ricardodsanchez

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From WordPress to Ghost: A 14-Year Journey of Writing and Tech Exploration

My OnTechies website has been dormant for a while, and to think it started over 14 years ago is unbelievable—at least to me. It began as AustinTechGeeks, but someone from the Austin tech community felt it was too similar to their organization’s name. They sent me a Cease and Desist letter. I was shocked! It was just a simple WordPress site, posting about local Austin tech events using a default…

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Distractions will ruin your life

Everyone has goals and dreams. We are all looking to achieve something, start something, or complete something. Some of us get there through hard work, enthusiasm, focus, and luck. But many of us fail to achieve our goals and some of our dreams. It’s easy to start things, and when we don’t reach the finish line, it’s easy to blame it on others, the circumstances, and then we give up and move on…

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Traveling to Southeast Asia

2018 was the first time we got to travel to Northeast Asia. We visited China and then Japan. The trip was full of discoveries and surprises. For example, we found out how quiet and clean the streets of Tokyo are compared to those in the United States. Even in places with thousands of people walking around, like Shinjuku or Shibuya—areas filled with giant digital advertisements and bustling…

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Traveling light (Yes, it's possible)

I know, I know. You’ve heard many people talk about this, but the idea of traveling with only one bag and bringing fewer items horrifies you. Back in December 2021, I decided to bring just one piece of luggage and a small backpack on a trip to Vancouver and Whistler, BC. It was winter, so I needed to bring at least one warm jacket and one pair of winter boots. Those two items alone can take up…

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Road trip to San Francisco

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How to Prevent Identity Column Exhaustion in SQL Server

As a software developer, you’ll likely work with one or multiple database systems that integrate with your applications. One of these database systems is Microsoft’s SQL Server. In this post, I’d like to list some tasks you might consider to reduce headaches and make your work more enjoyable. Microsoft SQL Server is a fantastic relational database used by many businesses and applications. Other…

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Rediscovering the Joy of Learning

When I was in middle and high school, I didn’t care much for exams, getting good grades, or many of my classes. Some topics were interesting, but the way most teachers presented them was boring to me. I was also against homework and still am, to some extent. The idea of spending many hours each day at school and then bringing more schoolwork home didn’t sit right with me. I’ve read and written a…

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It doesn’t have to be difficult

My doctor recommended that I get a colonoscopy almost two years ago. At the time, he mentioned that it is now recommended to get your first colonoscopy at the age of 45. The thought of it bothered me, even though I knew that a colonoscopy is a preventative procedure that can save lives; it also meant that it was one more thing to worry about. Many months later, I scheduled my first colonoscopy.…

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Stress is killing us

How do you manage stress? Most of us don’t; we unconsciously welcome it. In America, we seem addicted to stress. From childhood, we are told that we must achieve certain goals and always reach for more. Wanting more out of life isn’t bad, but the problem lies in desiring more than we need and sacrificing moments, interactions, and unique opportunities in the process—often without even realizing…

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Paper books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Do you enjoy reading books? What’s your preferred format—paper books, ebooks, or audiobooks? I personally favor paper books. I appreciate that I can annotate them and don’t need to rely on electricity or batteries. Imagine being in the middle of nowhere, even during a zombie apocalypse—I’d still be reading comfortably! My reading habits vary by genre. For fiction, I tend to choose ebooks and…

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Diary of a Developer: When faster isn’t better

Sometimes, doing things faster causes you to spend more time on them in the end. As much as I pray about taking things slow and avoiding multitasking, today I fell victim to my own desire to speed things up. While at work, I made some changes to a database migration script to rename a couple of properties. I ran them locally, one at a time, and assumed they were okay. The updated script was…

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Why The Icarus Deception Is a Must-Read

I just finished listening to Seth Godin’s audiobook The Icarus Deception. It was a great listen, albeit uncomfortable at times due to the many truths Seth shares. The book was released in 2012, and I regret not having discovered it until recently. Although I’m a subscriber to Seth’s blog, it was only a few days ago that I stumbled upon a page on his website listing all of his books. The Icarus…

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Discovering Life One Step at a Time.

Is it possible that by walking around a city or neighborhood, you increase your chances of connecting with unique individuals and experiences? I believe so, and this has been my theory for many years now. This is why I enjoy taking long walks around a city, especially when I visit it for the first time. In my opinion, there is no better way to get to know a city than by walking through it. One…

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Digital Amnesia: Why We Forget the Little Things

Have you noticed how fewer people now remember names of top players from sports they don’t follow? Or how people don’t remember their favorite movies from one or two years ago? For example, our son was talking about the upcoming Olympic Games and more specifically about the U.S. basketball team. He was naming some of the top basketball players that are going to be part of the U.S. team and my…

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Una taza de café

Una taza de café negro, sin leche ni crema, así se lo toma todos los días. Está mañana no es diferente. El buen café, ese con el color café obscuro casi negro, como el de la Coca Cola, con algunas burbujas adornando la superficie en la taza, y ese vapor escapándose poco a poco, eso es lo rico de un buen café – el aroma es lo primero que detectas, y si el aroma no es bueno, no pierdas tu tiempo,…

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Finding Joy in Life's Unexpected Moments

My daughter is visiting us from New York for my son’s birthday. She arrived a few days ago, and it was a pleasant surprise. We have two older kids, both living in NYC, while our third kid, my wife, and I live on the West Coast. Despite the distance, we make it a point to visit each other often, at least a few times a year. The long flight is always worth it, given our fondness for both coasts and…

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Technology Has Lowered the Bar for Starting a Business

Starting a business was once a monumental task, particularly for endeavors requiring significant investment, such as spacecraft, pharmaceuticals, or automotive manufacturing. However, the landscape for launching software or service companies has vastly improved in terms of accessibility. There was a time when establishing a software business necessitated significant investments in server space,…