So we made it through the first of the holidays in reasonable fashion; celebrating with our extended family. So we made it through the first of the holidays in reasonable fashion; celebrating with our extended family. At the top of the hill where I live are three families that have seen their children grow up and move out on their own; scattering from their hometown to new locations on the East and West coasts. For the first time in many years all the kids made it home for Thanksgiving to join their families for the feast. It's easy to tell from the increased number of cars in the driveways.
A rainy Friday made it easy to work while others joined the madness of Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in the U.S. My task was to complete the Annual Economic Review that will appear in the January issue of Industrial Laser Solutions and which also will be presented at the annual Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar to be held in San Francisco on January 25.
I've been collecting references on the global manufacturing scene for several months, tossing those that were superseded by updated financial news. Still the folder is several inches thick. My opinion of the overall market for industrial lasers is formed from these references, interviews with suppliers of laser products, and countless anecdotal comments that are passed to me. By necessity the timing of the report can't be finalized until the latest quarterly reports are available from the 30 publicly traded laser and system suppliers that I track. Also, because of the importance of the fabricated metal product sector, I held off until the last possible minute as I collected impressions from those attending the Fabtech show in Chicago.
I'm not going to tip readers off in this blog to what my report will conclude but most of you, if you are in manufacturing, can probably guess that 2009 will be negative. Many of those I spoke with at Fabtech had already written-off 2009 and they were planning for an improved 2010. This seems to be the attitude of others in the manufacturing sector according to my reference sources.
Most of the neighboring kids who returned for the holiday stayed around for the long weekend, taking advantage of a rather mild weekend to play some touch football. As they worked off their Thanksgiving meals with exuberant no-rules football I pondered on their immediate future as this country stumbles though a prolonged recession and slow recovery. All but two, a graduate student and doctor doing his residency, are in the nation's workforce. Each feels the recession in one way or another. The only female, an MBA consultant for a major accounting firm who sees the inside picture, can only express their concerns based on actual experiences.
One, a budding motion picture and TV producer, is concerned about investors; another, a railroad executive, is thinking about the drop in car loadings that, he says, can be a tip to the markets three months from now.
But I notice that all the kids are playing with the abandon and joy of young people when surrounded by their friends. I call them kids even though they are young men and a woman. But to me they will likely always be the kids, because I experienced their births and their childhood as they were raised here on the hill. As I enjoy their enjoyment I am encouraged by their vitality, poise, enthusiasm, and seemingly carefree attitude. They face a tough year but it doesn't seem to have them down; quite the opposite.
So as I put the final touches on my report I do so with some of their attitude; we will get through this by looking forward. Among the young people who are our future will be those tested by this, the most severe economic declines since the Great Depression, who will be starting the next economic revival. I think we are in good hands.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
FABTECH 2009 a success
FABTECH didn't disappoint; exhibitors went in with modest expectations for success and the show delivered. FABTECH didn't disappoint; exhibitors went in with modest expectations for success and the show delivered. Although the total number of exhibitors was down from the show goal, due in most part to the severe recession in the fabricated metal products industry, the show organizers were able to arrange the North and South halls at Chicago's McCormick Place so that there were no obvious gaps in the floor plan; wider aisles and discrete curtain placement worked.
We were able to meet with more than two-thirds of the 80 plus laser related exhibitors, and we shot video at a dozen or more of these. You will be able to see these videos on the ILS Website.
Among the large system suppliers (mostly laser sheet metal cutting systems) we found consensus that 2009 will go down in history as the worst year for equipment sales with average supplier company revenues decreased in excess of 35% for the latest reporting period.
However, setting aside the euphoria that trade shows engender, we found common agreement that the worst of the financial problems are over and that activity is picking up, sales are being made, and prospects for the early weeks of 2010 are looking brighter. When pressed for an estimate of how much and when it will happen--like good marketing people the world over--the proverbial six-month horizon leaves them wiggle room if they have guessed wrong.
A typical response to our queries was a nominal 10-12% growth over the worst quarter of the fiscal or calendar year. In the words of my colleague Tom Hausken of Strategies Unlimited, "There will be growth."
Most company managers project a bumpy six months with no major blips that will push sales up because the inventory of "new" used equipment has to be worked off and credit availability has to ease.
Daniel Gross, a writer I respect, in his latest column in Slate predicts a faster-than-expected recovery in employment could happen, and if he is right then that bump may already be out here waiting to explode.
The market prospects for small laser system suppliers, mainly laser markers, looked brighter at this year's FABTECH, as their market sectors have not felt the depth of the recession because they are not tied exclusively to heavy manufacturing; they are serving the medical, scientific, and military markets, in addition to industrial. Recovery seems to be happening faster with them as their more diverse manufacturing markets have not felt the pain that the industrial has. Many of the companies serving these markets are having a good year, in one or two cases an excellent year.
The suppliers of related products and consumables expressed positive feelings for the show and the visitors they met. Many of those surveyed serve more than the industrial market and this has helped them weather the storm that has hit their OEM customers in other market sectors.
There were lots of potential buyers attending the show (visitor total at 25,000, Monday and Tuesday both halls experienced heavy traffic), which gave exhibitors the impression that the worst was behind them and that 2010 will be brighter. We were told by many exhibitors that leads generated were plentiful and of high quality. Several of these mentioned sales made at the show.
Our judgment; FABTECH exhibitor goals were met and a willing and potentially growing selling market has developed. On the whole this year's show will be judged a success.
We were able to meet with more than two-thirds of the 80 plus laser related exhibitors, and we shot video at a dozen or more of these. You will be able to see these videos on the ILS Website.
Among the large system suppliers (mostly laser sheet metal cutting systems) we found consensus that 2009 will go down in history as the worst year for equipment sales with average supplier company revenues decreased in excess of 35% for the latest reporting period.
However, setting aside the euphoria that trade shows engender, we found common agreement that the worst of the financial problems are over and that activity is picking up, sales are being made, and prospects for the early weeks of 2010 are looking brighter. When pressed for an estimate of how much and when it will happen--like good marketing people the world over--the proverbial six-month horizon leaves them wiggle room if they have guessed wrong.
A typical response to our queries was a nominal 10-12% growth over the worst quarter of the fiscal or calendar year. In the words of my colleague Tom Hausken of Strategies Unlimited, "There will be growth."
Most company managers project a bumpy six months with no major blips that will push sales up because the inventory of "new" used equipment has to be worked off and credit availability has to ease.
Daniel Gross, a writer I respect, in his latest column in Slate predicts a faster-than-expected recovery in employment could happen, and if he is right then that bump may already be out here waiting to explode.
The market prospects for small laser system suppliers, mainly laser markers, looked brighter at this year's FABTECH, as their market sectors have not felt the depth of the recession because they are not tied exclusively to heavy manufacturing; they are serving the medical, scientific, and military markets, in addition to industrial. Recovery seems to be happening faster with them as their more diverse manufacturing markets have not felt the pain that the industrial has. Many of the companies serving these markets are having a good year, in one or two cases an excellent year.
The suppliers of related products and consumables expressed positive feelings for the show and the visitors they met. Many of those surveyed serve more than the industrial market and this has helped them weather the storm that has hit their OEM customers in other market sectors.
There were lots of potential buyers attending the show (visitor total at 25,000, Monday and Tuesday both halls experienced heavy traffic), which gave exhibitors the impression that the worst was behind them and that 2010 will be brighter. We were told by many exhibitors that leads generated were plentiful and of high quality. Several of these mentioned sales made at the show.
Our judgment; FABTECH exhibitor goals were met and a willing and potentially growing selling market has developed. On the whole this year's show will be judged a success.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Do you remember when...?
So here's the idea, suggested to me by the editor of Laser Community, the laser magazine from TRUMPF, for whom I occasionally contribute editorial. I'll pick the Top Ten industrial laser applications developed in the first 50 years of laser technology, which will appear in their 50 year Highlight issue. So here's the idea, suggested to me by the editor of Laser Community, the laser magazine from TRUMPF, for whom I occasionally contribute editorial. I'll pick the Top Ten industrial laser applications developed in the first 50 years of laser technology, which will appear in their 50 year Highlight issue. Interesting idea. I'm not sure if I was chosen because of my long career in industrial laser technology (meaning I have outlasted all the other pioneers) or because of my 25 years of editing Industrial Laser Solutions, but this is an offer that is hard to resist albeit one fraught with potential controversy.
If I pick ten will my choices be accepted by others as a definitive list or will they nit pick me to death for my choices? My solution, set guidelines for how the choices are made. This seems a reasonable way to resolve future correspondence on why I passed on certain applications.
With that as my modus operandi, agreed to by the editor, I set out to revisit 50 years of laser technology and specifically 40 years of industrial laser activity, as I consider 1970 as the start of the industrial laser business.
The task was made easier for me by the criteria that I set; the application had to be innovative and a breakthrough in terms of it's utilization, it had to fill a need in industry as exemplified by its eventual widespread acceptance globally, it had to advance laser and system technology and in so doing create spin-off technology that continues the growth of industrial laser materials processing, it had to have longevity as determined by its continued use today, and finally the markets that used the application had to be measurable in terms of units sold and revenues produced. These criteria, if met, would cull out all those great applications we still talk about which are now forgotten, even though they were media news in their day.
I tapped all my resources, files of information in my possession, personal reminiscences of those who were the applications developers, and the pages of ILS. The result was a list of great applications that so intrigued me that I asked the Laser Community editor for permission to expand on his requirements for a full-blown review in ILS (it will appear only as a timeline reference in the winter issue of Laser Community). This longer piece will appear in the January issue of ILS, and until then my choices are known only to some of those who I tapped for background information.
This blog is first notice to those who are widely versed in industrial laser processing, meaning those who have been around for years and are qualified to comment on what transpired over 50 years. I will be committing the Top Ten list to perpetuity at the end of this month when the January article is in pre-production.
I have to say that a lot of great applications were recalled and their exclusion from my list was only because they did not fully meet the criteria I set. When the list is published you will note that it does not include any of the new crop of applications that may over time qualify, therefore most of those chosen date back to the early days of this technology. I think I will treat these and others that missed the cut in a general closing paragraph that at least gives them mention, sort of an honorable mentions list.
As an aside, at the recent successful gathering of advanced laser materials processing developers at ICALEO, Paul Denney of CCAT put forth an idea for future ICALEO meetings--a session devoted to the wildest, craziest, zaniest industrial laser applications. Among the candidates, cutting cheese, changing the sex of shrimp, and trimming cut asparagus spears. Several old-timers, myself included, could in a short time identify some of these misfits that never would have made my Top Ten list. As I dug through my reference for the list many of these occurred to me as examples of misguided efforts that an emerging technology engendered as it struggled to find its markets.
I look forward to the comments that my Top Ten list will produce and I promise, in one way or another, to share these better ones with you. If you want to have a little fun, make up your own list and send it along to me after December 1st. I'll compare these to mine and I'll acknowledge anyone who guesses right on my choices the week after the January issue of ILS appears.
If I pick ten will my choices be accepted by others as a definitive list or will they nit pick me to death for my choices? My solution, set guidelines for how the choices are made. This seems a reasonable way to resolve future correspondence on why I passed on certain applications.
With that as my modus operandi, agreed to by the editor, I set out to revisit 50 years of laser technology and specifically 40 years of industrial laser activity, as I consider 1970 as the start of the industrial laser business.
The task was made easier for me by the criteria that I set; the application had to be innovative and a breakthrough in terms of it's utilization, it had to fill a need in industry as exemplified by its eventual widespread acceptance globally, it had to advance laser and system technology and in so doing create spin-off technology that continues the growth of industrial laser materials processing, it had to have longevity as determined by its continued use today, and finally the markets that used the application had to be measurable in terms of units sold and revenues produced. These criteria, if met, would cull out all those great applications we still talk about which are now forgotten, even though they were media news in their day.
I tapped all my resources, files of information in my possession, personal reminiscences of those who were the applications developers, and the pages of ILS. The result was a list of great applications that so intrigued me that I asked the Laser Community editor for permission to expand on his requirements for a full-blown review in ILS (it will appear only as a timeline reference in the winter issue of Laser Community). This longer piece will appear in the January issue of ILS, and until then my choices are known only to some of those who I tapped for background information.
This blog is first notice to those who are widely versed in industrial laser processing, meaning those who have been around for years and are qualified to comment on what transpired over 50 years. I will be committing the Top Ten list to perpetuity at the end of this month when the January article is in pre-production.
I have to say that a lot of great applications were recalled and their exclusion from my list was only because they did not fully meet the criteria I set. When the list is published you will note that it does not include any of the new crop of applications that may over time qualify, therefore most of those chosen date back to the early days of this technology. I think I will treat these and others that missed the cut in a general closing paragraph that at least gives them mention, sort of an honorable mentions list.
As an aside, at the recent successful gathering of advanced laser materials processing developers at ICALEO, Paul Denney of CCAT put forth an idea for future ICALEO meetings--a session devoted to the wildest, craziest, zaniest industrial laser applications. Among the candidates, cutting cheese, changing the sex of shrimp, and trimming cut asparagus spears. Several old-timers, myself included, could in a short time identify some of these misfits that never would have made my Top Ten list. As I dug through my reference for the list many of these occurred to me as examples of misguided efforts that an emerging technology engendered as it struggled to find its markets.
I look forward to the comments that my Top Ten list will produce and I promise, in one way or another, to share these better ones with you. If you want to have a little fun, make up your own list and send it along to me after December 1st. I'll compare these to mine and I'll acknowledge anyone who guesses right on my choices the week after the January issue of ILS appears.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Everything old is new again
It's October 1800 and they've called a special meeting of the Town Council. The subject--what happened to the Town Crier?
It's October 1800 and they've called a special meeting of the Town Council. The subject--what happened to the Town Crier? Because the Council comprises merchants, a banker, and a farmer, the concern for the missing Crier is mostly expressed by the general store proprietor. "Who is going to be spreading the noon news that I used to sponsor," he asked. "I just got a shipment of China tea from that latest clipper ship arrival and it's going to be clogging up my stockroom if I don't let the housewives know it is here."
The practical farmer answered, "Why not use young Ben who has the newfangled broadside sheet press in his print shop?"
"Takes too long to get quantities of those sheets printed and on a humid day the ink runs so you can't make out my selling prices."
The cooper whose barrels were only made to order asked, "How much were you paying the Crier and why did you stop?"
"Not much, but I was his best customer. It's the economy, what with the recent collapse of the state banking system, new taxes on imported goods, and two years of drought that impacted the harvest reducing bartering options, my business is off by 40%," said the store owner.
"Well don't blame me," said the farmer. "I don't control the weather. Besides the drought is over and this year's crop looks better. So you should see the wives back in your store soon."
"I hear you but I'm just not ready to start up with the Crier again until I have more confidence in the economy."
"You mean you want guarantees that buyers will come back to you before you spend money telling them what you have to sell? Who ever heard of such a thing?" said the miller. "Besides, if you don't get the word out about your new shipment my wife will keep serving me that chamomile tea she makes, which I can’t stand."
The Council Chairman interrupted, "Look, forget the tea; the issue before us is how can we get the Crier back on the road. There's an election coming up and I need to get my message to the voters."
"Don't look at me as the bad guy," said the store owner. "I can't fund him by myself, maybe others need to pitch in."
The cooper said, "Right, and we need to do it now. By the time Ben gets his machine running right it may be too late and you'll be forced to cut your hours and the assortment of merchandise you stock."
The banker, whose contacts were widespread cautioned, "I’ve heard the Crier was seen across the river, trying out for the flatlander's council. Ben can't print enough broad sheets to get news over there. Maybe if we they hire him we can give him a megaphone and he can shout the news over the river to us."
"How about we find a new Crier," opined the farmer. "What's so special about the old one?"
"He knows us, our needs, our wants, and our way of life; he's one of us," answered the miller. "When he spreads the news it's done with integrity."
"What's with the integrity, all we want is the news headlines, you think content matters?" the Council Chairman added, knowing full well that he really didn't want the Crier telling everything he knew.
"I've got a suggestion--why don't you guys kick in? I shouldn't be the only one sponsoring the Crier. How about sharing the burden?" pleaded the store owner.
At this blasphemy a motion was made to adjourn the Council and the members fled the room, clutching their purses.
A few days later passing the General Store one could see, through an open door, the proprietor standing in front of a sign reading--Inventory Reduction Sale--surrounded by unopened boxes of China tea, striving to listen through an ear trumpet to the faint voice of the Town Crier delivering the noon news across the river.
And so it goes.
It's October 1800 and they've called a special meeting of the Town Council. The subject--what happened to the Town Crier? Because the Council comprises merchants, a banker, and a farmer, the concern for the missing Crier is mostly expressed by the general store proprietor. "Who is going to be spreading the noon news that I used to sponsor," he asked. "I just got a shipment of China tea from that latest clipper ship arrival and it's going to be clogging up my stockroom if I don't let the housewives know it is here."
The practical farmer answered, "Why not use young Ben who has the newfangled broadside sheet press in his print shop?"
"Takes too long to get quantities of those sheets printed and on a humid day the ink runs so you can't make out my selling prices."
The cooper whose barrels were only made to order asked, "How much were you paying the Crier and why did you stop?"
"Not much, but I was his best customer. It's the economy, what with the recent collapse of the state banking system, new taxes on imported goods, and two years of drought that impacted the harvest reducing bartering options, my business is off by 40%," said the store owner.
"Well don't blame me," said the farmer. "I don't control the weather. Besides the drought is over and this year's crop looks better. So you should see the wives back in your store soon."
"I hear you but I'm just not ready to start up with the Crier again until I have more confidence in the economy."
"You mean you want guarantees that buyers will come back to you before you spend money telling them what you have to sell? Who ever heard of such a thing?" said the miller. "Besides, if you don't get the word out about your new shipment my wife will keep serving me that chamomile tea she makes, which I can’t stand."
The Council Chairman interrupted, "Look, forget the tea; the issue before us is how can we get the Crier back on the road. There's an election coming up and I need to get my message to the voters."
"Don't look at me as the bad guy," said the store owner. "I can't fund him by myself, maybe others need to pitch in."
The cooper said, "Right, and we need to do it now. By the time Ben gets his machine running right it may be too late and you'll be forced to cut your hours and the assortment of merchandise you stock."
The banker, whose contacts were widespread cautioned, "I’ve heard the Crier was seen across the river, trying out for the flatlander's council. Ben can't print enough broad sheets to get news over there. Maybe if we they hire him we can give him a megaphone and he can shout the news over the river to us."
"How about we find a new Crier," opined the farmer. "What's so special about the old one?"
"He knows us, our needs, our wants, and our way of life; he's one of us," answered the miller. "When he spreads the news it's done with integrity."
"What's with the integrity, all we want is the news headlines, you think content matters?" the Council Chairman added, knowing full well that he really didn't want the Crier telling everything he knew.
"I've got a suggestion--why don't you guys kick in? I shouldn't be the only one sponsoring the Crier. How about sharing the burden?" pleaded the store owner.
At this blasphemy a motion was made to adjourn the Council and the members fled the room, clutching their purses.
A few days later passing the General Store one could see, through an open door, the proprietor standing in front of a sign reading--Inventory Reduction Sale--surrounded by unopened boxes of China tea, striving to listen through an ear trumpet to the faint voice of the Town Crier delivering the noon news across the river.
And so it goes.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
When is a laser not a laser?
I just happened to catch the weather person on the 11 o'clock news refer to an approaching cold front as "straight as a laser." Normally I'd let something like this slide, but for some reason it penetrated my tired brain.
I just happened to catch the weather person on the 11 o'clock news refer to an approaching cold front as "straight as a laser." Normally I'd let something like this slide, but for some reason it penetrated my tired brain.
"Why," I asked my wife, "Do people use the term laser when they mean laser beam?" During the baseball season I heard "like a laser" used countless times to describe a thrown high fast ball or a line drive to left field. Again meaning a laser beam not a laser.
For the record, officially and correctly, a laser is a device that generates coherent bundles of photons that are focused into a high energy density spot that can produce a physical change in a material. Simple definition. The laser is a device that that produces a beam of light, and it's this beam of light that is straight and bright.
So, no more straight as a laser folks, it's straight as a laser beam.
Having said this I'll move onto criticism raised by Martien van Dijk (ILS Editorial Advisor). It's not turbine blade drilling, it's laser drilling of turbine blades, he reminded me in a recent e-mail response to a query about the process, of which he is an expert. His exact comment was, "English is not my native tongue but in Dutch we can't say 'turbine blade drilling.' We would say, 'drilling of turbine blades.' Turbine blade drilling would be correct if the process was named turbine blade, but we can say laser drilling, although I would say drilling of airfoils."
I sheepishly accepted Martien's grammar lesson acknowledging my error, but completely forgetting to correct him on the process, which is actually laser beam drilling of turbine blade holes.
ILS is read in more than 130 countries around the world, mostly in English, but also in Simplified Chinese and Japanese (Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana). By not paying strict attention to the incorrect usage of terms we, ourselves, are promulgating the problem worldwide. Imagine an engineer in China scratching his head as he tries to puzzle out turbine blade drilling, or whatever it translates into simplified Chinese.
To begin with, the word laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. When I first started working with this device we were referring to it as an optical maser (shows you how old I am--actually I was a child prodigy). In fact, when I wrote a thesis on this technology as a postgraduate it was the first time I used laser as a term. Recently while researching for a patent litigation I found terms used in the 1960s like--to laser or lasering a material--so already it was being used as a verb instead of its proper use (according to Webster) as a noun. Even today when I see this usage I cringe as it is not one that I accept as correct.
If we accept the correct definition of the word then the laser is always the device that is producing light radiation (the laser beam). And carrying this one step further technically this radiation, since it is produced in a manmade device will spread forever (diverge) as it, now the laser beam by definition, radiates unless we intercept it with an optical element that will cause it to focus (usually converging) to a usable spot size for laser beam processing.
It's these last three words that pose my conundrum. Many times when I am writing or lecturing I will use the laser beam term correctly, but more often I, like others, revert to shorthand and substitute laser. Thus, laser drilling of turbine blades. I know it's incorrect and when I edit articles submitted to ILS I try to use the correct terminology, but find that I accede to the author's usage and use laser instead of laser beam.
I can think of two acquaintances who would not hesitate to take me to task on this, one a former co-worker who as a scientist was super critical of my marketing use of terms like beam delivery (instead of beam generation), the other a former editorial colleague who would not hesitate to quote the New York Times style manual of the terms as gospel. As I write and edit I've got these guys perched on my shoulders reading every word I produce. Both don't hesitate to box my ears when I get it wrong. So with proverbial cauliflower ears I slog my way through texts, mixing terms, all in the spirit of writing to readers' levels. My premise--it is common usage today, although technically wrong to call a laser beam a laser.
Is it legitimate for an editor to seek protection for error under the guise of "common usage?" And this is what I have been wrestling with for the past few days. I'll be honest with you, after 24 years of editing and more than that writing I have yet to hear from anyone about improper use of the term laser when laser beam is intended. So I suppose this blog will open the floodgates of comments from those more grammatically correct than me.
I just happened to catch the weather person on the 11 o'clock news refer to an approaching cold front as "straight as a laser." Normally I'd let something like this slide, but for some reason it penetrated my tired brain.
"Why," I asked my wife, "Do people use the term laser when they mean laser beam?" During the baseball season I heard "like a laser" used countless times to describe a thrown high fast ball or a line drive to left field. Again meaning a laser beam not a laser.
For the record, officially and correctly, a laser is a device that generates coherent bundles of photons that are focused into a high energy density spot that can produce a physical change in a material. Simple definition. The laser is a device that that produces a beam of light, and it's this beam of light that is straight and bright.
So, no more straight as a laser folks, it's straight as a laser beam.
Having said this I'll move onto criticism raised by Martien van Dijk (ILS Editorial Advisor). It's not turbine blade drilling, it's laser drilling of turbine blades, he reminded me in a recent e-mail response to a query about the process, of which he is an expert. His exact comment was, "English is not my native tongue but in Dutch we can't say 'turbine blade drilling.' We would say, 'drilling of turbine blades.' Turbine blade drilling would be correct if the process was named turbine blade, but we can say laser drilling, although I would say drilling of airfoils."
I sheepishly accepted Martien's grammar lesson acknowledging my error, but completely forgetting to correct him on the process, which is actually laser beam drilling of turbine blade holes.
ILS is read in more than 130 countries around the world, mostly in English, but also in Simplified Chinese and Japanese (Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana). By not paying strict attention to the incorrect usage of terms we, ourselves, are promulgating the problem worldwide. Imagine an engineer in China scratching his head as he tries to puzzle out turbine blade drilling, or whatever it translates into simplified Chinese.
To begin with, the word laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. When I first started working with this device we were referring to it as an optical maser (shows you how old I am--actually I was a child prodigy). In fact, when I wrote a thesis on this technology as a postgraduate it was the first time I used laser as a term. Recently while researching for a patent litigation I found terms used in the 1960s like--to laser or lasering a material--so already it was being used as a verb instead of its proper use (according to Webster) as a noun. Even today when I see this usage I cringe as it is not one that I accept as correct.
If we accept the correct definition of the word then the laser is always the device that is producing light radiation (the laser beam). And carrying this one step further technically this radiation, since it is produced in a manmade device will spread forever (diverge) as it, now the laser beam by definition, radiates unless we intercept it with an optical element that will cause it to focus (usually converging) to a usable spot size for laser beam processing.
It's these last three words that pose my conundrum. Many times when I am writing or lecturing I will use the laser beam term correctly, but more often I, like others, revert to shorthand and substitute laser. Thus, laser drilling of turbine blades. I know it's incorrect and when I edit articles submitted to ILS I try to use the correct terminology, but find that I accede to the author's usage and use laser instead of laser beam.
I can think of two acquaintances who would not hesitate to take me to task on this, one a former co-worker who as a scientist was super critical of my marketing use of terms like beam delivery (instead of beam generation), the other a former editorial colleague who would not hesitate to quote the New York Times style manual of the terms as gospel. As I write and edit I've got these guys perched on my shoulders reading every word I produce. Both don't hesitate to box my ears when I get it wrong. So with proverbial cauliflower ears I slog my way through texts, mixing terms, all in the spirit of writing to readers' levels. My premise--it is common usage today, although technically wrong to call a laser beam a laser.
Is it legitimate for an editor to seek protection for error under the guise of "common usage?" And this is what I have been wrestling with for the past few days. I'll be honest with you, after 24 years of editing and more than that writing I have yet to hear from anyone about improper use of the term laser when laser beam is intended. So I suppose this blog will open the floodgates of comments from those more grammatically correct than me.
Monday, October 19, 2009
When stress is a good thing
Here in my part of New England it's time to take in the house plants that have been enjoying fresh air since last May. The last of these are my wife's beloved Christmas Cacti. Here in my part of New England it's time to take in the house plants that have been enjoying fresh air since last May. The last of these are my wife's beloved Christmas Cacti (known botanically as Schlumbergera or Zygocactu), a misleadingly named cultivar that in my house has a mind of its own--sending out gorgeous blossoms at random holidays throughout the year. When asked about this strange phenomena, a relative's husband, a renowned botanist (hint--he edited the famous Taylors Guide To series), just shrugs his shoulders saying "Enjoy."
The patriarch of these plants is directly descended from those of my wife's maternal ancestors and quite likely go back 150 years or more; so it holds a special place in her heart. She has moved this plant several times over the years and has happily shared cuttings with countless friends, relatives, and untold numbers of charity fair exhibitors where the cuttings are rooted to raise money.
But back to the strange blooming pattern, which has caused us to rename the plant "Holiday Cactus" as we have enjoyed the blooms on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Valentine's Day in addition to many Christmases. Right now we are being blessed by fabulous pink flowers on Halloween from one of the offspring and the patriarch is looking like it will grace us with color for Thanksgiving.
The botanist, grudgingly sharing inside information with a neophyte gardener, opines that the unscheduled blooming is a result of plant stress. And he should know because he has a unique talent for neglecting plants that can take it. Ours are pot bound, due to the size of the root ball and the spread of the branches, which dictates the size of container. I rarely repot them, preferring to cut away roots around the edges and feed in some fresh potting soil. However, once in a while major root surgery is called for, and this year was time for several of the plants, especially the patriarch.
Finding a pot with a proper diameter and depth capable of being hung in a window is an adventure when all the retail resources are converting to holiday decorations. But with the kindness of a nurseryman I obtained some used pots that were suitable for the job.
The patriarch took some severe pruning to get it to a size that accommodates its north-facing bow window location; as a result many new cuttings are being rooted or disbursed to share the wealth with friends.
This stress angle on the plants was running through my mind after reading a Newsweek article, an interview with management guru Richard Baird entitled "Don't Panic" that deals with holding onto talent in a downturn. The thrust in this recession has changed from typical hire/fire practices in the past to identifying where their real talent is while ensuring that the reductions sustain the company's image in the market. He defines these employees as "pivotal talent," those whose performance can have a significant impact on the company.
Addressing corporate loyalty, which he says is not dead but "redefined," Baird cites the networking ability of today's employees that allows them to form a full picture of where they stand in the company and in their employment universe. He claims these hip employees are more interested in self-development and work fulfillment than compensation, positing that unless their developmental needs are being met it's "so long, its been good working for you," as they move to better situations after the recovery.
I found missing in this abbreviated interview of a longer session, the question of stress on those remaining after downsizing has occurred. Stress, in my view, does not cause the remaining workforce to bloom bright as it does with the Holiday Cactus. Having witnessed several of these downsize actions during my career as a consultant, at companies claiming that "employees are our greatest asset," I can say that the remaining talent is usually shaken to its roots and considerable time and effort needs to be made after the return to recovery to get the team back functioning at pre-cut back levels.
In his "don’t panic" approach Baird counsels remaining employees to be productive and outspoken in their sharing of ideas. Since this is an employee prerequisite regardless of the economy, I found this a trite comment. If this leads to stress relief I have yet to see it pay-off. Yes things will get better and this latest economic reversal will become an historical footnote. But I offer a thought; the last recession of this depth created a culture change known as "children of the depression" spawning a generation of workers cautious in their spending and wary of excess. Will future economists coin a term for the actions of those young workers who recover from this current situation?
The patriarch of these plants is directly descended from those of my wife's maternal ancestors and quite likely go back 150 years or more; so it holds a special place in her heart. She has moved this plant several times over the years and has happily shared cuttings with countless friends, relatives, and untold numbers of charity fair exhibitors where the cuttings are rooted to raise money.
But back to the strange blooming pattern, which has caused us to rename the plant "Holiday Cactus" as we have enjoyed the blooms on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Valentine's Day in addition to many Christmases. Right now we are being blessed by fabulous pink flowers on Halloween from one of the offspring and the patriarch is looking like it will grace us with color for Thanksgiving.
The botanist, grudgingly sharing inside information with a neophyte gardener, opines that the unscheduled blooming is a result of plant stress. And he should know because he has a unique talent for neglecting plants that can take it. Ours are pot bound, due to the size of the root ball and the spread of the branches, which dictates the size of container. I rarely repot them, preferring to cut away roots around the edges and feed in some fresh potting soil. However, once in a while major root surgery is called for, and this year was time for several of the plants, especially the patriarch.
Finding a pot with a proper diameter and depth capable of being hung in a window is an adventure when all the retail resources are converting to holiday decorations. But with the kindness of a nurseryman I obtained some used pots that were suitable for the job.
The patriarch took some severe pruning to get it to a size that accommodates its north-facing bow window location; as a result many new cuttings are being rooted or disbursed to share the wealth with friends.
This stress angle on the plants was running through my mind after reading a Newsweek article, an interview with management guru Richard Baird entitled "Don't Panic" that deals with holding onto talent in a downturn. The thrust in this recession has changed from typical hire/fire practices in the past to identifying where their real talent is while ensuring that the reductions sustain the company's image in the market. He defines these employees as "pivotal talent," those whose performance can have a significant impact on the company.
Addressing corporate loyalty, which he says is not dead but "redefined," Baird cites the networking ability of today's employees that allows them to form a full picture of where they stand in the company and in their employment universe. He claims these hip employees are more interested in self-development and work fulfillment than compensation, positing that unless their developmental needs are being met it's "so long, its been good working for you," as they move to better situations after the recovery.
I found missing in this abbreviated interview of a longer session, the question of stress on those remaining after downsizing has occurred. Stress, in my view, does not cause the remaining workforce to bloom bright as it does with the Holiday Cactus. Having witnessed several of these downsize actions during my career as a consultant, at companies claiming that "employees are our greatest asset," I can say that the remaining talent is usually shaken to its roots and considerable time and effort needs to be made after the return to recovery to get the team back functioning at pre-cut back levels.
In his "don’t panic" approach Baird counsels remaining employees to be productive and outspoken in their sharing of ideas. Since this is an employee prerequisite regardless of the economy, I found this a trite comment. If this leads to stress relief I have yet to see it pay-off. Yes things will get better and this latest economic reversal will become an historical footnote. But I offer a thought; the last recession of this depth created a culture change known as "children of the depression" spawning a generation of workers cautious in their spending and wary of excess. Will future economists coin a term for the actions of those young workers who recover from this current situation?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Singing the praises of opportunism
As we celebrate the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Genovan navigator who sailed to the "New World" 515 years ago, I thought of my paternal grandfather who, 400 years later, set out from Genoa to his "New World" to establish his family.
As we celebrate the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Genovan navigator who sailed to the "New World" 515 years ago, I thought of my paternal grandfather who, 400 years later, set out from Genoa to his "New World" to establish his family.
I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to ask him about any underlying reason that led him to come to America other than the obvious one, an opportunity for a better economic life. In the family, children respected the patriarch, but rarely had any in-depth communication with him as he chose to seek counsel from his sons and daughters and not the other generations.
Even though my grandfather knew, from friends who preceded him, what to expect in America, it still must have been daunting standing on the ship as it departed Genoa. I wish I had the forethought to ask him if he ever had second thoughts about the momentous decision. It would have been interesting to probe his thinking, to see what drove him to leave his homeland, which we have been told he loved. But, we youngsters were too caught up with our own lives and it wasn't until recent years that the newest generation of family youngsters began to investigate family history and by then he had passed away leaving no oral history.
Today people jump on planes, fly across ocean, and drop their roots in new locales, seemingly on a whim. Many are following opportunities for financial gain, taking advantage of the global nature of business today. Many of those I know who have done so now carry dual citizenship, not really completely cutting their ties.
This past weekend my wife and I attended a family reunion of a branch of her family, direct descendants of immigrants who made the journey to America from England some 250 years ago. Amongst these were the progeny of writers and historians so to a degree we can ascertain, from their writings, what drove these immigrants to make the lifestyle change. You might think religious freedom but in reality, like my forbearer, it was economic, a chance to improve one's way of life.
Among the guests enjoying a beautiful fall day at the family farm there was a prevailing subject, the state of the economy. One spoke of her family's heavy construction equipment distributorship which dropped from 15 unit sales per month to 15 for the last four months. Another spoke of her occupation as private chef to a well-known consulting firm, telling me that the corporate breakfasts and some of the dinners had been cut back dramatically. While another, a sub-editor for the London Times told me of downsizing changes in the newsroom there. A veterinarian with a busy practice commented on the fall-off she was experiencing in breeding work as her clients cut back on spending for their pets. A highly regarded illustrator of children's books mentioned the drop-off in publisher contracts as that industry consolidates. The guest of honor, still a Brit, who had converted a bustling sheep farm into a caravan (RV) camping park, said occupancies were off this past summer and he was considering shutting down.
An interesting vignette on the impact of the deep recession on the lifestyles of a diverse group of workers. Normally I am reacting to the woes of the manufacturing industries; here it was, save one, services oriented. But one overarching message was subtly being conveyed, all were coping, and most were optimistic about a return to normalcy. I must say that I found their optimism about when this will happen to be somewhat naive, but strangely refreshing. Here were descendants many generations removed from the original immigrants who saw America as a land of opportunity, still showing a streak of optimism. Maybe there is something in their genes that fosters optimism. Or maybe it was the effect of bountiful supplies of wine consumed on a bright and sunny day.
As we celebrate the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Genovan navigator who sailed to the "New World" 515 years ago, I thought of my paternal grandfather who, 400 years later, set out from Genoa to his "New World" to establish his family.
I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to ask him about any underlying reason that led him to come to America other than the obvious one, an opportunity for a better economic life. In the family, children respected the patriarch, but rarely had any in-depth communication with him as he chose to seek counsel from his sons and daughters and not the other generations.
Even though my grandfather knew, from friends who preceded him, what to expect in America, it still must have been daunting standing on the ship as it departed Genoa. I wish I had the forethought to ask him if he ever had second thoughts about the momentous decision. It would have been interesting to probe his thinking, to see what drove him to leave his homeland, which we have been told he loved. But, we youngsters were too caught up with our own lives and it wasn't until recent years that the newest generation of family youngsters began to investigate family history and by then he had passed away leaving no oral history.
Today people jump on planes, fly across ocean, and drop their roots in new locales, seemingly on a whim. Many are following opportunities for financial gain, taking advantage of the global nature of business today. Many of those I know who have done so now carry dual citizenship, not really completely cutting their ties.
This past weekend my wife and I attended a family reunion of a branch of her family, direct descendants of immigrants who made the journey to America from England some 250 years ago. Amongst these were the progeny of writers and historians so to a degree we can ascertain, from their writings, what drove these immigrants to make the lifestyle change. You might think religious freedom but in reality, like my forbearer, it was economic, a chance to improve one's way of life.
Among the guests enjoying a beautiful fall day at the family farm there was a prevailing subject, the state of the economy. One spoke of her family's heavy construction equipment distributorship which dropped from 15 unit sales per month to 15 for the last four months. Another spoke of her occupation as private chef to a well-known consulting firm, telling me that the corporate breakfasts and some of the dinners had been cut back dramatically. While another, a sub-editor for the London Times told me of downsizing changes in the newsroom there. A veterinarian with a busy practice commented on the fall-off she was experiencing in breeding work as her clients cut back on spending for their pets. A highly regarded illustrator of children's books mentioned the drop-off in publisher contracts as that industry consolidates. The guest of honor, still a Brit, who had converted a bustling sheep farm into a caravan (RV) camping park, said occupancies were off this past summer and he was considering shutting down.
An interesting vignette on the impact of the deep recession on the lifestyles of a diverse group of workers. Normally I am reacting to the woes of the manufacturing industries; here it was, save one, services oriented. But one overarching message was subtly being conveyed, all were coping, and most were optimistic about a return to normalcy. I must say that I found their optimism about when this will happen to be somewhat naive, but strangely refreshing. Here were descendants many generations removed from the original immigrants who saw America as a land of opportunity, still showing a streak of optimism. Maybe there is something in their genes that fosters optimism. Or maybe it was the effect of bountiful supplies of wine consumed on a bright and sunny day.
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