Tyler Blogs

One of the most frustrating things for me is to be in a meeting or activity and be inundated with stuff I've already heard before. This is particularly true when it comes to computers, and on Sunday morning at church. Similarly, it is quite exciting when I do learn something in one of those scenarios.

In much of Office software, other than VBA, I've heard or read the same tips for years. Today, I got a new tip that I hadn't heard of before. I have thought before how neat it would be if you could do that.

What I'm talking about is spike. Spike is a separate method of cut/paste that you can do in Microsoft Word. Instead of cutting, though, you append that section to the spike buffer. Mark something, press Ctrl-F3, mark something else, press Ctrl-F3, switch to another document (or whatever), and press Ctrl-Shift-F3 and everything shows up in the order that you "spiked" it.

This is one of the neatest features about Word 2007. It is also demonstrative of how there is very often very little functional difference between versions. At each upgrade, you may add one or two features that you (or your staff) actual use; and there are many, many other features that you don't know about, don't use, or don't need. That is, of course, except for the ability to read the files in the new version's file format.

The spike feature mentioned here is also available in Word 2000. The tip comes from today's Office Watch newsletter, one worth subscribing to, even if you already know it all.

We will be switching places, either this weekend or next. Instead of trying to hit all of the garage sales in Tyler in a single day, we will be home all day hosting our own garage sale. And you are invited. It'll be a challenge getting everything together in a week, but we have been after it all day. I'll be selling several of my computers or fixer uppers. There will be at least 5 complete systems, each under $100. I'm still preparing the fact sheets for them all.

I've been contemplating this sale for some time, getting rid of some of the systems that I only play with occasionally. I mean play as in configuring, reconfiguring and "I wonder if I can" activities, not playing games on them. In spite of that I couldn't resist picking up another computer last weekend. I got my first Apple system, after owning maybe 2 dozen PCs. It is a blueberry iBook (G3), with Panther, Adobe Suite and Microsoft Office, a good deal in my opinion. I am typing on it now.

I have a web site for the sale, 607Pam.info, and will also be putting photos on it of a few things. Some of the other key items that I will be selling are some golf discs, 200-300 of them, disc golf bags, stuff, chess sets, chess clocks, clothes, household stuff, firewood. If we have it this weekend, there won't be as many photos as if we had it next weekend, but you'll have to come to buy anyway... on pick up some of the freebies we will have. Come when it's slow and might get some free computer advice.

We are actually taking a break from house painting, that's on hold due to the humidity and temperature in the forecast for this week. If it happens to rain the weekend of the sale, well, that's why we have them in our garage. Ya'll come!