Unofficial Addendum Stuff

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2010-03-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

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Certification

2010-03-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Get your paper

"Discover the only worldwide, performance-based certification program that validates the skills needed to get the most out of Microsoft Office and Windows Vista. Whether you want to stand out in the job market, improve your performance, or better prepare your students to enter the workforce, the Microsoft Business Certification (MBC) program can help you attain the valuable expertise you need—and businesses rely on—to succeed."

Microsoft Business Certification

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Free Design Tools

2010-03-05T03:14:00.000-08:00

Simple and free

Mauricio Duque has collected a list of 45 no cost design programs.

"Some of them are pretty decent alternatives, not only for those who are not willing to spend the big bucks, but also for those who need some specific tasks done, like resizing a batch of picture without needing to run the almighty Photoshop."

Snap2Objects.com

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Productivity Guides

2010-02-28T03:59:00.000-08:00

Free suggestions

Microsoft provides 22+ guides to productivity in the office.

"Microsoft IT created Work Smart productivity guides (previously Everyday Productivity Education (EPE) guides) to bridge the gap between technology and users. Work Smart guides provide employees with scenario-based, best-use productivity aids on Microsoft products and technologies. As more Work Smart guides are published, Microsoft IT expects to see more consistent, productive, and cost-effective use of products and technologies across the company."

IT Showcase

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PDF Form Fill

2010-02-23T03:20:00.000-08:00

Free tool

Have you ever been stymied by this PDF warning?

You can enter data, but you can't save the file with the new information.
Nuance has a free answer:

"Fill and save PDF forms - Most other PDF viewers do not enable you to fill and save PDF forms without support from a premium product.
Nuance PDF Reader provides frequently used annotation tools, letting you highlight, cross-out, and underline text."

Nuance PDF Reader

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Flip Text

2010-02-16T03:58:00.000-08:00

This text is right side up

uʍop ǝpısdn sı sıɥʇ

This site accepts your perfect prose and turns it around.
(with unicode)

RevFad.com

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Historical Documents

2010-02-11T03:46:00.000-08:00

Remember good old paper?

"Footnote helps you find and share historic documents. We are able to bring you many never-before-seen historic documents through our unique partnerships with The National Archives, the Library of Congress and other institutions.

Our patented digitization process is helping bring other collections to life on the web everyday.

But Footnote is more than just a dusty, digital archive online. We provide you the tools to share your historical passions and connect with others."

Footnote.com

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Schlub

2010-02-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

a stupid, worthless, or unattractive person

"(Jerry is) an all-American schlub . . . He has turned these degradations into an animated Web site appropriately named ItsJerryTime.com, on which he battles a cast of tormentors that includes the Meal Moth, his landlord and an alleged telephone conspiracy perpetrated by a duo of old ladies" Wall Street Journal

ItsJerryTime.com

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My One and Only Thrill

2010-02-03T03:47:00.000-08:00

Melody Gardot

B001NESPHC
Verve April 28, 2009

Gentle. Almost from another time.

"The story of vocalist Melody Gardot is as remarkable as any who perseveres against abject adversity. Born in New Jersey in 1985, she took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock and pop musics. At age 19 she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. But, on a fateful day, while riding her bicycle, the driver of a Jeep made an illegal turn, hurdling into Gardot and leaving her in the street for dead. Hospitalized for months with multiple head injuries and pelvic fractures, her love for music was the best therapy she could receive.
Her music could be described as a cross between Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy, and Shania Twain, but goes deeper than mere pop convention. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide"

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Fast Interchange

2010-01-28T03:08:00.000-08:00

7 day URL

Go to http://cl1p.net and then:

Enter a URL that starts with http://cl1p.net.
example:http://cl1p.net/assuming/

Paste in anything you want.
Some text, links, etc. Click 'Save' when done.

On any other computer open a browser to the same URL.
You will find the information you entered in step 2.

Do more with CL1P.net. Just open any URL that starts with http://cl1p.net and you can...

Create a notebook
Have a conversation
Create a community

Cl1p.net

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Clean PC

2010-01-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

Wash and dry

"Your computer could fry if you don't keep it clean," says Jonathon Millman, chief technology officer for Hooplah Interactive.
Dust clogs the vents behind your computer, which causes your CPU to heat up—and heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. Regular cleaning could save you costly maintenance fees down the road.

Here are some suggestions for Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall cleaning:
Microsoft.com/athome

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Dryer Sheet Uses

2010-01-19T03:35:00.000-08:00

Not just for machines

Use Dryer Sheets to:

Freshen smelly shoes.
Remove static from clothing, hair, TV screens, and computer monitors.
Clean pet hair from the floor or furniture.
Replace a sachet.
Loosen caked-on food from a pan.
Tackle suitcase and gym-bag odors.
Prevent old books from smelling musty when in storage.
Wipe up sawdust after working in the garage.
Prevent thread from tangling when sewing.
Dust venetian blinds.

RealSimple.com

DoItYourself.com

Curbly.com

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Hard Drive Innards

2010-01-10T03:02:00.000-08:00

Hidden workings

Early on computers did not always have "Hard drives". The TRS-80 worked off a portable tape recorder.
If you want to see how they work today, look at:
HowStuffWorks.com

There are also a couple of videos that explore the entrails.

Break.com-Inside a Hard Drive

and
How a Hard Drive Works

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Convert to B and W

2010-01-04T03:01:00.000-08:00

Photoshop tip

Pictures can be converted to black and white by just clicking on an action off the menu.
If you want to have more control, here is a step by step instruction list.

GingerPixel.com

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Garden Cities of To-morrow

2009-12-26T03:49:00.000-08:00

Lullaby Baxter's Back

The quirky star of Capable Egg returns.

Rattled Little Clam

Montreal, 1997. Lullaby Baxter is waiting tables at Jello Bar. Coaxed on stage for an impromptu number, she sings Billie Holiday's signature song "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)". This, her first public performance since grade school, brings down the house.

She buys a green guitar and learns "Leaving On A Jet Plane". Someone at the Laundromat says, "Anyway, try writing songs."

Lullaby's Bio

Little Song
Also see:
Capable Egg

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Copyright Fair Use

2009-12-25T03:27:00.000-08:00

When can you use it?

The copyright law is a little vague when it comes to fair use.

" Fair use is a copyright principle based on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials forpurposes of commentary and criticism. For example, if you wish to criticize a novelist, you should have the freedom to quote a portion of the novelist's work without asking permission. Absent this freedom, copyright owners could stifle any negative comments about their work.
Unfortunately, if the copyright owner disagrees with your fair use interpretation, the dispute will have to be resolved by courts or arbitration. If it's not a fair use, then you are infringing upon the rights of the copyright owner and may be liable for damages."

U S Copyright Office
Ohio State University
CopyrightLaw.com

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Burn Wrapping Paper?

2009-12-18T03:45:00.000-08:00

Holiday info

If you want to find out the real background story on any number of water cooler questions, try:
StraightDope.com

For instance:

Why is it dangerous to burn wrapping paper?

The fire is the wrong place for other holiday detritus as well - der Tannenbaum, for example.

My assistant Una had an Uncle Bob, a manly man who felt throwing the Christmas tree away was a waste of good firewood. So he tossed it in the fireplace - gave him a nice warm glow.
Unfortunately
what was glowing was the roof, presumably ignited by embers.
Fortunately
the fire was small and anybody with a hose could have put it out.
Unfortunately
the hose was frozen solid and the fire department had trouble getting the nearest hydrant to work.
Fortunately
the firefighters were able to throw a ladder up against the house and put out the fire with a chemical extinguisher. They then hacked off a small hunk of charred roof with axes, peered into the crawl space, and declared the fire out.
Unfortunately,
having by now found an operational hydrant, the firemen declared they needed to hose down the roof "as policy," sending a torrent of water through the hole and collapsing the living room ceiling.
Really unfortunately,
the house that all this happened in belonged not to Uncle Bob but his in-laws. Bob bought them an RV and matters were pronounced square, but it was a lesson he won't soon forget, and neither should you.

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Get Toasted

2009-11-27T03:44:00.000-08:00

It's a recommended practice

"Let's face facts. The whole low-carb craze is playing itself out. The USDA recommends that every day we eat 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and other foods containing grains, especially whole grains. Bread is not the enemy of a healthy body, if you select the right bread.

The American Dietetic Association recommends a minimum of three servings of whole grains per day and goes so far as to recommend whole-wheat toast with peanut butter as a quick and healthy breakfast option."

300 Ways To Enjoy Toast
By Mr Breakfast

Also:
Roller Toaster

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Psst-Cheap Gas

2009-11-23T03:33:00.000-08:00

Drive to Save

"GasBuddy.com is the portal site to more than 170 web sites that help consumers find cheap gas prices. All web sites are operated by the non-profit organization known as GasBuddy Organization Inc.

Since gasoline prices change frequently and may vary by as much as 20 percent within only a few blocks it is important to be able locate the service station with the lowest priced fuel. GasBuddy Organization web sites allow consumers to both share information about low priced fuel with others as well as target the lowest priced stations to save at the pumps!"

Also:
Gas Price Watch.com

Autos.MSN.com

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History is Something to Play With

2009-11-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

Games for kids (and you)

History can be boring when the only reward is a scribbled "Acceptable" on a test paper.

But what if part of the game is to build a trebuchet to fling the teacher?

"Welcome to the SchoolHistory.co.uk downloadable resources centre. This has been updated to allow quick, easy access to our resources kindly contributed by other teachers. There are now over 1,400 pages of resources available."

Interactive History Games

Also see Build a Trebuchet in your Backyard

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Type with One Hand

2009-11-18T03:46:00.000-08:00

Does 85 WPM impress you?

The common short cuts are: Ctrl+X for Cut, Ctrl+C for Copy, and Ctrl+V for Paste.

These are optimized for use on the left side of the keyboard.

There's another set of shortcuts that use keys on the right-hand side the keyboard:

Cut: Shift + Delete
Copy: Ctrl + Insert
Paste: Shift + Insert

Also see:
One Hand Typing

"Computer Keyboard Shortcuts for one hand typists. Resources for vocational, occupational, rehabilitation therapists, and their clients, who have lost full, or partial use of one hand, with a special emphasis on learning to type with a standard keyboard."

"This video clip is of me, Lilly Walters. Note how I use my less able hand to do the SHIFT key. I am typing on a normal keyboard. I really do up to 85 words per minute - with enough caffeine and sleep. The keyboard shown here is a NORMAL keyboard you will find in any office, school or home. No alternative keyboard layouts. Just what all of my peers use. By the way, I type faster than most of my peers! All because I learned to type with one hand."

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Office Bling Bling

2009-11-16T03:14:00.000-08:00

For your real desktop

C.A.Daniels & Company offers some decadent, fun, office bric-a-brac.

Hippo stapler

Hare Brush and Mirror

Hippo Clock/Paperweight

Trout Razor

BoingBoing.net refers to the El Casco company for more desk bling.

Also:
Too much Bling

"A couple of months ago I bought a 17" LCD monitor (PolyView V17E). However, when I first powered it on, the thing that struck me was just how bright the blue power LED was! This power LED is just next to the power switch, immediately below the screen itself. The LED was bright enough to be very distracting, to the extent where it was just too bright to be able to look at the bottom part of the monitor without needing sunglasses.

Luckily, the LED was shining through a small plastic diffuser, mounted in the case, which had a flat surface on it. A couple of coats with a permanent marker dulled the brightness sufficiently to allow me to use the monitor without being blinded."

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Color News

2009-11-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

A multidiscipline subject

Here is a study about how color effects a reader's choice of concentration.

It was intended for newspaper publishers, but the same knowledge can be used in Web design, PowerPoint, or any other reporting application. Word and Excel will also benefit.

Color, Contrast, and Dimension in News Design

ColorProject

The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalists.
Poynter.org

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When Will You Die?

2009-11-14T03:26:00.000-08:00

Let the government help you find out

Stadium High school in Tacoma, WA (WWW.CelebrateStadium.com) recently celebrated 100 years.

There have been 38,797 graduates since 1906 and 24,176 could still be alive.

This report presents period life tables for the United States based on age-specific death rates in 2003.

Presented are complete life tables by age, race, and sex. In 2003, the overall expectation of life at birth was 77.5 years, representing an increase of 0.2 years from life expectancy in 2002.

Between 2002 and 2003, life expectancy increased for males and females and for both the white and black populations.

Life expectancy increased by 0.3 years (from 77.7 to 78.0) for the white population and by 0.4 years (from 72.3 to 72.7) for the black population.

The greatest increase was experienced by black females with an increase of 0.5 years (from 75.6 to 76.1). Life expectancy increased by 0.2 years for black males (from 68.8 to 69.0), white males (from 75.1 to 75.3), and for white females (from 80.3 to 80.5).

Life expectancy at birth, selected years 1900-2003

United States Life Tables - PDF

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Blog Wha's a Blog

2009-11-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

Is it Samuel Pepys or Robert Scoble?

Samuel Pepys:
You can subscribe to an RSS feed of daily entries from Pepys' 1660 diary at The Diary of Samuel Pepys.
A new entry written by Pepys will be published each day; 1 January 1660 was published on 1 January 2003.

Robert Scoble, former Microsoft Evangelizer:
Scobleizer
How your blog will get discovered

Here are some references to Web Logs

MSDN Magazine:

"Q - What is blogging all about?

A - First, "blog" is short for Web log. It's a medium in which an author writes a journal-style Web site with provisions for readers to respond. These Web logs are becoming quite valuable in the software community for sharing ideas."

All About Blogs and RSS
Wikipedia definition

Weblog as Online Community Management Tool

Blogger.com:
Eats, Blogs & Leaves
Blogger Basics

More on RSS (Really Simple Syndication):
RSS News you choose
About Syndication, RSS, and Other Web-Altering Chemicals
RSS: The Web's Next Big Thing?

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