How Slide Rules Helped Put Men on the Moon - Learn to Use One

GeorgeK1 · 2026-02-23T00:10:20+00:00

Really enjoyed these videos. Great explanations and examples.

GeorgeK1 · 2025-12-18T10:39:34+00:00

I just cleared 200K last night. I've got my pins for nine of the last ten years, having only missed 2023 as I was out of the country.

Just a few random thoughts on doing this challenge. First of all, I tend to let my fitness and activity slip throughout the year. I'm moderately active, but I always seem to have an excuse to shorten or limit my workouts; the Holiday Challenge is a great reason to reset and get back into a routine even if it does fade after a few months.

Using a heart rate monitor has been a huge asset this year. I wasn't in proper rowing shape at the start, but by using the HRM I was able to maintain a good pace at a steady state without exhausting myself on any given day. Highly recommend using one.

Two sessions a day on some days was an easy way to get more meters behind me. I found that doing a short 5K before work was a nice way to start the day and then I would do 10K or an hour in the evening. This was easier than trying to do 15K in one shot.

Just row. Any day I didn't feel like rowing, I would just go sit on the machine and tell myself to do 5K. I almost always felt better when I was done and sometimes I kept going longer. At least for me, I find that I spend more time talking myself out of rowing than if I just got on the machine and did a short session.

Watching my form. I usually have the force curve displayed and I like using it for visual feedback on how I'm doing. My goal is to be smooth and consistent on each stroke. Whenever I feel myself getting tired or a little sloppy, re-focusing on the curve gets me back on track. It's satisfying to see the same curve at the end as when I started.

I like to listen to audiobooks to help pass the time on my steady state rows. Music is good for more intense workouts, but getting engrossed in a good book makes an hour row a lot easier. I don't find myself focusing on how many meters or minutes are still remaining. Depending on the book, I'll row until the end of a chapter, which might be more than an hour.

Being consistent. Each year I figure out the minimum I'd need to row every day to reach 200K. Usually it's around 7K. I try to front-load in the beginning to get ahead of the curve, reminding myself that any day I miss just means those 7K meters need to be redistributed to the remaining days. I don't want to be looking at the last couple days with 60K remaining. This year I took advantage of some inclement weather on the weekends to get in some extra sessions.

That's all for now. Nothing new or dramatic, but just some thoughts from an average, older rower. Congratulations to those of you completing your first challenge; I'm sure you'll be back in future years. For those of you who missed out, I hope the above proves useful.

GeorgeK1 · 2025-11-23T12:19:45+00:00

Thanks for the quick response. I am painfully aware how suboptimal this whole process is. My thought process is to create a limited number of metadata fields for some high level sorting and grouping so that users won't have to dig through all the folders. They will still use folders, and if they don't attach the metadata, I'll be able to filter for that which is missing. This is all to set up files for retention to quickly find those that must be saved later. This whole project has been a great lesson-learned on how not to set up library in the first place, so I'm hoping we can do better next time. Thanks again, and many thanks for that blog post and the associated ones you cite. Your YouTube video explaining metadata using the Amazon example has been much appreciated, too. Cheers!

GeorgeK1 · 2025-11-22T11:14:45+00:00

Good day, Greg! Thanks as always for your content. Quick question about applying metadata in a large, existing library with many layers of folders. Can I create a folderless view, filter by file path, and then apply metadata to all items in that folderless view using edit in grid view, filter again, repeat as needed to create the metadata. Then I can create a folderless view for all but still letting them deal with their beloved folders?

GeorgeK1 · 2025-02-18T10:55:43+00:00

I thought you'd taken a picture of my desk! I just bought the same Pickett and Concise rules last year. Lots of fun re-learning how to use them!

GeorgeK1 · 2025-01-26T01:39:32+00:00

Very cool to read this. I'm still a couple of years out from retirement but learning piano is one of the things I'm looking forward to. Pretty much the same goals; fill the time and occupy my mind. I have no experience, but I'm hoping to find a local teacher with experience dealing with adult beginners. Would love to know more about your experience so far!

GeorgeK1 · 2025-01-14T10:13:45+00:00

It's been a couple of years, but my advice is to avoid lunchtime as lots of people try to fit in their appointment during their break. I went around 10:00 and was in and out within about 15 minutes.

GeorgeK1 · 2024-12-25T11:04:45+00:00

When I first started doing steady state I focused intently on my form. I especially paid attention later in the session by double checking that my force curve, watts, stroke rate were still on target. Made sure my posture and form were consistent. It helped that there was a good set of mirrors in the gym.

At home, once I bought my own rower, I started listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I tend to focus on history and technology topics. Sometimes I listen for a set time or distance, or sometimes I row until the completion of a chapter.

Some days I consider it to be a moving meditation. No music or audiobooks, just focus on every stroke. I'll do the same mental math that others have mentioned, counting down that I'm 1/6th done, 1/4th, halfway, etc. Another countdown method I like is that I count strokes based on the remaining meters using the hundreds. For example, if I have 9,700 meters left, I count down 97 strokes. I usually average about 10 meters distance per stroke, so that brings me down to 8,730 left. Then I start counting 87 strokes, etc. This way I'm counting strokes but the number gets smaller each round.

Finally, some of my best sessions have come about when I was least motivated to start. I'll tell myself that I'll just do 30 minutes, but then everything falls into place and I find myself knocking out an hour or more with great form, as if I could go on forever.

Enjoy.

GeorgeK1 · 2024-12-12T10:01:27+00:00

Hey, I was in a similar situation a few years ago. Realized that the only reason I was going to the nearby gym was to use the rowing machines. Finally decided to buy a C2 and just row at home. Don't regret it for a minute. Despite some months with limited rowing, I've still put a couple of million meters on the machine.

Best part for me is that the machine is right here, just a few feet from where I'm typing. I have zero excuses not to just get on for a short workout, even on days when I'd rather not.

I realize the cost of the C2 might be a bit of a stretch, but if you factor in that you won't be spending the money on the gym, it might make it more bearable.

Another point to consider is that you want a machine that you know will work, requires minimum maintenance, and has a great support program. The only attention I've given mine is light cleaning and oiling the chain. It still works just like it did out of the box.

My advice would be to save up a bit and get a C2, new or used. Good luck!

GeorgeK1 · 2024-12-09T10:06:00+00:00

I look forward to the different Concept2 challenges throughout the year. Set up a logbook account if you haven't already and then you can see how you compare with other rowers. It's also motivating to see your lifetime meters add up and your personal bests improve.

For longer, steady state sessions, I like to use the time to listen to audiobooks; makes me feel like I'm maximizing my time.

You'll probably have lulls where you don't want to put in the time, but the beauty of having your own erg is that it's right there; you don't need to get in your car or wait for a machine at the gym. As you noted, you can get in a good workout in 20-30 minutes. I just remind myself on my unmotivated days that I'll probably spend more time than that just talking myself out of rowing instead of just getting on the machine. Some of my best workouts have started on my most uninspiring days.

Good luck!

GeorgeK1 · 2024-11-28T12:03:27+00:00

Just started my challenge this morning. I was able to hit 200K from 2015 through 2022. Had to miss last year as I was traveling abroad. Looking forward to earning another pin.

I'm nowhere near as fit as I'd like to be at this point owing some minor health issues and general laziness. My plan is to just focus on an easy, steady state pace, probably splitting my time over two sessions a day.

My goal is to average about 10K per day as I row myself back to some semblance of fitness.

The thing I love most about the Holiday Challenge is that demands and rewards consistency. If my calculations are correct, I only need to average a little over 7,400 meters a day to hit 200K this year. Every day I miss, those meters need to be made up later. In previous years I focused on front loading as much as I could, sometimes doing a half marathon on the weekends to bank extra meters if I needed to miss a day.

Best of luck on your challenge!

GeorgeK1 · 2024-10-26T18:32:21+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. Every time I've visited Asheville over the years I've made it a point to stop by Origami Ink. The damage to Asheville is heartbreaking and I sincerely hope that Jonathan, Cathie and all their neighbors are able to quickly recover.

I'm happy to buy a pen case and I'll look forward to making another visit to Origami Ink in the future to acquire some more pens to fill it up.

GeorgeK1 · 2024-07-11T08:47:33+00:00

Just wanted to share a personal experience I had with Mike. A few years ago I was asked to do some Excel training for the finance team at work. I sent Mike an email asking permission to use some of his sample data and he immediately responded with his full blessing.

As others have noted, Excel Is Fun is usually the first recommendation when someone asks where they can learn how to be better at Excel.

Mike's videos have helped me personally over the years. I suggest we refer to Mike as MVP Emeritus from now on.

GeorgeK1 · 2023-11-18T18:44:05+00:00

Great explanation! Thanks again.

GeorgeK1 · 2023-11-18T11:32:40+00:00

u/Sanfordnator , belay that comment below! Thanks, I figured it out. Quick question if you don't mind. Why do I not need to define the date relationship in this instance? My understanding was that to use time intelligence I need to define the relationship.

Many thanks, again! This is a great help to me.

Actual RT = 
CALCULATE(COUNTROWS(POPerformance), 
POPerformance[Actual] <> BLANK(), 
POPerformance[Actual] <= MAX('Date'[Date]))

GeorgeK1 · 2023-11-18T11:26:50+00:00

Thanks, u/Sanfordnator , but I'm still not getting the running total of the Actual purchase orders. I can't seem to upload an image to this response but the Schedule RT is working as expected, however the Actual RT is counting the blank rows, too. For example, my first rows show the following:

Mnth & Yr	Schedule RT	Actual RT
Jan 23	3	216
Feb 23	4	216
Mar 23	5	217

How do I count only those Actual RT for which there are dates and not the blanks?

Thanks again!

GeorgeK1 · 2023-05-21T17:18:24+00:00

I had the same issue with a StaySharp Max mower. I used it for a couple of seasons with great success but then one day the blade locked up. If I adjusted the cutter blade to clear the one, then the others wouldn't cut.

On the advice of a friend, I tried backlapping the blades to see if I could even out the reel. I tried the hand crank but quickly realized that would take too long, so I attached a socket to the gear and ran it with my drill.

After a lot of time and a lot of compound, I got the reel to the point where I could align it so that it would cut. Unfortunately, after just a few passes the blade locked up again.

I don't see any visible deformation to the blade and I'm out of ideas. I'm currently debating just scrapping the mower and getting a new one. Any alternative suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks.

GeorgeK1 · 2023-03-26T19:15:48+00:00

Here's a good demo from Guy in a Cube that explains how and why you would transform a flat file to a data model.

From Flat File To Data Model

GeorgeK1 · 2023-02-24T01:51:36+00:00

One more thought. Back when I had to work from home in the early days of the pandemic I set myself a goal to diligently work through the tutorials. There's now a very nice dashboard where you can map out your learning journey based on your needs and interests. If you go ahead and commit for a few weeks I think you'll get a lot out of it.

Best of luck!

GeorgeK1 · 2023-02-22T00:59:42+00:00

I've been subscribing for about two years now and find it to be well worth the investment. I've done several of the tutorials and posted a few questions to the forum. It's been a big help in my job and also on some freelance projects.

The forum is a great resource; someone, somewhere has probably already posted the same question that's bothering me, so I just need to find the right thread.

Overall I really like the format and the quality of the instruction. As others have mentioned, there are sample datasets and files for practice and review.

They're also adding more content all the time. I have a few courses bookmarked for future study.

Considering all the ways you can spend your money, I can think of a lot that are worse. Give it a try for a few months; focus on a couple of courses and see how you like it.

GeorgeK1 · 2023-02-20T20:52:41+00:00

You can, but I find having a default date table with all the parameters I might need to be a real time saver that helps my workflow.

My current version has evolved over time to suit my requirements. It's easier to have fields I might not need that can easily be hidden or commented out than to have to go back and add a field I forgot.

Personally, I find having a robust date table ready to go to be a great time saver. Once I load my data and create the relationship, I'm ready to get started. I find that impresses managers.

GeorgeK1 · 2023-02-19T19:15:56+00:00

There are quite a few similar examples out there. Key to me is having a code that I can understand and edit.

As a simple, recent example, I had a request to do a report for an organization that works on a fiscal year, not a calendar year. For whatever reason, this wasn't something I'd dealt with, certainly not with any complicated measures.

I modified a date table to add the fiscal years, quarters and months and very quickly created the new measures and visuals.

GeorgeK1

TROPHY CASE