You're never too old

First Friday

2010-03-07T08:22:00.009-06:00

Those that live in Bryan/College Station are at least aware that First Fridays occur. Those that live outside this area may wonder about some of my tweets. As I seem to always mention being at "X" on First Friday. Those that follow my tweets will know the places I frequent.

From the TV of my youth, we saw places that had a downtown square, like Mayberry, where people met, walked and visited. And it's wonderful today to visit some of the smaller Hill Country towns that have maintained that downtown square. But the large cities had let their downtown go. Bryan was one of those cities that at some time in its past had a vibrant downtown area but as urban sprawl occurred the downtown area fell into disrepair.

Like many cities, there are always "mom and pop" businesses located downtown because of cheap rent, or even owning the building during better times. Starting several years ago the owner of the Frame Gallery, a downtown Bryan business, decided she needed to generate some buzz to make people aware of her store. She decided on the First Friday of the month she would stay open until 9:00 pm and offer free wine, snacks, art and music. Her husband is an accomplished drummer and had played with several local musicians so she had a great venue planned.

As she started to draw a crowd she convinced other downtown businesses to join in on the fun. She even joined with local artists and created an "Art Step" that now occurs three times a year where local artists use different stores to display their art normally with music and good camaraderie.

The city of Bryan began about the same time (or a little earlier) helping businesses to refurbish their businesses. The city also redid the main street making it more pedestrian friendly. This also encouraged more businesses to move into the "old downtown" area.

Our downtown has enjoyed a great revival. There are some excellent restaurants, a boutique hotel (Grandma and I just love to stay there!), many varied businesses, and nightclubs. I could go on and on about the businesses because they are the lifeblood of downtown but I would forget someone and feel bad. It is a great place to shop for that unique gift, enjoy a fantastic meal, or have a great glass of wine.

Bryan has done something that is to be proud of. It has revitalized its downtown area and on First Friday you have people parking their cars and walking the streets to have a relaxing time.

I am a baby boomer and as such we had already abandoned the downtown concept by the time I was old enough to be out and visiting. So it is not a reliving of my past but a past of America that was almost forgotten. I will not miss a First Friday and, in fact, have made downtown a destination area for anytime I'm out and need a meal, a unique gift, or just to feel a part of an earlier America.

What you learn.

2009-06-30T07:18:00.001-05:00

When I was in high school I decided to take typing, mainly because the class was predominantly girls and I was a teenage boy. I enjoyed the class and earned a passing grade. Since that time I have attended numerous seminars, obtained two college degrees and learned a lot of ways to do things. But it still amazes me how much I use that old typing class.

I went into the army in 1970 I met with the "counselor" I asked him what my scores indicated my army career was going to be. His response "Oh, you can just about do anything you want." Prior to that I was working in radio as an announcer (loved the job, hated the pay) and asked if they had something like that. He searched and found "radio telephone operator" which we decided was what I needed. After I finished basic training I was surprised to learn that a "RTO" was the guy wandering through the jungle with the radio on his back (this was at the apex of Vietnam). I quickly volunteered to take on the Radio Teletype Operator training, at least there you were in a truck and had metal sides between you and hostiles, and you weren't at "the front line". I worked hard and excelled at the school, kicking my typing speed to an all-time school record.

I was assigned to a tank battalion and spent a most of the time at the motor pool and working on the communication trucks before I was offered the company clerk job because of my typing speed. This was great, I worked in an office and got to hear what was going on before the rest of the "grunts". Typing definitely got me through my two year hitch in the army. When I left the army my first job was operating teletype for the local Ford dealer - they were "state-of-the-art" in parts inventory and I spent a large part of the day entering parts numbers.

I went back to college (god bless the g.i. bill) and finished my undergraduate degree. Out of college I went to work for a major oil company that encouraged involvement with local professional organizations. I volunteered for editor of the newsletter, based on my typing, some journalism, and a publication I helped edit as an undergraduate. I had a ball and discovered Apple Computers! Spend a few years looking for oil and editing guidebooks before the bottom dropped out of the oil industry. I went back to school and finished my master's and tried my hand at teaching. Again loved teaching but hated the politics (pay was so - so). I was looking for a job/career and wondered into a local copy shop. The fact that I had bought a mac to complete my thesis, had typing skills and was willing to work cheap landed me in desktop publishing. We started out with a couple of Macintosh Classic and a couple to part-time students and have grown to 4 Mac Pros, a couple of Mac Books and a couple of Mac Book Pros and a staff hovering around a dozen offering full service design. It's been fun to learn and it also gives me a chance to teach as I train new students every year in the art of desktop publishing.

It's interesting that a typing class I took back in high school has stayed with me through my entire life and has contributed to a full life with lots of fun. You never know when you learn something how you're going to use it. Sometimes it's just great to learn and see where it takes you.

Full Bleeds in printing

2009-06-26T07:17:00.000-05:00

Words that strike fear in my heart: "Please cut to a full bleed". My first thought is, "Please let it be an InDesign fully-packaged file" because then I can make sure the bleed will cut correctly by a little editing. Generally it's not, if I'm having a good day it's a pdf and if it's been a tough day it's two M$ Word files (or every once in a while an Excel file).

I don't really want to get into the desktop publishing thoughts right now, that's been addressed before. Today we're talking about bleeds and how to design for them. I understand the desire to have the ink run to the edge of the paper, whether it's a photo or a solid color or just lines, it adds an attractiveness to the brochure. For today's discussion let's assume a double-sided, full-color, tri-folded brochure. The following still applies to postcards, one-page flyers or any bleed that you want, but double-sided, tri-fold adds another level of front to back registration that will look bad when trimmed incorrectly.

If you're making one copy for a proof prior to printing, or for a class project it's not too difficult to hand cut to an edge or a point. When you're printing several copies the entire stack is cut with a large blade that is hydraulically powered. Normally we can cut 300 sheets of paper at a time, if we're working on gloss paper, we will cut 100 - 125 at a time, if you're doing 1000 flyers that's a lot of cutting. The paper will shift ever so slightly as we cut, the ones on the top are sliding forward so you get a slight shifting toward the bottom of the stack. If the bleed is designed correctly this is not a problem, but if it's an edge, such as a photo abutting white, you will see a small white line on some of the prints. A bleeds goes pass the edge of the final paper so as the shift occurs the top and the bottom print will look exactly the same even if there's a slight difference in size.

If you have space a full .25 inch pass the edge is best, we can get by with .125 inch but it can be tricky. Also if you have text, don't run it to the edge, unless you mean for it to be cut, leave a little room for the blade to fit and the margins to look good.

I know this sounds like a complaint, but actually it's a case of wanting the final product to look right. Most time without prior planning it doesn't because of that small bleed. The time to talk to your printer about your design and how the final is going to look is on the front end, not after the entire thing has been designed and left no room for error.

How to handle a upset customer.

2009-01-29T07:37:00.006-06:00

I began working with the public when I got out of the army in the early 70s. I was in auto parts sales which helped put me through college (along with the GI bill - god bless uncle sam). When I entered the corporate world I swore I would never go back to retail. During the downturn of the oil industry in the late 80s I decided I wanted a change and knew it would involve computers, the path led back to retail and I jumped in with both feet.

I have attended several seminars, read many books, and sifted through numerous newsletters on customer service, and most were helpful. I have arrived at a list of ways to handle a disgruntled customer, I don't claim it's original but rather a compilation plus personal experience. I recently was slighted by a local company over a minor infraction and I've been thinking about it and thought of how I would want to be treated.

The first rule is ASK - most customers will not complain to you. They simply pay their bill and go complain to anyone who will listen. "I'll never go back there". Each customer should be asked - "How was your experience?" It can be as they're paying out or via a survey (hoping they will return the card) or at anytime during the experience you come in contact with them (my favorite). It can be as simple as "Is everything going okay?"

The second part is LISTEN. What is the customer saying, not only verbally but non-verbally? If they take the time to complain, then it made an impression on them and if you listen they will appreciate the gesture of concern. Remember that listening requires you keep your mouth closed and your attention completely focused on them.

APOLOGIZE, even if the customer is wrong. Be sincere, if you are apologizing for a misunderstanding, say, "We misunderstood what you needed and we're sorry for that". If you are wrong be sure to state, "We were wrong and we will correct it."

Then ASK again, "What will it take to correct this?" Sometimes, it may mean a discount (or free job), it may mean redoing the job, or just maybe, nothing needs to be one. When I complained I explained nothing needed to be done, it was a complaint to make the manager aware that a problem existed and should be addressed for future business. After my complaint the owner said to take the job at no charge; that's not what I wanted, I really wanted an apology and the promise it wouldn't happen again. The owner's attitude was stand offish and unapologetic and he gave me the job which in all likelihood will cost him my future business. Giving the job away isn't always the best answer. I also believe it teaches people to complain about any little thing in hopes of a free or heavily discounted job.

Listen to your customers and they will make you a better business. Award good customers with better service. Punish bad customers by doing the best job possible and not giving them a reason to complain.

Call your Mother

2008-11-27T14:47:00.003-06:00

Today is Thanksgiving day and I've been somewhat pensive. My lovely bride and I are at home alone as the offspring have other commitments, we have a lovely dinner planned for tonight and will be having turkey on Saturday so it's okay. But here's some of my thinking today.

I am so thankful for the 40 years I have been married to Brenda, she is a saint and I don't know any man that could be happier. She brought two lovely children into the world who have given us great happiness, not the least of which is our grandchildren.

My father died a little over 15 years ago, at what I thought was much too young an age, he died at the same age as his father which was in 1965 at the age of 69. When my grandfather died I thought he was ancient, when my father died I thought he was young. As I prepare to enter my 6th decade on this planet it is amazing how you look at age. It is a truism that youth is wasted on the young and experience comes from more than years. But having children is hereditary, if your parents didn't have any, you won't either.

My mother lives about 500 miles from me, I moved several years ago and enjoy the area of Texas where I now reside. I don't get to see her as much as I should, I try to go see her every other year. This year I made that drive twice, but not for good reasons. My mother does not have a computer and at 80 I don't suspect she will. It would be nice to send her photos of the grandkids and an occasion note but she is technologically challenged and I doubt she will ever read any of my blogs.

I do call her almost every weekend. Something I started doing because of my father-in-law. He used to call his mother every weekend and she died at 93 counting on his calls every weekend. He taught me a lesson by example. I have heard from my siblings that my mother looks forward to my calls and tells them not to bother her on Sunday morning at 9 as I will call. It's not easy talking to an 80 year old woman that doesn't have the same interests that I do, but she is my mother and cares very much about me, as I do about her, so we get through the hour.

It is important as you go through life to remember where you came from and how you got there and it's important to thank them that brought ya. Call your mother, go visit as much as you can. An email is always great and I know she loves the photos, but your voice means a lot to her. BTW this also applies to your dad. He is also wanting to hear from you. Remember you take your son fishing to give him memories, you take your dad fishing to give you memories.

4 Keys to Success

2008-10-15T17:04:00.005-05:00

I attended a seminar today hosted by our local chapter of IABC. It was facilitated by Ritch Davidson and was about having fun at work. Ritch works for Playfair, a California-based company that is dedicated to helping college students and businesses to succeed and have fun while doing it.

It was probably one of the best such seminars I have attended and I thank whoever brought it to our town, but that's not what today's posting is about.

I have attended many such seminars, taking copious notes and making promises of applying the principles. I generally stick the notebook on the shelf and if lucky a few months later go back and look at my notes to see if there's anything of value there. Sometimes it works, but I have found that you should expect to come away with one good idea that you may be able to put into daily usage. I expected pretty much the same today.

After getting started Ritch said something that caused me to put down my pen, listen and know that I had found one perfect example that I can apply everyday of my life, and hopefully teach others its importance.

He started with "Let me give you the 4 keys to success". Up until this point most of the information had been in the way of an introduction and the attendees had been taking notes hoping to find something there later. As he started, each poised their pen ready for the words of wisdom that would help them enjoy their jobs and be successful.

He started very softy:

"Row, Row, Row your boat"

"Gently, down the stream"

"Merrily, Merrily, Merrily"

"Life is but a dream"

He then said "Let me explain"

The first line says work, but even more importantly, not just row your boat, but row, row, row so you should work hard.

The second line says go with the flow, don't stress, take it gently.

The third line, says have fun and using the triple inference, have lots of fun.

The fourth line is the one that could be open to a bit more interpretation, if you don't do these things, life could be a nightmare or a gentle dream. But I believe most of my dreams are about things I do and I love, so therefore I feel that it means life is what you put into it.

I will be doing more research into fun at work and the Playfair company and you should expect to see more in the future.

As I have stated here before, it may not be original but I like it. It will be easy to remember and I'll keep that nursery rhyme in my mind as the stress starts to mount.

Oh and by the way, I also got some great ideas on how to have fun at work.

Family Time

2008-09-24T15:44:00.004-05:00

My brother passed away last week at really much too young an age; but he hadn't taken care of himself. He led a full, rough life that he throughly enjoyed and did it "his way".

My thoughts today are not on his death and life but about my family who came in from all over the United States to pay their respects and love. It was great to see my remaining brother and sisters and the in-laws plus nieces and nephews. It was like a large family reunion.

It was a difficult time for everyone until the service on Saturday, afterwards my mom's church supplied lunch for all of us and then my baby brother had everyone to his house. We have a background of Irish Catholic, so it was a type of good ol' Irish wake. Much alcohol was consumed (almost as much as my aunts and uncles did when my grandmother passed away) and great stories and memories were shared by all.

On the drive home my lovely wife and I were discussing trying to arrange some type of annual reunion instead of waiting for a catastrophic event to occur. We observed that when you try to plan a reunion there is always a conflict somewhere, or it's too hot/cold at that time. There always seems to be some type of excuses.

I heard through my son that the "cousins" have decided that they will not wait that long to get together again.

I encourage them - set a date, let everyone know and those that don't make it will miss a great time.

Because it shouldn't take someone dying to remind us how precious life is and how much we need each other.

Words to live by

2008-09-08T07:08:00.003-05:00

You know that time between being asleep and the alarm going off? That time when you are somewhat aware but really are comfortable and could go back to sleep easily. It was that time this morning when an thought came to me:

Perfection is not in the words you use, but rather in the work you do.

It isn't exactly original, I've read similar type thoughts but it seemed to be my own. If anyone has read this before let me know, it's not intended to be plagiarized, but I still like the thought.

OK - I'll admit it

2008-08-11T21:18:00.005-05:00

Well I didn't know it but I have fully consumed the Apple Kool-Aid.

I just got the 3G iphone and OMG I love it!

I got a Verizon network Q a couple of years ago and I ended up taking it off of the internet. It was costing me more than I thought was reasonable and I couldn't control when it was signing on and using my minutes. Got a couple of bills over $200 and every time I talked to Verizon I got a different story. So I ended up with a "brick" of a smart phone.

Recently my daughter-in-law got her a 3G iphone - and I was immediately blown away. It didn't take a week before my son had one also. My lovely wife said "You need one of those" and being a loving husband I didn't want to disagree.

I don't use it to the full advantage - I have 3G turned off - unless I need a full broadband access. I have WiFi at home and at work, I have a comfortable Edge network, so why did I go to the new phone? It's because it's there if I need it. It is blazing fast, my hometown has a 3G network (even if somewhat spotty) and most places I travel will have it. So if I need quick data connection it's there.

But more than that the interface is so intuitive - texting is no longer getting pissed because window's mobile sent my messages while I was typing. I know the 3G has it's bugs, I downloaded the update as quick as I could, but until you have lived with the crap that passes as smart phones you don't know how easy the OS for the iPhone really is.

So I'm thinking that when Apple says "This is what you need" I think I'll just have to get it.

Customer Service is where you find it

2008-07-07T07:13:00.003-05:00

Took the grandsons to our local IHOP Sunday morning. When we decided to go the oldest quipped "Well, we'll have to wait 45 minutes". I told him if he wanted IHOP pancakes we'd just have to wait.

Got to our IHOP which is well over 20 years old, at 10:30 and was told we had a 20 - 25 minute wait, we took a seat by the door. The lady and gentleman checking people in stayed constantly busy. They had more people adding their name to the list (some leaving when they heard how long the wait was), people checking to see how much longer they had to wait, and they were constantly checking with the waitresses on what tables were empty and how many people they could seat. During the entire time they never seemed upset and were very efficient.

After about 23 minutes our name was called and we were ushered into the back room to a large table. After a minute or two a young lady by the name of Janette appeared at our table to take our drink order. She quickly returned with coffee and juice for all, then taking our breakfast order. We were close to the kitchen area and could see the food being set out by the cooks. The top of the shelf was loaded with plates waiting to be carried to the table.

When our youngest ordered his "New York Cheesecake Pancakes" he immediately was ready to eat. We pointed out the plates being served and warned him we had a long wait before our breakfast would be served.

I really don't know how much time passed but it seemed less than 10 minutes our food was placed before us. It was excellent and Janette returned three times to be sure we had all we needed, refilling our coffee carafe, and generally just being nice. Returning with the check as we were finishing.

We were finished and out by 11:45, pleased with our food and the wait we had. We also noticed the lines were forming for the next onslaught of customers. The staff at IHOP, from the people who greet you at the door and seated you, to the waitresses who served, to the young man who bussed the table were all pleasant and efficient. And the kitchen staff supported them with excellent food on the table. It's a pleasure to spend your money at a local business and to come away know that you had just witnessed excellent customer service.

Rain part 2

2008-06-30T07:11:00.003-05:00

Well, the storms hit about 4 this morning, spectacular lightning and thunder. We received almost 1/2 inch of rain! Still some light rain in the area so may get a little more.

Definitely worth washing your truck! Wonder why that works?

Rain

2008-06-29T18:36:00.001-05:00

Just got back from washing the truck - trying to bust the no rain bubble. Hasn't rained for the last 21 days - threatens almost every day and then goes around/drys up.

Worth $5 if I can get it to rain!

Brand Recognition

2008-06-25T07:10:00.007-05:00

Read this yesterday about FedEx changing the name of Kinkos to Office. Kinko's was founded in 1970 by Paul Orfalea in his garage making class notes for the University of California at Santa Barbara. Expansion followed to other university towns continuing to make class notes as they grew. The model was perfect for the time, 24 hour shops manned by college students and serving college students. Many a student has spent a sleepless night printing, collating and binding their final report just in time for class.

Being in the copy industry, Kinko's was one of our biggest competitors and helped us develop our model of customer service. One of my favorite sayings during orientation was "Anyone can make you a copy, but we provide a service and solve problems". This philosophy was developed because it made it us different than the Kinko's, Print 'n' Copy and other copy stores in a university town. We're celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and have seen a lot of stores come and go.

But I hate to see Kinko's changing like it is. FedEx has a model in mind that discards the student base that built the company. When the purchased occurred in 2004 I was anticipating they would be combining Kinko's name recognition in the copy industry and FedEx shipping capabilities, really defining print on demand anywhere in the US. But FedEx headed for smaller, corporate centered stores that were "Your office away from the office" concept.

They are continuing with the concept but changing the name from FedEx Kinko's to FedEx Office. What I find interesting is the discarding of the brand name Kinko's. The name had built itself over the last 38 years to become synonymous with copying. Nearly everyone has been in a strange town and if they needed a copy started looking for a Kinko's. I assumed that FedEx bought Kinko's because of the brand recognition, but after only four years they have determined the brand did not get them what they wanted, so are quickly discarding it.

I don't know what the future holds for the printing industry, Lord knows I've seen quite a change in my short 15 years in the industry, but to toss out a well known brand that took over 30 years to build seems a little short-sighted to me. I expect the FedEx Office store will start disappearing from the smaller university towns and relocating to the large cities to service the corporate client.

Coupons and Vacation

2008-06-16T10:23:00.003-05:00

A quick tip - when traveling (or spending money at home?) go to the internet and look for coupons. We just finished our trip to Corpus, before we left we planned our daily outings. Went to the Chamber of Commerce site and started searching for each of the places we were visiting. Each of them had coupons for $1 off for admission - included adults and kids. We saved somewhere in the vicinity of $20 for admissions. The internet is a wondrous place!

Restocking fee

2008-06-10T07:23:00.004-05:00

Do you remember when it all started? During Super Bowl Weekend, it became common for some people to go purchase a new large screen TV to watch the big game, then return the "used" TV the next week for a full refund. Stores began to see a trend and decided because they had the added expense of reboxing, reinventory, and loss of revenue for "open box discount" they needed to charge a restocking fee (normally 15%).

I received an email earlier this week from an friend who purchased something of higher than normal price from Best Buy, paying cash, and then decided to upgrade to a different model. He had an interesting story which included a $45 restocking fee even tho' he wanted to increase his purchase on a newer model; additionally, the local store could not refund his money as it was over $200 and he would receive a check from corporate in 2 - 3 weeks. He was somewhat upset and felt if he had used a credit card he could have canceled the transaction and not been charged 15% and the credit would be immediately back in his account.

This week Apple unveiled the 3G iPhone, something that was anticipated. Additional news included AT&T increasing the monthly charges for data billing and a change from Apple's business model for the phone. What I found interesting is that if you purchased an iPhone since May 27 you could return it for a new one, with a new handset charge and a restocking fee.

I understand that stores have some expense in returned merchandise and consumers may take advantage of their pricing policy. I wonder why in this circumstance the customer is assumed to be "ripping off" the business, particularly when an upgrade is involved. It would seem there should be a waiver of the fee if an additional purchase is involved.

I doubt this will change but be aware anytime you're working with a "corporate" environment, policy outweighs customer satisfaction. First I would recommend shopping locally where possible (even for national brands), use a credit card for large purchases (cheap insurance if there is any problem) [btw - pay the account off when you get the bill, it's easier to get behind on credit card payments than you think], and be aware of fees that will be charged if you're unsatisfied with your purchase.

need a vacation

2008-06-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

Read one of those truisms the other day - no one needs a vacation nearly as bad as someone who has just finished one.

Miss the beach this morning!

One of life's lessons - a Murphy's Law Corollary

2008-06-08T12:51:00.002-05:00

Never place a can of shaving cream in your luggage without a cap - something will find the button (and the can will empty).

vacation

2008-06-05T17:22:00.006-05:00

Well, it's been some time since I've had something to say, or had time to say it.

I am on vacation in a motel room in New Braunfels Texas, watching my granddaughter watch TV and getting ready to head out for a "special" dinner. As I have mentioned we have four grandchildren, 3 boys and a girl. The oldest will be 14 in December and the youngest will be 10 in July, so they're nicely spaced with a year in between.

When the oldest was 8 we opted that on our summer one-week vacation we would take one with us. First we decided it would be nice to take them to a lake, teach them a little about fishing and driving a boat. In 2006 we completed the first round when the youngest turned eight and each year spent with them was a blast.

We wondered what to do next and decided that when they were 12, we would take them to one of our favorite destinations, Padre Island. This year it was the granddaughter's turn. We start with a ferry ride at aransas pass and then a ride down island to the el constante right on the beach.

We have an agenda but it is very loose and it's up to each grandchild to determine where we go and when we go. We make it a point to visit the texas state aquarium, the USS Lexington and the natural history museum. We try to teach them a little about history, both Texas and the US and some information about the natural world.

A lot of time is spent on the beach, looking for sea shells and playing in the surf. The real fun of the vacation is for us to watch the learning and playing processes that occur. We have gone to the island twice and have twice more to go, but the first thing we learned is they all have their special occasions. Last year, it was body surfing, this year it was playing in the pool. But they always enjoy the entire trip and learn a little in the process.

But for us it's the time spent with the grandchild individually and hopefully giving them memories for a lifetime. They have us!

what did you do today?

2008-01-22T19:02:00.000-06:00

I heard on the local radio that on this day in 1959 Fidel Castro was washed out of the baseball league in the US because of his wild pitching (he had beaned someone). Makes you wonder what would have happened if that pitching coach had seen a potential and decided to work with a young Fidel to become a National League pitcher.

What little thing do you do that may effect the world in years to come?

Grandkids

2008-01-11T07:04:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I have mentioned this but I have four grandkids, 3 boys and a girl. They are wonderful and give you a chance to relive a lot of times that you were too busy trying to make a living instead of enjoying your children. You should enjoy your children as they grow up, but I don't think anyone realizes how fleeting that time is.

Two of my grandsons live in the same town and come over every morning and have breakfast prior to going to school. It is always interesting to listen to them and wonder how their thought processes work.

This morning the younger one started stating random words, such as "icicle, chicken, orange" one right after another. His brother finally said "what?" and the younger looked at him and said "Haven't you played this game before? Now it's your turn." which completely confused everyone. He then explained the rules, you say random words, until someone says what, then it's their turn to say random words until someone else says "what."

It's interesting to see how their little minds work.

New Computers

2008-01-05T09:33:00.000-06:00

As I have mentioned before I work for a quick printer and we are basically a Mac shop. I do have a couple of lame PCs running XP that I print from M$ but the real work is done on Macs using mostly Adobe programs. I will write more about that later, but the reason for this post is the two new Mac Pros I just installed: 4 gigs of ram and duo 2.66 gig processors both running Leopard. I have been a little hesitant about going to Leopard. I need things to work, customers don't understand why my computers need rebooted, and ppds aren't working, so it needs to be seamless.

First let me say the new Mac Pros are an excitement to behold and have blazing speed, but I seem to think that with every new computer. Leopard does have some great new bells and whistles that make it fun, particularly spaces and stacks. Learning a bit about Quick Look and hope to take advantage of Time Machine ( looking at a Drobo (http://drobo.com/products_demo.aspx) right now. Will let you know if that happens.

The trick this time has been the combination of Intel and Leopard. Several of my printer drivers (especially Xerox production systems) require special drivers. The wide format printers (510 and 721P) don't have a PPD for the Macs (even tho Xerox's newest toy is the Access Printing system for OSX - they can't seem to decide if they are going to support it or not?). But after a couple of days of install and reinstall I think I have all machines talking.

I have been running an Intel laptop for a few months now, using Tiger. As I mentioned I was hesitant to jump to Leopard, but with these new machines and the upgrade to .1 I think it's about time to take advantage of Apple's latest offer.

who is the leader?

2007-12-26T21:32:00.002-06:00

I have attended a couple of seminars recently that stress the virtues of being a leader instead of a manager.

I believe everything (or almost everything) I have heard at these seminars. But they have me wondering if they were preaching to the choir about how to be a leader. The seminars focus on your treatment of your subordinates, fellow workers and customers as a leader, and make a great beatitude story.

But my question is: why do you want to be the leader, what were you doing that made you a leader and do you know why you are leading?

I think there have been more than enough allegory books written explaining how to be a leader and how to treat your employees. And it's no leap of faith to understand it will make you a better person and your people will listen to you. But that's where it always ends. What are the decision processes of a leader? What are the goals and objectives of a leader? Do you become a leader because you understand the mission statement/goals/objectives of the company, or do you become a leader because you're good at your job? We all know the Peter Principle and worked to be a good manager. That's not sufficient now, we must be leaders.

I think a seminar needs to be put together with the focus: "You've arrived, now what?" How do you convey the company objectives? How to keep people on task as you move them and hopefully your company forward? There are definite setbacks along the way, such as developing someone and their leaving for greener pastures. I know all the stories say the money is not the reason our employees stay, but it sure seems to be the reason they leave. How to deal with that gaping hole in your organizational structure would be a great seminar.

We're all human and have the penultimate bad day, so one subject should be how to apologize for being human. Maybe I can get some comments here and then I'll teach the seminar!

JPGs - not for printing!

2007-08-08T07:24:00.000-05:00

JPEGs (or .jpg) - everyone uses them, no one understands them. The name comes from the Joint Photographic Experts Group which came up with the standard for compression of photos. The compression methods is usually lossy compression (as opposed to lossless compression) which causes degradation of the photo. I know, every camera shoots jpgs and they look fine, but the lossy compression method is progressive and once gone can't be returned to its original state.

Good advice came from Suzanne Salvo, "when you download your photos from your camera, burn a cd of the files (never write on the cd with a sharpie) and file it away, take the photos on your computer and convert to psd files immediately".

I want to return to the statement that the method is progressive, what that really means is if you keep the file as a jpeg each time you open and save the file it recompresses it, causing more loss of data. So it may look fine when you start but can completely degrade over time. To the point it is no longer usable.

Print dpi - dots per inch. In the old days before quick printing, the measurement was in lpi or lines per inch and early versions of Photoshop allow you to set the lpi and the dpi was set for you. Now we all use the dpi, the question is what is enough? The trick is to balance a good output photo with a file that is easily managed. I used to have an equation that allowed you to take the output of the printer, ie 600 dpi and calculate the maximum dpi needed for your photo, but after all the calculations if you just divide by 2 you'll come really close. So if your output is at 600 dpi, the most you need is 300 dpi on your Photoshop image (at size of course).

I use a Xerox Docucolor 6060 color printer and it has beautiful output. I took a photo at 8 X 10 and set it at 200 dpi and printed - looked great, I then rescanned and printed it at 300 dpi, looked great. In fact it was hard to tell the difference without a loupe. The difference? The 200 dpi was 20 megs the 300 dpi was 45 megs - over twice the size with no gain in output. I think 200 dpi will work for most applications. BTW I also did the same on our HP 5500 inkjet poster printer, pretty much the same story - except you can take the dip down to 150 dpi with little change in the actual output.

My recommendation? Check with your local printer - see what they require and don't use jepgs!

This is scary

2007-08-03T06:55:00.000-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6929258.stm

With continued and expanded use of the internet for everything in our daily lives, security will be the next big thing.

ch

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

2007-07-20T07:12:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest things to happen is the personal computer and the advent of desktop publishing. One of the worse things to happen is the personal computer and desktop publishing.

I will be the first to admit that my education was not in desktop publishing but I do have a graduate degree which requires you to learn how to learn. (That could be a whole 'nother blog). When I decided to work in desktop publishing my credentials included several years of editing newsletters and guidebooks. I have been using a computer since my son convinced me it was a necessity in the early 80s. In the early 90s I decided on a career change and found someone willing to take a chance. In return for that I attended seminars and read voraciously. It has been fun and a continuing learning experience.

Being a person who lists observing people as one of his hobbies, it has been great to see the change in people over the last 15 years in computer usage. It amazes me that we have college freshmen who don't know what it is like to grow up without a computer at home, and very probably have never used an encyclopedia except at school when their teacher made them. I went from typing papers because students didn't have a computer in their doom, or the computer lab was foreign whereas now I print projects in full color for a 101 class where the student has placed careful thought, photos and fully formatted text. Seeing that change has been fun.

But there is small pain in the growth process. We still have people who don't understand how many fonts there are in the world, much less how many version of Times (or TNR) that are out there, and how a font substitution can reformat an entire document. I really do wish I had a nickel for every time I heard: "but that's not how it looked on my computer."

It is a truism that with the onset of desktop publishing there was a blossoming of newsletters. We had company newsletters, insurance newsletters, family newsletters, I even remember getting a newsletter on newsletters, if there was a group of people there was a newsletter. It is a great communication device and helps get information to the group. Normally this was the responsibility of the secretary or the cousin that had a computer, and a lot of these newsletters were made in word or publisher. I will go into a rant about microsoft one of these days but not now. The focus today is fonts and photos.

There is a difference between fonts and typefaces, but in the digital age that line has been blurred. If you're talking to an old style printer you will hear the word typeface instead of font. For our purposes we'll use the term font to mean both. Fonts can make a newsletter readable. In fact fonts can make a newsletter graphically exciting and emphasize your salient points. But more than two fonts should be used only when you know what the result will be. Too many fonts can confuse a reader and put them off of your message. Instead of using a new font for each idea, use a single font family then apply a style (italics, bold) to emphasize your point. Remember if you remain consistent with your style the reader will learn how to quickly glance at your newsletter and get the important information without reading your entire newsletter. I know you have fretted over every word and you want the reader to look at and understand each word, but in today's time-crunched world yours isn't the only newsletter on their desk and if you have a point you want them to get it. If you don't have a point, why are you writing a newsletter?

Another area of problem is the use of "cute or unique" fonts. There are graphic designers whose whole focus is on creating new fonts and some are quite talented. You can find a font that you really love and it can be a great attention getter. But you use it in all caps and write a whole paragraph of a curly cue font which no one can read, or will want to. And while you can find some really cool fonts for free on the internet the possibility that your print provider has that specific font is almost nil. So either be sure to collect for output, or save as a pdf. And if you're on a windows box remember that microsoft and adobe don't really like each other and the defaults in microsoft will need to changed. You want to include the fonts and you want a print quality output.

My original intention was to type this as comment on desktop publishing with the emphasis on fonts and jpegs but I seemed to have more to say about fonts than I originally thought. I will continue as a series on dtp with the next installment on the use of jpegs. I will begin that installment as soon as possible. This blogging takes more time than you think.

ch

Raising Children

2007-07-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in the last post about children and how they behave in public. I have witnessed young children that have wrecked havoc on a business, screaming, running and causing undo chaos. All the proprietor wants to do is get them out the door and restore calm to the business. Having raised two children that are responsible, contributory members of society, I think I am somewhat justified in offering my opinions.

First rule: We tried talking to our children - it doesn't work!

Children have a different view of the world, it is egocentric, their view doesn't include consequents and they haven't learned to reason. I don't mean not to talk to your child, you should take the time to explain the world to them; but trying to justify your actions and reason with a child is an exercise in futility. At some point in their life they will begin to reason and will begin to respect you, not only because you are their parent but also because you have gained the experience that age provides. Explaining how they should behave is lost on small children, which leads to the second rule.

Second rule: Punishment should fit the situation.

I have seen some parent go nuclear on a child and begin yelling and ordering them about for a minor infraction. I have seen a child that is definitely out of control with the mother first trying to ignore him and then trying to talk to him. Neither of them nor the spectators were enjoying the situation. It was time to go home! I do believe in corporal punishment but only when it is necessary. Time out is probably one of the best disciplines ever invented. Time to a child is eternity and sitting still behaving is just unbearable.

Third rule: Discipline must be immediate and absolute.

If you use the line "wait until I get you home" you have lost the advantage of teaching proper behavior. I see people constantly who are embarrassed by their children's behavior but try to get through the moment and choose to ignore their misbehaving children. Let me give you a hint, whatever you are doing is not near as important as raising that child. I believe that you if choose to have children, you want to add to the world and maybe leave it a better place. To that end if you don't work at it, then you've lost the purpose. Don't subject the people around you to an unwanted tantrum just because you think the child is tired or you're embarrassed. Modern society has stated you should not correct your children in public, okay we'll agree with that, so what do you do? Easy, leave the store, come back after the nap, take the child to the local soda shop and feed them, children rarely complain unless there is a reason, find out the reason in a quiet, "I"m in control" environment and solve the problem.

Final and most important rule: Love you child.

Take advantage of the fact that you have a young mind that you can meld and let them see the world as a wondrous thing. Enjoy their company, love playing with them, let your inner child come out, don't expect them to be adults but teach them to be responsible. In the words of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: "Teach Your Children Well"

ch

Nice People

2007-07-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

I have spent most of my adult life working in one city and living in another. Not a major commute, in fact most of the time now, you don't know when you leave Bryan and enter College Station. But I always chose where I wanted to buy a house and my job is just wherever it happens to be and the two didn't always agree.

The reason I bring this up is that the local government of both cities is very important to me, on different levels both professional and personal economics. I have voted in every major election since I turned 21 and pretty much in every local election. In fact in Odessa, I had a little extra time (during the oil bust) and worked as a election official. I believe it is your responsibility to vote and if you don't, then I don't want to hear your complaint about the way things are.

Anyway that's not what this post is about. College Station has a city council that is voted at-large, basically this means that all people in the city vote for each and every member of the council. Bryan has elections by member district. The city is divided into sections and a member of that district is elected by the people in that area.

Having worked for a quick printer I have met both the mayors of Bryan and College Station and each member of the College Station council. In Bryan I know our district member, visiting with her several times during the recent election. I feel that if I have issues I can approach them with any concerns. In Bryan, I also know our member at- large who I also met during the recent election. I met the mayor-pro tem and district 3 member Jason Bienski several years ago before he had aspiration of serving on the city council. He came into the shop where I work (Copy Corner ) and needed some flyers. I remember him and his children he had with him. Working in the public we get a chance to see a lot of children which can sometimes be very painful. But Jason was very nice and his children were extremely well behaved.

When you meet a politician, even local, you never know if they have an agenda and are being nice because they want your vote or if they are naturally nice. But I have seen a quote, that I believe originated by Dave Barry "A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter is not a nice person." This is at the heart of what a nice person is, I work in a retail business and customers are always right, but they are not always nice. The ones that are nice always get a little extra and with a bigger smile. You can get what you want by demanding it, but you can get what you need when you're nice.

Never too old

2007-07-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

After reading blogs for years, and thinking I should have said that I am going to jump into blogging. No idea what I'll talk about but hopefully not too many rants.
Those that know me, know that my son is the real wizard at this and hopefully he has taught me a few things about how and what to do.

I guess at some point I'll tell you more about myself, but right now I work as a manager of desktop publishing at a quickprinter in College Station, Texas (Home of Texas A&M Aggies). A lot of what I will post about will be the things I see people doing in this computer age that don't translate to print very well and probably a rant about jpegs, but that's for later.

I am in the process of helping plan my 40th high school reunion and that may be what prompted this - it just doesn't seem like 40 years !

I do have four grandkids and I'm sure I'll try to post about them periodically, but to be honest they're great kids and all I would be doing is bragging and that's not what I hoped for here.

Let me hear from you and maybe we'll start some communication.

ch