Spent the morning day-trading. Could have a $3,000 day before it's over.
It's amazing how smart you look when the market is up 122 points.
I also spent the morning trying to get spybot to work on my main machine. I upgraded to the current version, but it still hangs up. When I try to use the taskmanager, it shows that taskmanager is using 100% of the cpu processing power. Wierd. Then everything hangs up.
About Me
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
Grades Are Out
My son, a high school sophmore, has run up against one of those teachers.
The school has a system that sends out very detailed grade reports at the push of a button.
His Spanish teacher sent out a mid-term grade report that showed a score of 103%, including extra credit items.
She sent out no reports until the final grade.
He got a B+! His average was 87%. His final exam score was 85% and counted as 10% of the grade. The report stated that he had no missing assignments. Ergo, he must have had an average score of about 60% for the second half of the semester. For him, this is very, very unlikely.
He wants to handle the negotiations himself. This kind of thing has happened with this teacher before and he was able to get things turned around.
Part of the problem is that the teacher is barely computer literate. She also has about 400 students, so she is always way behind in grading papers. She does not know how to handle grading on the curve on the computer, which takes come skill.
This will be interesting.
The school has a system that sends out very detailed grade reports at the push of a button.
His Spanish teacher sent out a mid-term grade report that showed a score of 103%, including extra credit items.
She sent out no reports until the final grade.
He got a B+! His average was 87%. His final exam score was 85% and counted as 10% of the grade. The report stated that he had no missing assignments. Ergo, he must have had an average score of about 60% for the second half of the semester. For him, this is very, very unlikely.
He wants to handle the negotiations himself. This kind of thing has happened with this teacher before and he was able to get things turned around.
Part of the problem is that the teacher is barely computer literate. She also has about 400 students, so she is always way behind in grading papers. She does not know how to handle grading on the curve on the computer, which takes come skill.
This will be interesting.
Changes?
I wonder where the titles went.
They now only appear on the index.
I rechecked my settings.
It must be part of the template.
They now only appear on the index.
I rechecked my settings.
It must be part of the template.
First Snow of the Year
We finally got the first snow of the year. It was only 1"-2" inches overnight and was gone by 1 p.m.
We actually got some flurries on Saturday. The first grader across the street was sitting on the front steps in full snow gear (including goggles) holding his sled. He wanted to use it sooo much, but the snow was not sticking.
He actually did get to use it this morning.
The snow was, of course, beautiful. Large flakes and no wind. It hung on the trees and left an eerie feeling.
We actually got some flurries on Saturday. The first grader across the street was sitting on the front steps in full snow gear (including goggles) holding his sled. He wanted to use it sooo much, but the snow was not sticking.
He actually did get to use it this morning.
The snow was, of course, beautiful. Large flakes and no wind. It hung on the trees and left an eerie feeling.
Neat Weather Site
Here is the National Weather Service forecast for Cedar Rapids, IA.
This is the way forecasts ought to be presented.
This is the way forecasts ought to be presented.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Interesting Questions
If you throw a cat out of the car window, does it become kitty litter?
If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?
Is it OK to use the AM radio after noon?
What do chickens think we taste like?
What do people in China call their good plates?
What do you call a male ladybug?
What hair color do they put on the driver's license of a bald man?
When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink and drive?
Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Why are there Interstates in Hawaii?
Why are there flotation devices in the seats of planes instead of parachutes?
Why are cigarettes sold at gas stations where smoking is prohibited?
Have you ever imagined a world without hypothetical situations?
How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?
If the 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why does it have locks on the door?
Why is a bra singular and panties plural?
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes?
Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?
If a firefighter fights fire and a crime fighter fights crime, what does a freedom fighter fight?
If they squeeze olives to get olive oil, how do they get baby oil?
If a cow laughs, does milk come out of her nose?
If you are driving at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens?
Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of a drive up ATM?
Why is it that when you transport something by car it is called shipment, but when you transport something by ship it's called cargo?
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
What would Geronimo say if he jumped out of an airplane?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?
Is it OK to use the AM radio after noon?
What do chickens think we taste like?
What do people in China call their good plates?
What do you call a male ladybug?
What hair color do they put on the driver's license of a bald man?
When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink and drive?
Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Why are there Interstates in Hawaii?
Why are there flotation devices in the seats of planes instead of parachutes?
Why are cigarettes sold at gas stations where smoking is prohibited?
Have you ever imagined a world without hypothetical situations?
How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?
If the 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why does it have locks on the door?
Why is a bra singular and panties plural?
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes?
Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?
If a firefighter fights fire and a crime fighter fights crime, what does a freedom fighter fight?
If they squeeze olives to get olive oil, how do they get baby oil?
If a cow laughs, does milk come out of her nose?
If you are driving at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens?
Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of a drive up ATM?
Why is it that when you transport something by car it is called shipment, but when you transport something by ship it's called cargo?
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
What would Geronimo say if he jumped out of an airplane?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Monday, May 03, 2004
I have Retired!
Yeah! I officially retired on Saturday, but with terminal leave and just leaving, I haven't worked since the end of February.
See my retirement journal for details.
See my retirement journal for details.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Allow Me to Rant
A couple of days into very month ,finance gives a "flash report" on sales. They then have a process that takes a couple of days to make changes and to provide a variance analysis.
The Pointy-Haired Boss, however, demands to see a detailed variance analysis based on the preliminary data...and see it instantly...and asks me instead of finance. This kills a whole day of my time AND a whole day of finance time AND creates a new set of numbers to variance from.
The Pointy-Haired Boss, however, demands to see a detailed variance analysis based on the preliminary data...and see it instantly...and asks me instead of finance. This kills a whole day of my time AND a whole day of finance time AND creates a new set of numbers to variance from.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
EMS MAGAZINE.com
EMS MAGAZINE.com: "The Write Stuff: Telling EMS Stories
By Brent Braunworth
A review of Brent Braunworth's book, Blood, Guts and Tears: True Stories of Courage, appeared in the June 2001 issue of EMS Magazine. In the following article, Brent shares some tips on how to get published.
One of my reasons for becoming a firefighter/paramedic, aside from saving lives and property, and helping people, was because of the great stories that could be told. Let's face it, every one of us in our business has been at a party or some social gathering and had some regular Joe ask, 'Hey, were you on that call?' or, perhaps, 'Have you ever been on a call like that?' And when we answer, what happens? All eyes are on us, and all ears are turned in our direction. Total silence, just like E.F. Hutton.
I look at writing as simply putting a 'good story' down on paper. Now, if you already have a 'good story,' so much so that when you tell the story people listen and seem interested, then I figure that's 95% of the battle of writing. Ask any newspaper reporter, and he or she will tell you that getting the story is the hard part, not writing it.
So, if you have a good story, what's next? Transferring it to paper. This article is about how I started.
There's no doubt I had a need to write (I wrote my first, still unpublished novel at age 14), but that doesn't mean that everyone has to sit in a dark, locked room, typing away and poring over manuscripts all night, night after night, to be a writer. Maybe you're interested in trying a short type of story and don't know how to get started. What I did was get some adventure-style books and stories similar to what I thought I might like to write. Back then, I read a lot of Joseph Wambaugh, figuring the police genre was similar to a firefighter's. Af"
By Brent Braunworth
A review of Brent Braunworth's book, Blood, Guts and Tears: True Stories of Courage, appeared in the June 2001 issue of EMS Magazine. In the following article, Brent shares some tips on how to get published.
One of my reasons for becoming a firefighter/paramedic, aside from saving lives and property, and helping people, was because of the great stories that could be told. Let's face it, every one of us in our business has been at a party or some social gathering and had some regular Joe ask, 'Hey, were you on that call?' or, perhaps, 'Have you ever been on a call like that?' And when we answer, what happens? All eyes are on us, and all ears are turned in our direction. Total silence, just like E.F. Hutton.
I look at writing as simply putting a 'good story' down on paper. Now, if you already have a 'good story,' so much so that when you tell the story people listen and seem interested, then I figure that's 95% of the battle of writing. Ask any newspaper reporter, and he or she will tell you that getting the story is the hard part, not writing it.
So, if you have a good story, what's next? Transferring it to paper. This article is about how I started.
There's no doubt I had a need to write (I wrote my first, still unpublished novel at age 14), but that doesn't mean that everyone has to sit in a dark, locked room, typing away and poring over manuscripts all night, night after night, to be a writer. Maybe you're interested in trying a short type of story and don't know how to get started. What I did was get some adventure-style books and stories similar to what I thought I might like to write. Back then, I read a lot of Joseph Wambaugh, figuring the police genre was similar to a firefighter's. Af"
Hints to Turbocharge Your Manuscript
EMS MAGAZINE.com: "Hints to Turbocharge Your Manuscript
By Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP
1. Print it out and read it. (You can't get the flavor staring at the monitor.)
2. Read it out loud. This is a simple polishing tool for your manuscript.
3. Simplify…Simplify…Simplify.
4. Fine-tune your organization. Does the same subject show up in two or
three different places?
5. Add periods—make your sentences about 17–20 words long.
6. Cut the flab—anything that doesn't add to the ideas will take away from
your manuscript.
7. Advance the story. Every word should move you forward.
8. Be specific. You must use the right word for each concept—be ruthless!
9. Strengthen your verbs. Concrete nouns and verbs add action to your
writing.
10. Define your terms. Do you take for granted terms that your reader needs
to know?
11. Look for loose ends. Put yourself in the reader's shoes—poor planning
and organization will leave your reader hanging.
12. Convert negatives to positives.
13. Streamline sentences.
14. Eliminate expletives.
15. Scrutinize your paragraphs. Does each paragraph deal with one point or
idea?
16. Check your pronouns—does each noun agree with each pronoun?
17. Work your nouns and verbs—use the right noun so that you won't need
an adverb.
18. Check for parallel construction. Headings should be similar in
construction. Elements in a series should be alike.
19. Ferret out repetition. The same words should not be used too often or
too close together.
20. Go active. Passive voice will leave the reader bored.
21. Eliminate the prepositional phrase—use a separate sentence.
22. Delete clichés.
23. Get a second opinion. Have someone else"
By Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP
1. Print it out and read it. (You can't get the flavor staring at the monitor.)
2. Read it out loud. This is a simple polishing tool for your manuscript.
3. Simplify…Simplify…Simplify.
4. Fine-tune your organization. Does the same subject show up in two or
three different places?
5. Add periods—make your sentences about 17–20 words long.
6. Cut the flab—anything that doesn't add to the ideas will take away from
your manuscript.
7. Advance the story. Every word should move you forward.
8. Be specific. You must use the right word for each concept—be ruthless!
9. Strengthen your verbs. Concrete nouns and verbs add action to your
writing.
10. Define your terms. Do you take for granted terms that your reader needs
to know?
11. Look for loose ends. Put yourself in the reader's shoes—poor planning
and organization will leave your reader hanging.
12. Convert negatives to positives.
13. Streamline sentences.
14. Eliminate expletives.
15. Scrutinize your paragraphs. Does each paragraph deal with one point or
idea?
16. Check your pronouns—does each noun agree with each pronoun?
17. Work your nouns and verbs—use the right noun so that you won't need
an adverb.
18. Check for parallel construction. Headings should be similar in
construction. Elements in a series should be alike.
19. Ferret out repetition. The same words should not be used too often or
too close together.
20. Go active. Passive voice will leave the reader bored.
21. Eliminate the prepositional phrase—use a separate sentence.
22. Delete clichés.
23. Get a second opinion. Have someone else"
"Chuck's Writing Checklist for Nonfiction
EMS MAGAZINE.com: "Chuck's Writing Checklist for Nonfiction
By Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP
Planning?
Why did I consider this topic?
Did I analyze my audience?
Did I analyze the targeted journal/magazine's usual publications (if appropriate)?
What is the deadline? (How much other work do I have to do?)
Is there a special consideration, format, length or word count?
Should I use a particular style manual for this manuscript?
Did I select a logical method of organization such as chronology, importance or spatial order?
Did I shape the writing by finding the best way to organize the material?
Did I group similar ideas?
Did I reject nonessential ideas?
Did I select the proper tone?
Did I order ideas in a logical way?
Did I outline key points?
Do I have an introduction, body and summary?
Did I draft by writing my ideas in sentences and paragraphs?
Did I revise my draft and rethink my ideas?
Did I remove anything that is illogical?
Did I cut unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs?
Did I rewrite confusing passages?
Did I edit and proof my writing? (Really—you need to print it out and read it!)
Did I spell-check and physically reread for errors in spelling?
Did I check for grammatical errors?
Did I check for punctuation errors?
Did I check for capitalization errors?
Did I properly credit other peoples' thoughts and writing?
Did I have somebody else proofread my work?
Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP, is EMS Magazine's medical editorial consultant."
By Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP
Planning?
Why did I consider this topic?
Did I analyze my audience?
Did I analyze the targeted journal/magazine's usual publications (if appropriate)?
What is the deadline? (How much other work do I have to do?)
Is there a special consideration, format, length or word count?
Should I use a particular style manual for this manuscript?
Did I select a logical method of organization such as chronology, importance or spatial order?
Did I shape the writing by finding the best way to organize the material?
Did I group similar ideas?
Did I reject nonessential ideas?
Did I select the proper tone?
Did I order ideas in a logical way?
Did I outline key points?
Do I have an introduction, body and summary?
Did I draft by writing my ideas in sentences and paragraphs?
Did I revise my draft and rethink my ideas?
Did I remove anything that is illogical?
Did I cut unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs?
Did I rewrite confusing passages?
Did I edit and proof my writing? (Really—you need to print it out and read it!)
Did I spell-check and physically reread for errors in spelling?
Did I check for grammatical errors?
Did I check for punctuation errors?
Did I check for capitalization errors?
Did I properly credit other peoples' thoughts and writing?
Did I have somebody else proofread my work?
Charles E. Stewart, MD, FACEP, is EMS Magazine's medical editorial consultant."
Friday, September 19, 2003
Time to sell stock in your long distance carrier!
This will put long distance carriers out of business. It won't help the local carriers either.
Boston.com / Business / Technology / Software turns phone into walkie-talkie: "Software turns phone into walkie-talkie
By Jason Straziuso, Associated Press Writer, 9/18/2003"
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
How To Be A Successful Expert Witness
Landings: Hangar-Talk: The Phil Kolczynski Law Forum:
See the link for a great how-to article
Monday, September 15, 2003
Busy Month
It has been a busy month, strategic planning and the start of school. The first fills the workday and the second fills the off-hours.
My son, a new high school freshman, has an early bird class that starts at 7:00 AM, so he has to be there well before that time. Therefore, I am getting to work early myself. Since our daughter is in 5th grade, I can expect eight years of this.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Freaky Friday
I just took my wife and 10 year old daughter to see the movine Freaky Friday. Surprisingly, it is a very good movie. Both my wife and I were in tears near the end. It is sort of a vanilla plot; an old chinese sorceress (who works in the family chinese restaurant) causes a mother and a 15-year old daughter to switch bodies (mother's consciousness in the daughter's body and vice versa). Jamie Lee Curtis is the mother. Some teenager is the daughter.
Monday, August 04, 2003
New Blog!
I have started a blog to describe my transition from work to retirement.
It is located here ==> http://www.retirementjournal.blogspot.com/
Take a look! Come back often!
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest
This can be found at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/calendar/
Monday, July 21, 2003
Creed [Rules] or a Personal Relationship?
Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person—our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause—He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself.
Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest"
Friday, July 11, 2003
Questions:
I am generally pro-Bush, there being no slightly viable alternative, but this is good:
US Attorney General John Ashcroft was visiting an elementary school. After 15 minutes speaking he says, 'I will now answer any questions you have.' Bobby stands up and says: 'I have four questions':
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to limit civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
Just then the bell goes and all the kids rushed out to play. Upon returning, Mr Ashcroft said: "I am sorry we were interrupted. I will answer any questions you have.'
A little girl called Julie stands up and says: 'I have six questions':
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to limit civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
5. Why did the bell ring twenty minutes early?
6. Where's Bobby
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