Archive for April 2006

“Digital Web Magazine seeks a volunteer with mighty fortitude, a fearless heart and a sense of humor to take on the role of Managing Editor. Developing and executing a content strategy for DWM is central to the role. If you’ve got a love for the Web, a visionary mind and a facility for language, we want to hear from you. Please be sure to list all your relevant experience.”

This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who is interested in getting experience in this capacity while bringing something to the table. I’ve been editor with the magazine and it’s a high quality resource to have on any designer’s resume.

I’m editing an eBook that requires special formatting for every story. Naturally this was a good fit for a macro. The first macro did all the steps, but fumbled on the call outs. Better idea: create two macros with the second one covering the call outs. This worked like a charm… until I closed Word and opened it the next day. The macros and the buttons on the toolbar representing the macros were gone.

I tried again a few times, studying the properties and options closer each time to no avail. Went to Microsoft to search the knowledgebase and found a possible solution: Word does not save changes or you receive an error message in an Office program after you install Adobe Acrobat 7.0. Reading the title, it didn’t sound like the right thing, but further scanning revealed “When you change the workspace in Microsoft Word, the changes are not saved when you quit Word. These changes to the workspace include the following examples: You create a macro…”

Bingo. Let’s hope it works. I deleted the bad macro (the first one I created) that kept reloading every time and created the two macros and a button for each. Did a Save All and now it’s come up two days in a row. Adobe Acrobat 7 looks like the culprit for a few problems. Every time I run it, Adobe wants to download updates, but I’m not sure I should let it.

Update: It worked. All you need to do is “Save All” by pressing and holding the Shift key, then select File menu and click Save All.

Today is a very special day. It’s my baby’s third birthday. Happy birthday, little guy!

Steve Blow, a columnist with The Dallas Morning News, covered frequently most pronounced words and followed up with reader input [both articles might require free registration]. I take this stuff seriously and appreciate anyone who corrects me. Since I often don’t hear the exact pronunciation of words and learn most words by reading, I’ve gotten in habit of saying some words incorrectly. I try to rely on what I know about the root of the word (French, Greek, and so on), but I don’t always get it right.

One that I learned in speech therapy and now hate the word: asked. Many pronounce it axed instead of ask-t. That’s hard for me to do, so now I avoid tasked, masked, and all those nasty asked words. But just like I forget to be careful to watch my speech, I pop out one of these.

How about faux pas? It doesn’t sound anything like the animal that couldn’t catch the grapes. More like fo-paz. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pronounced forte as for-tay. Wrong. It’s fort as in my native city of Fort Worth. For-tay is the right way to say it when talking about a music chord played loudly. But I like for-tay better. It just has a nice tone to it.

For most of my childhood, I said hors d’oeuvre completely wrong and still can’t spell it in spite of being a strong speller. How did I say it? Oh boy… I guess you could use a good laugh: whores divores. The right way: or durvz. Hey, I took French and usually the last word is silent. There isn’t even an s in the word. I’ll take appetizers instead.

Irregardless is not only mangled, but it’s also not the right word. Just regardless. What words do you often hear incorrectly pronounced? What bugs you?

My biggest pet-peeve? Merle instead of Meryl (two-syllables-and-rhymes with Cheryl), which sounds like meh-rill. Heck, I’d rather be “Hey you” than “Merle.” No offense, Merles out there.

I’ve gotten so much mail from EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System — it must be an unwritten rule that everything government-named must be abbreviated — I worked in the federal government once upon a time), the IRS‘ (Internal Revenue Service) online payment service. Part of it is my fault and part of it is a usability problem.

Just now, I was trying to confirm the URL of the Web site and had the letters next to the keyboard. Either my vision has drastically changed in the few weeks since my last vision check up or the IRS has forgotten to add that bit of info to its letters.

The thick envelope also came with brochures and I’m guess Web address is there, but I already had copies and threw them away. Shouldn’t it be on the letterhead somewhere? The phone number shows up plenty.

When I first signed up for EFTPS, I used a different bank account than the one I need to use now. Following instructions on the Web site, I attempted to change the bank account number. The action prompted the system to send me a packet of information. I checked the site again later to see if it took the new bank account (as it said it would), no change.
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I’ve been swamped — not that it matters to you, but the situation makes it harder for me to take time to think about a topic and write it. I started a new gig a few weeks ago where I have to turn around a story within hours of assignment. Because of relay phone calls, the assignment takes longer for me to complete. I haven’t had much luck in the last two assignments.

Last Friday, I did a lousy job of writing a clear and structured story. The topic covered geology and every approach I took to explain the scientific aspects failed. Yesterday, the editor assigned a fascinating story. I talked to three people. One responded, the other two didn’t and I followed up with them. The others I tried to interview weren’t reachable even though I left phone messages and emails.

I’m confident I’m doing all the right things, but don’t have good results to show for it. The work is fun and I’ve learned a lot of new things in the world of science and technology.
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Finally. It took one month, 46 email messages, and two visits to the store to resolve a problem with my Sidekick II. The solution wasn’t complicated, but I can’t honestly say it would’ve worked had I not got a new SIM card.

SMS (short message service) had not been working for months, but I didn’t notice because I rarely sent SMS messages. A friend of mine tried to send me one when we were meeting, but I never got it. I tried sending her a test message and it never went through. So I sent one to Paul who also has a Sidekick II with the same service and it timed out.

I used to get an SMS with the question of the day and that’s what clued me in that I had not received one for months. I thought I had unsubscribed to the service, but it started coming back as soon as SMS worked again.

I emailed T-Mobile about the problem as I figured we could solve it by email and save a trip to the store. The techs (I worked with multiple techs) had me do different things like check the network, manually scan the network, and change the phone number to the service. Nothing worked.

The emails were annoying. Every single one started with major sucking up and yadda yadda about commitment to resolving my problem and how they valued me. I’ve copied and pasted some phrases so you can see they’re overdoing it especially when almost every one of those 46 emails had the same sickeningly sweet phrase.

So they suggested I go to the store and test the SIM card. The store I went to couldn’t do that, so the staff replaced the SIM card and said it would take up to 24 hours to kick in.

Two days passed… I went out of town… came back and almost a week passed and it was not working. I started emailing the service again and it was taking too long to resolve, so I went to the store on Monday. The SIM card number was incorrectly entered into the system. When the staff tried to correct the number, the system refused to take it.

Out with the new and in with another new SIM card. The Sidekick II worked immediately. Still no SMS, though. Everything else was working again. So it was back to square one when all this started. I exchanged a few emails with the techs and finally, we resolved it by deselecting one of the options.

The question of the day started arriving again. I sent SMSes without any problems. Huzzah! 46 emails and one month to break the device, get it working, and fix the original problem.

It must’ve been a bad month for our family as my daughter stupidly dropped her Sidekick II into the sink full of water. Paul’s new Sidekick II carrier (that I bought in my first store visit since his old one was torn) lost its button within a couple of days (he got a replacement yesterday).

The emails with the sugary messages with my comments between each email so you know how much they wrote in one email:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to assist you with your issue. We understand that you are having issues with your text messaging. We can see how this can be very frustrating but we can help.

[Meryl here, OK that's the first one and it's fine...]

I understand from your e-mail that you have been unable to receive text messages on your Sidekick II. I know how important it is to ensure you have access to all of the features on your device and to further assist you with your request, I have transferred your issue to our Technical Care group. You should receive a response within 24 hours and thank you for your patience.

[Transfer... there were quite a few transfer messages, but at least they acknowledged the reply]

We do appreciate that you took the time out of your busy schedule to write us in regards to not being able to send and receive text messaging from your Sidekick. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, we can definitely help you.

We know that it can be frustrating when you are busy and you are unable to reach your valued contacts, friends and family by text messaging. We know that previous technical representatives have provided you a number of troubleshooting steps. Unfortunately, the problem is still there. We thank you for your patience.

You are a valued customer and we want you to know that T-Mobile appreciates your business.

[By now, I'm getting tired of these...]

I would be more than happy to assist you today however I am unqualified to assist you with your technical needs. To better assist you with your question, we have transferred your issue to our Technical Care group. You should receive a response within 24 to 72 hours. Again I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

[Another transfer...]

Thank you for your patience, and for taking the time to contact T-Mobile about your text messaging problem. It’s a nice phone and we are sorry that you have had to write about this, it can often be quite frustrating. We are more than pleased to assist you.

We have done some work on the server here for you on your message queue. If you are still unable to send a text message to yourself, there are some things we need to know so that we can sort this out.

We appreciate the time you too to write to us for assistance with your text messages. We will assist you to get your messaging working properly, with your assistance and kind reply to this message. You are a valued customer and we are happy we could be of assistance. Keep in mind that we are here to answer any questions or concerns 24 hours a day 7 days a week for your convenience.

[Notice they're getting longer as my problem continued unsolved? I'll stop here as you get the idea.]

Wristwatches Get the Back of the Hand says that more people are skipping the wristwatches and relying on handheld devices for the time. Why am I posting this in Bionic Ear Blog? I stopped wearing a watch because of my cochlear implant.

??????

I understand the confusion. Because of the implant, I got a medical bracelet that says my name, that I have a cochlear implant, not to do an MRI, and I read lips. I wear it on my watch-wearing wrist. When I tried it on my left wrist, it was making too much noise and bothered me when I wrote. I be a southpaw, indeedy. [ Read more... ]

Time for the next MWTR Blog Tour stop is with author Rachel Hamman of Bye-Bye Boardroom: Confessions from a New Breed of Stay-at-home Moms. The book is written in diary format, provides insights into the hearts and minds of almost 30 women who left the comfort of corner offices for the chaotic and most challenging positions of their lives — becoming full-time, stay-at-home moms.

She’s not your ordinary soccer mom. She has been named one of the “Most Remarkable Women” by Barbara Walter’s ABC show, The View. Rachel has been featured in Glamour magazine for her philanthropic advances and has also been recognized for her ongoing community endeavors by being tapped as one of the “Eckerd 100 Outstanding National Volunteers.”

I interviewed Rachel Hamman who shows that an unpublished writer can get there with a little networking and persistence.

How did you get started in writing?

I wrote poetry as a teenager and didn’t start writing again until 1 1/2
years ago. (Proving it’s never too late to start again!)

How did you come up with the idea for the book?

The idea for the book was taking a page out of my real life. (They do say
that truth is stranger than fiction!) After I started on the concept, I then
decided that it would be more interesting to include other short stories
from other Moms, like myself, who decided to trade in their corner office
for carpool duty.

How did you find and select contributors?

The contributors came from a variety of sources. Some were friends and some
were friends of friends. I posted request for story submissions on a few
separate mom-based websites, as well as taking out an ad in the back of
Parenting Magazine. Word of mouth proved to be the most successful method.

I am actually taking story submissions for my next book, Mortified Mommies. The stories I am seeking are ones where your ordinarily cherubic child did or said something to embarrass you. If you have ever been in the spot where your child made you laugh so hard you that you cried or he or she had you turning several shades of crimson, then no is your chance to get published! Visit my website: www.RachelHamman.com for more details.

How did you get recognized on The View?

Yes, I was on The View a few years back. I was nominated by my sister for “The Most Remarkable Woman” segment. They selected four women from across the country who had started different charitable organizations. They flew us to New York, took us to Bloomingdales to dress us for our appearance on the show. The charity received a $5,000 grant and I received a weekend with no children!

Did you have an agent before publishing your first book? If so, how did you select the person and why did you decide to have one?

I did not have an agent for the book, but it was not for lack of trying. I
had approached several agents with the idea for the book, and was given a
polite “Thank you, but no thank you” form letter. About the same time, a
friend of mine in the publishing industry gave my partial manuscript to
Capital Books and they loved the idea. So, it was a case of having friends
who happened to be pulling for me!

Thank you, Rachel!

I went to my parents’ in Fort Worth last Wednesday and returned yesterday. I took my laptop and a couple of books that I’m working on for getAbstract. None of them got used or read. My parents don’t have a wireless network and I forgot my USB drive, so I couldn’t get files to my laptop.

Sure, I could’ve connected my laptop to the network by taking the cable out of Mom’s computer and putting into mine. But someone in the family was almost always on the Internet. My daughter chatting and playing with MySpace, my son doing puzzles, Mom taking a break and playing games, and siblings checking work stuff.

Who wants to fool with a cable when all this is going on? I never planned to take a complete vacation from work, but that’s what happened. At least, I kept up with my emails so I didn’t fall behind there. Otherwise, I’d be a stress ball. I think a lot of people took it easy for the long weekend beginning with Good Friday, which kept email more manageable.
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Author Judith E. Glaser has helped numerous organizations large and small to change and deal with challenges. She tells stories about real organizations and managers and how they worked through their challenges. While the stories provide a learning tool, changing organizational beliefs and attitudes isn’t quick and easy. Therefore, Glaser — even with her background — can’t provide fast solutions to convert an organization from I to WE.

Instead, the author shows the difference between I-thinking and WE-thinking and provides tools for leaders to use while working toward WE-thinking and changing the organization’s culture. It takes time, patience, and practice to make a change.

Judith E. Glaser’s life turned upside down when she fought and won a battle with cancer. Her husband, president of a pharmaceutical company working on a cure for cancer, worked with the idea of reminding cells how to be normal, which in turn makes them healthy. Her battle, her work, and her husband’s work led her to discover that cancer cells and toxic organizations have much in common. “Healthy cells” and “healthy organizations” succeed when they work together as a whole instead of separately.

Creating We consists of three elements for changing organizations from I-thinking to WE-thinking. “Believing WE” is about changing attitudes and beliefs in organizations and how employees should behave. “Learning WE” is about getting rid of old beliefs like the manager is in charge and that employees shouldn’t speak up and adapting a healthy exchange of ideas between managers and employees. “Becoming WE” means changing the thinking and responding from I to WE.

The book provides many questions for managers to ask and explore as they go through their “I to WE” journey. Don’t expect a speedy and painless adventure as the book covers a lot of material. Adopting “WE” means changing your way of thinking, conversing, and behaving. Companies that transform their cultures from “I” to “WE” experience side effects of innovation, cooperation, open conversations, and overall good health.

Executives and managers who study and reference the book’s concepts, questions, and adopt the “WE-centric” thinking and philosophy will help their companies get the most out of every employee and enjoy success.

Title: Creating We: Change I-Thinking to WE-Thinking and Build a Healthy, Thriving Organization
Author: Judith E. Glaser
Publisher: Adams Media Corporation
ISBN: 159337268X
Date: April 2005
Format: Hard cover
Pages: 350
Cover Price: USD: $24.95 Amazon: $9.98