One of best features shared by Monarch and Excel are that there often multiple ways to accomplish a task. With many of the features, you’re not forced to handle it in only one prescribed manner. How you get it done is up to you. You can be reasonably flexible in how you approach the work, making any necessary adjustments as you go, and in the end you do get the task done. And your flexibility has improved the work.
At the beginning of the year, I promised I’d do the best I possibly could. Well the long and the short of it is that other commitments and events recently have meant that my best lately – in terms of the site – honestly hasn’t been that good at all, as I just haven’t been able to make the time for the site. Some problems earlier this week with my site host created some down time that, while rare, didn’t help matters any. Everything with the site seems to be back to normal now, thankfully.
So it’s time for a bit of an adjustment. I’ll still strive for meaty, detailed content to share with you, but I must accept the reality that on occasion I just won’t be able to deliver the larger posts. And rather than have you come here looking for what I promised and finding nothing, here’s what I propose.
Starting today, I’ll post shorter but still (hopefully) useful tips. Bite sized healthy snacks, if you will. Enough to tide you over until the next meal comes around. 
As always, I encourage you to comment on these tips if you feel that the topics merits further discussion, or even being extended into a larger post.
And if you’ve got your own favorite tips, feel free to share them too. The more the merrier, right?
That brings to mind another point that I’ve been meaning to address and likely needs some clarification. You may have noticed that you must supply an email address to post a comment. I’m not in the business of accumulating and selling email lists, and I don’t plan to be. I promise to never sell, give away or otherwise distribute your private contact information. Further, I don’t plan to email you endlessly about my latest and greatest something-or-other, like some places seem to. If one day I do have something that I genuinely believe might be of interest to you, I may drop you a line.
I know that people value their privacy, though there is an argument to be made about the concept of privacy in general in this day and age when credit companies know more about us than we probably do about ourselves. Nonetheless, what you give to me (be it an email address or other private communication) is intended to stay between you and me. OK?
One more topic is worth a mention too: it’s great to see the Datawatch Forums back in action after some down time.
Enough rambling already; it’s snack time. 
