Even a Nerd Can Be Heard

First of all, who decided to call these things "white papers"?  I have been a product  manager for a couple of different software companies and have been obliged to create at least a few of these things.  The idea (at least as it was explained to me)  is to create a "non-marketing" piece that other people in your company can use to market your software.

I created  one on Sarbanes-Oxley. I'm sure it will be on the best seller list any day now. 

Too bad I didn't have access to this seminar http://www.whitepapersource.com/seminar/ taught by a white paper guru.  Don't make the same mistake I did. Find out how to properly put these to use in your company.

I am going to create a black paper just to be different. It's going to have a list of all the reasons you don't want to buy my product.  That should make those marketing people happy.
 

Okay, I know that calculators today are worth about 5 cents each.  I don't even want to think about how much money I spent on my first TI scientific calculator in the 70's. That darn thing could add, subtract, multiply AND divide!! It was well worth the $500 investment. And it was a lot less work than the slide rule I had been using.

But I digress.  Slap a calculator on just about anything and I am gonna buy it.  I don't care what it costs. The fact that I can get a carabiner and calculator in the same device is important. When I am climbing up a mountain and need to calculate the acceleration speed of the rock falling towards my head, I am going to be pretty happy to have that calculator handy.

But today I found the perfect combination.  A "Black n' Red" notebook with built in calculator.  This notebook is the perfect size for carrying around and recording any mathematical theorems that pop into my head.  It has a beautiful black hardbound cover that is nice and shiny with a beautiful red spiral binding.  It didn't occur to me that black and red might be appealing because of its obvious accounting symbolism but that was an extra bonus.  I also love the fact that the company has trademarked the unique visual appearance of the notebook.  Who knew you could trademark something like that.

The appearance is nice but they had me at "calculator."