Work Tue Dec 30, 2014

Thur Dec 18: I was reminded to go with the flow. Go with the flow was a lesson I learned when I went back to school at De Anza College.

I arrived at 8:45am. App games can be addicting. I played a sniper game. I uninstalled the game before I went to bed.

I finished the Excel report adding a pie chart. I had too much free time in the morning. I created my profile in the company's intranet. I uploaded my picture. I browsed some intranet's departments.

My next report assignment was an aging report. I did an Accounts Receivable report in my Accounting 1A class at De Anza College.

Fri Dec 19: Slow week. I completed little because there was little to do. I was more stressed trying to stay busy. I realized I didn't have a welcome meet and greet with the operations department during my first week.

The good news of the day was IT created my Salesforce.com account. I'm ready for more assignments from my engineer. I'm ready to apply my Salesforce.com self learning.

Many people were talking about a party. I deducted the party was a formal black & white ball for the full time employees from people I heard throughout the day.

The following is ridiculous and purely speculative: maybe most of the workers are quiet to me is because the engineer and the risk manager have a contractor to support them. The other engineers and operations workers don't have a support person. There are two contractors in the department roster. I'm one of the two. Jealously?

Mon Dec 22: I drove ten minutes to work. Fastest commute. One red light on my left turn and one red light at the EMC building.

I fixed my engineer's interposer export file. There was an error. One of the fields failed uploading to the SAP database. My engineer assigned me to check the RMAs for missing analysis completion dates. The next assignment after checking is auditing the RMAs verifying the analysis categories match the analysis notes.

Tue Dec 23: I ate lunch with a friend who worked at Intel. The lunch extended my one hour period. I stayed longer after hours.

My only assignment with the risk manager updating vendor and components information was finalized on the Arena database. Why my changes did took over a month to update? Did I do it correctly?

My floor men's bathroom was closed for cleaning. I walked down to the fourth floor. There are more empty cubicles in the fourth floor than my fifth floor. The square footage on the fourth floor is bigger than the fifth. Most of the fourth floor was dead with no workers.

I forgot to apply NewSkin to my blister on my right hand along the side below my pinky finger before I went to work.

Wed Dec 24 and Thur Dec 25: Merry Christmas.

Fri Dec 26: The building was dead. The cafeteria was dead. It was quiet everywhere.

I arrived to work at 9am. The expressway signal lights were timed in weekend settings. I stopped at most intersections. I almost hit a squirrel.

I forgot to bring my book with me to lunch. I read my book on my floor's relaxing area.

Mon Dec 29: Another ten minute commute. All green lights. The morning was the first time I skipped breakfast at home. I was too tired to wake up at 6am. I needed additional sleep which was worth it because my mood improved as the day continued. I arrived to work at 8:15am. I ate a Pop-Tart at my cubicle. I plan to sleep early tonight.

The first hour was conversations with my engineer and another co-worker. The conversations were the longest since I started working. We talked about Christmas. My engineer told me about the TV show Heroes.

I ate lunch with a friend who worked at McAfee. One of our conversations was our own employment outlook. I shared my concern my contract is not extended after four months. She shared her concern all departments are downsizing. The lunch extended beyond one hour I stayed at work for an additional 30 minutes.

I corrected a mistake I made on checking the RMAs for the missing analysis completion dates assignment. The assignment was finished at the end of the day. I begin auditing the RMAs tomorrow.

I went to the gym for a modified workout. I have been going to the gym two to three days a week after work. There is some consistency going to the gym.

Tue Dec 30: I arrived at 8;15am driving 12 minutes. I needed more sleep after I woke up at 6am. I ate a light breakfast. The entire day was auditing RMAs. I took my time auditing while listening to calmradio.com and KNBR, and thinking about my life. I audited 350 RMAs. My brain became jelly at the 250th RMA.

I remembered to take a bag of baked BBQ potato chips from the coffee room for lunch.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Think With Your Penis

A common knowledge is men shouldn't think with their penis. Men are labeled perverts. Men think about sex before love. Men treat women as sex objects. Men can be thought of as creepy, acting like a teenager, and immature. The men's penis is doing our thinking instead of our brains.

On the contrary, thinking with your penis can be good. If you want a healthy, long lasting penis, then think with your penis literally when you make healthy choices. Here are four penis healthy choices to consider.

1. Eating and drinking. Eat healthy. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I think twice eating cookies and candies. Eat at sit down restaurants and fast foods restaurants in moderation. Drink more water. Drink less soda. Drinking wine is okay in moderation. Some couples like to drink wine before sex. Minimizing all bad foods and drinks is better.

2. Gym. We know the common benefits of physical fitness. Slow the aging process. Live longer. Stronger toleration of stress. Higher metabolism. We can add a longer sex life as another benefit. Sex is a physical act. We want strong penises. We want to last longer in bed. A man with a healthier body with less fat improves blood flow through the entire body. A stronger man can carry his love with both his muscular arms. A healthier body is sexier than an obese body.

3. Read erotica. The brain is very important in sex. One common benefit reading books is keeping our brains sharp. Hate reading? Read erotica. Erotica can help the man create more ideas for his partner such as new fantasies and dirtier conversations. Erotica can wake up the sex beast hidden inside him.

4. Oral health. Men must take care of their mouths. The mouth is very important in sex, too. Lips, tongue, teeth, and breath. Kissing, sucking, licking, and biting. No woman wants a mouth with missing teeth, chapped lips, and bad breath. Brush your teeth twice a day. Floss your teeth nightly. I recommend tongue cleaners.

5. Clean. Wear clean clothes. Be a clean person. No body odor. No bad smell. Live in a clean environment. Clean bed with clean sheets. Minimize dust. Dirty is unattractive. Think of Walter White from Breaking Bad. Walt cooks in a clean facility.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Accutane Day 2,151

I purchased a new tube of Tretinoin on Aug 25, 2014. I continue to apply the cream every Thurs night. I have been inconsistent applying the once a week cream on a Fri, Sat, or Sun night recently. It seems my face continues to improve. There is additional acne scar improvement on my right cheek. The scars are disappearing. The acne scars on my left cheek is starting to improve. The acne scar on top of my forehead is disappearing. The blackheads appear less frequent on my nose. And a combination of acne scars and blackheads on both sides of my face next to my eyes are healing and appear less frequent. The summary is my face is clearing up.

My dermatologist said my scars are not supposed to heal. Why are my scars healing? My two guesses are Tretinoin is working and my hormones are changing such that no more teenage acneface problems. A third guess is shaving. I shave three days a week using a razor. Perhaps, my shaving is removing more dead skin recently.

Speaking of shaving, I notice more facial hair appearing on the acne scars area. I anticipate more new facial hair spots throughout my face.

I have been sweating profusely after working out at the gym. My forehead becomes a rain cloud dripping drops of sweat everywhere on my face. I rarely sweat on hot days decades ago. I handled the heat very well when I was a child. Sweat appeared in my hair on top of my head only. I believe Accutane and Tretinoin open pores on my forehead.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Tell Me You Games

Here are some games to know people in a deeper sense. These games should be played with people you know well in a comfortable environment. These games assist people opening up for you and for others. Be prepared to open up.

*One Word. Everyone writes down one word describing yourself and the other people. Everyone writes down the one word for the person being described for each turn. The other people share the one word and explain why going clockwise with the person being described on the left ending with the person being described sharing his or her own answer. Continue with the next person being described going clockwise. Duplicate answers are okay. The game is best played in a table and chair setting.

Bonus: Everyone predicts what the person writes down for the person's turn. Another bonus: people with matching one words receive a small prize.

*Copy. Everyone choose someone's else moment, knowledge, physical attribute, personality, skill, award, part of the other person's DNA, etc. Agree who starts copying another person. The copied person can't choose the person copying after the copy is shared with everyone. The copied person must choose another person to copy. Avoid a loop between two people.

For example, I want to copy another person's skill of reading fast. I explain why. Then the person who I copied the reading fast chooses another person except me to copy.

*Write A Question. A person is chosen to answers questions from other people. Rules may be established what questions are acceptable and what questions are unacceptable. The other people write one question on a piece of paper for the chosen person to answer. The chosen person collects all questions. He or she shuffles the written questions. The chosen person announces the question one by one to answer. The chosen person can refuse to answer questions. Feel free to pause the question and answer for a discussion.

A variant is verbal questions. The chosen person answers questions asked from other people. Other people ask one question starting with the chosen person's left going clockwise.

Positive. Share a positive of the other person. Everyone forms a circle. One person is the positivee. Everyone else shares a positive starting with the positivee's left going clockwise. The positive is anything such as an attribute, a skill, a personality, or an action.

Sports Interview. Most of us watch sports' pregame and postgame interview in a press conference setting. One person is on the podium. The other people ask questions on the person. It's like the manager of a baseball game in a postgame interview with journalists. Rules may be established what questions are acceptable and what questions are unacceptable. Agree on a time limit a person is being interviewed with other people. The next person clockwise becomes the person being interviewed.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

A Second Look At 2013

It's the time of the year I look back at my 2013 blogs to give myself feedback. My goal is relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, and rediscovering new wisdom.

My Second Look At 2012 contained 15 blogs. Eleven blogs are included in the 2013 Second Look. Three of the eleven blogs are written Jan-May 2013. Eight of the eleven blogs are written Sep-Nov 2013. There were backward life moments which occurred during the first half of 2013. Momentum moved forward during the second half.

A Second Look 2013 was written much later than my past Second Look blogs. I believe it worked out because I lived additional months thinking about my 2013 blogs. A Second Look 2014 is planned to be written in Dec 2015.

I provide the title and link to the original blog, date, summary, and my feedback. Enjoy!

Blog Title: 1. A Concern That Requires My Attention
Date: Sunday January 20, 2013
Summary: I was concerned I lost my job skills, job strengths, and job knowledge. The last time I worked was Nov 2008. Use them or lose them.
Feedback: I took Accountemps online classes from Jan to Jun. Waste of time. The best classes to learn skills such as Excel and Python are YouTube and free online programming classes such as codecademy.com. Most printed books are a waste of money.

Blog Title: 2. Top Ten Songs That Cheers Me Up
Date: Wednesday February 27, 2013
Summary: My top ten songs in brief from ten to one: Crazy For You by Madonna, Don't Dream It's Over by Sixpence None The Richer, calmradio.com, Personality by Lloyd Price, F**kin! Perfect by Pink, Unwell by Matchbox Twenty, Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls, Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson, Hey Jude by The Beatles, and Let It Be by The Beatles.
Feedback: I replace number seven Personality by Lloyd Price with Ironic by Alanis Morissette. I add We Are The Champions by Queen in the honorable mention list. Adding the honorable mention song is a good example to write A Second Look blogs in December. I realized the song must be added on Thursday December 4, 2014.

Blog Title: 3. Top Ten Lessons My Parents Failed To Teach Me
Date: Thursday May 2, 2013
Summary: Parents are not perfect; however, my parents failed to teach me basic life lessons for which I learned the hard way. Summarizing the ten lessons does injustice. Click the link to read my top ten.
Feedback: Use it or lose it. These ten lessons are having an adverse effect on my parents during their retirement years. We rarely talk to each other. There's little family connection between us. They're bad at communicating and socializing. They have no friends. They still take life for granted as if nothing bad happens. They live avoiding conflicts. They don't want to do something new. They live a routine way.

Bonuses: Number 11 is teach your children well. My parents rarely taught me because they were terrible teachers. Number 12 is living too easy of a life is a bad lesson. I believe number 12 relates to number 2 which is taking life for granted. They live their lives with little effort.

Blog Title: 4. Reset Priorities
Date: Wednesday September 18, 2013
Summary: I looked at my daily activities to prioritize them. For example, first priorities were job searching and going to the gym. Second priorities were reading books and watching television.
Feedback: I blogged nine reset priorities and recent event blogs. I wanted to write nine blogs a month. These blogs should not have been written. Expressing frustration was the reason I wrote these blogs. Seven of the nine blogs were written between Jan and May.

Blog Title: 5. This Is My Leap Of Faith
Date: Wednesday October 9, 2013
Summary: I found faith. I rediscovered believing in myself. I rediscovered hope.
Feedback: One of 2013 best blogs. I read the blog weekly to remind myself to have faith, to believe, and to hope. The three are my Life Rule Number 7.

Blog Title: 6. "Let Me Think", A New Social Problem I Must Fix
Date: Saturday October 26, 2013
Summary: I'm an open person. I learned discretion is necessary even for open people. Think carefully before I speak.
Feedback: Let me think. Be discrete. Life Rule Number 8.

Blog Title: 7. My New Short Term Goals
Date: Sunday October 27, 2013
Summary: I created new goals after I stopped making goals in 2009.
Feedback: I update my goals using my missing puzzle pieces. The pieces are finding new friends, learning more job skills, living independent, consistent physical workouts, and finding a permanent job. Click here to read in detail my five missing pieces.

Blog Title: 8. The Correct Growing Up Part 2
Date: Monday October 28, 2013
Summary: I took back the growing up moment I experienced on Wednesday November 7, 2012. I interviewed for a contract position where the employees were having fun, talking with each other, and being loose. The experience backfired. I lived life with too much fun and being too loose in 2013. I made bad choices.
Feedback: My life became much better removing the growing up moment 2 in my life. My second growing up moment is coming soon. I'm still living grow up moment 1 since Saturday October 4, 2008.

Blog Title: 9. I Got This Feeling
Date: Sunday November 3, 2013
Summary: The feeling I discovered when I realized I must grow up came back. I felt friendly. I felt independent. No more shutting my door from the world.
Feedback: Another 2013 best blog. I read the blog as part of my weekly praying. The blog is part of my inspiration.

Blog Title: 10. Work Nov 23, 2013
Date: Saturday November 23, 2013
Summary: I started writing work blogs when I found a job at a retail start-up. It was my first job since my contract was terminated at Cisco in November 2008.
Feedback: I felt good going back to work. My ten months working at the company was worth it. My job abilities came back. It took a long time. My natural talents which include analyzing, concise explanations, and my computer skills came back.

Blog Title: 11. Top Ten Looking Forward To Do
Date: Tuesday November 26, 2013
Summary: I experienced hope my life started to get good. I wrote a list of ten life moments and experienced to fulfill in my future.
Feedback: I repeat my feedback from number 7. I want to add my five missing pieces to the top ten list. The pieces are finding new friends, learning more job skills, living independent, consistent physical workouts, and finding a permanent job. Click here to read in detail my five missing pieces.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Work Wed Dec 17, 2014

Mon Dec 8: It's taking a long time to settle in with my co-workers. The full time workers are always busy. The same situation happened at Artisan which was understandable because of the Christmas season. Eventually I should know more about my co-workers. It took months to know all my co-workers at Artisan.

I was ashamed at myself not following the procedures I wrote in my note pad to add the RMAs in the SAP database. I skipped steps. I repeated mistakes. I wasted too much time with the assignment. I should have been more efficient. I spent too much time preparing the exporting and importing. I planned to rewrite the procedures eliminating steps and combining steps; for example, use more SQL.

The White Elephant pot luck list was created in the network folder. My name was missing. I felt sad I wasn't added on the list. I RSVP on the Outlook invite.

I stopped eating a bag of cookies a day. I'm going back to Belvita breakfast bars for my mid morning snack. I continue to eat a granola bar, too. I also stopped eating a hamburger to supplement my lunch on days I workout at the company gym.

I helped an employee enter the gym. He was issued a temporary badge because he forgot his photo badge. The gym was packed in the side room doing yoga.

Tue Dec 9: I found a new parking spot for my car. The new parking spot gives my car more shade in the afternoon.

The vice president of operations emailed the department roster. She revised three times because of mistakes in a span of 15 minutes.

I listened to KNBR at 3pm. I was dozing off. My brain was fatigued. I spent the entire day updating RMAs for a particular server. I should have taken more breaks. I should have paced myself.

I plan to take advantage more often my alternate route driving on El Camino Real going home. The traffic on the expressway was terrible. Coincidentally, driving on El Camino Real was required because I shopped at Macys.

Wed Dec 10: My engineer and I were in a meeting together. We reviewed my status. He answered my questions. He provided more training. He told me more information how the failure analysis process works. And he gave me an engineering lesson.

My brain was jelly after lunch. I lost concentration at 4:15pm. I became lazy. I felt like I was back in college studying for exams. There was nothing more I could study. I maximized my brain studying the concepts.

I worked out at the company's gym. The second workout I didn't eat a hamburger to supplement my lunch at home. I passed the test. I had plenty of energy to complete my workout. The first workout I didn't eat a hamburger was Mon Dec 8 which passed the test.

Thur Dec 11: The local news named the storm "The Storm Of The Past 5 Years". My commute was easy. More people worked from home. Some schools closed. The entire day rained.

I added my name to the White Elephant pot luck list. I bring egg rolls.

The CFO emailed the entire buildings all workers can go home early because of the storm affecting the roads and neighborhoods.

I reinforced the idea to pace myself updating entering RMAs in the database. Avoid burnout. Avoid brain fatigue.

I picked up my package in the shipping & receiving area for the first time. I walked back to my car in the rain to drop it off in the trunk. I made the choice to move my car closer to the front lobby because my current parking area started to flood. The choice was good because the rain continued in the night after my gym workout. My new parking space area didn't flood.

My stomach growled during the last 20 minutes of my workout. It appeared I didn't bring enough lunch. I managed to complete the workout. I ate the granola bar I didn't finish earlier in the day when I went back to my cubicle to take my laptop and belongings. And there were no clean towels at the end of my workout. I should leave an emergency gym towel in my trunk.

I drove home slow even though fewer cars were on the road. I took a detour driving on the freeway to the expressway because one of the exits was closed due to flooding.

Fri Dec 12: 14 minute morning commute. One red light. No traffic crawling.

I started writing the second draft on the RMA SAP data entry procedures on Word. I used the first draft written on my note pad as a guide.

Mon Dec 15: Light rained fell during my morning commute. The rain intensified as the day continued. The sewage plugged up at the front entrance. The entire workday was slow. I took my time. Too little work. Perhaps, I still completed my work too fast.

I drove to a fast food restaurant to purchase 24 egg rolls for the Operations Department White Elephant gift exchange during my lunch hour. Two other people went to the restaurant purchasing egg rolls and fried chicken wings.

Standard White Elephant rules applied. Draw a number. Pick a gift or steal a gift. Steal limit per gift was three. A common optional rule first person who picked could steal at the end was enabled. The vice president used a twist rule for which the last person could steal any gift including gifts stolen three times.

The best gag gift was a Sponge Bob Square Pants alarm clock. The stupid gifts which failed to be a gag gift included a talking parrot and a baconator. The most quantity and most stolen were Starbucks gift cards. The most thought gift was an empty fish tank, fish food, and a live fish. The giftor gave the giftee a cup with a live fish inside seconds after the worker unwrapped the gift. My gift was Smart Ass The Card Game I stole.

The gift exchange went smoothly. My behavior was satisfied analyzing my actions. I mingled with some people. I communicated seriously and sarcastically. The 60 people who participated in the gift exchange lasted 1.5 hours. Some of us went home after the exchange was over.

Tue Dec 16: App games are addicting. Last night was a typical example. I played games on my phone ending at 1am. App games are enemies on a weeknight. I used my sleep app to calculate optimum sleep setting my alarm clock to wake up maximizing my sleep cycles.

I woke up in the middle of the night experiencing my throat drying. I drank water. I went back to sleeping thinking the worse which was getting sick. I thought about the possibilities causing my potential sickness. The possibilities were lack of sleep, the sickness in the air, co-workers, food I ate at White Elephant, and going to the gym feeling so-so. Fortunately, no sore throat.

My engineer assigned my first report. It was a simple one liner. I took my time. I listened to the Gregorian Chat at calmradio.com.

I saw workers repairing the sewage line from yesterday's sewage problem walking back to my cubicle after lunch.

The third and last Xmas work gathering involved my contractor company. All of the contractors were invited to a cupcake social at 2pm. The event was disappointing. Low turnout. The atmosphere felt like nobody wanted to attend. I wanted to attend and stay the entire hour. I arrived ten minutes late. I managed to talk with three people. I met some kind of regional manager for the contractor company. Everyone started to leave at 2:30pm. Disappointing. I should have stayed.

I felt pessimistic after leaving my contractor's company gathering. All of the contractors I talked since my first day their contracts were extended. I don't see my contract being extended in the 1.5 months I worked. My assignments are heading to mind numbing stage. I innovate the procedures using my past experiences in Excel, Access, and MySQL. I'm creating more free time. I stay busy pacing myself already with the experience to complete some assignments in half the time. I can't think of new responsibilities my engineer and risk manager assign me. My risk manager gave me one assignment. My contract status can be extended with more training and learning for which I getting none of those recently.

On the other hand, some of the people who said their contracts were extended may be exaggerating. They may have similar work environments. They may be in my shoes. They say anything to stay busy.

All departments are different. The Operations Department employs two contractors. Other departments employ a higher percentage of contractors. One of the people I met at the contractor's company gathering his department employs mostly contractors. I think the operations department is new employing contractors. Obviously I work for 6 weeks. I need more investigating. In contrast, Cisco employs thousands of contractors for which Cisco has the experience relating to contractors.

Wed Dec 17: The easiest work day. Maybe the hardest work day trying to stay busy. I worked on a second report my engineer requested. I added a pie chart. I really took my time. such that I email the report tomorrow.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Go To Sleep

I'm speaking clearly. Go to sleep. Get rest. You feel much better after a restful sleep. Sleep is a body recovering your mind, body, soul, head to toes, inside you, and outside you. Forget the coffee. Forget the caffeine. Forget the energy drinks. Forget drugs. Wake up with your body naturally.

I have a better understanding sleep is important. I was tired one work day last week. I devoted more hours sleeping in the evening. The next work day I was a different person. Focused, attentive, and full of energy.

Some people ignore the importance of getting restful sleep. Long working hours. Too many commitments. The National Sleep Foundation reported 42% of Americans sleep less than the recommended hours. The negative consequences include weak social interactions, financial losses, and a dysfunctional human body.

The good night restful sleep long term benefits are common sense. Live longer, look younger, sharper brain, positive attitude, and physically stronger. I'm not a social expert. Everyone must spend less time simulated from smart phones, computers, televisions, and social media. The best therapy to some problems such as stress, depression, and fatigue is sleep. Sleep is a zero cost therapy.

Side note: Sleeping follows a pattern between deep sleep and rapid eye movement or REM. Use a sleep calculator to assist the best times to fall asleep. It's better to get quality sleep than quantity sleep if you can't sleep more than 6.5 hours a night. There are free sleep calculator apps.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Work Fri Dec 5, 2014

Mon Dec 1: It seemed some commuters were late to work after the Thanksgiving weekend. A car blocked my driver side mirror when I slowly moved forward continuously in the merging late of the expressway. I don't have a free entry path.

I felt tired during my first hours. The reason was my attitude. I wanted the weekend now. I needed more rest. I wanted to sleep. I didn't get the necessary rest during the holiday. The additional rest never happened. Some of the circumstances were beyond my control. Regardless, I must be professional. I started working on an assignment I started on my second week. My engineer told me to complete it.

I wore a single pair of socks with my dress casual shoes. I had been wearing two pairs of socks because my socks were thin. My feet felt more relaxed.

There were lots of cars in the parking lot when I walked back to my car. It seemed many full time employees arrived to work late.

Tue Dec 2: The rain arrived in the morning. It was the second day it rained during my commute. I used my umbrella from my car to my building. I dried my umbrella in my cubicle.

My engineer was sick. He worked from home. I continued the assignment I started yesterday.

I went out to lunch with a component engineer. We ate at a Chinese restaurant. Some of the conversations included our past careers, family, Thanksgiving, and the company.

I picked up a package at the front end. I purchased an item at Amazon a week before Black Friday. I used my company's mailing address to ship my package instead of my home address. I showed my badge to the front end staff. The staffer found my package from the stack. I walked to my car to drop off my package in my trunk.

Wed Dec 3: My engineer was sick again. He worked from home.

I took a 30 minute lunch because I arrived to work at 8:30am. The week had been little productivity. However, the time went by fast. I completed 50% of the assignment I started Mon.

There was a Happy Hour Decorate The Floor Christmas party for the Operations Department. There were snacks, crackers, cookies, and wine. I wanted to mingle with people to get to know everyone better. It never happened. I felt lost. I felt nobody wanted to get to know me. I felt intimidated. Thank goodness there was a making your own Christmas stocking in a meeting room. I made a stocking using paint to draw my name and draw a snowman.

I participated in past Christmas parties in a workplace. I expected my company to be different where everyone socialized. It never happened. The outcome was the same in past parties. Some people participated. Some people partially participated. Some people didn't care. The most active people were the ones near the senior manager and vice president's offices. It was the wine doing all the talking.

The floor was warm. I sweated throughout the afternoon including the party. I took off my long sleeve shirt.

Thur Dec 4: My engineer was sick again.

I checked the thermostat when I arrived at work because of yesterday's warm air. I lowered the thermostat from 72 degrees to 70 degrees.

I asked the component engineer questions on the supply database. He gave me tips reading some of codes. Very useful information.

I went to the company gym after work.

Fri Dec 5: My engineer worked from home continuing his recovery.

I donated $10 to the Second Harvest Food Bank. The company collected donations from all the workers.

I completed my assignment I started Mon. I had free time 45 minutes before the end of my work day. I checked my personal emails.

A company email was sent to the full time workers. The email told them to leave work before 4pm because there was a major sporting event nearby. Security monitored the parking lots. One of the exits was closed. I was informed of the company email from a full time co-worker.

I went to the company gym after work. I small talked with a worker who went to the lab to continue working in the elevator going down. He said working late Fri is better than waiting in line for bread.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Black Friday 2014

My Black Friday was calm. I shopped at three stores after 10:30am. No crowds. The first store was Orchard Supply Hardware. I purchased a three LED flashlight set with the Orchard Supply Hardware label for $9.99. Orchard paid for the sales tax. The second store was CVS. I used the 30% off coupon to purchase bare necessities. They were body wash, after shave lotion, body sponge, and Icy Hot for the home first aid kit. The third store was Target. I purchased The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for $9.00 and Gravity for $4.00 both on Blu-Ray. There was a line at Target which moved fast. The line was not long relatively speaking. I noticed there were directional line markings on the floor. The line wrapped around multiple aisles earlier.

My dad purchased a Chromecast for me at Costco. Almost all stores sold the Chromecast for $25.00. I paid him back.

No online shopping for me. If I didn't buy The Hunger Games: Catching Fire at Target, then I shop for movies at Amazon. I don't plan on shopping on Cyber Monday.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Work Wed Nov 26, 2014

Mon Nov 17: I purchased a cheap mouse pad at Fry's Electronics. The $2.00 mouse pad works well.

I took the service elevator to exit my building. There is a fourth elevator that takes people directly to shipping & receiving for which people can enter and exit the building.

I continue to adjust to an 8am-5pm work day. The adjustment is difficult. I want a routine workday which includes working out at the gym, continuing self job training, learning new job skills, reviewing MySQL, reviewing Access, and learning data analysis. Python is a low priority. I went to my gym last Sat and Sun. I was rusty. I felt stiff.

Tue Nov 18: I forgot to turn on my alarm clock last night. I woke up at 6:14am. I arrived at 8:10am. If I didn't brush my teeth, I arrived much earlier. There were more cars on the expressway today compared to yesterday.

I ate Kung Pao Chicken to supplement my lunch because I need extra energy for the gym workout. The grill was broken. No hamburger.

I finished my assignment from the risk manager. I started the assignment on Mon. I overheard her saying I may not have enough work after my initial contract term in a phone conversation. We shall see what happens. Live the present. Live the moment.

Today was the first time I worked out at the company gym. It's decent with a mix of machine weights, cardio equipment, free weights, yoga equipment, and classes. The men's locker room is across the hall. The locker room reminds me of the Marriott hotel in Downtown San Jose.

Wed Nov 19: I arrived at 8:15am. I planned a 45 minute lunch to compensate arriving 15 minutes late.

My next assignment was from my engineer. More RMAs to enter into the database.

I found the stairway from my floor to the gym on my way to the cafeteria for lunch. It rained in the afternoon. My first work day raining. I walked the breezeway back to my cubicle after lunch. The breezeway is covered.

My risk manager checked my worked after lunch. We discussed my errors.

I took the stars next to the service elevator to exit my building. It took me to another employee entrance.

Thur Nov 20: I listened to KFOX 98.5 from 9am-12pm. The station plays commercial free classic rock between 9am-12pm. I needed the music because I was falling asleep. My floor was stuffy. I turned on my fan. My two plants need water at least two times a week.

There was a G&A meeting at 2:30pm in the cafeteria. I don't know what G&A stands for. The head departments and executives spoke to the audience. The meeting started by getting an idea how many years people worked in the company. A small handful worked in the company over three years.

My impression of the work environment in the three weeks I worked was get the job done. Nobody slacks off.

The entire day was slow. My engineer was in meetings all day. The free time he spent was giving me additional training including using our Arena database. I spent a few minutes donating money to a local charity for their Thanksgiving charity drive.

Fri Nov 21: I drove 15 minutes from home to work.

The entire floor was quiet in the late morning and early afternoon. The full time employees went to a charity event. The contractors stayed behind. Another contractor introduced herself. She works three weeks at the end of each fiscal quarter; however, she has been working many days in Nov. Moments later, she, the contractor who trained me on my first day, and I conversed.

I ate my own granola bar in my lunch bag. The coffee room was out of granola bars.

The grill was repaired. I ordered a burger to supplement my lunch. I needed the energy because I went to the company gym after work.

Mon Nov 24: I drove 12 minutes from home to work. The morning work music was from my smart phone. I listened to Hey Jude from The Beatles at least ten times.

I finished two assignments from my engineer I started last week. The next assignment was finishing the project I was assigned on my second week. The floor was quiet and busy because everyone wanted to get their assignments done before the Thanksgiving holiday. I was getting better entering the RMAs into the database with more experience, more knowledge, and more training.

My neck was in pain. It must be a muscle strain.

I saw my first stalled car going home.

Tue Nov 25: I purchased a bottle of Advil at Walgreens before work. My neck started to feel better after I took two tablets.

I saw my first accident on my way home. There were a few cars driving recklessly.

Wed Nov 26: My plans working out at the gym fell through. I'm still adjusting to the 8am-5pm work schedule. I'm not getting enough sleep. My neck still hurts. I continued to take Advil.

I attended my first monthly birthday celebration. We celebrated the people with Nov birthdays. There were cupcakes. I was put on the spot when the operations manager wanted me to introduce myself. I was prepared ahead of time for my personal fun fact because the personal fun fact is a common question for all new hires. I mentioned my fun fact is my above average long term memory.

A supply engineer told me background information about the division including the executives and the senior managers. He wanted to have lunch with me at a future time.

I went home at 6pm. I checked my personal email at 5:30pm. I wrote Happy Thanksgiving on my cubicle whiteboard.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Breaking Bad Series

I finished watching the entire series of Breaking Bad on Sun Nov 23. Excellent series. Highly recommended. My simple words describe the hit drama television show: scary, violent, genius, unpredictable, cliff-hanging, twists, dark, depressing, anger, smart, risk-taking, original. There are a few comedy moments.

My only criticism is Creator and Executive Producer Vince Gilligan could have added more episodes. These episodes are back stories of the side characters. For example, how Saul's entered into the "criminal" lawyer business. Mike's days as a police officer and why he took care of his granddaughter. How Hank and Marie met. More screen time to know Walt and Gretchen's past relationship. I believe the audience gains a greater appreciation knowing more about the side characters and more on Walt's past.

My favorite episode is in Season One when Walt entered Tuco's hideout with the "clear white" crystals. Season Four is my favorite season, especially the final scene in the senior citizen home. I don't have a favorite character. I debated myself who was my favorite side character after Season Three. Saul or Gus? All the actors, actresses, and the production staff did an excellent job.

The series is about a high school chemistry teacher who found out he has terminal cancer. He chooses to produce meth to raise money for his family before he dies. The series is also about the meth world. What is life in the meth world? Violence, corruption, addiction, greed. The series depicts how drugs affect people including sellers, users, law enforcement, and support groups.

To repeat, I highly recommend the series. Watch the first 3 episodes in Season One. If you feel comfortable after episode three, watch the entire Season One. If you feel comfortable after Season One, watch the entire series. The series gets better, gets darker, and gets more violent. The characters come to you. You may want to watch on a weekend because the series can be addicting you may end up watching some episodes through the late night or early morning. I watched eight episodes of Season Four and 6 episodes of Season Five in two separate late nights and early mornings.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Instant Bullets Blog Nov 23, 2014

The Successful Magnet. The more successful a person, the more successes come to him or her. Success is a magnet. Success attracts bigger financial gains, more opportunities, increase in people contacts from casual to professional, and more good luck. Think about the most successful people in the world. They attract people. They attract opportunities. They earn higher incomes. The magnet is stronger for people who earn their growing successes.

A Thought On Job Searching Full Time. The spouse, the children, the in-laws, and the family are happy you're home more hours each weekday. In other words, you're not out of the house at your job. You have more free time. You spend more family time. However, it can be bad because you spend less time job searching. Job searching is a full time job. Finding a full time job is a full time job. The job market is rough. Add job training and learning new job skills to your full time job schedule.

Another note: Rejection is part of searching for a job.

My History Book. There are too many blank pages in my history book. I need to create more chapters. How? Live a better life. Find new adventures. Experience new experiences. Meet new people. Make new friends. Specifically, find a full time job, move out, expand my circle of friends, get physically fit, and never stop innovating. Visit a country in Europe. Eat new foods. Learn new job skills. Play more board games. Read more books. Get stronger. Get smarter. Believe more in myself.

Germany Won the 2014 World Cup. Germany defeated Argentina in the 2014 World Cup. Argentina's defense was strong. The score was 0-0 at the end of regulation. Germany scored in extra time. Germany played with patience. Germany needed one opportunity to score. One goal was good enough.

Be patient. Opportunities come to those working hard. One opportunity can be enough to open doors to success.

Add The Right Way. Add the word "right" to our daily life. A person can rethink how to live the "right" way. Examples include the following:

*the right practice
*the right gift
*the right friends
*the right job
*the right classes
*the right car
*the right food
*the right exercises
*the right *fill in the blank*

Personally speaking, I substitute "right" with "perfect". For example, perfect practice, perfect gift, perfect friends, etc. The common speaking is the "right" way.

Take care. Make an effort. Work the right way. Live the right way.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Top Ten Thank Yous

Thanksgiving is five days away. It's a good time to say thank you to ten individuals or groups of people who impacted my life. Their contributions influence me to make good choices. I'm a smarter person because they shared their knowledge. Thank you. Here are the top ten thank yous:

10. Mia Breen Accounting Information Systems class. Miss Breen taught the periodic inventory system. Nobody uses the periodic inventory system. My core accounting instructors concentrated on the perpetual inventory system. The lessons I learned from Miss Breen helped me earned a B in the Accounting For Excel midterm. Almost all of the students failed the midterm because the midterm focused on the periodic inventory system.

9. Neighbor Bob sold me his Toyota Camry 2005. Bob and his wife moved to Virginia to be closer to their family. He sold me his wife's Toyota Camry 2005. I still drive the car today. I experienced many adventures. There are more adventures coming soon.

8. Punkbuster suggested bodybuilding.com website. She gave me a resource to learn how to workout with weights. I read their articles to improve my gym workouts.

7. Carrie's scheduled me weekend shifts at the wine store. Nobody wants to work weekends especially in retail. However, I took advantage of my weekday off shifts searching for a job. The hard work paid off. I have a new job in the tech sector.

6. Vgan hired me twice. He hired me for my first job after graduating at San Jose State University. He hired me for my second job after my first job. The jobs were big breaks starting my careers.

5. South Bay Job Search Network. The best job searching tips are from the people who experienced searching for a job. The people I met. The resources I acquired. The knowledge I learned. All valuable. I believe joining the network helped me get my jobs after graduating from De Anza College.

4. My sister introduced me to ballroom dancing. An experience I remember for the rest of my life. I took ballroom dancing classes at De Anza. I met lots of new people and made friends. A good hobby in my life.

3. Kimu wearing costumes at anime conventions. There were many times at anime conventions I could have been lonely. Kimu and I became friends in 2007. She introduced me to her group of friends. My experience wearing costumes was raised a higher level of fun times because of her.

2. My mom made my costumes. Someone made my costumes. One of my mom's hobbies is sewing. She made seven costumes for the anime conventions I attend. Wearing costumes to anime conventions extended my anime hobby for nine years.

1. Appu's personal projects. He showed me how to never stop learning. He showed me how to market the skills I learned on my resume. The successful people have indefinite personal projects to learn, to grow, to get stronger, and to get smarter. The experience learning job skills outside the workplace paid off three weeks ago when I started a new job in a growing tech company.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

I Blog, You Comment Tue Nov 17, 2014

Thank you for the comments, opinions, and feedback.

There Are Many Children With Parents Like Mine blog was about adults who were raised by their parents similar to my parents. Lots of comments were related to our similar childhoods. I mentioned my parents lacked parental knowledge, inattentiveness to my problems, and played the "ignore the problems and hope they go away".

Yup, my brother, my sister, and I had dumb parents. My sister and I forgive them. My brother hasn't. He's not on speaking terms with our parents. --Francis Alvarez, Arlington, TX

Did your parents hit you? Did your parents ditch you? No? Then you parents raised you well. Sounds simple, yes. There are many children in abusive homes, foster care, and homeless who want your parents. --Leslie Owen, Fresno,CA

You could have been in a worse situation with terrible parents. You're not in jail. They did something right. --Debbie Jefferson, Cincinnati, OH

I agree with you blog 100%. Parents who failed on what you wrote shouldn't be parents. I don't care whether they have lots of money to bail you out of problems. Or to buy you out. Terrible parents. I'm feel pessimistic now after writing this. Finally, there should be government mandatory parenting classes teaching basic parenting. Want more jobs. Start these classes. --Teresa Harrison, San Jose, CA

I wrote a blog telling the world to relax. Take a deep breath. Rest and recuperate. The timing is perfect to read An Open Blog To The World.

I'm a secretary in a law firm. I've been more mistakes committed by the attorneys as the year continued. They're tired. They're prone to more mistakes. Imagine they go to court without me correcting their errors. They lose the case. --Edna Torres, Dallas, TX

My youngest in junior high and my oldest in high school. Dead tired after a long school day. My high school days were never this stressful. What's going on with the world? Take a damn break! Get some sleep! --Byron Murphy, Kansas City, MI

The reason we're tired is too much television shows. Stop watching television, or at least cut your shows in half. --Jody Miles, Buffalo, NY

The world is over-simulated. Be strong. Rest. Don't give in to all this simulation we see with technology and the tv screen, the phone screen, and the computer screen. --Corey Ferguson, Wichita, KS

When will the world realize the lack of sleep hurts everyone? One person is stressed affects the people around him/her. Is it really important to finish everything in one day? If it not important, it's not meant to be done today. The sun will come up tomorrow. --Brenda Burton, Baltimore, MD

There were mixed opinions when I wrote How I Buy DVDs.

Great advice. I sold half my DVD collection I never watched in years. Less clutter in the living room. --Bethany Gonzalez, NM

Good idea. I follow your advice when I think about buying a DVD. It's true what are the chances I watch 100s of movies a year? Not with my daily schedule raising children and keeping my wife happy. --Travis Summers

I can't wait when the DVD is released. I don't watch movies in movie theaters. I buy it to for a big collection. I'm happy with my big collection. Best way to relief stress. --Gilberto Mason, Seattle, WA

The worse blog I read. One, I don't have a DVD collection. I use NetFlix. Two, you're a cheap person. Three, a waste of space in my apartment. Waste of resources printing the paper and making the DVD covers. We have too much trash. --Jan Chan, Los Angeles, CA

Job candidates have a better chance getting a job with good social and conversation skills. I wrote a blog talking about The New Job Interview where the interview is a conversation.

The old school conversation Q&A is outdated and ineffective. If I can have a good conversation with you, then I hire you. --Doug Gill via email

I smile, you smile. We have eye contact. I'm comfortable being in your presence. I will hire you. --Noel Carlson, Chicago, IL

It's like asking a person out on a date. If I want to date you, you'll be hired. --Jessie Payne, SF, CA

I follow new life rules thanks to Mike. Read Mike's Rules to follow them.

These are basic rules. Overstated! Waste of time. --Danielle, Virginia Beach, VA

Fake it till you believe it and courage and comfortable were worth my time reading it. --Gerard Ross, Long Beach, CA

I'm a grade school teacher. I added a couple of Mike's Rules to my classroom rules. --"Miss Cookie" via email

All feedback for What Is Innovate Infinitely? stated it was terrible. There was no point of the blog. Stupid. Weak. The comment that summed up all the feedback in a cruel way:

Look, sir. You still live at home. You overeducated for a job in retail. You have no friends. That's enough to tell me your "innovate infinitely" is a bunch of bull shit. I bet you're an anime fan since you mentioned Japantown. The people who are geeks and anime don't know shit when it comes to living life. Losers. You're weak. You really need strength. You need opportunities. Yeah, right. You don't deserve opportunities. Prove to the world and the world will reward you. The world has a way to give good people good fortunes and bad people bad fortunes. You are lucky your parents let you live at your age. I kick my kids out if they were living at home over 40 years old. --Shawn Powell, Washington D.C.

I got sick big time in May and June. I wrote Top Ten Ways I Lower My Chances Getting Sick to share my mistakes and to remember what I do to avoid getting sick. Some people agreed with my ideas. Some didn't.

I agreed with a clean house, taking your time, and staying hydrated. I disagreed with the soda is your best friend. --Cesar Holt, Baton Rouge, LA

Good article. I adapted the stay hydrated. I should use it to motivate me to drink more water. --Chelsea Mann via email

These are life changing ideas. You're not even a doctor. Good job. --Elisa Fuller, Vancouver, BC, Canada

My goodness. What a bunch of bull. Soda for spicy foods. Nope. Eat three meals. Not for my body. Too much sleep is bad for you. --Jeremiah Griffith, San Diego, CA

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Top Ten Lessons I Learned Working At My Last Job

I worked at a wine store from Nov 2013 to Sep 2014. It was my first job after graduating at De Anza College. I remember the experience working with alcoholic beverages 40 hours a week for the rest of my life. I learned wine. I also learned more job lessons and life lessons.

Today's job market continues to be tough. It's hard to find a job. I never complained. There are some unemployed people who want my job. There is somebody out there who takes my job any day. I'm not complaining about my new job I started on Mon Nov 3.

Here are the top ten lessons I learned working at my last job:

10. Shipping and receiving are not common sense. There are skills and knowledge involved in shipping and receiving. For example, I learned some basics loading and unloading a dolly. The employee moves and stacks boxes. Simple? There are do's and don'ts when arranging boxes of wine. Some do's and don'ts aren't common sense.

9. 100% customer service is a myth. 100% customer service never existed in retail. The customer is not always right. Some customers take advantage of a store's 100% customer service policy. Stores are not breaking the bank for a 100% satisfaction rating. Everyone experience being screwed in customer service regardless of fault. Sometimes being screwed is beyond the customer and the retailer's control.

8. The wine business. The people are in the wine business for the love of the wine. The people aren't in the wine business for the money.

7. Supported from my co-workers. Good people are available in times of trouble. I realized most of my co-workers supported me. They backed me up when I needed help. I should have realized many co-workers backed me up when I worked at Colliers. I was never lonely.

6. Get out when there are signs of trouble. My company started going downhill in May 2014. However, the company hired a new employee with a broad knowledge in wine and beer. He submitted his two week resignation two weeks later. He spotted trouble and mismanagement quickly. I started looking for a new job in June 2014.

5. True workers. Retail workers are true to themselves for better or for worse. There is no reason to fake something about ourselves. They don't need to be somebody else. The retail workers are the lowest beyond the low in the career industry totem pole.

4. Seek first to understand. One of the managers became annoying. He shut himself out. He became weak. He was a coward. What happened? I asked other co-workers. They shared the same experiences. We concluded it was too much stress. I understood the situation. I acted accordingly. I behaved accordingly. I minimized contact with the irritated manager.

3. Stress can change a person. The manager became a different person because of stress. It was the first time I experience how stress changed a person. Frightening. I take better care of myself to avoid stress taking over my life.

2. Learn the back story. Acquire the history. The back story and the history are more examples of seeking first to understand. For example, I asked the assistant manager how the co-owners of the second store met. I also asked her the history how long the first store opened. I had a better understanding of the company and the people.

1. Egos and stubbornness. Some people have egos to protect. They never admit they're wrong. They never recognize a good idea. Avoid stubbornness. There are people who never listen to good ideas. Ownership and management egos and stubbornness can result in a company halting growth.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Work Sat Nov 15, 2014

The work blogs are back. I started working at Palo Alto Networks as a Data Entry Specialist contractor. Here we go.

Mon Nov 3: My first day. The commute was terrible. The total drive is 20 minutes to and from work during non-commute times. I drove 35 minutes. I felt good working in a tech company the minute I walked inside the lobby. I felt good going back to a cubicle work environment. Everyone wears photo ID security badges. The work hours are flexible; however, contractors work 40 hours a week. Overtime must be approved by my two managers. I support an engineer and a risk manager.

My orientation started a 9am. I met two other contractors. The first was a Business Analyst for a marketing department. The second was a marketing assistant for the Executive Briefing Center. The contractor liaison verified our I-9, reviewed contractor procedures, and toured the two buildings including the gym, cafeteria, breezeway connector, game room, and break rooms. The break rooms include free bottle water, sodas, snacks, coffee, Keurig coffee, tea, milk, and string cheese for every floor. The snacks included raisins, chips, trail mix, chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, granola bars, and protein bars.

I met my engineer. His cubicle is next to mine. He, another co-worker who trained me, and I went to the Tech Oasis to get my laptop. The Tech Oasis is a walk-in IT helpdesk. I was assigned my laptop, docking station, phone number, and network password. My laptop is installed with Office 2010, Chrome, and Microsoft Lync.

We use Shoretel 230 phones which are the same phones when I worked at Colliers International. I cleaned up the surface and arranged my monitor and docking station. I acquired pens, notepad, and Post-It notes from the supply room. Each cubicle has a whiteboard, an enclosed storage bin, and small shelf on wheels. There are no black markers for the whiteboard because the Sharpies are black colored. I need a desk fan, plants, and a keyboard wrist rest. The air is stagnant, warm, and dry for the entire fifth floor.

The rest of the day was training from my co-worker who transferred to another department tomorrow. I was not her replacement. I replaced an intern. The database used is SAP.

The commute home was too long. I drove for 40 minutes. My 8am-5pm work schedule allows me to see the sunrise when I wake in the morning and the sunset when I drove home from work.

Tue Nov 4: My second monitor arrived. I ate at the cafeteria for the first time. The hours are 11:30am-2pm. There are three stations and a salad bar. Each station features a special of the day. The coffee bar hours are 7:30am-3pm. The seating area is open for the entire day.

One of my buttons on my pants broke when I went to the restroom. I sew it back on later.

I must close the blinds from a window section because the sun shines directly at me at 4pm. I open the blinds before I go home.

My engineer worked at home today. I used the downtown to map the data fields.

I talked to the test engineer in our team. He worked at the company for at least three years. He told me the company is averaging one new hire a day. He started as a contractor. He's full time now.

Wed Nov 5: The morning commute was 20 minutes. The commute on Mon Nov 3 must be an anomaly. I learned each day's commute is different when I worked at Artisan Wine Depot. There must be an accident that prolonged Mon's longer than expected commute.

I placed my plants and fan on my desk. The Vornado Flippi Fan is on my left side. The two plants are on my right side to the right of my phone.

My engineer showed me the tech lab. He continued my training in the database. The data was terrible. I should have expected poor data. It was somewhat similar at Cisco.

I brought Couples by John Updike book to read after lunch.

I drove home using Monroe St. and Scott Blvd. I use the route if I need to shop at Target. Total commute time was 40 minutes.

Thur Nov 6: The morning commute was 20 minutes for the second day in a row. It seemed longer. I met another co-worker named Frank. Another co-worker in the supply-side department let me borrow her spare desk fan and an extension cord. I accepted the extension cord.

My engineer created an upload template to increase efficiently. The more I learned the data, the more complex the data to understand and the more poor the quality. I felt less likely my contract is going to be renewed because the company is paying too much more for someone to maintain poor data. There is too much unnecessary work.

I watched a two-part Magnum PI episode titled "De Ja Vu". I mentioned the two TV episodes because I should have stopped watching after part one. I needed extra sleep. I had difficulty adjusting to my new 8am-5pm work schedule because I slept 6 hours or less each night. In addition, I had experience periods of my stomach growling. I ate Famous Amos cookies and Nature Valley Granola Bars. I choose not to each the protein bar.

I drove home using Lafayette Boulevard. The long signal light at the Central Expwy. intersection and El Camino Real intersection convinced me they were not worth the wait time. I use the route if I need to shop at Costco. Total commute time was 40 minutes.

Fri Nov 7: 18 minutes from home to work on my first foggy day commute. It felt like 25 minutes. I accept an 18 minute to work and up to 40 minutes driving home commute. My average total commute time working at Artisan Wine Depot was 60 minutes.

I saw the Nespresso machine next to the sink in the break room for the first time. The company takes care of their full time and contractors in terms of food and drinks. I was told the company subsidizes the cafeteria prices.

My engineer assigned me cleaning up data.

There was a celebration at the outside quad. The celebration was recognizing a successful fiscal quarter. My engineer's boss plays in a band. The band provided the music. I didn't attend.

Mon Nov 10: I still had problems getting enough sleep. I drove to work at 8:01am. I arrived at work at 8:19am. I still had my parking spot I choose to maximize shade from the trees. The morning was foggy.

My engineer assigned me a new project for his upcoming presentation. There were over 1,000 records to enter. My engineer and I agreed to concentrate on the approximately 250 new records which needed to be entered.

I purchased my lunch at the cafeteria for the first time. I ordered the Carne Asada tacos with rice. The Churros were hard for dessert.

I walked around the gym after lunch. The gym looks good. I can work out here after work. The men's locker room is outside the gym at the walkway next to the game room entrance. Towels and water are provided.

I wonder are engineers terrible at explaining. The manager who trained me at Artisan Wine Depot was terrible. He was an electrical engineer. My engineer told me instructions too late. I started over again. I'm fortunate my limited SQL and past Access experience helped. I admit I'm still rusty at database administration. I also admit I need more self-training. Everything was coming back to me. I must be professional. I must be strong.

Tue Nov 11: The Veteran's Day holiday made the evening commute easier. 26 minutes total time. I continued working on the project which is taking much longer than expected.

I met with the risk manager I start supporting soon. We met for one hour. She introduced me to the database tracking all the suppliers. The database is purchased from an outside company.

Wed Nov 12: I arrived to work at 10:40am because my car needed new front breaks. I found a better parking spot with more afternoon shade.

I brought a clothes hanger to hang my jacket. I didn't want my jacket on my chair. I used three pins to hang my clothes hanger with my jacket inside my cubicle next to my whiteboard. I need more pins when I wear a heavier jacket. One pin couldn't handle the weight. I plan to visit a store to purchase an appropriate cubicle clothes hanger soon.

My first project is stupid. Bad timing was likely. Bad data. Missing data. I'm still learning the meanings for all the data. Perhaps the bad data is the reason why the company hired a data entry contractor instead of a database administrator.

New hand sanitizers stations were installed next to the elevators and next to the break rooms.

I kept my laptop on the docking station after work because Windows 7 updated 28 new updates.

Thur Nov 13: There was a buzz sound inside the break room. The water cooler needed a new five gallon water jug. Another worker told me to open the door on the bottom of the cooler. The water jug is on the bottom of the cooler. The cooler is not the traditional take the jug, turn it upside down, and rest on top of the cooler. There is a pipe inserted inside the jug to pump water.

My late lunch allowed me to hear the beginning of the company's 2015 benefits presentation for their employees. An employee gave me the 2015 benefits book.

Fri No 14: The project was completed before lunch. Most new records were successfully uploaded. My engineer and the SAP administrator were aware some records failed to upload. There were lots of headaches. I worked on UAT after lunch. The SAP Administrator installed new features in the database I was assigned to test.

I talked to the receptionist regarding the policy on personal mail and packages. She said workers must be courteous by picking up our packages after we receive an email stating our packages arrived in the front area. She also said personal packages have already increased for the holiday season. The 2013 holiday season was too much to handle. There are more people in the front reception and in the shipping & receiving today. They are ready handle the anticipated increase in packages arriving. USPS, UPS, and FedEx are acceptable postal services for mail and packages.

I need a mouse pad. My surface gives me problems when I use my mouse. I thought laser mouse don't need a mouse pad. It appears I'm wrong.

I discovered there was an accident when I arrived home. I made a left turn on El Camino Real because traffic stopped moving. Good move. The rest of the drive took around 12-15 minutes. The total commute home was 47 minutes.

I created a personal rule. I must make a left turn at El Camino Real if I anticipate waiting three or more signal cycles to drive through the El Camino Real intersection.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Seeing Ordinary People Living Their Lives

I shopped for a desk fan and two indoor plants after work today. I blog my new job bringing back my work blogs soon. In the meantime, I want to share an observation when I shopped.

I saw ordinary people living ordinary lives. They don't need lots of money. They don't need lots of fame. They live another day being grateful for what they have. Most of them don't take their good fortunate lives for granted. The other people must discover to stop taking their lives for granted.

I saw the workers at the stores I shopped taking it easy. There were few customers. They were being their best staying busy. Some of them conversed with each other. Good. They didn't want to be bored; moreover, most were eager to engage in customers. I believe many counted their blessings they have a job. Everything is going to be okay.

Finally, I saw lots of cars on the road driving home in the later commuter hours. The work day was over. Rest, relax, and recover for another workday tomorrow. Some of these commuters work in mediocre jobs. I believe most of us commuters are grateful for our jobs like the retail workers above. They counted their blessings. Everything is going to be okay.

We're ordinary people. Take a deep breath everyone. We don't need lots of money. We don't need fame to be happy. We live our lives to the best with honesty, strength, and dignity.


Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Wine On Fourth Of July

A new hiking shirt for hiking. A new knife to open wine crates. I didn't play Mahjong and I didn't ride a bus to school in 1989. The Chinese restaurant was empty because a few customers needed their car's breaks repaired. The Fourth Of July was spent looking at Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and a full moon. Too early to buy school supplies.





















Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Bringing Home Meals

There are many ways to determine if a person, a couple, a family . . . a group of people is happy in a household. One way is bringing home meals. Is the meal coming from a grocery store requiring cooking or the meal already prepared such as take out from a fast food restaurant? The exception is a household with people who agree to be responsible for their own meals. Otherwise, I have a thought relating meals and happiness.

I believe cooking meals is a happiness sign. Cooking demonstrates caring and thinking about everyone's well being. Cooking meals is beyond duty. There is satisfaction you and everyone else are happy eating a cooked meal. Lazy cooking is unsatisfactory. There must be effort, hard work, time spent, and thought preparing meals. There is no put the meal in the oven, bake it, and forget it until the meal is finished baking. There is creativity. The hands are working with food, spices, ingredients, the utensils, a chopping board, and the stove top.

On the other hand, unhappy people never cook. Meals are purchased at a restaurant, a deli, or in a supermarket's frozen food aisle. The attitude is "here's the meal purchased, let's eat, done." Cooking meals is a duty completed no more. The time spent cooking is being used for their own personal and selfish liking.

There are exceptions such as parties, too busy with responsibilities, unexpected events, and some senior citizens who eat out more often. I hope the too busy with responsibilities is temporary. Bad habits of eating out more often can develop because a sense of buying meals is easier and time saver than cooking at home. Show happiness. Be happier. Cook for yourself or cook for your household.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

My Thoughts On Game 7 Of The 2014 World Series

The Baltimore Orioles was the last road team to win Game 7 in a best of seven World Series defeating the home team Pittsburg Pirates 4-1 in the 1979 World Series. The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals, 1985 Kansas City Royals, 1986 New York Mets, 1987 and 1991 Minnesota Twins, 1997 Florida Marlins, 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, 2002 Anaheim Angels, and the 2011 Cardinals won Game 6 and their clinching Game 7 at their home stadium since 1979. The road team Cleveland Indians tied the series 3-3 in Game 6 of the 1997 World Series against the home team Marlins; in other words, the Marlins could have clinched the World Series in six games.

The road team San Francisco Giants were shutout by the home team Royals on Game 6 10-0 yesterday. I have mixed feelings and confused emotions today. There is a sense of urgency. Giants fans want the Giants to win the World Series. We remember past Game 7 World Series; in particular the 2002 World Series when the Giants were up 3-2 in the series against the Angels. History is against the Giants. The best Giants fans do is hope for the best. Stay positive. We believe the Giants change history. Support the team. Giants fans cheer for them. Have faith timing and luck are in favor of the Giants.

The 2014 baseball season ends today. One team wins and another team loses. Tomorrow is back to normal life.

Side note: I remember starting pitcher Josh Beckett of the Florida Marlins pitching Game 6 of the 2003 World Series on three days rest. The road team Marlins clinched the 2003 World Series against the home team New York Yankees. I understand the reason Marlins manager Jack McKeon made the choice to start Beckett because he didn't want to play a game 7.

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Most Interesting Man In The World October 2014

The radio commercial is a repeat from earlier in 2014. My sports radio talk show rebroadcasted during the baseball playoffs. Jonathan Goldsmith is the actor who portrays The Most Interesting Man In The World for the Dos Equis beer commercials. The narrator is Will Lyman from Frontline.

*His former landlord uses him as a reference.

*He once let a snake bite him, just to prove that laughter is the best medicine.

*Bikers walk their motorcycles past his home.

*His bravado can be seen from space.

*When he gets an idea, more than one light bulb goes off.

*He made diamonds using peer pressure alone.

*His point of view is panoramic.

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Alternate Endings

What if I did this instead of that? We think back the different choices we could have made which could have changed our lives. Why do we think back in our pasts to think about alternate choices? I'm no psychologist. I believe there are two reasons. The first reason is to learn from our mistakes. The second reason is to make us feel better in a sad moment.

We are human. We make bad choices. Sometimes there are bad moments that happen beyond our control. Bad timing and bad luck are part of life. We must continue forward. The world didn't come to an end.

Here are some past moments and the possible alternate endings:

Graduated At Prospect High School. I attended Blackford High School for three years. The Campbell Union High School District made the decision to close two schools because of the recession. Blackford High School closed for my senior year. I finished my high school at Prospect High School.

What if Blackford High School remained open? 1. My classes were easier. The teachers at Prospect were more challenging than Blackford. 2. No driver's license. I lived within biking distance from home to Blackford. 3. I could have been the senior cadet officer in my R.O.T.C. class. 4. I saw all my friends at Blackford instead of seeing half my Blackford friends at Prospect. 5. I could say I attended a school for at least four years. I attended my junior high school for three years. I attended three elementary schools for two years each.

Graduated With An Economics Degree. I started my education at San Jose State University majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Economics. I changed my major to Economics and my minor to Mathematics.

What if I graduated with a different major? Accounting and Geology were also my new major choices. If I majored in Accounting, I had a better chance finding a job quicker after I graduated and I had a better chance finding a job if I lose my job because of layoffs. I might have earned a CPA because it was much easier earning a CPA back then compared to today. And a major in Accounting and a minor in Economics were a good combination of business knowledge and analytical thinking.

If I majored in Geology, then I'm likely in the same job situation with an Economics degree. It was hard to find a job and it was hard to find a job in a recession.

Finished De Anza College In Spring '11. My A.A. degree in Accounting was completed at the end of the Winter '11. I finished De Anza in Spring '11 because I wanted to take the Auditing class which was offered only in spring quarters.

What if I ended De Anza in Winter '11? I could have started job searching three months earlier. I could have took a mini vacation three months earlier. I could have realized how the job market changed and how job searching changed since 2008 three months earlier. The bottom line was my new life started three months earlier.

What if I didn't attend De Anza? I might have found a job. My friends who looked for a job during the recession found a job. I experienced job searching in a tough market for the first time in my life. I didn't experience real student life I should have experienced back at San Jose State which included making new friends, having fun, making mistakes, and being youthful again.

Attended Anime Expo '07. Anime Expo '07 was held at the Long Beach Convention Center temporarily for one year. Their contract at the Anaheim Convention Center ended in '06.

What if I skipped Anime Expo '07? I didn't experience another bad con. I saved money. I saved my vacation time. I didn't get sick after the Fourth Of July holiday. The Long Beach Convention Center was too small for a big attendance. There were not enough hotel rooms. The hot temperatures made the experience worse for outdoor events and the lines for events.

I should have listened to my intuition which said Anime Expo '07 was going to be a bad convention. I wanted to keep my Anime Expo attendance streak intact.

Full Metal Alchemist Anime Saved Me From Quitting Anime. One of Fanime Con '04's programming was the Full Metal Alchemist Midnight Marathon. The anime series was popular in Japan. It was my opportunity to watch the series.

I talked to a friend who graduated college the day before the marathon. He told me he was phasing out of anime. I thought about quitting anime the rest of the day.

What if I didn't watch Full Metal Alchemist? I quit anime at the end of '04. I watched 17 episodes from midnight to 7am. I choose to wear a costume of the main character at the end of episode eight. I continued being an anime fan from '05 to '14. Full Metal Alchemist is my all time favorite anime series. I met lots of new people and made lots of new friends. I have little friends today without continuing anime.

Contract At Cisco Terminated On Nov '08. I was a Business Analyst from Mar '07 to Nov '08. My contract ended because the real estate financial bubble bursted.

What if I continued working at Cisco through '09? I didn't experience a blessing in disguise when my contract was terminated. I didn't take a break from life. I didn't experience being a beginner again. I didn't experience correcting the mistakes I made before I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, '08. I never attended De Anza College from '09-'11 to relive college life.

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My Past Is Not Making Me Quit Life

I'm done. I quit. I'm a loser. How do I live a loser life? I live my life being a loser living at home with my parents, work at a dead end retail job, and spend too much time having fun. I stop reading books and learning new knowledge. No more adventures. I don't want to meet new people. I have enough friends. I'm out of shape. Life moves forward. I stay behind. I minimize pain, suffering, and frustration.

My retail job is anything except preparing anything edible or drinkable. I earn minimum wage. If I'm lucky, I earn more money in a higher non-management position. I have no free weekends. My time spent outside work is watching TV, playing video games, and hording geeky toys. There's no worrying about paying rent because I live at home. I find time to go out once in a while. There are many losers with few friends and a poor social life. I'm one of them. I don't think ahead to my future if my parents past away. I don't think ahead what my life is when I'm 60 years old.

My Past

My past was a waste when I lived in my 20s and my early 30s. What was my past? My answer is nothing--boring, inactive, taking life for granted, and going nowhere. Bland memories. Plain moments. I defined living life one day at a time in a negative way. I didn't move forward. I didn't find new adventures and new experiences. I didn't expand my circle of friends. I never improved my life. I never experienced working hard. My life was too easy. I can say I partially lived a loser life.

My times have changed. I'm lucky and I'm fortunate I have the strength and the desire to avoid living a loser life. I'm not going down the path of loser life. I'm going to work my ass to live a winning life. I'm not going to make the same past mistakes. My past is not going to dictate my life. My past is not going to stop me from finding and living my true life. I'm not going to bury my past six feet underground because my past is part of me. I accept my past. I welcome my past.

What am I doing now to move forward? I job search six days a week, I workout at the gym four days a week, I teach myself mySQL and Python six and a half days a week, I write blogs, I cook meals, I read books, I take care of the house, and I continue an active social life. I have people helping me find a job. I believe my hard work pays off soon. I have confidence what I'm doing now brings rewards soon. My life goals are find a job, move out, continue learning, find new adventures, experience new experiences, improve my physical fitness, and surround myself with good people. I find my true life.

I must not repeat my past which stays in my life forever. My past gives me strength and courage to continue ahead. I have hope. I move forward. There is no quitting. My big successes are earned in a matter of time.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Stop Sweating

I'm not the only person who sweats after a shower in the world. Sweat comes out of my forehead minutes after a cold or warm shower. I feel warmer than a spring or fall evening after a shower. I sweat when I brush my teeth. I don't sweat from the warm air around the shower because I brush my teeth in another part of the bathroom. The bathroom window is completely open. Winter season is the only time there's no sweat. It's my body. I don't know why my body heats up after a shower. I can take a lukewarm shower on a cold winter night. My body warms up afterwards, and since it's the winter, there's no sweat. I never take hot showers.

I started to cool down after a shower by turning on a desk fan in July 2014. The desk fan is next to the window. I feel cool outdoor air. No sweating. My body cools down significantly. There must be a minimum ten minutes cool down period before I go to bed. I brush my teeth when I completely cool down.

I'm a person who must take a shower before going to sleep. I have trouble sleeping feeling dirty, sticky, and sweaty. I can skip a shower when I don't sweat or I avoid any physical tasks which increase my body temperature in a day. My body heats up and forms sweat during any demanding physical activity. I sweat easily.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Bet On The Real Raymond Mar Coming Soon

I blogged Finding The Missing Pieces I must find to be successful on Wed Sep 24. The missing pieces are finding new friends, learning more job skills, living independent or moving out, consistent physical workouts, and finding a job. The real Raymond Mar appears when I find the five missing pieces. The world has one more strong and successful human being.

Most of the world believes the old Raymond Mar exists. The old Raymond Mar before I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008 or the old Raymond Mar before I realized I must work harder on Sep 2013. I need to make everything right. I still have mistakes to correct. I must prove to myself and prove to the world the real Raymond Mar exists. He's no longer the naive, uncontrollable, and immature person. I can be trusted. I can help people.

My typical weekday includes job searching, learning Python, learning MySQL, reviewing SQL, going to the gym, and housework. My typical weekend includes spending less time job searching, learning Python, learning MySQL, and reviewing SQL. Also, I find time relaxing on the weekend. For example, I watch football on Sun. I find time throughout the week writing blogs. Mon is the best day to run personal errands. My Fri night is spent socializing with my friends. My Sat night is a free night I'm open to anything.

I have support. I have goals. I have nothing to lose. If I do nothing, then I'm nothing. I'm somebody. I must do something, anything because I want to live a life. I'm strong. I have courage. I believe in myself. The world waits patiently. The real Raymond Mar is coming soon.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

My Thoughts On Job Searching

My thoughts to the point.

1. Resumes. Resumes communicated the job candidate's long-term potential. The education, the past experiences, and the job skills told the employer what you're going to do for future success. For example, did the candidate have the ability to learn the job such as learning new software programs, learning new concepts, and getting along with his or her co-workers? The thinking was during my time when I graduated college and previous generations.

Resumes are different today. Resumes communicate the job candidate's potential today. The education, the past experiences, and the job skills tell the employer what you're doing today. Forget the ability to learn on the job. Employers want job candidates to know everything now. Employers want job candidates with experience now. The known catch-22 is how can job candidates learn everything now if they can't find a job to learn everything.

2. A Full Time Job. Searching for a full time job is a full time job. If you're not job searching, then you should be learning new job skills. Take me for example. I'm learning Python. I'm reviewing MySQL. I completed reviewing Excel's pivot tables and v-lookups and Access.

I job search six days a week for a minimum of one hour. Nobody finds a job doing nothing. You must spend time for your future career and for your self-esteem. Stay strong. Stay brave.

3. Questioning My Job Searching. I question my job searching sometimes. What am I doing correctly? What am I doing incorrectly? I started job searching on Wed Sep 10. The result as of the blog entry is one interview. I received phone calls and email inquiries. Nothing moved forward thereafter. It's discouraging. I remain strong. I move forward. I hope each weekday I get a call for an interview.

Am I doing too much? Am I producing diminishing marginal returns? Maybe I need to spend less time. Less is more?

4. Accept Rejections. Rejections are part of life. Job searching is no exception. I know people looking for a job with great experience and great knowledge in their field of expertise. They get rejected. Accept the rejections. Move on. Hope for another day to get an interview.

5. 50% Qualified. There are many jobs with lengthy job descriptions. Most of us read the key information such as qualifications, required job skills, education, and length of contract and pay rate if the two are disclosed. The job descriptions are written to hire the perfect job candidate. Almost all hires aren't perfect candidates to satisfy the entire job description. Moreover, a recruiter or a human resources employee likely wrote the long job description because he or she had too much free time.

Apply to jobs you qualify a minimum of 50% of the job requirements. You never know what's going to happen.

6. Cover Letters. Cover letters are risky. If you make a mistake, then you're no longer a job candidate. Include a cover letter in your job application when a cover letter is required or when you apply to a high level position. Don't submit a cover letter when in doubt.

7. Job Fairs. My opinion is the participating companies are just marketing their companies. Nothing more. Avoid job fairs. They're a waste of time.

8. I'm Hired. I'm Doing This? I worked at four companies since I graduated college. All of the companies I worked my job expectations and my responsibilities were different than what was written in the job description. I expect there's going to be a variation to my job function from the job description for my next job I'm hired. Here's another reason to apply for jobs you satisfy 50% of the job requirements.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com