Maria’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011

Posted on January 31, 2012 by PTPJimG

Me and Jim, ready to swim. My daughter Nina and husband Andy are behind us.

A few years ago my brother Jim convinced me to sign up for the Alcatraz Invitational Swim. A swim event (it may be a race for some but not for me) which consists of taking a ferry to just off The Rock, jumping off, and swimming as fast as you can back to Aquatic Park. Lest you think my brother was hoping to increase the size of his inheritance, he was actually looking for company. Jim had done the event a couple times with our niece Nina and assured me it was good fun. Continue reading →

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Jim’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011

Posted on January 31, 2012 by PTPJimG

This was my final event of the year, The Alcatraz Invitational Swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park. It’s about 1.25 miles if you swim straight. In the past I haven’t been so lucky, either because of the currents, the fog, my crappy swim technique, or all of the above. This time conditions were ideal: beautiful day, minimal current, slightly improved swim technique. I was hoping to improve on my time of 1:01:57 from last year. I again had the company of my sister, Maria, and my niece, Nina, as well as quite a few friends at San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in my Willow Glen neighborhood. And this time I stopped to take plenty of photos, using a $20 disposable waterproof camera. Continue reading →

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The End of Email?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by PTPAndreaW

How many emails do you receive at work each day? How many are mass distributions that you don’t need to be copied on? How many are outright spam? Do you waste time reading through long, wordy messages to find the one piece of information (if any!) that you need? Does the sheer volume of email impair your ability to get your job done?

ATOS, a major IT company, has had enough with email. ATOS plans to eradicate all internal email in the next three years . Labeling email as part of the new “information pollution,” ATOS CEO Thierry Breton says, “The volume of emails we send and receive is unsustainable for business.” ATOS has decided that the usefulness of email is outweighed by the amount of time employees spend just reading and replying to emails. Breton even laments the encroachment of email into personal time. Continue reading →

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10 Steps to Save Time and Money During Translation

Posted on December 5, 2011 by PTPAndreaW

For companies doing business globally, the availability of properly translated documentation is critical for success. But translation can be expensive, time consuming, and cumbersome, and companies often limit translation or skip it altogether.

With proper planning, translations costs can be significantly reduced. However this requires more than just extracting the best deal from your translation vendor. It requires proper planning at the time of content creation. Following the steps below can cut your translation cost by 50% or more without diluting the value of your content. Continue reading →

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Ironman Canada, August 2011

Posted on November 30, 2011 by PTPJimG

This is the third of my four events this year. I was exhilarated after completing the Boston Marathon and the California Death Ride. I felt comfortable that my training would get me through the event: My speed work was done while training for the Boston Marathon and my endurance training was done while training for the Death Ride. And most important, I’d gotten through all my training without injury. But I must admit that I was feeling the fatigue from training that had started before Christmas last year. When it came time to tapering for this race, I had no problem taking it easy. I was glad to have the training behind me and looking forward to the reward of racing.

 

Continue reading →

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An Introduction to XML and DITA

Posted on October 31, 2011 by PTPJimG

XML (Extensible Markup Language)-based documentation is getting a lot of attention as a better way to develop and disseminate content than tradition technical writing methods. Bob Boiko, from the Society for Technical Communication, writes that XML-based development can “transform what you do from documentation to delivering information products that drive your organization forward.” (Intercom, April 2007) XML offers many potential benefits, not only for the traditional end user – the customer – but also for support personnel, marketing staff, engineers, and more. Continue reading →

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Biking to lunch in Mountain View from Willow Glen, July 2011

Posted on September 1, 2011 by PTPAndreaW

Cool pedestrian bridge on Stevens Creek Train

I’m very excited that the Bay Area trails are starting to create pathways to fun places all around the bay, without having to leave protected bike trails. In July I rode from my house in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose to have lunch in Mountain View, taking the Guadalupe River Trail to the San Francisco Bay Trail to Stevens Creek Trail. I only had to use surface streets three times, all for very short distances with little traffic. Continue reading →

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Death Ride, July 2011

Posted on August 24, 2011 by PTPJimG

Jim signing the board at the top of Carson Pass.

So I completed the second of my 4 events for the year – the California “Death Ride“, so named because it covers 129 miles over 5 mountain passes, totaling 15000 feet of climbing, all at high elevation! It is not a race: there were no timing mats to cross, no split times. In fact, there were numerous rest stations where the riders took the time to get off their bikes to rest and eat and chat with other riders. But with all those miles and all those climbs, finishing before the cut-off would be my challenge. Continue reading →

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GE, NCR Lead “Reshoring” Trend

Posted on August 8, 2011 by PTPJimG

GE GeoSpring™ Hybrid Heater

GE, NCR Lead “Reshoring” Trend

Faced with rising costs, General Electric moved production of a new energy-efficient hotwater heater halfway around the world – to Kentucky. CP Lab Safety moved manufacturing from China to California to cut costs. Tesla moved final assembly of its battery packs to California to minimize delivery delays to customers.

In a recent blog, I discussed some of the drawbacks of offshoring manufacturing jobs (“Boeing 787 Illustrates The Dangers of Offshoring,”). Today I am writing about a growing trend in manufacturing: “reshoring” jobs back to the United States. Continue reading →

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My Life in Bands (Part 3)

Posted on July 29, 2011 by PTPDanaW

The Night Shift Band (back row: Dana, Phil, Carlos, Odys, David; front row: John, Tiffany, Gayle, Joe)

I love to see people dance while I’m performing on stage. And if they’re cheering and calling for an encore, it’s so gratifying that I almost feel famous. (This is what happens when a shy kid gets a lot of attention.) Cover bands often get that kind of reception, which makes them fun to play with. Over the last several years I have been a full time keyboardist for two popular cover bands that mainly play R&B and pop hits. Continue reading →

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