Just something I want to memorize

 I asked gemini how to use extract data, he helped me to write a question for my brother in law, I wan to copy it here, so I will rememeber and use it later.

You now have a much clearer picture of what you want to achieve. Here's how to structure your conversation with your brother-in-law:

"Hey [Brother-in-Law's Name], I was hoping you could give me some advice on a work project. I'm trying to automate how I get product information into my Google Sheets. Right now, I manually update things, and the data is often outdated.

My Goal: I want to be able to enter a product SKU in my Google Sheet, and have it automatically pull in the latest product details (like name, description, price, etc.) from our company's systems. This would make my daily picklists, request lists, and label printing much more efficient and accurate.

What I've learned so far:

• I knowShopify has an APIand QuickBookshas a developer kit, so I think data can be pulled from those.
• The trickier one is our main PM (Product Management) system. I'm not sure if it has an API, or if I'd even be allowed to access it. My support team manually updates things, so I suspect direct access might be difficult.

My Questions for you:

1. How would someone typically go about extracting data like this fromShopify and QuickBooks? (e.g., what kind of programming language is best, what tools are used?)
2. Do you have any initial thoughts on how I might figure out if our internal PM system has anAPI, and if so, how I could get access/permissions?
3. What's a good starting point for learning aboutAPIs and how to use them? (e.g., a specific online course, resource, or even just the fundamental concepts I should grasp first).
4. Do you think this is a realistic project for someone with limited coding experience to learn, or are there major hurdles I'm not seeing?"

This structured approach shows him you've thought about it, know your objective, and are looking for guidance, not just for him to do it for you. He'll appreciate that!

How does this sound as a plan for moving forward? Are there any parts of this you'd like to clarify or adjust?

迷途中的意馬心猿

 迷途中的意馬心猿

這題目是我現在心中的寫照。  我知道我一直有放點東西上來， 但是實際上，並沒有真的思想或者感覺可以實實在在的描述。  心中只是一團的亂。  其實， 這個開場排， 是貫穿所有最近一年半的所有文字。  也許更久以前。  只是這時候更為強烈而且明顯。  

你如果問我，到底每天在想甚麼？  我實在無法告訴你我心中在想的是甚麼。  我對這事情感到是絕對的羞愧。  總結一句話就是，我很希望可以和她徹底的談情說愛。  但是我知道這一定是事情的假象。  我只是用定了這個感覺來逃避現實。  我的腦子裡有好多事， 但是我一定是刻意地放在這感覺的後面， 這實在是一個令人憤怒的事。  這是不可能的， 我又不是一個笨蛋。  人生有許多面向， 愛情是其中的一個， 愛一個人也是一樣。  在我什麼面向都不行的時候， 唯一一件事情決不能做的就是愛情。  那會傷害到另一個人。  我可以自我安慰， 決不會有一個我喜歡的人和我談戀愛， 但是， 這無濟於事。  我又不是一個笨蛋， 我難道不知道！  可是那感覺， 只是想抱在一起的感覺是如此如此的強烈。  我只能一次又一次用很笨的方法解決。  dumberasdumberdoes.  

我心裡又很急，急得如此真切。  我是如此痛苦， 真的不如死去的好。  工作一點都沒有成就感， 但是我又不是笨蛋， 我的工作如果有一點成就感，我也認為這是一件令人作嫁的事情。  以是一件傻事。  我好希望我死了算了。  我也好久沒有看書了， 不是沒有嘗試， 我實際上一直在借書， 但是借了都沒有看。  

我想這可能也和媽媽去年被診斷出有阿茲海默的初期徵兆有關。  他前幾天才又去看了醫生， 小瑋帶去的。  他回來後又睡不著了， 然後一直看油管上的相關影片， 看的很是難過。  想到自己以後可能會如此不堪， 他甚至說老人應該有權利要自殺的。  他是一個耶見證， 還會如此想， 你可以想像他心裏的壓力。  

其實他心裡也有另一個洞，因為他和舅舅是完全處不好。  上個月去接舅舅飛機後，一周還是兩周後， 他跟我說我就是個很好的人， 甚麼忙都肯幫。  我聽了以後感覺他在諷刺我， 我就大發了一場脾氣。  因為我感覺實在很難做人。  我跟他說如果他要和舅舅翻臉， 我們就從此拉倒兩散，舅舅自姓章，我姓莊， 是他的關係。。。。  我腦袋裡浮現的都是爸爸以前給我說的他姊姊嫁出去後， 婆家待他姊姊不怎麼好， 他就從此翻臉。  (也不知道我記的對不對)  可是媽媽說他沒有諷刺我。  他也不想拉倒。  他最近都給我講他對舅舅沒那麼記恨了。  時不時地講。  但是我知道這是他心裏的大大大洞， 補不好了。  他只是不斷說就是自己窮， 所以舅舅看不上他了。  沒有一點兄弟之情。  另如，我們接了舅舅舅媽後， 就再沒聽到他們和我們聯絡了。  直到上次我在文茜那聽說中共打台灣的可能性提高後， 媽媽打了個電話給舅媽。  

他的另一個洞是我，這三個洞可以說是千瘡百孔。  他唯一的安慰是我妹。  

雜

 Chandara 和 Nara 已經離開公司八個月了。  Emily苗 在這裡也已經八個月了。  我是非常感謝有他的。  沒有他， 工作將是不可想像的。  

但是我也知道， 該走的時候將近， 我實在不想做了。  E 要離開三週， 三週之後我打算開始找 Job Agency。  不過我妹妹勸我再忍忍，目前的情勢不容樂觀。  窗普的政策真是不穩定。  到時候看看吧。  

----------------------------------------------------------

我已有很久沒看一本書了。  整天在想的實在不知道是甚麼。  我也兩天不能睡了。  不知道要怎麼辦才好？  

-----------------------------------------------------------

我感覺我的思想枯竭就是從我給自己編織的夢裡面得到的結論。  我睡覺的法寶就是給自己編織一個夢。  這個習慣是大學的時候開始的吧。  通常都是甚麼籃球健將之類的， 再加上武功高手， 反正都是一些青少年的幻夢。  故事也是乏善可陳。  最近的一個依然是一個籃球健將， 帶領一個恩逼ㄟ 球隊奪得十二次冠軍。  當然在他卅歲時在奧運會上 (當然還要參將奧運嘛)，結識了一位荷蘭女排的選手。  一年後兩人在一個 road trip 上相愛了。  他在卅五歲時率隊奪得第九面恩逼ㄟ冠軍， 最後一場比賽更在三場延長賽後， 最後壓哨投出致勝的一球。  他也破了恩逼ㄟ紀錄， 這一場， 他得到七十一分。  那一晚， 他沒有睡， 直接做了飛機到歐洲， 他向正在打排球職業賽的女友求婚。  之後， 他又拿到三個冠軍。  四十歲時他退休了， 他的太太就回到職業排球裡。  五年後， 他太太也退休了。  他們倆竟然跌破眼鏡合開了一家交際舞教室。  他們育有四個子女，最後兩個是一對雙胞胎男女。  

大多數的夢都類似。  之前其實也試著寫過， 可是實在是太丟人了，寫不出來。  現在寫下來是因為知道我已不知道又怎麼夢下去了。  不知道是不是因為年歲已長， 臉皮變厚了。  

這些夢裡的人物，最多的就是女友。  但是裡面的對話幾乎是零。  我唯一能想出最多的描述就是 「她甚麼也沒說。」 我故事的結為通常是 「如果我也可以的話就好了。」  

是的， 如果我真的可以用力地把她緊緊的抱著， 就好了。  

說到這裡， 我心裡只是很空虛， 很悲傷， 眼淚都快掉出來了。  算了， 到這， 不寫了。  

  

我又開始錄音

 我又開始錄些音。  但是我要提醒自己， 不看書就無法錄音。  還是得常常看看， 才會有新東西才是。  

雲 --- (德) 赫曼。赫塞

 雲 --- (德) 赫曼。赫塞

    在我的寢室兼工作室的東邊， 有一個通向陽台的小門。 這個門從五月到九月半， 日夜都敞開著。  門外， 有一個長約一步闊約半步的小小的石造陽臺突出著。  這個陽臺是我的最好的財產，因為有了它，數年前我纔決心在這裡住下來。  因為有了它， 不管有多少次的失望， 我每次都還坐在這裡。  因為有了它， 雖然旅行了多少次， 我每次都懷著感謝的心情而回到這個狄辛(地名)的寓所裡來。  美麗的住所， 窗外特有的美麗而廣大的景色， 這常常是我的驕傲， 我的秘密。  可是， 從來的景色都沒有像現在這樣美麗過。  雖然壁粉脫落了， 而且還有種種的拘束， 但為了這景色， 我還在這裡繼續住下去。  

    在陽臺的外面，有一個古老的朝南的園子在半山腰形成峻峭的斜坡。  這裡面種著有重厚扇形樹梢的椶櫚，山茶花，含羞草和蘇木， 還有一顆完全被豆類纏繞著不知是什麼。 再上去， 是一個小小的薔薇花圃彷彿漂浮在天上一樣。  這個沉睡的舊園子， 和兩三個被栗樹遮蔽著的靜寂山谷，橫亙在我與人世之間， 我便是俯瞰著這些樹梢而度日的。  樹梢晝夜都喧噪著， 夕暮時分可以從其中聽見悲哀的夜梟的叫聲。  公路直通到我們村莊裡， 郵差的汽車每天都駛上來， 把可愛的信運到這裡來。  最可感謝的， 是汽車不斷地把從德國來(的，我加的)美好的新書帶來給我。   

    只要把門關起來， 世間的聲音就不會來到我的耳邊。  午後和傍晚常常都有這樣的時間。  在這樣的時候， 門已經關了，又沒有門鈴， 而下面是有許多石级的園子， 所以一坐在小小的陽臺上， 我就不會被什麼人騷擾了。  在這裡， 越過園子和森林的山谷， 我可以望見沙華特禮的山嶺， 和聳立在它後面的支羅尼梭峰。  我也可以望見坡禮查的耀眼的海灣， 和柯芒湖對面的那些直至仲夏還有雪留在山谷裡的高山。  

    夕暮時分， 我常常這樣坐著眺望， 一望到浮在近處天空上的暮雲， 我便會有一種滿足的情懷。  看見世間躺在下面， 我便想： 我在這世間雖不曾得到幸運，但它也不曾把我殺死， 我依舊生活著， 繼續反抗著。  我雖然不曾成為成功的廠長， 拳術家或電影明星，但我已得到了我十二歲時就神往的東西 -- 成為一個詩人了， 我不再想從世間得到什麼了。  如果我能用自己的眼睛靜靜地去觀察世間， 我便可以學到許多世間提共給我的東西，那是成功和人世間的幸運兒完全不曉得地。  能夠眺望是一種優秀的技術， 而且常常是一種非常快樂的技術。  

    我是從夕暮的雲學到這種技術的。  夕暮時分， 坐在這小小的陽臺上， 我總以雲為友。  佔著高高的位置的鳥巢般的我的露台， 聳入雲中。  天下雨的時候， 或颳這地方特有的的激烈暴風的時候， 雲會衝到我房間裡來， 退去了灰白色， 挨著露台的欄杆， 或一直竄到我的鞋邊。  而在外面， 雲在上下地迴旋著， 每次打閃電的時候， 便驚慌似的明亮起來。  在滴著水的山谷裡， 和寒冷而黑暗的湖上， 你會以為雲已經飛下來了， 但是它又被退色的天空吸回去。  和這相反， 在天氣晴朗的時候， 湖水青青地閃耀， 反映著紫色的夕暮的陰影。  在遠處的村莊上， 窗子的玻璃放射著金光， 山嶺的西端像透明的薔薇色的寶石一樣閃著， 這時雲也塗上了非常美麗的顏色， 精神奕奕， 永遠和顏悅色的漂浮著， 做著天真的小孩子的遊戲。  

    在少年時代， 我對於雲曾經採取虔敬的， 有點嚴肅的態度。  就是踏入老境的今日， 我愛雲也不遜於往昔， 但卻沒有從前那樣純真了。  雲是孩子， 對小孩純真的， 只有他的雙親、 祖父母和老人， 因為自己再次返老還童， 像他們對自己本身已不是很純真一樣， 所以對於小孩子也不會是純真的。  熱情是美麗的， 對於少年人是非常適合的， 但對於上了年紀的人， 卻是詼諧，微笑，機智，把世界當作一幅畫， 把事物當作短促的暮雲的遊戲來眺望，更為適當。  

    可是， 我忘記了我現在執筆的最重要的目的了。  春夕， 是雨後最美麗的晴朗的夕暮， 雲的樣子完全是可笑的。  雲在天空上， 有長長地曳著的， 也有圓圓地低垂著的， 但因為猛烈的風吹來了， 便徐徐地團團地轉著， 像是靜靜地在內面轉動著的長捲筒。 我一分鐘也沒有離開過， 忽然整個天空都明亮起來， 閃閃地放著光， 雲也小起來， 被推到地平線的那邊去了。  但雲的上面又有白色和金色， 腹部青青地長長伸展著， 像是飛船或鯨魚， 形狀都很浮凸和緊縮。  

    就在這一瞬間， 最後的薔薇色和金色也從寶石一樣的山頂消去， 下面漸漸暗起來， 只有天空中還隱隱地流著白日的光亮。  猛烈的風吹著， 但雲的船好像不動似的， 踟躕地停在山的背脊上。  我把鼻子向著風的方向。  它在逐漸淡下去的色調中， 又幽微地交織著紅色和褐色。  但是為了不要在下一個瞬間讓雲溜掉， 我應當好好地看守著。  看起來雲好像是固定而沒有生氣，幾乎是不動一樣， 但它的形狀卻不斷地從內部融解。  雲是奇妙的， 像是散課後的小孩子的惡作劇。  小孩子在學校的圍牆邊向老師脫帽告別。  但老師回頭一看， 小孩子已經不見了， 卻從圍牆後傳來笑聲。  

    這時一塊長長的雲又來到別的雲上面， 初看時像金屬鑄造出來的牢固不動。  在藍碧的天空裡漂浮著一塊薔薇色的雲，它突然猛烈地燃燒起來， 變為鮮艷的紅色， 同時形成為美麗的魚。  不久， 它又變成一條有青色腹鰭的大金魚，一邊微笑著， 一邊向著滅亡游泳過去。  如果夕陽的光亮消失， 我的金魚便一分鐘都不能生存。  現在尾部以變為褐色， 腹部以變為青色， 鮮豔的紅色和金色只在背脊上燃燒著。  後來它突然捲著尾巴， 頭膨脹為圓形。  金魚已經失去最後的金色了， 在它消滅時， 它變為圓塊， 並從裡面吐出兩條灰色薄紗， 像是噴吐自己的靈魂。  它在漸漸薄下去的紗裡融解， 於是便完全失去了它的形狀。  

    金魚消失， 我的快樂也消失了。  雖然有幾本美麗的新書在等待著我， 但如果我能夠再和我的金魚多玩一小時， 將是多麼快樂呵！  

-----------  沉英 譯 ----------

used iA for 8 hours

 I used IA for a project, which has nothing to do with me.  For this problem belongs to the Support team.  So there is this customer who emailed us hisPO.  I entered the PO into our system, and yet this customer kept emailing me that the SOconfirmation email was wrong.  We went back and forth, no, I went back and forth with him with elaboration, which I pointed out which item he had a wrong pricing.  He basically just repeated his statement again and again, without further reasoning.  I got frustrated, and had Emily checked the SO for me.  She did not want to check it, because one glance, she knew I was correct.  Then I decided to go to David.  After David heard me while searching around.  He confirmed my statement that the customer quoted a product incorrectly.  He then wrote an email to the customer.  

The next morning, while I was picking, he came and asked me if I saw the customer's reply.  I said yea, the customer agreed with our conclusion.  But he said that another person from the customer chimed in, saying that it was our fault through a pricing spreadsheet, which we shared with the customer.  The customer asked us to honor the wrong data this time.  I was kind flabbergasted, and David said that he now agreed with me that the customer knew the problem and set the trap for us.  

Internally, the support team was trying to correct the mistake, but they found it's really hard.  I kept hearing David and Ashley saying it's really hard.  I thought it was a great opportunity to try out the iA.  I started on Sunday for 1.5 hours, downloading the data, rearrange it, engaging the iA a little bit.  Just to understand what we were dealing with.  Then I spend 3+ hours last night trying to get it going using ChatchatGpt.  From the start, iA gave me three ways to go, I forgot the first one, second one was powerQuery, since it was an excel sheet.  The last option was iA could write a VBA for me to automate.  

At first, I used powerQuery to do text to column.  But for some reason, it failed, because some pricing appears like this: 231,356,087.  power Query reconize some of this as 1 number, rather than 3 different numbers, although the delimiter is comma.  I eventually solved this issue with manual operation using excel's build-in function text to columns.  Then I started to use powerQuery to split the weight, this one was very easy.  But for some reason, iA told me to unpivot while highlihgting the SKU column.  Then I got a data range called long format, which is a name I learned today from dipsik. 

" In the context of data analysis and statistics, a "long-range dataset" or "long format" refers to a dataset where each row represents a single observation or measurement, with multiple observations or measurements for the same entity (like a person, place, or thing) stacked in separate rows. "

But I feel it might be helpful down the road, for some reason unknown to me.  Anyway, the rest of the 3+ hours, I got lazy, so I just tell ChachatGpt to give me a VBA code to automate everything, like give me a converted weight column, since spreadsheet does not recognize mg, g, ug, we have to use one unit to really compare the weight.  It was not smooth sailing, iA gave a few VBA codes, but some failed, some work partially, until I thought it worked.  Then I asked if we could make the attributes, like price, price2, and size.1 and size.2 to correspond with heaviest and most pricy and second heaviest, and second pricy.  That was the one task I could not finished last night.  iA kept gave me VBA codes, I kept trying to give it feed back on the codes.  Until 1230 am, I found a huge error.  Previously I thought the converted weight was correct, I am not sure if it's because all those VBA codes for correct re-labeling attributes, or it was just wrong beforehand.  The ug had failed to convert to mg.  That was the last straw of the night.  I gave up and turned in.  

I tried it again this afternoon at work.  I used dipsik at first and was really impressed by the interaction with it, especially when it guided me to debug the problem of converting ug to mg.  Though I tried and tried, and dipsik was extremely patient, I myself lost patience and found a cheating method to bypass the error.  Even now I am still wondering just why can't I convert ug to mg...  

But after the bypass, I could not engage with dipsik again.  I felt the instruction was kind too simple and bland.  I think it must have something to do with my prompt.  Anyway, I jumped back to chachatGpt.  it has the same problem like dipsik.  The instruction seems very unclear and vague, I had a hard time to follow it.  I found last night's chat, it has a lot VBA codes.  I decided to follow that chat.  Also I forego the manual process, I asked iA for VBA code like last night.  This time, he gave me about 3 wrong codes, I told him each time, what's wrong, what the error message was saying, which code did the debug highlight.  Eventually I got a code that worked!!  That's another 3 hours passed.  The finality was to pivot the long form range.  After a tweak of the datatype, change the Value column of mg, ug and pricing to text.  I got the table I wanted.  I was so happy I went and told Emily.  Emily even came over to take a look.  Though I know it's a polite thing to do, I appreciated her effort.  

Anyway, I still need to check the sheet tomorrow to make sure it is correct.  lol  

8 hours working on a sheet is really kind dumb.  But considering that I know very very little about power query, VBA and other stuff.  The amount of things iA did was amazing.  It was not in anyway perfect, in fact, it did a lot of trial and error.  Of course, there's problem with the prompts that I gave.  But if it just me, I know it will not work with 100 hours.  iA really is quite amazing under the right hand.  I think.  

can't sellp

 for some reason I cannot sleep.  I know iK now, I just watched too much youtube before sleep again.  

What am i thinking.  I am thinking I am going to leave my current work.  but not sure where can I go.

I looked at jobs every time I am depressed.  that i cannot do, this i am not qualified to do.  Not sure where to go.  Probably going to stay here until I got fired.  

don't feel like reading, do'nt like watching movies, don't feel like recording.  I just felt in a rut, in a rut

uncle brough 4 zongzi today.  

 

D77 and David

 Just finished watching a press conf. with Jkidd (Coach) and NicoH (PM).  

I, like most people, feel it's a very bad move.  It's  basically really a "PM does not like the player scenario"...  The PM keeps talking about "culture", and the journalists were baiting him to talk about what Luka brings to the "culture".  A comment below saying that Mavericks hired a Laker fan, is hilarious.  One video compared the scenario to the ZionWilliamson,  but it's hardly anything like it!?  Zion failed to be an impact, but Maverick has in deep post season run every season since Luka.  It's not just demoralizing to the fans, also to the whole team!  I wonder what Klay is thinking right now.  

Some videos showed a very short clip of the PM took away Luka's beer last year in a post season celebration of a win.  This sentiment must have gone on for quite sometimes.  I think bar from a serious injury, this move is good for Luka.  I really hope this inspired him to make to the top though I felt laker is not bad, thought not great either.  But if LBJ could work with Luka, I think it can work wonder.  

As for the Mavericks, they have a long list of injuries, including the two new players from lakers.  And I feel that Kyrie would be their main offense focus.  Though they increased their inside presence in theory, which really is like the Wolfes last year, their imaginary focus is really Danvers.  I kind doubt their scoring ability.  Don't forget Kyrie is also injury prone.  The usage rate of KI will increase after Luka left.  Laker without the rock solid LBJ, their ranking won't be that high with only AD.  

I would like to feel that PM is an old timer, so it's like it's either my way or highway.  If it's the truth, then I can understand, win or lose.  But if it's really like some conspiracy theorists out there saying it's NBA's under table dealing to raise viewing rate.  This would be so sickening.  

鈔

 以後不知道要過多少時候才能夠再有這樣的享受，躺在微涼的清潔的被單裏看小說，點著淡秋香綠的三角形小台燈。從前在報上看見一家茶室的廣告，說“冰燈柔和，”這盞燈也就是這樣的，像玻璃杯裡還沒溶化的冰塊，淡綠的果子汁已經喝光了，她站起身來就好走了。——張愛玲《異鄉記》（手稿中刪去的句子）

錄自文茜的世界

What's on my mind

 What's on my mind?  

• Once I started to type, my mind went blank.
• Mom
• Today is really  cold, 6F...  
• my sister
• I am going to stop correcting my typing.  I am afraid it will block my thoughts
• i just corrected twice on the last two sentences.  
• i felt very lonely at work.  
• this is strange situation where I felt everybody is talking to Emily, not me.  but of course I always put myself in bad situation.  my communicative ability is my downfall.
• of course, Emily handling most of the email and and communicative with the support and accounting.  
• i really don't want to talk about work.  
• I asked ChandaaB to be my reference, trying to apply to other work.  
• I know though my disappointment for the work must be myself, not the work itself or its environment.  If I go to other places, it's still be disappointment.  But just so  that I could switch to a different thing and environment is good.  
• Not going to get that work though.  
• still talking about work.  pathetic
• Emily is going to Florida
• Sophia, her mom is going too...  
• what's the point?
• it's 7:24 am 1/25/2025.  Mom is still in bed.  That's a good thing! 
• 
  

clouds pass through the mind

 我最近看了 GodzillaMinusOne and Furiosa:AMadMaxSaga.  And I love them both very much.  GMO is the second viewing.  FAMMS is the first, but then, I watched a second time in one week.  2.5 hour does not feel long at all!  很後悔沒有去電影院看！  還好 GMO 是在電影院看的。  

I watched AlienRomulus as well.  我覺得還不錯， 夠噁心，尤其是結局出現的怪物。  這一次很多的布置真的向第一集致敬了！  另外，做兄弟的機器人這個角色令人害怕， 他給我一種很不確定的感覺。  不過， 我想我不會再追異形這個系列了。  讓它保持在第一和第二集就行了。  

在Flow還沒拿獎的時候我就想去電影院看了。  但是，吝嗇小氣沒去。  到現在我還是等光碟吧。  

I read SavingEmma, by AllenEskens.  I still remembered I had fun reading his novels, so I went and get the book in library.  It was not a disappointment.  The author has a way to make you care for the character.  But most importantly, the thrilling scenes were written like a movie scene, very visual, very tense.  I still don't think the mystery part is anything special.  But the description and connection of people and thrilling scenes were so good.  

I used chatgpt to write a code for one of my sheet.  油管上有一個影片正好是和我想要做的很類似， 我就邊看邊照著他的問題去問 Chatgpt。  還滿成功的。  後來一度還用了點 gemini.  但是後來又回去用 Chatgpt.  也許我也可以用 Chatgpt 來修改我的 Daily pick .  不過我最想用的是把 receiving record， Backorder record, 還有 daily shipping record 給連起來。  

Mom was going through hell right now.  She is not sure if she's going to do the treatment or not.  I am waiting for my sis to tell her that she should not go through the treatment.  For I think she can explain better.  This brain Atrophy of leqembi really should get poeple's attention.  Otherwise it makes us feel like we are a little lab rat!  Mom's not sleep well this week.  Maybe I should tell her.  

I borrowed 3 books, 1 on my cellphone, I read none so far.  I came home from work, and I am so tired.  Not from doing a lot of things, but rather just busywork and very disconnected.  It feels like  I am stuck in a rut.  

Quote of the day

 “Today as always, men fall into two groups: slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

工作上的白日夢

 

Backorder brainstorming

I feel that backorder tracking is one of the most important part of my job.

In fact, if you go and look at indeed, procurement is basically one of the hottest job there. Some job titles includes purchasing manager/coordinator, Material Planner, Logistic assistance – Procurement...etc.

A lot of time, it requires some planning, data analyzing, even some vendor negotiating. I am not saying that it’s an exciting job. I am simply saying that it’s an important job in any organization.

My company has made streamlined the process to a point that, nobody talks about it. Which is really perplexing to me.

I consider my main job as data collector for the company. The reason being that my team manages at least three google sheet everyone is relying upon. The first is Daily Summary, basically our record of shipment. The second is Product Sort, basically a receiving record of shipments from Vendor. The third one is Requested List for BJ, basically a Backorder record. There are other sheets we are collecting and use. But those three are the most essential. We cannot operate with them, especially for the Order team and Customer service. But as you can see, for the shipping and receiving, we should be able to get from QB. And for a lot of times, we’ll get S&R info from QB. But QB does not have lot numbers. QB does not really say why something was not shipped. We would note why something was not shipped in Daily Summary. There are notes from vendor about the product we received that were not noted in QB, especially when QB really does not have an effective way to receive products.

The Requested List for BJ, our third sheet is so vital to our operation that, if we forgot to put an out of stock item in the list, we would forgot about it for 3-4 weeks until customer inquired about ETA of their items. Then, we would sometimes made up excuses and let them wait another 2-3 weeks (hopefully), and put a rush order to vendor. The other thing is the RL is not linked to Product Sort, our receiving record. So we have no idea if the items we requested was fulfilled by the vendor. It was last week that David inquired about 2 items, which we requested, but vendor never sent to us. That order was almost 2 months ago.

I know that Chandara made a sheet to tracking some of the orders, at Kevin’s request. But it was a very tedious job to compare the receiving list and backorder list. And I feel it’s a highly ineffective way of doing things.

One of the hurdles is that those 2 so called “lists” are not really lists, at least not a “whole: list. Their setup reminded me of “Forms”. At Mascon, Annie used to give us those forms with receiving information on them, printed on papers. They usually contains shipment information, like tracking, how many boxes, how many items to receive. It also contains a date of shipping and a date of receiving. So in the google sheet, each shipment is a range of it’s own. They are visually separated, very easy to read which shipment contain which item. But it’s not a database, or a whole list. The RL is a very similar setup. But it separates mostly by date we put the request in.

I am wondering if we could setup a form in the first page, then setup a database in the second page by collecting the first page. This is the whole purpose of the whole writing. LOL.

I tried to compare the receiving list to the backorder for a while per Kevin’s request. I used countif function to compare. If the result is more than 0, then I know a backorder is fulfilled. If the value is 0, then we never requested the item. I do not know why vendor sent us then.

That seemed easy enough. However, I can not find a way to do it efficiently. It is dumb. There must be a way to streamlined the process. And I feel that it is so dumb. I stopped doing it. It’s dumb that throughout a whole year, we might request one items a few times, and I have to mark the item everything I did the comparison. Otherwise, I am not sure which requests get fulfilled. Sure, if I am persistent enough, this might work. But I am not. Because I keep thinking there must be a better way. A better way to compare, a better way to mark which item is fulfilled, a better way to track if vendor sent us something we did not requested, and a better way to find which item vendor forgot to ship.

The other thing about Request List is that I need to know the standard size or format for the item before I could request. There are couple times where, the item is in lyophilized form, and the size was a micron gram or mg, but I did not know. I simply used a standard requested size, 1ml, which implied a liquid format with buffer. But I think I can resolve it by extracting info from product information sheet.

The most important thing is how to link the Receiving list and Backorder. No, the most important thing is to make the two lists into 2 complete datasets. I do have a list of compiled Receiving list, I used for drop down menu for lots in my pick list, which I used for picking.

Movies afterthoughts

 我看了兩部電影， 一部是 Monkey Man, 另一部是 Civil War。

MonkeyMan, 是一部動作片。  但是電影前半段很慢。  到最後卅分鐘變得非常快，一系列的動作過程， 很熱鬧，利用了很多搖晃鏡頭，讓我想到 Borne 系列。  當然也有很多鏡頭讓很像 JohnWick。  有許多動作鏡頭滿暴力的。  雖說前半段讓我感覺很慢， 而且許多回憶的場景讓我感覺累贅， 但是我還是滿喜歡導演嘗試灌注更深的主題去豐富動作片的感情。  雖說我覺得不是很成功。  其實這部片子有點泛政治， 但現在很多電影都這樣。  其實， 我以前三個白癡， laagan, 也都帶有一些類似的題材。  但是，這次的政治題材卻感覺很貼近眼前的現實。  想是一部新一代印度人的一部份想法。  說到底這部電影的故事是一個復仇劇。  我覺得還可以， 只是可以再縮短一些。  

CivilWar,  是一部描寫如果現在美國內戰的話， 將是啥樣？  這是我還沒看的想法， 但是看完後，電影的收尾讓我稍稍不確定一些。  電影的過程其實都還滿讓我好奇的。  想知道最後會怎樣。  但是電影的收尾讓我感到電影的主題對媒體人的描寫也很血淋淋的。  電影呈現許多恐怖的場景， 這種警示令人怵目驚心。  但是到最後， 記者的冷酷也令我很難吞嚥。  

讀書隨筆 the Songof theCell

 書： the song o the cell by suddharthaMukeherjee

The universalCell:

Schleiden and Schwann established the first 2 rules for the cellular theory:

1. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells.
2. The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organism.

Yet, both of them struggled to understand where the cells come from.  Because of vitalism, which is a believe that living organism cannot be arisen from solely physical materials.  Life must contain some outside source, either an energy, or some material that we can not perceive,  to spark life in living organisms.  

Here's a point where I am a little lost from author.  Because it seemed that vitalist believes that life must have a source, either magical, religion or something else.  Yet, later on, when the author refer to  vitalism, he used phrase like, vitalist believes that life come out of no where...    But of course, the author listed a lot of weird and different believes for different vitalists.  Some even thought there's a "tiny human" lived inside of men's sperm...    

Then comes Rudolf Virchow, who established 3 more rules for cellular biology:

1. All cells come from other cells (Omnis cellula e cellula)
2. Normal physiology is the function of cellular physiology
3. Disease, the disruption of the physiology, is the result of the disrupted physiology of the cell.  

The above 5 principles formed the pillars of cell biology and cellular medicine.  

Virhow 君的一生是一個很有意思的故事。  他是普魯士軍醫大學畢業， 之後又參加了當時普魯士內政部治療斑疹傷寒的一個團隊，到當時正為此病肆虐的區域服務。  他目睹了當時落後的情況和政府的無知無能，寫了一系列文章批評當時的時政。  又在 1848 年一場遍及全歐洲的革命後，從首府柏林被驅逐到一個偏遠醫院。  到偏遠醫院讓他倒是可以專心從事醫學研究工作。  以上的三個總結也是在這一時期逐步得出的。  不過他也沒有忘記他對社會的理想， 我在此書裡可以看到他有一個領悟， 其實可以把一整個人或其他多細胞的生物想像成是全體細胞的生活環境。  他看到一個正常的生物就是體內細胞互相合作的結果。   幾乎所有病恙，都可以從細胞的病變找出根由。  他想的也是社會中每個人互相合作的關係。  1856 年，因為他的學術成就，他回到柏林工作。  甚至在後來的德國逐漸有雅利安人的優越這種想法出現後， 他還為了反證這種說法而做了研究證明金髮碧眼並不是雅利安人的專利。  

一些讓我有感的句子：

"It isn't sufficient to locate a disease in an organ; it's necessary to understand which cells of the organ are responsible.  An immune system dysfunction might arise from a B cell problem, a T cell malfunction, or a glitch in any of the dozens of cell types that  comprise the immune system.  For example, patients with AIDS are immunocompromised because the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) kills a particular subset of cells -- CD4 T cells -- that help coordinate an immune response."

"Or, as Virchow reminds me daily: "Every pathological disturbance, every therapeutic effect, finds its ultimate explanation only when it's possible to designate the specific living cellular elements involved."  

 

讀書隨記

 Cytokines, 中文名稱是 細胞激素，又名細胞因子、細胞活素、細胞介素、細胞素，一組蛋白質和多肽，生物中用做信號蛋白， 在細胞間傳遞訊息。  

Interleukin 中文名稱是 白血球介素，一組細胞因子。  

Cellular therapy, 中文名稱是 細胞治療

Physiology, 中文名稱是 生理學。是生物學的一門領域，研究生物體及其各組成部分，在活體系統中化學和物理的功能活動。  

I am reading a book, theSongOfTheCell.  So I intend to write down some notes here.  Don't ask me why I am reading the book.  I do not know why.  Though I regret that when I was reading this author's the other book, theEmperorOfAllMaladies, I did not thought of jot some notes down. 

So far only prelude, intro, and Part 1, 1.1the original cell, 1.2 the visible cell, 1.3 the univseral cell.  

Those parts are talking about the discovery of the cell fist through the technological innovation.  Then, by using technology, which helped human see far beyond our physical capability.  

Some significant people that appeared, Antonie van Leeuvwenhoek, Rober Hooke, Rudolf Virchow, Matthias Schleiden, Theodor Schwann, Andreas Vesalius, Francois-Vincent Raspail, 

Some thoughts on the work

 工作愈來愈少。  當然因為這是暑假， 但是，這麼少似乎沒有過。  如果在辦公室上班的話， 要挑的貨少， 再加上關鍵的資料輸入和影印標籤的過程被簡化， 而造成工作減少，那就算了。  但是現在連在家工作的日子都沒有啥工作。  我覺得太誇張！  

我覺得我跟的同事完全沒有交集。  我本來在簡化了一些工作過程後， 想秀給他們看，他們也可以給點意見或者說他們也可以這樣做。  但是， 沒有， 他們表現得就是這些和他們無關。  我滿懊惱的， 因為說和他們無關， 就讓我感覺我和他們不是同一組的。  不過我後來想到之前在增加盒子的時候， C 有一本簿子本來是要記錄所有盒子的內容， 但是當時， 他倆一組，我一個在一邊也沒有加入他們的行列。  另外， Nara 總是說我對他們愛理不理的。  這種種的跡象顯示問題真的在我這裡。  

不過我現在對自己的問題不是以上這個， 而是當我在家工作， 卻沒有工作， 我做啥？  這是一個堆積了很久的問題。  

Books afterthough

 I really went after other AllenEskens' books.  And again, in a quick succession, I finished 

The deep dark descending

The heaven may fall

The forsaken Country

It feels amazing.  I think I finished the last one about 2 weeks ago, or maybe a week ago.  

Those dark descending and forsaken country is not a mystery, they are more like a thriller, where, you know who bad guys are.  Heaven may fall has more mystery to it.  But its ending gives me such a thrilling pulsation!    The ending chapters of forsake are wonderful as well.  

The dark descending is probably the weakest one for me.  I guess I am impatient of the inevitable result.  But I do like the detective work in finding out who the killer is.  I feel the relationship between nikki and max was pretty interesting.  I feel I see reacher in max's shadow, albeit a bit tamer.  However, when the forsaken country comes along, I feel Nikki and max relationship became the weak spot in the book.  I don't feel the romance between a man and a woman, but a genuine emotion between colleagues, or even a different brother and sister relationship.  So when the FC came along, it feels awkward to me.  

I always feel that too many explanations is a waste of time.  Though I am at fault so often nowadays.  But I feel I was very wrong after I read the endings of both heaven may fall and FC.  I feel the thrills come from that readers knowing the relationship between each characters so well.  Though the authors keeps telling reader, which is moi, the relationship between each characters again and again, to the point I feel redundant.  But when the ending shows up, the weight of the situation it created is tremendous.  

I wonder if there's a chinese version of the book, or the series.  I wonder how it would come about?  

A poem I saw today

 我總覺得，

星星曾生長在一起，

像一串綠葡萄，

因為天體的轉動，

滾落到四方。�

我總覺得，

人類曾聚集在一起，

像一碟小彩豆，

因為陸地的破裂，

迸濺到各方。�

我總覺得，

心靈曾依戀在一起，

像一窩野蜜蜂，

因為生活的風暴，

飛散在遠方。——顧城《我總覺得》

Thoughts about song and music

 I heard a song couple days ago, I really liked it.  But for some reason, I said to myself, it's not a song though there's singing and lyrics.  This is a piece of music even the singing is it's back ground music, almost the same as guitar, drum or other instrument.  

I keep listening to the song these days, and keep thinking about that thought.  My reasoning is that if you turned off the singing, I'd be happy with just the instrument part.  I think lyrics does helped emphasizing certain point of the music, but not necessary.  That's why I think the singing became secondary.  And plus I thought if you pull the instrument, can they still sing?  Maybe they can, but I think it will create a huge hole.  

Of course, an artist will make it  work though.   This thought does not really define the song.  But shows what I know about music which is not a lot.  lol