aendenne

Rant on Lack of Performance and Missing Excellence

2010-10-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Letdown: I thought wanting and striving for optimal solutions was innate in all developers. Realizing that sloppy code exists with no explanation and with no apology has been very hard on me. Hard because I find no reason for it; it is bewildering. Apparently many projects I've worked on have set me up/spoiled me. Most resources on those projects took pride in their work and did not grunt prehistoric responses to requests for the best solution. I guess I am 'growing up' yet again....a term used to blanket situations when we have to swallow bitter reality and not get worked up over things we cannot change.

No Comprehension: I cannot understand/sympathize/empathize/step in the shoes of people who do the bare minimum. I have tried to see through their eyes and I just can't. Whether working at a fast-food restaurant or building a complex machine, why would anyone shrug their shoulders and just do enough to scrape by? What enjoyment do they get? Where is their pride, their sense of accomplishment? I worked fast food when I was 15 and it was rewarding to get it done correctly and to be pleasant and helpful to the customers, rather than nonchalant and unresponsive. I liken those passive detached people to pods. They who have to be lead step-by-step to fully help the customer or create a good work product.....really, do they have souls?

Numbers/Proportion: I don't want to guess at what percentage of folks do their best or at the least, really try to do well in their jobs, or school, or other projects. It appears that it is a wee minority and that is sad. I am let down and surprised that my bastion (software development) also harbors folks who do not challenge themselves but use stagnant methodologies that are difficult to extend/maintain and can actually be dangerous.

Ramifications: If you have to work with someone who learned how to do his or her trade at the beginning of their career and won't continue to learn, I am sorry. You probably have to take up the slack where their workmanship leaves off. On the other hand, if you are one of those folks who does things 'one way' (or 'your way' or the 'right way') and will not listen to suggestion.....who will not read or otherwise learn the best methods, can you help me understand why? Is it really so upsetting and painful to try to learn something new or to put forth a little effort to create a product or offer a service worth showing off/sharing? Does it hurt your brain?

I do have a few ideas on improving unmotivated employees' performance:

1. Healthy (not mean-spirited) Competition: A contest that has tangible rewards is a good motivator. I believe many people do not excel or try to because they need a tangible external reward to reach for. I guess their minds do not give them pleasure internally for doing something well, so we need to give them external reward. When I say 'not mean-spirited', I am saying do not secretly pit employees against one another. Do not give two employees or teams the same task to 'prove who is best'. That is negative and may be defeating to the employees.

2. Small group meetings that encourage personal development/growth on the job: A few eager individuals can be infectious. Employees who get excited about their work and about trying new things/doing the best job, can be spokespeople at a meeting. These staff members can be asked to present a methodology in a quick and mostly painless way. If the meetings are large, people will not pay attention. There is accountability in smaller groups. The presenters should be asked to prove the benefits of said methodology---benefits that the less enthused could relate to. Ask them to provide take-home materials that are short and sweet so that the effort will not be lost. These take-home materials could simply remind the group about the advantages of the method and list some examples displaying technique.

3. Attitude Management: Identify the few employees who love what they do. Encourage them to encourage others. In FRONT OF other workers, tell them you appreciate their effort and excitement. Follow this up with asking non-invested staff to contribute more ideas, encouraging them matter-of-factly as if you KNOW they can do it. (Without the follow-up, less interested staff may simply resent those who are shown appreciation.) Also, verbal encouragement and activities that pep up teams can help unmotivated folks become motivated. Praise or promise of praise is useful and makes for a better environment. Conversely, super-complainers exist and they decrease morale and therefore effort and performance. Where possible, minimize this phenomena. One action that can be taken is to speak to the overly-negative about the effects of their words. They may not be aware of their impact.

4. Words Not to Use: If excellence is what you want, then calling people 'monkeys' or 'idiots' in front of your staff is not a good idea. Insulting the end-user or customer in front of your team makes the staff wonder what you say about them. Why perform well if your boss thinks you are a monkey?

5. Make it OK to Flounder: One reason people may not try different techniques is that they are not comfortable with them. Trying a new thing and not doing it perfectly the first time is to be expected. Make this known. Trying is valuable and that should be communicated.

Curiosity Builds Better 'Technologists'

2009-09-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Years ago I taught a bevy of applications to various levels of end-users. That experience taught me more than I taught any of my students.

One theme that was prevalent was 'curious, unafraid people learn more quickly'. I knew this personally because I really am unafraid to fail when trying technology (and many other things). I do fail, and I learn more from some of those failures than from many successes.

The knowledge (that curiosity garners learning and fear leaves us stagnant) was cemented for me while teaching. I had older and younger students and students from various cultural backgrounds. Most of the older folks in my classes were timid about using a computer. I would say something like 'Click the word 'File' on the Menu Bar' and one would respond 'What will happen when I click?'

In class, I might hear someone say 'where is the command to do xyz located'. If I knew the requested command was easily found on the menu bar, I would respond 'Click on the various menu items and view the available commands--this will help you when you are back in your office and I am not around'. Many students had no problem with that sort of direction. Others would raise his/her hand and say 'What if I click something on accident?' At that point I would tell them about the wonderful warning messages that Windows will give us when we are about to do something drastic---if we click a command that says 'Blow Up My PC' a confirmation dialog will pop up stating 'Are you sure you wish to destroy your computer?'. I hope my statements to the timid ones helped them become more self-sufficient, but I will never know.

One question I had then and still have now is how some can have access to a computer, use it everyday over a long period of time, and only be able to do operations they have been specifically taught. Perhaps I have already (partially) answered it with 'Curiosity vs. Fear'.

TWO Confessions of a Geek

2009-05-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

Confession 1:
I tend to collect soft and hard technology.

Good	Bad
I learn a lot and can share my knowledge. Treasured finds can improve productivity IMMENSELY.	Overload. So many products to toy with/use. It is possible to explore too many at the cost of priorities.

Confession 2:
I tend to become so ensconced in a techie activity that any other task/human is ignored

Good	Bad
Solid focus is fun and the work I am doing is better for it.	Friends, family or daily errands may be avoided.

I love work and I love play. By the time I die will know how to get the most out of both and when to do either.

ZOHO App Universe

2009-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Two words: Fast and Free

In clicking around and discovering the ease-of-use and yet sophistication of ZOHO, I get those chemical feelings similar to when you first fall in love. (OK, not a fair comparison coming from me---hasn't happened in a over a decade). At any rate, the possibilities I imagine are many, as I use it to take notes, build slick docs, and calculate budgets. It is a joy to use.

Note:
I wrote and published this, using Zoho. I did NOT need to pause and wait for my machine to catch up with my fast fingers, and it auto saved multiple versions of my edits. If you want to skip the VERBIAGE, scroll thru the pix (we all like pictures), you will see just how cool ZOHO is (and free!!).

My first experience with Zoho was way way back in 2008. I played with it and thought it pretty and effective, but kept using other Office apps installed on my machine or an a USB stick.

I previously used:

Microsoft Word/Excel 2007 (more of a hog than earlier versions)

OpenOffice.org. (always up-to-date)

ABI Word (very lightweight, but ugly)

IBM Symphony (pretty, and much lighter than MS Office)

Jarte (pretty, but slow start-time and response-time)

Memory HOGS!!!! Well, OpenOffice.org has improved greatly on its launch time and resource consumption. ABI Word is not too resource-intensive. IBM Symphony is very cool (tabbed environment/multi-function) and does not use too much RAM once launched, but the launch time IS too slow for me (I'm impatient). Office 2007? Holy crap----I need to go to the kitchen for coffee once I launch it, not to mention that Office leaves processes running when it is not, that take up too much memory! Slows my whole machine down---I hate it. Also, what is up with that super-big 'ribbon'. Cluttery and distracting for me. It slows me WAY down to have to edit the format of text or perform a table edit, etc....because I have to locate the toolbar, then the tool command. Puke me. Even though Office allows most old shortcuts, you can't view them, you have to have memorized those oldies (Office shortcuts that is). I revisited Zoho recently and realized how much COOLER LOOKING and FASTER and more COMPLETE it is than any of the other apps. PLUS, it offers MORE than they do, and in a wholly-integrated fashion. The ONLY drawback thus far, is that for the most part, I need to be connected to the web. Seeing as how I am connected most of the time, that isn't really an issue. There are ways around this online requirement.

Zoho is now offering offline editing. I have NOT tried it, it uses Google Gears (I've heard). [I'll try and post back]

Zoho allows import to and from your PC of any of your documents. You can export your files to MANY formats.

That being said, the online thing is cool because:

I can access my doc library from anywhere
I can post/publish a single or multiple docs/apps for a selected set of humans, or for the whole public. No charge, and it is EZ.
Collaboration (if you need to work with another person or a group of people, you can grant them access to edit docs and/or apps.

Zoho offers so much----see pix following this write-up. Cool WIKI, cool NOTEBOOK app, cool SPREADSHEETS, cool WORD PROCESSING, ETC! I am using it now to brainstorm project ideas and current work tasks, and to organize them. Any thing that I may want to share a view with or allow others to edit can be built with this cool toolset. (Yes, I realize the word cool keeps surfacing; it is ‘apt’.) I have added screenshots of some of the applications, in action. Please review by scrolling....

They even have website creation for non-techies (and for techies in a hurry...) For true geeks, they have exposed their APIs!
Zoho: I have one request, that may be available (I haven't seen it), and that is KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR EVERYTHING, and a partner list of those shortcuts, so we quick typers can be even more efficient.

Here's the link: http://www.zoho.com/

Free and E-Z. They have this cool thing that you don't even need logged in for, as well, called ThrowawaySheet---lets you enter and edit an Excel-like document,then you can save it to your computer....

To use the throwaway sheet tool, goto: http://sheet.zoho.com/scratch.do

KEEP VIEWING PICS.......there are several more screenshots, just scroll

Yahoo! Go Free Mobile Software

2007-08-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Haven't blogged about anything for awhile. Guilt set in; plus I really am enjoying a new utility I downloaded, so I must share it: Yahoo! Go Mobile Software is now available for my phone. It had been released earlier for many other phones; I just had to wait for a version compatible with the Audiovox PPC 6700.

Why do I like it?

It looks very nice
I stay in touch with news and any custom rss feeds I wish (SWEET!)
It auto-downloads my Yahoo mail
It has weather updates
It has a slick city guide

I mostly use it when I am bored, and wish for a distraction. The news and rss feed feature keeps me reading updated content anytime I wish.

The 'carousel' is a nice piece of user interface. From most anywhere in the app, the user can return to the 'main menu' by choosing 'Back to Carousel'.

Suggestions? I think it would be great if a Games option was added. What about it? Yahoo! Who am I to ask for this? A free user, yes---but someone who does get exposed to advertisements.

Fighting Perfection (Task Management)

2007-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

While watching an amateur basketball game between police and firefighters, I saw a player try for a three-pointer. He failed. In fact, it wasn't even close. I bet he could have made the standard two-point shot though!

I'm trying to teach my son how to keep a clean house. When I give him task lists, I break a room down into specific detailed chores, such as 'polish every piece of wood'. I also indicate that chores not on the list should NOT be done, unless I am asked (read: change request). If the floor gets mopped every day, there just isn't time to take care of all the other areas. We can't polish all of the cupboards if we have spent time re-organizing the pantry, AND have mopped all the floors that same day.

I have a natural tendency to want to do it all, to want to take any task to perfection. This is not necessarily a good thing. I have to identify what is FEASIBLE, and force myself not to go beyond that, or else other tasks/chores will not be completed. Lately, I've been trying very hard to remind myself that I can come back later, and do it up with awesome flair----after all the basics have been knocked out.

The words "Change Request" sound ominous to me, and perhaps to other software engineers. We know how to write quality software, dammit. So when we are reminded to stick to a specific list of tasks, and other items seem absolutely necessary, we have to fight with ourselves. We must calmly stand back and identify what may actually need to be added to the plan. We must be truthful with ourselves; be able to handle reality and let go of unnecessary enhancements to the tools we are writing.

Skeleton code (non-functional code-like language that guides software development), is an excellent time-management tool. Laying out the what and where, before the how, can help corral our natural desire to do it all, and buffer the drive to do it superbly.

Any other tips on taming the perfection beast? Let me know.....

Lightweight & Useful Software

2007-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Adron Hall referred me to a chat client called Meebo. I was hesitant to believe in his claims about it's robustness, since I've tried Yahoo, Trillian, MSN, Go!, and atleast one other chat client; and I have had minor complaints about all of them.

First, Yahoo Messenger is nice looking, and it does allow file transfers, and webcam views, but.....I can only be logged on as one person. Most people would have no problem with that constraint, but I am many people doing many things, and I like to be able to have access to all my profiles simultaneously. One other problem, is that I like leaving as much RAM available as possible, and Yahoo's client has a large footprint.

After using Yahoo Messenger for years, I was referred to Trillian by Tom Puleo. Trillian is nifty in that it doesn't use quite as many system resources as Yahoo does, AND it allows me to sign in as multiple people simultaneously. It claims that I can use it to contact people via MSN, and ICQ as well. However, I can only use one chat service at a time. In other words, I can be multiple Yahoo people, but not multiple Yahoo people AND multiple MSN people. Further, the file transfer acts as if it's sending a file to someone, but it never works. It also doesn't allow me to accept files. I chose the free Trillian version, and it does not expose the webcam functionality; one must pay for that. I love that I can access multiple Yahoo profiles, but I want more. One last complaint about Trillian----it's not pretty.

I must make one important advantage of Trillian clear, before I continue: if you have multiple Yahoo profiles, and like to monitor multiple Yahoo email accounts from these profiles, Trillian will do this for you, so that you don't have to keep signing out, and signing back on. Trillian will monitor each of your email accounts (Yahoo) and pop up a message that you can click on, stating you have new mail, and from whom. I am consciously giving up this great feature, to gain RAM availability for all my other computer ventures.

Now-------------along comes Meebo. You do NOT need to download anything---it is available inside your browser. The constraints here are that you need to leave the Meebo page open, once you have logged in. If you wish to know when someone sends you a message, you have to either turn your sound on to hear the beep, or keep that Meebo window visible. Four very positive things about this app, that keeps me tethered to it:

You truly can be logged on as multiple people, via more than one chat service
Since you download nothing, your machine's resources are pretty much left available for heavy-duty computing.
If you wish to access a past conversation from a computer other than the one where that chat took place, you can do so. Meebo stores chat logs for you on their server. This may terrify some people, but I don't have anything to hide, so I'm not worried. And if those people don't like their conversations being logged, they really shouldn't use any chat service.
Chat widgets: these tiny web page objects can be embedded in your personal web page/blog. If you wish to chat with visitors to your website, this is the way to go.

I am not abandoning Yahoo of course: I ran across 2 Yahoo products that are free and look quite promising. I will test them, and re-post with my thoughts. They are Yahoo Notes, and Yahoo Intellisync...............Later!

I'm in LOVE with My Music Service

2007-02-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

I downloaded a free trial of the Urge Music Service last year, and after fourteen days of unlimited downloads, I liked it well enough to pay for a year's subscription (149$----totally cool for a full year of listening to as much music as I want).

There were several features that aided me in discovering fresh music (fresh to me = from another culture, from way back in the day, or just released yesterday).

If I like a certain artist, I can click a command that says 'More Music Like Artist XYZ', and 20 songs by various artists will appear based on that choice.

I could browse by genre, then style (i.e. Hip-Hop, then Jazz-Rap, or Rock, then Psychedelic)
I could sort search results by Year, Rating, Song Title, and any other property field available.
Playlists are created by music-junkies, celebs, real musicians, et al. I can peruse these select lists out of curiosity, and sample/download tunes when I agree with the list creator.
Charts are available that list top 100+ selections, by Genre/Style etc. Billboard charts and web charts are included.
Radio!!!! The radio stations are slick. There are usually multiple stations for each genre, and........I can skip any song that I don't care for!!!

Here's what I am most excited about right now, though:
A-U-T-O M-I-X!
Auto Mix is superb. To be fair, Urge probably could have gotten the idea from other software/websites previously in existence. My friend Adron showed me one such site. That site remembers your previous selections and create new lists of music based on your history. It is Last.fm. It's also socially oriented, you can link to other listeners and listen to what they like. A few pieces/some, NOT ALL of the music is available for download, but it is a free service. Mine (Urge) costs $ after 14 days, but I download voraciously, and don't want to be blocked.
Another advantage of Urge over the free site I saw? ‘Look and feel’, and ease-of-use. The interface is 'pretty' and clean, and there are multiple jumping-off points for switching to different tunes.

Back to Auto Mix, as implemented by Urge....it allows me to grab a list of tunes based on MORE THAN MY PREVIOUS LISTENING HISTORY! It will grab a set of 20, 30, or 40 tunes, based on: Mood, Style, Artist, My Previous History, or a Single Song. I am totally sprung---this is so slick----I mean, I'm banging out User-Interface screens, and writing code, and I can grab a list of songs that are 'angry' or 'lovey-dovey' and just work away, without playing with my tuner.

Let me expound on my usage of the term ‘fresh’. Every Tuesday, new releases are made available, just like in the record stores! I tend toward older music, as I myself am an old soul, but this is still something I take a gander at every Tuesday. I really get into the Baroque period, and Mozart, and lo and behold…..this service does have A LOT OF CLASSICAL music. Just Lovely.

I must return to my coding adventures. Check out this service if you want to stream/download some music you are already familiar with, and/or expose yourself to entirely new musical compositions.

My Phone Wants Me Dead

2007-01-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Great. I just saw a news article that ticked me off: Cell Phone Ignites In Man's Pocket. How am I supposed to sleep with my cell phone under my pillow, and not worry? I did a quick web search for other such incidents, and supposedly, this has happened before. Here's another link, just for fun: Teen Burned When Cell Phone Catches Fire. I say 'just for fun' since this article has no author name, which makes me a slight bit skeptical.

Where are the MythBusters? I need them!!! I will not relinquish my gadget, dammit. There has got to be another explanation.

If there isn't, we would do well to know the commonalities among the incidents. Then informed consumers like us could purchase the safest versions of devices.

I have a feeling that if this is indeed real, that it happens when a large amount of technology is crammed into a small amount of space. If my theory is right, I may personally be safe because I always stay away from miniature doll-house cell phones. How can you talk into something you hold between two fingers? It's ridiculous.

Anyone that can allay my fears, please answer up.

Demos of Windows Mobile 5.0 Software Apps

2007-01-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have used and abused my Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device PPC-6700 (a Windows Mobile 5.0 cell phone/pda).

I've tried many software demos and purchased most of what I tried. I've also deleted a few, and won't be reloading them. Everyone should try multiple demos of software for their handhelds. Why waste the money spent on the handheld, by not fully leveraging its capacity?

I believe firmly that all software should be available for preview, and it should be FULLY available during that trial period. I refuse to buy software that only lets me test some of its functions. How can I be sure that the promised utilities will really work if I can't try them? Hence, I will NOT be buying Pocket Mechanic. I found it on the Handango site, and most of the apps there are full version demos. But this utility teases me by showing me functions that would be really cool, were they available. For instance, the Defragment and Recover Bad Sectors tools will only work for my memory card. Well that's just silly. I'm not worried about my memory card. It's huge! I want to clean the actual device. That would make too much sense though.

My favorite app combo right now, is SPB Pocket Plus, and SPB Diary. I've used them for over a month now, and the combo makes life easier. Pocket Plus is a Today Plug-In. It lets me customize my start up screen so that my favorites, and any other utilities are easy to get to. It allows me to have a tabbed start screen. It also has a few decent themes. The Diary is another plug-in for the Today screen, that lets me have my notes, tasks, appointments and contacts immediately available. This speeds so many things up in my busy life. Another cool feature of Pocket Plus, is that it allows the user to truly shut down an app, via the close button. You may not know this, but tapping the 'X' in Windows Mobile 5.0, does NOT shut an app. The last thing I will mention about Pocket Plus is the Internet Explorer 'New Window' feature. This tool will let you visit multiple websites simultaneously.

I just downloaded a new app today, that I am very excited about. I know I'll buy this one. It is called PhatPad, and I can see it being VERY useful, when I am in a hurry (most of the time). I have one minor complaint about PhatPad. I went to try the Recognize* function, which is already available in the Windows Mobile 5.0 O.S., and it wouldn't work without also downloading another Phat app, entitled Calligrapher. Of course, I downloaded it. And of course it is a HUGE improvement over the standard handwriting recognition that comes with my phone. I'm only complaining, because PhatWare should have an option that defaults to using the built-in recognition utility. I should have more of a CHOICE to use the add-on software.

*'Recognize' is when you have scribbled some text-like stuff on your screen, and the utility attempts to guess at what you meant by that scribble. My estimate is that the built-in recognizer, got 70% of the characters correct. But the one that costs money? I think it's 98% correct. This is NOT a scientific observation.

Two other apps that I've bought by SPB, are SPB Finance, and SPB Weather.

SPB Finance syncs with Microsoft Money, or with Quicken. It will set reminders for upcoming bills. It also has a Today plug-in, if you wish to enable it. It's nice to use, since I don't usually spend money while in front of my computer. The best way to take note of my spending, therefore, is with a mobile device.

The Weather tool is neato! I get up to the minute weather predictions right on my today screen for a week out (if you believe in that sort of stuff).

I'm not a game player, unless it involves words or logic, so Sudoku is about it for me, right now. The one I like, and will purchase soon, is Resco Sudoku. It has many game styles. It could be more straight forward with its game-state saving, but I figured it out.

Apps that I downloaded, AND paid for, and have since DELETED:
1. Agenda Fusion - it has a very cool project feature, and a LOT of other good organization features. I removed it, because Diary and Pocket Plus replaced it nicely, with a lot less clutter. The Agenda Fusion screen was also a bit overwhelming. Too many things going on, and too many decisions to make. I'm in a hurry, man!

2. Sudoku Master II - what happened, is that I purchased it, got a code, and after moving it to my storage card, it won't accept my code! I won't even phone or email the firm, since I found a better version of Sudoku, anyhow. The other complaint, with this software, by the way, is the 'modal' way it takes over my machine, and the ridiculous 'splash screen'. It's just too much!

I'll write more on this when I've had more man-hours spent on the device.

Christmas nets me a GPS Unit - SA-WEET!

2006-12-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have forgotten what I got for Christmas already. The one gift that overshadowed everything is my new friend: the Garmin C330 GPS navigation system. I use it when I don't need to, just because it is fun. I am still a geek, after all.

This baby tracks my top speed, my average speed, time spent moving, and time I have been immobile. It remembers locations I have gone to, without me having to tap the save button. I can discover new restaurants (I love to eat), museums, parks, hotels, etc. just by browsing the available locations.

The other night, my dad wanted to plan a get-together for this weekend, well beyond my home city. I tapped the 'Near' button, and re-centered my search to a city 50 miles from my house, then selected Chinese food, and stored the route for use this Saturday.

Oh, did I mention that it allows for text and verbal language changes? I currently have the text on the screen set to English, while the speaking voice is set to French. I don't know how much my boyfriend spent on this thing, but whatever it was, it's worth it! I think that he got it, though, just so that I'd stop calling him with 'I'm Lost---Help ME' requests. Whatever the motivation, I like it.

Sprint Phone Useability Still Going Strong

2006-12-19T14:38:00.001-08:00

I am composing this post from my phone! I don't have any cool topic, but am so jazzed about the flexibility of this device. I especially love the autocomplete feature. It allows me to accept the suggestions of the machine, and enter text much faster.

Traveling with Technology

2006-12-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

Just bought a slick phone that masquerades as a modem, a mobile organizer, and tries but fails to be a camera. I love this thing! It is a Sprint Nextel PCS Vision Smart Device PPC-6700. Its OS is Windows Mobile 5.0.

Here's what I've done with it so far, and REPETITIVELY:

Surfed the net (tiny screen, so using the MSN Mobile that is on the start up screen and in the IE favorites is the best way to go).
While googling myself (I know---that sounds kind of bad), I perused my photos online, etc....
Within MSN Mobile, I searched for a business type, then clicked local (it wanted my zip code), and it returned those types of businesses closest to me. The data returned included links AND a CALL link that would auto-dial if I confirmed. That is slick.
Recorded audio to-dos.
Started the wireless modem feature, and hooked it up with the USB cable to my laptop and used it as a connection. The speed was enough to download music and connect remotely to my workplace and write code.
Entered projects and sub tasks in the software called Agenda Fusion (purchased this for $29). The calendar and tasks that come with the phone are sufficient for most people, but not for me. I like fancy sorting and filtering, and planning and prioritizing.....
Played games---I bought sudoku, and played with the games that it comes with: solitaire and bubble breaker.
Instant messaged using yahoo messenger for mobile (http://mm.yahoo.com)
Checked out mobile.google.com---it has maps and sms and search---it's cool on my little screen.
Tried the keyboard - YUCK -- I don't have time for that crap. Use the graffiti feature--it has better handwriting recognition than Palm. I set the word completion input settings to suggest 4 possible words after entering just 2 letters. This really speeds up data entry.

I would recommend this product to anyone---I suggest reading the manual, of course.

Rules for Partying with Co-Workers

2006-12-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

WOO-HOO! Went racing in tiny little cars with forty of my closest co-workers on Friday. Afterwards, about seven of us went to a casino for some pool, and for some fermented beverage.

Had more fun on the racetrack then I have had in many years. I think some of us lose our nicety when we are pitted against others on a twirly track with a gas pedal that actually responds. I know I do.

After racing for over an hour, we took the party to a casino in Lakewood. Some of us decided to have a drink or two (or three or four.....). When we drink, we lose our filter. This can be a lot of fun, or it can cause us to worry about the repercussions of the unfiltered actions we take while under the influence. I'm lucky, because the guys I work with meet two main criteria that allow me to drink with them, without much worry.

They are intelligent in an analytical way (they are not empty-headed/bored enough to stretch the truth and gossip after a night of partying)
They are open-minded (they are not affronted and insulted when someone is having a good time, in a way that is not previously sanctioned by main-stream society)

I work with some great people----my theory is that their laid-back non-judging attitudes, and high intellects are why we get along so well, and can have so much fun.

Talking Politics With Co-Workers

2006-11-29T21:59:00.000-08:00

Smart? Or is it asinine? It depends on the temperament and intelligence of your co-workers. Even very smart people lose their minds when they are married to an idea. Further, people like me get excited about our own experiences, and blather in front of a crowd. This is never a good idea. Spilling words out of your mouth loosely gives multiple humans a chance to take your words out of context---especially if you don't have a chance to finish your thesis. Best just to shut up and be still.

I believe that talking to one person at a time is the best way to have a conversation about anything that is controversial. Otherwise----things can go terribly wrong.

I can't even type what I said at dinner this evening, because it would make me look like a monster. It would take too many sentences to make it right. But I am right.

Back to work for now (and thoughts of NO-ONE ruling my world).

Important Post Script---Jim, Eric, Adron: I don't think any of you three have lost your minds! My general statement is about the general populace, and we all know we do not work in the Gen Pop.

Microsoft Office 2007 - Making Work More Fun

2006-11-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

Just started using the Office Professional 2007 suite, and it is: sweet. The UI is super slick, like ice. I'm a keyboard commando, and it supports the 2003 keyboard commands, even though the menus aren't visible.

Excel's formulas are laid out in such a nifty fashion, I just gaze at them. I got Visio too, of course, and it appears that reverse engineering databases is not relegated to the Enterprise Architect version. That's good, because who wants to do a data-definition layer in two locations?

Tonight, I will use Publisher 2007, to make some biz cards. I can't wait!

Backwards compatibility---don't know yet about new docs, but old ones work fine in the new software. I wrote several VBA applications in Excel way back in 1998, and they still run in 2007.

One problem thus far---I tried to use Word's blog publishing, and it would not publish or open to this system (blogger.com). I tried all kinds of things, maybe I need to throw salt over my shoulder and cross my eyes first.

A tip for anybody who is in a hurry when working on the computer: USE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS TO LAUNCH YOUR APPS. How to do this? Go to the Start Menu and locate your frequently-used application. Then, RIGHT-CLICK the application name. Click the Properties option, and locate the Shortcut Key text box. Click the key combination you will associate with this app, then click the OK button. The typed instructions right here seem difficult, but they ARE NOT, and once you set up your shortcuts and use them, life is quicker.

For Word, I use Ctrl + Alt + W
For Excel, I use Ctrl + Alt + E
For Access, I use Ctrl + Alt + A
For Paint, I use Ctrl + Alt + P
For Calculator, I use Ctrl + Alt + C
For Visual Studio, I use Ctrl + Alt + V
For Dreamweaver, I use Ctrl + Alt + D
For SQL Studio (used to be Query Analyzer), I use Ctrl + Alt + Q
For Publisher, I use Ctrl + Shift + P
For Corel Painter, I use Alt + Shift + P
For Firefox, I use Ctrl + Alt + I (for Internet)
For PSPad, I use Ctrl + Alt + T (for Text)

First Blog Post

2006-11-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

It is Wednesday at LaborReady, and I guess throughout most of the world.

I am designing a subset of data tables to support user actions based on roles and locations. This blog entry is really just a test, as I have NEVER blogged before, but my fun friend Adron tells me I HAVE TO. Whatever.

I kind of prefer to remain more anonymous than this, but I will give being ultra social a chance.

I’ll add to and edit this baby later, after work, unless a development tip strikes me in the head and I need to share it with the tech community at large.

Oh---here is a QUESTION OF THE DAY:

WHERE IN THE HECK DID THE FIND OBJECT DIALOG GO IN SQL 2005? (Note: all caps means I am yelling.)

I mean I have sprocs I can use to locate columns, tables, views, etc….but still. I want to know where it went? Yes, I see the cute little funnel icon in the Object Browser, but that blasted thing can only be used for one entity type in one database at a time. How tedious; how boring. And Mr. Perfect Adron Hall---you are wrong---that dialog is indeed useful for those who architect their own databases from start to finish correctly.