It's all about the money..

There's a calculator, (thanks to CNNMoney) that calculates for me:

How far will my salary go if I were to work in another city?

What are the cost of living associated with it?

Let's start with I'm earning $50,000 a year in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Cedar Rapids in 2 months time.

If I move to:

Square shaped Penang tower @ Baltimore.

Baltimore, Maryland US no.1 earning state for 2006-2008

Comparable salary: $65,907

Groceries will cost: 18% more

Housing will cost: 105% more

Utilities will cost: 28% more

Transportation will cost: 7% more

Healthcare will cost: 5% more

Sienness @ Stamford, Connecticut.

Stamford, Connecticut

Comparable salary: $80462

Groceries will cost: 29% more

Housing will cost: 181% more

Utilities will cost: 42% more

Transportation will cost: 14% more

Healthcare will cost: 8% more

Golden Gate bridge @ SF.

San Fransisco, California

Comparable salary: $92262

Groceries will cost: 42% more

Housing will cost: 267% more

Utilities will cost: 0% more

Transportation will cost: 15% more

Healthcare will cost: 12% more

Curry laksa, chicken wings, extra crispy orange beef, prawn mee, green tea ice cream etc etc @ Rasa Sayang.

Atlanta, Georgia

Comparable salary: $52250

Groceries will cost: 10% more

Housing will cost: 15% more

Utilities will cost: 10% less

Transportation will cost: 4% more

Healthcare will cost: 4% less

The beautiful Oregan.

Portland, Oregan

Comparable salary: $62931

Groceries will cost: 22% more

Housing will cost: 66% more

Utilities will cost: 4% less

Transportation will cost: 12% more

Healthcare will cost: 0% more

Schneider Electric's recruiting/training center @ Nashville.

Nashville, Tennessee

Comparable salary: $49648

Groceries will cost: 13% more

Housing will cost: 5% less

Utilities will cost: 6% less

Transportation will cost: 3% less

Healthcare will cost: 17% less

Minneapolis is very cold.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Comparable salary: $60231

Groceries will cost: 32% more

Housing will cost: 56% more

Utilities will cost: 3% more

Transportation will cost: 3% more

Healthcare will cost: 1% less

Dim Sum @ Phoenix, Chicago!

Chicago, Illinois

Comparable salary: $60913

Groceries will cost: 18% more

Housing will cost: 66% more

Utilities will cost: 20% more

Transportation will cost: 12% more

Healthcare will cost: 2% less

Timeless beauty. *hide behind sandy!*

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Comparable salary: $12000

Housing will cost: 100% less

Utilities will cost: 100% less

Transportation will cost: 15% more

Walker & 12 years cost: 255% more

F&B will cost: 86% more

Iowa isn't that bad after all. Considering the $250 monthly rent, $2.38/gallon of super unleaded, and $6.00 Taipei meal.

So should I get Need for Speed Shift?

Be the customer.

This is what everybody will experience and witness. This happens everywhere, in my company, in my department, my ex coop partner, your organization, GM, everywhere. Since I started my job, I can't stress enough how rapid it occured, and how easy all this can come into existence.

To be ideal, for me, is to have what the customer really needed in every process involved. That's perfection if achieved. but perfection is not what we are going for, that's god's business.

However, the direction we're heading is questionable. Is this direction, the direction? Did we commicated well enough? Does he know what he's doing? Does his boss know what he's doing? Am I capable to produce results he wanted? How many thousands of people need to be on the same page this time? So, why are we on this page again?

Many people I've met have the "just do it" attitude. I personally like it when it comes to play, but a big no when it comes to business. If the planning is bad, the engineer is bad. We plan by considering appropriate (instead of a lot) factors, logic, impact, etc. If you're good at that, wow, but are you getting what the customer really needed?

Songness in a short term does not effectively solve a problem/task/situation. Short term fulfillment is a simple trap, when long term goal is not taken into consideration. It is rather easy to accomplish tasks assigned by my boss. Easier to not document it. A lot more easier to talk cock and lie about accomplishment. Even easier to do without thinking.

So I figure out these steps:

1. Identify customer.

2. Is my current action adding value to "what the customer really wanted"?

3. If this is 1st per million, will my last action per million still be able to add value to "what the customer really wanted"?

4. Besides customer and money, were others satisfied?

Plan, with adequate consideration and sufficient understanding, to meet customers' need. Then act.

Started d..

The challenge starts this week.

Everyone has to study. For those in Ames, fall session will now begin.

FNM (Fannie Mae) & FRE (Freddie Mac) were gg-ed exactly a year ago. Wall street had one of their worse moments in history, September last year. Now onwards: Impact, more impact, current standing, stimulus no more, projected demand? This week will be eyed closely by every investors in every corner. They will be able to tell a (better) story by the end of this week.

Many things will be introduced this week. The new nano and touch with camera? New figures of unemployed Americans. I'm guessing, oil prices might be more favorable to us.

Career fair is nearing soon. Our previous ISU engineering career fair was like a fortune cookie with a piece of paper that writes "sp9yiuhjn" in it. It was like a defect product that was spotted yet released to the consumers. I don't wanna start commenting on it. Anyway, from an optimistic side of it, I still found a job. To be optimistic, it's challenging. Challenge earlier, challenge them back.

Another fun, fast, challenging week ahead. When is not btw?