Need to convert a PDF file to Word? There are a few free online tools you can use that have paid versions.  These are:

www.zamzar.com

www.freepdfconvert.com

Zamzar seems to offer more from its free service.  If you have short 2-page documents, freepdfconvert did a pretty good job of converting my files.   Know of any others?

This is cool. I just discovered that you can create polls with Google Docs. You basically create a spreadsheet to capture the data you want to examine and provide a link to a live form.  You can email this link or put it on a web site as I have done at the bottom of this post.  To make it work, you first need a Google Docs account.  Then, follow these simple steps.

1. Login to your Google Docs account.

2 Create a new Spreadsheet.

3. Select the Share tab.

4. When asked to give a name to your spreadsheet, give it a meaningful name, specific to your poll like "Favorite Browser".

5. In the Invite People area, there is a new option to "to fill out a form."  Select this radio button.

6. Press the "Start editing your form..." button.  This will launch a different window into which you specify the title, question, help text, etc.  Take special notice of the "Question Type." You have the options of selecting text, paragraph text, multiple choice, checkboxes or choose from a list.  The screen will change depending on the option you select.

7. When you are finished, press "Done."  If you are satisfied with the preview, press "Save"

8. Press the "Next, choose recipients >>" button.

Here, you can invite people, specify preferences, copy the link to the form, etc. 

9. Click on "Go to live form" to start entering data.

10. When you open your spreadsheet, you will see your data.

Take my poll on your Favorite Browser here.

I've been wondering if there's any pattern to music I listen to while programming.  I'm considering if there's any connection between the musical genre and type of programming I'm doing. For instance, sometimes I'm developing something simple but tedious and just want to get it done fast. Other times I'm proofing designs, or implementing complex patterns. Then, there's designing/developing the user-interface which takes a sense of both creativity and structure.

Granted, I understand that musical taste is a major component here. Still, just as there are different types of programming, there are different types of music.  By the way, I should probably mention that in my development career, I have met numerous programmers who are also musicians ranging from amateur to professional. Any connection there?

Music I frequently code to:

Classic Rock: Most of it, particularly Led Zeppelin,  Uriah Heep, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, etc.  The key for me here is that I have to be familiar enough with the music so as not to be distracted by the lyrics. It seems I'm listening to classic rock when I'm coding something with which I'm familiar.

Various forms of New age: Enigma is a new age group that mixes in some old world elements like Gregorian chants.  This is great for coding and particularly when I'm coding a complex design. Check out the sustained electric guitar in "Hello and Welcome" off the A Posteriori album.

I'll listen to harsh fast paced dark electronica when I'm in the groove, so to speak. For some reason it seems to keep my coding pace up. Similarly, certain forms of dark hard-edged rock (maybe even gothic) like Flyleaf.  There are other groups, but if I mention them my friends will tell me I'm going to burn in hell. 

--- Edit---

Ok, I'll confess, The song "Maneater" by The Retrosic off their God of Hell Album. Simply awesome and guaranteed code performance improvement.  Check out the drums about 1/3 into the song.

--- End Edit ----

I'll often code to classical of course, Mozart's Requiem and Vivaldi's Four Seasons being my favorite.

I'll also listen to hymns and praise music. I particularly enjoy the reworking of hymn melodies by groups like Indelible Grace.

I can code to very specific forms of Jazz like Pat Metheny for instance.

Music I cannot code to (nor listen to for that matter):

I've heard programmers say that they like the upbeat rhythms of of dance electronica.   This doesn't seem to work for me - it's too repetitive. I end up with code like

while (true)

    do something;

Pop - I can't stand this junk with its overly simplistic melodies and cliche lyrics.  If anything, this drives me insane and makes me totally unproductive.

Most Contemporary Christian Music for the same reasons I can't listen to pop.

Rap, too repetitive and since many rap lyrics are angry, I'm thinking it would be a bad combination when I'm having a bad code day...or maybe not.

What music do you listen to when coding?

I'm not much of a runner, but I do try to run a few times a week.  I'll normally run about 2-3 miles at at time.

A friend of mine introduced me to a site (I believe it is written in .NET). Using Google Maps, this site allow runners to keep running logs, elevation profiles, and more.  It's very impressive.

Here's my run for today: The Run

Anyway, if you're a runner, you might want to check this out.

I marvel at how the Internet has enabled our lives. I can still remember having to wait on hold for what seemed an eternity to make a plane reservation.  Now, our phone is even online and we get our voice messages emailed to us.

My family shares several calendars using Google Calendar to help us manage life.  We use about eight different calendars (Family, Kids, Work, Personal, etc) all selectively viewable within the same view.

Here's something interesting, rather than going to a traditional seminary I am taking classes from an institution where professors are located all over the U.S. and some living abroad.  Classes are streamed and I communicate with them over Skype where we can engage in conference calls with other students. Some of my classes will be with professors in Israel - now that's really amazing.

With all the online tools to enable collaboration (See my last post) we can pull together a team of the best developers without requiring them to relocate. This enables me to work in my home office with some of the best talent in the industry. I can honestly say that with rare exception, I eat breakfast and dinner with my wife and children every day - even if I have to work late.

With all this capability, I still cannot find a descent online course for SharePoint. I would like something I can do at my own pace without having to travel, and without having to spend 3K to sit in a stuffy room for 7 hours at a time. If anybody knows of anything, let me know.

Working as a Developer at Falafel is.... well, I'll just let the video speak for itself. 

Hard Work At Falafel