Empty slogans and wishful thinking
August 31, 2008
Empty slogans and wishful thinking
During the summer, UMKC unveiled a new ad campaign. One of the slogans was “100 ways to get a life.”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but, once “Welcome Week” is over, I find this statement to be misleading. I don’t have the slightest idea what goes on around here, not to mention any sort of way to “get a life” at 5100 Rockhill Road.
When bad things happen to good data
August 30, 2008
When bad things happen to good data
Hi, everyone. Before I begin my first post on the Alpha blog, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Janet Park, and I’m a long-time Alpha developer, with a focus on data.
After knowing Richard and the Alpha community for some time now, I’m thrilled to have been invited to take part in the blog. So here goes nothing …
As a developer, I’ve come across a lot of “dirty data” stories. So I thought you, dear readers, would like some data cleaning tips.
Step 1. A quick way to find dirty data is to first do a sort, and then an inverted sort, on each field you intend to use. Usually the crap (excuse my French) floats to the top or bottom.
Step 2. Page through in browse mode, and if the file is large, jump through the records in larger batches to see if you notice any pockets of weird data. It’ll jump out at you.
Step 3. Once you’ve identified obvious errors, look for patterns you can fix. For example, Excel likes to decapitate leading zeros in east coast zip codes. Alpha can easily reattach them with a global update. Write scripts to fix simple, recurring problems (i.e., “Jr.” in Last Name field = “Dear Mr. Jr:”).
Step 4. Run crosstabs on addresses and phone numbers to ferret out the phonies. You’d be surprised at how many people live at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., or have 555-555-5555 as a phone number.
Step 5. Have your data standardized, cleaned, and updated through a CASS-certified mail and National Change of Address System. This is the best way to begin a merge/purge for duplicate records, as it corrects and standardizes address info used in matching.
Step 6. If the data is really awful, go back to your source and ask for a new file. A transmission blip or zip creation error can render a file useless.
Step 7. If you regularly get lousy data from a particular source, think of it as an opportunity to build an Alpha Five front-end data entry system. Prevention is the best cure for bad data. Use field rules, lookup databases, masks, and validation expressions to keep bad data out and make it quick and easy to enter good data.
Stay tuned for more data management tips and tricks from me in future posts!
How to get the most out of QReportBuilder
We’ve had several inquiries about tutorials since introducing QReportBuilder. We have now scheduled a number of interactive online tutorials with a live instructor, Al Buchholz.
Al has years of experience in building custom reports for QuickBooks users, and is an expert with QReportBuilder. If you are interested in getting all you can from QRB, move quickly, as there are only two classes left. Sign up here.
Let’s talk about SaaS, baby
August 30, 2008
Let’s talk about SaaS, baby
Well, now we know SaaS is real, because Microsoft has finally given it the bear hug — verbally, at least. As usual, Microsoft is discovering what the rest of us have been working at for several years. That’s no criticism of them, but rather, an acknowledgement that the market is at the tipping point. That’s when Microsoft typically smells the revenue, and jumps in hell-bent for election.
Think of the GUI, the Web … and now, SaaS. This is good news for Alpha’s VAR partners, who have been building secure, on-demand database applications that solve myriad vertical requirements since we shipped Version 8 in 2007. And with Alpha Five Platinum, it’s only gotten easier.
If you’re in the Microsoft space, building on .Net, and would like to try what we believe is a more agile, higher productivity approach to building SaaS apps, give our latest baby a try. Download a free trial here.
Alpha introduces a new (better, faster, cheaper) licensing model
August 30, 2008
Alpha introduces a new (better, faster, cheaper) licensing model
Our licensing model evolved over many years. And as it did, so did its complexity.
We recently spent some time reworking our model. The goal: simplify it for developers, and make it more cost-competitive. The result is our new Alpha Five Version 9 Unlimited Distribution License.
For a flat fee of $999, developers can use Alpha Five to create as many applications for as many different customers as they’d like, without worrying about seats, license counts, contracts, and compliance.
Under the new Alpha Five v9 Unlimited Distribution License, once you’ve built your application in Alpha Five Platinum, you can:
- Distribute your applications freely, with no restrictions or royalties.
- Make an unlimited number of copies of your application, including trial or demo copies.
- Develop an unlimited number of applications (each with an unlimited number of copies).
- Work with .DBF or SQL servers (such as SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Postgres, Access, etc.).
- Use the included installer for building your own custom setup program.
- Restricts users from editing (and possibly breaking) your application.
- Allow users to create and edit their own reports, labels, and letters.
- Create your own custom splash screen that appears when the software loads.
The Unlimited Distribution License does require that you first develop your application using a copy of Alpha Five v9 Platinum Edition. But if you already have Alpha Five v9 Standard, you can upgrade to v9 Platinum without having to modify any code.
For more information on how you can take advantage of our new licensing deal, hit our Web site, contact our sales team at 781-229-4500 ext. 1, or write to us.
A peek at Alpha and Postgres Plus
Enterprise DB’s Bob Zurek and our own Selwyn Rabins put together a webinar yesterday that demonstrates Alpha Five being used against a Postgres database. As you can see, Alpha can be used for browsers, forms, reports, Web apps, and even AJAX apps. Take a look and let us know what you think. Hope you find it helpful.
Program Beasiswa Diploma I Akamigas Cepu
August 30, 2008
Program Beasiswa Diploma I Akamigas Cepu
PENGUMUMAN
Program Beasiswa Pendidikan Diploma I Siap Kerja Untuk Tenaga Kerja Bidang Migas
Kementerian Negara BUMN memfasilitasi putra terbaik bangsa Indonesia untuk dididik Diploma I dengan beasiswa di PTK Akamigas – Sekolah Tinggi Energi Dan Mineral (STEM), Cepu, Jawa Tengah menjadi tenaga kerja siap pakai.
I. Persyaratan dan Ketentuan Administrasi
a. Pendidikan Akhir: SMK/STM (Jurusan Listrik Arus Kuat/Arus Lemah, Kimia, Mesin, Las,
Instrumentasi, Industri).
b. Tahun Kelulusan TA 2005/2006 s.d TA 2007/2008.
c. Laki-laki, Usia Maksimum 24 tahun (Pada bulan Agustus 2008)
d. Status Belum Menikah (melampirkan foto fopy KTP yang masih berlaku)
e. Nilai UAN :- Bahasa Inggris: Minimal 70 dan -Matematika : Minimal 70
f. Melampirkan Foto Copy Ijasah Terakhir atau Foto Copy SKHU untuk lulusan tahun ajaran
2007/2008 (legalisir)
g. Melampirkan Surat Ijin Orang Tua atau Wali (Asli)
h. Melampirkan Surat Keterangan Catatan Kepolisian (SKCK) dari POLRI (Asli/Legalisir)
i. Melampirkan Foto Copy Nilai Rapor dua Semester Terakhir (Legalisir)
j. Rapor Asli, Ijasah Asli/SKHU untuk lulusan tahun ajaran 2007/2008, KTP Asli dibawa pada
saat Tes.
k. Melampirkan Surat Keterangan Tidak Mampu dari Kelurahan/Kepala Desa setempat.
II. Membuat lamaran pendaftaran dengan format seperti di bawah ini
(dapat diketik atau ditulis tangan):
NAMA :…………………………………………… …………………………………….
JENIS KELAMIN :……………….
PENDIDIKAN SMK/STM JURUSAN :……………………………………………LULUS TAHUN…………………..
TEMPAT/TANGGAL LAHIR/USIA :…………………………./………………………../………….………………….
ALAMAT :
…………………………………………………… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……
..
KOTA : ………… ……… ……. PROPINSI : ………… ….. KODE
POS : ………… ..
No.TELEPON/HP…………………..
RAYON TES (lingkari nomor rayon terdekat yang dipilih):……………..
1.BANDA ACEH, 2. MEDAN, 3. PALEMBANG, 4.PADANG, 5. DUMAI 6.JAKARTA,
7. BANDUNG, 8.CILACAP, 9. CEPU, 10.BALIKPAPAN, 11.BONTANG, 12.
MAKASAR, 13. JAYAPURA, 14.SORONG.
NILAI UAN : – BAHASA INGGRIS :…… – MATEMATIKA :…..
BERSEDIA MENGIKUTI DAN TUNDUK PADA PERATURAN YANG BERLAKU DALAM
PROGRAM INI
III. Lulus seleksi administrasi
IV. Lulus tes mata pelajaran: Matematika, Fisika dan Bahasa Inggris
V. Lulus wawancara dan lulus tes kesehatan (Berbadan sehat dan tidak
cacat fisik, bebas narkoba dan miras, tidak buta warna dan tidak
berkaca mata/soft lens atau alat bantu lain).
VI. Biaya: 1. Pendaftaran tidak dipungut biaya apapun, 2. Biaya
transportasi dan akomodasi selama tes ditanggung oleh peserta, 3.
Bagi peserta yang diterima, biaya transportasi dari tempat asal ke
Cepu akan mendapat penggantian sesuai ketentuan yang berlaku. 4.
Biaya pendidikan dari beasiswa Program Kemitraan dan Bina Lingkungan
(PKBL) PT. Pertamina (Persero) dan PT. PGN (Persero) Tbk.
VII. Formulir isian dimasukkan ke dalam amplop coklat tertutup ukuran
folio.
VIII. Pendaftaran ditujukan kepada:
Panitia Penerimaan Mahasiswa P2B II, PTK Akamigas – STEM.
Kotak Pos No. 7, Cepu, Jawa Tengah Kode Pos 58315
IX. Pendaftaran dimulai Tanggal 21 Juli 2008 dan selambat-lambatnya
berkas diterima panitia tanggal 1 Agustus 2008.
X. Pendidikan menggunakan sistem gugur.
XI. Panitia tidak menerima pendaftaran secara Langsung
XII. Keputusan panitia tidak dapat diganggu gugat dan tidak diadakan
surat menyurat.
XIII. Pengumuman peserta yang lolos seleksi administrasi dapat
dilihat di website www.bumn.go. id, www.akamigas- stem.esdm. go.id,
www.diklat.esdm. go.id, www.esdm.go. id pada tanggal 7 Agustus 2008.
XIV. Informasi yang lebih jelas mengenai persyaratan dapat dilihat
pada alamat website diatas.
Cepu, Juli 2008
Panitia Penerimaan Mahasiswa P2B II PTK Akamigas-STEM
WriteColor(sm): MultiColoring for HighLighting/Rating Text
Friends/
The Time Has Come To Open Our Eyes And Realize That The World Is A Carousel of Color
[http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/televisiontvthemelyrics-kidsshows/waltdisneyswonderfulworldofcolor.htm]
Here-WithIn-I-Offer-A-Proposal-That-I-Believe-ALL-Will-Recognize-As-The-Next-Logical-Step-In-How-We-Write-Read-Assess-Interpret-Text: The World-Is-No-Longer-Black-Or-White.
I Propose That All Give Serious Consideration To Writing-In-Color(s) , With Each Color Representing A Respective Level of Significance Within A Text.
The Visible Spectrum Would Be The Basis For The Relative Levels Of Significance Of Given Text WHERE
- Text of Least Importance Would Be Highlighted In RED;
- Text of Intermediate Importance Highlighted In GREEN;
- Text of Greatest Importance Highlighted in VIOLET, and
- Text of In-Between Importance Highlighted in Appropriate Colors: ORANGE, BLUE, INDIGO
Initially, TEXT would be COLORED at the PARAGRAPH LEVEL By The Author(s).
Adjoining OR Disjunct Sections of Text Could Have The SAME COLOR.
Upon Publication, The Reader Would Have The Ability To ReCOLOR The TEXT ToReflect His/Her View On The Relative Significant Of Text In His/Her Opinion And/Or Relative To A Particular Purpose.
I also envision a feature by which The Reader would be able to colorlight individual terms and/or phrases.
The Higher The Color, The More Significant The Text.
Any AND All Reactions To This Proposal Are Strongly Encouraged By Posting A Comment On This Entry.
BTW: Don’t Even Think of Patenting This Idea – My Lawyers Are Bigger Than Yours [:-)
/Gerry
WriteColor(sm): Where Color is Primary(sm)
Purple Rules(sm)
German Olympic Playboy Cover Girls
August 30, 2008
German Olympic Playboy Cover Girls
Four German Olympians to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have graced the cover of Playb*y Magazine t*p less. The German Olympic Playb*y cover girls appeared in four alternative covers of the Playb*y magazine.
- Katharina Scholz
- Petra Niemann
- Romy Tarangul
- Nicole Reinhardt
Win or lose in the Beijing Olympic Games these Olympic Athletes from Germany are already making names for themselves as athletes and as models.
These sexy Olympians from Germany are hot, almost without clothes in their photos Their sexy pictures cannot be posted here. You need to get your own copy of the Magazine for only a dollar. Get it here.
Fear, eBay and Jack Canfield
August 30, 2008
I read the following Jack Canfield article this morning. It’s a good general piece, but it’s also particularly useful for new eBay sellers or even eBay veterans that need new ways to make money, test products, open new markets and innovate. Part of your job as an eBay seller is to be creative. Creativity requires boldness and a healthy approach to fears. The article offers useful strategies for moving past fear and/or using it to guide your decisions and creations. I especially like the “taking a 2-year-old to the market” analogy.
Putting Fear in Its Place
by Jack Canfield
As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.
Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there’s usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.
Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success.
There is simply no other way.
Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it’s telling you just the opposite!
Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.
Successful people also feel fear. Yet they don’t let it get in the way of anything they want to do–or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®.”
(Susan Jeffers has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource.)
You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.
Think of fear as a 2-year-old child who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you’ll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don’t let it keep you from doing important tasks.
Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in to our imaginations.
If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges.
Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don’t scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do, you will build your confidence and eventually you won’t feel fear surrounding those issues because you’ll have done them enough to count it as a skill.
As you move toward your goal, don’t attach yourself so much to the outcomes.
Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!
Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities.
If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!
For even MORE inspiration about overcoming your fears, you can learn from this Video Clip of Me on YouTube discussing some tactics you can use right away!
© 2008 Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
The Massachusetts Way – New York Times
August 30, 2008
The Massachusetts Way – New York Times The Massachusetts Way
Ontario Now
New York Times -
The pioneering Massachusetts program to provide health insurance for all citizens looks more and more successful with each passing month.
CAMPAIGN TARGETS INSURANCE FOR THE UNINSURED
Number of Uninsured Americans Drops
Gustav plows through Cayman Islands; 71 dead – The Associated Press Gustav plows through Cayman Islands; 71 dead
Los Angeles Times
The Associated Press -
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) – Hurricane Gustav plowed through the Cayman Islands toward Cuba, gathering strength on a journey that could take it to the US Gulf Coast as a fearsome Category-3 storm three years after Hurricane Katrina.
Video: Gulf Coast Begins Evacuations Ahead of Gustav
Duchovny in Rehab – New York Times Duchovny in Rehab
New York Times -
David Duchovny has entered a rehabilitation center for sex addiction, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Duchovny, who plays a sex-obsessed character on the Showtime show “Californication,” did so voluntarily, according to a statement on Thursday from …
Video: Showbiz Minute: Duchovny, Alba, Lohan
Andy Roddick celebrates birthday with Open win over Ernests Gulbis – New York Daily News Andy Roddick celebrates birthday with Open win over Ernests Gulbis
Seattle Post Intelligencer
New York Daily News -
BY WAYNE COFFEY Andy Roddick began his night smashing rackets, and ended it by pumping fists. The emotional turnabout was achieved with a stirring second-round comeback at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the late-night revelers witnessed an after-hour …
Roddick battles back to reach third round
Roddick overcomes disastrous start to get by Gulbis
Explosion rocks Sri Lanka capital Colombo, 35 wounded – Washington Post
August 30, 2008
Explosion rocks Sri Lanka capital Colombo, 35 wounded – Washington Post
Resize COLOMBO (Reuters) – At least 35 people were wounded when a bomb exploded in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo’s commercial area on Saturday, the military and doctors said. “There had been an explosion in Fort, no details as the military is rushing to the scene,” Military spokesman Brigadier
Kuznetsova loses at US Open; Federer, Jankovic win – International Herald Tribune
NEW YORK : Title contenders Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic won Friday to reach the third round of the U.S. Open, while the big upset of the day was again reserved for the women’s draw. Federer, in his first grand-slam tournament since being dethroned from his long-held No. 1 ranking, swept past
BusinessWeek pops some smart questions
August 30, 2008
BusinessWeek pops some smart questions
Karen Klein covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues for BusinessWeek. She rang me up to talk about the FTC’s recently updated CAN-SPAM regs.
Why interview me on CAN-SPAM? It’s simple, really. We have to be up to speed on all aspects of CAN-SPAM, because our AlphaMailer product (built in Alpha Five, ‘natch) is used by legitimate e-marketers to manage massive e-mail marketing campaigns.
My conversation with Karen is now posted as a podcast on the BusinessWeek Web site. If you tune in, I think you’ll find some good insight into CAN-SPAM and e-mail marketing in general.
