Business Intelligence is my life.
No, really, it's my job.
And that's great.
Because data exist everywhere.
And if you have the right tools and access, you too can work with data.
You can get data 'into' the database.
Or you can get data 'out' of the database.
You can aggregate the data.
Or show the details.
You can create Dashboards and Key Performance Indicators.
Or you can create cool visualizations.
Any way you slice it, the data is there waiting for you to do something with it.
Now if you spend enough time in school, get your PhD, and know your way around statistics, then you may become a 'Data Scientist'.
Perhaps that definition is to extreme. Maybe a data scientist works with Big Data. Hmmm. Maybe not.
Perhaps a Data Scientist is someone who's a master at working with data, who understands and comprehends the business, the processes, the industry as well as the data and the tools necessary to process it. One who can derive meaning from it. Perhaps someone gifted in the art and science of turning data into information.
Hmmm.. That sounds more appropriate. Because I really don't have time to go back and get a PhD at this point in my career. And maybe the decade and a half experience I have isn't wasted time.
I'd go a step further. What do you think an Oracle does, one who interprets Tarot cards or Astrology. They view the patterns of the stars, how they are aligned, the relationship to other objects, and can produce probabilities based on that.
Now some people say that's hogwash, their results are so vague and can be interpreted the same for everyone. And they are a bunch of con artist taking people's money for telling the future.
I'll be honest, I went to see a psychic and they said I'd meet someone named 'Crystal'. This is no lie, I met 3 people named Crystal and I was programming in Crystal Reports at the time. Coincidence?
Some people don't believe in electricity because they can't see it, so go ahead and touch that light socket and let me know if you still don't believe in electricity.
So what I'm basically saying is this, are Data Scientist just a new derivative of the ancient Astrology readers from 2000 years ago, who read the intestines of animals to predict the future?
Sure makes you think about if from a different perspective.
And what level does 'Intuition' play in the game of Data. Do you not think the decision makers use practical business experience and gut instinct applied against the known facts, the result of the data insight, just in case the data has false positives?
I'd say intuition still plays a huge role, regardless of what the industry says.
Facts are great, if they're correct. But I wouldn't bet the entire farm on them.
And that's what I think.
12/31/2012
Stuck in the Mud
I learned the Structured Query Language in 1995.
And although the language has changed over time, the basic foundation hasn't changed much.
So in a sense, I have not had to re-learn a new language over time.
Which means I've been stuck in the mud, theoretically.
I've been coasting along riding the wave of a single language for 18+ years.
Granted, I used to program in languages such as Visual Basic, ASP, .net, Java, however the number of times I've had to learn a new language has been scarce.
And I've paid the price, for technology did not stand still.
The world of programming has splintered and grown in every direction.
And that is why I'm thankful for finding an online training website, www.PluralSight.com, to help get back up to speed.
As of today, I've watched close to 25 courses, in just over a weeks time.
And that's only scratching the surface of topics to learn.
The courses are great because they have an instructor, who speaks slow and clear, who types examples as they go, and you can go back and re-watch specific portions of code which you missed the first time.
I did not subscribe to the source code option however, which is okay for me, because I'm trying to get surface level knowledge of a variety of topics and not so much 'deep dives'.
So I'm furiously trying to catch up to the current technologies as things have changed over the years.
And if you think about it, things are in constant motion so the concept of learning never ends.
And so it goes!
And although the language has changed over time, the basic foundation hasn't changed much.
So in a sense, I have not had to re-learn a new language over time.
Which means I've been stuck in the mud, theoretically.
I've been coasting along riding the wave of a single language for 18+ years.
Granted, I used to program in languages such as Visual Basic, ASP, .net, Java, however the number of times I've had to learn a new language has been scarce.
And I've paid the price, for technology did not stand still.
The world of programming has splintered and grown in every direction.
And that is why I'm thankful for finding an online training website, www.PluralSight.com, to help get back up to speed.
As of today, I've watched close to 25 courses, in just over a weeks time.
And that's only scratching the surface of topics to learn.
The courses are great because they have an instructor, who speaks slow and clear, who types examples as they go, and you can go back and re-watch specific portions of code which you missed the first time.
I did not subscribe to the source code option however, which is okay for me, because I'm trying to get surface level knowledge of a variety of topics and not so much 'deep dives'.
So I'm furiously trying to catch up to the current technologies as things have changed over the years.
And if you think about it, things are in constant motion so the concept of learning never ends.
And so it goes!
12/30/2012
Classic VB vs .net
Back when I programmed in classic Visual Basic I thought it was the greatest language ever.
Because you could program at any level.
From entry level business user writing code to advanced level programmers using classes, DLLs and COM+.
Downside was not object oriented, no built in error handling and code could become spaghetti really fast.
And then we were asked to migrate to .net.
When I say asked, we were basically forced.
As in no more support for VB6.
And programmers needed to learn object oriented coding really fast.
Although it's still possible to code in VB.net not using Object Oriented methodology.
Due to lazy programming styles.
However, the improvements between classic VB and let's say the 4.0 .net framework are completely different.
The only similarity between the two would be the name: Visual Basic.
We now have object oriented code, built in error handling via the garbage collector, the IDE environment is much cleaner, you can combined languages easily, the coding style is easier and way more powerful.
The downside is having to learn the new library's.
Now for me, I veered direction in 2006 and learned Java.
That was actually a good decision because c# is basically a rip off of the Java language.
So it looks like we can have our cake and eat it too.
.net is an incredible programming ecosystem.
Downside, it runs on Microsoft Windows only and IIS.
That's the price for using .net.
So if you ask me today am I disappointed the classic VB went away, well, the improvements outweigh the downsides.
And guess what, there are still company's that have VB6 in production today as well as ASP classic.
And that's a fact!
Because you could program at any level.
From entry level business user writing code to advanced level programmers using classes, DLLs and COM+.
Downside was not object oriented, no built in error handling and code could become spaghetti really fast.
And then we were asked to migrate to .net.
When I say asked, we were basically forced.
As in no more support for VB6.
And programmers needed to learn object oriented coding really fast.
Although it's still possible to code in VB.net not using Object Oriented methodology.
Due to lazy programming styles.
However, the improvements between classic VB and let's say the 4.0 .net framework are completely different.
The only similarity between the two would be the name: Visual Basic.
We now have object oriented code, built in error handling via the garbage collector, the IDE environment is much cleaner, you can combined languages easily, the coding style is easier and way more powerful.
The downside is having to learn the new library's.
Now for me, I veered direction in 2006 and learned Java.
That was actually a good decision because c# is basically a rip off of the Java language.
So it looks like we can have our cake and eat it too.
.net is an incredible programming ecosystem.
Downside, it runs on Microsoft Windows only and IIS.
That's the price for using .net.
So if you ask me today am I disappointed the classic VB went away, well, the improvements outweigh the downsides.
And guess what, there are still company's that have VB6 in production today as well as ASP classic.
And that's a fact!
12/29/2012
Donations to the SPCA
We do garage sales every Saturday just about.
And we look for things to donate to the SPCA.
Towels, blankets, carrying crates, kitty litter, bowls, beds, toys.
And every couple of months we drive down to SPCA and donate.
So today was that day, we dropped of 15 blankets, two crates, tons of towels, 2 kitty litters, bowls, etc.
Good feeling to see they appreciate our two shopping cart loads full of stuff for the animals.
Kind of sad to see all the dogs and cats up for adoption, hopefully they'll find good homes.
They said they had lots of activity over the holiday season which is nice.
And they could really use the supplies we dropped off.
Plus it gives us something to look for at the garage sales.
And we look for things to donate to the SPCA.
Towels, blankets, carrying crates, kitty litter, bowls, beds, toys.
And every couple of months we drive down to SPCA and donate.
So today was that day, we dropped of 15 blankets, two crates, tons of towels, 2 kitty litters, bowls, etc.
Good feeling to see they appreciate our two shopping cart loads full of stuff for the animals.
Kind of sad to see all the dogs and cats up for adoption, hopefully they'll find good homes.
They said they had lots of activity over the holiday season which is nice.
And they could really use the supplies we dropped off.
Plus it gives us something to look for at the garage sales.
And now for some .net
With all the new learning I've been doing, I decided to go old school and see about .net again.
I programmed in .net in 2003-6 and a bit after that, except I wanted to see if I could still do it.
So first I loaded up Visual Studio 2008 r2 and downloaded some sample code from http://www.planetsourcecode.com.
Except the program I downloaded required AJAX.
So I downloaded AJAX and got it's sample web to run okay.
However, there was a mixup between the 3.5 and 4.0 dot net framework.
So I decided to create a simple CONSOLE application.
Which I got to run.
So then I decided to connect to my SQL-Server 2008 r2 database.
Which after some tinkering, success, I was able to produce the results of a SQL table to the console and loop through all the records.
Took some work to get the configuration settings from the app.config but its working.
Imports System
Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Public Class vbMyClass
' Shared variables
Dim connectionSting = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("ConsoleApplication1.My.MySettings.ReportServerConnectionString").ConnectionString
Dim con As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection(connectionSting)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
Public Sub ShowData()
cmd = New SqlCommand("Select * FROM Catalog", con)
If con.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then con.Open()
Dim sdr As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
While sdr.Read = True
Console.WriteLine(sdr.Item("ItemID").ToString & " " & sdr.Item("Path").ToString)
End While
sdr.Close()
End Sub
End Class
This part of .net hasn't change much to be honest.
What has changed is the JSON, jQuery and MVC.
A co-worker gave me some work to do in MVC a few months ago, except it really didn't make much sense, same as today.
I'd like to build up to that eventually, but for now, I'd like to get .net back on my resume.
I currently support a few web services in production which I've had to modify recently.
One's a REST service and the other is an actual SOAP web service, both ODATA.
So sure I feel good connecting .net to SQL, the building block for developing webs and services and web services and client server apps.
Fun stuff to do on a day off from work. I'd prefer to have the latest version of Visual Studio installed, maybe down the road.
That's it for now, JB
I programmed in .net in 2003-6 and a bit after that, except I wanted to see if I could still do it.
So first I loaded up Visual Studio 2008 r2 and downloaded some sample code from http://www.planetsourcecode.com.
Except the program I downloaded required AJAX.
So I downloaded AJAX and got it's sample web to run okay.
However, there was a mixup between the 3.5 and 4.0 dot net framework.
So I decided to create a simple CONSOLE application.
Which I got to run.
So then I decided to connect to my SQL-Server 2008 r2 database.
Which after some tinkering, success, I was able to produce the results of a SQL table to the console and loop through all the records.
Took some work to get the configuration settings from the app.config but its working.
Imports System
Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Public Class vbMyClass
' Shared variables
Dim connectionSting = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("ConsoleApplication1.My.MySettings.ReportServerConnectionString").ConnectionString
Dim con As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection(connectionSting)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
Public Sub ShowData()
cmd = New SqlCommand("Select * FROM Catalog", con)
If con.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then con.Open()
Dim sdr As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
While sdr.Read = True
Console.WriteLine(sdr.Item("ItemID").ToString & " " & sdr.Item("Path").ToString)
End While
sdr.Close()
End Sub
End Class
This part of .net hasn't change much to be honest.
What has changed is the JSON, jQuery and MVC.
A co-worker gave me some work to do in MVC a few months ago, except it really didn't make much sense, same as today.
I'd like to build up to that eventually, but for now, I'd like to get .net back on my resume.
I currently support a few web services in production which I've had to modify recently.
One's a REST service and the other is an actual SOAP web service, both ODATA.
So sure I feel good connecting .net to SQL, the building block for developing webs and services and web services and client server apps.
Fun stuff to do on a day off from work. I'd prefer to have the latest version of Visual Studio installed, maybe down the road.
That's it for now, JB
Year in Review 2012
The year 2012 is coming to a close.
I'd say it was a stellar year from several angles.
New Job: I got out of the Public sector into Private working for an International Software company doing Advanced BI. My salary finally matches my skill set, better late than never!
Part Time Job: I put in a lot of hours this year, 538 hours to be exact.
New Skills: I've gotten hands on experience with SharePoint, Tabular Model, Power Pivot, c#, Team Foundation Services.
Public Speaking: I spoke at the local Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group meeting, got last minute notice but I enjoyed it and conquered my fear --> View Link
Training: Signed up for Plural Sight training site to keep my skills sharp.
Stuff: New Pool, new used car, new FIOS 150 speed
Fitness: I started back at the gym in November and also got back out no the tennis courts around the same time Back on the Courts Get Back in the Ring
Health: I no longer smoke cigars, drink diet cokes and increase my fruit and vegetable intake.
Changes: We fired out CPA, pool maintenance guy, dentist and I switched from the credit union (1986) to a bank.
Overall a successful year!
12/28/2012
Recent Training Courses
I've been viewing some training video's the past week.
And let me tell you, there's a lot to learn.
I've watched 15+ courses and that's not the tip of the iceberg.
From AWS to SQL Azure, Biz Talk, SSIS, OData, Big Data, SharePoint for Power Pivot, Power Pivot, Javascript, jQuery, NodeJS, IronMountainRuby and some others as well.
Each course ranges from 30 minutes to 7 hours so it does take effort.
It gives you a good understanding of each technology.
I feel smarter already.
If you care about your IT career, you should check out the site. http://www.pluralsight.com
And let me tell you, there's a lot to learn.
I've watched 15+ courses and that's not the tip of the iceberg.
From AWS to SQL Azure, Biz Talk, SSIS, OData, Big Data, SharePoint for Power Pivot, Power Pivot, Javascript, jQuery, NodeJS, IronMountainRuby and some others as well.
Each course ranges from 30 minutes to 7 hours so it does take effort.
It gives you a good understanding of each technology.
I feel smarter already.
If you care about your IT career, you should check out the site. http://www.pluralsight.com
Cloud is the Future of IT
In reviewing some of the latest Cloud solutions from Microsoft Azure and AWS I'm amazed at the opportunity.
It seems the Cloud is open for business.
In the fact that you can create web sites in a matter of minutes.
Same with Databases. And Mobile solutions. And Business Intelligence. And VPNs. And Networks. And Pipes between the Cloud and On-Premise.
Just amazing.
And all of this is available via a web management console.
What does this mean for us?
Developers now have new opportunities for development, deployments, getting a site up and running fast.
What does this mean for system administrators?
I see potential to ease the workload from on-premise work to Cloud work.
What does this mean for Cost Savings?
I'm not 100% sure of the pricing models, but think of it this way. Renting vs Buying.
How would you like to provision a new server within minutes without having to purchase a new server, memory, apply software and patches, setting up permissions and users. Now all this can be done in the Cloud.
And for Entrepreneurs? Imagine setting up a website and database and as your company grows, you can increase the number of web servers or database size based on demand, and then scale back if necessary. Let's say you run a 3 day sale, bump up the specs for 3 days then scale back, a built in elasticity if you will.
Personally, I see this as a niche business for someone like me to be the go-between for small to mid size company's to get up and running quickly where I would provide the skills, time and knowledge which the company's don't have.
Kind of a service oriented approach where end users would come to my company Bloom Consulting and I would set up their accounts and provision servers, databases, VPNs, and even develop some of the sites for them.
Not a bad business model if you ask me.
And then once up and running, business can hire remote workers to connect to the Cloud and work remote. They can save on office space as well as hire contractors for specific projects on an as needed basis.
I am convinced that the Cloud is the future of IT.
It seems the Cloud is open for business.
In the fact that you can create web sites in a matter of minutes.
Same with Databases. And Mobile solutions. And Business Intelligence. And VPNs. And Networks. And Pipes between the Cloud and On-Premise.
Just amazing.
And all of this is available via a web management console.
What does this mean for us?
Developers now have new opportunities for development, deployments, getting a site up and running fast.
What does this mean for system administrators?
I see potential to ease the workload from on-premise work to Cloud work.
What does this mean for Cost Savings?
I'm not 100% sure of the pricing models, but think of it this way. Renting vs Buying.
How would you like to provision a new server within minutes without having to purchase a new server, memory, apply software and patches, setting up permissions and users. Now all this can be done in the Cloud.
And for Entrepreneurs? Imagine setting up a website and database and as your company grows, you can increase the number of web servers or database size based on demand, and then scale back if necessary. Let's say you run a 3 day sale, bump up the specs for 3 days then scale back, a built in elasticity if you will.
Personally, I see this as a niche business for someone like me to be the go-between for small to mid size company's to get up and running quickly where I would provide the skills, time and knowledge which the company's don't have.
Kind of a service oriented approach where end users would come to my company Bloom Consulting and I would set up their accounts and provision servers, databases, VPNs, and even develop some of the sites for them.
Not a bad business model if you ask me.
And then once up and running, business can hire remote workers to connect to the Cloud and work remote. They can save on office space as well as hire contractors for specific projects on an as needed basis.
I am convinced that the Cloud is the future of IT.
Quality Reigns
There's quality and then there's the knock off brand.
And I've typically gone with the quality choices.
Recently, after some bad experiences at the local supermarket, we decided to try one of the alternative ones.
The place was always a ghost town.
The customer service was minimal.
And the quality of meats, fruits and cold cuts was nowhere's near what we were accustomed too.
And one day the stock guy turned quickly and nearly knocked my wife over, said it was an accident, um, I didn't think so.
And recently they stopped giving us coupons at time of checkout.
And the final straw was when they didn't know how to use our $50 gift card at checkout, we had enough.
So our next food shopping venture will be back at our old stomping grounds.
Where they have a store every mile or so with fresh quality food with Buy One Get One free deals all the time.
So we tried an alternative to quality with dismal satisfaction.
And so it goes!
Lower Our Standards
Guess what, the service level on just about everything has gotten worse.
From fast food restaurants to customer service to just about everything.
People just don't care as much as they used to about delivering good service.
Not sure what the reason for this is, could be many.
The economy, technology, out-sourcing, downsizing or the fact that our leaders don't seem care.
Or the other reason, that all the corporations have gobbled up the Mom n Pop business and hire minimum wage people desperate for work who have no allegiance to the home office.
Those days are long gone as many people aren't into repeat customer's anymore, they are in it for the quick win, get as much money from the customer at the moment because there's a great chance you won't ever see them again.
So if you get bad service, just try to remember the fact that things have changed and if you get multiple bad service from the same people, maybe it's time to move on.
Just don't base your beliefs on a single occurance because in the future you may get a different person to deal with who is amazing.
And so it goes!
From fast food restaurants to customer service to just about everything.
People just don't care as much as they used to about delivering good service.
Not sure what the reason for this is, could be many.
The economy, technology, out-sourcing, downsizing or the fact that our leaders don't seem care.
Or the other reason, that all the corporations have gobbled up the Mom n Pop business and hire minimum wage people desperate for work who have no allegiance to the home office.
Those days are long gone as many people aren't into repeat customer's anymore, they are in it for the quick win, get as much money from the customer at the moment because there's a great chance you won't ever see them again.
So if you get bad service, just try to remember the fact that things have changed and if you get multiple bad service from the same people, maybe it's time to move on.
Just don't base your beliefs on a single occurance because in the future you may get a different person to deal with who is amazing.
And so it goes!
12/27/2012
What do I think?
So the year 2012 is coming to a close.
And 2013 is right around the corner.
As far as upcoming changes, what do I think?
There are a few factors that will disrupt things, I think.
1. The Cloud. You can now put your website in the cloud, and your database and your BI solution. Many company's big and small will migrate to the Cloud for cost savings, disaster recovery / fault tolerance, elasticity, centralized location for hosting, etc. If that's not right on the wall, I don't know what is.
2. Remote Workers. On my part time job, they actually ran out of office space and their solution was to have the entire IT staff work from home, via Citrix or VPN. I see this trend continuing.
3. More Competition Globally. I found a part time job a bunch of years ago through CraigsList. I accepted a wage that was lower than my full time job. And after I was hired, I found out I was competing with people from Russia, India, Vietnam for the position. Only reason I was chosen was because I was local. Except going forward I see that changing. You can get quality work from a programmer, and that programmer doesn't have to be local or on sight.
4. Big Data Hype Bubble. I think we can agree that Big Data ruled 2012. Except a lot of it was indeed hype. I don't doubt for a second that real company's with real programmers are carving out work in this space, except it has been sold hook line and sinker to the masses. I don't think we can even agree on a clear definition to be honest. And from what I see, it ain't as cheap as everyone says. And the supply is not there to keep up with the demand. And lots of company's don't have the resources to dabble in such a changing market. However, if you can do it right, there's plenty of opportunity as we all know.
5. Continual Merging of Positions. I see the project managers, business analysts, quality assurance, data quality positions becoming fewer as the responsibilities get merged with other jobs for cost savings.
6. Switching Jobs. I believe as the economy improves, more people will jump ship for better opportunities. And if the housing market picks up, home values will rise, and people will finally be able to unload their home they been underwater with for the past half decade. More people switching jobs will create a ripple effect and recruiters will make a killing.
7. More Education Course Online. Now that company's are not required to train their employees as standard policy, because it's cheaper and easier for them to hire per project for those programmers who already have the needed skill set, I see more programmers taking online courses to keep their skills sharp.
8. More College Courses Online. As the current public schools and universities are being raped for resources, more and more schools will offer online opportunities for degrees and education. There is tremendous cost savings to be found here, as long as the quality doesn't diminish.
That's basically what I think in a nutshell. I figure that everything flows in cycles, sometimes things are plentiful other times scarce. Just need to ride the tides of life and keep your head above water.
And hope for the best!
And 2013 is right around the corner.
As far as upcoming changes, what do I think?
There are a few factors that will disrupt things, I think.
1. The Cloud. You can now put your website in the cloud, and your database and your BI solution. Many company's big and small will migrate to the Cloud for cost savings, disaster recovery / fault tolerance, elasticity, centralized location for hosting, etc. If that's not right on the wall, I don't know what is.
2. Remote Workers. On my part time job, they actually ran out of office space and their solution was to have the entire IT staff work from home, via Citrix or VPN. I see this trend continuing.
3. More Competition Globally. I found a part time job a bunch of years ago through CraigsList. I accepted a wage that was lower than my full time job. And after I was hired, I found out I was competing with people from Russia, India, Vietnam for the position. Only reason I was chosen was because I was local. Except going forward I see that changing. You can get quality work from a programmer, and that programmer doesn't have to be local or on sight.
4. Big Data Hype Bubble. I think we can agree that Big Data ruled 2012. Except a lot of it was indeed hype. I don't doubt for a second that real company's with real programmers are carving out work in this space, except it has been sold hook line and sinker to the masses. I don't think we can even agree on a clear definition to be honest. And from what I see, it ain't as cheap as everyone says. And the supply is not there to keep up with the demand. And lots of company's don't have the resources to dabble in such a changing market. However, if you can do it right, there's plenty of opportunity as we all know.
5. Continual Merging of Positions. I see the project managers, business analysts, quality assurance, data quality positions becoming fewer as the responsibilities get merged with other jobs for cost savings.
6. Switching Jobs. I believe as the economy improves, more people will jump ship for better opportunities. And if the housing market picks up, home values will rise, and people will finally be able to unload their home they been underwater with for the past half decade. More people switching jobs will create a ripple effect and recruiters will make a killing.
7. More Education Course Online. Now that company's are not required to train their employees as standard policy, because it's cheaper and easier for them to hire per project for those programmers who already have the needed skill set, I see more programmers taking online courses to keep their skills sharp.
8. More College Courses Online. As the current public schools and universities are being raped for resources, more and more schools will offer online opportunities for degrees and education. There is tremendous cost savings to be found here, as long as the quality doesn't diminish.
That's basically what I think in a nutshell. I figure that everything flows in cycles, sometimes things are plentiful other times scarce. Just need to ride the tides of life and keep your head above water.
And hope for the best!
Against the Grain
I no longer watch the public news media.
However, I do follow Twitter and other Social Media to stay current.
I don't watch television.
However, I do follow Twitter and other Social Media for entertainment.
I don't shop retail.
However, I do shop at garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets to get good deals.
I find the herd mentality who follows blindly a tad boring.
Listening to people ramble on about the latest television program is not real exciting.
Same thing with news sensational stories to keep your fear factor red lined at all times.
And marketing ads which get you to purchase crap for high prices that don't last.
Please do no force feed me your version of the truth.
Because if I buy what they're selling, I'll be uninformed, in debt and have inability to do critical thinking.
Once you realize that what they're selling goes against your best interest, you'll do the same.
And so it goes!
However, I do follow Twitter and other Social Media to stay current.
I don't watch television.
However, I do follow Twitter and other Social Media for entertainment.
I don't shop retail.
However, I do shop at garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets to get good deals.
I find the herd mentality who follows blindly a tad boring.
Listening to people ramble on about the latest television program is not real exciting.
Same thing with news sensational stories to keep your fear factor red lined at all times.
And marketing ads which get you to purchase crap for high prices that don't last.
Please do no force feed me your version of the truth.
Because if I buy what they're selling, I'll be uninformed, in debt and have inability to do critical thinking.
Once you realize that what they're selling goes against your best interest, you'll do the same.
And so it goes!
Unlimited Training
Throughout my career, I've been limited to new technology.
And I saw people, some not as smart, excel faster.
Because they had access to technology.
Sometimes immediately after it was released.
I tend to think it's because they have access to software, for example MSDN.
But that's not the entire aspect, they must also have hardware to load and test with.
And also the ability to figure this stuff out on their own.
I can look back at my career and see all the stumbling blocks.
Where some new technology would be released.
Sometimes I purposely said "I'm going to hold off on that for now".
But not always.
So I suppose that's why I've been learning as much as I can as fast as I can.
To make up for lost time.
Because if I really think about it, the happiest I've ever been in the world of IT is when I'm learning something new.
In 1995-6, learned Crystal Reports, Visual Basic and Oracle.
In 1998 learning the internet with Microsoft ASP.
Actuate in 1999.
Not sure what year I learned .net, maybe 2002 or 3.
I even quit a job because they wouldn't allow me to learn Java.
Except I got a Sr. Java position in 2006 without writing one line of code prior.
And then Microsoft BI after that.
And this latest, I've learned more in 3 days than the sum of everything prior.
I do enjoy curiosity and putting the pieces together to see the big picture.
I've always liked to learn, especially the advanced stuff.
I read the dictionary as a child.
And I was in advanced math in the 2nd grade for a while.
And I was friends with an Indian boy in early grade school, he brought his almanac over to play one day, just for fun.
And I solved the Rubic's cube in the 6th grade.
I think being in the IT field provides a training ground to never stop learning.
And now that I've been exposed to unlimited training, the sky's the limit.
And so it goes!
And I saw people, some not as smart, excel faster.
Because they had access to technology.
Sometimes immediately after it was released.
I tend to think it's because they have access to software, for example MSDN.
But that's not the entire aspect, they must also have hardware to load and test with.
And also the ability to figure this stuff out on their own.
I can look back at my career and see all the stumbling blocks.
Where some new technology would be released.
Sometimes I purposely said "I'm going to hold off on that for now".
But not always.
So I suppose that's why I've been learning as much as I can as fast as I can.
To make up for lost time.
Because if I really think about it, the happiest I've ever been in the world of IT is when I'm learning something new.
In 1995-6, learned Crystal Reports, Visual Basic and Oracle.
In 1998 learning the internet with Microsoft ASP.
Actuate in 1999.
Not sure what year I learned .net, maybe 2002 or 3.
I even quit a job because they wouldn't allow me to learn Java.
Except I got a Sr. Java position in 2006 without writing one line of code prior.
And then Microsoft BI after that.
And this latest, I've learned more in 3 days than the sum of everything prior.
I do enjoy curiosity and putting the pieces together to see the big picture.
I've always liked to learn, especially the advanced stuff.
I read the dictionary as a child.
And I was in advanced math in the 2nd grade for a while.
And I was friends with an Indian boy in early grade school, he brought his almanac over to play one day, just for fun.
And I solved the Rubic's cube in the 6th grade.
I think being in the IT field provides a training ground to never stop learning.
And now that I've been exposed to unlimited training, the sky's the limit.
And so it goes!
12/26/2012
Don't Worry Be Happy
So I've had some free time lately to do as I please.
And yesterday I thought what should I do that I want to do?
Play tennis, surf the web, watch training videos, make a fire out back, take a nap or go for a bike ride.
I ended up with a fire and training videos, a much shorter list than I anticipated.
However, does anyone ever schedule time to 'be happy'?
Should that be an action item on people's list?
If it were, then we would acknowledge that we should have more happy moments in our life.
All the financial books I read say the same thing, you should pay yourself first to make sure you save.
So why not do the same with happiness? Pay yourself first, schedule time to 'be happy'.
I suppose we believe that we are happy while doing the basic drudgery of our daily existence, yet I think that does not align with reality.
I think we tolerate the unpleasantness for the majority of our lives and schedule 1 or 2 weeks of happiness on a cruise, Bahama vacation or Disneyland.
Bottom line is we get to determine our mood and we have the ability to alter it regardless of our current circumstances.
And that free will is what makes us human.
We get to determine our reaction to circumstances and I say we should program ourselves to find the happiness in our daily lives and don't wait for that 1 or 2 weeks for vacation to live it up.
Do it now, do it tomorrow, everyday for the rest of your life.
Don't worry, be happy!
And yesterday I thought what should I do that I want to do?
Play tennis, surf the web, watch training videos, make a fire out back, take a nap or go for a bike ride.
I ended up with a fire and training videos, a much shorter list than I anticipated.
However, does anyone ever schedule time to 'be happy'?
Should that be an action item on people's list?
If it were, then we would acknowledge that we should have more happy moments in our life.
All the financial books I read say the same thing, you should pay yourself first to make sure you save.
So why not do the same with happiness? Pay yourself first, schedule time to 'be happy'.
I suppose we believe that we are happy while doing the basic drudgery of our daily existence, yet I think that does not align with reality.
I think we tolerate the unpleasantness for the majority of our lives and schedule 1 or 2 weeks of happiness on a cruise, Bahama vacation or Disneyland.
Bottom line is we get to determine our mood and we have the ability to alter it regardless of our current circumstances.
And that free will is what makes us human.
We get to determine our reaction to circumstances and I say we should program ourselves to find the happiness in our daily lives and don't wait for that 1 or 2 weeks for vacation to live it up.
Do it now, do it tomorrow, everyday for the rest of your life.
Don't worry, be happy!
Always Be Learning
I started out doing reports in Crystal.
At the same time, I learned Oracle and PL/SQL.
At the same time I learned Visual Basic 4,5&6.
So at the base of my IT career, there was a mixture of Programming or getting the data into the database, and Reporting or getting data out of the database.
And that has been the trend for the duration of my time in IT.
Except in 2006 I went to the other side, from Microsoft to Java.
And in doing so, I shot myself in the foot.
As my .net skills were becoming obsolete as my Java skills were learning 1999 technology of J2EE with the exception of doing Web Services in Java.
Then I became Supervisor or Team Lead so I was only writing T-SQL and SSRS with some SSIS, and no actual programming in .net or Java.
And that did not help my coding career, as my current job is to program and write reports.
So that's why I've been learning so much lately, to get back in the game, to get my coding skills sharpened, as to become marketable again in the full life cycle of programming.
Because we are all free agents or Independent Contractors here, even if we are employed full time.
Because they can give us the boot at any time as we all know.
So I'd like to get my c# skills up to speed, throw in some jQuery, OData and JSON and a little bit of AJAX.
Also, with HTML5 gaining traction, my JavaScript skills need a tune up as I'm predicting that will overtake c# in the days to come.
Add some Big Data experience to get some variety and I should be good to go.
Always be learning.
At the same time, I learned Oracle and PL/SQL.
At the same time I learned Visual Basic 4,5&6.
So at the base of my IT career, there was a mixture of Programming or getting the data into the database, and Reporting or getting data out of the database.
And that has been the trend for the duration of my time in IT.
Except in 2006 I went to the other side, from Microsoft to Java.
And in doing so, I shot myself in the foot.
As my .net skills were becoming obsolete as my Java skills were learning 1999 technology of J2EE with the exception of doing Web Services in Java.
Then I became Supervisor or Team Lead so I was only writing T-SQL and SSRS with some SSIS, and no actual programming in .net or Java.
And that did not help my coding career, as my current job is to program and write reports.
So that's why I've been learning so much lately, to get back in the game, to get my coding skills sharpened, as to become marketable again in the full life cycle of programming.
Because we are all free agents or Independent Contractors here, even if we are employed full time.
Because they can give us the boot at any time as we all know.
So I'd like to get my c# skills up to speed, throw in some jQuery, OData and JSON and a little bit of AJAX.
Also, with HTML5 gaining traction, my JavaScript skills need a tune up as I'm predicting that will overtake c# in the days to come.
Add some Big Data experience to get some variety and I should be good to go.
Always be learning.
Slow Week at the Office
It's been a slow week at work, everyone is either on vacation or working from home.
Today I got a chance to look at a few pending tickets.
It's funny that the users have been complaining for over a year (before I got there) that some reports are always wrong.
So each time I get a ticket, review the SQL, determine that the report is correct, I have to update the ticket and let the users know the data is wrong, once again.
You see, the old saying goes, garbage data in, garbage data out.
Since the report hasn't been modified with logic changes in over a year, you'd think they'd get the hint.
But instead, each time, I have to go through the motions of troubleshooting the report.
Today I ran a query to identify some of the bad data, found 60 potential conflicts, so maybe I'll create a report and figure out who needs a copy of it upstream, so the tickets don't get created downstream.
I've already created 3 'audit reports' which do basically that, except this new report has some different logic.
And maybe, if we're really lucky, the upstream programmers can put some edits in place to prevent bad data from getting entered.
Other that that, I don't mind the empty offices at work as the noise and stress levels are at all time lows.
With my boss getting a recent promotion to CIO, we are eagerly anticipating who our new boss will be.
And maybe I will get to do some of the more advanced BI concepts to work on, i.e. dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, Tabular Models, etc. instead of looking at the same SQL ever other day only to find out it's a data error.
And so it goes!
Today I got a chance to look at a few pending tickets.
It's funny that the users have been complaining for over a year (before I got there) that some reports are always wrong.
So each time I get a ticket, review the SQL, determine that the report is correct, I have to update the ticket and let the users know the data is wrong, once again.
You see, the old saying goes, garbage data in, garbage data out.
Since the report hasn't been modified with logic changes in over a year, you'd think they'd get the hint.
But instead, each time, I have to go through the motions of troubleshooting the report.
Today I ran a query to identify some of the bad data, found 60 potential conflicts, so maybe I'll create a report and figure out who needs a copy of it upstream, so the tickets don't get created downstream.
I've already created 3 'audit reports' which do basically that, except this new report has some different logic.
And maybe, if we're really lucky, the upstream programmers can put some edits in place to prevent bad data from getting entered.
Other that that, I don't mind the empty offices at work as the noise and stress levels are at all time lows.
With my boss getting a recent promotion to CIO, we are eagerly anticipating who our new boss will be.
And maybe I will get to do some of the more advanced BI concepts to work on, i.e. dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, Tabular Models, etc. instead of looking at the same SQL ever other day only to find out it's a data error.
And so it goes!
Online Technology Training
I've been watching training video's the past few days from Plural Sight.
After signing up for a year membership, they have tons of cutting edge technology video's to view.
I started off with Power Pivot for SharePoint, then Power Pivot, next Big Data, HTML 5 jQuery NoSQL, NodeJS, OData, Advanced Reporting Services, Power Shell, SQL Azure.
The video content is great, the delivery mechanism is too, either HTML 5 or Silver Light visible on the web or IPhone.
For now, I'm just getting familiar with all the technology, from a high level view.
So I can understand what the technology does to get the big picture.
I'll have to drill down to the detail level at some point to figure out the inner workings of specific technologies.
Right now there's just too much to learn.
I counted about 400 courses online as of today.
Technology training, anytime, anywhere, as much as you can consume.
Not too shabby!
After signing up for a year membership, they have tons of cutting edge technology video's to view.
I started off with Power Pivot for SharePoint, then Power Pivot, next Big Data, HTML 5 jQuery NoSQL, NodeJS, OData, Advanced Reporting Services, Power Shell, SQL Azure.
The video content is great, the delivery mechanism is too, either HTML 5 or Silver Light visible on the web or IPhone.
For now, I'm just getting familiar with all the technology, from a high level view.
So I can understand what the technology does to get the big picture.
I'll have to drill down to the detail level at some point to figure out the inner workings of specific technologies.
Right now there's just too much to learn.
I counted about 400 courses online as of today.
Technology training, anytime, anywhere, as much as you can consume.
Not too shabby!
12/24/2012
New Age of Training
When I first entered the profession of IT in 1995, my training was rather haphazard.
We had a consultant in town from St. Louis from our recent acquisition.
He and I sat in a room together for almost the entire day and I picked his brain for everything he knew about Crystal Reports.
Reason being, there were no books or training available anywhere.
I happen to go to Atlanta, Ga one weekend and found a Crystal Reports for Dummies book which my boss reimbursed.
However, that's all I needed to get started in Reporting.
Over the next 15+ years, I found it difficult to learn new software.
Reading the books didn't quite do it for me.
Especially when trying to learn SSAS Cubes back in 2001, I was completely lost.
My friend Joaquin was good at learning new technology like Microsoft ASP, and he would stop over my house and in a few hours I picked up enough information to be proficient.
And I've purchase books over the years and scanned the internet for specific questions.
And lately there's been some video's on You Tube.
Well, a co-worker of mine suggested an online training site called PluralSite about 5 months ago.
And I noted it but had no intention of spending money to get training.
Until recently, from a Twitter feed, Stacia Misner had a twitter post referring to PluralSite.com so I did some investigation.
Turns out I purchased a years membership for $300, less than $1 per day, which I can include in my tax write off for my business Bloom Consulting.
After completing the questionnaire and username / password, and paying by credit card, every course became available immediately.
So I watched the first video on PowerPivot for Sharepoint Administration and learned about 5 to 10 new things, which I emailed the SharePoint admin to inform of new discoveries.
And then I watched the next PowerPivot for Excel 2010 video, on my IPhone no less, connected through my home router as to not waste cell phone data package.
So I'm really impressed with the training video's and plan to watch at least one per week going forward.
There's a ton of valuable topics to choose from as I specialize in Business Intelligence but want to stay current on topics like ASP.net, c#, Big Data, NoSQL, SharePoint, programming for Cell Phones, etc.
There's no shortage of topics to choose from.
This should really help me stay current and learn some cutting edge languages.
And as we all know, being a computer programmer, our skill-set can add value to our career and keep us ahead of the curve.
Glad I finally found a good training site.
You should check it out!
We had a consultant in town from St. Louis from our recent acquisition.
He and I sat in a room together for almost the entire day and I picked his brain for everything he knew about Crystal Reports.
Reason being, there were no books or training available anywhere.
I happen to go to Atlanta, Ga one weekend and found a Crystal Reports for Dummies book which my boss reimbursed.
However, that's all I needed to get started in Reporting.
Over the next 15+ years, I found it difficult to learn new software.
Reading the books didn't quite do it for me.
Especially when trying to learn SSAS Cubes back in 2001, I was completely lost.
My friend Joaquin was good at learning new technology like Microsoft ASP, and he would stop over my house and in a few hours I picked up enough information to be proficient.
And I've purchase books over the years and scanned the internet for specific questions.
And lately there's been some video's on You Tube.
Well, a co-worker of mine suggested an online training site called PluralSite about 5 months ago.
And I noted it but had no intention of spending money to get training.
Until recently, from a Twitter feed, Stacia Misner had a twitter post referring to PluralSite.com so I did some investigation.
Turns out I purchased a years membership for $300, less than $1 per day, which I can include in my tax write off for my business Bloom Consulting.
After completing the questionnaire and username / password, and paying by credit card, every course became available immediately.
So I watched the first video on PowerPivot for Sharepoint Administration and learned about 5 to 10 new things, which I emailed the SharePoint admin to inform of new discoveries.
And then I watched the next PowerPivot for Excel 2010 video, on my IPhone no less, connected through my home router as to not waste cell phone data package.
So I'm really impressed with the training video's and plan to watch at least one per week going forward.
There's a ton of valuable topics to choose from as I specialize in Business Intelligence but want to stay current on topics like ASP.net, c#, Big Data, NoSQL, SharePoint, programming for Cell Phones, etc.
There's no shortage of topics to choose from.
This should really help me stay current and learn some cutting edge languages.
And as we all know, being a computer programmer, our skill-set can add value to our career and keep us ahead of the curve.
Glad I finally found a good training site.
You should check it out!
What Advice Were You Given?
What career advice were you given by your parents growing up?
My father worked for IBM.
Every day he went to work in a suit and tie with white shirt.
He told me his job was to sharpen pencils.
That's the truth.
Because he always had several number two pencils in his shirt pocket.
And I never did know as a child what he did for a career.
It wasn't until decades later, after I was in the IT career path, that he gave me good advice.
He said "learn the business, how things integrate, get to know the decision makers, and solve their biggest problems."
And that's worked out great for me, although I instinctively knew that already.
You see, I avoided the career of IT on purpose while in college.
Except working in the workforce for a few years, I was naturally drawn to IT, specifically data and reporting.
And I realized that it was a natural fit.
Did the Anthropology degree help me to become successful, it got me a 4 year degree from a major university, that's about it.
I have been self taught in the world of programming for the most part, with a few courses: Fortran; c++.
However, I'd like to thank my father for letting me learn the IBM PC in 1982 in PC DOS, BASIC(a) and for the genes of thinking in code.
Cheers!
My father worked for IBM.
Every day he went to work in a suit and tie with white shirt.
He told me his job was to sharpen pencils.
That's the truth.
Because he always had several number two pencils in his shirt pocket.
And I never did know as a child what he did for a career.
It wasn't until decades later, after I was in the IT career path, that he gave me good advice.
He said "learn the business, how things integrate, get to know the decision makers, and solve their biggest problems."
And that's worked out great for me, although I instinctively knew that already.
You see, I avoided the career of IT on purpose while in college.
Except working in the workforce for a few years, I was naturally drawn to IT, specifically data and reporting.
And I realized that it was a natural fit.
Did the Anthropology degree help me to become successful, it got me a 4 year degree from a major university, that's about it.
I have been self taught in the world of programming for the most part, with a few courses: Fortran; c++.
However, I'd like to thank my father for letting me learn the IBM PC in 1982 in PC DOS, BASIC(a) and for the genes of thinking in code.
Cheers!
Be the CEO of your Career and Life
Most of us work for a living.
And many of us have full time jobs.
So we give our allegiance to the corporate office and trust they have our best interest at heart.
Work hard, keep your head down, earn a salary and hope for the best.
However, due to the economy and the trends of modern day work life, we should really consider ourselves as Independent Contractors who happen to work full time.
You really need to take control of your career and life.
And by that, you need to become the CEO of your life.
You need to be held accountable for your career.
You need to find the training necessary to stay current in technology.
You need to have alternative plans in case you are downsized or right sized or outsourced.
You need to have a financial cushion to hold you over for a few months.
You need to network with people in the industry.
You need to have a twitter account and stay current with market trends.
You need to keep in touch with recruiters and take the pulse of the market.
Because you are responsible for your career.
And by that you are the CEO of yourself.
You must sell, market, research and development, accounting, finance and budget, maintenance, the whole kit and caboodle.
You may have a full time job, but you are still an Independent Consultant if you ask me.
So accept your new role and take responsibility for you career and life.
And there you have it!
And many of us have full time jobs.
So we give our allegiance to the corporate office and trust they have our best interest at heart.
Work hard, keep your head down, earn a salary and hope for the best.
However, due to the economy and the trends of modern day work life, we should really consider ourselves as Independent Contractors who happen to work full time.
You really need to take control of your career and life.
And by that, you need to become the CEO of your life.
You need to be held accountable for your career.
You need to find the training necessary to stay current in technology.
You need to have alternative plans in case you are downsized or right sized or outsourced.
You need to have a financial cushion to hold you over for a few months.
You need to network with people in the industry.
You need to have a twitter account and stay current with market trends.
You need to keep in touch with recruiters and take the pulse of the market.
Because you are responsible for your career.
And by that you are the CEO of yourself.
You must sell, market, research and development, accounting, finance and budget, maintenance, the whole kit and caboodle.
You may have a full time job, but you are still an Independent Consultant if you ask me.
So accept your new role and take responsibility for you career and life.
And there you have it!
12/23/2012
Charles
In 1998 I bought a house.
The house was built in the late 50's.
And I bought it from an elderly couple.
They were in their mid to late 70's.
And my neighbor to the right was Beulah.
And to the left was Charles.
All three families lived side by side for close to 40 years.
So I was really the new kid on the block.
Beulah became my adopted mother, and still is today, figuratively.
And I used to have good chats with Charles about all sorts of things, really a nice man.
One day we had storms, I asked to borrow Charles' ladder to get on my roof.
I had been up there a little while, when all of a sudden there's Charles, almost 80, on top of the ladder talking to me while I was on the roof.
He was instructing me what to do.
Then, all of a sudden, I didn't see Charles, I ran as fast as lightning, down the steps where he was laying.
My neighbor across the street came running and we called 911.
Charles was taken to the hospital where I went to visit him.
A few days later he died.
His family flew in as they were from out of state and elderly too.
And we all spoke about Charles and what a great man he was.
He remained single all of his days, as the house originally belonged to his mother.
They planned a service and Beulah and I went together.
It was a very sad day.
Around that time Beulah's niece was down to take care of her brother, who was sick.
I was dating her at the time and I moved in to her condo and I sold my house.
Although we eventually split up, I still keep in touch with Beulah.
It still saddens me to think about the old neighborhood. I have never found a similar group where people cared for each other, hung out, and were community.
So long Charles.
The house was built in the late 50's.
And I bought it from an elderly couple.
They were in their mid to late 70's.
And my neighbor to the right was Beulah.
And to the left was Charles.
All three families lived side by side for close to 40 years.
So I was really the new kid on the block.
Beulah became my adopted mother, and still is today, figuratively.
And I used to have good chats with Charles about all sorts of things, really a nice man.
One day we had storms, I asked to borrow Charles' ladder to get on my roof.
I had been up there a little while, when all of a sudden there's Charles, almost 80, on top of the ladder talking to me while I was on the roof.
He was instructing me what to do.
Then, all of a sudden, I didn't see Charles, I ran as fast as lightning, down the steps where he was laying.
My neighbor across the street came running and we called 911.
Charles was taken to the hospital where I went to visit him.
A few days later he died.
His family flew in as they were from out of state and elderly too.
And we all spoke about Charles and what a great man he was.
He remained single all of his days, as the house originally belonged to his mother.
They planned a service and Beulah and I went together.
It was a very sad day.
Around that time Beulah's niece was down to take care of her brother, who was sick.
I was dating her at the time and I moved in to her condo and I sold my house.
Although we eventually split up, I still keep in touch with Beulah.
It still saddens me to think about the old neighborhood. I have never found a similar group where people cared for each other, hung out, and were community.
So long Charles.
Why Do You Blog?
Q: Yo, JB, what's up?
Q: Everyday, you write these blog posts.
Q: About work, your personal life, things in general.
Q: Why do you do it?
JB: Self expression.
JB: A platform where free association rules on various topics.
JB: Where creativity blossoms, where the truth is revealed.
JB: And topics can be thought out in a public space.
JB: Some blogs revolve around the world of Business Intelligence. Others about the IT industry. And what it's like to work in the programming profession.
Q: Right on. So you must be making tons of money off this site,
JB: Sure, if you mean no money whatsoever. I haven't earned a dime off this. However, it helps to build an online brand if you will. We've had over 27,000 views on this blog which has been up and running for a few years now. Surely somebody is interested in what I've got to say.
Q: So do you consider yourself a professional blogger?
JB: Well, I do enjoy typing away at the keyboard, armed with only an idea or concept. And within a few minutes, that idea has taken form and is sent off into the world of the internet. I usually write the blog from start to finish in under 5 minutes, with very little concept of the final product or even blog title. It's basically like a tornado of thoughts captured in space and given birth to a new entry.
Q: Who would you say is your typically reader?
JB: Perhaps prison inmates with a lot of free time on their hands. Perhaps the FBI, just kidding of course. And perhaps some people in the IT industry at large. My style is unique and the topics vary greatly in short periods of time so the reader is always guessing what type of article will be next. I would have to say that if weren't for blogging, I would not be a blogger today.
And there you have it!
Q: Everyday, you write these blog posts.
Q: About work, your personal life, things in general.
Q: Why do you do it?
JB: Self expression.
JB: A platform where free association rules on various topics.
JB: Where creativity blossoms, where the truth is revealed.
JB: And topics can be thought out in a public space.
JB: Some blogs revolve around the world of Business Intelligence. Others about the IT industry. And what it's like to work in the programming profession.
Q: Right on. So you must be making tons of money off this site,
JB: Sure, if you mean no money whatsoever. I haven't earned a dime off this. However, it helps to build an online brand if you will. We've had over 27,000 views on this blog which has been up and running for a few years now. Surely somebody is interested in what I've got to say.
Q: So do you consider yourself a professional blogger?
JB: Well, I do enjoy typing away at the keyboard, armed with only an idea or concept. And within a few minutes, that idea has taken form and is sent off into the world of the internet. I usually write the blog from start to finish in under 5 minutes, with very little concept of the final product or even blog title. It's basically like a tornado of thoughts captured in space and given birth to a new entry.
Q: Who would you say is your typically reader?
JB: Perhaps prison inmates with a lot of free time on their hands. Perhaps the FBI, just kidding of course. And perhaps some people in the IT industry at large. My style is unique and the topics vary greatly in short periods of time so the reader is always guessing what type of article will be next. I would have to say that if weren't for blogging, I would not be a blogger today.
And there you have it!
Mis-Communication
You can create the greatest thing in the world, yet if that's not what the user wants, then it's of little value to them.
People have assumptions of what they are expected of.
And they produce what they think the customer wants.
And often times, it's not what they wanted.
Similar to a Christmas gift.
You may buy someone a tie every year, and they thank you.
Except they don't work in an environment that requires ties.
So they accumulate in the closet unworn.
And the giver is happy thinking they pleased someone, and the receiver is disappointed continually.
Clearly there's a lack of communication.
Which causes hidden resentment and frustration.
Wouldn't it be easier to ask what the customer wants, produce that and everyone is happy.
Sure sometimes what they want changes over time, you must continually adapt and change and be empathetic and responsive.
Otherwise, soon the customer will find another partner, just to be let down again.
I think this applies to boss-employee, personal relationships and anywhere two people team up together for the common good.
A cris-cross of assumptions, and unhappy people.
People have assumptions of what they are expected of.
And they produce what they think the customer wants.
And often times, it's not what they wanted.
Similar to a Christmas gift.
You may buy someone a tie every year, and they thank you.
Except they don't work in an environment that requires ties.
So they accumulate in the closet unworn.
And the giver is happy thinking they pleased someone, and the receiver is disappointed continually.
Clearly there's a lack of communication.
Which causes hidden resentment and frustration.
Wouldn't it be easier to ask what the customer wants, produce that and everyone is happy.
Sure sometimes what they want changes over time, you must continually adapt and change and be empathetic and responsive.
Otherwise, soon the customer will find another partner, just to be let down again.
I think this applies to boss-employee, personal relationships and anywhere two people team up together for the common good.
A cris-cross of assumptions, and unhappy people.
12/22/2012
Weekend
With cooler temperatures this am, we are up and ready for the days events.
Went on a walk with the dogs, they seemed full of energy with the nip in the air.
Skipping tennis this am to go garage sale'ing and to do some errands.
The weekend is off and running!
Ready for some downtime!
Went on a walk with the dogs, they seemed full of energy with the nip in the air.
Skipping tennis this am to go garage sale'ing and to do some errands.
The weekend is off and running!
Ready for some downtime!
12/21/2012
Financial Review 2012
Just going over some last minute finances.
Looks like my best year ever.
As my part time salary was 50% of my full time salary.
So it was kind of like have a job and a half.
I'm currently on hiatus from my p/t contract with the healthcare client.
They may have some hours for me next year.
In the meantime, if you need some part time work in BI please contact me at bloom_consulting@ymail.com
Have a great weekend!
Thanks!
Looks like my best year ever.
As my part time salary was 50% of my full time salary.
So it was kind of like have a job and a half.
I'm currently on hiatus from my p/t contract with the healthcare client.
They may have some hours for me next year.
In the meantime, if you need some part time work in BI please contact me at bloom_consulting@ymail.com
Have a great weekend!
Thanks!
1, 3, 5, 10 Year Goals
- 1 Year Goal - I'd like to learn some newer technology, specifically:
- 3 Year Goal - I'd like to become more senior level / BI Architect / Data Scientist.
- 5 Year Goal - I'd like to increase my salary by 20%.
- 10 Year Goal - I'd like to have my house paid off in 10 years or less.
- Big Data
- c#
- Self Service BI
- Cloud Technology
- Mobile Technology
- 3 Year Goal - I'd like to become more senior level / BI Architect / Data Scientist.
- 5 Year Goal - I'd like to increase my salary by 20%.
- 10 Year Goal - I'd like to have my house paid off in 10 years or less.
BI - Microsoft Style
Business Intelligence
Traditional Reports
-Microsoft SSRS
-batch
-email
-pdf
-scheduled
ETL
-Microsoft SSIS
-movement of data
-SQL
Cubes
-Tabular Model
-Microsoft SSAS
Self Service
-Microsoft Power Pivot
-Microsoft PowerView
-Microsoft SharePoint
-Microsoft Excel
Mobile BI
-IPad
-Microsoft Phone
-Android
Cloud BI
-Microsoft Azure DB
-Microsoft Azure SSRS
Embedded BI
.net
Big Data
-Microsoft Azure Hadoop
-SQL Mashing
-Complex Data
-Hive
Traditional Reports
-Microsoft SSRS
-batch
-scheduled
ETL
-Microsoft SSIS
-movement of data
-SQL
Cubes
-Tabular Model
-Microsoft SSAS
Self Service
-Microsoft Power Pivot
-Microsoft PowerView
-Microsoft SharePoint
-Microsoft Excel
Mobile BI
-IPad
-Microsoft Phone
-Android
Cloud BI
-Microsoft Azure DB
-Microsoft Azure SSRS
Embedded BI
.net
Big Data
-Microsoft Azure Hadoop
-SQL Mashing
-Complex Data
-Hive
Plagurism - Idea Theft
For those people who are creative, new ideas are everyday occurrences.
For those people who are not creative, new ideas are hard to find.
Being hard to find does not mean impossible to find.
Simply take someone else's ideas.
And there you have it.
I tend to think outside the box.
And see patterns in things that others do not.
And I'm fairly vocal about my finds, as they are sent off into the world.
Kind of a freebie if you will.
Sometimes I see people taking my ideas and not giving proper credit.
It's interesting to witness firsthand.
However, it's really plagurism.
Theft.
It just means that I now have to monitor my conversations with specific people.
That's all.
And maybe one day, I will get the due credit for my unique perspective and problem solving techniques.
Time will tell.
For those people who are not creative, new ideas are hard to find.
Being hard to find does not mean impossible to find.
Simply take someone else's ideas.
And there you have it.
I tend to think outside the box.
And see patterns in things that others do not.
And I'm fairly vocal about my finds, as they are sent off into the world.
Kind of a freebie if you will.
Sometimes I see people taking my ideas and not giving proper credit.
It's interesting to witness firsthand.
However, it's really plagurism.
Theft.
It just means that I now have to monitor my conversations with specific people.
That's all.
And maybe one day, I will get the due credit for my unique perspective and problem solving techniques.
Time will tell.
12/20/2012
Change
I've been rocking and rolling lately on the new job.
And learning new things.
And today I had my headphones on and they apparently had a big meeting I didn't get to attend.
Somewhat towards the mid afternoon, they called us into another meeting abruptly.
And it was announced my boss got a promotion, which is well deserved.
So who my new boss will be I do not know.
And there were some people in other dept's let go.
Overall I like change. However, the news kind of threw me for a loop.
So we'll have to see what develops going forward.
I was able to score some free online video training at work and watched a c#.asp video today, learned some new things. They have hundreds of videos to watch, except I'm thinking to purchase the PluralSight video's as I've heard good things about them.
And tomorrow is the beginning of the Winter solstice and the Mayan trigger date for a calendar renewal and the universe will be perfectly aligned around Saturday so think good thoughts, as they will be amplified into the universe.
And I did get a chance to visit the Native American Indian spiritual mound this am before work which was nice.
So there you have it, change change and more change.
And so it goes!
And learning new things.
And today I had my headphones on and they apparently had a big meeting I didn't get to attend.
Somewhat towards the mid afternoon, they called us into another meeting abruptly.
And it was announced my boss got a promotion, which is well deserved.
So who my new boss will be I do not know.
And there were some people in other dept's let go.
Overall I like change. However, the news kind of threw me for a loop.
So we'll have to see what develops going forward.
I was able to score some free online video training at work and watched a c#.asp video today, learned some new things. They have hundreds of videos to watch, except I'm thinking to purchase the PluralSight video's as I've heard good things about them.
And tomorrow is the beginning of the Winter solstice and the Mayan trigger date for a calendar renewal and the universe will be perfectly aligned around Saturday so think good thoughts, as they will be amplified into the universe.
And I did get a chance to visit the Native American Indian spiritual mound this am before work which was nice.
So there you have it, change change and more change.
And so it goes!
Oh yeah, We'll Need Some Reports
Back when I started in IT, reporting was about the lowliest occupations one could encounter.
People spent millions of dollars on new enterprise applications.
And then one day someone asks the high priced project manager, "What about reports?"
"Oh yeah, we'll need some reports."
"Let's get the Reporting guy in here to dump some requests at the last minute. No we're not going to include them in the database design, which would make their life easier. Let them figure it out."
That's the view from my perspective.
Now all the whoopla is Business Intelligence, Data Scientist, Reporting is now the hottest occupation in the world.
Horray!
Except I've been doing this for about 15 years and way back when we were just lowly report writers.
I knew it way back when, the top managers would contact me to get some report so they could manage their business. I saw the writing on the wall. Data was the gold. Not building some application.
The report writers time has arrived.
We are no longer an afterthought of some high priced project.
We drive the business now.
And so it goes!
People spent millions of dollars on new enterprise applications.
And then one day someone asks the high priced project manager, "What about reports?"
"Oh yeah, we'll need some reports."
"Let's get the Reporting guy in here to dump some requests at the last minute. No we're not going to include them in the database design, which would make their life easier. Let them figure it out."
That's the view from my perspective.
Now all the whoopla is Business Intelligence, Data Scientist, Reporting is now the hottest occupation in the world.
Horray!
Except I've been doing this for about 15 years and way back when we were just lowly report writers.
I knew it way back when, the top managers would contact me to get some report so they could manage their business. I saw the writing on the wall. Data was the gold. Not building some application.
The report writers time has arrived.
We are no longer an afterthought of some high priced project.
We drive the business now.
And so it goes!
Software Dealership
I still believe that Microsoft is a great company and they produce great products.
I don't dispute their product, I've seen it, looks great.
Sure new smaller nimble company's have cropped up.
As well as some mega behemoths.
Yet MS is producing quality day in and day out.
Sure, they offer a Business Intelligence platform.
With reporting, with ETL tools, with database repository.
In addition, they offer advanced BI like Power View, Performance Point, KPI.
Which can be access via the SharePoint infrastructure.
And some of these other company say how much better they are, because they have a quality product in one specific niche, perhaps Visualization.
I don't dispute their product, I've seen it, looks great.
Except it only cover a small percentage of the BI Lifecycle.
How can it compete with MS when they own the majority of operating systems which your product runs.
And when you export a report with your tool, you use MS Excel to transport the data.
Most probably sent through MS Outlook Exchange.
MS is in just about every space of IT you can imagine.
They've got some really smart people working on some really cool projects.
So I'd say, yes Mr. Software Vendor person, the product you offer is great, in the limited space it occupies.
But that space is maybe about 10% of MS entire ecosystem.
Reminds me of some high school punks who borrowed their parents beemer, where MS owns the BMW dealership.
And so it goes!
Cowboy Coders
Some meetings I feel like the people are speaking some foreign language.
THEM: "You see, the influx capacitor has a freezing rate twice the composition of it's molecular structure, whereby, as seen from space, the transitioning factor multiplied by the velocity of its position is created by a extraneous force which can not be duplicated in this lifetime. So everyone's on board with this, let's make it happen."
ME: Uh, say what? All I want are the freakin' business rules so I can write this report. What in the HELL are you talking about.
THEM: "Surely everyone is aware of this, what are you SLOW or something?"
ME: Er, we don't have these simple business rules, perhaps, in writing or something, do we?
THEM: "What kind of place do you think this is, we're cowboy coders here. Deal with it!"
THEM: "You see, the influx capacitor has a freezing rate twice the composition of it's molecular structure, whereby, as seen from space, the transitioning factor multiplied by the velocity of its position is created by a extraneous force which can not be duplicated in this lifetime. So everyone's on board with this, let's make it happen."
ME: Uh, say what? All I want are the freakin' business rules so I can write this report. What in the HELL are you talking about.
THEM: "Surely everyone is aware of this, what are you SLOW or something?"
ME: Er, we don't have these simple business rules, perhaps, in writing or something, do we?
THEM: "What kind of place do you think this is, we're cowboy coders here. Deal with it!"
Reasons for IT Talent Shortage
Is there a justifying talent shortage in the IT industry.
I would have to say there is.
Partly because the number of jobs has increased.
So the Demand exceeds the Supply.
Classic economics.
And why is that?
Partly because of the pace at which technology changes.
If I, as a programmer, decide to learn a new technology, chances are, it will be replaced within a short period of time, by some newer technology.
So I must decide, strategically, what I think will be a valuable, marketable, sustaining skill in the future, and go in that direction.
However, even with this approach, the number of languages required to 'keep up' is overwhelming to say the least.
Here's my recent blog post on what I plan to learn:
So you can never really get ahead in the IT industry.
You may get to use the cutting edge technology for a brief period, and shortly thereafter something will surpass it.
And that may intimidate many future IT professionals.
Let's say they want to become an architect or engineering, they learn the trade and are set for life. Perhaps get some industry publications from time to time to learn the latest trends but they don't have to relearn everything each 6 months.
Musicians are not required to learn completely new instruments every 6 months, they learn one or two and make a career out of it.
And like I've said before, programming is just one side to the job, learning business rules, project life cycles, industry jargon like PCI, sarbane oxley, etc. are required to be learned on the job.
Another reason is the geek factor.
Most programmers are smart and competing with people every day is another reason people may choose to stay away from IT.
Being an IT profession is not easy, and I believe that constant change, steep learning curve and competition to be the main reason for the shortage of IT programmers today.
And there you have it!
12/19/2012
Keep Up the Great Work
Well, we'd like to go over your performance review for 2012.
Although you rarely show up to work before noon, you seem to be very social and cordial, as you settle in to your desk around 1pm.
Granted you take a 2 hour lunch, so when you get back around 3pm or so, we understand many people feel its necessary to surf the web for a while.
So the 15 to 20 minutes of work consisting of emails sifting, when you're not drunk, you seem to have a good understanding of the components that make up your job description.
We completely understand that you have to leave early on occasion to jump start the traffic rush, although we may have seen you work until 5pm from time to time, which is commendable.
And many many people find it more comfortable to work in a casual environment, by removing their shoes, socks, pants, etc. at their work desk, which opens up the doors of creativity.
Overall, we think you're doing a great job.
Keep up the great work!
If only!
Although you rarely show up to work before noon, you seem to be very social and cordial, as you settle in to your desk around 1pm.
Granted you take a 2 hour lunch, so when you get back around 3pm or so, we understand many people feel its necessary to surf the web for a while.
So the 15 to 20 minutes of work consisting of emails sifting, when you're not drunk, you seem to have a good understanding of the components that make up your job description.
We completely understand that you have to leave early on occasion to jump start the traffic rush, although we may have seen you work until 5pm from time to time, which is commendable.
And many many people find it more comfortable to work in a casual environment, by removing their shoes, socks, pants, etc. at their work desk, which opens up the doors of creativity.
Overall, we think you're doing a great job.
Keep up the great work!
If only!
Mr. New Guy
Ah, you must be the new guy.
How unfortunate.
You see, we don't like to disclose certain things to the 'new guy'.
You want business rules, figure them out for yourself.
We don't have no stinkin' documentation here.
And you see all this code, all this spaghetti that we have in production.
Yup, I wrote all that.
That's what I like to call, 'Job Security'.
We've been through lots of people before you got here.
None of them could figure it out either.
We just told them half answers and incorrect answer until they eventually gave up.
So don't get too comfortable there Mr. New Guy.
We done got this down to a science.
You see, we ain't too smart.
But we know how the systems work.
So that makes us smart.
Ya 'heah?
(translation, You hear?)
How unfortunate.
You see, we don't like to disclose certain things to the 'new guy'.
You want business rules, figure them out for yourself.
We don't have no stinkin' documentation here.
And you see all this code, all this spaghetti that we have in production.
Yup, I wrote all that.
That's what I like to call, 'Job Security'.
We've been through lots of people before you got here.
None of them could figure it out either.
We just told them half answers and incorrect answer until they eventually gave up.
So don't get too comfortable there Mr. New Guy.
We done got this down to a science.
You see, we ain't too smart.
But we know how the systems work.
So that makes us smart.
Ya 'heah?
(translation, You hear?)
12/18/2012
Data Dairy Farmer
So Milk comes from a cow.
And the farmer milks the milk.
To sell to a supermarket.
To be consumed by the customer.
So who owns the Milk?
It depends.
So data is stored in a Database.
Which is pulled by a Business Intelligence professional, or Self Service BI user.
Which gets into a report, dispersed for management.
So who owns the Data?
It depends.
The cow may produce the Milk, as a Database Administrator stores the Data.
But they don't own the product.
They release it into the world.
For consumption.
Milk feeds the people.
Data feeds the users.
I'd say data growth is taking off.
So choose your new career, be a Data Dairy Farmer, and Milk that Data.
And so it goes!
And the farmer milks the milk.
To sell to a supermarket.
To be consumed by the customer.
So who owns the Milk?
It depends.
So data is stored in a Database.
Which is pulled by a Business Intelligence professional, or Self Service BI user.
Which gets into a report, dispersed for management.
So who owns the Data?
It depends.
The cow may produce the Milk, as a Database Administrator stores the Data.
But they don't own the product.
They release it into the world.
For consumption.
Milk feeds the people.
Data feeds the users.
I'd say data growth is taking off.
So choose your new career, be a Data Dairy Farmer, and Milk that Data.
And so it goes!
Self Service BI Do It Yourself Projects
Back in the day, people hired contractors to perform jobs they could not do themselves.
I'm talking about home projects, new roofs, new cabinets, new bathrooms, etc.
And homeowners were at the mercy the professionals, for pricing, quality, duration, etc.
Then along came a company called Home Depot, where the average person could purchase supplies to do the work themselves at substantial savings and convenience.
With Lowes cropping up, Ace getting larger and the home maintenance revolution was born.
So now take data.
Long ago, the data was housed in a large castle by IT, surrounded by a mote of crocodiles and man eating beasts, where no customer was allowed entry, ever.
And the business tired of having to wait, for inferior products and having to bow down to the mighty IT wizards.
And along came Self Service Business Intelligence. The ability for end users, who are somewhat savvy with the data, to pull their own data turned into reports for consumption on their terms.
And a new revolution in data was born.
I don't think we can put the genie back in the box as users get a taste of what they've longed for.
So how will that impact IT. Well, they will have to relinquish their throw, and make room for the new kid on the block.
As prices come down, technology increases and becomes more available, and the competition is already racing forward with their own initiatives, it only makes sense that SSBI will be the future, sooner than later.
So hop on the bandwagon, ride this puppy for the next decade and reap the rewards.
Self Service Business Intelligence is the new Self Service Home Improvement revolution!
And so it goes!
I'm talking about home projects, new roofs, new cabinets, new bathrooms, etc.
And homeowners were at the mercy the professionals, for pricing, quality, duration, etc.
Then along came a company called Home Depot, where the average person could purchase supplies to do the work themselves at substantial savings and convenience.
With Lowes cropping up, Ace getting larger and the home maintenance revolution was born.
So now take data.
Long ago, the data was housed in a large castle by IT, surrounded by a mote of crocodiles and man eating beasts, where no customer was allowed entry, ever.
And the business tired of having to wait, for inferior products and having to bow down to the mighty IT wizards.
And along came Self Service Business Intelligence. The ability for end users, who are somewhat savvy with the data, to pull their own data turned into reports for consumption on their terms.
And a new revolution in data was born.
I don't think we can put the genie back in the box as users get a taste of what they've longed for.
So how will that impact IT. Well, they will have to relinquish their throw, and make room for the new kid on the block.
As prices come down, technology increases and becomes more available, and the competition is already racing forward with their own initiatives, it only makes sense that SSBI will be the future, sooner than later.
So hop on the bandwagon, ride this puppy for the next decade and reap the rewards.
Self Service Business Intelligence is the new Self Service Home Improvement revolution!
And so it goes!
What to Learn?
I'm not sure what to learn at the moment? Overwhelming to say the least:
Microsoft Advanced Business Intelligence
Microsoft Advanced Business Intelligence
- Excel 2013 Power View
- Power Pivot
- SharePoint
- Power View
- Performance Point
- KPI
- Advanced Tabular Model
- SSAS
- SSIS
- SSRS
- Advanced T-SQL
- All rising stars
- Possible future of BI
- Hadoop
- NoSQL
- Pig
- Hive
- Map Reduce
- .net
- c#
- Web Services
- JQuery
- HTML5
- Ruby
- Mobile
- Cloud
- OBIEE
- Cognos
- Teradata
- Data Warehousing
- Data Modeling
Get Back in the Ring
I had gotten back into tennis, at the local club.
There was a tennis league called K-Swiss at the time.
I decided to register, for the 5.5 division.
Everyone said that was way to high to start off, I wouldn't win a match.
I pushed forward anyway.
First match, I was tight, couldn't find a rhythm.
Found myself down 0-6, 0-5, 1 game from getting shut out.
During the changeover, I was upset, I put my towel over my head.
I started to think, "I'm better than this guy, what the hell just happened?"
And I forgot about winning and losing and allowed myself to win the match.
With that I won the next game, then the next and soon won the set 7-5.
The opponent couldn't believe it, as he dropped the next set 6-0, my first win.
I then went on to win the entire season undefeated at the 5.5 division.
And then won the playoffs for the title. Nobody could believe it.
I then got bumped up a division to the 6.0 minus.
There I dropped one match going into the playoffs and lost in the finals.
And I stopped playing that league to play tournaments.
So now I'm thinking to sign up for the league again, 7 years later.
Get back in the ring, see what life has in store, take another shot at it.
And so it goes!
There was a tennis league called K-Swiss at the time.
I decided to register, for the 5.5 division.
Everyone said that was way to high to start off, I wouldn't win a match.
I pushed forward anyway.
First match, I was tight, couldn't find a rhythm.
Found myself down 0-6, 0-5, 1 game from getting shut out.
During the changeover, I was upset, I put my towel over my head.
I started to think, "I'm better than this guy, what the hell just happened?"
And I forgot about winning and losing and allowed myself to win the match.
With that I won the next game, then the next and soon won the set 7-5.
The opponent couldn't believe it, as he dropped the next set 6-0, my first win.
I then went on to win the entire season undefeated at the 5.5 division.
And then won the playoffs for the title. Nobody could believe it.
I then got bumped up a division to the 6.0 minus.
There I dropped one match going into the playoffs and lost in the finals.
And I stopped playing that league to play tournaments.
So now I'm thinking to sign up for the league again, 7 years later.
Get back in the ring, see what life has in store, take another shot at it.
And so it goes!
12/17/2012
Hard to Keep Up
In 20 years of IT, I've had only 3 or 4 paid training courses by my employer.
I received training courses for Visual Basic and PL/SQL back in 1996.
And I was not thrilled about the Actuate and Peoplesoft training in 1999.
And more recently an OBIEE 2 day course and a 3 day XCelcius online course.
Would you say that's a good track record for paid training, for 20+ year career?
Is this common in the IT trend? Or is the responsibility of learning new technology now in the hands of each developer?
Most probably yes.
From my perspective, when an employer is faced with an above average worker, instead of challenging them intellectually on tough problems, they just overload and overwork the employee.
I felt like I was doing 3, 4 or 5 people's job way before company's starting this trend a few years ago.
So the company's have no obligation to train employees, they can fire you on the spot, outsource your job to another country, and will work the heck out of you if they find that you are capable.
So get busy learning!
And so it goes!
I received training courses for Visual Basic and PL/SQL back in 1996.
And I was not thrilled about the Actuate and Peoplesoft training in 1999.
And more recently an OBIEE 2 day course and a 3 day XCelcius online course.
Would you say that's a good track record for paid training, for 20+ year career?
Is this common in the IT trend? Or is the responsibility of learning new technology now in the hands of each developer?
Most probably yes.
From my perspective, when an employer is faced with an above average worker, instead of challenging them intellectually on tough problems, they just overload and overwork the employee.
I felt like I was doing 3, 4 or 5 people's job way before company's starting this trend a few years ago.
So the company's have no obligation to train employees, they can fire you on the spot, outsource your job to another country, and will work the heck out of you if they find that you are capable.
So get busy learning!
And so it goes!
Authenticity
I believe the number one fear of the average person to be:
The fear of being different.
People will do whatever they have to in order to be accepted.
Do the right thing.
Say the right thing.
Buy the right things.
Peer pressure will cause people to behave in ways they otherwise wouldn't.
And some people, no matter how hard they try, simply do not fit in.
They are the outcasts, the misfits, the unchosen people.
They are not part of the inner circles.
They don't attend the best parties.
They aren't part of the football / cheerleader crowd (in school).
They don't live in the right neighborhood.
And don't drive the right car.
And don't have a model spouse.
Yet I say everyone is unique.
Everyone should be proud of their differences.
What makes them unique.
And they should tell the bully to FUCK OFF!
Because being a member of some group that pretends to be a certain way, is not worth being part of.
And not everyone subscribes to the mold that which the advertisers portray as model citizens.
I say be who you are, don't cheat yourself out of authenticity to please others, to fit in, to be liked.
You are a unique human being.
Not some mind numbed robot who performs monkey tricks to be liked.
It's okay to not fit in.
It's okay to follow your dreams.
It's okay to be who you are.
Don't be a fraud.
And so it goes!
The fear of being different.
People will do whatever they have to in order to be accepted.
Do the right thing.
Say the right thing.
Buy the right things.
Peer pressure will cause people to behave in ways they otherwise wouldn't.
And some people, no matter how hard they try, simply do not fit in.
They are the outcasts, the misfits, the unchosen people.
They are not part of the inner circles.
They don't attend the best parties.
They aren't part of the football / cheerleader crowd (in school).
They don't live in the right neighborhood.
And don't drive the right car.
And don't have a model spouse.
Yet I say everyone is unique.
Everyone should be proud of their differences.
What makes them unique.
And they should tell the bully to FUCK OFF!
Because being a member of some group that pretends to be a certain way, is not worth being part of.
And not everyone subscribes to the mold that which the advertisers portray as model citizens.
I say be who you are, don't cheat yourself out of authenticity to please others, to fit in, to be liked.
You are a unique human being.
Not some mind numbed robot who performs monkey tricks to be liked.
It's okay to not fit in.
It's okay to follow your dreams.
It's okay to be who you are.
Don't be a fraud.
And so it goes!
Crumble
How much television do you think the average family watches?
Do you think television contains sufficient amount of violence?
How much television do you think the average kid watches?
Do you think there's sufficient violence in video games?
How much time do you think a kid plays video games?
Do you think schools have had a reduction in money to spend on children?
Do you think teachers are held to impossible standards with insufficient tools to do their jobs?
Do you think bully's have always existed and allowed to continue out of fear?
Do you think society has gotten more violent?
Why do you think that is?
Do you think you can blame the mentally handicapped people for all of society's problems?
How efficient is the mental health industry?
How much oversight is there to determine if it's effective on treatments?
Why are the mentally ill the lowest rung on society's ladder?
Why are the majority of homeless mentally ill, have we just thrown them away?
Why does mental illness have such bad reputation in our society?
Is profit more important than helping individuals?
I'd say society began it's crumble when John F. Kennedy was shot.
It's a freakin' free for all.
Do you think television contains sufficient amount of violence?
How much television do you think the average kid watches?
Do you think there's sufficient violence in video games?
How much time do you think a kid plays video games?
Do you think schools have had a reduction in money to spend on children?
Do you think teachers are held to impossible standards with insufficient tools to do their jobs?
Do you think bully's have always existed and allowed to continue out of fear?
Do you think society has gotten more violent?
Why do you think that is?
Do you think you can blame the mentally handicapped people for all of society's problems?
How efficient is the mental health industry?
How much oversight is there to determine if it's effective on treatments?
Why are the mentally ill the lowest rung on society's ladder?
Why are the majority of homeless mentally ill, have we just thrown them away?
Why does mental illness have such bad reputation in our society?
Is profit more important than helping individuals?
I'd say society began it's crumble when John F. Kennedy was shot.
It's a freakin' free for all.
Really?
Do you think you can actually satisfy a customer?
Impossible.
Do you think that the company spends too much money on training?
Never.
Do you think the project manager who estimated the time on your project had a clue?
Ridiculous.
If you believed any of these statements, chances are, you may be delusional.
And how about this, people who write up job descriptions where you must know every technology ever invented.
Or how about thinking that teamwork really involves helping out your co-workers.
Or believing the vendors sales pitch to be 100% accurate and no blurring of truth and fiction.
You see, reality is the perception of the person.
And some of the stuff we're expected to believe or not believe, is a matter of interpretation.
So I say read between the lines, add some grains of salt and see through the forest to get to the truth.
It ain't easy, but sure worth it.
And so it goes!
Impossible.
Do you think that the company spends too much money on training?
Never.
Do you think the project manager who estimated the time on your project had a clue?
Ridiculous.
If you believed any of these statements, chances are, you may be delusional.
And how about this, people who write up job descriptions where you must know every technology ever invented.
Or how about thinking that teamwork really involves helping out your co-workers.
Or believing the vendors sales pitch to be 100% accurate and no blurring of truth and fiction.
You see, reality is the perception of the person.
And some of the stuff we're expected to believe or not believe, is a matter of interpretation.
So I say read between the lines, add some grains of salt and see through the forest to get to the truth.
It ain't easy, but sure worth it.
And so it goes!
12/16/2012
Spend Less
Well, this economy sucks.
So many people earning less than before while working much harder.
Underemployment, unemployment, people working multiple jobs, food stamps, you name it.
Simply put, lots of jobs have gone away, been automated, shipped overseas or the product / service is no longer needed.
This list goes on and on.
An attack on the middle class.
Price of everything has gone up.
Company's are no longer bashful about cutting quality and quantity.
Gas prices are low now, but wait until after the new year.
We are being squeezed from every angle.
The solution.
Drum roll please.... wait for it..... wait....
SPEND LESS!
How profound. How revolutionary. How factual.
Spend less than you earn.
It's in every financial book I read, and I read lots of them.
Track your spending, create a budget, save up money for rainy day.
It sounds so easy, yet most family's have $6 to $10 thousand in credit card bills.
And believe me, I approved credit cards and loans for 5 years, so I've seen a good snapshot of people's credit.
So when the economy went south, I can just imagine all those late payments, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days past due, bankruptcy, foreclosure, defaulted student loans, repossessed cars.
A fiscal storm to say the least.
People are hungry for work, they'll work harder for less money, the company's have the upper hand.
And with the attack on public education, where teachers babysit more than help students succeed in life, where the only valid job for a high school graduate is to join the military.
I wish the picture looked brighter, I'm just reporting from my standpoint.
Perhaps somebody else has a crystal ball where things in the future look great financially.
I say without another bubble to pull us out, we've got a long road ahead of us.
So save your pennies, stop spending your hard earned income on misc items.
If you don't protect your piggy bank, nobody else will.
Like a giant dead whale floating in the ocean, first the big fish come along and take big bites, then the medium size fish, them the small fish, the all that's left is a skeleton that sinks to the bottom.
So is our economy, everyone wants a piece of your paycheck, and the advertisers will stop at nothing to entice you to spend more than you earn.
I don't know how else to say it, so just stop spending.
And there you have it!
So many people earning less than before while working much harder.
Underemployment, unemployment, people working multiple jobs, food stamps, you name it.
Simply put, lots of jobs have gone away, been automated, shipped overseas or the product / service is no longer needed.
This list goes on and on.
An attack on the middle class.
Price of everything has gone up.
Company's are no longer bashful about cutting quality and quantity.
Gas prices are low now, but wait until after the new year.
We are being squeezed from every angle.
The solution.
Drum roll please.... wait for it..... wait....
SPEND LESS!
How profound. How revolutionary. How factual.
Spend less than you earn.
It's in every financial book I read, and I read lots of them.
Track your spending, create a budget, save up money for rainy day.
It sounds so easy, yet most family's have $6 to $10 thousand in credit card bills.
And believe me, I approved credit cards and loans for 5 years, so I've seen a good snapshot of people's credit.
So when the economy went south, I can just imagine all those late payments, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days past due, bankruptcy, foreclosure, defaulted student loans, repossessed cars.
A fiscal storm to say the least.
People are hungry for work, they'll work harder for less money, the company's have the upper hand.
And with the attack on public education, where teachers babysit more than help students succeed in life, where the only valid job for a high school graduate is to join the military.
I wish the picture looked brighter, I'm just reporting from my standpoint.
Perhaps somebody else has a crystal ball where things in the future look great financially.
I say without another bubble to pull us out, we've got a long road ahead of us.
So save your pennies, stop spending your hard earned income on misc items.
If you don't protect your piggy bank, nobody else will.
Like a giant dead whale floating in the ocean, first the big fish come along and take big bites, then the medium size fish, them the small fish, the all that's left is a skeleton that sinks to the bottom.
So is our economy, everyone wants a piece of your paycheck, and the advertisers will stop at nothing to entice you to spend more than you earn.
I don't know how else to say it, so just stop spending.
And there you have it!
Back on the Courts
There's something holy about playing tennis for me.
You see, growing up, we moved to Tampa Fl when I was 12.
And the move was not easy for me, complete readjustment.
I played tennis in NY, so as soon as we moved, I was a member at the Northdale tennis club.
And I spent all my time there, every day after school, every weekend.
And all my friends were from there as well.
So being on the court so much, I wasn't involved with the day to day events in the real world.
Tennis was my shelter from the world, playing 3-4 hours per day and 10 hours on the weekends.
The better I got, the more my identity was directly tied to tennis.
The exercise kept me in tremendous shape, mentally and physically.
All the problems in my life went away when I got on the courts.
My mother paid for all my lessons, both private and group.
I never thought of the future in regards to growing up.
The only thing that mattered was tennis.
And then after high school, instead of heading to a college to prepare for tennis, I went to Jacksonville to work in a wallboard plant to earn money for college.
And then the adjustment to college life was difficult, as I was not playing tennis.
And I was dating a girl named Tammy, and I soon realized how unprepared I was for relationships.
Let's just say the lack of tennis and excercise was not good.
And since my identify was tied to tennis, those were some difficult times.
And I basically didn't play much until 2004.
I rode my bike to the Royal Raquet tennis club and asked to play.
And soon was back on the courts, winning again, rising up the ladder, playing competitive tournaments again, even national tournaments and got to be #35 in the nation in the men's 35.
It was fun. I soon taught tennis, as my real job. And then I met my wife. And gradually stopped playing again in 2006.
Well, I'm back on the courts once again. It feels great. Hope to keep everyone updated on how it goes.
And there you have it.
You see, growing up, we moved to Tampa Fl when I was 12.
And the move was not easy for me, complete readjustment.
I played tennis in NY, so as soon as we moved, I was a member at the Northdale tennis club.
And I spent all my time there, every day after school, every weekend.
And all my friends were from there as well.
So being on the court so much, I wasn't involved with the day to day events in the real world.
Tennis was my shelter from the world, playing 3-4 hours per day and 10 hours on the weekends.
The better I got, the more my identity was directly tied to tennis.
The exercise kept me in tremendous shape, mentally and physically.
All the problems in my life went away when I got on the courts.
My mother paid for all my lessons, both private and group.
I never thought of the future in regards to growing up.
The only thing that mattered was tennis.
And then after high school, instead of heading to a college to prepare for tennis, I went to Jacksonville to work in a wallboard plant to earn money for college.
And then the adjustment to college life was difficult, as I was not playing tennis.
And I was dating a girl named Tammy, and I soon realized how unprepared I was for relationships.
Let's just say the lack of tennis and excercise was not good.
And since my identify was tied to tennis, those were some difficult times.
And I basically didn't play much until 2004.
I rode my bike to the Royal Raquet tennis club and asked to play.
And soon was back on the courts, winning again, rising up the ladder, playing competitive tournaments again, even national tournaments and got to be #35 in the nation in the men's 35.
It was fun. I soon taught tennis, as my real job. And then I met my wife. And gradually stopped playing again in 2006.
Well, I'm back on the courts once again. It feels great. Hope to keep everyone updated on how it goes.
And there you have it.
12/15/2012
Saturday Morning Tennis
Well I got the day started off right.
Two hours of doubles tennis.
Working out at the gym lately, my stomach muscles are tightening and my footwork is better.
So we were down in the first set, came back to win 7-5.
Then switched partners and lost next set 5-7.
And called it a day.
I haven't smiled this much in a long time.
My backhand is getting there able to place the ball better with speed.
I don't know many of the players out there, between 12 and 16 guys.
I did bump in to Marvin, last time we played was 6 years ago.
Some people didn't recognize me with the long hair.
Felt good to be back out on the courts.
Hopefully get to play more often.
Two hours of doubles tennis.
Working out at the gym lately, my stomach muscles are tightening and my footwork is better.
So we were down in the first set, came back to win 7-5.
Then switched partners and lost next set 5-7.
And called it a day.
I haven't smiled this much in a long time.
My backhand is getting there able to place the ball better with speed.
I don't know many of the players out there, between 12 and 16 guys.
I did bump in to Marvin, last time we played was 6 years ago.
Some people didn't recognize me with the long hair.
Felt good to be back out on the courts.
Hopefully get to play more often.
12/14/2012
Just Be Happy
What good is complaining.
I mean in the big picture, who really cares.
For example, at lunch today I asked for extra crispy fries as did my lunch companion.
Turns out that equates to raw fries.
So I get back to work, get a candy bar for a $1, seems the package size has reduced in half.
After getting gas, which has triple in the past 5 years, I stopped at another banks ATM to pay a $4 surcharge.
Meanwhile, the price of everything has gone up, portions have come down, customer service is a legacy, people go out of their way to make things worse for you.
I'm sure you can see that the cards are stacked against us.
So how do we respond.
Business as usual.
Because nobody really cares.
And there's not much we can do about it.
You can only control one thing in this world, your attitude.
As I child, I could sleep on nails.
Only when I went to college did I vent about my circumstances.
Didn't do me any good, except to earn the title CPM, complaints per minute.
There is no shortage of things to complain about.
I don't see that changing.
What has changed is my ability to see through the negativity and just be happy.
And there you have it.
I mean in the big picture, who really cares.
For example, at lunch today I asked for extra crispy fries as did my lunch companion.
Turns out that equates to raw fries.
So I get back to work, get a candy bar for a $1, seems the package size has reduced in half.
After getting gas, which has triple in the past 5 years, I stopped at another banks ATM to pay a $4 surcharge.
Meanwhile, the price of everything has gone up, portions have come down, customer service is a legacy, people go out of their way to make things worse for you.
I'm sure you can see that the cards are stacked against us.
So how do we respond.
Business as usual.
Because nobody really cares.
And there's not much we can do about it.
You can only control one thing in this world, your attitude.
As I child, I could sleep on nails.
Only when I went to college did I vent about my circumstances.
Didn't do me any good, except to earn the title CPM, complaints per minute.
There is no shortage of things to complain about.
I don't see that changing.
What has changed is my ability to see through the negativity and just be happy.
And there you have it.
Structure vs Unstructured
When people in BI think of Structured vs Unstructured, they first think of data.
But what I'm thinking of is the work environment.
Some developers like to know what they are working on way in advance.
By that, they want to know who the customer is, what the assignment is, and each step broken out into line items of a project plan or ticketing system.
That is what we call a Structured project.
And then there's unstructured.
Customer is undefined, business requirements don't really exist, database sources are scattered about, how to link them is anyone's guess, the business rules are not documented, anywhere.
And your job is to make things happen.
Some people prefer the first methodology, and head for the door once they figure out that's what they're up against. They prefer to be hand held each step of the way.
And other people prefer the freedom to discover what the end result will look like. This is what I see as the primary difference between the Business Intelligence developer (1st scenario) and the Data Scientist (2nd).
The Data Scientist has the experience to bring to the table their understanding of technology, the business and the analytics. They may have worked through the ranks up from a report developer to BI person to Data Scientist, or they may have had the educational background to land at the top right off the bat.
So which do you prefer, structured or unstructured. Once you know that, then you can head in the direction best suited for you.
And there you have it!
But what I'm thinking of is the work environment.
Some developers like to know what they are working on way in advance.
By that, they want to know who the customer is, what the assignment is, and each step broken out into line items of a project plan or ticketing system.
That is what we call a Structured project.
And then there's unstructured.
Customer is undefined, business requirements don't really exist, database sources are scattered about, how to link them is anyone's guess, the business rules are not documented, anywhere.
And your job is to make things happen.
Some people prefer the first methodology, and head for the door once they figure out that's what they're up against. They prefer to be hand held each step of the way.
And other people prefer the freedom to discover what the end result will look like. This is what I see as the primary difference between the Business Intelligence developer (1st scenario) and the Data Scientist (2nd).
The Data Scientist has the experience to bring to the table their understanding of technology, the business and the analytics. They may have worked through the ranks up from a report developer to BI person to Data Scientist, or they may have had the educational background to land at the top right off the bat.
So which do you prefer, structured or unstructured. Once you know that, then you can head in the direction best suited for you.
And there you have it!
12/13/2012
Misunderstood
I've been misunderstood my entire life.
Probably because I've always been so quiet.
That people don't really pay attention to what I'm saying.
Which is good and bad.
Sometimes when I talk, people don't know if I'm serious or not.
And sometimes I'll say stuff that's really funny.
And people don't get it.
And sometimes they'll think about what I said, and 10 minutes later they'll laugh.
And say, you know, that was really funny.
However, it's not all fun and games.
Like at work for example.
Sometimes I talk with people and they have no clue what I'm talking about.
We'll talk about a subject, they'll start explaining things to me like I'm an idiot.
And they don't realize I just solved the enterprise problem 4 months ago, and re-architect-ed things to make them simpler.
So they'll be talking down to me like I'm a beginner, I just sit there, waiting for them to finish, and say, well, this is what I accomplished 4 months ago, maybe this will work.
And sometimes they get it, sometimes they just look at me like I'm from another planet, and they start to explain everything all over again, this time a little bit slower.
I'm use to it, but it's still frustrating. For some reason, people don't understand what I'm talking about sometimes, and although they think I'm 3 steps beneath them, I'm actually a few steps above them from a knowledge perspective.
And other times, I really don't know what I'm talking about (wink wink!)
Probably because I've always been so quiet.
That people don't really pay attention to what I'm saying.
Which is good and bad.
Sometimes when I talk, people don't know if I'm serious or not.
And sometimes I'll say stuff that's really funny.
And people don't get it.
And sometimes they'll think about what I said, and 10 minutes later they'll laugh.
And say, you know, that was really funny.
However, it's not all fun and games.
Like at work for example.
Sometimes I talk with people and they have no clue what I'm talking about.
We'll talk about a subject, they'll start explaining things to me like I'm an idiot.
And they don't realize I just solved the enterprise problem 4 months ago, and re-architect-ed things to make them simpler.
So they'll be talking down to me like I'm a beginner, I just sit there, waiting for them to finish, and say, well, this is what I accomplished 4 months ago, maybe this will work.
And sometimes they get it, sometimes they just look at me like I'm from another planet, and they start to explain everything all over again, this time a little bit slower.
I'm use to it, but it's still frustrating. For some reason, people don't understand what I'm talking about sometimes, and although they think I'm 3 steps beneath them, I'm actually a few steps above them from a knowledge perspective.
And other times, I really don't know what I'm talking about (wink wink!)
Snakes Exist In Every Org
How do you know if you coworker is a snake?
Well for one thing, you won't know immediately.
Because typically snakes are charming and thoughtful.
Perhaps a little too thoughtful.
A snake will divulge little information about themselves.
Yet they'll constantly probe you for information.
And then take it, without giving proper credit.
A snake will stab you in the back, publicly.
And if they're not taking credit for your work or planting a knife in you, they'll probably be doing it to someone else.
Because if they are dumb enough to take from you, chances are they're doing it to someone else.
And typically they've done it throughout their career.
Snakes exists in every occupation in every company all over the world.
However, once identified, you can take proper action.
By being on the defense with them.
And not divulging as much info.
And watching their patterns with other coworkers.
And you can ask other people, gently, to validate your suspicion.
And then you can team up on the bully, backstabbing liar.
And eventually expose them for being a fraud.
Welcome to the new workforce people, where the game of Survivor is played out in every organization, in the halls, offices and water coolers.
And be warned, snakes do exist in the wild, as well as the business world.
Well for one thing, you won't know immediately.
Because typically snakes are charming and thoughtful.
Perhaps a little too thoughtful.
A snake will divulge little information about themselves.
Yet they'll constantly probe you for information.
And then take it, without giving proper credit.
A snake will stab you in the back, publicly.
And if they're not taking credit for your work or planting a knife in you, they'll probably be doing it to someone else.
Because if they are dumb enough to take from you, chances are they're doing it to someone else.
And typically they've done it throughout their career.
Snakes exists in every occupation in every company all over the world.
However, once identified, you can take proper action.
By being on the defense with them.
And not divulging as much info.
And watching their patterns with other coworkers.
And you can ask other people, gently, to validate your suspicion.
And then you can team up on the bully, backstabbing liar.
And eventually expose them for being a fraud.
Welcome to the new workforce people, where the game of Survivor is played out in every organization, in the halls, offices and water coolers.
And be warned, snakes do exist in the wild, as well as the business world.
Are Full Time BI Pros More Valuable Than Consultants?
To be a report writer, you really need to know the technology.
To be a business intelligence person, you need to know the technology and the business.
And if you are a contractor or consultant, you spend your days working for a client, then move on.
All that business knowledge down the drain.
So what about the full time business intelligence developers.
They stay put at their jobs.
And over time they learn the business inside and out.
So they become the domain knowledge experts.
And typically the business rules don't change that drastically over time.
So their knowledge becomes an asset to the organization.
You can hire a BI consultant any day of the week.
Because they know the technology.
They don't know the business, most likely.
And information is power.
And the people who are on staff, the ones soaking up the business rules, they are the go-to people now a days.
Because that info is more valuable than consultants ability to produce reports.
So perhaps full time BI is the way to go?
Who knows. Things go in cycles. Time will tell.
To be a business intelligence person, you need to know the technology and the business.
And if you are a contractor or consultant, you spend your days working for a client, then move on.
All that business knowledge down the drain.
So what about the full time business intelligence developers.
They stay put at their jobs.
And over time they learn the business inside and out.
So they become the domain knowledge experts.
And typically the business rules don't change that drastically over time.
So their knowledge becomes an asset to the organization.
You can hire a BI consultant any day of the week.
Because they know the technology.
They don't know the business, most likely.
And information is power.
And the people who are on staff, the ones soaking up the business rules, they are the go-to people now a days.
Because that info is more valuable than consultants ability to produce reports.
So perhaps full time BI is the way to go?
Who knows. Things go in cycles. Time will tell.
Self Service Business Intelligence Summary
Self Service Business Intelligence (SSBI) - provide mechanism for users to run their own reports on demand from anywhere.
Sure sounds easy.
IT just builds them the road, the pavement, the sewer lines, the traffic lights, the on and off ramps, set up an entire infrastructure to allow the user to drive.
"Boy this driving sure is easy, just press the gas and off you go. I don't see why we had to wait this long for Self Service."
That's because IT is providing the sandbox environment to allow you to focus on "your" business.
And not have to worry about the complex data preparation, cleansing, mashing, governance, backups, permissions, etc.
IT is still moving the heavy blocks to allow the business the comfort and ease of Self Service.
And IT has access to every department's data, not just yours.
So they can see the bigger picture.
And isn't that the name of the game.
Include as much data as possible to enhance your view of the ecosystem to provide analysis which spawns insights, converted into action by leaders.
And there you have it!
Sure sounds easy.
IT just builds them the road, the pavement, the sewer lines, the traffic lights, the on and off ramps, set up an entire infrastructure to allow the user to drive.
"Boy this driving sure is easy, just press the gas and off you go. I don't see why we had to wait this long for Self Service."
That's because IT is providing the sandbox environment to allow you to focus on "your" business.
And not have to worry about the complex data preparation, cleansing, mashing, governance, backups, permissions, etc.
IT is still moving the heavy blocks to allow the business the comfort and ease of Self Service.
And IT has access to every department's data, not just yours.
So they can see the bigger picture.
And isn't that the name of the game.
Include as much data as possible to enhance your view of the ecosystem to provide analysis which spawns insights, converted into action by leaders.
And there you have it!
12/12/2012
United We Stand
Teamwork is the foundation of success.
Baseball "teams" win ballgames.
Everyone gives their all.
It should emphasize people's strengths.
And lift up those who need assistance.
Teams produce more than individuals.
Groups filled with primadonas are detrimental.
Because too many cooks can ruin a meal.
And too many egos can deflate a team.
Friendly competition should drive success.
We all help each other, win or lose.
United we stand.
Bitter rivalries will create individualism.
Where bully's are rampant.
They should be purged for the sake of everyone.
Bully's instill fear.
And give public whippings to warn others.
Don't mess with them or receive the same fate.
Baseball "teams" win ballgames.
Everyone gives their all.
It should emphasize people's strengths.
And lift up those who need assistance.
Teams produce more than individuals.
Groups filled with primadonas are detrimental.
Because too many cooks can ruin a meal.
And too many egos can deflate a team.
Friendly competition should drive success.
We all help each other, win or lose.
United we stand.
Bitter rivalries will create individualism.
Where bully's are rampant.
They should be purged for the sake of everyone.
Bully's instill fear.
And give public whippings to warn others.
Don't mess with them or receive the same fate.
IT is the Corporate Dumping Ground for Any Problem
In the Enterprise of many organizations, it seems the IT department is the goto place for many questions.
Many business divisions, when tasked with a problem, simple relate the problem in terms of technology, and send their request over.
And IT gets a lot of problems thrown their way.
Wrapped in technology.
So IT must solve the majority of the organizations problems whether they are technology related or not.
Sales department needs more leads, so they send a request down to IT to find a technology solutions for producing more leads.
Marketing department needs better tracking of money spent and return on investment.
Etc. etc.
Basically what I'm saying is that IT department gets legetimate requests for providing solutions via technology, however they are also "dumped" on in many orgs by many departments for doing the other departments job.
IT is the Google for the enterprise on solving problems, whether or not it's an IT related issue.
Just wrap it in technology and throw it over the fence.
Then demand time frames for expected results, regardless if the IT department has sufficient resources or talent on hand.
And so it goes!
Many business divisions, when tasked with a problem, simple relate the problem in terms of technology, and send their request over.
And IT gets a lot of problems thrown their way.
Wrapped in technology.
So IT must solve the majority of the organizations problems whether they are technology related or not.
Sales department needs more leads, so they send a request down to IT to find a technology solutions for producing more leads.
Marketing department needs better tracking of money spent and return on investment.
Etc. etc.
Basically what I'm saying is that IT department gets legetimate requests for providing solutions via technology, however they are also "dumped" on in many orgs by many departments for doing the other departments job.
IT is the Google for the enterprise on solving problems, whether or not it's an IT related issue.
Just wrap it in technology and throw it over the fence.
Then demand time frames for expected results, regardless if the IT department has sufficient resources or talent on hand.
And so it goes!
Original Ideas
What value do I provide?
Well I'm not a rocket scientist.
And I've never written a book.
Or published a magazine article.
I've never created a patent.
Nor have I sold my own software.
So where's the value?
I have a unique perspective.
My own point of view.
Which nobody else has.
That is my brand.
I see the world through my own lenses.
And create original ideas.
That have never been heard before.
By seeing the world in my own way, I find solutions to problems which no one else can.
And create ideas.
And provide insight to those who do not see.
There are many people who are successful according to society's standards.
Yet I offer my uniqueness.
That's all I've got.
Well I'm not a rocket scientist.
And I've never written a book.
Or published a magazine article.
I've never created a patent.
Nor have I sold my own software.
So where's the value?
I have a unique perspective.
My own point of view.
Which nobody else has.
That is my brand.
I see the world through my own lenses.
And create original ideas.
That have never been heard before.
By seeing the world in my own way, I find solutions to problems which no one else can.
And create ideas.
And provide insight to those who do not see.
There are many people who are successful according to society's standards.
Yet I offer my uniqueness.
That's all I've got.
12/11/2012
Quick Meeting with the Boss
Most people tend to shy away from their Managers.
I went to talk to mine today, find out how things are going, if he's happy with my work.
I said I've been working on the data mash query for a month, now I'm knee deep on another project this week, haven't produced much in 5 weeks, but I'm working hard.
He understood and said he'll try to mix up the Research and Development projects with a few quick wins.
It's kind of different for me to work on longer projects as I'm used to juggling 10 things at a time, picking them off one at a time, feels like progress.
We still need to look at the work I did and validate it and see what else we can add.
And there's no shortage of work so we'll see what happens.
Overall, my favorite IT job ever.
Except my stints doing archaeology and tennis teaching were still better!
I went to talk to mine today, find out how things are going, if he's happy with my work.
I said I've been working on the data mash query for a month, now I'm knee deep on another project this week, haven't produced much in 5 weeks, but I'm working hard.
He understood and said he'll try to mix up the Research and Development projects with a few quick wins.
It's kind of different for me to work on longer projects as I'm used to juggling 10 things at a time, picking them off one at a time, feels like progress.
We still need to look at the work I did and validate it and see what else we can add.
And there's no shortage of work so we'll see what happens.
Overall, my favorite IT job ever.
Except my stints doing archaeology and tennis teaching were still better!
Business Rules
What happens when you develop a report?
You first outline what question you are trying to accomplish.
You get this by asking the user.
What's next?
You translate the business requirements into working code?
And what if you don't know where to get the data from or how the business rules operate?
You are at the mercy of asking someone else.
And there lies the problem.
Because some people don't necessarily give you what you're asking for.
And they give you the wrong information.
Or incomplete information.
Or don't take the problem you are trying to solve deep enough.
And then you go back to your desk and create a report, which is wrong.
And then it's your problem for creating a piece of crap.
But wait, you say such and such person gave you the wrong information.
They deny it or say they didn't understand the question or didn't have enough time to think it through.
I'm telling you that the report developer is at the mercy of the business domain expert to provide fast accurate business rules which can then be translated into workable code.
And what if you're business rules are not documented.
Well, then, you do have a problem.
That's the way I see it.
When a report developer is dependent on other people to supply what he needs, namely business rules, he is at their mercy for their time and for receiving correct information, because to be honest, the business user doesn't give a crap about you or your project.
To them you are cutting into their precious time and they're trying to get rid of you as fast as they can.
So go ahead and blame IT for all the problems in Reporting and I'll tell you why it's not 100% true.
So when you have a question, choose from the following:
A. Go Away!
B. Incomplete Answer
C. Wrong Answer
D. I don't know
E. Go ask someone else
You first outline what question you are trying to accomplish.
You get this by asking the user.
What's next?
You translate the business requirements into working code?
And what if you don't know where to get the data from or how the business rules operate?
You are at the mercy of asking someone else.
And there lies the problem.
Because some people don't necessarily give you what you're asking for.
And they give you the wrong information.
Or incomplete information.
Or don't take the problem you are trying to solve deep enough.
And then you go back to your desk and create a report, which is wrong.
And then it's your problem for creating a piece of crap.
But wait, you say such and such person gave you the wrong information.
They deny it or say they didn't understand the question or didn't have enough time to think it through.
I'm telling you that the report developer is at the mercy of the business domain expert to provide fast accurate business rules which can then be translated into workable code.
And what if you're business rules are not documented.
Well, then, you do have a problem.
That's the way I see it.
When a report developer is dependent on other people to supply what he needs, namely business rules, he is at their mercy for their time and for receiving correct information, because to be honest, the business user doesn't give a crap about you or your project.
To them you are cutting into their precious time and they're trying to get rid of you as fast as they can.
So go ahead and blame IT for all the problems in Reporting and I'll tell you why it's not 100% true.
So when you have a question, choose from the following:
A. Go Away!
B. Incomplete Answer
C. Wrong Answer
D. I don't know
E. Go ask someone else
Team of 'The Reporting Guys'
I've always considered my style that of the 'one eyed man in the land of the blind'.
By that, I got by for most of my career for knowing some of the ins and outs of technical jargon that many people did not know or understand.
Which has provided a good stable career in the field of Information Technology.
However, working for a real softward company now, I see that although my skills are descent, there are some people that far exceed good.
Not only do they know what I know, they know a whole lot more, other stuff.
They may know more technology. More industry jargon. More business rules. More Accounting skills. More political savy.
And some of that on much deeper levels.
Which is not to say that I'm a dunce or anything.
Which just means I continually have to learn the business in addition to the data as well as they systems, oh yeah, and the customers within each of the departments as well.
However, this is a good learning opportunity.
I used to be able to look at the SQL and the report and make the necessary modifications by myself.
Now I'm dependent on other's to provide the necessary business rules and where to find the data and how things changed over time.
I've always been 'the reporting guy'.
Now I'm part of a Business Intelligence team.
Working alongside a half dozen other taltented programmers and report writers.
I'm no longer a one man show, a one eyed man in the land of the blind.
However, I think my skills can keep up with the pack.
I'm not out to be the alpha, just contribute to the team and make a descent living.
And there you have it!
By that, I got by for most of my career for knowing some of the ins and outs of technical jargon that many people did not know or understand.
Which has provided a good stable career in the field of Information Technology.
However, working for a real softward company now, I see that although my skills are descent, there are some people that far exceed good.
Not only do they know what I know, they know a whole lot more, other stuff.
They may know more technology. More industry jargon. More business rules. More Accounting skills. More political savy.
And some of that on much deeper levels.
Which is not to say that I'm a dunce or anything.
Which just means I continually have to learn the business in addition to the data as well as they systems, oh yeah, and the customers within each of the departments as well.
However, this is a good learning opportunity.
I used to be able to look at the SQL and the report and make the necessary modifications by myself.
Now I'm dependent on other's to provide the necessary business rules and where to find the data and how things changed over time.
I've always been 'the reporting guy'.
Now I'm part of a Business Intelligence team.
Working alongside a half dozen other taltented programmers and report writers.
I'm no longer a one man show, a one eyed man in the land of the blind.
However, I think my skills can keep up with the pack.
I'm not out to be the alpha, just contribute to the team and make a descent living.
And there you have it!
Appreciate the Feedback
For some reason lately the number of visitors have increased.
And I got some feedback, one in particular.
On a Power Pivot post from 12/2011, I stated some information that was not correct.
I suggested that you could create a composite key join in Power Pivot.
However this is not accurate, it must be done through DAX and not your traditional composite key join.
So for that I apologize.
Darn thing is, the post has been out there for about a year and nobody picked up on it, or let me know about it.
So I'm glad that we've got some more readers.
And I appreciate the feedback, helps me learn!
And I got some feedback, one in particular.
On a Power Pivot post from 12/2011, I stated some information that was not correct.
I suggested that you could create a composite key join in Power Pivot.
However this is not accurate, it must be done through DAX and not your traditional composite key join.
So for that I apologize.
Darn thing is, the post has been out there for about a year and nobody picked up on it, or let me know about it.
So I'm glad that we've got some more readers.
And I appreciate the feedback, helps me learn!
The Enterprise is the Database
A long time ago, we had VSAM files on the mainframe.
Then Relational Databases.
Now we have In-Memory and Columnar Indexes and Hadoop and such.
Except Hadoop exists off in some far away place.
While DBA's work with traditional databases and connect to Hadoop via connectors.
I wonder why we don't have a Hybrid Solution.
A mix of databases and large data sets.
So you can wind your way through one to the other without separation.
One unit of data, some of it structured and some of it unstructured.
Why do they have exists as different entity's.
I say the database should store data both traditionally structured, semi-structured and non structured.
Why should they exist in silos?
At some point they should be merged together, don't you think?
And become transparent to the report developer or data scientist.
And then go a step further.
Why should a database even exist at all?
Why couldn't you send a query out to every desktop in your organization and pull the necessary data right off the machines, why do they need to be in a cluster.
The entire enterprise should be the cluster.
And that is why you would need unique identifiers so you can establish a relationship to where you found this data and when it was pulled.
I see too many limitations on the traditional database, open it up, the data is sitting there waiting to be modeled and reported on.
Remove the boundaries of legacy systems. The enterprise is the database.
Maybe it will be one day.
Then Relational Databases.
Now we have In-Memory and Columnar Indexes and Hadoop and such.
Except Hadoop exists off in some far away place.
While DBA's work with traditional databases and connect to Hadoop via connectors.
I wonder why we don't have a Hybrid Solution.
A mix of databases and large data sets.
So you can wind your way through one to the other without separation.
One unit of data, some of it structured and some of it unstructured.
Why do they have exists as different entity's.
I say the database should store data both traditionally structured, semi-structured and non structured.
Why should they exist in silos?
At some point they should be merged together, don't you think?
And become transparent to the report developer or data scientist.
And then go a step further.
Why should a database even exist at all?
Why couldn't you send a query out to every desktop in your organization and pull the necessary data right off the machines, why do they need to be in a cluster.
The entire enterprise should be the cluster.
And that is why you would need unique identifiers so you can establish a relationship to where you found this data and when it was pulled.
I see too many limitations on the traditional database, open it up, the data is sitting there waiting to be modeled and reported on.
Remove the boundaries of legacy systems. The enterprise is the database.
Maybe it will be one day.
12/10/2012
Life of a Report Monkey
In 1993, I answered phones at Sears Credit Central.
And I was asked to come in early and count the number of phone calls for the prior day, the number of approvals and declines, and enter the totals into Lotus 1-2-3.
My first data job.
Then at NationsCredit we took faxes, had temps data entry, it was chaos, I suggested to number the faxes as they arrived so we could track them, my first process modification to smooth business flow.
In 1995, working for NationsBank, I approved loans for the bank, again, they asked me to count up the approvals and declines. For this, I was allowed to take a programming class at the college, I chose c++, got an A, they reimbursed me, I begged the IT manager to hire me, which he did, and I learned Crystal Reports version 5, my first real programming job. ( I also did Visual Basic and Oracle).
Then at Kronos, I created reports for Hospital Time Sheets, and learned what a Left Outer Join was.
Then at Florida Power, I did Visual Basic / Oracle PL/SQL complex Access reports.
Then at Paymentech, I programmed Actuate reports.
Then did a bunch of Crystal Reports at Surfside Software, Z-Tel (Scorecards, MDX & Reports).
At West Point Underwriters, I balanced the books for two Insurance company's for close to 4 years, which burned me out.
Then at Bamboo Software, I did more Crystal Reports, then Health Integrated, more Crystal Reports, then the County, Java and more Crystal Reports, then I learned SSRS on a temp job and did SSRS for the School Board.
Which leads me to my present job, advanced BI using Tabular Model and SSRS.
So as you can see from my 20+ year career, I've been working with data regularly.
SQL language hasn't changed much. Nor Crystal Reports. What has changed is the number of BI professionals out there now. When I started you couldn't find a reporting guy anywhere, they were non existent. I was a lone wolf when it came to reports, as all programmers wanted the cool stuff.
Well guess what, data is cool. And that's the life of a Report Monkey!
And I was asked to come in early and count the number of phone calls for the prior day, the number of approvals and declines, and enter the totals into Lotus 1-2-3.
My first data job.
Then at NationsCredit we took faxes, had temps data entry, it was chaos, I suggested to number the faxes as they arrived so we could track them, my first process modification to smooth business flow.
In 1995, working for NationsBank, I approved loans for the bank, again, they asked me to count up the approvals and declines. For this, I was allowed to take a programming class at the college, I chose c++, got an A, they reimbursed me, I begged the IT manager to hire me, which he did, and I learned Crystal Reports version 5, my first real programming job. ( I also did Visual Basic and Oracle).
Then at Kronos, I created reports for Hospital Time Sheets, and learned what a Left Outer Join was.
Then at Florida Power, I did Visual Basic / Oracle PL/SQL complex Access reports.
Then at Paymentech, I programmed Actuate reports.
Then did a bunch of Crystal Reports at Surfside Software, Z-Tel (Scorecards, MDX & Reports).
At West Point Underwriters, I balanced the books for two Insurance company's for close to 4 years, which burned me out.
Then at Bamboo Software, I did more Crystal Reports, then Health Integrated, more Crystal Reports, then the County, Java and more Crystal Reports, then I learned SSRS on a temp job and did SSRS for the School Board.
Which leads me to my present job, advanced BI using Tabular Model and SSRS.
So as you can see from my 20+ year career, I've been working with data regularly.
SQL language hasn't changed much. Nor Crystal Reports. What has changed is the number of BI professionals out there now. When I started you couldn't find a reporting guy anywhere, they were non existent. I was a lone wolf when it came to reports, as all programmers wanted the cool stuff.
Well guess what, data is cool. And that's the life of a Report Monkey!
Blessing or Curse
Evenly balanced.
As a child I was given a right handed baseball glove and played for a while as a righty.
Until one day I threw the ball left handed, and it was natural.
However, I was told to write right handed, although it was unnatural and hurt my hand.
I was able to bowl with either hand and play tennis too.
My serve on the left hand side is stronger and more natural.
My two handed backhand is strong, yet graceful.
So you can see, my physical abilities are ambidextrous.
However, I'd say it goes one step further.
My brain is ambidextrous as well.
You see, my father has a real high IQ, probably genius level.
And when around him I too was analytic, process oriented, methodical to a very high degree.
And my mother is more of an artist, she likes to write and paint and is free flowing.
And I spent most of my childhood being driven to sports practice with her so I experience that side, nobody emphasized the logical side except my father.
So what I'm saying is my brain is highly adaptive, malleable based on the circumstances.
I can drill down to the most methodical details and then flip over to the artistic intuitive side without missing a beat, almost instinctively.
I prefer free form thinking in a structured environment, if that makes any sense.
I'm creative, spontaneous, artistic.
I'm analytic, logical and organized.
I'm not sure what the technical term for that is, both left and right brained, left and right dexterity.
However, I will tell you this, I met with a Psychic person about 7 years ago, she said to get out of the Information Technology business as that's not what my purpose is. I'm supposed to work outside in the fresh air in a non linear job where I can express myself.
She also said I would meet a beautiful woman from up north and get married.
And a few months later, I quit my IT job, taught tennis and met my wife.
Except I went back into IT to earn a living.
Artistic and Logical. Blessing or curse?
Time will tell.
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