Ruby
Ruby, originally uploaded by commorancy.
What is it about tablets?
Ok, I’m stumped. I’ve tried to understand this manufacturing trend, but I simply can’t. We have to be heading towards the fourth or maybe fifth generation of tablet PCs, yet each time they bring tablets back to the the market, this technology fails miserably. Perhaps it’s the timing, but I don’t think so. I think the market has spoken time and time again. So, what is it about this technology that make manufacturers try and try again to foist these lead balloons onto us about every 6 years?
Wayback machine
It was in the early 90’s that Grid Computers arguably released the first tablet (or at least, one of the very first tablets). Granted, it used a monochrome plasma screen and I believe that it ran DOS and Windows 3.1 (that I recall), but these things flopped badly for many different reasons. Ultimately, the market spoke and no one wanted them. It’s no wonder why, too. The lack of keyboard combined with the size and weight of the unit, the need for a pen and the lack of a truly viable input method doomed this device to the halls of flopdom. Into obscurity this device went along with Grid Computers (the company).
In the early 2000s, Microsoft+Manufacturers tried again to resurrect this computer format with XP Tablet edition. This time they tried making the devices more like notebooks where the screen could detach from a keyboard and become a tablet. So, when it was attached, it looked and felt like a notebook. When detached, it was a tablet. Again, there was no viable input method without keyboard even though they were touch screen. The handwriting recognition was poor at best and if it had voice input, it failed to work. XP Tablet edition was not enough to make the tablet succeed. Yet again, the tablet rolled into obscurity… mostly. You can still buy tablets, but they aren’t that easy to find and few manufacturers make them. They also ship with hefty price tags.
Origami
Then, later in the mid 2000’s came Microsoft with Origami. At this time, Origami was supposed to be a compact OS, like Windows CE (although CE would have worked just fine for this, don’t know why Origami really came about). A few tablets came out using Origami, but most computers that loaded this version of Windows used it in the microPC format. Since the Origami version of Windows was a full version (unlike CE), it was a lot more powerful than computers of that size really needed and the price tag showed that. Sony and a few other manufacturers made these microPCs, but they sold at expensive prices (like $1999 or more) for a computer the size of a PDA. Again, no viable input method could suffice on the microPC tablets and so these died yet another death… although, the microPC hung around a bit longer than the tablet. You might even still be able to buy one in 2010, if you look hard enough.
Netbook
Then came the Netbook. The $199-299 priced scaled down notebook using the Atom processor. This format took off dramatically and has been a resounding success. The reason, price. Who wouldn’t want a full fledged portable computer for $199-299? You can barely buy an iPod or even a cell phone… let alone a desktop PC for that price. The Netbook price point is the perfect price point for a low end notebook computer. But, what does a Netbook have to do with a tablet? It doesn’t, but it is here to illustrate why tablets will continue to fail.
Tablet resurrection
Once again, we are in the middle of yet another possible tablet resurrection attempt. Rumor has it that Apple will release a tablet. HP is now also pushing yet another tablet loaded with Windows. Yet, from past failures, we already know this format is dead on arrival. What can Apple possibly bring to the tablet format that Microsoft and PCs haven’t? Nothing. That’s the problem. The only possible selling point for a tablet has to be in price alone. Tablets have to get down to the $199-299 price tag to have any hope of gaining any popularity. Yet, Apple is not known to make budget computers, so we know that that price point is out. Assuming Apple does release a tablet, it will likely price it somewhere between $899 and $1599. Likely, they will offer 3 different versions with the lowest version starting at $899. Worse, at the lowest price point it will be hobbled lacking most bells and whistles.
Even if Apple loads up the tablet with all of the bells and whistles (i.e., Bluetooth, 3G, GSM, OLED Display, iTunes app capable, handwriting recognition, voice recognition, WiFi, wireless USB, a sleek case design, etc etc) the only thing those bells and whistles will do is raise the cost to produce the unit. The basic problems with a tablet are portability (too big), lack of a viable input device, weight and fragility (not to mention, battery life). Adding on a hefty price tag ensures that people won’t buy it. Of course, the Apple fan boys will buy anything branded with a half bitten Apple logo. But, for the general masses, no. This device cannot hope to succeed on Apple fan boy income alone.
Compelling Reasons
Apple has to provide some kind of paradigm shifting technology that makes such a failure of a device like the tablet become successful (or whatever Apple cleverly names its tablet device). If the tablet is over 7 inches in size, it will be too large to be portable. Utilizing OLED technology ensures the cost is extremely high. Putting a thin case on it like the MacBook Air ensures that it’s overly fragile. We’ve yet to find out the battery life expectancy. So far, this is not yet a winning combination.
So, what kind of technology would make such a paradigm shift? The only such technology I can think of would have to be a new input device technology. A way to get commands into the notebook and a way to drive the interface easily. Clearly, a multi-touch screen will help. The iPod is good in that regard (except that you can’t use it with gloves). But, if you want to write email, how do you do that on a tablet? Do you hand peck the letters on that silly on-screen thing that Apple calls a keyboard? No. That’s not enough. Apple needs a fully phonetic speech input technology that’s 100% flawless without any training. That means, you speak the email in and it converts it perfectly to text. Also, you speak in any conversational command and the computer figures out what you mean flawlessly. This is the only technology that makes any sense on a tablet. Of course, it will need to support multiple languages (a tall order) and it needs to be flawless and perfect (an extremely tall order). It will also need to work in a noisy room (not likely).
Can Apple make such a shift? I don’t know. The hardware technology is there to support such a system. The issue, is the software ready? Well, let’s hope Apple thinks so. Otherwise, if Apple does release its rumored tablet without such a paradigm shift, it could be the worst stumble that Apple has made since the Lisa.
Eat To Live or Live to Eat?
If you’ve set your New Year’s resolutions to embrace fat loss, you’re probably asking yourself this question. Or, further, you might be asking yourself what does this question mean? The answer is pretty straight forward. Do you eat food to survive or do you live to eat food? The answer may surprise you, but you have to be willing to take a hard look at yourself to uncover the answer. Let’s explore.
Trust
In America, food is very abundant and in a lot of cases, very cheap. From fast food that’s 99 cents for a meal to expensive dine-in meals. It’s your choice how you wish to dine. The main difference between cheap and expensive food is in where the food originated and how or if it’s processed. For example, foods that come from organic farms or from farms that don’t use hormones on their livestock may be better for you than those foods that do use these chemicals (depending on the farm). Foods not refined are also better for you. The one question you need to ask yourself is, “How was the food produced?” The only answer that I can offer here is to tell you to buy foods from sources that you trust.
Can you trust Safeway? Can you trust Lucky or Albertson’s? Can you trust the corner grocer? Can you trust Campbell’s soup or Kellogg’s Cornflakes? Only you can determine which stores and which brands you trust.
There are many problems when purchasing from chain grocers. They buy from many farmers and manufacturers in such bulk that it’s difficult for them to always offer you healthy choices in foods. So, you may need to opt for more local grocer choices. If you purchase from local farms, you may find a lot more information on how the food was raised. Once you establish your immediate trusts, you can then find the foods that work for your dietary needs. Note, though, that trusts change over time. Brands get acquired or disappear from the shelves, formulations change, etc. So, even when you’ve had a trust with a specific brand or grocer, you should re-evaluate that trust from time to time to ensure the food is living up to your quality expectations.
Does all of this really matter?
That depends on you. If you think it matters, then it matters. Once it does matter, then you need to seek food choices that fit your needs. The less picky you are, the more choices you have when shopping. But, you may also be compromising your health by being less picky. Also, if you have health issues that must be addressed by using specific foods, food choices do matter.
Five Star Dining
Let’s start by examining the expensive dining options first. If you choose to dine at a 5 star restaurant, along with your excessively large bill, you may find that your food seems more fresh and tasty. You may be correct in that assessment. Generally, 5 star restaurants buy foods from the best quality growers and grocers. In some cases, the chefs may even personally hand pick the meats and produce they want to use. With lesser quality restaurants, the foods may come from a commissary (a centralized store distribution facility for that restaurant chain) or from a food distribution service like Sysco. Where the 5 star restaurant is looking for grade A+ ingredients, lesser star restaurants may opt for grade C or even D foods (because they cost less). Depending on the type of lesser restaurant, they may even serve you pre-prepared canned foods (like Pace Picante sauce). So, what you may be served in a 2 or 3 star restaurant may be no better than what you can buy and serve yourself from Safeway. In some cases, it may be worse.
Secondarily, when you eat at a 5 star restaurant, you should find that each and every food is fresh made from scratch. In fact, most of these level restaurants make your food immediately when you order. So, there’s nothing pre-prepared. It’s all made fresh (other than the prep work to cut up veggies earlier that day). Even the deserts are prepared and baked fresh (or should be). That’s the difference between Chili’s (a 3 star Bistro) and a 5 star restaurant.
Does 5 star dining make the food healthier? Not necessarily. True, the food should be made fresh. True, the food is probably grade A+, but that doesn’t lessen the caloric value of the food. In fact, many 5 star restaurants prefer rich foods with a high fat content (creams, butters and oils) because they make food taste more luxurious. So, even though you may be consuming fresh foods prepared from fresh ingredients, you are not likely eating to lose weight. One thing, though, that you will find in 5 star restaurants are smaller portion sizes. Where Chili’s might overload your plate with a ton of food, you may find a 5 star restaurant serving your dinner in a small portion in the center of a big plate. Yes, it’s very pretty and presentation is a big deal in a 5 star place, but the size doesn’t necessarily lessen the amount of calories in the meal. If you’re concerned with calories, you should always ask before you dine (preferably on the phone before making a reservation).
Commitment
In order to make fat loss a reality, you have to both want to lose fat and commit yourself to change. Commitment is the key. With so many food choices out there and a lot of pressure to eat tons of food (especially by friends, relatives and co-workers.. not to mention the huge portions in restaurants), you need to distance yourself from that influence. That means you need to consider creating your own foods from scratch in the portions that fit your needs. You can opt to use pre-prepared meals that are frozen or even foods that come from Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine or Nutrisystems. However, you can certainly lose the fat without the need for any specialty meals. Let’s explore fat loss clinics…
Commercial Fat Loss Organizations
Companies like Jenny Craig, NutriSystems and Weight Watchers are good at what they do. The trouble with these organizations isn’t that they help you to lose weight. No. They definitely help you shed the pounds. The trouble is, how do you keep the weight off once you leave their program? None of these organizations offer proper weight management techniques after you depart. They hook you into their ‘system’ using their packaged foods. After you leave, they make it reasonably difficult to use external foods that are not part of their program. This is unfortunate, but it’s also a way for these systems to entice you back only to spend more money. Remember, these are commercial outfits in it to make money. So, their goal is to get you hooked onto their program and then keep you coming back to spend more and more money. As long as you are willing to do this, you can keep the weight off.
When using their food offerings, they use points systems or exchanges. That’s great, as long as you are eating foods where you can easily determine those numbers. If you start eating whole real foods from the store or a restaurant, you may not easily be able to determine points. So, you’re stuck. When you can’t determine the values, you don’t. Because you can’t, you can’t easily determine how much of it you should be eating. You then slip back into eating ‘real food’. So, it ends up in a vicious cycle that leads to fat gain. This is the cycle that you want to avoid. You need to understand foods at a more basic level that can be applied to any meal, not just those meals created by Jenny Craig.
Of course, this is not meant to berate these programs. They are good at what they do. If you have the means and are willing to stick with their programs, then you can lose the weight and keep it off. But, you also need to determine a way to ween yourself from their program and use home made foods as a substitute or even meals at a restaurant and still keep the weight off. How do you do that?
Knowledge
You need to empower yourself by understanding foods, understand how they act on the body and understand how to easily identify healthier foods from unhealthy foods. So, what exactly does ‘healthy food’ mean? That’s a really good question, let’s explore…
Healthy Foods
What is a healthy food? We hear the term ‘healthy foods’ all the time. As an example, a study has said that drinking Welch’s grape juice is healthy for you because the dark purple juice is now classed as an antioxidant. So, there are now claims you need to drink more. But, is grape juice really that healthy? Antioxidants may be important to help cleanse the body of toxins, but grape juice is also concentrated and processed. Anything that is processed is not as healthy as the whole real thing. For example, eating dark red table grapes provides the same antioxidant properties as drinking concentrated grape juice. Additionally, eating the whole fruit provides you with fiber. Note, however, that fruit is primarily sugar (fructose and sucrose) and fiber. Processed juice is devoid of fiber, so the sugar in juice is digested almost immediately. Eating table grapes requires less immediate insulin release due to the time it takes to process the sugar out of the fiber. Drinking grape juice, on the other hand, is akin to drinking a soft drink. Granted, the soft drink has no antioxidant properties, but the sugar high is the same drinking both drinks.
Secondarily, is all grape juice created equal? This goes back to the issue of trust. Some juices are sweetened only with the juice from the fruit. Others add additional sugars or sweeten with concentrated mixtures of sugars from the fruit. So, they might extract a juice concentrated version and then extract a second version that’s a concentrated sweetener version. They then mix the juice concentrate version with the sugar version to make the whole batch sweeter. They can say it is 100% real grape juice, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t play games to get it sweeter. Again, trust. You need to trust how a company processes their foods.
Eating whole grapes does the same trick as drinking the juice. However, when eating the whole fruit, you are less likely to eat as much (the fiber fills you up). Because the fiber fills you, you are also less likely to eat as many calories in one sitting than you would drinking a glass of fiberless juice. Reducing calories below the RMR is the key to losing fat, so that’s the goal here.
So, which is healthy in this example? Clearly, vitamins and minerals are important. You get the most vitamins and minerals by eating the whole fruit rather than concentrated and processed foods. Many vitamins and minerals are destroyed during processing. This is why so many processed foods must be fortified (they add external vitamins) to make up for the destroyed vitamins and minerals. In this case, eating the whole grape is more healthy than drinking heavily concentrated and processed juice. This goes for any foods that are processed.
Steps Removed From Nature
Think of healthy foods in terms of how far they are removed from their natural state. Clearly, a grape is the most natural state of this fruit. Therefore, it is the most healthy form of this fruit. As it is processed, each step away from its most basic natural state makes it one step less healthy for the human body. So, the steps might look something like the following:
grape -> grape juice fresh squeezed -> grape juice boiled down (concentrated) -> grape juice syrup / grape juice sugars -> grape juice powder (dried) or flavoring -> grape jelly fruit snacks or grape popsicles
So, the fruit starts first and everything else is derived from some processing step after the initial fruit. For each step after the initial fruit, that reduces the healthy nature of the food. For each step removed from nature, then, that determines how less healthy it is for the human body.
Food Processing
What exactly is food processing? At home you think of a Cuisinart for food processing. However, processing foods in manufacturing is a way to concentrate the foods into usable constituent components (sugars, starches, salts, flavorings, etc). The idea is to take an initial natural food and distill it down into its constituent components for later reintegration into another food product. For example, Pringles chips are made from potatoes. But, they aren’t whole potatoes. Instead, they are made from ground and processed potatoes (and other ingredients), then they use a special process to form the chip into that familiar Pringles shape and bake it in place. While the potato may have started whole, once it’s in a chip form coated with salt, it is no longer whole and is now removed from nature at least 2, 3 or more times.
(To be continued in Part II: Eat to Live)
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be used as a diagnosis, to diagnose or as a diet. It is strictly to be used for information purposes. You will need to find your own way to lose the weight. These suggestions may work to help you understand the body’s processes, but you will need to choose the foods that keep you healthy and let you lose the fat. Everybody’s body is different, so this information may not work for you. You should also consult with a doctor before launching any calorie restricted diet to determine any pre-existing conditions prior to dieting. This information is provided as is. All risk of use of this information is assumed by the reader. This information is copyright 2010 Randosity. All rights reserved.
2009 ends, 2010 begins
Well, we come to the close of another year and we look forward to the next with eager anticipation. Some of us will resolve to change ourselves and make resolutions. Hopefully, whatever choices you make will work out for you in a positive way. With 2010 fast approaching, Randosity will continue to write articles based on whatever comes to mind.. in the spirit of randomness.
Hopefully, our economy will continue to improve. Hopefully, the job situation will improve and more companies will begin hiring more staff. Whatever happens in 2010, Randosity will be there to write commentary about it.
With that in mind, Randosity would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season and a very happy new year.
Obesity Overtaking America
You’ve heard all about this issue in the media. But, what you may not know is that this issue is now even reaching into the military (including our armed forces in Iraq). The Pentagon has reported that obesity has doubled since 2003 in the US Military. Here are people who are actively serving for our national security and they’re becoming obese. I always thought that army food wasn’t that great and was designed to keep the troops’ healthy. I guess that’s not happening.
Some people attribute stress to the obesity epidemic in the US. But, who or what is to blame for the growing waistlines? Clearly, people do need to take responsibility for what they eat. On the other hand, the human body does not come with an owner’s manual. So, these two issues combined with the media, the food industry, so-called professionals, easy access to foods and misinformation lead to the waistline growth. Which one is to blame? They all are.
Food Industry
I know we all want to blame and, in some cases, even sue the food industry for this issue. In some cases, lawsuits may even be warranted. However, each person needs to take responsibility for their body. Unfortunately, in some situations it may not be possible to purchase and eat your own foods. You may end up being in a semi-captive situation where you eat what you are given and have no access or say in the foods that are served. In these cases, that establishment is to blame for feeding you poor quality food choices. This may be the situation in the military. This situation may also follow for lower income families who need to eat, but cannot afford to purchase produce due to its higher costs.
However, when the person can purchase their own food, make their own food and then eat that food freely, that’s where self-responsibility must take place. You can’t blame the food industry when you have choices. Basically, as a consumer, you must take responsibility for your food choices. But, even more than that, you need to take responsibility for your body. You can’t push your growing waistline off onto food manufacturers because you made the choice to eat their food. There may be other liabilities that you can call the food industry on, but it isn’t personal responsibility for your body.
Food manufacturers do, on the other hand, provide loads of misinformation on their food items, so you have to become an intelligent and informed shopper to avoid these FDA-endorsed yet very deceptive food labels. Note that deceptively labeled food items would be a liability for the food manufacturer except for the fact that the FDA has endorsed and approved those mislabeling practices. So, while you may want to sue the food manufacturer for mislabeling, you simply cannot. These practices are definitely legal. But, that doesn’t make them right, helpful or help you make an informed choice. That said, you need to understand how to read the labels and discard the useless deceptive information and to determine just how nutritious something really is for you.
Three types of macronutrients defined
Of the three types of main nutrients your body needs, these are protein, carbs and fats. Protein consists of meats, fish, eggs and is also in other products like milk, cheese, nuts and beans. Fats consist of oils and is in foods including butter, avocados, nuts, fish, meats and table oils. Carbs may be the hardest to identify in foods, but consist of both starches and simple sugars. Starches include corn, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, rye or any other type of grain. Simple sugars include any granulated sugar (sucrose), fruit sugars (fructose) and dextrose (included in some food items). Sugar Alcohols should also be considered a simple sugar of sorts and these include maltitol, xylitol, mannitol (or any other sugar ending in ‘ol’). Other sugars include maltodextrin and oligofructose among others.
All sugars ultimately become glucose in the body. So, eating that piece of bread is ultimately the same as eating a piece of candy. The only difference between candy and bread is the amount of fiber it contains. Most finely granulated white flour is really no better than sugar and digests with similar speed. With white flour based foods, you might as well be eating straight sugar. Eating ‘whole wheat’ based items may slow down the digestion some, but that’s all dependent on the amount of fiber. Most ‘whole wheat’ items may be partially made with white flour, so be careful with that.
Basically, your plate needs to consist of proteins, fats and carbs in the proper quantities to keep the body balanced. Too many of any one of these nutrients and your body will compensate by becoming fat or having other issues.
A Society of Grain
The grain industry has a huge hold over our food supply. You simply look at the average American meal and you will see one thing that dominates the plate: grains. These include primarily include corn, wheat and rice. But, there is also barley, rye and sorghum. These grains are then made into items such as bread, crackers, cakes, cookies, cupcakes and pasta. Once added to the plate, these items consume at least 25-50% of our dinner plate and probably 50-100% of our snacks.
Starchy vegetables
On top of these heavily starchy grains, we add yet another starch to our plates in the form of a potato and corn. Yes, corn is both a grain and a vegetable depending on how it’s used. So, between the bread and the potato, our dinner plate now contains probably 50% or more starches. If you add corn as a side dish, that’s even more starch and makes up for at least 75% of the meal. But, starch and starchy vegetables aren’t the complete answer to obesity.. even if the low-carb diets would like you to think so. We’ll come back to the starch and weight relationship shortly.
Vegetables
In the vegetable category which should consume at least one-third of the plate, we should be serving green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens and similar. Other vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, onions, garlic, soybean (green), green beans, leeks, etc. Unfortunately, many people choose to skip this portion of the meal. But, this portion needs to consume at least 25% of the plate (and actually, these should consume the most). The reason they should consume the most is that they are high in fiber, low in calories and fill you up. Unfortunately, many vegetables can also cause flatulence and other intestinal issues (due to higher amounts of fiber).
Protein portion
Of the rest of our plate, we reserve the protein portion of the meal. This includes foods such as, obviously, meats like beef, chicken, eggs, pork, turkey, fish and other seafood. For vegetarians, there are other sources of proteins such as legumes, soy and other vegetable proteins and even milk (if lacto-vegetarian).
Beans
Legumes should be catagorized separately because they are both a starch and a protein at the same time. So, while it’s great that they contain protein, they are also fairly starchy. So, eating them in addition to other starches only serves to undermine any sensible weight loss approach. So, be careful when adding beans to your plate. Beans include white beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, English peas, sugar snap peas, peanuts, refried beans, black beans, Lima beans, fava beans, etc. It’s pretty easy to identify a bean on the plate just strictly due to its consistency and texture. Beans also have one additional side effect that can be unpleasant in a lot of people: gas. So, if you know you are intolerant of beans, be careful adding them to your plate.
Fruits and Nuts
Fruits should be considered a sugar (carb) combined with fiber. So, when adding these in, understand that they add to your total calorie intake as well as your sugar intake for the day. Nuts are considered both a protein and a starch. So, again, add them into your total protein and carb intake for the day. Fruits, like vegetables, are far lower in calories than nuts. So, you can add more fruits to your diet (assuming you aren’t carb intolerant or diabetic) and reduce your calorie intake. Nuts, on the other hand, are high in calories. So, eating lots of nuts can add a lot more to your calorie intake than you think.
Dairy
Dairy products (cheese, milk, milk-based products) can be reasonably high in both calories and carbs (lactose), so be careful when adding lots of dairy to your diet. Yes, diary does contain calcium and vitamin D (fortified), but you should try to find other ways to add calcium and D to your diet than through dairy.
Junk Foods & Soda
When trying to readjust your diet to be more healthy, you really have to get rid of these from your diet. Junk foods are those that add calories without substance. They may make you ‘feel’ good while you’re eating them, but the sugar high that you get and the subsequent weight gain isn’t wanted. So, avoid junk foods. Junk foods include potato chips, pretzels, bread (more than one piece per meal), crackers, Triscuit, Wheat Thins, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, rolls, biscuits or anything basically that uses refined white flour. Refined white flour needs to be removed from any healthy diet. Junk food also includes straight sugar based candies like hard candies and candy bars. It also includes pies and ice cream. If you need baked goods, then make them from nuts, coconut or other alternative flours than refined white and wheat flours. Note that whole wheat flour isn’t. If the flour is ground to a powder, then it is not whole. This is yet another label that mislabels the food. Anything that’s ground to a powder consistency is refined to the point where it takes no digestive processing. Note that I also include Pizza and Hamburgers in the junk food category because the food contains 40% or more refined wheat based flours.
As for commercial sodas, avoid them. If you must drink sodas and want to be frugal, buy a SodaStream carbonator and carbonate your own water. A SodaStream will save you money over time and prevent you from having to carry home heavy bottles of soda water. If you can afford the costs and want to deal with carrying heavy bottles home, buy soda water in liter bottles. Then, use your own sweeteners (like Stevia) and flavorings (like Vanilla) to create your own homemade sodas. This avoids the acidic issues of commercially produced sodas and it also avoids the unnecessary preservatives and additives that are placed into commercial soda flavorings. It also avoids the added sugars and potentially unhealthy lab created sweeteners.
Resting body caloric needs
The number one issue when it comes to weight gain or loss is how much to eat. The suggested daily calorie allotment on the Nutrition Facts label of foods usually shows a 2000 calorie a day and sometimes a 2500 calorie a day value. This labeling implies that this is the number of calories YOU should be eating. In fact, this assumption is incorrect. You cannot know how many calories per day that your body needs unless you get evaluated by using a device that measures your resting caloric needs. One such Resting Metabolic measuring device is called the BodyGem. This device measures several things at once through a mouthpiece where you sit and breathe. As the devices are quite expensive, they can be found at better health clubs like 24 Hour Fitness. As part of getting a membership, 24 Hour Fitness will measure your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) with the BodyGem. For example, my resting body caloric needs were tested at 1700 calories per day. Even more than this, you need to understand what that number represents. Is that the number at which the body will stay in equilibrium (i..e, no gain and no loss)? Or, is that the number at which the body will gain or lose weight? This information was not made clear to me. So, getting yourself tested is only half of the battle. You need to make sure you understand what that number represents.
Calorie?
Many people just assume that people know what a calorie represents. In fact, most people don’t. One calorie is the amount of food it takes to raise one liter of water one degree when that food is burned. So, they burn the food in a controlled environment and then determine the how many calories the food is based on how much it raises the water temperature. Note, however, that burning food is not an identical process the body uses to convert the food into energy. Burning something is a combustion chemical process. The body doesn’t use combustion to convert the food into energy. Instead, it relies on lock and key chemicals (solvents) to dissolve the molecular bonds of the foods. Thus, a calorie is only a representative measure of how the body works. It’s symbolic and is allegedly equivalent enough that it works. So, we’ve all taken for granted the calorie and what it represents when it may, in fact, not be as accurate as we would like. For the sake of argument, however, we will assume that the calorie as measured is accurate for the purposes of this article.
Unrealistic labeling
Unfortunately, the FDA and the food industry are both working together to keep the public misinformed. It’s unfortunate, but the food labels are really not there to help consumers. The Nutrition Facts label is probably the only label on the package that you can trust as far as sheer numbers go. So, what is inaccurate about the labeling? Well, let’s start with the numbers of servings. Realistic labeling for a small package of chips should state 1 serving per package. Instead, many food manufacturers break down what should be a single serving into multiple servings. So, you might find that single serving package stated as 2.5 servings. So, the entire nutrition facts will only show you the amounts for 1 sub-serving of that bag of chips (which is about 1/3 of the package). Ok, so who’s going to eat 1/3 of a package and put it away? For many reasons, this labeling idea is stupid. First, it’s a single serving package and should be treated and labeled that way. Second, no one will store 2/3 of the package for later consumption as it will be stale in only a few hours. But, the casual consumer might not look at the number of servings and assume that they ate 80 calories when they, in fact, just ate ~240 calories.
The numbers of servings issue is but one on the label. In addition to the above, the Nutrition Facts lists total Daily Value (DV%) based on a 2000 or 2500 calorie per day diet. Again, you need to know if your body gains or loses fat based on those assumptions. If your body gains at 2000 per day, then you shouldn’t be using those DV values as a guide. You will need to calculate your own Daily Values for yourself based on the Nutrition Facts panel.
Other mislabeling issues include the front of the package. Again, based on the number of servings they put into the Nutrition Facts panel, they can then say ’80 Calories Per Serving’ on the front of the package. This then makes the consumer assume that because it appears to be a single serving package that the entire package contains 80 calories. Again, mislabeling at its finest.
What it comes down to is read the Nutrition Facts label closely and read two pieces of information: Numbers of Servings and Calories Per Serving. Then multiply that out in your head to find out how many REAL calories are in that package. Remember: Numbers of Servings * Calories Per Servings = Total Calories in package. Always determine this before you put that food into your cart. What you think may look like 80 calories may end up being 500 calories.
Eating Out
With laws being enacted in many states requiring restaurants to put nutritional information on the menu, you can now see that Pepper Encrusted New York Strip with Penne Pasta and Spinach is 1500 calories. 1500 calories! That’s nearly my entire daily allotment of calories in one meal! Combine that with their 800 calorie desert and you’re well over your daily recommended intake with one single meal! That doesn’t even take into account breakfast and lunch you ate earlier.
Weight Loss
It’s simple, to lose weight you need a calorie deficit. That means that you take in less calories than your body expends in a day. With a calorie deficit, the body reaches into its fat stores to provide energy. This means you can’t eat that 2300 calorie meal combined with breakfast and lunch and expect to lose weight. It won’t happen. In fact, that’s the recipe for weight gain. This will, over time, add pounds to the hips and give you the spare tire that you don’t want. It makes you buy bigger clothes and feel bad about yourself. But, the food industry feeds other industries including the health industry, the insurance industry, the hospitals and on the other side, the food industry itself, the restaurant industry and even the clothing industry (as you get bigger). So, eating more and gaining more weight gives you incentive to spend more money on health and weight related issues (including gym memberships, supplements, weight loss fads, diet supplements and so on).
The simple truth about weight loss: you lose weight through a calorie deficit. You have to eat less than your body expends. Yes, this means you need to remain hungrier than you’ve ever been. But, hungry means your body is losing weight. You can’t lose weight without being hungry at times. But, the desperate hunger you feel initially will subside over time as your body pulls from the fat stores and gets used to less calories.
Calories per day
This is yet another misnomer. We think of our bodies in terms of a 24 hour period and how many calories we shove into it during this period. This is wrong. The body doesn’t know the concept of a day (or a 24 hour period). The body utilizes a continuous cycle of processing. When you eat, you interrupt the fat loss process by adding external calories. Once those calories are finished being processed by the body, the body can then go back to utilizing internal calories from its own stores. This means smarter eating. When you do eat, eat foods that process completely to give maximum nutrition and then allow the body to go back to processing internal stores. This means smaller meals more often to reduce food processing times. Large meals keep your body processing external foods far longer. With a larger meal, there is a large likelyhood that your large meal will still be processing once you start your next meal. So, your body never gets into fat loss mode between meals.
Instead, you need to think of your body as a constant processing machine. It doesn’t recognize a 24 hour day. It continually processes. So, you need to think about eating foods not in a 24 hour period but on a continuous basis. So, about every 2 waking hours you should eat a small meal. That’s the necessary amount of time it takes to process the small meal. You do not need to eat while sleeping. In fact, the sleep fasting period lets your body burn fat. However, if you go too long between meals, the body may go into survival mode and conserve. Adding a small meal keeps the body aware that it is receiving external fuel and helps prevent survival conservation mode. Note that the body’s conservation mechanism can help you lose weight (as well as gain it), so you need to understand how to manage that by eating small meals.
Lower Calorie Foods
By reading the Nutrition Facts panel closely (including numbers of servings) you can accurately determine if that food fits within your calorie requirements. For example, you can eat that cookie if you want. But, if you’re looking at 200-300 calories per meal, that 160 calorie cookie is over half of that meal. You can do it, but you need to readjust your meal intake accordingly.
Eating Out Continued
Once you get into eating smaller meals more often, you may find that eating out is a thing of the past. It’s almost impossible to find restaurants that will serve you a 200-300 calorie meal. Most average meals in restaurants are around 800-1200 per meal. You can limit this by leaving food on the plate, but that’s a waste of money. If you’re with friends, they may think you’re odd not eating an entire meal. I find it simpler to make meals for myself at home. On the other hand, you do need a cheat meal occasionally to keep the body off-guard and kick it out of survival conservation mode. So, your cheat meal should be a ‘standard’ meal you will find at a restaurant, in addition to your 200-300 calorie per meal meals every 2 hours. You should add a cheat meal no more than once per week.
Starch and Weight
Because starch is a big staple on our plates, we must acknowledge the role it plays in our health. We cannot deny that starchy foods are a contributor to our obesity. Most starchy foods are combined with fat and that’s a recipe for fat storage. The reason, starchy foods raise blood insulin levels and insulin is a carrier to bring the fat into our cells for storage. So, the more insulin the body produces, the more likely you are to store fat. When combined with an overly large calorie meal, these body processes are perfectly aligned to store the fat in our cells. Because we continue to eat the same way day in and out, we do not give our bodies a chance to release the fat. So, more and more storage of fat is added and never removed. Thus, we get fatter and fatter to the point of obesity. As a result of this, we need to put starch into perspective. This means, reducing the amount of starches you eat at a meal and reduce their overall importance in the meal itself.
Losing Fat?
If you’re committed to losing the fat, you need to understand the body’s food and survival mechanisms, food labeling, foods that work for you and nutrition. Our bodies were designed to be hunters and gatherers. That means we eat meals when we find foods in the wild. Once we find them (or hunt them), we would basically eat smaller meals more often rather than sitting down for a big meal. We would also expend our energy engaging in food search. The body’s internal processes have not changed since the days of the hunters and gatherers. But, our meals and energy uses have. We now eat more calories in one sitting than ever in human existence. We sit on couches watching TV, web surfing and playing video games. The body just can’t cope with the excessive calories and, thus, adds the fat to the stores for future famine. In fact, eating too many calories triggers the body’s survival conservation mode by storing the fat for famine situations. The famine situation never comes, so we get fatter and fatter. Just as not eating enough food can trigger storage conservation, so does eating too much.
There is a middle ground where you need to eat small meals to keep the body’s food processing active, but not enough food to kick in fat storage mode. This is the balance in eating that you need to observe. The balance is in calories that you eat, but not always what you eat. The specific foods that you eat fills in the blanks for vitamins and minerals. Limited calorie intake prevents fat storage and encourages fat store release. Note that as our foods have become more calorie dense, they have been lacking in vitamins and minerals. So, you may find that you need to add supplements for vitamins and minerals. I recommend individual vitamins in gelatin capsules versus packed tablets containing recommended Daily Values (which could be inaccurate).
On a final note, once you get to your target body shape and weight, you will need to find your equilibrium mode to maintain that weight. To do this, increase your calorie intake for each meal and eventually you will find that equilibrium. You will also need to eat more food the more active you become. If you drastically increase your daily activity, you will need to compensate for that activity by increasing food intake to prevent, again, survival conservation mode (among other health issues that could arise).
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be used to as a diagnosis, to diagnose or as a diet. It is strictly to be used for information purposes. You will need to find your own way to lose the weight. These suggestions may work to help you understand the body’s processes, but you will need to choose the foods that keep you healthy and let you lose the fat. Everybody’s body is different, so this information may not work for you. You should also consult with a doctor before launching any calorie restricted diet to determine any pre-existing conditions prior to dieting. This information is provided as is. All risk of use of this information is assumed by the reader. This information is copyright 2009 Randosity. All rights reserved.
Windows 7: Should I upgrade / install?
After having used Windows 7 for at least a month now regularly, I’ve come to realize one thing… Windows 7 is not stable! Things that had been fixed in Vista are now clearly broken again. For example, I could run Vista for probably a month or longer without the need to reboot. If I’m lucky, I can get away with running Windows 7 for about a week or two before its innards get flakey. For example, there are now processes that hang and cannot be killed by Task Manager. This forces the need to reboot. Once the apps hang, it’s impossible to reboot cleanly. So, I have yet to be able to reboot Windows 7 without having to force power off the system. Just today, I once again tried to use the ‘Restart’ function which did absolutely nothing. Windows 7 appeared to start the shutdown process and then clearly hung and did not finish.
I have also had a problem with Windows 7 drivers. For example, the ATI driver I now have installed on Windows 7 is clearly bugged. When I run Daz Studio 3, I can load a specific 3D model set and crash the system with a BSOD. Worse, Windows 7 knows that it crashed, but it doesn’t have any clue what crashed it. It knows it was a driver crash, but not the specific driver. When I click the troubleshoot panel that appears after the system reboots, the panel goes away and offers no advice.
These are clearly the problems of yet another immature and sad operating system attempt by Microsoft. Windows 7 should be more stable than Vista (which was, according to a lot of people, very unstable). Well, I’m here to say that Vista is a ton more stable than Windows 7 is. Yes, Vista is quirky and odd in places, but the underlying OS is pretty much rock steady. I rarely had crashes or BSODs. I could leave the system running for long periods of time without instability. Windows 7, on the other hand, is just completely unstable. This thing should never have made it out of Beta, let alone to the store shelves.
Should you install?
To answer this question is… no, do not install this disaster of an OS. Wait until at least Service Pack 1. When that arrives, Microsoft might actually be able to make this disaster workable. Right now, it’s an unmitigated unstable mess. In fact, this OS is far worse than Vista in a lot of respects at this point. If you are on XP, stay there. Since there is no upgrade path from XP, you probably don’t want to try an upgrade anyway.. let alone to something that’s much more unstable than XP. Not to mention, Windows 7 has a far bigger disk usage footprint than XP.
If you are running Vista, carefully examine if you really need this OS. Frankly, the bells and whistles that Microsoft added aren’t enough to justify an upgrade or the expense. If you happen to buy a new computer with Windows 7 loaded, then take it. If you want to upgrade an existing system, don’t do it.
Side by Side installs no longer available
Since the release of Vista, Microsoft has done away with side by side installs. You used to be able to install a new operating system on the same disk drive as an existing other Windows version. As of Vista, Microsoft stopped that. Instead, you are now required to buy a new disk and install it on that fresh drive. You cannot install it on the same partition as an existing other Windows install. Windows 7 will rename the old installation to Windows.old and make it no longer bootable. You might be able to get away with a side-by-side install on a separate partition, but I’ve never tested this. So, if you’re thinking of taking Windows 7 for a test spin first, you should buy a new disk and install it on that blank disk. Then, decide if you want to upgrade your Vista partition based on that test drive. Alternatively, I’d recommend using something like Ghost to clone your existing partition for a test drive upgrade onto that blank new drive. If you don’t like it, put your old disk back in and boot your system back into Vista (or whatever).
If you really must have Windows 7 on your machine, go for it. But, be warned that it is not stable by any stretch. Perhaps Service Pack 1 will fix these issues, but right now be warned that you will likely experience the same issues I have. If you are an IT professional thinking of upgrading an employee’s computer, you should wait until Windows 7 is far more stable than it is today.
Windows 7: Vista Rehashed — Missing the Mark
While the initial response of Windows 7 seems to have been positive from beta users, I have personally found it really no better than Windows Vista. In fact, most of the touted improvements really aren’t there. Here is a basic review of Windows 7 as compared to Vista.
Not much improved
Windows 7 has not really improved enough over Windows Vista. It’s no wonder why Microsoft was able to shove this one out the door so rapidly. Effectively, Microsoft gave Vista a slight UI facelift, added a couple of tweaks here and there and then pushed the product to the shelves. In fact, I’m really wondering why it took as long as it did with so little improvement. The same issues that exist in Vista still exist in Windows 7. Namely, these include limited driver support, application compatibility and enhanced security that gets in the way. I’ll discuss these issues below.
Driver Compatibility
When Vista was released, one of the main issues was driver support. This issue is exactly the same with Windows 7. For example, I have a Dell Studio XPS system running Vista 64 Home Premium edition. It’s running 64 bit because I have 12GB of memory and that won’t work on 32 bit Vista (or Win 7). Dell has had months to ready drivers for this brand new system (purchased July 2009). Yet, Dell does not offer any drivers on their support site for this hardware. Yes, they did support an upgrade disc, but that’s about it. Dell expects you to accept the drivers that come with Windows 7 rather than obtaining the proper and updated drivers. Worse, Windows 7 driver support is still very bare. I wouldn’t expect to see full driver support for Win 7 until at least this time 2010 (possibly longer depending on adoption rate).
Note that 64 bit Windows requires 64 bit drivers. Windows 7 cannot load or use 32 bit drivers under the 64 bit edition. So, if you need to use 32 bit drivers, you should use the 32 bit version. Of course, that means you are limited to 4GB of memory. So, if you have older printer drivers that do not support 64 bit edition, you will have to hope that Windows 7 has a driver or be prepared to throw the printer out and buy something new. This also follows with devices like Dlink’s Skype phone adapter.
You may be able to get around some of these issues using Sun’s Virtualbox or MS’s Virtual PC and loading 32 bit XP under a virtual environment. Note, however, that not all devices offer passthrough to the virtual machine, so you may not be able to run those older devices requiring 32 bit drivers. You may be able to get this working under Win 7 Ultimate’s XP mode.
Overall, driver support is rated 1.5 stars out of 5: poor
Application Compatibility
As with Vista, Windows 7 fails in this area still. Frankly, because Windows 7 is effective Vista with a face lift, all of the same compatibility problems still exist in Windows 7. So, don’t expect your old XP apps to run properly under Windows 7 in many cases. This is especially true of apps that also tie to hardware devices that require drivers.
Worse, I have some 3D apps that work fine on Vista, but do not work at all under Windows 7. This indicates to me that Microsoft has further broken application compatibility between Vista and Windows 7. So, be prepared to lose some apps that may have worked under Vista.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars: fair
Enhanced Security – User Access Controls (UAC)
Security of your operating system and data is a big priority and is understood. Any level of security has to straddle a fine line between securing the system and not getting in the way of using the system. Frankly, UAC is a complete and utter failure. This system is so in-your-face about security that it is a turn off. Combine this with its constant verbose ‘Are you really sure’ messaging, people will soon ignore the messages just to get the work done. Basically, this system is likened to ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’. If you make every alert important and nothing ever happens, people stop listening. Will UAC stop a system from being infected? Probably not. People will still run apps they shouldn’t run.
Beyond UAC, Windows 7 changed nothing over Vista. Windows 7’s UAC appears identical to Vista for all intents and purposes. Frankly, it’s still so much of a hassle that I still turn it off.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars: in-the-way
Other problems
Other than the above, not much else has changed. All of the main usability problems that were introduced in Vista are still in Windows 7. For example, when you open file requesters, they tend to default to large icons. I prefer ALL of my file lists (whether a file requester or a Windows explorer window) to be in list formatted with the columns Name, Size and Date Modified. Both Vista and Windows 7 default to Name, Tags, Rating and Date. Sometimes it even adds Date Taken. I have no intention of rating or tagging every file on my filesystem. For files in a photos folder or a music folder, yes. Definitely not every file on the filesystem, so these columns are completely inappropriate for 98% of the filesystem. Yet, the headers are there each time a new file requester opens. Why?
When you’re constantly having to change the columns to show the data you need, that’s very inefficient and wasteful. Let me set it once and forget it. No, can’t do that. I have wasted a ton of time just rearranging these windows each and every time I open a new file requester. Please Microsoft, figure out a way to let us save our favorite columns and make it actually STICK.
In Windows explorer, this USED to work in XP. In Vista, and it also now appears Win 7, you could set up your preferred folder view and go into the options and ‘Make all folders like this one’. That works for a while. However, inexplicably the folders eventually revert back to their old column headers without any warning. So, changing this setting and saving it doesn’t work. Again, it’s another inefficient use of my time.
Time Wasters
On top of the above inefficiencies, Microsoft has decided to bury many functions down up to three layers deep to change system settings. For example, you used to be able to right-click ‘My Network Places’ and get right to the settings for the network adapters. Now, however, if you do this you get to a new UI interface that requires you to click one or two additional links to get to the configuration panel. In some cases, they’ve split features out into multiple separate windows to do the same thing that one panel used to do in XP. Again, this requires not only digging through multiple places, you now have to dig through multiple panels.
Windows 7 should have been redesigned in a major way. Instead, we get a rehash of Vista. The learning curve is still there. Nothing has been done to increase user efficiency in the UI. Overall, I’d give Windows 7 a 3 stars out of 5. Microsoft has a lot of work to get Windows 7 even close to the efficiency level of XP. They also need to address the lack of drivers, driver compatibility and application compatibility issues. Eventually, they won’t be issues once developers redesign their apps to work with Windows 7, but there are still lots of legacy apps that do not work.
Should you buy Windows 7?
That’s really the question of the year. If you are buying a new machine that comes with Windows 7 loaded, go for it. If you are running Windows XP, you might want to think twice. Windows 7 does not solve all of the XP compatibility problems. So, if you’re looking at upgrading an existing system, I would recommend against that. In fact, you can’t directly upgrade (see below). You will find that most of your apps may no longer work. So, be careful when thinking about an XP upgrade. Note that you can’t directly upgrade XP to Windows 7 anyway. Windows 7 will move Windows to Windows.old and then install a fresh copy of Windows 7. This means you will need to find all of your app discs and reinstall (assuming that that he apps are Windows 7 compatible). So, this is a real pain.
I would recommend that you buy a new hard drive and place it into your XP machine and install onto the new hard drive. Then set it up to dual boot. So, then you can boot into Windows 7 or XP depending on what you need. Dual booting is a hassle, but at least it retains your apps. You can even create a virtual environment out of your XP hard drive and run it under Virtualbox or Virtual PC in Windows 7. So, you might want to consider a virtual environment for your XP system for compatibility (assuming you aren’t running games). Note that virtual environments work great for Windows desktop apps. Games, on the other hand, don’t always work that well… so be careful with games as they may not work in a virtual environment.
In answer to this question, only upgrade to Windows 7 from Vista. Do not upgrade XP to Windows 7 as it’s a waste. Instead, buy a new hard drive and install Windows 7 fresh. Then, copy over your files from your XP hard drive that are important to you. Consider the age of XP, you probably need to buy a new hard drive anyway just strictly considering the hard drive’s age. Hard drives are only rated to last about 5 years reliably and XP is long older than 5 years since it was released.
[Update 2/11/2010] After upgrading several systems, I highly recommend against upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 using the upgrade process. The reason: while it appears to work, you may find the system somewhat strange during use. Some things won’t install and work properly. Basically, the system just doesn’t always work 100% after an upgrade. It seems that Windows 7 retains too many Vista files and settings and leaves the system in a slightly unstable state. A state that no amount of repair can fix. If you have Vista and want to upgrade, don’t. Instead, install a fresh copy of Windows 7 and reinstall all of your apps. Windows 7 doesn’t have to format your hard drive, so you won’t lose your data. However, you will need to find it all again after installing Windows 7 fresh. So, if you aren’t familiar with reattaching existing data to newly installed apps, you may need to enlist the help of the Geek Squad or someone who knows what they are doing.
Good luck.
Business Organization Fail: The failure of the sales pipeline
In my line of business, purchasing services is part of doing business. Unfortunately, many businesses fail at sufficiently managing this budding relationship properly. This time is a crucial in relationship building between the two companies. If the order process does not go smoothly, is delayed or is slow to process or complete, this can damage the relationship from the start. A lot of companies pride themselves on their actual services, but how many company’s pride themselves or tout their order entry and completion processes? Not many.
All too often, you place an order for a service and the order does not complete as you expect. At first, you think this operation should be simple. However, when installation day and time passes without a peep, this leaves you wondering what happened. So, you call the sales and/or customer support line only to find out they don’t have a record of your order. Unfortunately, this is a sign of disorganization. A sign that this company fails to manage the order entry and order pipeline system properly. This is a company that should leave you with the question, “Do I really want to do business with them?” Rightly, you should be asking yourself that question. In some cases, however, this may be a cable company or some other company where you are over a barrel. Defacto monopolies exist in society and there’s little we as consumers can do about that. So, if you want that service, you must purchase it from that company or you don’t get it. But, even with all of that in mind, you should still ask the question, “Should I do business with this company?”
Disorganization is nearly always a sign of things to come. If there is this much disorganization surrounding the installation and the order process, that does leak into other parts of the business including the actual service itself. So, you may find your service affected in random ways throughout the life of the service. These problems may include, unintentional service disconnection, incorrect billing and invoicing including double billing and inaccurate billing to sporadic service quality and uninformed service outages and even installation issues resurfacing months or years later. Disorganization affects far too many businesses. Worse, most businesses don’t even recognize that they are affected, let alone do anything about it. Bigger businesses are more prone to disorganization than smaller companies, but business of all sizes can and are affected. With large companies, the departments and staff get more and more disconnected. As the departments get bigger and more disconnected, employees adopt a ‘not my job’ mentality and once something reaches the limit of their job description, they push it off their desk with no thought to the customer’s relationship. Once it’s pushed off their desk, they don’t really care what happens. This can leave holes that let customers’ orders fall through the crack and not be serviced.
With small businesses, disorganization happens from immature processes and/or constantly shifting priorities. Also with small businesses, these companies are usually understaffed and that leaves the employees overworked. So, instead of the service order falling into a black hole like a larger company, the order simply gets buried on the desk (or in email). This results in lack of order tracking. Effectively, big or small company, the problem is the same: a lost order.
Organizing: Documentation and Communication
Order taking doesn’t have to be a complex process. It does, however, need a process. In large companies, each department needs to be on the same page. So, that means sales, billing, customer support and technical support all need to use the same system to reference order numbers. Having multiple order tracking systems is ripe for failure in the order process. There’s nothing worse than need three or four reference numbers to discuss an order. Worse, though, is when you call and they can’t even look up any of the order numbers and they resort to company names, service addresses and phone numbers. Sometimes these don’t even work. When nothing works to look up your account, that indicates either an incompetent service representative or fractured systems. If you get a service rep who can’t seem to find your order, ask them for their name, thank them and call back. When you get a new representative ask them to look up your order or company. If they immediately find it, you should report the previous representative to their supervisor. Representatives can sometimes intentionally prevent finding the company to get you off the phone faster. These need to be reported.
Companies must recognize disorganization in order to fix it. Without recognizing this issue, the company cannot change their internal processes. The processes must be streamlined from start to finish. This is why many businesses adopt and use ISO 9000 standards certifications. These certifications, while rigorous and somewhat costly to obtain and somewhat costly and rigorous to maintain, ensure a high quality customer experience from start to finish. These certifications require that every department follow a blueprint each time they interact with customers. A set of steps that always lead the customer through the same experience. It sets quality standards from services and products and, again, it overall ensures a high quality customer experience.
Many larger companies require ISO certifications of their vendors. This certification process ensures there is a commitment of quality and a level of organization associated with a company’s service offerings. In other words, ISO certification immediately tells would-be buyers that they can expect a certain level of quality. ISO certifications require each employee to write their processes down of how to properly work through their daily jobs. Once these processes are documented, it’s easy to hand the documentation to new staff and have them follow these standards. Standards set by a company ensures that products and services are efficiently provided. Without any standards in place, this quickly leads to disorganization and haphazard and random methodologies in placing and managing the order process. Without standards and processes in place, a company cannot provide high quality services as easily or consistently.
Communication with prospects is key to an order’s success. If there is an issue with an order, there needs to be someone in the organization to manage these delays. Someone should be tasked with keeping track of orders and managing (by contacting the customer) when there is to be a delay or an unexpected issue that may prevent an order from completing properly. So, on top of the processes in place to make sure orders always take the same path, there needs to be a person to manage the order fully from start to finish. Additionally, systems need to be interlinked properly so that Sales, Customer Service and Billing can be on the same page at the same time. There is nothing worse than calling in and asking about the progress of an order only to find out the order was cancelled from lack of communication.
Update: iTunes 9 and Windows 7
As an update to an earlier Randosity article, I have upgraded my system to Windows 7 and then installed iTunes 9. Since making this change, I am no longer having the registry issue documented in this previous Randosity article. So, it may be worthwhile to upgrade your system to Windows 7 to alleviate this issue. Of course, it could be a fluke, but iTunes installed and started up without any issues on Windows 7. Before you upgrade, though, you’ll want to remove iTunes from your system, then run the upgrade to Windows 7, then reinstall iTunes 9. If you still experience registry issues with Windows 7 and iTunes 9, refer to this previous article for tips on what to do.
Getting a virus: Clearing it up faster
I’ve recently discussed what I do to help prevent the cold and flu virus, that one is the longer of these two articles. So, this one will be much shorter. If you do get a cold, the flu or even a throat infection, you can help reduce the symptoms by using a simple remedy: Zinc. But, not just any zinc. I personally use Zicam. The reason I use Zicam is the formulations available. While the zinc tablets work, they taste nasty and only coat your throat. This can work, but I find that the other Zicam formulations work much better.
Gel Swabs
The Zicam gel swabs are my favorite to use. The way this works is to swab the inside if your nostrils and then close the nostrils just briefly after swabbing. Apparently, as I understand how this works, the zinc in Zicam kills viruses on contact and, at the same time, prevents new viruses from taking hold. Since the viruses apparently start and multiply in the nasal cavity, the application of zinc coats your nasal passages and prevents the virus from taking hold and building full colonies. So, the theory goes, the symptoms are reduced and the length of infection shortened. For me, this works.
Reduction in symptoms
Whenever I get sick with a virus, I find that using zinc (Zicam variety) reduces sore throats from 5-7 days to about 2-3 days. So, without zinc, the cold may last 2 weeks. With Zicam, I find that my colds are over in about 7-9 days. For me, the symptoms of the cold are greatly reduced as well.
Other zinc formulations
You may get similar results with the lozenges, but I prefer the Zicam formulations. If another company begins making a similar formulation to the gel swabs, I may try those out. Right now it appears that Zicam is the only brand with this formulation. I will say that I have also tried Zicam’s nasal spray and throat spray. For the same reason that I don’t like the lozenges, I don’t like the throat spray (it tastes nasty). As far as the nasal spray formulation, I don’t like spraying this up inside my nose due to irritation. So, I stick with the swabs which simply coats the opening to your nose and doesn’t have taste or irritation problems. Apparently, though, the gel does move up into the nose through breathing, but I don’t seem to feel it like I do with the spray.
So, for prevention, follow my previous article. But, once you get sick, try using the Zicam gel swabs (or a knock off if you can find one) and see how well they work for you. If they do nothing, don’t buy them again. But, if they reduce the severity of the symptoms, as I expect they will, then I find that it’s well worth the $12 for a box.
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