Personal Posts
Personal Posts about myJourney
Thoughts, Stories & Learnings
Lots of thoughts, ramblings and stories / Many topics on my mind over the years!
A while back I wrote I am the sum of my parts which explains my many dimensions.
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It turns out I am not Invincible!
Short story: Life took an unexpected turn in early April 2025. I had a heart attack on Tuesday, April 8th, and doctors quickly placed a stent in my completely blocked (100%) artery, followed by a second stent the next day to clear another narrowed artery (78% blocked). After four days in the ICU, I was…
Funny Friend’s Retirement Story
Today (Friday) was a good friend’s last day at work. She retired from a VP level at a large corporate tech company after working for them for many years. Like most folks that go into retirement, I have seen her struggle a bit with the idea of retirement and her own definition of it and…
From Traditional Automation to AI Agents
This is an update to my post: Workflow Automation Tools Explained based on a great YouTube video he published by Stephen G Pope which NAILED the concept…. Kudos to Stephen! AI agents promise to revolutionize automation. However, implementing them without proper understanding can lead to overcomplicated systems that cost more than they save. As someone…
My Unexpected Encounter with Bestselling Authors in Whistler
I have been meaning to write this for a while – It happened back in 2001 ( So many stories to tell! ) During our family winter getaway to Whistler, I had the most surprising encounter that I still think about to this day. After getting settled at the Riverside RV park (which impressively has…
Off-Road Tales: 20250301 Hellgate Wilderness Area
Ride: Hellgate Wilderness Trail and Hieroglyphic Mountain Loop The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below After a couple of weeks of no riding, and despite a possible Red Flag Warning starting at 11am, I wanted to go out on Saturday. I send a message on Friday morning if anyone was interested and got…
Nginx Explained: Why It Matters
If you’re managing a website or application, you’ve probably heard terms like “web server,” “load balancer,” or “reverse proxy.” These tools are essential for ensuring your site runs smoothly, stays secure, and can handle traffic efficiently. One such tool that’s widely used in the tech world is Nginx (pronounced “engine-x”). But what exactly is Nginx,…
Off-Road Tales: 20250209 Lake Pleasant with Brother
Ride: Back of Lake Peasant My brother Jaime came to visit this week, and I wanted to show him the Arizona back country. It has been a couple of years since we were last together, it was super cool to have him come and visit! The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It…
Off-Road Tales: 20250126 Vistancia Back Area with Kevin and Sue
Ride: Back of Vistancia Area – This is the first ride for Kevin’s wife, Sue after a few miles she took the wheel and drove like a PRO! — The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a 3 hour / 32 mile ride behind the Vistancia area and continued all the…
Off-Road Tales: 20250124 – Short Afternoon Decompression Ride
Ride: Back of Vistancia Discovering Short ride The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a hard week at work, and I needed to decompress. Machine was calling my name out load (it felt like it) so why not, lets go Lets discover a bit of the back yard … It was…
Off-Road Tales: 2025 New Year Surprise
The Route Equipment: This ride was about 4 hours round trip – plus travel from home to the staging area. To start the new year, my daughter and I went on a New Year ride. This was a 5-6 hour day and it was beautiful day! –It was a bit of a cold start but…
Off-Road Tales: 20241227 Lake Pleasant with Son
Ride: Back of Lake Peasant My Son Alexander came over for the holidays, and of course I had to show him the Arizona back country! The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a great 3 hour – 42 mile ride, and despite the fact that he does not like the desert,…
2024 Scavenger Hunt Gift
This has become a family tradition! — Every year we have one gift that has a scavenger hunt attached to it – Very fun! What we did this year follows: Start your search where the day begins, in the room where daily grinds are transformed into daily elixir that help awaken your day! Look behind…
Venice.AI Platform – Deserves Your Consideration
As someone who’s explored the world of AI assistants, I’m excited to share my thoughts on Venice.AI. This platform stands out from the rest with its unique combination of privacy, model flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and user-centric features. I’ll dive into the key advantages of Venice.ai, including its model flexibility and cost-effectiveness, and explain why I highly…
Workflow Automation Tools Explained
Workflow automation tools are software applications designed to help you streamline your everyday tasks by automating repetitive processes. Think of them as digital assistants that take care of scheduling, tracking projects, managing emails, and other routine activities, allowing you to focus on more strategic work. These tools are essential in today’s fast-paced environment, where efficiency…
Backstory: Bean Kingdom Book
Ever since my kids and I came up with this 20 years ago (when they were little), I always wanted to publish this short story about the Bean Kingdom. One Saturday afternoon, on a rainy day in Redmond, WA, my daughter, my son, and his friend were all sitting at a Dairy Queen. It was…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 07: Chronicles of the Great Northern Beans
Chapter 7: Chronicles of the Great Northern Beans Deep within the lush valleys of the Bean Kingdom, there dwelled a sect of beans driven by an insatiable curiosity – the Guild of the Great Northern Beans. Their purpose? Exploration. Their passion? The uncharted. From the moment their sprouts unfurled, these adventurous legumes felt the call…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 06: The Bean Olympics
Chapter 6: The Bean Olympics In the heart of the Bean Kingdom, where starflower petals danced the tribes assembled for the grand event: the Bean Olympics or as it was known in the kingdom: The Beanolic Games. However this was no ordinary athletic competition; it was a showcase of magical prowess. Excitement rippled through the Bean…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 05: The Forbidden Love
Chapter 5: The Forbidden Love As fall comes to an end, and the first visible cold night of the sunset gathering, a hush fell over the Bean Kingdom. For amidst the music, laughter and beautiful sunset, an unexpected romance had blossomed – one that threatened to upend the longstanding traditions of the realm. Young Angela,…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 04: Whispers of the Wind
Bean Kingdom – Chapter 4: Whispers of the Wind The Beanstalk Peaks, towering majestically over the Bean Kingdom, held secrets older than memory itself. As the wind whistled through the narrow crevices and winding valleys, it carried tales of forgotten legends and hidden portals, whispering of wonders yet to be uncovered. From the time the…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 3: Trouble in the Beanstalks
Chapter 3: Trouble in the Beanstalks The harmony of Bean Valley was not without challenges. As the seasons shifted, so did the winds of fate. And in the heart of the kingdom, shadows began to stir. One moonless night, a frantic Fava bean burst into the Great Bean Plaza. His usually jovial face was etched…
Multimodal Models in AI
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed how we interact with machines. However, a significant advancement has emerged in recent years: multimodal learning. This post explores what multimodal LLMs are and how they differ from their traditional text-only counterparts. What Are Traditional LLMs? Traditional or unimodal LLMs, as…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 2: Unity in Diversity
Chapter 2: Unity in Diversity From the crack of dawn, the diligent Green Beans tended to the fields, carefully nurturing the tender sprouts that would eventually provide sustenance for all. As the morning sun peeked over the hills, the Pinto Beans emerged from their studios, their nimble vines deftly weaving intricate tapestries and sculpting elegant…
GenAI Services Where is the beef?
If you still wondering “Where is the beef?” for Services take a look at these articles on the potential Take a look at the Accenture GenAI associated revenue up 17% from $300M in 4Q ( Services no hardware: Accenture CEO Julie Sweet: 2023 ‘Was A Year Of Generative AI Experimentation’ (crn.com) Accenture in fiscal 2023…
Elephant and the Rope
The Elephant and the Rope: A man observed elephants at a circus. Despite their immense strength, they remained tethered to a small stake in the ground. Curious, he asked the trainer why. The trainer explained that as baby elephants, they were tied to the same stake and couldn’t break free. As adults, they believed the…
The Rising Cost of WordPress Plugins: A Call for Transparency
The WordPress ecosystem is facing a significant challenge that affects both website owners and developers alike: the escalating costs and complexity of plugin subscriptions. As someone who has navigated this landscape, I can personally attest to the frustration of seeing my initial investment in essential plugins skyrocket after just one year. For instance, a popular…
OpenAI – Just WOW
Wow. Just Wow! — What a weekend! — Even my wife, a non-techy, was tuned-in to every turn this weekend. This is by far the most incredible business tech story EVER! What just happened? There are many recaps online (see below) but ultimately it boils down to: There was a completely unexpected seismic event, followed…
Build Specialized ChatGPT apps using ChatGPT
This past week the first OpenAI Dev Days happened, and it was, groundbreaking at many levels. From the number of monthly users, developers using their APIs, GPT-4 turbo, ChatGPT store, lower pricing and many others. I will link below several articles for details. The one that caught my eye the most – mostly because it…
SureCART – A Simple Friendly eCommerce Cart Alternative
Recently one of my customers had his Etsy store suspended (it’s been going around) and he asked me to create a store in his existing WordPress site. I used SureCart free version, which I have been testing on my own site, and had 10 of his items fully enabled within 30 minutes, after receiving their…