Solar energy businesses are marketing themselves successfully when they avoid the controversy around government investment and global warming and concentrate instead on value to the customer.
Read the rest at The CMO Site - Karl Hakkarainen - Sun Rising on Solar Energy Marketing
Friday, October 21, 2011
Happy 20th Birthday, Matt
[caption id="attachment_2753" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Matt in 2004, with Cassie, age 1 day"]
[/caption]
And, of course, we remember what happens when we turn 20: Neil Young - Sugar Mountain
[/caption]And, of course, we remember what happens when we turn 20: Neil Young - Sugar Mountain
Book review: The Secret Life of Word
The Secret Life of Word by Robert Delwood « XML Press
I've waited for a long time for a book such as this. It's very good. It delivers clear information about Word 2010 with writing that's fresh and human, as though you were being coached by a knowledgeable and helpful co-worker.
The premise is simple. Using the Office scripting interfaces, macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can get a lot of good work done quickly and more accurately. Delwood guides the reader through a series of common tasks often encountered by writers. At each point, you get just enough information to know what you're doing and how to do it.
Most technical writers avoid Word because, well, it can be messy (particularly if you've inherited someone else's Word files) and because it's not great for longer documents (more than 50 or so pages). Development teams and managers like Word because it's always around and they can edit the files when they want to (leading to the first problem). Given that more and more tech writers are working on short-term contracts where they have make sense of files that have been picked at by a half dozen authors, this book can be valuable resource in cleaning up cruft and bringing order to the sources.
Delwood is a fine writer with a reassuring voice. He introduces topics such as building blocks, Smart Tags, and macros with just the right balance of background and practical tips. There are plenty of good code examples throughout the book. Rather than having to retype everything, however, you can pick up the examples at the publisher's web site.
There were plenty of pleasing touches throughout the book, such as the use of "Hello, Word" in examples. made more poignant as we mourn the recent passing of C's, Dennis Ritchie.
The section on Find and Replace begins with "It may seem odd to consider Find and Replace as an automation technique." The examples then go on to show how you can bring back some order to a document with carefully targeted automation. Word is notorious for generating bloated HTML output. This small procedure is part of a larger effort to clean up that bloat and give you a more usable file.
Sub RemoveHTMLTags()
ReplacementText "<p*>", "<p>"
ReplacementText "<span*>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</span>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "<o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "Times New Roman", "Comic Sans MS"[1]
End Sub
[1]
Delwood brings out the quirks and inexplicable behaviors in Word. He explains how the changes from Word 95 to the 2007/2010 era really messed people up. The user interface changed, hiding familiar menu options in out-of-the-way ribbons. New elements such as building blocks confounded people who were used to dealing with simple templates. He noted that Smart Tags, which most of us missed when introduced in Office 2003, are an under-appreciated feature. He then goes on to explain why they are useful (treating selected words as more than just characters, but words with a special meaning) and how to use them.
Debugging scripts is hard. The book keeps it simple, providing basic guidance instead of trying to turn a tech writer into a software engineer.
There were a few nits that I noticed, but nothing that diminishes the utility of this fine book.
This is a very useful book. I've already applied some of the material to documents that I maintain.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. I am not compensated for my reviews nor was my review influenced by the manner in which I received the book.
I've waited for a long time for a book such as this. It's very good. It delivers clear information about Word 2010 with writing that's fresh and human, as though you were being coached by a knowledgeable and helpful co-worker.
The premise is simple. Using the Office scripting interfaces, macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can get a lot of good work done quickly and more accurately. Delwood guides the reader through a series of common tasks often encountered by writers. At each point, you get just enough information to know what you're doing and how to do it.
Most technical writers avoid Word because, well, it can be messy (particularly if you've inherited someone else's Word files) and because it's not great for longer documents (more than 50 or so pages). Development teams and managers like Word because it's always around and they can edit the files when they want to (leading to the first problem). Given that more and more tech writers are working on short-term contracts where they have make sense of files that have been picked at by a half dozen authors, this book can be valuable resource in cleaning up cruft and bringing order to the sources.
Delwood is a fine writer with a reassuring voice. He introduces topics such as building blocks, Smart Tags, and macros with just the right balance of background and practical tips. There are plenty of good code examples throughout the book. Rather than having to retype everything, however, you can pick up the examples at the publisher's web site.
There were plenty of pleasing touches throughout the book, such as the use of "Hello, Word" in examples. made more poignant as we mourn the recent passing of C's, Dennis Ritchie.
The section on Find and Replace begins with "It may seem odd to consider Find and Replace as an automation technique." The examples then go on to show how you can bring back some order to a document with carefully targeted automation. Word is notorious for generating bloated HTML output. This small procedure is part of a larger effort to clean up that bloat and give you a more usable file.
Sub RemoveHTMLTags()
ReplacementText "<p*>", "<p>"
ReplacementText "<span*>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</span>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "<o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "Times New Roman", "Comic Sans MS"[1]
End Sub
[1]
Delwood brings out the quirks and inexplicable behaviors in Word. He explains how the changes from Word 95 to the 2007/2010 era really messed people up. The user interface changed, hiding familiar menu options in out-of-the-way ribbons. New elements such as building blocks confounded people who were used to dealing with simple templates. He noted that Smart Tags, which most of us missed when introduced in Office 2003, are an under-appreciated feature. He then goes on to explain why they are useful (treating selected words as more than just characters, but words with a special meaning) and how to use them.
Debugging scripts is hard. The book keeps it simple, providing basic guidance instead of trying to turn a tech writer into a software engineer.
There were a few nits that I noticed, but nothing that diminishes the utility of this fine book.
- The email address for comments is incorrect, likely the result of a duplicated paste that was overlooked by the editor.
- Most of the time, the examples are clear and easy to scan. In the section on Smart Tags, however, it gets confusing because the headings for each section and the example captions appear to run together after a while.
This is a very useful book. I've already applied some of the material to documents that I maintain.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. I am not compensated for my reviews nor was my review influenced by the manner in which I received the book.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How do you like them apples?
We're nearing the end of the apple season here in central New England.
It used to last longer, until early November. Orchard owners would spray the apples with Alar (daminozide) to ensure consistent ripening; a related effect was that ripening was delayed. About 20 years ago, however, the EPA banned Alar as a suspected carcinogen. As a result, many varieties of Macintosh lineage began to ripen as much as a month earlier. The Macs, Macoun, Empire, and Cortland apples not only come in earlier but don't stay crisp as long, becoming something like Styrofoam soaked in apple juice.
According to the New England Apple Growers Association, about 40 varieties of apples are grown locally. The Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA has a 101 varieties grafted onto the original Cortland tree.
You wouldn't know there were so many locally-grown types by going to a local market or even a farm stand. In a manner similar to bookstores and record shops, there are bins and bags of the standard apples and few, if any, of the others. Last week, while I was in Harvard Square, I bought a bag of Roxbury Russets at the farmer's market in front of the Charles Hotel. I've found no russet apples of any kind at any of the nearby markets.
All proclaimed they were selling locally-grown products and all had the same types of apples - the Mac-based breeds plus Granny Smiths and the sweet ones (everyone's new favorite Honey Crisp, Fuji, Braeburn, and red and green Delicious). It may seem like a lot, but the Mac clan taste about the same after a couple of days away from the tree and the sweet ones, while staying crisp, are too sweet.
I even tried a few out-of-the-way stores, such as the new Wegmans, Atkins Farm in Amherst, and Whole Foods in Hadley. Same selections. But, each store offered sushi. No Northern Spy, but you can get sashimi.
It used to last longer, until early November. Orchard owners would spray the apples with Alar (daminozide) to ensure consistent ripening; a related effect was that ripening was delayed. About 20 years ago, however, the EPA banned Alar as a suspected carcinogen. As a result, many varieties of Macintosh lineage began to ripen as much as a month earlier. The Macs, Macoun, Empire, and Cortland apples not only come in earlier but don't stay crisp as long, becoming something like Styrofoam soaked in apple juice.
According to the New England Apple Growers Association, about 40 varieties of apples are grown locally. The Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA has a 101 varieties grafted onto the original Cortland tree.
You wouldn't know there were so many locally-grown types by going to a local market or even a farm stand. In a manner similar to bookstores and record shops, there are bins and bags of the standard apples and few, if any, of the others. Last week, while I was in Harvard Square, I bought a bag of Roxbury Russets at the farmer's market in front of the Charles Hotel. I've found no russet apples of any kind at any of the nearby markets.
All proclaimed they were selling locally-grown products and all had the same types of apples - the Mac-based breeds plus Granny Smiths and the sweet ones (everyone's new favorite Honey Crisp, Fuji, Braeburn, and red and green Delicious). It may seem like a lot, but the Mac clan taste about the same after a couple of days away from the tree and the sweet ones, while staying crisp, are too sweet.
I even tried a few out-of-the-way stores, such as the new Wegmans, Atkins Farm in Amherst, and Whole Foods in Hadley. Same selections. But, each store offered sushi. No Northern Spy, but you can get sashimi.
For your safe listening pleasure
Remember back in the 90s when Second Lady Tipper Gore campaigned to have CDs labeled with warnings about explicit lyrics? The fear was that music would make people do what they wouldn't otherwise do. Frank Zappa testified against such, saying, "I wrote a song about dental floss but did anyone's teeth get cleaner?"
Well, here we go again with the need for warnings. This time, though, it's for music that might put you to sleep. A UK group, Marconi Union, has produced what's been described as most relaxing song ever'.
We've been cautioned not to listen the tune while driving or walking or anyplace where gravity or machinery could harm us.
No word on what had been the previously most relaxing song.
If you're in a safe place, you can listen to the music here.
If you're really in a mood to live dangerously, you could also try to listen to the Funniest Joke in The World.
Well, here we go again with the need for warnings. This time, though, it's for music that might put you to sleep. A UK group, Marconi Union, has produced what's been described as most relaxing song ever'.
Studies found Weightless was 11 per cent more relaxing than any other song and even made many of the women 'drowsy' in the lab.
via Most relaxing song made by UK band Boffins | Mail Online
We've been cautioned not to listen the tune while driving or walking or anyplace where gravity or machinery could harm us.
No word on what had been the previously most relaxing song.
If you're in a safe place, you can listen to the music here.
If you're really in a mood to live dangerously, you could also try to listen to the Funniest Joke in The World.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Stop and Shop becomes more about stop
While the excitement around Wegmans in Northborogh is reaching orgasmic levels, (one early visitor remarked “I lived in Ithaca for five years and fell in love with Wegmans."), our local mainstay, Stop & Shop is trying to be one of the cool kids. 
They've got an app.
The app is along the lines of the Scan It reader that you see when you enter the store, except slower and less convenient.
Download the app to your phone. Note that there's no QR code that would let you load the app directly from the display board. Also, you can't use the WiFi in the store until you have the app installed. So, if you can get a phone signal when standing near the deli, you can download the app.
Scan your Stop & Shop card which registers your app and lets you connect to the WiFi so it can load all the crazy deals, like $.25 off of dozen eggs.
Finally, go buy stuff, meaning that, after you've made your choice, you stand in the aisle and scan your purchases using your phone. Click. Put the thing in your bag. Click. Put the thing in your bag. And so on.
When you get to the checkout, hold the phone up to the card by the register, scan it with the app, and your order is loaded into the register. Tell the big screen that you are ready to finish and pay with your credit card. C
lick the small screen to tell it again that you want to use your credit card, sign illegibly in the little window, wait until they print coupons for deodorant and mouthwash (because somehow they know that you need those hygiene items, even if you've didn't buy those products this time), and leave with your food and with your, and I'm not making this up, plastic case so you can carry your Pop-Tarts® in safety.
It's great to be an American, isn't it?
They've got an app.The app is along the lines of the Scan It reader that you see when you enter the store, except slower and less convenient.
Download the app to your phone. Note that there's no QR code that would let you load the app directly from the display board. Also, you can't use the WiFi in the store until you have the app installed. So, if you can get a phone signal when standing near the deli, you can download the app.
Scan your Stop & Shop card which registers your app and lets you connect to the WiFi so it can load all the crazy deals, like $.25 off of dozen eggs.
Finally, go buy stuff, meaning that, after you've made your choice, you stand in the aisle and scan your purchases using your phone. Click. Put the thing in your bag. Click. Put the thing in your bag. And so on.
When you get to the checkout, hold the phone up to the card by the register, scan it with the app, and your order is loaded into the register. Tell the big screen that you are ready to finish and pay with your credit card. C
lick the small screen to tell it again that you want to use your credit card, sign illegibly in the little window, wait until they print coupons for deodorant and mouthwash (because somehow they know that you need those hygiene items, even if you've didn't buy those products this time), and leave with your food and with your, and I'm not making this up, plastic case so you can carry your Pop-Tarts® in safety.It's great to be an American, isn't it?
Notes on attention
It's generally assumed that we have shorter attention spans these days. The Internet and/or cellphones are often blamed. A generation ago, we blamed television and it's quick cuts and sensationalist themes. (I haven't timed things recently, but the old guidelines used to call for some video change every 10 seconds or less.)
Researchers have produced some interesting, but inconclusive data. This past Sunday's New York Times book review included reviews of recent titles that give us new literature on brain science. We know that something new is going on, but the specifics of each situation often overwhelm any general theories.
For the record, I started writing this at 11 this morning. I looked up the NYT link, read a couple of articles while doing so, met with three people from my WISE course for an hour and change, wrote a half sentence, went about the rest of the day, tried writing while watching tv, and, finally, after reading the first page of a Ken Auletta piece in The New Yorker, turned off the tv sound during some ads, and finished this post.
I could blame the Internet or any of the gadgets that control the pipes, but I read and wrote like this 50 years ago. Some of us showed up pre-wired, waiting for this stuff and these times.
Researchers have produced some interesting, but inconclusive data. This past Sunday's New York Times book review included reviews of recent titles that give us new literature on brain science. We know that something new is going on, but the specifics of each situation often overwhelm any general theories.
For the record, I started writing this at 11 this morning. I looked up the NYT link, read a couple of articles while doing so, met with three people from my WISE course for an hour and change, wrote a half sentence, went about the rest of the day, tried writing while watching tv, and, finally, after reading the first page of a Ken Auletta piece in The New Yorker, turned off the tv sound during some ads, and finished this post.
I could blame the Internet or any of the gadgets that control the pipes, but I read and wrote like this 50 years ago. Some of us showed up pre-wired, waiting for this stuff and these times.
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