Two Business Lessons I Learned At Cisco

I share two business lessons which were business skills I learned when I worked at Cisco. I didn't learn them in college. I didn't learn them when I worked in the commercial real estate industry after I graduated college. It was an example of learning on the job.

The senior manager was gracious to teach me tables. Report data on tables. Don't use bullets. Don't write long sentences. Don't create boring charts. Use tables. There are column headers. There are row labels. Place the data matching the column headers and the row labels. Most readers don't have the time to read the specific details. Most readers don't want to move their eyes multiples times looking at multiple charts. Most readers want the summary. Most readers want the bottom line. Easy. Simple. Precise.

My department manager taught me to fidget the numbers. The company's fiscal quarter ended. There were deals which closed at the next fiscal quarter. My department manager told me to include those deals in the fiscal quarter ended. Manipulate the department quarterly report. Divisions and departments fought against each other for funding from senior executives. Include everything now. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. It was my first real experience with business politics.

Update On A Past Blog

The world can reduce the number of Same Shit. Different Day. Everything Happens. by being more honest. The blog focused on people reading and listening to daily events. The update focuses on people's character, behavior, attitude, qualities, and attributes. More people tell the truth. Lower the same shit. Express sincerely. End the cliques. I wrote the blog on Jul 28, 2021.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Random Historical Events I Wanted To Be Present

I randomly thought of ten plus three equals thirteen historical events I wanted to be present. I use a time machine to go back to the past. I could be present at the event or I could be present at a memorial location such as at a college student union, at work, at home watching TV, or vacationing. No changes in my body inside and outside. All knowledge remains with me.

13. San Diego Comic-Con 1998 (Aug 13-16, 1998). Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi made her first US appearance.

12. Governor Bill Clinton Visits San Jose State University (Fall Semester 1992). I was stupid. I went home during a presidential campaign rally. It could have been a lifelong memory participating in US history. Number 11 is a do-over. I blogged my mistake The 1992 Presidential Election Bill Clinton At San Jose State University on Oct 28, 2021.

11. President Richard Nixon Resigns (Aug 8, 1974). Nixon is the only US president to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon. The Watergate scandal was the reason for the resignation. Five men broke in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office building during the 1972 presidential election.

10. Star Wars VI: The Return Of The Jedi Opening Night (May 25, 1983). The third movie in the original Star Wars trilogy. Self-explanatory.

9. Korean Armistice Agreement In Panmunjom (Jul 27, 1953). The Korean War ended. A 4 kilometer or 2.5 mile wide demilitarized zone was established to separate North Korea and South Korea.

8. Japan Surrenders To The United States In World War II (Sep 2, 1945). The surrender was held on the USS Missouri. Japanese officials signed the Japanese Instrument Of Surrender.

7. The Dot-Com Stock Market Crash And Dot-Com Bubble Burst (Mar 2000). I worked in commercial real estate during the dot-com era. A senior executive broker told me a financial analyst on a radio told his listeners to sell everything when the NASDAQ closed at 5,048.62. A staff co-worker told me to "load up on Cisco" in 1999. The staff co-worker was correct. I could have made a fortune buying Cisco in 1999 and selling Cisco in 2000.

Number 7 is not necessarily a do-over; however, I could say I go back to 1997 when the stock market hit records numbers. I could have purchased stocks in 1997 and sold in 2000.

6. The Berlin Wall Fell (Nov 9, 1989). The Peaceful Revolution happened which led to the wall destruction and the fall of communism in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Germany was reunified in Oct 1990.

5. Michael Jordan Wins His 6th NBA Championship (Jun 14, 1998). Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won a second three-peat NBA Finals Championship during the 1997-1998 NBA season.

4. The Catch. Joe Montana Game-Winning Touchdown To Dwight Clark (Jan 10, 1982). The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 at Candlestick Park at the 1981 NFC Championship Game during the 1981-1982 NFL season. The Catch symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination and the start of the 49ers' domination in the 1980s.

The 49ers defeated the AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI.

3. Michael Jackson The Dangerous Tour in Bucharest, Romania (Oct 1, 1992). The concert took place at Bucharest National Stadium. 90,000 in attendance at the sold-out stadium.

2. The Beatles 1965 Tour in New York, New York (Aug 15, 1965). The concert at Shea Stadium was the first musical band at a major stadium concert in musical history.

1. Steve Jobs Debuts iPhone (Jan 9, 2007). A phone, a musical player, and internet access in one.

Down And Out Both Are Never Permanent

Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar.

I connect the dots from yesterday to today. The following moments were down and out. There were no permanent downs and outs. The following moments could be a catastrophe. Disasters were prevented. The following moments could be negative life changes. I'm fortunate these negative life changes were temporary. The following moments were potential failures. Failures became satisfactory successes. Life found a way to bounce me back up. The system worked at the end of the day. Destiny, intuition, karma, going with the flow, divine intervention, whatever. A bad luck moment was countered with a good luck moment plus more goodness.

Faith, good luck, and/or good choices saved me from a permanent down and out. Many of these moments were luck. Few of these moments were good decisions. I needed help from family, co-workers, and friends. All assistances were appreciated. Here are the moments from oldest to newest. I categorized the moments good luck or good decision. I want to tell the story. Some of these moments connect.

*Changed Majors (Fall Semester 1995). Good decision. I changed majors from Mathematics to Economics as an undergraduate at San Jose State University. The preparing, volunteering, reading, and the guidance to become a high school math teacher were falling apart. I couldn't pass my math classes. I lost my desire.

One could say the change in majors were killing two birds with one stone. The first was switching majors my grade point average went up every semester thereafter. The second was I'm not teaching in high school today. I graduated with a Bachelors Of Science in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. I didn't waste my lower division math classes.

*First Job (Jul 1998). Good luck. It took me six months to find my first job after graduating at San Jose State University. I was a Research Analyst in a commercial real estate company. My parents pressured me to find a job naturally. I thought about going back to San Jose State University to earn a master's degree.

*Second Job (Feb 1999). Good luck. The manager who hired me at my first job hired me for my second job. Same job title in the same industry. I was a Research Analyst in commercial real estate. The second company was better than the first company. A total of five employees quit from my first company to work at the second company. Moreover, the second company saved me from the first company because I thought about quitting the first company.

*My Second Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Good luck. My first boss who hired me at my first job and my second job moved to Australia. My second boss was nothing. Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired.

I warned the office manager she was ineffective. I waited two years for her release.

*Full Metal Alchemist Midnight Marathon (May 2004). Good decision. A Fanime Con 2004 anime convention event was a midnight marathon showing the anime series Full Metal Alchemist. I watched 17 episodes from midnight to 7am. I stayed awake. The end of episode eight I said, "I'm going to cosplay Edward Elric." Edward Elric was the main character. I thank my mom for making my Edward Elric cosplay.

I contemplated retiring from anime for the remainder of 2004 because I talked to a friend much younger than me. He retired from anime. Watching the marathon delayed my retirement for nine years and four months. I officially retired in Sep 2013.

*Third Job (Mar 2007). Good luck. The second company started going downhill in late 2006. People began quitting. My third job was my first tech job. The company was the largest employer in San Jose, CA. I belong working in the tech industry.

*Grow Up (Oct 2008). Good decision. I remember the day for the rest of my life. I was lost in Aug-Sep 2008. I was weak. I realized I must grow up. My life changed forever. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans.

I include going back to school earning an Associate Of Arts degree in Accounting at De Anza College and vacationing in the state of Washington and visiting Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

*First Job In A Start Up (Nov 2013). Good luck. I was a data entry and bookkeeper in a retail start up selling high end beer, wine, and sake at a discount price. Timing was good because I needed a distraction.

*Another Tech Job (Nov 2014). Good luck. My contract job at the start up company was satisfied. I found another contract job supporting an engineer at a networking server company.

*O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2017). Good decision and good luck. I experienced stomach pains since Mar 2017. The pain was too severe. My parents took me to the emergency room. The wait time was minimal. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The hospital was not busy. The hospital was quiet. I was the only patient in a double occupancy room for three out of the four nights. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.

The moment was the first time I was an in-patient and first time doctors performed surgery.

*Safe At Home Plate, 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45, or Self Trained Genius (Aug-Sep 2019). Good luck. I can't choose a title for the Aug-Sep 2019 moment. I include any of the three. Choose any one.

I began hiking again devoting one day per month. I hiked the Montara Mountain Trail in Pacifica, CA for the first time on Labor Day weekend. I started to read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. My soul was saved. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I began training to become a self trained genius.

A Song And A Genius On The Uncontrolled Life

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you; When you think everything's okay and everything's going right; And life has a funny way of helping you out when; You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up; In your face. --Ironic, Alanis Morissette

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. --Steve Jobs

Update On A Past Blog

The Top Ten Saves blog written on Apr 25, 2020 mentioned four moments from above: my second boss was fired at number ten, number seven mentioned The Shawshank Redemption, number four was the Fanime Con 2004 Full Metal Alchemist midnight marathon, number two was O'Connor Hospital, and number one was growing up.

Three high school saves happened in my sophomore year. I took Geometry after my sophomore year in summer school to take Algebra II in my junior year. I played chess during the lunch hour. I played softball in Physical Education.

Another moment in Fall Semester 1995 which was a save. A shoutout to my Physics 61 laboratory partner who majored in General Engineering. He saved my ass.

Top 50 Most Memorable Moments

Number 50. 50 years on planet Earth. A life milestone. Life can be better. Life can be worse. We do the best. I do my best. These top 50 are the moments from when I was born to my 50th birthday. Each person is responsible to live a memorable life. Here are the Top 50 Most Memorable Moments:

50. My Boss Was Fired (Sep 2002). Officially, she found another job. Unofficially, she was fired. The reasons were incompetence and doing nothing. Lesson learned: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody.

49. The Golden State Warriors Won The 2015 NBA Finals (Jun 16, 2015). I was less than one year old when the Warriors won the 1975 NBA Finals. It felt good the Warriors won a championship as a conscious awareness human.

48. Neverland Album By Nirvana (Aug 1, 2025). I can't explain why it took me decades to listen to the album. There are some songs I didn't realize Nirvana sang from other medias.

47. Bonchon (Jan 27, 2021). I ate Korean fried chicken for the first time. The fried chicken is fried twice.

46. Team Fortress 2 And Final Fantasy VI-VIII (Oct 21, 2007, Dec 20, 2020, Aug 9, 2021, and Feb 2, 2022). Team Fortress 2 was my first video game I played online with other players. I took advantage of the COVID-19 global pandemic to play classic Final Fantasy games. VI is my favorite out of the three Final Fantasy games.

45. Witnessed An Eviction (Mar 6, 2024). I helped a family friend evict a tenant who took advantage of the COVID-19 global pandemic eviction moratorium living rent free without paying back rent. Lesson learned: it's coming--give it time. Everything happens in time.

44. Riichi Mahjong (Oct 2009). I played Japanese Mahjong Riichi for the first time in summer 2007. I hated it. I quit. I accepted a challenge from a friend to relearn Riichi. I accepted. Mahjong is one of my all-time favorite table top games. I also play Hong Kong and Taiwanese styles.

43. Moby-Dick By Herman Melville (Oct 17, 2023). The last three chapters are the best last three chapters I have ever read. I understand all the jokes and references from other medias.

42. Breaking Bad (Dec 2012-Dec 2014). My all-time favorite television series. The show is number one in the IMDb Top 250 TV Shows.

41. Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling (Sep 2019-Mar 2020). I can't explain why it took me decades to read a modern classic. I read the books two more times during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Harry Potter is my favorite character. Gryffindor is my house. My favorite volume is either Year 5 The Order Of The Phoenix or Year 7 The Deathly Hallows.

40. Classic Rock Music (Sep 2005). I was introduced to the local classic rock station 98.5 KFOX. The station saved me from driving without music. I lost interest in pop music. Classic rock is one of my favorite music today. The Beatles is my favorite band.

39. Rent A DVD From The De Anza College Library (Oct 2010-Mar 2011). I rented one DVD a week for my movie of the week. Almost all of the movies I rented were from the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies 1997 edition. Some of the movies I rented include King Kong, Singin' in the Rain, Midnight Cowboy, Vertigo, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

38. Las Vegas 2004 (Dec 13-15, 2004). My friend from Washington and I met in Las Vegas. Both of us won money at the Luxor casino playing craps and playing the camel race machine. We visited Fremont Street where we played limit poker at Binion's. The casinos we stayed overnight were Paris Las Vegas and Bellagio. The Bellagio is my all-time favorite hotel and casino.

37. Oregon Trip (Nov 16-20, 2005). My parents, uncle, aunt, and I drove from the Bay Area to Oregon for a road trip. We visited Portland, Salem, and Multnomah Falls. Shopping, sightseeing, and real estate were our top activities. I won $100 at an Indian gaming casino along Interstate 5.

36. Anime Expo 2006 (Jul 1-4, 2006). Best Anime Expo I attended. Some of the highlights included the guest of honor CLAMP, cosplay gatherings, meeting new people, and sneaking in the dealer's room without lining up. It was the last year Anime Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center.

35. South Bay Job Search Network (Oct 14, 2013). I joined a local job networking group. Their experiences and their knowledge helped me get a job in Nov 2013. I used their information to improve my job search. They inspired me to continue learning new job skills and to continue reviewing my existing job skills. Joining the CSIX job networking group is included in the moment.

34. Steve Jobs And Stephen Hawking (Feb 26, 2016 and May 25, 2022). I read the late Jobs' biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and the late Hawking's A Brief History Of Time. Two geniuses. Steve Jobs is my all-time favorite book. Lessons are learned. Wisdom acquired.

33. Paul McCartney Up And Coming Tour (Jul 10, 2010). I missed the opportunity to see Paul McCartney at the HP Pavilion in 2005. I wasn't making the same mistake twice. I saw Paul McCartney at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Great concert. He played for almost three hours.

32. Podcasts (Various Dates). I listen to 99% Invisible, Awesome Etiquette, Damon Bruce: Plus, Freakonomics, Lex Fridman, MuggleCast, Sex With Emily, Stuff You Should Know, The Dave Ross Commentary, and The Problem With Jon Stewart. My current events podcasts are 60 Minutes and Nightline. My retired podcasts are Car Talk and NBC Sports Bay Area Happy Hour.

31. Artisan Wine Depot (Nov 2013-Sep 2014). My first start-up company I worked. My second retail company. Great business idea selling high-end wine at discount prices.

30. Palo Alto Networks (Nov 2014-May 2015). It was nice going back to a tech company. The timing was good I earned money for the 2014 Christmas Holiday. The experiences from the mistakes and the politics were greater than the work experienced itself.

29. New Laptops And New Desktops (Various Dates). My first laptop was the Dell 8600 Inspiron in Feb 2005. My second laptop was the HP Compaq 8510p in Jul 2008. My third laptop was the HP Spectre in Nov 2019. I built my first desktop in Jan 2009. I built my second desktop in Jan 2020.

28. My Bible (Aug 7, 2012). I created my bible from past blogs. My bible reminds me who I am, my strengths, and my lessons learned from my mistakes. I say with high confidence I am who I am today reading the bible: stronger, smarter, kinder, wiser, confident, and having faith in myself.

27. My Blogs (Aug 4, 2005 and Sep 2, 2008). I created two blogs. The first blog is Innovating Common Knowledge. Innovating Common Knowledge innovates life's common knowledge. My second blog is Finding Raymond Mar. Finding Raymond Mar is my personal blog for which I blog anything without restrictions.

26. The Perfect Semester At San Jose State University (Fall 1996). I attended classes on Tue and Thur. I learned how to write. 3.64 semester GPA. I mastered the shooting arcade game Area 51. I worked part-time at Blockbuster Video. I lost weight. I began listening to music while I studied.

25. Washington Canada 2005 (Aug 27-Sep 4, 2005). I visited my Washington friend in his home state for the first time. It was my first time in Washington. It was my first time in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Some of my highlights included visiting the Space Needle, winning money at an Indian casino, shopping for used books, visiting small towns, and seeing new sights I never saw in California. I don't consider Canada my first foreign country because anyone in the United States can visit Canada easily.

24. My First Car (May 19, 2007). I purchased my first car from my neighbor who moved to Virginia. It was the Toyota Camry 2005 XLE V6. Very dependable car. No major problems. I take my car to the auto repair shop for routine repairs. I change the oil myself using Castrol. I fill my car with Chevron gas.

23. My New Face And My New Haircut (Sep 2004 and Apr 2017). My new haircut was a buzzcut in Sep 2004. I lost weight which included a new face in Apr 2017. Today is the best I've ever looked.

22. Cisco (Mar 19, 2007-Nov 22, 2008). My first job working at a tech company. I experienced working in a cubicle for the first time, eating in a cafeteria, and my first work-issued laptop. I went on a business trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on my second week. My 18 months was good experience in the tech sector. My contract was terminated because of the financial real estate bubble burst leading to the Great Recession.

21. Hiking (Apr 2009-Present). Hiking became a new hobby. My first trail was Uvas Canyon in Morgan Hill, CA. Some of my favorite trails include Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, CA; Point Lobos in Monterey, CA; and Pinnacles in Paicines, CA. I purchased hiking clothing, shoes and a backpack at the 2009 REI anniversary sale. I recognize four hikes in four months between Sep-Dec 2019. The hikes were Montara Mountain trail at San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica, CA; Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, CA; Castle Rock State Park; and Mission Peak in Fremont, CA.

20. Ballroom Dancing (Jan 2009-Mar 2011). My sister was an amateur ballroom dancer. She introduced me to ballroom dancing. Dancing is a great social activity. I took dancing classes at De Anza College. I met new people and made friends.

19. De Anza College (Mar 2009-Jun 2011). I choose to go back to school after I lost my job at Cisco. I took Beginning Weightlifting and Social Dance in Spring Quarter 2009. I choose to go back to school full time majoring in Accounting. Accounting was an alternate major when I attended San Jose State. I earned my AA degree in Mar 2011. I finished in Jun 2011. Going back to school was a second chance to relive life as a true college student. My experiences were satisfactory.

18. Fanime Forums Valentine's Day Gathering (Feb 18, 2006). It was my first forum gathering. We met at a bowling alley. I made lots of new friends. I keep in touch with most of them on social networking.

17. Innovate Infinitely Was Created (Nov 2000). There is no innovateinfinitely.com without Innovate Infinitely. Innovate Infinitely was created driving to Japantown-San Jose. The words "Innovate" and "Infinitely" came to my mind waiting at a signal light. I said, "Innovate Infinitely . . . Never Stop Innovating Life." I innovate infinitely. Always find something new to learn, always improve, always create, and always becoming a better person.

Blogger's note: Sep 2000 is incorrect in the Top 40 Most Memorable Moments. Nov 2000 is correct.

16. innovateinfinitely.com Is Online (May 1, 2004). I created a web site to promote Innovate Infinitely. It took 10 months finding a web hosting company, learning how to register a domain name, learning how the domain name servers work, and learning the basics of web pages and the Internet.

15. Fanime Con 2009 (May 22-25, 2009). Best Fanime Con I attended. Everything started on time. The weather was perfect for cosplayers. I made lots of money at the Swap Meet. I danced at the Black And White ball. I always did something. It was the perfect con with minimal problems.

14. COVID-19 (Mar 17, 2000-Present). California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I'm in the minority. My life has been improving. There are life changes such as new cooking techniques, old school boiling water to drink clean water, completing more errands in the morning, and sleeping with the windows closed. A few COVID-19 moments appear in the Top 50.

13. The Year Of The Role Playing Game (RPG) (1997). 1997 was the perfect year for RPG. Everyone was in San Jose, everyone adjusted their college and work schedules, everyone participated in the action, and the plots were terrific. The memories are remembered for a long time.

12. Washington Canada 2008 (Nov 15-20, 2008). I visited my Washington friend in his home state for the second time. We went to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The highlights included visiting Hurricane Ridge, playing Betrayal At the House On The Hill board game, touring The Underground Tour in Downtown Seattle, and shopping for books. I also climbed the indoor wall at REI in Downtown Seattle. The timing was good because I needed a life distraction desperately. The vacation satisfied the distraction.

11. Japanese Anime (Summer 1996-Sep 2014). I became an anime fan watching Sailor Moon on TV. The first anime series I purchased was the first season of Ranma 1/2. Anime influenced my life. I created many memories. I officially retired in Sep 2014. Full Metal Alchemist is my all-time favorite anime series.

10. The Shawshank Redemption (Sep 21, 2019). There is a reason the movie is number one in the IMDb Top 250 movies. The movie is my all-time favorite.

9. Life Skills (Various Dates). Learning life skills is part of my training to become a self-trained genius. The skills I have been learning include rope knots, paper airplanes, shuffle cards, sew a button, read a compass, and basic electricity. I'm open to new suggestions.

8. The Triple Play (1984-1988). My brother and I played G.I. Joe, Transformers, and MASK. We played on Saturdays and during the summers. We created plots to determine the scenarios like a cartoon episode. Our collections were not the biggest. I believed having enough toys for the three series was better than having all the toys for one series. There was a lot of variety.

7. Zion National Park (Oct 3-4, 2015 and Sep 16-17, 2016). My first time visiting Utah. My first time in the Mountain Time Zone. My first time camping. My first time backpacking.

6. Cosplaying (Sep 11, 2004-May 27, 2013). I attended anime conventions cosplaying from Sep 11, 2004 to May 24-27, 2013. Memories were created. I made friends at cosplay gatherings. Cosplaying saved me from quitting anime at the end of 2004. I thank my mom for making the costumes.

5. Wall Street Bets And Superstonk (Jan 2021-Present). I learn more about financial investing following the two Subreddits wallstreetbets and Superstonk compared to my B.S. in Economics and A.A. in Accounting degrees combined. It's an example people learn more outside the classroom.

4. The Real Job Training (Oct-Nov 2014 And May 2015-Present). The skills include Power BI, R-Studio, Excel, Python, and SQL. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources. My self job training is completed with a graduation in analytics research technology on Mar 2024. I began my graduate self job training on Apr 2024.

Blogger's note: Oct-Nov 2013 And Jul 2014-present are incorrect in the Top 40 Most Memorable Moments. Oct-Nov 2014 And May 2015-present are correct.

3. O'Connor Hospital (Apr 2-Apr 6, 2017). I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis.

2. 50 Years Old At The Age Of 45 (Sep 2019). In my opinion, a genuine adult is a genuine adult at age 50. I became a genuine adult at the age of 45. I crossed the line four years and 11 months ahead of schedule.

1. Growing Up (Oct 4, 2008). My life changed forever when I realized I must grow up. I walked to my car after attending the Los Altos Fall Festival when the moment happened. The life changes were immediate. I built a new Gaming PC, I started to read fiction books, I wore new clothes, I purchased my first fine watch, and I slept on a new mattress. I found new hobbies which included hiking, ballroom dancing, and listening to classic jazz. I started following new gym workout plans. I live life stronger, smarter, wiser, kinder, and mature. The real innovate infinitely continues today.

My Second Boss Was Fired

I experienced a manager was fired for the first time in Sep 2002. She was my second manager overall. It happened at my second company after I graduated at San Jose State University. She was hired in Sep 1999 to replace my first manager who hired me at my first company and my second company. I warned the office manager the replacement was a poor choice. The office manager ignored my warnings like many office managers disregarding worker concerns.

My intuition told me the managing partner needed to layoff staff due to the dot-com recession and the brokers complained about my manager's performance. The managing partner told the office manager to fire my manager. The office manager came to the Research Dept for an impromptu meeting to acquire justification. The meeting lasted ten minutes. The final question was, "Is Research going to be affected if she leaves?" The co-worker and I said the answer "no" immediately.

The office email stated she found another job. I received inside information from a broker's assistant my manager was informed her firing beforehand. The office fired her after she found another job. The broker's assistant also told me my manager's salary was "very high."

I learned a life lesson from my manager firing: have nothing, do nothing, get nothing, be nothing, and people treat you like nothing. Never be a nobody.

Afterwards

The next 4.5 years another office manager was the Research Dept's manager. The previous office manager admitted her mistake to me in 2003. My co-worker maintained the database. I ran the operations. The managing partner wrote the quarterly newsletters. All was peaceful. Why? Everybody was winners. Each year were record setting revenues. Each year brokers surpassed their previous year's sales targets.

Staff members began to leave the partnership and my office starting in late 2006. I worked at Cisco in Mar 2007. My co-worker worked at another commercial real estate company in Jul 2007. Winning hides weaknesses. Winning ignores problems hoping they go away. Problems were clear and present starting in late 2006.

Going Back To The Gym

I went back to the gym yesterday on Sun Mar 17, 2024 for the first time since Mon Mar 16, 2020. It was exactly four years ago yesterday Governor Gavin Newsom shut down the state of California due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. I've been working out at home with my mini gym. My mini gym consists of two adjustable dumbbells from 2.5lbs to 50lbs, a 25lb plate, a 45lb plate, and a workout mat.

I was rusty. The gym changed the name for marketing purposes. I recognized almost all of the equipment including machines, cardio, and free weights. The gym expanded the astro turf section. Almost all of the new equipment was found in the free weight section. The mini gym succeeded maintaining my physical strength. I could still bench press 135lbs two sets and 12 reps. I felt sore last night and today.

There is no comparison between a mini gym and a full gym. People who say a mini gym substitutes a full gym to avoid gym fees and to stay home for convenience shortchange their physical benefits. It was like when I changed job industries decades ago from commercial real estate to technology. The skills and knowledge in commercial real estate were inadequate in technology. I struggled for months learning new skills and unlearning my incorrect training.

I continue working out at home and going to the gym. The present weekly workout plan is two days jogging around the neighborhood, one day mini gym, and one day at the gym. The choices working out at the gym and working out at home gives me flexibility.

Rename Past Blogs Titles Because The Original Title Are Incorrect Or Misleading

I rename 26 past blogs because the title is deceptive. The title doesn't explain the blog content. The title relating to the text makes no sense. 15 of the 26 or 58.70% blogs are between 2007 and 2009. 18 of the 26 or 69.2% blogs are between 2007 and 2010. Four blogs reference cooking. Three blogs reference taking life for granted. Technically speaking, these past blogs are updates on a past blog.

Update On A Past Blog

Original Title: Free Bird
Date Written: Apr 15, 2007
Renamed Title: Cooking Solves The Problem Being Stressed And Do Something Solves The Problem Being Bored
Explanation: I posted two life tips still valid today. The first tip is cooking destresses a person. Cooking is an activity to take a break. Cooking minimizes eating processed foods. The second tip is avoid being bored doing something out of the ordinary. For instance, I became sick in Apr 2022. I relaxed such as catching up writing blogs, watching old DVDs, and listening to old CDs to recover.

Further, I wrote, "Do something, anything, . . ." which became a life motto when I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.

Original Title: A Lesson On Life Yesterday
Date Written: May 5, 2007
Renamed Title: Practice Personal Responsibility
Explanation: I learned personal responsibility on my second month working at Cisco. Nobody was going to help me with my assignments. I was responsible to learn what I didn't know. Asking for help was the last resort.

Original Title: A Moment Being Selfish
Date Written: Jul 12, 2007
Renamed Title: My Dream Home
Explanation: I thought how I live life owning a home. I cook my meals, park my car in the garage, and invite friends and family for social activities. The last paragraph is true today: . . . I think about the millions of people who can't afford a home. It's sad, yet life is unfair.

Original Title: Something New To Me
Date Written: Aug 6, 2007
Renamed Title: People Thanking Me Is New To Me
Explanation: The first time in my life people thanked me. The first time in my life people helped me. The first time in my life people appreciated my presence. Beforehand, I thank other people, I helped other people, and I appreciated other people.

Original Title: One Lunch Day In 2000
Date Written: Aug 9, 2007
Renamed Title: I Saw A Homeless Person One Lunch Day In 2000
Explanation: The specific lunch day I saw a homeless person with a sign saying all hope is loss. I should have purchased a sandwich for the homeless person.

Original Title: A 12 Year Mistake
Date Written: Aug 12, 2007
Renamed Title: Making No New Friends Was A 12 Year Mistake
Explanation: The renamed title is self-explanatory. I failed to make new friends from college to beginning cosplaying at anime conventions.

Original Title: I Wake Up, Now What
Date Written: Jan 5, 2008
Renamed Title: What Am I Doing In My Life?
Explanation: The renamed title is self-explanatory. I questioned how I lived my present life. I worked at Cisco, I lived at home with my parents, I watched anime, I worked out at the gym, and I read books. Marriage and moving out of the house were afterthoughts.

Original Title: Runners Stop And Walk
Date Written: May 31, 2008
Renamed Title: Run To Get One Done Or Walk To Get Them All Done
Explanation: Physical fitness is irrelevant. I paraphrase the last paragraph: Two choices. The first choice is run completing tasks hastily increasing the chances for errors. The second choice is walk completing tasks one at a time decreasing the chances for errors.

Original Title: Straight From My Gut
Date Written: Oct 18, 2008
Renamed Title: Straight From My Gut Trust Intuition
Explanation: I realized my intuition helped me through fearful moments. I realized my intuition saved me from tough situations.

Original Title: Point A to Point B. Where's Point C, D, E, F, G, . . .
Date Written: Oct 26, 2008
Renamed Title: Don't Take Life For Granted
Explanation: I shared past moments I took life for granted. Never stop improving. Never stop learning. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Original Title: How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It?
Date Written: Jun 4, 2009
Renamed Title: Some People Have The Charisma, Good Vibes, And Good Looks
Explanation: There are people who attracts other people to them. I questioned my charisma, good vibes, and good looks.

In particular, one friend attracts people at anime conventions. High school educated, worked in retail, overweight, talked slowly, learns slowly, and a standard geek. I saw him conversing with new groups of people most of the time I saw him. The same friend watched an anime convention masquerade from the side stage because he got a press pass.

Original Title: My Solution To Solve Problems
Date Written: Jun 20, 2009
Renamed Title: Cooking Skill Can Solve Some Problems
Explanation: Cooking may not solve world problems. Cooking can solve some personal problems. One less personal problem is one less problem the world deals with.

Original Title: I'm Keeping The Door Closed
Date Written: Dec 27, 2009
Renamed Title: I Say No To Death
Explanation: I'm not ready to die.

Original Title: Gratitude
Date Written: Dec 28, 2009
Renamed Title: No More Taking Life For Granted
Explanation: Another reminder don't take life for granted.

Original Title: Riding On Bad Luck
Date Written: Dec 31, 2009
Renamed Title: Riding My Car's Tire On Bad Luck
Explanation: I shared past moments I had a flat tire.

Original Title: A Lesson Learned Tonight
Date Written: Feb 2, 2010
Renamed Title: There Are No Guarantees In Life
Explanation: I learned the life lesson when Conan O'Brien agreed to a $45 million settlement to leave "The Tonight Show," with $33 million to O'Brien and the staff receiving $12 million from NBC. The Jay Leno Show and O'Brien hosting The Tonight Show were failures.

Original Title: Dumb and Dumber
Date Written: Mar 28, 2010
Renamed Title: Don't Spend Time With Dumb People
Explanation: You may become dumb if you spend time with dumb people. I repeat, "[Don't] lower yourself to get along with the friend or group. Whether you continue to spend time with the friend or group is another discussion.

Original Title: A Frozen Dinner
Date Written: Jul 9, 2010
Renamed Title: Try Eating New Foods
Explanation: Eating new foods can add a little excitement. Eating a new junk food is approved.

Original Title: 23 Is Too Short
Date Written: Jan 28, 2011
Renamed Title: A Friend Died At Age 23. 23 Is Too Short.
Explanation: A friend died from sickness complications at age 23. I blogged what my life was at age 23.

Original Title: I Know It Lifestyle
Date Written: Dec 9, 2011
Renamed Title: A Dynamic Life Or A Predictable Life
Explanation: There's no right way or wrong way to live life. Either choose a predictable and routine life or a dynamic and "on the fly" life.

Original Title: Ice, Ice, And More Ice, Baby
Date Written: Mar 13, 2013
Renamed Title: Ice Is Important In A Residence
Explanation: Every freezer must have ice.

Original Title: What Is Wrong With This Picture?
Date Written: Apr 4, 2013
Renamed Title: What Is Wrong With The 2003 Raymond Mar In This Picture?
Explanation: This picture refers to me. I critically analyzed my appearance in 2003. The short answer is I looked pathetic.

Original Title: What Happened?
Date Written: Jul 28, 2013
Renamed Title: Connect The Dots Backwards Life From Mar 2007 To Jul 2013
Explanation: I looked back at in my life from Mar 2007 to Jul 2013. There were mistakes including taking life for granted, failing to earn my successes, and being weak. I corrected a few. The mistakes I failed to correct continued to affect me.

Original Title: Frustrating, Adjusting, Taking Action, Changing
Date Written: Aug 13, 2013
Renamed Title: The 2013 San Francisco Giants Adjustments
Explanation: I wrote my opinions how the Giants took action to adjust and to change.

Original Title: Bringing Home Meals
Date Written: Oct 30, 2014
Renamed Title: Meal Preparation Describes A Person Or Family
Explanation: Pay attention to the meals when people meet other people for the first time and families meet other families for the first time inside their residence. The meals are signs how the person or people live their daily lives. People or families who cook are more happier. People or families who don't cook are less happier.

Original Title: There's An A In Overachieving
Date Written: Oct 11, 2020
Renamed Title: The Oakland A's Are Overachievers
Explanation: The professional baseball team lost 10 of its past 11 postseason series on Oct 2020 when the A's lost to the Houston Astros. Management trades its star players at the prime of their careers; in other words, sell high, buy low for which buy low is acquire young baseball talent at low salaries or old veterans at the end of their careers. Ownership is cheap.

I also wrote 1+1+1=3 which is one superstar plus good coaching plus good management or good ownership equals a championship.

I Worked At Bad Companies

Luck is part of the reason people have good careers and people have bad careers. Anyone who says luck is not a factor knows nothing. I worked at five companies after I graduated at San Jose State University. The first two companies were in the commercial real estate industry. The first company went bankrupt which was bought out by a competitor. The second company went corporate for better or for worse. I say better because there was a chance a corporate manager solved their problems optimistically speaking. The third company was Cisco. Cisco was Cisco. Cisco is Cisco. Cisco is an old dinosaur company people still want to work. The fourth company was a retail start-up which went out of business six years later. The fifth company was a growing company with too much politics. My department was one of the worse departments.

Where are the good companies? Companies cared in past generations. Management cared. The workers stayed in one company throughout their careers. They retired in the same company. Companies cared about their workers during retirement. There was professional nurturing. Openness was natural. Employees and management encouraged each other. Wealth spread out. There was support. I got your back. You got my back. Opportunities were plentiful. Today's companies consist of politics, complaining, people care about themselves attitude, and personal shields on the defensive every minute. People who hate their jobs leave the company instead of helping management solve problems. Google or Alphabet is not a good company. The outside public believes Google is a good company. The inside workers tell the contrary stories.

Too Much Too Tired

You're tired at the end of the day. Perhaps, you're too tired--it's fatigue. It's not your fault. Today's fast pace Information Age is a reason. Today's more to do Information Age is a reason. More is required compared to past generations. Parents are doing more. Students are doing more. First responders are doing more. Engineers are doing more. C-level executives are doing more. Professional athletes are doing more. Further, there are too much tv shows, movies, podcasts, books, and music. The big salaries are earned for people who succeed doing more. A rising tide raises all boats. Planet Earth needs to lower the tide. Humanity gets tired faster.

Crystal Reports Yes? I'm Hired

I worked as a Business Analyst contractor at Cisco for my third job after graduating at San Jose State. The first question the hiring manager asked me was, "Do you know Crystal Reports?" I said, "Yes." The rest of the interview was formality questions and answers. Today's Business Analyst must know programming, business intelligence, enterprise software, a database programming language such as SQL, and Salesforce. Some positions require the software development life cycle, supply chain experience, and data science expertise.

A life guarantee is 24 hours a day. There are seven days a week. Tough choices must be made what a person can do and what a person can't do. Touch choices must be made to eliminate some of the too much. Tough choices must be made to slow down if necessary. There are no correct choices. There are no incorrect choices. Regardless, make strong choices. Make good choices. Hope for the best.

Seven Thousand Dollars 1998 Mentality In 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Find the sales. Buy on sale.

Also 2008 Feeling In 2022

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

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

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

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

And 2009 Attitude In 2022

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

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

Update On A Past Blog

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

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

I Thought About The Late Night Team Fortress 2 Games Last Night

A random thought appeared in my head before I went to bed last night. I thought about the video game Team Fortress 2 (TF2). The game could be purchased in The Orange Box released in 2007 from Valve. The Orange Box contained five video games TF2, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and Portal. Many video gamers considered The Orange Box the best deal in video game history because gamers purchased five video games for the price of one.

TF2 was the first video game I played online against other players. The game was popular for years. Gamers continue playing the free-to-play version today. I played TF2 three nights a week during the initial months. I played on Monday nights which I called it Monday Night TF2 or MNTF2 referencing the NFL's Monday Night Football. I also played on Friday nights and Saturday nights. There were weeks I played all night on a work night. I played too many hours. My work performance was unproductive the next day.

My deeper thought is I didn't get sick when I played all night on a work night. I can't explain it. Maybe my younger body tolerated the minimal hours of sleep when the sun rose. My physical workouts were inconsistent since I spent more leisure time on the computer. I don't remember eating too much processed foods. I was lucky. If I play a video game all night on a work night, then I'm likely going to experience sickness. I'm glad I don't play video games regularly anymore. There are more important priorities.

SOMT: The 2022 Business Analyst Is Not The 2007 Business Analyst

Blogger's Note: SOMT stands for Sign Of My Times, an occasional blog sharing my thoughts how time changes life from when I was young to today.

I worked at Cisco as a contractor Business Analyst in 2007. The one job requirement was Crystal Reports. All other job requirements were secondary such as Excel, Word, and Outlook. Times were easier decades ago.

Times have changed. Job requirements have changed. Job expectations have changed. Some business analyst job titles are renamed business analytics. Business Analytics or the like is a fancy way of saying a business analyst with advanced technical skills. I received an email for a fulltime BI Analytics or Business Intelligence Analyst position. The job description is the pic above. Some of today's business analysts require more than Excel, reporting, and analyzing. They require database skills such as SQL and Oracle. They require programming skills such as Python and Java. They require more than basic statistics mean, median, mode, and rank. They require reporting and dashboards software skills such as Tableau and Power BI. Forget Crystal Reports. I see a few positions requiring Linux, HTML, JavaScript, and knowing a text editor. I see a few positions going for the home run requiring supply chain, accounting, and/or finance. On the other hand, I see fewer positions requiring Salesforce. The key skills requirement importance 1-5 might as well be all 5's. The second page is the disclaimer and contact information.

Another change is contractor companies or recruiter companies search for full time employees. Be cautious. Some contractor companies or recruiter companies find job postings online instead of being contracted directly by companies to find a fulltime employee; in other words, unsolicited full-time job candidates. They hope the job candidate is hired for which the company receives compensation. Company career web pages post no third-party recruiters on their job openings.

Throwback Blog: Myself and Many Others’ Crystal Reports Catch 22

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Myself and Many Others’ Crystal Reports Catch 22 written on Apr 18, 2012. I laughed, chuckled, and shook my head rereading the blog. I can't believe I reviewed Crystal Reports in early 2012. I think back today and I think back to 2012. About 1% of all job openings required Crystal Reports. The reporting software program was a joke in 2001, 2006, 2007, and 2012. I'm learning Power BI. I stopped learning Tableau because Power BI is free and there are financial barriers to learn Tableau. I wonder is Power BI easier to use compared to Tableau today?

I finished reading a Crystal Reports book to review and relearn the reporting software. My first exposure was in 2001. I took a class while I worked at Colliers International. Colliers wanted to use Crystal for their new database. I was not involved in the database development and report design. I forgot everything as years went by. I needed another training class as Crystal was revisited for another database in 2006. I took a class again. I used Crystal for a limited time afterwards.

The Crystal Reports training benefited me when I worked at Cisco in 2007. My department used Crystal for their quarterly reports. I struggled initially because it was the first time I used Crystal daily for the weeks after the fiscal quarters ended. I learned from my mistakes and I experimented with different designs to become a person with working Crystal knowledge. That was the best way to learn Crystal—just do it.

Fast forward to today. I finished reading my Crystal Reports books and created reports to practice. I watched YouTube Crystal tutorial videos. That’s all I can do to keep my knowledge strong in my head. I feel reading another book is a waste of time and redundant. All I can do is wait for a job opportunity to apply my knowledge and experience.

I’m in a catch 22. I see job postings requiring at least three or at least five years of experience. How can I gain experience in Crystal Reports if companies don’t hire me? I know the basics. That should be good enough. Books and training courses teach us how to use Crystal. Books and training courses don’t teach us Crystal work experience. The best way to gain Crystal work experience is working in a company. Again, how can I gain experience in Crystal if companies don’t hire me? The best I can do I continue finding a company that gives me an opportunity.

Side note: I’m looking into learning SAS, a statistical reporting software. I don’t know the cost for training. Database software SAP is unlikely because I know their classes are expensive.

Throwback Blog: Free Bird

Blogger’s Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Free Bird written on Apr 15, 2007. I wrote three topics. The first topic is my fifth week at Cisco. I completed an assignment in one week. I admit I was lucky. I made a mistake. I should have found a way to improve my Crystal Reports skills. On the other hand, any additional training was likely a waste of time because Crystal Reports was a terrible reporting software program.

The second topic was learn cooking. The content was true in Apr 2007. The content is true today. I follow what I said today. Cooking is an activity to take a break. Cooking reduces eating processed foods. A healthy person minimizes eating processed foods. Cook healthy meals. Cooking is an activity to reduce stress, to rest the brain, and to slow down.

The third topic was boredom wastes time. There is always something to do. I repeat my suggested activities verbatim: watch a DVD never watched in a long time, take a walk around the neighborhood, read a book, play an old video game, clean the bathroom, listen to a CD never listened to before, go shopping, organize a future gathering, create a Blog, watch YouTube videos, learn how to cook (huh, what?), and take a nap. I add additional suggestions: learn another skill, refresh an existing skill, and visit a new place.

O.K. The title of the Blog is unrelated to what I'm talking about. I'm listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd and I said, "Free Bird" which is my title XP

Update at Cisco. Tomorrow, I start my fifth week at Cisco. No complaints. There are lots to learn. And I need to know more Crystal Reports. Last week, it took me all week to complete an assignment. I was happy, lucky, and concern. I was happy I finished my assignment because it involved Crystal, and my Crystal knowledge is still newbie. I was lucky because there were moments I needed to think of another way to do it and I did it. My concern was the assignment was updating the monthly statistics report which was in a quarterly format. For those who produce monthly and/or quarterly reports, I believe we are talking on the same page. A quarterly format is not used for monthly reports because nobody wants to read a quarterly reports 12 times a year ;-)

Here are two Innovating Common Knowledge Blogs. Enjoy!

Working Hard? Learn How To Cook

Do you work hard? Some people do. And some people work too hard. If you work too hard and need to find a new activity to take a break, then consider cooking.

Many people who work too hard chances are high they can't cook. They eat at restaurants, eat processed foods, drink coffee . . . unconcerned what they eat. You are what you eat. One may be making lots and lots of money; however, how can one enjoy the money if they work too hard and are unhealthy to spend. If a hard worker is staying in the hospital in bad health, then all the money may not be able to save his or her life, and who wants to spend hard working money in medical bills $-/ A dead hard worker can't spend money six feet under X.X

There are many benefits to cook at home. For me, I cook healthy food. The more healthy food I eat, the less likely I visit the hospital. Eating healthy food promotes good healthy habits, keeps the weight acceptable, and keeps the brain active and heart pumping and pumping. When I cook, I take a break from work. I take food and ingredients to create something for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My brain slows down from the fast pace, critical thinking working environment. Even brains need to rest from thinking too long. And when I think of anything including work, the kitchen provides me an environment to think differently, think slowly, and think at the back of head. My primary brain thinking is cooking without burning the stove. *hee, hee*

Please visit my webpage Cooking 101 at cooking101.html to find simple recipes.

Bored? Do Something Out Of The Ordinary

One of my pet peeves is boredom. I hate to be bored. Boredom wastes time. Some say being bored is O.K. It's like a time out. For me, though, if I want to be bored, I take a nap. (-,-)

Boredom is an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary. I remember in August 21, 2005, I was super bored. It was the last time I was super bored, and I even wrote the moment on paper. What I did was I looked at all of my anime art books including Full Metal Alchemist, Evangelion, and Card Captor Sakura. Since the day, when I get super bored, I find activities I usually never do. I find activities I never did in a long time. I just find something, anything, whatever, and think of new activities and new ventures to pursue.

Here are some activities to consider when bored: watch a DVD never watched in a long time, take a walk around the neighborhood, read a book, play an old video game, clean the bathroom, listen to a CD never listened to before, go shopping, organize a future gathering, create a Blog, watch YouTube videos, learn how to cook (huh, what?), and take a nap.

Life goes by fast. The older the person, the faster life goes by. Live every moment in the present. Live right now. Boredom is evil in life. Stay active, and it's O.K. to take life slowly. Just don't sit on the couch waiting for life to come to you. Do something, anything, whatever, and think of new activities and new ventures to pursue.

Update On A Past Blog

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers for winning the 2020 World Series. The last time the Dodgers won the World Series was in 1988. The Dodgers won the National League West Division 2013-2020. The Dodgers appeared in the World Series in 2017, 2018, and 2020. The Dodgers lost to the Houston Astros in 2017 and lost to the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

Why did the Dodgers finally win the World Series being in the playoffs since 2013? My answer is Mookie Betts. The 2018 American League MVP is the superstar the Dodgers lacked. I wrote a blog titled There's An A In Overachieving on Oct 11, 2020. A championship team requires three components which are a superstar, good coaching, and good management or good ownership. Betts is the superstar. Manager Dave Roberts is the good coaching. I give Roberts credit for learning from his past mistakes. President Stan Kasten is the good ownership such as giving the green light to acquire Betts from the Boston Red Sox. The past Dodgers teams 2013-2019 making the playoffs lacked the superstar. Some may say former manager Don Mattingly was a bad manager.

Throwback Blog: Am I Becoming A Wally?

Blogger’s Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Am I Becoming A Wally? on Jun 10, 2008. I reference Wally from the comic Dilbert by Scott Adams. My last six months at Cisco my typical working day was like Wally. I did nothing. My average hours of quality work were between one hour and two hours a day. The responsibilities were too easy. I automated most of my weekly and monthly assignments. My contract was terminated in Nov 2008.

I experienced the same Wally at Palo Alto Networks in 2015. I did nothing. The projects my engineer assigned requires little brain power. I also automated most of my weekly and monthly assignments. My contract was terminated in May 2015.

There are going to be more workers experiencing the Wally because the economy is in a recession. I anticipate more workers with fewer projects. There are going to be full-time employee layoffs and contract terminations.

My answer to the question how to cure the Wally Syndrome was quitting. The answer was incorrect. The correct answer is learning, training, and drilling. Learn new skills. Refresh existing skills by repetition. A Wally cure is watch YouTube videos to refresh my Excel skills, review Power BI, or write Python code to improve my job performance. The bottom line is stay busy. Don't browse the web. Don't watch nonwork related YouTube videos. I made mistakes at Cisco and Palo Alto Networks. I'm not going to make the same mistake at my next job. There is no three strikes and I'm out of a job permanently.

Going off topic first. There was one accident on Wednesday June 4 and Thursday June 5 driving to work. The accidents were my first accidents on San Tomas Expressway since I started driving there in December 2007. The fire alarm went off in my building on Wednesday. There is a scheduled drill on Tuesday June 10. I received unconfirmed information the alarm was a drill. I find out on Tuesday.

Going on topic ^__^ The past month I have been experiencing the Wally Syndrome. I name the syndrome after Wally, the lazy, carefree engineer from the comic strip Dilbert. The past month I have been lazy. There were many working days I completed no work for hours and hours. The days I worked I completed the assignments and the reports so efficiently and so quickly I gained more free time. There were approximately three or four days I was slammed I never browsed the web, never checked my personal emails, and never pinged anyone.

I'm currently waiting for two co-workers to submit their portions for my department's quarterly report and the latest monthly report. The last two months my division experienced personnel changes some assignments have been delayed indefinitely. Another co-worker came back to work on Monday June 9 after going on maternity leave since April. The return gives me more free time, LOL as she resumes her responsibilities I have been doing. And on Monday June 9, my department's new manager starts. I have a meeting with her Monday morning.

If my new manager requests new reports and assignments on a daily basis, then my Wally Syndrome is suppressed. If I receive the final information needed for the quarterly report and the latest monthly report anytime, then I complete each report, finalize it, and email to appropriate people in about two hours. Then I have free time from the time I submitted the reports to the end of June XD Then the Wally Syndrome comes back. Oh, when I have an assignment due days later, sometimes I complete half in one day, become lazy, and complete the second half another day rather than complete the assignment on the same day.

Is my Wally Syndrome continuing? It's going to take my new manager months to understand the department and what everyone does. I anticipate few assignments from my new manager in the short-term. The daily requests and assignments take me either minutes or hours to complete. I'm really efficient ^__^

The cure to the Wally Syndrome is quitting. The current Economic conditions and the strength of the economy worldwide are questioning whether I still have a job in December. Many companies are nickeling and diming every department to save a buck. Being lazy at home and lazy at work are different.

Top Ten Wisdom Acquired In 2007 I Failed To Follow

I wrote a similar top ten for the year 2006 in Top Ten Wisdom Acquired In 2006 I Failed To Follow on Nov 16, 2019. 2007 was a bad year. What if I followed through my 2007 wisdom before I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008? I might have found a job before my Cisco contract was terminated in Nov 2008 or found a job during the Great Recession in 2009. I know two friends who found jobs in 2009. I might not need the Sat Oct 4, 2008 fateful day because I had been growing up in 2006 and 2007.

I reacquired, relearned, and rediscovered my 2007 wisdom years later. They started on the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008. I never forget these additional top ten wisdom. I practice them daily. Today's top ten is another reminder how I live a good life.

I wrote Learn From Failures, Too on Sep 25, 2007 innovate successes and convert failures to success. A common life wisdom is learn from our failures. I failed to learn from my failures because I ignored my failures. I quit what failed to become success. Also, there were no failures because I didn't try anything new.

Here are the top ten wisdom acquired in 2007 I failed to follow. I followed them years later.

10. Summer Of 2001 In 2007 on Jun 1, 2007. I declared Summer 2007 as Summer Sabbatical 2007. I took it easy, relax, be patient, slow down, and had some fun. I actually took it too easy, relaxed too much, impatient, rushed, and had too much fun. Summer Sabbatical 2007 was the time I took life for granted. I didn't solve problems I need to solve.

9. Innovate Infinitely on Aug 20, 2007. I had an opportunity to innovate my entire life sincerely. My entire life included learning new job skills, improving my gym workouts, and meeting new people. I failed.

8. A 1,000 or More Pieces Of Life on Jul 31, 2007. Another instance I took 2007 for granted. I blogged, "We are going to make mistakes. We are going to experience slumps. We are going to experience down months or down years. We are going to experience conflicts." I have been experiencing slumps. I have been experiencing down years. I failed to prepare for the slumps and down years.

7. I Made The Fewest Mistakes And Succeeded on Jul 27, 2007. How can one be successful? Commit the fewest mistakes. On the other hand, we must be brave to make mistakes. We must be brave to fail. Mistakes and failure are the best ways to learn. Don’t make too many and careless mistakes. Number 7 parallels the introduction for which I didn't fail because I didn't try anything new. Ironic.

6. Release The Cherish on Mar 14, 2007. I was too sentimental. I was afraid to leave my comfort zone. I failed to say goodbye to people, to places, and to objects. I blogged, "As time moves forward, we encounter new people, new places, and new items. There is a moment where we must make a choice to keep an existing cherish or choose a new cherish. And sometimes we must say goodbye to a cherish and find a new cherish to continue living."

5. Free Bird on Apr 15, 2007. I wrote there are benefits to cook at home. I ate too much processed foods. I ate out too much. My diet today is minimize eating processed foods and minimize eating at restaurants.

4. The Shermans on May 23, 2007. The Shermans were neighbors in their 80s. They never stopped learning. They continued to read. The retirees never relaxed doing nothing. They worked to keep their minds sharp. I vow to follow the Shermans throughout my entire life.

3. Innovating My Enthusiasm on Mar 5, 2007. I didn't keep my fun in check. Having too much fun can ruin a good time. The wisdom is relax while having fun.

2. What Pissed Me Off Yesterday? on Jan 10, 2007. My co-worker took hours to calculate statistics when I worked in commercial real estate. He failed to learn new technology. I failed to learn new technology. There is no failure today. I'm learning Python and Microsoft BI. I'm reviewing SQL and Excel.

Honorable mention. An Inspiring CEO on Dec 3, 2007. I wrote 14 tips if I become a CEO.

1. Fourth Of July Double Fireworks Blast: Schools Get An F For Excluding The Letter E on Jul 7, 2007. Success must be earned. Most of my past successes were unearned. I blogged, "Successes must be earned. Everyone must work and earn. Work and earn. Get up from the couch. Get up from the computer. Go out and earn your life. . . . Anything you do, any goals, any desires, any achievements, any wants, you must earn it." One of my life mottos I created days after Sat Oct 4, 2008 is, "get up and do something, anything."

Summary

10. My Summer Sabbatical 2007 was a failure.
9. Innovate infinitely.
8. We live a roller coaster life of ups and downs. Be prepared for the downs.
7. Make the fewest mistakes to win. On the other hand, make sincere mistakes to learn.
6. Be courageous to say goodbye.
5. Learn how to cook. Minimize eating processed foods.
4. Never stop learning during the senior years. Work to keep the mind sharp.
3. Keep fun in check. Relax while having fun.
2. Never stop learning new technology.
1. Earn successes.

Update On A Past Blog

My parents, one of my uncle's family, and I visited my grandparents on my father's side at the cemetery during the Christmas holiday. My grandfather reminded me the blog My Two Grandfathers on Jul 3, 2019 and my grandmother reminded me the blog I Live To Reach The 90 Club on Jul 21, 2011. My grandfather was an average intelligent person; on the other hand, his financial knowledge was above average. He created financial security for my dad and my uncles. I promise to continue my financial education to create my own financial security. My grandmother was a sharp person in her 90s. She experienced typical senior citizen slow brain function. Her memory was strong. Her learning was solid. I promise to never stop learning. I promise to use my brain. I promise I'm not a dumb old fuck.

Throwback Blog: Perfect Drive To Work

Blogger’s Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Perfect Drive To Work in Feb 2008. The blog reminded me working at Cisco. The experiences and lessons apply to today's work environment. There are days of short commutes. There are days simple assignments became complicated. I mentioned my department took two months to complete a quarterly report.

Since December 26, 2007, I have been driving the expressways to work instead of driving the freeway. On Friday February 15, I drove from home to my turnoff without stopping. A perfect drive. A perfect commute. I said "Perfect!" after I passed the last intersection. Now the bonus was making the left turn without stopping on a red light. I stopped. The next perfect drive must be all greens. No red lights.

Moreover, the work day was perfect. I took a break from working on my department's quarterly report and I work on my other assignments I delayed completing. I completed most of the assignments and I must finish on Monday. Monday is President's Day, and even though I have to work *sniff, sniff*, I expect a slow day.

Speaking of quarterly report, my department should be happy we should finish in three and a half weeks. The last quarterly report, our first time using a new format, took eight weeks.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Throwback Blog: Top Ten Bad Breaks And Bad Timings

Blogger’s Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled Top Ten Bad Breaks And Bad Timings in Feb 2013. Perhaps the timing is good, ironically, to repost my bad breaks and bad timings. I have been experiencing these during my job search such as being shortlisted without an interview, positions cancelled, and being second place. The job market continues to be tough. I can avoid these if I cheap myself working in data entry again. I'm done with data entry. I have nothing to lose. My current life situation proves the more difficulties I experience, the more bad breaks and bad timings chance.

We all experience bad breaks. We all have been at the wrong place and at the wrong time. They happen beyond our control most of the time. These are part of life. We deal with it. We learn from it. We prepare the next time bad breaks and bad timings occur.

I admit these are small potatoes in my opinion. I could have experienced worse. I believe the more I live, the more difficulties I experience, and the more bad breaks and bad timings come to me. I'm prepared. Here are my top ten:

10. Stomach Flu (Dec 1991). My sister was an extra in The Nutcracker ballet. One of the extras in her group was an executive in a high tech company. He organized a party for all the extras and their families. My family told me it was the best party ever. I missed it because I was bed-ridden with the stomach flu.

9. Super Bowl XXXI (Jan 1997). Blockbuster Video called me to fill in a shift for a sick worker during the time Super Bowl XXXI was broadcasted. My shift was over when the football game was over. I missed the party with my friends. It was the only Super Bowl I missed since I became a football fan.

Side note: All the female employees worked the early and afternoon shifts. The male employees worked the evening shift.

8. Dot Com Stock Market Bust (Mar 2000). I doubled my money in my stock portfolio. I was stupid I didn't take my money and run. My portfolio never recovered. I lost lots of money.

7. An Economics Major With Three Semesters Of Physics (1994-1995). Physics was required for a Mathematics major. I switched majors from Mathematics to Economics on the semester I took my third and final Physics class. What a waste of time.

6. Fanime Con '98 (Feb 1998). The first time I was sick during an anime convention. I survived taking multiple medications. If anyone looked at me, they thought I was stoned.

Side note: The next time I was sick during an anime convention was Anime Expo '11 in July 2011.

5. Anime Expo '00 (July 2000). The convention was held at the Disneyland Hotel. Disaster from the start. Midnight programming was shut down. A featured movie never arrived. Congoers in costume and Disneyland security clashed. Complaints Disneyland food were expensive. The construction and renovation made it worse as congoers had to detour around the hotel perimeter.

The reason Anime Expo went to the Disneyland Hotel was the Anaheim Convention Center underwent expansion. 2006 was the last year Anime Expo was at the Anaheim Convention Center.

4. Cisco Contract Terminated (Nov 2008). The real estate bubble bursted in the beginning of 2008. It was a matter of time when my contract was terminated. 11 months was a long time from Jan. I believed I was terminated because my manager favored another contractor who had an MBA degree, not necessarily because my department didn't have the money.

3. My Manager Left Me Behind (Sept 1998 and Oct 1999). My manager who hired me at my first job went to a competitor . He also hired me at our competitor. Then he moved to another country months later. He didn't give me enough training in research analysis and being a good employee. He didn't have enough time to mentor me. It was like he ditched me.

2. New General Education Requirements At San Jose State University (Fall 1993). I was really angry to be honest. The new requirements started for all enrolled students except graduating seniors. I had to take extra classes. I could have graduated one semester early if it wasn't for the extra classes . . . and my Physics classes.

1. Graduated My High School Senior Year At A Different High School (1992). I was affected again with a bad economy. The 1990 recession forced my district to close two high schools. The high school I attended for three years was one of the two high schools to close. I really didn't have a bad senior year. I should have been more proactive in being friendlier and I should have accepted attending a different high school.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

My Dream Last Night Clinging To All Hope

The last time I slept I dreamed I started my first day at a new company. It started going to a house in my neighborhood in the morning before driving to work. The two story house was a classmate one year older than me in junior high and high school. I was in a room on the first floor. I opened a clear plastic drawer on a small while shelf. I saw two work badges from were Cisco and Palo Alto Networks I used to work. The Cisco badge was an actual badge when I worked there in 2007-2008. The Palo Alto Networks badge was inaccurate when I worked there in 2014-2015. The family kept my badges. I couldn't explain why.

A daughter was moving out of the house. She was going to college. I congratulated her and said my goodbyes to her and the family before leaving.

I arrived at one of the company's buildings. The campus and company name was Cisco. I worked at Cisco for the second time. My manager was the engineer I supported at Palo Alto Networks. Most of the employees in my department were Palo Alto Networks.

The work environment theme was Egyptian. The cubicle walls were the lowest I ever saw. The cubicle walls were actually dividers for all workspaces. Everyone could see everyone from body to face.

My first company emails were congratulatory emails. One of the emails was from a co-worker when I worked in commercial real estate. The second email was from a friend who played board games in the Northern California wine country. The emails were unexplainable because my family was the only people who knew my new job. I planned to announce my new job on Facebook at the end of the day.

My first assignment was to map out a motherboard. My manager asked the director to help us get the diagram. The three of us almost got fired because my assigned laptop was unsuccessfully purged. My laptop automatically played Japanese Anime or Japanese cartoons. The sound was loud the entire department startled. No harm was done in the end.

I got lost walking around my floor; in particular, I walked around one hallway passing by the server rooms. The brightest areas were the work areas like sunshine focusing directly at the workstations. The lighting could be described as sunlight instead of florescent light. The hallways were darker for which the light source was along the walls.

Could my dream be my first foreshadow? Could my dream be my first life prediction? I have an above average long term memory which includes remembering some dreams. I never dreamed a moment which comes true in the future. It's like a fiction story where a chapter is a foreshadow for a future moment involving the main characters. I'm clinging to all hope I find my independence soon.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com

Work Sat Apr 18, 2015

Fri Apr 3: Spring Day. Company holiday. Begin the 30 day countdown my contract ends.

Mon Apr 6: My first 10am-7pm and 3-4pm lunch work day. It reminded me the schedule at my last job was 10am-7pm and 3-4pm lunch.

The power supply units arrived. There were two pallets totaling 133 units. I removed the units from the packaging.

Tue Apr 7: I began arriving at a later time instead of 8am. The commute traffic was lighter. My gas mileage was back to normal. No more 30% lower gas mileage driving longer time commutes arriving at 8am.

I learned from my mistakes the first time I opened the power supply units. I organized the opened boxes and form packaging to make them easier to throw away. I also used an empty big box to throw away the bubble wrap. I took my time opening the remaining 133 units at 6pm.

Wed Apr 8: I finished logging the power supply units in an Excel file.

Two co-workers told me their workload was busy because of quarter-end. The month of May begins the fiscal fourth quarter.

Thur Apr 9: I picked up my new security badge. The new badges are security enhanced with photo and first name only printed on the front and back sides.

I felt sleepy around 11:45am. I ate half of a bag of Fritos. Then I ate an apple I grabbed in the coffee room. I woke up minutes later. Maybe I should bring an apple to work. On the other hand, maybe not because I needed to take a dump.

I tested the power supply units in the tech operations lab. It was my first assignment testing components. One of the test engineers joked being a test engineer is my new career. I learned to wear no watches on my wrist. My wrist hurt due to repetitive tasks. I take off my wrist watch tomorrow.

Fri Apr 10: I ate some breakfast courtesy of the weekly Fri breakfasts provided by the company. Today's breakfast came from Panera. I ate a piece of apple coffee cake.

I finished testing the power supply units in the tech operations lab. My engineer told me to request RMAs at the manufacturing website.

Mon Apr 13: The network emailed me to change my password. I didn't change my password because I'm no longer working on the day I work six months.

I shipped the power supply units to the manufacturer.

Tue Apr 14: My engineer assigned me to test the SSDs. I used an USB SSD reader, installed the testing software, and began testing at my cubicle.

Facilities installed low flow faucet heads in all the sinks.

Wed Apr 15: I ate lunch with my contractor's on-site recruiter. She told me to email my updated resume tonight. She forward my resume to her colleges working with other companies. There were no new contractor positions coming up in the company. It was confirmed I start job searching.

I learned the contractor working terms changed since I contracted at Cisco in 2008. There are no more indefinite contracts. For example, Cisco's maximum length contract policy is 18 months. If Cisco wants to keep the contractor after 18 months, he or she must be converted to full time. I also learned to look at the whole picture when companies save money hiring contractors. My contractor company charges a 35% fee. The company is saving money. The company is not paying the contractor's taxes and worker's comp. My contractor company pays the taxes and worker's comp. My contractor's company is making a small profit. It's contrary to the common knowledge contractor companies make easy money providing contractors to companies.

I found out the contractor who assisted the risk manager is training a new executive assistant. Her contract ends Apr 29. There was no extension. She continues job searching.

Thur Apr 16: The test engineer convinced my engineer the SSDs must complete phase two testing. Phase two is a longer test. My engineer told me to test SSDs with an RMA number because if the customer's complaint on the RMA says SSD failed, then the SSD is phase two tested. Otherwise, the SSD is not phase two tested.

A funny moment on my way to the storage to get the first box of SSDs. Another worker and I rode the same elevator to the first floor. I grabbed the first box of SSDs. I walked back to the elevators. I saw the same worker waiting for the elevators. He told me he went to a server room to check the cables. I told him I needed the SSDs for testing. He asked questions why I'm testing.

The commute driving home was unusually long. I drove out of the parking lot at 7:15pm. There was traffic between El Camino and Saratoga as if I was driving at 5:15pm. It seemed the signal lights on green were timed shorter.

Fri Apr 17: I arrived at 10:10am. It reminded me when I ran late to work at my last job. The reason was I played Planet vs. Zombies for the first time on my phone last night. Addicting. I deleted the game after playing for 2.5 hours.

I continued phase two SSD testing. The average time per SSD was 1.5 hours.

My engineer told me the next shipment of power supply units was lost. He was mad. We expected at least three more pallets.

Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com