, it’s a fast month. Fastest ever? Maybe? I don’t want to jinx October. Heh, heh, heh. Here is Quad 3 of 4.

If anyone asked my favorite shape before today, my answer is I don’t know. Today, I found my favorite shape. My favorite shape is the circle. In my life, I know lots of knowledge in bits and pieces, lots of little things such that all of the tiny knowledge in many areas overlap. I can draw circles on what I do, what I know, who I know, where I visit, when I do activities, how I complete assignments, why I do them, etc. My who, what, where, why, how, and even the do, have, can, should, and must in my life I can draw brainstorming circles and all of those overlaps and connects.

The who in my life is my circle of friends and networking. The what in my life is the books I learned--the content in books reinforcing what I learned and some of the books I read contain the same information. The where in my life is the places around my hometown such as Santa Cruz and Palo Alto are just 30 minutes away both containing fun places to hang out. The why in my life is one of my attitudes of always asking questions because a wise person has more questions than answers. And the how in my life is innovate infinitely . . . how I do it and find a better way to do it the next time.

My anything, anytime, and anywhere are going to come full circle good or bad. I make sure I create good circles and I innovate the circles.

Quad 2 Of 4: Action Movies Are My Favorite

Here’s a triple shot plus one I call a Quad. Yay! It’s been very busy in October. And, yeah, it’s a fast month. Fastest ever? Maybe? I don’t want to jinx October. Heh, heh, heh. Here is Quad 2 of 4.

Out of the four general movie categories Action, Comedy, Drama, and Family, Action is my favorite. Why? The people say they are going to do something and they do it. And if they fail, they don’t give up. They find another way or think of a new way to complete their task.

For me, action speaks louder than words. Action triumphs over lip service. If a person is all talk and no proof, no demonstration, no completion, then the person is on my garbage list. In my company, there are lots of lip service and talk about making the company a better place to work; in particular, the management and executives. They really do a good job talking. They really do a bad job creating action to support, to validate, to be creditable on their words.

When I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. When I say I’m going to do something which must be done at a later time, I’m honest to ask the person or persons to wait. When I say I can’t do it because I can’t do it for legitimate reasons, I’m honest and tell them the truth.

The old, common quote “Action Speaks Louder Than Words” is true in today’s world. Anyone who follows the belief creates creditability.

Oh, as for the action movie sequences’ logic, it’s another subject ^__^

Quad 4 Of 4: Every Human Has The Right To Be Happy

Here’s a triple shot plus one I call a Quad. Yay! It’s been very busy in October. And, yeah, it’s a fast month. Fastest ever? Maybe? I don’t want to jinx October. Heh, heh, heh. Here is Quad 4 of 4.

In the movie Office Space, when Peter apologized to JoAnn for being an asshole, JoAnn tells Peter that most people don’t like their jobs and they do other stuff to make themselves happy. I tell myself why it took me so long to figure the scene out and how to apply to my life. And here I am after I watch the movie so many times. (Oh, BTW, Office Space is one of my all time favorite movies.)

Anime Expo 2006 (AX’06) convention was the happiest moment I experienced since the Washington Canada trip. (With all respect, Steve, the Washington Canada was also a happy moment I cherish forever because it was my first time I really traveled and I had a ton of fun.) If I have the ability to be happy outside work, and AX’06 proved to me I can be happy, then I must find ways to be happy.

Every year on my birthday August 3, I evaluate my goals. A new goal starting August 3 is to find ways to make me happy. New happiness can be anything including hanging out with my friends more often, make new friends, meet new people, get a new job, learn a new hobby, read more books, travel, visit a new place, anything happiness goes.

After you read the Blog, go find happiness. Good luck and smile happily! *:)

I Never Fully And Truly Understand Someone Else’s Feelings

“I understand how you’re feeling.” “I understand what he or she is going through.”

How many times do people say “I understand” when someone is expressing their feelings? Probably many times. Honestly, if people take a second thought, we never fully and truly understand someone else’s feelings.

Everyone experiences events, activities, trauma, happiness, success, and failures differently. Some are strong and some are weak. Some recover faster and some recover slower. Some need help and some handle on their own. Everyone handles the good life and bad life differently.

When people tell me about a divorce, crime, money problems, drugs, war, anything that affects their lives, I understand their feelings, experiences, and pain somewhat. I must experience what they experience to better understand, and even if I have similar experiences, I know I never fully and truly understand. I respond positively such as “Man, you’re lucky” or “Hope for a speedy recovery” or “Everything is going to be O.K.” I never say “I understand what you’re feeling” because I never fully and truly understand his or her feelings.

The next time someone is sharing something personal, try to say a positive statement instead of saying “I understand . . . .” I can watch movies, watch the news, read the newspaper, read books on any personal event or instance to better understand a personal story; however, I never fully and truly understand someone else’s feelings.

No Resume Sig, Smile Investment, and Visiting Lisa

I removed the resume signature on my latest Blog entries. I admit I made a mistake. The sig was stupid :-P

On Wednesday October 4, 2006 I went to an orthodontist recommended by a co-worker for the first visit. It seems I’m going to be wearing braces and the total cost is high. I chuckled when the orthodontist said it’s an investment for your smile and facial appearance. The ortho needs tests and X-rays to give me options. I like to give credit to my family dentist who suggested Invisalign. Although I’m going to an ortho, without the family dentist suggestion, I could not go forward getting my teeth strengthen. I still visit my family dentist for my bi-yearly checkups.

After the ortho, I went to Cisco to visit a friend. We went to lunch at the cafeteria. Lisa treated me to lunch which I thank you. The next lunch I’m treating ^_^ We shared stories including our workplaces, living in Silicon Valley, and our families. Thank you for the invite. It was a change of scenery from eating lunch at my depressing workplace T__T

The next Blog entry is another Innovating Common Knowledge. I plan to create it Friday night or Saturday.

10 Years Ago and Sunday Lunch

Today, my uncle and aunt invited my parents and I to lunch. As expected, my weekend plans of the weekend being me must be modified. Isn't life all compensating? *Hee, hee* I type the Blog outside the restaurant on my laptop. The restaurant is busy for lunch which surprised me because the last few times I came for lunch the restaurant wasn't busy.

The reason I brought my laptop is to try my USB wireless adapter. The first adapter malfunctioned and I got a replacement. So far, so good. I got two secured wireless signals. If I could connect, I upload the Blog immediately before we eat lunch XD

On to the topic ~~ 10 years ago I was at San Jose State University Fall Semester 1996. The semester began my second semester as a full time Economic major. I used to be a Mathematics major. Fall Semester 1996 was my all-time favorite and successful semester. The semester was great and perfect, and it's number three on my Top 30 Most Memorable Moments. The semester included working two days a week a Blockbuster Video, going to school Tuesdays and Thursdays, mastering the shooting video game Area 51, and a 3.64 semester grade point average.

Our table is ready. I'm going to eat light which I always do in a Chinese restaurant X__X

Note: To view my Top 30 Most Memorable Moments, visit http://www.innovateinfinitely.com/topten.html and click the Top 30 Most Memorable Moments link.

Note2: I hope the Seahawks can win games without MVP Shaun Alexander :)

September . . . Faster Than Light Speed

In one of August’s Blogs, I mentioned August was the fastest month in my life. September beats August big time. September was a busy month for me. Activities included a Labor Day gathering, Japan Town Anime Faire in San Francisco, another gathering at a mall, going back to the gym and getting back into my gym schedule, updating my webpage, cleaning up the house, creating Blogs, updating my resume and cover letter, and trying to find myself. I know I did lots more. I just can’t remember them all.

In the last two weeks, there has been police activity around my neighborhood. What’s going on? San Jose Police has a helicopter. The helicopter flew around my neighborhood with spotlight on three times in the last two weeks. When I heard the helicopter, I pause and look out the window. The latest happened two hours ago. The helicopter flew around for 15 minutes. A long time ago, the helicopter flew on top of my house with the spotlight shining the backyard. I felt both scary and curious. Bad combination @__@

I wonder how October is going to be? Faster than September or slower than March? (March has been the slowest month in my life.) The planned activities include visiting an Orthodontist for a second opinion whether I need braces, last 2006 anime convention in Millbrae, finish my resume and cover letter to post on craigslist, search for jobs on cragislist, sell my DVDs on half.com, sell a few items on eBay, update my webpage, create more Blogs, and keep my senses sharp to find my lost ways.

Today and tomorrow, it’s all going to be me. I’m going to update my webpage especially starting on the Anime Expo (AX) 2006 cosplay pics, catch up on email, update my resume and cover letter, pay credit card bills, grocery shopping, and have fun.

Find The Misinformation and Misunderstandings First

Yesterday and today, there was a problem which went out of control with management, directors, and corporate staff telling each other different stuff. I was at the center of the problem. (Trust me on the out of control. There is much more which is irrelevant to the Blog and no need to mention.)

What happened? I misunderstood information regarding a paid online subscription service for the agents. I thought all brokers have premium subscriptions paid by the company. I attempted to sign up an agent to be added to the service. It turned out the brokers have to pay for the premium subscription. The office manager emailed me I need to tell the agent when I subscribe someone to a paid service, I must inform the agent. No duh!!! If he had to pay, obviously I tell the agent. In the end, the agent refused subscription and I apologized to the agent and told him the truth I misunderstood the online service. And I never replied back to my office manager for which I have no idea who the office manger is.

The event reminded me of the movie Office Space when Peter Gibbons forgot to put new cover sheets for the T.P.S. reports. The vice president, manager, person on the telephone, and his co-workers told him he made a mistake for which Gibbons simply forgot to put the new cover sheet.

O.K. Rant time is over. On to the Innovating Common Knowledge blog ^_^

When you or someone is in an argument, disagreement, conflict, conversation turning nasty, raises voices, verbal personal attacks, giving each other the silent treatment, etc., before heading to the “I refuse to talk to him or her” attitude, find the misinformation and misunderstanding first. I believe 95% of all conflicts turning into something worst are avoidable by asking the other person or party if they understand accurately and have the correct information. Perhaps, the person wrote the wrong address by accident, missed the meeting and didn’t know the latest assignment, person gave the information had wrong information too, flight was delayed, weak cell phone signal, person who read the information misunderstood it, etc. Nobody understands everything read 100% of the time.

Its true people can use these as excuses. However, if the person is truthful, credible, and sincere, then, yes, the person wants to correct the misunderstanding and find the accurate information.

When any potential conflict is coming, activate your attitude and behavior to seek mode. Find any misunderstandings and find any misinformation from the other person or party. Ask questions. Initiate the questions and correct the misunderstandings and misinformation. As a result, you are going to be a smart person 0:-)

$10.00 Or Less To Protect Sight And Sound

A long time ago, my Dad asked me to start mowing the lawn. I said, "No problem." Honestly, I hated mowing the lawn. My choices in life lack the gardening spirit. And the lawn mower is older than me -__-

Two years later, my Mom told me about a news article on people losing their hearing mowing their lawn because the lawn mower is loud. I thought twice about those people. These people mowed the lawn likely once a week during the spring and summer seasons which is a few days out of the year. No worries. The X factor is how big the lawn is. My family's lawn is small such that it takes 5 minutes to mow the lawn. I thought my hearing is safe.

Then again, ear plugs cost less than $5.00. I purchased ear plugs. When I used the ear plugs to mow the lawn, I used them everytime. The earplugs make a difference.

Also, I remember a news event a woman was mowing the lawn and accidentally mowed over a metal object. One of the pieces escaped the lawn mower and hit her front body. What saved her? Her bra `O__O' The metal piece hit a wire on the bra protecting her from injury.

I also purchased a pair of eye goggles to protect my eyes at the same time I purchased the earplugs. The goggles cost around $5.00. I keep my eyes safe in case I mowed over any objects on the lawn 8-)

For less than $10.00, I have earplugs to protect my ears and I have goggles to protect my eyes. $10.00 is chump change compared to the massive loss losing either sight or sound. I image my life without either sight or sound--my life sucks big time. It costs me $10.00 to at least reduce the chances of hearing damage or sight loss.

The next time you go shopping, go to the hardware store and purchase ear plugs and safety goggles.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

I spent Sunday afternoon updating my webpage, catching up on email, and watching a couple of quarters of football. The Seahawks are the real deal ^.^

When I updated my webpage, I listened to U2’s The Joshua Tree on cassette. My Uncle gave me the cassette when I graduated junior high. In my freshmen year at high school, I woke up and did exercises in my room and listened to The Joshua Tree.

When the song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” played, it reminded me of a recent Blog and my current life situation. What is my current situation? I’m lost. I don’t know what do to with my life. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. I thought I knew what I was doing after I graduated college. I was wrong. I thought I found what I was looking for since 2003. I’m wrong today.

I don’t know what’s going on with my life. I really don’t. I live life everyday the best I can. I hope sooner or later I find what I’m missing. I admit what I’m saying is weak and vague. Exactly, I have no clue what to do.

For the rest of 2006, I’m doing the following:

1. Use my blog to both update my current situation and write more Innovating Common Knowledge entries.
2. Exercise at least two days a week. Last week I exercised once. This week, I’m exercising three days.
3. Search for a job. Three people resigned from the company which motivated me to find another job. I have been updating and revising my resume and cover letter. And I’m breaking some of the rules and procedures I learned in the past.
4. Postpone investing in stocks and following the stock market. I think a three month break helps me get a better perspective and a clearer mind when I start over and relearn stocks.
5. Visit Santa Cruz. I plan to visit Santa Cruz in December . . . bonus if I visit more than once ^__^
6. Finish reading Anthony Robbins’ Unlimited Power.
7. Meet new people.
8. Research how to create video blogs. It’s probably easier than I think `__*
9. Eat less at restaurants and fast food places. The money spent adds up fast $-(
10. Have fun and keep my senses focused.

Are You Moving? Pack The Digital Camera Last

Purchased a new home? Moving out of your parents house—finally! Going to live in a college dorm? Renting a room? Congrats on your next step to open doors in the adventures of your life.

One item must be packed last. What is it? It’s your digital camera. Pictures speak a 1,000 words. Before digital cameras, people write down the items on a box, number the box and write the items on a master list, or write “kitchen” or “bathroom” or “living room.”

Thanks to digital cameras, use the digital camera to take pictures of the items inside the moving boxes. First, pack items, next remove the items, then take a picture of the items, put the items back in the moving box without sealing, and finally number the moving box matching the file number on the digital camera on paper. Repeat the process for all moving boxes.

After packing, print the pictures on a color printer. If you don’t have a color printer, there are places to print 8 1/2 by 11 inch color prints such as Kinkos. If you wrote the file number on the box, then match the file number on the color print with the file number on the moving box. Otherwise, look at the contents and compare the color prints. Match the color prints with the items in the box, tape the color print to the corresponding box either on top or one of the sides, and seal the box. Repeat the process for all moving boxes.

I’m aware you have to take the items out of the box immediately after finish packing the box to take a picture. When someone has to find an item and/or needs to know where the box goes at the new residence, the person looks at the pictures. It’s worth the extra time to repack after taking a digital pic. You don’t want to open the wrong box and then have to repack because one has to look for something during the move =__=

Why Finding Nemo Is The Best Disney Movie

Disney and Pixar released Finding Nemo in 2003. I watched the movie for the first time on DVD. When I watched the movie after work, I was really tired and I almost fell asleep (-,-) Watching the number one movie in 2003 dozing off was a bad idea.

Fortunately, towards the end of the movie, the exciting part began. My eyes went wide open. I woke up big time. The pelican and seagull chase, the whale scene, and the dentist going berserk . . . awesome. All mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandmother, grandmother, friends, couples, dates, and neighbors must watch the movie. The movie is appropriate for all ages and everyone who watches to movie there are parts of the movie anyone can relate to.

To answer the question, Finding Nemo is the best Disney movie because life is an adventure. How can something happen if nothing happens? The overprotective father Marlin always kept his son Nemo close to him and prohibited Nemo from exploring and wondering. Dory said it best after Marlin promised Nemo he never let anything happen to Nemo, "You can't never let anything happen to him then nothing would ever happen to him."

Life is not meant to stay at home to avoid the bad news seen on the 11 o'clock news, CNN, MSN, and FOX. Life is not to live in fear seen watching Dateline. Everyday something bad happens. And everyday something good happens. Everyone must go outside and do something. Humans are not meant to stay at home and watch others have a good time on TV. If you don't do something, how can anything good happen to you =)

For the overprotective parents out there, your kids have gotta go out and explore to find who they are. Please don't be a Marlin type parent. Hey, look what happen to Nemo. Nemo wanted to explore and got in trouble. As a parent, watch them, guide them, encourage them, and ask questions and help them find answers. If you don't know, admit it and help your kids find the answers. The more frustrated a kid gets doing nothing, the more likely the kid gets in trouble.

After you read the Blog, go find an adventure XD

Questioning ININ

In December 2004, my friend Steve from Washington and I vacationed in Las Vegas for three days. During the vacation, I lost my Vuarnet sunglasses I had since 1997. Later in the evening, I went to Caesar’s Place shopping mall to purchase a new pair. When I asked the worker I wanted a new pair, the worker asked my last pair. I said, “Vuarnet.” The worker responded he never heard of the company. Embarrassed, me? Somewhat. The cheapest sunglasses were $120.00. Still expensive $-\

I purchased the new pair of sunglasses. The new pair was polarized and the design of the model is sporty and cool looking. LOL! I never knew how polarized sunglasses made driving easier.

In all honestly, if I still have my 1997 pair, I never purchased a new pair. Why? The reason was because my 1997 pair still worked. On the other hand, my new pair worked much better and looked much better than my 1997 pair.

In July 2006, my Casio G-Shock watch went haywire. The watch no longer worked. I’m not sure if the battery needed to be replaced or what. The display was all lit up. I always need to wear a watch to keep track of time. Sure, I have my cell phone. A watch makes it easier for me to keep track of time, remind myself the date, and the stopwatch features are useful.

I purchased another G-Shock watch on eBay at least $40.00 cheaper than a watch store. The new watch has better lighting when I need to see the watch in the dark and the countdown feature includes the 10th of a second when the countdown is under one minute.

In all honestly, if I still have my 1996 watch, I never purchased a new watch. Why? The reason was because my 1996 watch still worked. On the other hand, my new watch included new features and looked much better than my 1996 watch.

I mentioned the sunglasses and watch because if the unfortunate incidents never happened, I still use my 1997 sunglasses and 1996 watch. I never needed to upgrade, improve, or innovate my sunglasses and watch. My philosophy in life is Never Stop Innovating Life—Innovate Infinitely. My new sunglasses and new watch were improved, I mean, innovated. Yet, on the other hand, my old sunglasses and old watch worked. I could have used the money for something else.

Interesting dilemma. I could apply the same situation for a new car, remodel my house, and buy new clothes. Are there some aspects in life which innovation is not needed? If something still works, then no need to repair it, change it, upgrade it, or innovate it. On the other hand, if the something is repaired, changed, upgraded, or innovated, does the new something make life easier?

Everyone has different choices and different priorities when it comes to innovating. We all think differently and live differently. There is no correct way to innovate. A person may choose to buy a new pair of sunglasses every two years because of the new look. Innovation? Or a waste of money?

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

From Flux To Lost

August went by really fast. I think it’s the fastest month ever in my life. For the short week, I hope to get back to some stuff I need to do such as going to the gym, reading Unlimited Power, updating my webpage, and writing more Blogs.

Hey, what happened to stocks? Honestly speaking, I don’t know what to make of the market and the economy. At the corner gas station, gas is at $2.90. I remember gas over $3.50 last year. And we are still at war with Iraq? It’s just for me, I’m wasting my time and my energy trying to figure out what’s going on in the stock market . . .

. . . and my life now. I don’t know what to do and what I want to do. For the rest of the year, I’m going to postpone watching the stock market and replace the time to find a new job. I’m going to try Craigslist to find a new job. The major job sites Hotjobs, Careerbuilder, and Monster have never helped. Also, I’m going to finish Anthony Robbins Unlimited Power which is the last book for the 2006 year. Maybe I might start reading another book in December.

The happenings for the rest of the year include an anime convention in September, an anime convention in October, and Las Vegas in December. Also my brother’s wife is expecting in September. My parents says it’s going to be a C-Section. I plan to visit Santa Cruz again in December. I want to walk around and check out the shops. And I told my Dad I’m interested in purchasing a used car. My sister is moving out and my home has room for another car. It’s time to upgrade.

When a person is lost, one is supposed to open a map. In my present situation, I’m going to find a new map to find my way back.

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

It’s The Same Typical Year

I want to tell the reader I thought of the Blog entry on my way to work today ^__^

January 1. The beginning of the new year . . . and the beginning of the usual, typical year. How typical? Some examples from my life:

*January: Super Bowl
*February: President’s Day for which the next major holiday is Memorial Day and taxes
*March: March Madness
*April: Spring Vacation
*May: Fanime Con
*June: Wimbledon
*July: Anime Expo
*October: World Series
*November: Thanksgiving
*December: Christmas Shopping

And then there’s visiting the dentist two times a year, visiting San Francisco Japantown at least two times, attending the smaller anime conventions, visiting my eye doctor annually, taking my excess vacation time as one day offs because I don’t have money to take big vacations, and even purchasing stamps at the post office four times a year.

Monthly, I update my web page, complete my monthly responsibilities at work, and pay bills. Weekly, I take out the trash, go to the gym two days a week, and gas up my Dad’s truck. And daily (oh man, I want to avoid daily), get up in the morning, go to work, spend 9 hour wasting my life at work, go home, cook, clean dishes, read, and go to sleep; furthermore, if I don’t read, I either update my webpage, check email because I didn’t check at work, write a Blog, or go to sleep super early because I was so damn tired from work :-
I believe leaving life alone or letting life take control one is going to have a typical life. The person is going to have a typical and boring life, and the person likely is going to die from boredom. I refuse to accept a typical life. I refuse to live life what I described above for the rest of my life.

Typical lives can be altered from uncontrollable events or moments such as the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area. When uncontrollable events or moments change people’s lives forever, they must be aware their altered lives can become a new typical life. When an old typical becomes a new typical, one must find ways to break out of the pattern. Never live a typical life. Add variety because variety is the spice of life.

Did I do anything unusual in 2006? Yes and no. The no is because the unusual activities I did has not lead to new activities in my life short term or long term. As for yes, here are some,

*Attended the Cherry Blossom Festival and WorldCon for the first time. I plan to attend Yaoi Con in October.
*Visited Santa Cruz on a day off.
*Participated in the Fanamafia gatherings and events and I met lots of new people and I made new friends.
*Got sick three times and one was serious I stayed home for four days.
*Visited San Francisco five times and a sixth is planned in September. I never visited San Francisco three times or more a year.
*Plan to visit Las Vegas and Christmas shop at Santa Cruz in December.

Talk about unusual, today was unusual. Work was stressful . . . really stressful . . . really, really stressful. I ate lunch at 3:10 P.M. When I make a right turn at a major intersection, I had to wait for the oncoming traffic for which I usually don’t wait. And went I left the parking lot which was full from an event tonight, the parking attendant gave a driver a break to take my spot.

Off the record, 2005 was the year of the new, 2006 is the year of the firsts, and I looking forward to 2007 as the year of the big break because one of these unusuals is going to give me the big break. The reason I say off the record is because I don’t want to jinx 2007 XD

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

One Lesson Of Life Cosplaying

I started cosplaying in 2004 as Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. My second cosplay was Syaoran from Tsubasa Chronicle. I regretted I never cosplayed ever since I heard of the word cosplay. Cosplaying is fun, fun, fun <3

The third cosplay is Toshirou Hitsugawa from Bleach. I choose to cosplay him after Fanime Con 2006. I wanted to cosplay him at Anime Expo 2006; unfortunately, my Mom didn't have enough fabric. The cosplay was delayed and I plan to cosplay him at Japantown Anime Faire 2006 . . . where I debut my Edward and Syaoran cosplays *chuckles*

The lesson of life I learned cosplaying is to never rush. Making a cosplay takes time. There is research, purchasing the materials including fabric, and labor. When I created my Edward Elric, I purchased art books to get pictures, researched for tips and suggestions on how to make the red jacket and black vest on the Internet, researched boots styles on the Internet, researched how to find a leathermaster to make the belt pad, asked co-workers where I get a custom made clasp, shopped around for a wig, and shopped on eBay for the white gloves. Lots of work to make the cosplay? Absolutely.

The same applies to my Syaoran and Hitsugawa cosplays. Never rush success. Never rush a goal. Goals and accomplishments take time. The Edward Elric cosplay took lots of free time after work and on weekends which debut at Japantown Anime Faire 2004. I have been receiving positive feedback XD

Complete a goal slowly and keep the goal in focus. It’s a matter of time when the goal is accomplished :]

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

I Wonder

Tonight, I came home after another usual and boring day at work. I wonder when my big break in life is coming. I have been waiting 7 years for the big break, the big move, the big moment to take my life to new adventures, new innovations, new events, and meeting new people.

The last big break came in 1999 when I was hired to work at Colliers International, my present job. My first job was at Grubb & Ellis. Both Colliers and Grubb & Ellis are competitors in the commercial real estate industry. If I remained at Grubb & Ellis, I quit one month later. I don’t know how the company survives. I met one person who worked at Grubb & Ellis as an administrative assistant. Today, she makes more money as a full time worker in retail. Shocking :-O

Since late 2004, I have done everything outside work to innovate myself and to be a better person. I read books, I traveled (thanks again Steve for the Washington Canada trip), I met new people, I cosplayed, I took a night class . . . do I say give up and say this is as good as it gets or do I keep going because the big break is going to come? *Sighs*

The obvious answer is to keep going. Today, though, is the day I wonder and I question if my hard work outside work is going to pay off in the long run. I have a stack of stuff to do and their reasons and goals why I do the activities in the stack of stuff; unfortunately, the rate of the stack of stuff is growing bigger compared to growing smaller—it’s a one step forward, five steps back -__- At least I’m busy and wanted and important which is a positive. Yay!

Tomorrow is another day. Maybe the big break comes tomorrow, next week, next month and better not be in my next life. I’m not going to stop and accept my career and my lifestyle. Not me.

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

Dell Followed Rule Number 12

On Tuesday August 15, Dell Computer announced a recall for 4.1 million laptop batteries. The lithium-ion batteries can overhead and cause a fire. People with Dell laptops should visit Dell’s website http://www.dell.com and click the Battery Replacement link to check if the battery is on the recall list.

Dell followed rule number 12 in Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People. Rule number 12 is Admit Your Mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Yes, even me. People can avoid the “not getting along” relationships when people admit your mistakes. Even if both people blame each other for the fault, perhaps both people are a fault and need to admit their mistakes to each other.

One can say Dell must had issued the recall months ago after laptop fire incidents were released on the Internet. I personally don’t know the reason for the delay. If Dell did know about the laptop batteries prone to fire, then, yes, Dell must had to issue the recall.

If you did a mistake, then admit it. And then correct it, repay it, owe a favor, or replace it depending on the circumstances.

Disclaimer: I own a Dell Inspirion 8600 and the battery was not on the recall list. I don’t own shares of Dell ^__^

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

A Mixed Bag Of Everything

Man, lots happened since my late Grandmother's funeral service July 29 weekend. It's all a mixed bag with mixed results, mixed emotions, mixed outcomes, and, just about mixed everything. *Hee, hee* I'm going to share the latest happenings all mixed or in no particular order. Here is everything #__# Mood: Relaxed and Optimistic.

Note: I didn't proofread the Blog entry carefully. To use my friend Barnes' to the point one-liners: Enjoy it or complain.

Time Just Froze

My Casio G-Shock watch went haywire and froze during Pictionary with my cousins, brother, and sister the weekend of my Grandmother's service. The watch still has power. It's just frozen such that everything is being displayed; in other words, the time is 88:88:88. I going to purchase a new watch on eBay because the mall was selling my watches overpriced. I wore the watch since 1996 when I purchased at Big 5 on sale. Mood: Angry and Sad.

New Laptop Bag

On Wednesday August 9, I got my new laptop bag. The handle broke at Anime Expo 2006. I sent the laptop bag to Targus after receiving a confirmation number from email. Targus responded by sending me a brand new laptop bag. Wow! I thought Targus replaced the handle only. I'm going to try to carry necessary items. I remember purchasing the laptop bag on March 4, 2005 at Fry's Electronics, the day before Anime Overdose 2005 XD Mood: Happy and Shocked.

Pictures Are Memories

Earlier today, I finished the 2006 Mar Reunion pictures when all of family visited for my late Grandmother's service. I called in work saying there was a family emergency for which I spent the day with the family. I took at least 100 pictures and I uploaded 66 pics. Uh, oh! I hope 66 is not really 666 0:-) I need to tell my brother and Dad to pass the link to all of the family members. Mood: Success!

On the other hand, I have pics from Anime Expo 2006, Anime Overdose 2006, Kima's Reunion, and Ryu's birthday party. *Sigh* The correct choice is Ryu's birthday party because the party was fun, fun, fun, and turnout was great for the next round of pics to be uploaded. Everyone, don't feel bad about me. It's all timing and events out of control for which I have so much to do. I find time for everything. Mood: Confused and Razzed.

Ryu's Birthday Party

What a birthday party. I attended late because I attended Anime Overdose 2006. Looking at the pictures others took during the afternoon, everyone was having fun. I'm happy. When I arrived, the joy was all around the house. People were talking and people were smiling and people were hanging out. We also went to the park and played lots of kiddie games such as Freeze Tag and Hide and Seek. Everyone was being a kid *hee, hee* Thank you Ryu for inviting me. Mood: Happy and Joyful.

Anime Overdose (AOD) 2006

I attended AOD. O.K., it's really Animation Overdose. I'm going to called it Anime Overdose to the point when I feel like saying Animation Overdose. For the time being, I'm going to call it AOD to get away with saying Animation Overdose. LOL! AOD was a good convention. I purchased a stuffed Tea Club Mr. Bear, two Tsubasa Chronicles mystery figures usually sold in supermarkets where people buy the box and there is a random character figure and a candy treat, and a Rozen Maiden pencil board for Ryu's birthday gift.

I cosplayed as Syaoran from Tsubasa Chronicle (hey, the ending theme to Tsubasa Chronicle is playing on my laptop as I'm listening to random music *__*). I met Hohenheim, EvaX, Richie, Craig, Jeff, H-Chan, Alan, and a few others I forgot ^^ Sorry. I also took cosplay pics and listened to Ramen and Rice play for at least 45 minutes. Alan and I left around 5:00 P.M. where we went to Japantown San Francisco and then Ryu's birthday party. Mood: Upbeat and Friendly.

Last Night's Dinner

My Mom cooked leftovers last night. No problem. I prepared the vegetables which was easy. Unfortunately, when the meal was fixed, my Mom didn't finish cooking. She cooked the food in a quick and lazy way. *Sniff, sniff* I'm one who likes to cook with heart and the best I can do. I admit I'm not a chef. I'm eager to learn better ways to cook. Having a half-ass dinner ruins an evening . . . at least to me. In defense, my Mom admits she's tired of cooking. I hope I never get tired of cooking. Mood: Depressed.

A Quick Filling

Monday August 7 I went to the dentist to get a filling at 9:30 A.M. The filling was quick. The dentist was trying to sell me InvisAlign, a product to help strengthen my teeth. I think my dentist revenues are low and he is selling products. The dentist tried to sell products to Mom which she really didn't need. I admit my teeth needs to be strengthen and if my insurance covers my ortho, I strongly consider using InvisAlign. Mood: Half Awake and Half Tired.

Alphabetically Ascending A-Z

Next week, 98.5 KUFX or KFOX is going to play their entire Classic Rock library from A to Z. I'm going to listen at work next week. Mood: Happy.

Broken Dryer

The family dryer is broken. My Dad is trying to replace the motor. So far, it looks like my Dad needs to hire a repair man. If I was half as good as a handyman as my Dad, I could make a second income as a handyman after work $-) In the meantime, my Dad and Mom go to my late Grandmother's house and use her dryer. My late Grandmother lives in walking distance from my house. Mood: Frustrated.

Green Tea

After at least a month without drinking green tea, I'm drinking green tea. I drink green tea after dinner. It's refreshing. I buy the lose leaves at a tea shop in Japantown San Francisco. One bag is $17.00, and it's their cheapest. The $4.00 green tea in the supermarkets is terrible. Mood: Relaxed.

Work Today

Today's work was all bad timing. I had to rush inputting a bunch of closed deals because a broker needed a report with the closed deals for a breakfast the next day. In the afternoon, a bunch of requests came in all at once which I hate. I managed to finish the requests and I was really tired. I really didn't eat lunch because last night's dinner was terrible and I hate to eat bad food for lunch because it ruins the work day. Then again, how worse can my workday be because my company stinks. Mood: Depressed and Feeling Despair.

Feeling Sick

I ate three pieces of bread and a candy bar for lunch. Bad choice. I feel sick and tired. I now have a sore throat and I hope I recover quickly. I canceled my gym schedule today and tomorrow. I haven't been to the gym in two weeks. In middle July, I went to the gym which was only a light workout. I feel out of shape. I hope timing goes in my favor soon because skipping gym is like skipping drinking water. Mood: Disappointed.

Keeping It Cool

Yesterday, temperatures reached the middle 90s. I hate hot weather. Fortunately, yesterday was the only day of the week temperatures are over 90s according to weather forecasters. Thank goodness. Being sick and 90 degrees weather are a bad combination. Mood: Concerned.

Double Day Off

For the few of you (thank you for visiting my Blog often) who knows my co-worker is a dumb-ass, I'm confessing I can't handle him. I thought I can handle him with his bad tobacco smell and his smoke breaks every 15 to 30 minutes. The guy is a pure idiot and jerk. Fortunately, when he takes a day off, I get a day off. Although, I have to take the day off at work and I get extra workload which I don't mind going to work and I can handle the extra workload because when it takes my co-worker an hour to complete an assignment, I can complete it in 15 minutes and complete much better. Mood: Cheerful.

A Yummy Dinner

Today after work I went to Safeway supermarket and purchase chicken and steak for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's dinner. I created action for redemption for a better and delicious dinner. I can't believe I paid $15.00. I know it's cheaper and healthier compared to eating out. With $15.00, I can purchase 5 times more chicken or 2 times more steak at Costco. Moreover, the cost of living in my area is really going up. Is it inflation? You bet, man. Mood: Scared.

Still 5.25%

The Federal Reserve kept Federal Fund Interest Rate at 5.25%. I think the Federal Reserve failed to keep Inflation in check. And I think the Federal Reserve put little effort to keep the economy from Inflation. Inflation is coming and then a recession. Be prepared. It's the time to wait and then make the move. It's the situation where good things come to those who wait. Mood: Opportunistic.

Shopping on eBay

Finally, after the Blog, I'm going to purchase a new watch and another battery for my laptop. Mood: Practical and Happy.

Who is to blame or to be faulted for a mixed bag of events the last two weeks? Nobody. I blame nobody for the last two weeks of completing something and more stuff comes to me. I'm going with the flow. Everything that has happened I feel happy, sad, joyful, depressed, despair, confused, cheerful, friendly, lost, hopeful, disappointed, and innovative. I feel mixed emotions. It's like I'm being thrown curve balls; unfortunately, I'm in a slump hitting them for base hits and home runs.

Life is a mixed bag of good and bad. The successful people are the ones who endures the mixed bag with strength, integrity, knowledge, and innovating. Currently, I'm practicing and practicing to be one of those successful people. Mood: Focused and Lost and Innovating.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

92 Years Old and 9 Years Later

On July 25, 2006, my Grandmother passed away at the age of 92 years old. My Grandfather passed away in Summer 1997 from Alzimers (sp) disease. Both of them were married in China, moved to Santa Barbara, California in the 1940s and opened a restaurant. In 1982, my grandparents moved to San Jose.

Living in the 90s is still hard even with today’s modern medicine and health awareness. I’m proud my Grandmother lived through her 90s. She made the 90 Age Club =) My Grandmother taught me three lessons:

*Always eat fresh food. Rarely eat processed food and cook enough to prevent leftovers.
*Save money for emergencies.
*Cherish personal treasures and dump the junk. My grandparent’s house never had junk in their house.

It’s unfortunate my grandparents died nine years apart. As I type the Blog, I think how nine years went by fast; moreover, think of the future five years later or even nine years later—time goes by really fast, and who knows what’s going to happen to me?!?!?!? What happened the last nine years? Some off the top of my head includes:

*Graduating from San Jose State Fall 1997
*My first job at Grubb & Ellis July 1998
*Started to work out in the gym
*Buying stocks and dot com companies in 1999
*Tech bubble crash March 2000
*Classes at Professional Center San Jose State University for which most were a waste :<
*Trying to learn technology; unfortunately, little success
*Trips to Reno, San Diego, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Seattle, British Columbia, Salem in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005
*9/11 attacks
*Reading Rich Dad Poor Dad in 2002 and became more aware of my personal finances and career choices
*Iraq invasion in 2003
*Attending many anime conventions and cosplaying
*Learning how to cook

And there were lots more in the last nine years. Wow! Unbelievable! I wish I could have done more. You know what. I want to do more now and more later. It’s time to experience new experiences. It’s time to do them now because time is ticking away fast :D

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

AX Addendum

The added 2006 Anime Expo (AX) events, recognitions, and notes are completed. Here is the list of the AX’06 addendum:

*At the pre-registration line, the person with the Mexican Bingo set gave me a CD of her favorite MP3s.
*At the FMA mini gathering, I did a few FMA action shots. One shot was a few Sloth, Wrath, and Lust cosplayers stole my watch and I was being held by two Gluttonies. Another shot was one Gulttony ate my watch and I tried to pull the watch away from him. When all FMA cosplayers gathered for the group shot, we sang 99 Bottles of Beer on the wall to time how long we stayed for the group pose. We counted from 99 to 91 which was a long time.
* Priscilla and I went hung outside my hotel room and we saw one of the Gluttonies who also stayed at my hotel.
*I want to thank the photographers who took my cosplay pics. And it was a pleasure posing with a few congers who wanted a pic with me.
*The weather was too damn hot for cosplayers especially with three layers of clothing @__@
*The weekend before AX, I went to Office Depot and purchased a small clipboard to write down the names of the cosplayers I took. Never happened. On July 5, I exchanged the small clipboard for six notebooks.
*There was a particular cosplayer for which I took a picture of her three times because she wore three different cosplays. She brought five cosplays. I should have made it fun by being aggressive such that if I take all five of her cosplays, I ask her out on a date :X

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

Take It Easy

The last of the AX feeling is leaving me. I’m taking it easy as July winds down and getting into the grove of my normal routine outside work and with family and friends. Yesterday, I went to the gym and took it slow and steady. I keep the schedule for the next three gym visits. I go to the gym on Thursday and Friday nights.

I wake up early in the mornings to read and during the evenings after dinner, I do computer work including working on my webpage, update my ININ Blog, and learn Crystal Reports. I started the early morning and after dinner routine in June. First, though, I did computer work in the morning and read after dinner which didn’t work. I switched to read in the morning and computer in the evening and it works successfully.

The Innovating Common Knowledge Blogs are coming back, too XD I’m aware the last Blogs were all Anime Expo 2006. That’s O.K. My Blogs are open ended and anything goes. And there are a few who reads my Blogs and I’m sure they enjoy my Innovating Common Knowledge Blog entries. Thanks to the few ^__^ who reads my Blogs.

Let’s see what else I’m taking it easy to get stuff done and doing my outside activities. I mentioned gym, morning reading, evening computer, . . . hmmm. Stocks research. I must get back to stock research. Pretty soon when the stock market crash and real estate market crash, there are going to be bargains $-) When I eat breakfast and dinner on workdays, I read articles I print on the web and from my emails. For lunch, I bring my laptop to work and watch anime.

For the weekends, it’s anything goes. My weekends are when I finish anything I need to finish. Essentially, it’s the time I think about what I can do to spice up my boring life. *Hee, hee*

Side note: I forgot to mention a couple of stuff from my AX Blogs. I correct them ASAP and mention the additional AX activities on future Blog entries. Sorry for those I forgot to mention :-(

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

2006 Anime Expo Epilogue

AX'06 Epilogue

I experienced an emotion I never experienced in a long, long time. The happy emotion. Throughout the con, I was happy. Happy, happy, happy. Big smiles, big smiles, big smiles. I met new people, I hang around with my friends, I experienced lots of firsts, and I made any situation or event that was good much better and any situation or event that was bad good—making lemonade from lemons.

When the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, the team reversed the curse—the Curse of the Bambino. My curse, and maybe for some anime congoers, is every odd year anime cons are good and every even year anime cons are bad. 2006 is an even year and AX'06 is my all time favorite. AX'06 was so great I can't think of any future cons to beat AX'06.

However, another way of thinking about anime cons is how the congoer makes the most out of an anime con . . . the one moment or one event from a bad con to a good con and vice versa. If the congoer goes to an anime con just to shop at the dealer's room and watch videos, then he or she is wasting their time. Anime cons are not for people to hang out alone. The number one reason anime fans attend anime cons is to meet new people. If the congoer must cosplay to meet new people, then do it. The number one reason cosplayers cosplay is to meet new people. If the congoer must attend a panel, a dance, start a gathering, and/or attend a gathering to meet people, do it. These moments or events make or break a congoer's anime con experience. Say out of every ten people you meet, two of them kept in touch with you and hang out with you, then kudos to you. You made two new friends.

If your AX'06 turned out terrible, I'm sorry. Now is the time to think what happened at AX'06 made your con experience terrible. What can you do next year for AX'07 to be a good con? Think about the possible solutions and work on them. You have one year to make AX'06 a con to forget. On the other hand, if AX'06 turned out excellent, congrats. Think about how to make AX'07 better than AX'06 and do something.

I'm glad I went to AX'06. The CLAMP visit, CLAMP cosplay gathering, mini FMA gathering, best ever cosplays, hanging out with all my friends, meeting new people, and experiences new firsts. AX'06 is another example of living life to the fullest without regrets. Thank you for reading my AX'06 Blog.

AX'06 Notes

Here are some notes for the 2006 Anime Expo Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center July 1, 2006 to July 4, 2006 in Anaheim, California.

--The website for the Risembool Rangers and Vic Mignogna official fan club are http://www.risemboolrangers.com and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vic_fans.
--Matt, I email you soon to send me the suggested links for the digital photo tips. Thanks for your help and expertise at the Artist Alley. I really appreciate it.
--I took 1,525 pictures. 98% are cosplay pics. I took many multiple cosplays pics. My estimate number of cosplay pics for my Innovate Infinitely 2006 Anime Expo Anime Page website is between 550 and 600.
--I was two numbers ahead on the CLAMP autograph lottery. My number was 0196112 and the closest winner was 0196110.
--Anime Expo 2006 is my eighth Anime Expo con.
--Bring a deck of cards to pass time.
--Bring a sketchbook and/or notebook. Great way to collect contact information and write down anything worth noting.
--I took pictures at the Fate/Stay Night, CLAMP, Rozen Maiden, Paradise Kiss, Ah! My Goddess, Trigun, and Gothic Lolita Tea Party gatherings.
--Visit http://comics.ign.com to view my Syaoran cosplay. Click on July 4th, the fourth day of the con.
--I want to thank the photographers who took my cosplay pics. And it was a pleasure posing with a few congers who wanted a pic with me.
--The weather was too damn hot for cosplayers especially with three layers of clothing @__@
--The weekend before AX, I went to Office Depot and purchased a small clipboard to write down the names of the cosplayers I took. Never happened. On July 5, I exchanged the small clipboard for six notebooks.
--There was a particular cosplayer for which I took a picture of her three times because she wore three different cosplays. She brought five cosplays. I should have made it fun by being aggressive such that if I take all five of her cosplays, I ask her out on a date :X

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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.

2006 Anime Expo Day Four

AX'06 Day Four: The Con Both Went By Both Slow And Fast

I woke up at 8:00 A.M. Tuesday. Priscilla and Erin walked back to their hotel room. I thank them for their company and I enjoyed being with them and their friends. I showered and pack up my belongings. I left the hotel room at 9:00 A.M. cosplaying as Syaoran and taking a long shot at getting an autograph from Seiji Mizushima, director of the FMA series and movie. The reason for the long show was because the autographs started at 9:00 A.M. I arrived in line at 9:20 A.M. and the line was very long. Obviously, people lined up really, really early. At 9:35 A.M. when I reached to the third floor and outside main events room, I got word Mizushima was no longer signing autographs. Oh, well. I expected no success since I arrived late. It was worth a try.

I walked downstairs to the courtyard and took more cosplay pics. There was a Trigun cosplay gathering and took pictures of the gathering. At 11:00 A.M., Lisu, DLZ, and Ryu came to my room and we put our belongings in the trunk. Ryu borrowed my Syaoran cosplay boots for a cosplay gathering and he left quickly. At 11:40 A.M., Lisu, DLZ, and I walked back to the con. We saw two Rozen Maiden cosplays and immediately stopped them for cosplay pics. We separated at the courtyard. As I walked to the Hilton gift shop, I met HanyaanFaery again and her friend and both had another cosplays. She has a ton of cosplays, everyone. I took her picture which I'm happy to do. At 12:30 P.M., I purchased a quick lunch of a Snickers candy bar, cashews, and bottle water at the Hilton gift shop.

Hunting For Bargains

At 1:00 P.M., I went to the Dealer's room to hunt for bargains. Of course, I took more cosplay pics. I also got a Syaoran cosplay picture taken by ign.com. The last I checked, I’m on their website. I visited most of the booths and I couldn’t find anything which interested me. Around 2:20 P.M., I participated in a Full Metal Alchemist Collector Card Game demonstration. The game was easy to learn. It took time for me to memorize the rules and familiarize myself with the cards and symbols if I got into the game. The demonstration ended around 2:45 P.M. I got a free booster pack for participating. Not bad. At 2:50 P.M., I walked at the Del Rey booth and they were giving away free manga. Each person got two free manga. Wow! I got xxxHolic Volume 3 and Volume 4 worth a total of $20.00. The dealer's room closed at 3:00 P.M. I walked around the con and found Lisu, DLZ, and Megumi hanging out inside the con. At 3:30 P.M., I went to the Charity Auction which sucked. There were two or three items that generated bids in the thousands of dollars. I hope next year is better.

After the auction was over, I walked to the Marriott where everyone was hanging out. Everyone was at Lisu's room. When I arrived at Lisu's floor, I saw Ryu. Ryu said everyone was sleeping. At 5:30 P.M., we headed to the Marriott lobby to hang out. We talked about the AX in general and we both agreed the con was great. Ryu had fun volunteering for Funimation. He had to work for three hours on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. He received a free t-shirt and got a contact person. Also, he got free admission to AX'06. Later on, Lisu and Megumi arrived. Then Bart Boy came over. And then DLZ. We all talked about the con. Lisu and Megumi shared stories from the Hyde concert. They went two times. Bart Boy and I talked about the cosplay gatherings for which most of them sucked including Naruto, Bleach, and FMA. CLAMP was the best cosplay gathering because it was a good turnout and organized. I went to the Marriott Starbucks to purchase snacks. I purchased a bag of potato chips, bottle water, and a Twix candy bar. The store didn’t accept my Starbucks gift card. What gives, man? So I had to pay with my credit card. Blah!

At 6:30 P.M., Bart Boy took off. Lisu, DLZ, Megumi, Ryu, and I stuck around the lobby and talked about random stuff and kept each other laughing. Around 6:45 P.M., we went to dinner at Carl's Jr. Megumi had plans at 8:30 P.M. back at the Marriott. Plenty of time. We walked back to where the car was parked at The Anabella and drove to Carl's Jr. After we ate, we drove Megumi back to the Marriott. At 8:30 P.M., we got gas at the Chevron station on Katella Avenue. Then we started the drive back home.

Going Home

During the drive back on Interstate 5, we saw fireworks and listened to Ryu's anime music mix CDs. Traffic was light throughout the Los Angeles area. After we passed Magic Mountain, it was 90 MPH driving thereafter. At 11:30 P.M., we stopped for gas and snacks at the Chevron station in Coalinga. At the gas station, we saw a racing car which I forgot the name of the racing car and two other cars driving with the racing car. The people in the three cars were AX congoers and lived in the Bay Area. Ryu recognized one of them because he is a Fanime Con staff. Before went left, I went to the trunk and got my laptop. Lisu watched a few episodes of Fate/Stay Night on my laptop.

The two stops before my home were Watsonville where Lisu and DLZ lived and Hayward where Ryu lived. The first stop was in Watsonville. I drove on the west side of Highway 152 for the first time. The first part was driving in Gilroy. The city was quiet and pretty much deserted during the early, early morning. After driving through the city, I drove on the hills which were not bad. I didn’t a Gilroy Police car. When we arrived in Watsonville, it, too, was like Gilroy which was quiet and pretty much deserted during the early, early morning. The last time I went to Watsonville was in 1986. Lisu and DLZ’s neighborhood reminded me of Santa Barbara.

The second stop was Hayward. I drove on Highway 1 and Highway 17. Ryu went through my classical rock CDs and we listened to Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits. The last time I was on Highway 1 in the Santa Cruz County was in 1986 and the last time I was on Highway 17 was in 2001. The drive was a breeze. No cars. And I took advantage of driving on the dotted white line when making the freeway turns. Yes, I drove really safe. Safe, safe, safe.

Ryu and I stopped in Campbell to switch drivers. Ryu drove the rest of the way on Highway 17 and Interstate 880. We arrived in Hayward. I copied some files from Ryu’s hard drive. Ryu’s got all his stuff in and I drove back to San Jose both tired and happy. I have never been this happy since, gee, I don't know when. I arrived home at 4:00 A.M. Wednesday. I brought my stuff in, took a shower, brushed me teeth, and went to sleep. Oyasumi (-,-)

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