Friday, March 30, 2007
UUUGHHHHHHH
Have you ever been soooooo close to something, yet it remains just out of your reach? Slipping, sliding, falling and yet the branch is just *inches* away. Knowing that if you twitch, you will slide into oblivion, yet, you must continue to twitch in hopes of grasping that branch and pulling yourself to freedom?
WINE for Linux (or should I call it "Whine")
Guess what!, I have ACT! (version 6.0) running on my Linux box, screenshots to follow...
There is a product out there called "WINE" for Linux. It's not a Windows Emulator, nor is it a "virtual machine" that encapsulates your Windows apps. It's a compatibility environment that creates a virtual drive on your box that will run Windows software. The application "runs", it's not running inside a pretend Windows OS (with the start bar, task bar and all that crap). Your app runs like any other app under Linux.
A couple of things I learned along the way; The "Windows" drive is a hidden device. That's to say that you won't find it using your file manager programs. You need to get there by changing directories to ~/.wine. (Don't you love Linux?) . Again, this is done in a terminal window.
Once you're in the .wine folder, you'll see a few things; a DOS folder, a "drive_c" folder and two config files. The config files contain a bunch of stuff, but from what I can tell, they replicate the Windows Registry as it relates to any programs you have installed.
If you change to the "drive_c" folder, you'll see a Program Files and a windows directories, and changing folders again to the Program Files folder, you'll see where your programs get installed.
Learned thing number 2: IF a folder has a multiple word name like "Program Files", you'll type "cd Program\ Files" to get there. An easier way is to type "cd" then a letter or two of the folder you want to go to, and then hit the tab key. Linux will fill in the blanks. So by typing "cd Pro (tab)" will result in "cd Program\ Files", then hit enter. By the way, if you don't know it already, LINUX IS CASE SENSITIVE. Program and program are NOT the same thing.
Learned thing 3: If you do want to install ACT!, it needs internet explorer.
Finally, unless the program you want to run is part of the path (i.e., its in a folder Windows always looks in like c:\windows\system\), you'll need to point at it specifically. Example. One I got ACT installed, I needed to make a desktop icon for it. The startup command is basically:
"wine "~/.wine/drive_c/Program\Files/ACT/act.exe". It is soooooo cool.
If you want to know how to do it step by step, let me know and I'll help you out the best I can. Remember, I'm learning too.
There is a product out there called "WINE" for Linux. It's not a Windows Emulator, nor is it a "virtual machine" that encapsulates your Windows apps. It's a compatibility environment that creates a virtual drive on your box that will run Windows software. The application "runs", it's not running inside a pretend Windows OS (with the start bar, task bar and all that crap). Your app runs like any other app under Linux.
A couple of things I learned along the way; The "Windows" drive is a hidden device. That's to say that you won't find it using your file manager programs. You need to get there by changing directories to ~/.wine. (Don't you love Linux?) . Again, this is done in a terminal window.
Once you're in the .wine folder, you'll see a few things; a DOS folder, a "drive_c" folder and two config files. The config files contain a bunch of stuff, but from what I can tell, they replicate the Windows Registry as it relates to any programs you have installed.
If you change to the "drive_c" folder, you'll see a Program Files and a windows directories, and changing folders again to the Program Files folder, you'll see where your programs get installed.
Learned thing number 2: IF a folder has a multiple word name like "Program Files", you'll type "cd Program\ Files" to get there. An easier way is to type "cd" then a letter or two of the folder you want to go to, and then hit the tab key. Linux will fill in the blanks. So by typing "cd Pro (tab)" will result in "cd Program\ Files", then hit enter. By the way, if you don't know it already, LINUX IS CASE SENSITIVE. Program and program are NOT the same thing.
Learned thing 3: If you do want to install ACT!, it needs internet explorer.
Finally, unless the program you want to run is part of the path (i.e., its in a folder Windows always looks in like c:\windows\system\), you'll need to point at it specifically. Example. One I got ACT installed, I needed to make a desktop icon for it. The startup command is basically:
"wine "~/.wine/drive_c/Program\Files/ACT/act.exe". It is soooooo cool.
If you want to know how to do it step by step, let me know and I'll help you out the best I can. Remember, I'm learning too.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
OK, I give
I searched high and low last night for a Contact Manager for Linux on the order of Act or Goldmine.
Nothing.
Everything I found was either an outlook wannabe, a web based CRM system, or an overly complicated and high priced psudo CRM. Nothing at all like ACT or Goldmine.
These two companies have found the middle ground of sales management tools quite nicely, and they need to address the emerging Linux market.
I have been an ACT user since the olden days, DOS based 1.0 or 2.0. Back when they had user groups, and the owners/developers would actually come out and attend them. I can't remember the guy's names, but there were two of them. I had a business integrating Act with a couple of other products and sold it to Realtors as a peak-performance package.
Nothing could beat Act, it was small, fast, and efficient. It made use of hot-keys that are still in use today. There was nothing cooler than getting a call, hitting "F5" (I think) to search on a name and popping up a record, hitting "F9" to see the notes, and hitting "F4" for your calendar faster than it took for the customer to finish their first sentence. It was seamless.
Now, all these programs are road hogs. We use Goldmine here, we have a site licence, and I hate the product. It's way too much for the average sales guy, and it's quirky, and the support sucks. It's like the old days of SBT accounting - anyone remember that?
They had a vast array of accounting products from AR, AP to GL. They were written on the dBase engine. Once they sold it to you, they more or less directed you to their army of "certified consultants" to actually make use of it, and to support it. Goldmine has gotten that way. Unless you want to wade through the mounds of "almost answers" on their website, you need to contact a "certified goldmine consultant". "F" that.
I want Act for Linux, and I WANT IT NOW!!! :)
Another thing.. There is no phrase that make my hair stand up on my neck more than "PC Wizard" or "Guru". God, I hate that. Whenever I hear it, it conjours up images of a really fat guy, greying with a long beard driving a crappy little Ford Fiesta with the plates "WIZARD".
Pleeeeeeeeaaaseee..... Computers are simply not that difficult.
Nothing.
Everything I found was either an outlook wannabe, a web based CRM system, or an overly complicated and high priced psudo CRM. Nothing at all like ACT or Goldmine.
These two companies have found the middle ground of sales management tools quite nicely, and they need to address the emerging Linux market.
I have been an ACT user since the olden days, DOS based 1.0 or 2.0. Back when they had user groups, and the owners/developers would actually come out and attend them. I can't remember the guy's names, but there were two of them. I had a business integrating Act with a couple of other products and sold it to Realtors as a peak-performance package.
Nothing could beat Act, it was small, fast, and efficient. It made use of hot-keys that are still in use today. There was nothing cooler than getting a call, hitting "F5" (I think) to search on a name and popping up a record, hitting "F9" to see the notes, and hitting "F4" for your calendar faster than it took for the customer to finish their first sentence. It was seamless.
Now, all these programs are road hogs. We use Goldmine here, we have a site licence, and I hate the product. It's way too much for the average sales guy, and it's quirky, and the support sucks. It's like the old days of SBT accounting - anyone remember that?
They had a vast array of accounting products from AR, AP to GL. They were written on the dBase engine. Once they sold it to you, they more or less directed you to their army of "certified consultants" to actually make use of it, and to support it. Goldmine has gotten that way. Unless you want to wade through the mounds of "almost answers" on their website, you need to contact a "certified goldmine consultant". "F" that.
I want Act for Linux, and I WANT IT NOW!!! :)
Another thing.. There is no phrase that make my hair stand up on my neck more than "PC Wizard" or "Guru". God, I hate that. Whenever I hear it, it conjours up images of a really fat guy, greying with a long beard driving a crappy little Ford Fiesta with the plates "WIZARD".
Pleeeeeeeeaaaseee..... Computers are simply not that difficult.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sometimes you just want to strangle someone
Here I sit in the office, so quiet you can hear a pin drop. I go over the prospect list with sales day after day. So many reasons, so many excuses. There are always the big dogs to be had, but you need lot's of little dogs around until you hit the big one. Last year, I heard from them that it "is a bad year for mail, no ones doing it".
You need to count on your sales people to be your eyes and ears, as they are more in touch with the industry. My eyes and ears are the piles of mail I get when I get home - which none of them I did.
I was looking at some industry awards today, and found that the bulk of them came from Chicago Ad agencies, and lot's of them were direct mail. Most of them were from agencies "that aren't doing anything". Really?
Sometimes you just want to strangle someone!
You need to count on your sales people to be your eyes and ears, as they are more in touch with the industry. My eyes and ears are the piles of mail I get when I get home - which none of them I did.
I was looking at some industry awards today, and found that the bulk of them came from Chicago Ad agencies, and lot's of them were direct mail. Most of them were from agencies "that aren't doing anything". Really?
Sometimes you just want to strangle someone!
Wild Hogs
What a riot.. great movie, great story line, touches the soul.. well, maybe not, but it's great.
I could tell it was going to be fun when I noticed all the couples my age (40 summin) at the popcorn stand acting like giddy little kids. Guys were bumping their girls, making candy and make-out jokes and such. I'm not saying that "we" don't identify with the younger crowd, but there's something to say about a movie that talks to me.
It's kinda funny that the message every guy wants to tell his wife comes in the first few minutes of the movie; "Look, I'm a man, and a husband, and a father, but sometimes I just need to be free. I'm wild, I'm a crazy teen inside, I'm a moron (but you already knew that)".
Without spoiling the movie, it's basically a bunch of friends that decide that they need a break from the day to day, and hit the road on their bikes without a plan. Keyword here ladies: without a plan. If follows them on their trek to the coast and their trials and tribulations along the way. It is kinda slapsticky, but it works.
Being a rider, there are scenes that just take your breath away, and make you want to hit the road too.
I can't think of any other movie premise that these four guys could work together in either. There's the ultra sucessful guy whose life sucks but no one knows, the former crazy youth turned suburban dad, the computer geek who's crying out to be cool and the "yes dear, no dear, whatever you say dear" guy who uses the trip as his escape. "Dudly" (William H. Macey) kills me. Think "Fargo meets Revenge of the Nerds".
All in all, it's good fun.
I could tell it was going to be fun when I noticed all the couples my age (40 summin) at the popcorn stand acting like giddy little kids. Guys were bumping their girls, making candy and make-out jokes and such. I'm not saying that "we" don't identify with the younger crowd, but there's something to say about a movie that talks to me.
It's kinda funny that the message every guy wants to tell his wife comes in the first few minutes of the movie; "Look, I'm a man, and a husband, and a father, but sometimes I just need to be free. I'm wild, I'm a crazy teen inside, I'm a moron (but you already knew that)".
Without spoiling the movie, it's basically a bunch of friends that decide that they need a break from the day to day, and hit the road on their bikes without a plan. Keyword here ladies: without a plan. If follows them on their trek to the coast and their trials and tribulations along the way. It is kinda slapsticky, but it works.
Being a rider, there are scenes that just take your breath away, and make you want to hit the road too.
I can't think of any other movie premise that these four guys could work together in either. There's the ultra sucessful guy whose life sucks but no one knows, the former crazy youth turned suburban dad, the computer geek who's crying out to be cool and the "yes dear, no dear, whatever you say dear" guy who uses the trip as his escape. "Dudly" (William H. Macey) kills me. Think "Fargo meets Revenge of the Nerds".
All in all, it's good fun.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The greatest resource on the web
Business cannot survive without sales, and sales if possibly the most frustrating and rewarding career there is. Good sales guys make good money, great sales guys make as much as the owners, quite often, more. The 80/20 rule applies here though, and finding the 20 is a difficult row to hoe.
Great sales people are built, not born, and they use every moment not selling to educate themselves, improve themselves, network, chatter and deal with the lonely world of selling.
Selling is a lonely world too.
When I was a kid, I wrestled. I could have played football, I could have played baseball, but I gravitated to sports that it was me against him. Sure, there was a team score in the end, but for 6 minutes it was my skills against his. I liked it that way. Selling is sort of the same thing.
A salesperson is only as strong as their skill set, knowledge base and their ability to understand it's not about them, it's about a customers need at this moment in time.
If you want to improve all of those things and then some, hit this website:
http://www.salespractice.com/forums/
You will find a WORLD of successful people, newbies, wannabes and upcoming stars there. There is nothing about selling you can't find there. It is the strongest community of people in a CUT THROAT industry willing to reach out to their competitors, pull them off the floor and hug them for the greatness of the fight.
If you sell, need marketing support, ideas, or have an interest in the mind game of selling and personal achievement, go here now. Do not pass go, Do not collect $100, just go there now. Tell them Tommy sent ya'
Great sales people are built, not born, and they use every moment not selling to educate themselves, improve themselves, network, chatter and deal with the lonely world of selling.
Selling is a lonely world too.
When I was a kid, I wrestled. I could have played football, I could have played baseball, but I gravitated to sports that it was me against him. Sure, there was a team score in the end, but for 6 minutes it was my skills against his. I liked it that way. Selling is sort of the same thing.
A salesperson is only as strong as their skill set, knowledge base and their ability to understand it's not about them, it's about a customers need at this moment in time.
If you want to improve all of those things and then some, hit this website:
http://www.salespractice.com/forums/
You will find a WORLD of successful people, newbies, wannabes and upcoming stars there. There is nothing about selling you can't find there. It is the strongest community of people in a CUT THROAT industry willing to reach out to their competitors, pull them off the floor and hug them for the greatness of the fight.
If you sell, need marketing support, ideas, or have an interest in the mind game of selling and personal achievement, go here now. Do not pass go, Do not collect $100, just go there now. Tell them Tommy sent ya'
Business woes
There's nothing like being in business for yourself, yet, there's nothing like being in business for yourself.
Over a decade ago, me and a couple other guys started a biz on a shoestring. We had us four, a rental property, one piece of equipment, a folding table and a phone.
Today we have nearly 40 employees, nearly 100,000 square feet of space, and millions in revenue.
We're faced with some very difficult decisions, as the landscape of our market has changed drastically. We're not becoming the best buggy whip company in a world of Fords, but it seems like it. Problem is everyone wants to get paid, bills need to be covered, debts need to be serviced, and feeding the tiger is a full time job and then some.
If you're employed by a mid to large business, and it seems things are going swimmingly, yet management has a frown, it's entirely possible they've poured every penny of their personal income back into the biz to make sure you have a paycheck. Secondly, just because the biz brings a million, doesn't mean it's not costing a million and a half to do so.
Things will get better, they always do.. It's the chasm between bad and good that drives me nuts.
Most entrepreneurs say that it was difficult and stressful, but they wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe in a few years I might feel that way - but not today.
Over a decade ago, me and a couple other guys started a biz on a shoestring. We had us four, a rental property, one piece of equipment, a folding table and a phone.
Today we have nearly 40 employees, nearly 100,000 square feet of space, and millions in revenue.
We're faced with some very difficult decisions, as the landscape of our market has changed drastically. We're not becoming the best buggy whip company in a world of Fords, but it seems like it. Problem is everyone wants to get paid, bills need to be covered, debts need to be serviced, and feeding the tiger is a full time job and then some.
If you're employed by a mid to large business, and it seems things are going swimmingly, yet management has a frown, it's entirely possible they've poured every penny of their personal income back into the biz to make sure you have a paycheck. Secondly, just because the biz brings a million, doesn't mean it's not costing a million and a half to do so.
Things will get better, they always do.. It's the chasm between bad and good that drives me nuts.
Most entrepreneurs say that it was difficult and stressful, but they wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe in a few years I might feel that way - but not today.
Monday, March 26, 2007
KDE yet again
I love Linux. Let me say that first. There is no better OS, and I have OS X, and Windows. The only thing preventing Linux from overtaking the free world is the archaic method of program installation. I know, In know, there's a jillion Distro's, that you need to compile for yours. Take the average Windows user though, first off, they have no idea what a "Distro'" is. (short for distribution, a version of linux - there are tons), and anything short of "Click here to install" sends them into a tailspin of frustration. I don't mind it, but geeze, terminal windows?, ./configure's?, make?, make install?, and where the hell did it *put* my program???? I still can't get any DVD players to work, and I've installed 3 of them. (I must be missing something with the skin setup for mPlayer, because I've done exactly what they say and still get skin errors.
By the way, if you install KDE 3.5, and can't find your trash, go to the tool bar, right click and select "add applet". You'll find it there.
By the way, if you install KDE 3.5, and can't find your trash, go to the tool bar, right click and select "add applet". You'll find it there.
Blue Monday
It was a nice weekend, weather was great, got out for a couple of short rides, forgot about hings for a while. It's back to the office today, and back to the stress of the week. This past week has probably been the worst of my 40 some years. I wish I were 18 again, and the only thing I needed to worry about is rent, smokes and gas.
BTW, the Ninja Turtle movie sucked. It was cool for what it was, but after priming my little ones with the 80's Ninja movie on Friday, they were excited to see the goofy hero's save the day again. What we got was Goth Batman in shells. Too loud, too scary and too serious. It seems they made Mike "funny" strictly for comic relief. Even my 15 year old didn't like it. Maybe it's just because I hate CGI. Maybe I'm just a crabby old man.
BTW, the Ninja Turtle movie sucked. It was cool for what it was, but after priming my little ones with the 80's Ninja movie on Friday, they were excited to see the goofy hero's save the day again. What we got was Goth Batman in shells. Too loud, too scary and too serious. It seems they made Mike "funny" strictly for comic relief. Even my 15 year old didn't like it. Maybe it's just because I hate CGI. Maybe I'm just a crabby old man.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
I think I have it...
OK, I'm using KDE for myself, and Gnome for the little kids. Gnome is simple enough that they won't cause any trouble or be crying to me 7/24 that "the Internet is broken", and KDE satisfies my urge to constantly tinker. "It's the best of both worlds" as Miley would say.
By the way, why is "Internet" capitalized?...
By the way, why is "Internet" capitalized?...
Friday, March 23, 2007
More WMP54G woes...
If you don't know it already, Kernel 2.6.17-11 breaks wireless configs. You need to re-run the setup with the new kernel. Also, you might find that your DNS lookups are really slow.
You click to a website, it waits and waits, then finally it all loads just fine. A lot of people are blaming it on Gnome. It's not, try blacklisting "IPV6", worked for me!
You click to a website, it waits and waits, then finally it all loads just fine. A lot of people are blaming it on Gnome. It's not, try blacklisting "IPV6", worked for me!
Thank GOD!
I finally picked up my Harley today from winter storage... Drove home in 46 degree rain for about 20 miles, but it's worth it. Hey, it's a Harley. :)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
WMP54G and Ubuntu Linux - ARRGGHH!!!!
OK, so I got frustrated trying to put windows, ANY windows on my cheap-o Compaq I bought last summer. I actually own a retail copy of XP BTW, but the box kept hanging up when I treid the install. No screen, nothing. I bought the box with the idea that putting Linux on it would make a cool print server for my wife and kids who are constantly having me run printers around the house. Seemed like a neat idea - that is until you try and use Wireless with Linux, well, Linksys Wireless specifically.
I have a Linksys WMP54G, which was a sweet card under windows, but if you want to commit Hari-Kari, try and set it up under Linux.
I tried setting it up several times, in the past year, whenever I'm in the mood to be crabby for a day. I googled the crap out of WMP54G, I read every stinking newsgroup I could find. Combine that with the fact that I would consider myself a Windows expert, I don't know diddly about Linux.
Well my friends, there is hope. If *you* have one of these cards, let me save you a boatload of frustration;
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/RalinkRT61?action=show&redirect=Rt61WirelessCardsHowTo
The WMP54G, at least the one I have, is an RA61 chipset and if you do what this guy says, step by step, copy-paste if you must, it WILL work!!
By the way, for you Linux Newbies - all of this is done in a terminal window. You can find the terminal with your accessories. If you don't know what a terminal window is, then, for the moment you may want to stick with Windows.
I have a Linksys WMP54G, which was a sweet card under windows, but if you want to commit Hari-Kari, try and set it up under Linux.
I tried setting it up several times, in the past year, whenever I'm in the mood to be crabby for a day. I googled the crap out of WMP54G, I read every stinking newsgroup I could find. Combine that with the fact that I would consider myself a Windows expert, I don't know diddly about Linux.
Well my friends, there is hope. If *you* have one of these cards, let me save you a boatload of frustration;
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/RalinkRT61?action=show&redirect=Rt61WirelessCardsHowTo
The WMP54G, at least the one I have, is an RA61 chipset and if you do what this guy says, step by step, copy-paste if you must, it WILL work!!
By the way, for you Linux Newbies - all of this is done in a terminal window. You can find the terminal with your accessories. If you don't know what a terminal window is, then, for the moment you may want to stick with Windows.
Looking into the Abyss...
"A man looks into the abyss. There’s nothing staring back at him. At that moment, a man finds his character. And that’s what keeps him out of the abyss."
That was a line from Wall Street, when Buddy sees his fast paced, easy come world crashing around him. I feel for Buddy. No, I didn't do anything wrong.
That was a line from Wall Street, when Buddy sees his fast paced, easy come world crashing around him. I feel for Buddy. No, I didn't do anything wrong.
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