On a Personal Note: My Novel, "Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos" was released today!

Those of you who know me personally or follow me on social media may know about 2 major and very important things that have happened to me in the last 24 hours.

1. Yesterday, I, along with 110 others were laid-off by the Boy Scouts of America, a reduction that I am told was about 40% of its staff. 
   
   
2. Today, my side-gig became my only gig, as my first novel was published. 

Because of the above, I hope I can ask you, my friends, my family, and my followers to purchase my novel, which is now my only source of income. 

Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos is Available NOW at Amazon! I will provide links below so that you can purchase it at your nearest Amazon online store. It will be available from other bookstores a little later, but depending on the retailer, you may have to ask for it. It is distributed through Ingram, the world's biggest book distribution company.

• USA: https://amzn.to/3fTpTNG
• UK: https://amzn.to/30EXZia
• GERMANY: https://amzn.to/2CGDPfF
• FRANCE: https://amzn.to/3eZ52XT
• SPAIN: https://amzn.to/30E9oP7
• ITALY: https://amzn.to/3hsAdN5
• JAPAN: https://amzn.to/3fZW8Le
• CANADA: https://amzn.to/3hrYpiA
• AUSTRALIA: https://amzn.to/2OPZsN5
• INDIA: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1734914009/

When you order my book from Amazon, please click on the follow the author button, so you can be updated about my future books and any special deals from me. You will also be alerted when the eBook (later this year) and if an Audiobook version (not this year) comes out, along with my next novels.

Thank you for your patience with my many posts about my novel during the publishing process. Now that my book is available, I am hoping that you are able to purchase my book, and if you love it, give it a 5 star review. If you do not, please email me and let me know what parts you did not like and then donate it to a library or sell it to a used bookstore. Feedback is a very valuable gift and will help me improve my novels that follow after this one. 

The BEST Lean Six Sigma Books on the Market for Those Interested in Continuous Process Improvement and Change Management

As a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt who uses Agile Project Management Methodologies, I am often asked what are the best books to read on Lean Six Sigma, Lean Startups, Lean Enterprise, Kaizen, and the TPS (Toyota Production System).

Here I have categorized them into sections based on topics or philosophies and broken them into groups of books that I feel are best read together.

SIX SIGMA:

• The Six Sigma Way: https://amzn.to/38AGCB1
• The Six Sigma Handbook: https://amzn.to/2W8GDK3
• The Big Book of Six Sigma Training Games: https://amzn.to/2TPELCZ
• The Six Sigma Complete Step-by-Step Guide: https://amzn.to/3aDghng
• The Basics of Process Mapping: https://amzn.to/2PZvHdH

TPS: Toyota Production System

• A Study of the Toyota Production System: https://amzn.to/337qiGW
• The Toyota Way: https://amzn.to/333DUTg
• Toyota Culture: https://amzn.to/3aCcyGD
• Toyota Talent: https://amzn.to/2PUog7B
• Toyota Kata: https://amzn.to/2W8I4bp
• The Toyota Way to Service Excellence: https://amzn.to/2PZwkE5
• The Toyota Engagement Equation: https://amzn.to/39D4ntB
• Just-In-Time for Today and Tomorrow: https://amzn.to/333Mb9T
• Toyota's Production System Beyond Large-Scale Production: https://amzn.to/2v600bk

LEAN:

• Lean Thinking: https://amzn.to/38zCqkX
• Lean Solutions: https://amzn.to/2TyyFrN
• The Lean Strategy: https://amzn.to/2wIrCnc
• The Lean Enterprise: https://amzn.to/2vPd8BW (This title is popular for Lean & Lean Startup books, but not all of them can be recommended!)
• The Lean Turnaround: https://amzn.to/2TSVjKb
• Gemba Walks: https://amzn.to/3aH08NK
• Lean UX: https://amzn.to/2TU1NZm
• 2 Second Lean: https://amzn.to/2TODOLk
• Lean Customer Development: https://amzn.to/39BK93l
• The Basics of Hoshin Kanri: https://amzn.to/2ItDOuZ
• Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise: https://amzn.to/2vUvKRd
• Lean Sustainability: https://amzn.to/39BPWG9

LEAN STARTUP:

• The Lean Startup: https://amzn.to/38wotUN
• The Startup Way: https://amzn.to/2VXgE8c
• Lean Impact: https://amzn.to/2Itm3Ma
• The Lean Entrepreneur: https://amzn.to/2xoNODp
• Running Lean: https://amzn.to/2IAQH6c
• Scaling Lean: https://amzn.to/2W1ibKj
• Lean Analytics: https://amzn.to/3aJzeEH
• UX for Lean Startups: https://amzn.to/2VYlvWM
• Lean Branding: https://amzn.to/2TBtgjS
• Lean Enterprise: https://amzn.to/3cHY5uD (Yes, there are 2 books with this title on this list, and they are completely different books!)
• Lean AI: https://amzn.to/2VSXro6
• The Lean Product Playbook: https://amzn.to/2TNKklm

LEAN KAIZEN:

• Gemba Kaizen: https://amzn.to/2TCKj4V
• The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement: https://amzn.to/337C6sv
• How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement: https://amzn.to/3cL63mv
• Streamlined Process Improvement: https://amzn.to/332fZUo
• Understanding A3 Thinking: https://amzn.to/2TxXKD4

LEAN & SIX SIGMA COMBINED:

• Lean Six Sigma: https://amzn.to/2vQF2h2
• The Lean Six Sigma Guide to Doing More with Less: https://amzn.to/2vFB373
• Lean Six Sigma for Good: https://amzn.to/3aGuxf8
• Value Stream Mapping: https://amzn.to/2v5Z9HE

LEAN & SIX SIGMA LEADERSHIP:

• The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership: https://amzn.to/2VYxGTe
• Tree-Ring Management: https://amzn.to/330T4Jc
• Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels: https://amzn.to/2VW8Gw3
• Lean Six Sigma for Leaders: https://amzn.to/39EaygT
• Leading Lean: https://amzn.to/2ICZ9lr
• A Pocket Guide to Toyota's Management Principles: https://amzn.to/3cLHLZA
• Taiichi Ohno's Workplace Management: https://amzn.to/2IvHRH3
• Management Lessons from Taiichi Ohno: https://amzn.to/2VVwKiA
• Courageous Leadership: https://amzn.to/2TzaYQ8

LEAN & SIX SIGMA ELEMENTARY INTRODUCTIONS:

• Six Sigma for Dummies: https://amzn.to/3cIwbOW
• Six Sigma Workbook for Dummies: https://amzn.to/2IuB9Rt
• Lean for Dummies: https://amzn.to/2W3Rx3H
• Lean Six Sigma for Dummies: https://amzn.to/2Tzct0w

LEAN & SIX SIGMA POCKET MEMORY JOGGERS:

• The FMEA Pocket Handbook: https://amzn.to/38xiUFT
• A Pocket Guide to Toyota Management Principles: https://amzn.to/2TPS9a7
• The Lean Office Pocket Handbook: https://amzn.to/331mSFo
• Today's Lean: https://amzn.to/330ToHS
• The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: https://amzn.to/38BhD0c
• The A3 Pocket Handbook for Kaizen Events: https://amzn.to/2TQ4N9d
• The Kaizen Pocket Handbook: https://amzn.to/2TRhuQZ

What is Wood Badge and Seabadge?

The Boy Scouts of America offers two high-level leadership and management courses for BSA leaders that are internationally recognized so much that many companies will give time off and/or pay for Scouters to attend the courses, as it makes them not only a better Scout Leader, but a better employee, spouse, and parent. Generally, it is suggested that you attend Wood Badge Basic Leadership Training before you attend Seabadge Advanced Leadership Training, as Seabadge will take the skills you learned in Wood Badge to an all new level. The American version of Wood Badge is celebrating it's 70th anniversary this year and Seabadge will celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 2020.

The purpose of Wood Badge Basic Leadership Training is to develop skilled leaders who can strengthen Scouting units in achieving the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. Open to adults, including Scouters in any BSA program and Venturers and Sea Scouts ages 18 and older. The Wood Badge course is either held as a 6-day course or two 3-day courses and is run by the local council.

Wood Badge serves as the basic leadership training program for all branches of Scouting, including the Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Sea Scouting, and Venturing programs. Wood Badge allows an in-depth exploration of leadership skills as well as a supervised implementation of the skills through a multi-part, post-course delivery plan referred to as a “ticket.”

Besides position specific training, Leaders of each Scouting program have other preresiquites before they can take Wood Badge.

• Cub Scout leaders are recommended to have taken BALOO: Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation
• Boy Scout, Venturing, and Sea Scout Leaders are recommended to have taken IOLS: Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills
• Venturing participants must have completed ILSC: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews
• Sea Scouts participants must have completed ILSS: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Ships

Wood Badge teaches participants the basics of listening, managing conflict, leading change, stages of team development, coaching & mentoring, leadership for different stages, servant leadership, project planning, communicating, valuing people, and more. Once the skill is learned, each member is given the opportunity to use the skill as a member of a successful working team. At the conclusion of the course, each participant develops a set of personal goals related to his or her Scouting role known as "the Ticket." Working toward these goals allows each participant to practice and demonstrate new skills.

Seabadge Advanced Leadership Training teaches leadership skills for unit, district, and council Scout leaders. Seabadge is intense leadership and management training focused on the “how-to” aspects of managing a successful youth led Scout program. While Seabadge was originally developed as an advanced leadership training program for experienced Sea Scout adult leaders the course is open to all adult Scout leaders. The driving theme for the training is to “Focus on Youth”, which makes the course especially valuable for any Scout leader dealing with older youth. Seabadge does not cover topics like boating, knots, or other program-related materials found in the Sea Scout Manual.

Seabadge is an intensive 3-day course. Course participants and staff function as a model ship to help participants understand how a ship or youth-led unit should function. The curriculum includes twenty sessions, with established objectives, that are presented in a motivating and informative forum. After the course, participants have 18 months to complete their Praxis, (previously known as the Rutter) similar to the Wood Badge Ticket.

The objectives of Seabadge are to:

• Improve the understanding of leadership, management, and motivational skills among adult leaders.
• Provide management, leadership, and presentation skills and tools to adult leaders so that they may use and share them with others in their day-to-day Scout activities.
• Use the skills and tools acquired at Seabadge to improve the quality of their Scouting program.
• Encourage the development of lifelong contacts and sharing of resources by and between course participants and staff.

Course applicants must meet the following minimum standard requirements prior to consideration for participation in a Seabadge course:

1. Is a registered adult member of the Boy Scouts of America.
2. Has completed the basic training courses for their Specific Scouting  position(s) and Leader Specific: Sea Scout Adult Leader Basic Training.

To find your next local Wood Badge course, check the website if your council and/or that of surrounding councils. For the next regional Seabadge check https://seascout.org/adult-training/seabadge/

China Promotional Video on BON 中国国家形象宣传片人物篇BON版本

The People's Republic of China has a new promotional video promoting stunning Chinese beauty, leading-edge Chinese agriculture, influential Chinese wealth, extraordinary Chinese people, aesthetic Chinese design, trend-setting Chinese supermodels, Chinese space travel, thrilling Chinese athletics, though-provoking Chinese scholarship, enchanting Chinese art, captivating Chinese dialogue, inspiring Chinese bravery, award-winning Chinese talent, Chinese friendship, everything Chinese, and China.

How many famous Chinese people do you recognize?

I first saw it on CNN at work and I liked the video. I found it very interesting that they used the painting of God touching the finger of Adam and one of the backdrops since the Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist.

My problem with the Arizona Immigration Law

My problem is not with it limiting illegal immigration. I think that is great. What is not great is what it does to LEGAL Immigrants and LEGAL visitors to America. Currently, my wife does not have to carry her Passport & Visa with her everywhere, as she is technically a non-immigrant spouse. Once she has a green card and is an immigrant spouse, she will. So if we visit Arizona, she has to take her passport. I can live with that. But do these Arizona police, who are racially and accent profiling even know what the visa stamps and hand written information mean? I will guess that many do not.

But here is where it gets hard. When my wife applies for immigrant status and a green card, known as "Adjustment of Status" or AOS, she has to send her passport and visa in to the government where they may have it for many months. So if we live in Arizona, does that mean she has to be like a prisoner on house arrest? Yes. And that is where this very flawed law hurts legal immigrants, who we should be applauding and helping while stopping illegal immigration.

Obviously this law was written by politicians who know nothing about immigration law, which is why it is best to have such laws written by a federal immigration committee that does.

2009 -> Transitioning -> 2010

What a year 2009 was! I was forced to switch from Mac OS X to Windows XP with the death of my last Mac, which also switched my Linux distro from FixStars' Yellow Dog Linux to Ubuntu (except on the Sony PlayStation 3). I finally got my wife home after a year of  immigration red tape, I lost another beloved grandparent, I changed jobs, got laid off, moved to a state I never thought I would return to, and learned a lot. And that last part is important. If you stop learning, you are dead. Never stop learning. I have likely learned more about myself this year than any other year of my life. No, it was not some spiritual introspection, or anything like that, but my wife teaching me about myself. She obviously knows me better than I know myself, and she assures me this is "a normal phenomenon". Her knowing me so well has helped me to overcome many of my failings, and she is helping me to become a much better man, every day!

This last year my brother's family and my family have started a new tradition. Every weekend we have dinner together. Usually at his home, although we bring dishes, and sometimes a movie to watch.This last year has also seen my daughter go from a "D+" average student to an "A-" average student. Likewise, my wife has decided to become a Christian. I never forced any beliefs on her, but being in a community with many Chinese Christians, they could better explain the Faith, which has made her into a strong believer. Her strong zeal has helped my zeal to return as well. These 3 changes above are all because of my move back to Texas. An unanticipated move that I see happened for a reason. His Will be done!

Next year will come with many ore changes as well, I am sure. My daughter will become a senior in high school. My wife will be Baptized, we will likely have a new baby on the way, and I hopefully will find a new, good job. I ask your continued prayers, my friends, and may us all have a successful, prosperous, enlightening 2010, and come 14 February, a blessed Chinese Lunar Calendar's Year of the Tiger! As my daughter would say, "RAWR!"

Furniture Row Beds and Linens

You know what I think would look pretty fantastic? The CHICAGO Bed from BEDROOM EXPRESSIONS with Sky Blue Bamboo Sheets from DENVER MATTRESS and the RIO GRANDE Bedding Bag Set from BEDROOM EXPRESSIONS. Of course you would want to combine that with a HIBERNATION Soft-Side mattress set or the new MUZIC BED from DENVER MATTRESS, but what a fabulous combination that would be!

Learn Mandarin, Cantonese, or any other dialect of Chinese for FREE!

Whiny LaoWai ExPats

Recently at Hao Hao Report, (A site like Digg and Mixx for English language China stories) a story was mercifully buried where a foreigner in China was complaining that the average foreigner wage for someone with a degree and experience was "only" 131,000.00 RMB (Chinese Yuan Renminbi). Currently, that equates to over $19,000.00 USD (United States Dollars). Now, that very well may be low for an Americans working and living in the United States of America, but this is for people living in the People's Republic of China where EVERYTHING is cheaper! Keep in mind, that the average Chinese citizen earns only 10,000.00 RMB a year. I mean, even university graduates are only asking for 18,000.00 RMB a year!

Now at Lost LaoWai's community blog, a site I respect and enjoy a lot, one of the great authors is complaining about having to work 6 Sundays a year, meaning there are 6 6-day weeks to allow for some week-long holidays! I would love to work a 6 day week to get a week-long holiday! Wouldn't you?

Don't get me wrong, I am glad that Christianity gave us the popular 5 day work week (Saturday off for the Sabbath and Sunday off for the Lord's Day, the day of Jesus' Resurrection), and I am glad that Henry Ford started the standard 40 hour workweek of 5 8-hour days, with 2 days of rest, but occasionally working 6 to get 3-7 days off is not a bad trade-off either!

Seriously, anyone who goes to China should know what they are getting in to, but this complaining about making "only" 10 times as much as the average Chinese person, or occasionally having to work a 6-day work week, because you have a week-long vacation strikes me as whiny and petty. Am I alone in this opinion?

For the record, I work every Sunday and Saturday and work 5 days a week. 4 of those days are 12 hour days, and 1 day (Sunday) is a 7 hour day. My wife works 7 days a week. She works 12 hours a day, from 9:00-21:00 like me, but she gets the standard 2-hour Chinese lunch/siesta time in the middle of that day (like these complaining expats most likely have) too. For this, she earns 12,000.00 RMB annually and 2 vacation days per month that can be accrued and used all at once. Maybe that is why I have no patience for this seemingly petty whining?

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Hand Painted and Metal Greek, Russian, and Ukrainian Orthodox Icons for sale CHEAP! Moving Sale!

I am getting ready to move due to a new job, and besides needing cash, I found that I have a BUNCH of duplicate icons that I had put away and forgotten about! I am even selling some hand painted icons from Russia! These are some very beautiful icons, but with close of my mission and with my hundreds of icons that I own, I have no space to display them. My loss is your gain! All icon auctions are starting at only 99 cents American. See all my auctions on eBay at http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZfeisnik

Jet Lag Concluded

Finally last night I got a full night's sleep! I went to bed at 18:00 yesterday after work and then awoke at 03:00 for a full 9 hours of uninterrupted rest! Unfortunately the lines to China seem to be down so I was unable to call JunYu this morning. :-(

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Judging People By Their Appearances

Today at work we had a perfect example of why you should not judge people based on their appearances. An elderly man came in and was extremely rude to everyone, made outrageous demands, argued the prices, etc. Right behind him were 3 punks with various piercings, including gauged ears, and very stereotypical punk clothing and hair. Yet these 3 guys were extremely polite, sat down to let us take care of the older man's every request and then tipped us with their change. My boss and I both used to be in that scene, but we did not treat them any different than we treated the older man or any other customer, yet they were the example of how to treat others, while the man with many more years in his life was the opposite. Something to remember next time when you see a group of youths who in your eyes look like freaks, or the next time you see and elderly man. Do not prejudge them based on looks alone. You may be surprised who the true gentlemen in life are!

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Freedom!

Yesterday I took my daughter to my brother's house so that she can babysit her 3 1/2 year old cousin. Tomorrow I start a job that was beyond what I was expecting to get in this job hunt. So that leaves me with today. And today I am feeling complete and utter freedom and it feels good. Life feel good today, it feels really good, and for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to me job and going in to work. I have also been invited to China, and with the money I earned through my eBay sales, I should be able to pay for a trip, as this money no longer has to be saved for possible future bills. The future looks bright and the present is very satisfying and that is a set of feelings that I could definitely get used to!

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Job Interview Prayer Request Update

Thank you all for all your prayers, the Monday interview was horrible but brief, but today's 45 minute interview I passed with flying colors. Not only that but I got a call this afternoon calling me in for an interview tomorrow to be a manager at a restaurant, so I would like to ask for continuing prayers please!

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Job Update With Flying Colors!

I just passed my first interview with a very respectable, preeminent firm, and am scheduled for my second interview on the Feast of Holy Ascension, so I ask your prayers please.

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