We don't need no stinkin' mouse

As I am sitting here individually copying every single class I have ever taken past high school into a centralized application system (which I should write about in full someday, if for nothing else than posterity of this annoying task), I am finding that I am lacking in knowledge in the Mac keyboard shortcut arena. I am, if I may say so myself, a fairly expert user of keyboard shortcuts in the PC realm. I scoff at the mouse at work. On our home computer (a Mac Mini, which I love outside of this keyboard shortcut thing) I am less savvy.

So I turned to our friend Google for some help, and was provided with any number of pages that gave me the help I need. The learning has begun.

I thought to myself, "self, you've created a handy keyboard shortcut one pager for your friends. It's just as good as any of the sites you've seen. Why do you keep it hiding on your computer, where no one can find and benefit from it?"

So, here you go. A listing of all the keyboard shortcuts for your PC life. Note that these should work in most Microsoft Office programs, and in some cases (like ctrl+P) they are fairly universal.

Nerdcore, beatches!

ctrl + A = Select all
ctrl + B = Bold
ctrl + C = Copy
ctrl + D = Change font
ctrl + E = Align center
ctrl + F = Find
ctrl + G = Go to (page)
ctrl + H = Find/replace
ctrl + I = Italics
ctrl + J = Align justified
ctrl + K = Insert hyperlink
ctrl + L = Align left
ctrl + M = Indent
ctrl + N = New file
ctrl + O = Open file
ctrl + P = Print
ctrl + Q = Reset paragraph
ctrl + R = Align right
ctrl + S = Save
ctrl + T = Hanging indent
ctrl + U = Underline
ctrl + V = Paste
ctrl + W = Close window
ctrl + X = Cut
ctrl + Y = Redo last action
ctrl + Z = Undo
shift + → = Highlight letter by letter right
shift + ← = Highlight letter by letter left
shift + up arrow = Highlight line by line up
shift + down arrow = Highlight line by line down
ctrl + shift + → = Highlight word by word to the right
ctrl + shift + ← = Highlight word by word to the left
ctrl + shift + up arrow = Highlight paragraph by paragraph up
ctrl + shift + down arrow = Highlight paragraph by paragraph down
ctrl + → = Jump word by word right
ctrl + ← = Jump word by word left
ctrl + up arrow = Jump paragraph up
ctrl + down arrow = Jump paragraph down
ctrl + home = To beginning of document
ctrl + end = To end of document
ctrl + enter = Page break
ctrl + pgdn = To bottom of page (or to next tab in Excel)
ctrl + pgup = To top of page (or to previous tab in Excel)
ctrl + del = Delete word by word
ctrl + backspace = Backspace word by word
F2 key = Rename file (in some programs and on the desktop)
F1 key = Help
F3 key = Find file (on desktop)
Shift + tab = Go back one tab (or field by field)
ctrl + [ = Decrease font size by 1 point
ctrl + ] = Increase font size by 1 point
ctrl + alt + del = Emergency exit, view task list to end stuck programs
alt + ← = Go back a page in Internet Explorer
alt + → = Go forward a page in Internet Explorer

Others:
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + M to check mail
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + N to create new message
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + enter to send message

Marching band - A way of life

I took a different route to work this morning, and on my way passed by a sight that took me back in time: the local high school marching band was practicing. They were in a local park next to a very busy road, giving them an ever changing, yet ever present audience to show off their evolving formations and semi-rehearsed songs.

All through middle and high school I was a bit of a band geek. I played (and still play, sort of) both the cornet and the trumpet. First the cornet, as that is what my brother played. Then the trumpet, as it turns out only my brother played the cornet.

Where I went to high school, marching band was a big deal. If you wanted to play in the regular band, you had to play in the marching band. As a result, we had just under 200 kids in the group, which in a school of 800 is significant. Our band leader was a traditionalist, favoring old standards (“Old Man River” comes to mind), rather than the more contemporary stuff (“Eye of the Tiger” comes to mind, as, after all, it was the late 80’s/early 90’s). And we always stayed in long straight lines, unless we broke off into lines of eight people to make circles. This was cause for lots of teenage angst, as we wanted to be the cool marching band (think “Drumline”), but we did what we were told.

What we lacked in panache we made up for in numbers.

I think I could still do some of the routines if pressed. I could certainly play several of the songs, along with our fight song and alma mater.

A highlight each year was going to the annual Marching Band Festival, held at Hofstra University. It was a total showcase of good, clean dorkiness, and we took it very seriously. Extra rehearsals (two a days!), extra practicing at home, lots of chatter in the cafeteria…

It was a televised event.

As the biggest band, we often went last, and we stormed the field each year with our time-honored entrance of running on to the field in precise steps, with eight steps equaling 10 yards. Each step was counted off in a mumbly way, except for when you hit each 10 yard line and the final stop, at which point you shouted.

If you can imagine, it sounded something like this:
“ONE two three four five six seven eight
TWO two three four five six seven eight
THREE two three four five six seven eight
FOUR two three four five six seven eight
DOWN!” (<-- = stand at attention)

The hometown crowd loved it. Man, those were heady days.

Oh – the uniform. As with any marching band, that was a critical component. Ours were a bit brutal – dark green wool pants, matching blazer, a thick vinyl overlay for the jacket with a big “H” across the chest. Plus, a stiff green and white top hat where the requisite tall plume was attached. And white gloves. It was head to toe boiling hot, particularly on Memorial Day, where we marched in the hot sun for hours.

I will say that the polar-ready uniform did come in handy in the winter months. For example, we played at a Jets game every few years (see where marching band can take you?) and I remember it being particularly frigid there. I am sure I had some sort of hot-coals-in-my-pocket contraption to keep my fingers from chipping off my hands.

I went to look up the uniforms to show you what I mean, but apparently they’ve changed it up a bit. Here is what they look like now. Lucky them.

I’ve been lazy with the blogging as of late. However, after a super fun dinner party last night, I’m reinspired to give it another go. Hats off to JordonCornblog for reminding me that they can be about anything, and they are fun to read.

Thing is, whenever I sit down to type an entry, I suddenly lose all the clever thoughts I have been thinking since I awoke. Any moment of the day could be blown out into a full entry… Some examples from this morning:

• On my way to work, I passed by Olympian Joanne Dow out for a workout. She is a speed walker who probably walks faster than most people run. She and I overlap with our standard routes, it seems. Although I am guessing she doesn’t notice me in the same way that I notice her. I’m just another silver Jetta, not an Olympic athlete.
• About three minutes after seeing what it takes to be an Olympian, a man on a Segway rolled on by. It isn’t uncommon to see these machines around here, as they were invented in our fair city. Still, they always strike me as sorta goofy. I kinda want one, but in the same way that I kinda want to walk Ari the Cat on a leash every day – that is, I think they are good ideas, but I’m not sure I want to be seen doing it in either case.
• We have some new security posters in the office. They have goofy sayings like “Loose Clicks Sink Ships” (with, of course, an image of a ship going down). You can see the full repertoire of posters here. A silly reminder that I work on the set of Office Space, complete with TPS reports. Yes, we really have TPS reports.

All this, and it’s only noon.

It's an eBay world

I recently purchased my mom's bithday present on eBay (link provided, as if you didn't already know it), and the feedback I received from the seller was both bizarre and fantastic. It read:

"You are a golden God, enveloped in a veil of excellence"

My most unique feedback to date, for sure. Should you ever need to describe me to someone else, feel free to use that as the descriptor.

I've been on eBay for a while. I warn you that the following paragraphs are evidence of this, and of the fact that I sometimes put a lot of thought into seemingly inane topics. I like to think of it as homegrown sociology, or general societal observation.

My relationship with the site is going on 8 years at this point. A friend mentioned it to me as she knew I was a collector of female action figures. If you've ever tried looking, you'd know that it is pretty hard to find good ones, and back in the 20th century (oh, those ancient times!) it was even more so. To add to the difficulty, I was - and still am - particular about what I would purchase. I didn't want silly girly looking figurines; they had to be girls that could kick your ass should they choose to do so. They also had to have a good level of craftsmanship. In other words, I was less interested in frilly cartoon characters, and more interested in comic book characters. Like She Spawn or other Todd McFarlane creations.

These "toys" are not easily found in stores. And when a store does get a shipment of them, the more fanatical collectors (think: those who keep them in their original box, or buy glass display cases) immediately buy all of the good ones and then resell for a small profit. Once eBay came around, I could tap into all of those fanatics and feed my harmless habit.

When I first hopped into the scene it still had that yard sale feel to it, where people would just sell whatever crap they had lying around the house. Plus, of course, the niche markets including my action figure category. While it never quite had the touchy feely community feel of craigslist, it still created a zone where you engaged in temporary relationships during a sale. Feedback was personal. I like to think that I still come in to it with the same level of personal service and kindness, although a few things have clearly changed.

For example, it used to be that a seller would provide feedback as soon as payment for an item was received. Before the days of PayPal, this meant checks or money orders. Real, live envelopes and stamps were employed. Little notes accompanied the payment, often acting as a pseudo thank you note. It was a buyer's market, and if someone came across what you posted and actually wanted it, you were stoked that someone was actually interested in your stuff. You made money, they saved money, champagne toasts all around.

These days, sellers generally do not provide feedback until after the buyer has done so. And prices on many items are approaching prices in brick and mortar establishments. This, to me, is evidence of eBay tipping more towards a sellers' market. As so much empasis is placed on feedback as a means of garnering a reputation, you want positive feedback in your profile. If you leave negative feedback for a seller, do you expect that they'd turn around and leave you positive feedback? Doubtful. Thus, neutral or negative feedback is discouraged, and with it an honest rating of the experience for transactions that took a bad turn.

That criticism aside, as eBay has grown to the behemoth it is today, there is a culture behind it that I still find pretty fascinating. The feedback mechanism, while partially flawed, does provide insight into a member's personality. All you have to do is click through the other items that they buy or sell, and you begin to form an interesting picture of who is on the other end of the screen.

I came across one of these interesting profiles when I was trying to help a friend sell an old printing press. It was a huge press, and thus required a very specific type of buyer. I had no idea there were so many collectors of old presses, letters, and other printing memorabilia. Hunting through members' feedback, I found one woman who was an avid collector of marbles. That's all she had purchased in the past few months (and many of them). Where would this press fit into her marble-filled home? Would she use the marbles to help roll the press into it's new space?

I have also done a lot of poking around for cars and motorcycles (mostly research in trying to help others sell their vehicles, although partially so I can have an imaginary ride on lots of bikes I can't afford). There is a whole market of small-scale resellers out there, buying and selling cars like they were sneakers. Seems like a lot of effort for minimal profit, but if it's your thing, who am I to judge?

The marbles lady I judged a little.

First of the (long) season

This morning I had the opportunity to attend a small house party for Hillary Clinton. This was her third stop on her NH trip, stopping first in Berlin, then Concord, then Manch. I think she has another engagement or two prior to leaving the Granite State. Reason #1 I will never run for President: the schedule.

I'm sure she started in Berlin due to the recent paper mill closings up there, and used this as a platform to speak to the point that new jobs that could be created if the government actively supported more environmentally sustainable industries. The crowd at this morning's event wasn't hard to convince...

She was better than I anticipated - less soundbite and more substance. Even her sense of humor was on (ex: "why we can't find the tallest man in Afghanistan is beyond me").

One of the ideas spoken about both in her introduction by our host and during her schpeal was the reminder that this country is not an inevitability, but rather a fortuitous set of events. history really is the outcome of one decision following another. That concept is so often lost in the debates. Before things get too negative along the campaign trail, I'm going to keep reminding of this notion, knowing that we are large enough to be resilient from even the worst of decisions. If we ever want to have friends across the globe, we'd better be!

Bananas for Traveling

I am in Florida for a meeting. Quick trip – less than a day total.

I am in another cube farm, in another city, in another company. Still, it has that same sterile feeling of hushed voices and white noise. I was borrowing someone’s desk for a minute, but then my colleague suggested I leave the otherwise vacant cube, as the actual occupant is “temperamental.” I am guessing that it is not the occupant but rather my colleague who is the strange one, given what I know of my coworker. Still, I followed my backpack as she dragged it out into the aisle, rolling out into the walkway. So here I am, sitting in the aisle, with free desks all around me.

The other highlight is that one of my coworkers said something about a Fee Estimator, and I thought he said Fiesta Meter. No one laughed.

I think that pretty much sums up the morning.

I got in around 9:30 last night. My first order of business was upgrading my rental car, as I was initially assigned a PT Cruiser. Oh, no. No, no, no. Je refuse! The $12 spent on getting into a Dodge Charger (whose front end looks as if it is growling at you) was the best $12 I’ve spent in a while.

My car was in parking slot 1, prompting the customer service rep to say, “that’s because you’re number 1!” Can’t blame the guy for trying.

It was late to think about dinner (this is not NYC, after all), but I was ravenous. I expected to pick something up at my layover in DC, but that plan was dashed when the flight out of Boston left an hour late. Something having to do with the plane not being able to start on its own accord, and needing a jump start. Terribly reassuring.

Anyways, the two restaurants I found were Waffle House and Wendy’s. WH seemed a bit heavy, so I hit the Wendy’s drive through, looking forward to a baked potato, bad TV, and bed. Sadly, no potatoes left. I got a salad that was ok, but not as good as my favorite Mesclun Hazelnut yumminess. That’s perhaps a high bar… Perhaps more accurate to say it wasn’t very satisfying. But it was food, and my belly was thankful.

Later on…

One hour meeting is over. Did I mention that I flew to Jacksonville for a one hour meeting? In a corporate way, it was well worth the trip. Good interaction, and with all due respect to the myriad ways we communicate, nothing beats face to face conversation.

I had to maintain a straight face when one of my colleagues consistently gave my boss credit for all the work I (and my team) have been doing. I would have preferred he stressed the team effort involved, as I think that makes an even stronger case, but he’s a bit old school and hierarchical in that way. Whatever – in the journey of picking battles, this is not one I’m going to fight. Bottom line is that I think the conversation will achieve what we hoped.

I am flying home now, on a Southwest airplane. That means I get to grab a copy of my favorite in flight magazine, Spirit. P always thinks it’s a little strange that I love this magazine so, but whenever I bring it home there’s always something of interest to her. This issue is no different – a little note on Occum Pond, some cool off-beat museums, and a variety of events that seem interesting.

How else would I have known about the International Banana Club (and why didn't I know about this already??!!??). Oh. My. Heavens. I already have my Banana Club title picked out!

There’s even an article on Killerspin, a company focused on table tennis that sponsors tournaments. It’s one of my few remaining connections to the table tennis world… Oh, how I wish I could play more. In high school I approached the level of a really good player, and at this point I am quite rusty. We have a table in the basement, but that’s currently covered with yard sale items. Half the reason I want to have a yard sale is to clear off the table and start playing again.

Until then, maybe I’ll just get myself a Killerspin t-shirt or racket cover.

Untapped genious

One of my projects at the moment is creating a birthday card that takes advantage of schmancy analytics to create a personalized message indicating what tests and treatments you may be looking at in the coming year. People like birthday cards, and we like engaging with people about their health. So, win win.

We're working on content that is all very professional sounding, meaning it's pretty blah and safe. For fun, I submitted the following for consideration:

1. Ode to Prevention
Prevention’s a word oft bandied about
But what does it mean, and what happens without?
Some quick, simple tests that your doc can arrange
Will give you some insight on your target range
For cholesterol, lipids, blood pressure and more
Peace of mind is a gift you can’t find in a store!


2. A Seussian Birthday
We hear it’s your birthday!
Hoorah and hooray!
So have you been eating
Five fruits every day?

In the year that is coming
We wish you the best
And want to remind you
Of some treatments and tests


3. Hallmark Tryouts
A flu shot, a Pap test, perhaps a vaccine,
When did you last have your cholesterol screened?
It’s a lot to keep track of
And that’s why we’re here
To help keep you healthy
In each passing year!



Haiku, limericks, and beat poetry available upon request.

I think they'll go with a more traditional approach...

Social science and running therapy

Yesterday wrapped up one of the more frustrating weeks I've had at work in a long time. Pressure from all sides to give definitive answers on ideas that franky are not developed. Trying to manage projects without the authority to actually manage anything. I was pretty much ready to quit and start up a business selling other people's crap on eBay, or walking dogs (even in this freezing weather).

Perhaps it is connected to the recent pseudo-scientific study revealing this week to be the worst of the 52 in a year, with Monday the 24th standing out as the worst day. How do I know it to be true? It's simple math:

Worst day of the year = 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA

The key to the above formula is as follows:
W: Weather
D: Debt
d: Money due in January pay
T: Time since Christmas
Q: Time since failed quit attempt
M: General motivational levels
NA: The need to take action

There are several flaws in the formula, including the assumptions that one celebrates Christmas, one overspends on holiday shopping, and one creates some sort of resolution each New Year. In fact, I would imagine that Christmas actually causes more stress, given all the family obligations. And all that annoying holiday advertising... That said, I think I'd move T to the numerator, counting the time since Xmas as a positive operator.

Others agree with me that there are some flaws to be found here. Reading through some of the comments on the article linked above, there are some gems. My personal favorite: "Rubbish - I was born on this day and I light up everyone's life."

One of the things saving me this week was the simple act of running. Not only did it warm me up as the mercury dropped (and dropped, and dropped again...), but it also just helped to stop my mind from spinning out of control.

I tried to stay outside as much as I could, although yesterday I gave in and hit the indoor treadmill. To make that a little less boring, I started playing with the settings every 1/2 mile or so. Incline change here, speed change there... Definitely made it a bit more interesting. Here's the breakdown, according to my Nike+ thingy:

It's been a pretty good week for miles, and technically I could still add to this week's count if I was so inspired. Sitting here in my pajamas, however, I am not sure that will happen. The miles from last night helped to keep me on top of a little running challenge I'm part of. I post it here because it is shocking to me that I could be in first place. Yes, that is my dorky comment on the right...

I'm in two other challenges at the moment. Participants are from who knows where, and the top four people just blow the rest of us out of the water in terms of miles. While I clock in just over 200 miles, the top folks are closer to 850. How can that be real? Still, I'm happy that I'm closing in on the top 50.

While it's fun running with strangers, I sure wouldn't mind if some folks I actually know would get hooked into this. Or maybe we can create something outside of the Nike+ gadget. A little healthy competition amongst friends? Winner picks the restaurant? Anyone in?

Ending this post is a little piece of news I just got last night. I think I am going to a small house party next Saturday to meet Hillary Clinton. Ah, the benefits of living in Manchester, NH during presidential campaigns. I already had to turn down the opportunity to meet Barack Obama (which I'm still sad about). What should I talk to her about?

Nerd? Geek? Dork?

As I was calling my friend a geek, I was reminded of a quiz you can take to determine whether or not the term applies. I took it a while back, but it's always good to see if you've evolved any.

Me? Still nerd.

Pure Nerd 73 % Nerd, 26% Geek, 17% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations!