On 14 September 2007 the alphabetical range proter-purposive was added to the New Edition: every word in this range has been thoroughly revised and updated. Below are listed all the new words in the range. We have also added a further list of new words from across the alphabet.
New Words - Oxford English Dictionary
Friday, November 23, 2007
New words - Oxford English Dictionary
Posted by Blacky at 7:42 am 0 comments
The Social Media Manual: Read Before You Play
So many questions from people about Digg, Propeller, Reddit, Stumbleupon, and other social news sites every day - decided to write this little "manual" as something to read before you jump in head first into any social site, and to keep by your side as you progress through the ranks. It should not only help you succeed with your social media marketing efforts, but also help you avoid some of the mistakes.
The Social Media Manual: Read Before You Play
Posted by Blacky at 12:27 am 0 comments
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Products in Translation: Photos
One of the great adventures of travel is sampling the local fare. To do so, it sometimes has a few odd translations for product names, signs and food labels.
Products in Translation: Photos
Posted by Blacky at 1:32 pm 0 comments
The Hidden Truth Behind Hotel Drinking Glasses
I've always wondered where that wonderful flavor comes from. Now I know.
The Hidden Truth Behind Hotel Drinking Glasses
Posted by Blacky at 1:30 pm 0 comments
The Rolling Bridge
Rather than a conventional opening bridge mechanism, consisting of a single rigid element that lifts to let boats pass, the Rolling Bridge gets out of the way by curling up until its two ends touch.
The Rolling Bridge
Posted by Blacky at 1:27 pm 0 comments
250 Things You Wish You Know That Will Guarantee Your Speaking Success
#1. Audience always comes first, ask yourself “How can they benefit from listening to me?”
etc
250 Things You Wish You Know That Will Guarantee Your Speaking Success
Posted by Blacky at 6:19 am 0 comments
On Being Pretty Ugly: A Nice But Quaint Oxymoron
The etymology of the adjective pretty has been investigated reasonably well. Many questions still remain unanswered, but it is the development of the word’s senses rather than its origin that amazes students of language. The root of pretty, which must have sounded approximately like prat, meant “trick.”
On Being Pretty Ugly: A Nice But Quaint Oxymoron
Posted by Blacky at 6:04 am 0 comments
How does Bluetooth work?
We go straight to the source and get Bluetooth executive director Michael Foley to wirelessly transmit an answer to this query.
How does Bluetooth work?
Posted by Blacky at 5:58 am 0 comments
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The 10 People you'll find in any Gym
Step in any gym in any city in any state in this entire country and you're sure to find the same people. Of course not the exact same people, but the same types of people.
The 10 people you'll find in any gym
Posted by Blacky at 12:24 pm 0 comments
10 things you can do to get a promotion
Very few people hire on with any company or organisation with the intention of remaining indefinitely at the position for which they were hired. These ten tips will help you ask for advancement.
10 things you can do to get a promotion
Posted by Blacky at 12:16 pm 0 comments
How to Win at Monopoly ® - a Surefire Strategy
I'm a big Monopoly fan and I recently saw a great website that did something I've always wanted to do: calculate how long it takes to return your investment in the various properties and houses/hotel purchases. Knowing this is really the key to developing a strategy to win the game. Without it, how do you know whether to focus on putting hotels on Boardwalk or buying all the Railroads? You can't do everything - the key to winning is making the right trades and decisions at the different stages of the game. This is just my interpretation of the numbers, but I propose a winning strategy below and then back it up with the data.
How to Win at Monopoly ® - a Surefire Strategy
Posted by Blacky at 9:01 am 0 comments
Lose Belly Fat - Is It Really Possible?
Yes! Of course it is! Don’t give up! There is hope. The key is to understand how your body works and to have a comprehensive plan that you will execute over a reasonable period of time. Translation: this is not a quick fix. But, remember, it is doable! Take the turtle approach, slow and steady, and you’ll get there.
Lose Belly Fat - Is It Really Possible?
Posted by Blacky at 8:59 am 0 comments
Telework is Good For You
Or, to be more precise, “telecommuting has mostly positive consequences for employees and employers,” according to a press release from the American Psychological Association. The release summarizes the findings of a paper from Journal of Applied Psychology that performed a meta-analysis of 46 different studies of telecommuting over the years.
Telework is Good For You
Posted by Blacky at 8:04 am 0 comments
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Once per year at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse they shut down the weak insipid modern (presumably electric) light and switch over the the 5 kerosene lamps and fresnel lens of the original, as it was 135 years ago.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Posted by Blacky at 8:00 am 0 comments
Interesting Web Browsers You Have Never Heard Of
There are more browsers than you are aware of. Besides Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer there is a number of promising alternatives which can improve your flexibility, increase your productivity and enrich your browsing experience.
Interesting Web Browsers You Have Never Heard Of
Posted by Blacky at 7:53 am 0 comments
Global Personal Taxation Comparison
Mercer's Worldwide Individual Tax Comparator Report analysed the tax and benefits systems across 32 markets focusing on personal tax structures, average salaries and marital status.
Global personal taxation comparison survey
Posted by Blacky at 7:49 am 0 comments
Monday, November 19, 2007
Constitution Day - National Archives of Australia
The National Archives is embarking on a new Constitution Day initiative and is seeking partners to support its move to create an annual event program on a national scale, culminating in a new national celebration.
Constitution Day - National Archives of Australia
Posted by Blacky at 6:30 pm 0 comments
Sunday, November 18, 2007
7 Bad E-Mail Habits that Make People Want to Kill You
E-mail is a shallow way to communicate. It’s easy, fast and lacks the depth of understanding most people have face-to-face. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize just how much of this understanding is lost. As a result, they pick up bad habits and start driving coworkers, bosses and friends crazy.
7 Bad E-Mail Habits that Make People Want to Kill You
Posted by Blacky at 7:54 pm 0 comments
How to Cut Crutch Words When Giving a Speech
You’ve all seen it before. What would otherwise be a great presentation becomes one interrupted jumble of syllables. Instead of taking those key pauses to let the audience digest, every moment of hesitation is filled with a crutch word. Maybe it happens to you.
How to Cut Crutch Words When Giving a Speech
Posted by Blacky at 7:44 pm 0 comments
How to Shave Ten Hours Off Your Work Week
Almost everyone I know is working more time than they would like. That’s why a book like The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss has been such a big bestseller. This is a great book, but the promise is a little over the top. I don’t know of anyone, including Tim Ferriss, who really only works four hours.
How to Shave Ten Hours Off Your Work Week
Posted by Blacky at 7:24 pm 0 comments
7 Incredible Natural Phenomena you've never seen
7 Incredible Natural Phenomena you've probably never seen!
Natural Phenomena
Posted by Blacky at 1:33 pm 0 comments
Friday, November 16, 2007
Quitting the Day Job: Finding the Guts to Pursue Your Dreams
Something amazing has happened in the past eighteen months. While I’ve been learning about personal finance — and sharing my knowledge with you — Get Rich Slowly has grown from a small site with a couple hundred readers into a real-life business. GRS currently has 35,000 subscribers and generates $5,000 in monthly revenue. It also takes most of my time. This is a blessing and a curse.
Quitting the Day Job: Finding the Guts to Pursue Your Dreams
Posted by Blacky at 10:01 am 0 comments
Eight Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness and Making a Good Impression
Many of us wish we were one of those people who walked into a room and had friends-to-be flock to them. Anyone would agree that those of us who make friends easily and are innately likable will probably have an easier and more pleasant time of things than those who are incredibly shy or find it very hard to make friends.
Eight Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness and Making a Good Impression
Posted by Blacky at 9:58 am 0 comments
The Vista Death Watch
Microsoft has extended the life of Windows XP because Vista has simply not shown any life in the market. We have to begin to ask ourselves if we are really looking at Windows Me/2007, destined to be a disdained flop.
The Vista Death Watch
Posted by Blacky at 9:57 am 0 comments
JAXA | KAGUYA (SELENE) Image Taking of Earth-Rise by HDTV
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have successfully performed the world's first high-definition image taking of an Earth-rise* by the lunar explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE,) which was injected into a lunar orbit at an altitude of about 100 km on October 18, 2007.
JAXA | KAGUYA (SELENE) Image Taking of Earth-Rise by HDTV
Posted by Blacky at 8:21 am 0 comments
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Art of Punctuation: What your use of quotation marks says about you
Today I’m bringing you an excerpt from our book The Art of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman. Here Lukeman talks about how a feast or famine of quotation marks can say a lot about the kind of writer (and even the kind of person you are). Who knew that a writer’s use of quotations marks could be so revealing?
In many cases a publishing professional need only flip through a manuscript to get an immediate idea of its worth: quotation marks tell the story.
The Art of Punctuation: What your use of quotation marks says about you
Posted by Blacky at 10:25 pm 0 comments
Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, Aug 2007
Full-time adult ordinary time earnings rose by 5.2% for males and 4.8% for females in the twelve months to August 2007.
Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, Aug 2007
Posted by Blacky at 10:13 pm 0 comments
Australia's election map redrawn
Australia's federal election is on 24 November 2007, and the campaign is well and truly in its final stages. Prime Minister Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd are adding final details to their policies and making their final appeal for votes.
Australia's election map redrawn
Posted by Blacky at 10:10 pm 0 comments
The truth about recycling
As the importance of recycling becomes more apparent, questions about it linger. Is it worth the effort? How does it work? Is recycling waste just going into a landfill in China? Here are some answers.
The truth about recycling
Posted by Blacky at 7:12 am 0 comments
Oddly, Hypocrisy Rooted in High Morals
Morally upstanding people are the do-gooders of society, right? Actually, a new study finds that a sense of moral superiority can lead to unethical acts, such as cheating. In fact, some of the best do-gooders can become the worst cheats.
Stop us if this sounds familiar.
Oddly, Hypocrisy Rooted in High Morals
Posted by Blacky at 6:55 am 0 comments
17 Tips to Be Productive with Instant Messaging
The best way to be productive with instant messaging (or chat)? Don’t do it.
Seriously, IM can take up your entire day if you let it. Those who stay away from it can get a lot more done.
17 Tips to Be Productive with Instant Messaging
Posted by Blacky at 6:32 am 0 comments
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Be aware of the threat of hidden keystroke-logging devices
Keystroke loggers are a particularly dangerous security threat because users typically don't realise they're even there.
Be aware of the threat of hidden keystroke-logging devices
Posted by Blacky at 8:43 am 0 comments
How many things can you plug into an electrical outlet before it catches fire?
It seems to happen most around the holidays -- the electrical outlet begins putting on extra weight. There are nine strings of lights for the tree, electric candles, a CD player with holiday music and -- for some reason -- a George Foreman Grill. It seems like just staring at this mess of electrical cords for too long will give it just the extra boost it needs to catch fire.
"How many things can you plug into an electrical outlet before it catches fire?"
Posted by Blacky at 8:41 am 0 comments
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Conquering your fear of public speaking
People fear public speaking more than anything else. Anxiety over a simple presentation can be debilitating. Moreover, sufferers are typically embarrassed and reluctant to admit they have a problem. They hide a deep concern about the phobia's affect on their careers in an industry that values presentation skills so highly.
Conquering your fear of public speaking
Posted by Blacky at 7:26 am 0 comments
How to Survive Creative Burnout
The longer you work at creating things, whether it’s software, websites, essays or paintings, the greater the odds you’ll hit a day where you don’t feel like doing it anymore. Up until then, you may have heard others describe burnout, but you just shrugged it off as superstition, or perhaps believed yourself immune.
How to survive creative burnout
Posted by Blacky at 7:24 am 0 comments
Top 25 Craziest Deaths
This is a list of crazy, weird and even funny deaths of prominent people in the last 100 years.
Top 25 Craziest Deaths
Posted by Blacky at 7:23 am 0 comments
Cool Tool: Vinegar
I recently became a vinegar convert after acquiring this book whose intriguing subtitle says it all: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of.
Cool Tool: Vinegar
Posted by Blacky at 7:21 am 0 comments
Oxford Word Of The Year: Locavore
It’s that time of the year again. The New Oxford American Dictionary is preparing for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. The 2007 Word of the Year is (drum-roll please) locavore.
Oxford Word Of The Year: Locavore
Posted by Blacky at 7:20 am 0 comments
The Downside of Optimism
Optimism, it turns out, is best in moderation.
The Downside of Optimism
Posted by Blacky at 7:17 am 0 comments
Monday, November 12, 2007
Melbourne 'on track to be Australia's biggest city'
New population growth figures show Melbourne is closing the gap on Sydney as Australia's largest city.
Consultancy firm KPMG has found 62,000 people moved to Melbourne last financial year, nearly twice the increase in the population of Sydney.
Melbourne 'on track to be Australia's biggest city'
Posted by Blacky at 10:29 am 0 comments
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hear This: 10 Ways to Become a Better Listener and Change Your Life Forever
Learning to listen — I mean really listen — is the single-most important thing you can do to improve communication in your life. It’s unreal how many varied aspects of our lives are directly and indirectly controlled by our ability (or, most often, inability) to listen.
Our romantic relationships run into communication problems everyday. Friendships can get too one-sided and devolve into arguments about taking too much. Even consumerism is dependent upon listening — advertising and referrals help us determine what to buy and where to buy it.
Hear This: 10 Ways to Become a Better Listener and Change Your Life Forever
Posted by Blacky at 9:37 am 0 comments
Saturday, November 10, 2007
World Records day sees snakes, swords and strong ears
The daring, the ditzy and the downright deluded were out in force across the globe on a day of mass attempts to break world records.
A wealth of weird and wacky attempts were scheduled which involved kissing cobras, pulling buses with ears, firewalking, bathing with rattlesnakes, tying bras together and samurai sword assaults on apples.
World Records day sees snakes, swords and strong ears
Posted by Blacky at 6:57 am 0 comments
10 Simple, Sure-fire Ways to Make Today Your Best Day Ever
This morning as I took my kids to school, I was feeling rushed and harried. Stress levels high, my face wore a permanent frown, my mind was in a million different places, and my two youngest kids (3 year old, and 20 months) were quiet in their car seats.
Then I realized: while my mind is elsewhere, I’m missing some prime moments with my kids. And not really enjoying my day.
And so I changed the moment, and in doing so changed my day.
10 Simple, Sure-fire Ways to Make Today Your Best Day Ever
Posted by Blacky at 6:55 am 0 comments
The 7 deadly sins of instant messaging
I heart instant messaging, but I heart it too much. If you’re a chat addict like me, you understand the lure. It’s convenient, connecting you to faraway buddies with little cost. It’s safe, releasing you from the worry of looking pretty or sounding sexy. And its deliciously fun. How can you not love video effects, screensharing, and presentation-hosting in Leopard’s iChat?
Despite the benefits, instant messaging can turn you into a mindless chat drone. Too much chatting replaces real interactions and, soon, people turn into pixels.
The 7 deadly sins of instant messaging
Posted by Blacky at 6:52 am 0 comments
Friday, November 09, 2007
Deaths, Australia, 2006
This publication brings together statistics on deaths and mortality in Australia. In the main, statistics refer to deaths registered during the calendar year shown, unless stated otherwise. Populations used in the calculation of rates for 2006 are preliminary estimated resident population by age and sex at 30 June 2006. State/territory relates to the state/territory of usual residence of the deceased at the time of death, unless stated otherwise.
Deaths, Australia, 2006
Posted by Blacky at 12:40 pm 0 comments
Household Wealth and Wealth Distribution, Australia, 2005-06
This publication presents a summary of findings about household wealth and wealth distribution in Australia compiled from the 2005-06 Survey of Income and Housing (SIH). The survey collected detailed information about the income, assets, liabilities and household characteristics of persons aged 15 years and over resident in private dwellings throughout Australia. In this publication, net worth is the main measure used to describe wealth.
Household Wealth and Wealth Distribution, Australia, 2005-06
Posted by Blacky at 12:38 pm 0 comments
How to Construct a Killer Resume, From Start to Finish
Go through the entire process of creating a strong resume, step by step.
How to Construct a Killer Resume, From Start to Finish
Posted by Blacky at 11:33 am 0 comments
25 Moving Movie Moments for Men
Real men don't cry, right? Heck, they don't show any emotion at all. The average guy is a rock steady super-human, who, in the infamous words of Dennis Leary, is a "suburbanized slob" who likes "football and porno and books about war." Indeed.
25 Moving Movie Moments for Men
Posted by Blacky at 7:40 am 0 comments
Looking for a way to be happier AND smarter? Try idle chit-chat.
One of the key points about happiness is that having strong social bonds is a critical – probably THE critical – element of a happy life.
Over and over, studies show that relationships with other people make us happy. The more friends we have, the more likely we are to be happy. Even short interactions with other people boost mood—and this is true, surprisingly, even for introverts. It's really important to work on your connections with other people.
The Happiness Project: Looking for a way to be happier AND smarter? Try idle chit-chat
Posted by Blacky at 7:37 am 0 comments
Track New Albums by RSS with Music-Alerts
Find yourself constantly sifting through "new music" and "artist alert" emails from certain unnamed online music retailers? New website Music-Alerts helps you keep tabs just on your favorite artists' new releases through a custom RSS feed.
Track New Albums by RSS with Music-Alerts
Posted by Blacky at 7:35 am 0 comments
40+ Excellent Freefonts For Professional Design
The importance of typography in design can’t be overestimated. The accuracy, precision and balance of geometric forms can give letters the elegance and sharpness they deserve. Besides, elegant fonts can help to convey the message in a more convenient way.
40+ Excellent Freefonts For Professional Design
Posted by Blacky at 7:29 am 0 comments
How Do "Miss Steaks" Go Unnoticed? It's Along Story
Last week’s column focused on the havoc that automated spellcheckers can wreak when a suggested “correction” turns out to be utterly wrong. More often, though, people who over-rely on spellcheckers can run into trouble when a misspelling is actually a legitimate word and therefore isn’t flagged as an error. There’s a well-circulated bit of verse (with variations going back to 1992) poking fun at people’s tendency to ignore mistakes that spellcheckers miss:
How Do "Miss Steaks" Go Unnoticed? It's Along Story
Posted by Blacky at 7:25 am 0 comments
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Causes of Death Are Linked to a Person’s Weight
About two years ago, a group of federal researchers reported that overweight people have a lower death rate than people who are normal weight, underweight or obese. Now, investigating further, they found out which diseases are more likely to lead to death in each weight group.
Causes of Death Are Linked to a Person’s Weight
Posted by Blacky at 11:21 pm 0 comments
A Troubled Marriage Between A Skeptic and an Ascetic, or, The Oddest English Spellings
Confusing as English spelling may be, it has one well-publicized, even if questionable, merit: it tells us something about the history of the language. For example, sea and see were indeed pronounced differently in the past. This fact is of no importance to a modern speaker of English but can be put to use in a course “Spelling as Archeology.” In other cases, modern spelling only puzzles and irritates.
A Troubled Marriage Between A Skeptic and an Ascetic, or, The Oddest English Spellings
Posted by Blacky at 6:57 am 0 comments
Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind
Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.
Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind
Posted by Blacky at 6:53 am 0 comments
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities, Sep 2007
House prices rose this quarter in Melbourne (+6.7%), Adelaide (+5.1%), Darwin (+5.1%), Brisbane (+4.0%), Hobart (+3.9%), Canberra (+3.9%), Sydney (+1.5%) and Perth (+1.1%).
House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities, Sep 2007
Posted by Blacky at 11:42 am 0 comments
How To: Back Up A Trailer
If you've ever tried to back up a trailer, you know how insanely difficult it can be. Popular Mechanics has a quick how-to that should make this process less crazymaking.
How To: Back Up A Trailer
Posted by Blacky at 11:39 am 0 comments
Curing Insomnia Without the Pills
Better sleep doesn’t have to come in a pill.
For people with chronic insomnia, studies show that simple behavioral and psychological treatments work just as well, and sometimes better, than popular medications, according to a report in The Journal of Family Practice.
Curing Insomnia Without the Pills
Posted by Blacky at 11:37 am 0 comments
How to Really Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards
Credit card reward cards are extremely popular but odds are you aren't getting the most out of yours. In fact, poor execution or poor planning can actually result in your credit or account balance being negatively impacted by the use of these cards.
How to Really Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards
Posted by Blacky at 11:36 am 0 comments
Why it can be selfless to be selfish, or, how you can be generous by TAKING.
The pleasure of giving—giving help, giving advice, giving a recommendation, satisfying a desire—is one of the most exquisite pleasures imaginable. But to experience this pleasure, someone must accept your gift. Or, perhaps, even ask for it. And so sometimes, you must be the selfish one, asking and accepting.
Why it can be selfless to be selfish, or, how you can be generous by TAKING.
Posted by Blacky at 11:34 am 0 comments
Die and you're under arrest!
Queen Elizabeth II's speech in the British Parliament overnight may have been routine, but at least nobody got bored to death. That would have been against the law.
Dying in Parliament is an offence and is also by far the most absurd law in Britain, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 people by a television channel showing a legal drama series.
Die and you're under arrest! Britain's stupidest laws revealed
Posted by Blacky at 11:09 am 0 comments
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
80+ File Conversion Services And Tools
Converting files from one to another format can be a complex task, especially because not many users have the necessary tools handy. Here’s our collection of online conversion services as well as offline desktop tools which provide an easy way to convert files of various types and formats ranging from images, video to audio.
80+ File Conversion Services And Tools
Posted by Blacky at 11:21 am 0 comments
Car Maintenance Schedules
Car maintenance schedules, car recalls, and car dealership marketing and appointment scheduling software.
ServiceBeacon.com
Posted by Blacky at 11:20 am 0 comments
Secrets of Long Life
Newsflash! Scientists have discovered the secret to living literally hundreds of years. The key ingredients? A sedentary lifestyle, slightly chilly climate, friendly neighbors, close proximity to the sea...
Secrets of Long Life
Posted by Blacky at 11:18 am 0 comments
Weird and wonderful Foreign Phrases
English is a rich and wonderful language - but sometimes it's just not good enough.
For example, have you ever searched around in vain for a word to describe someone who gets excited by eating garlic?
Or wondered why there isn't a nice pithy term for a person who is only attractive if they're standing quite far away?
Weird and wondrful foreign phrases
Posted by Blacky at 11:11 am 0 comments
Resolve Conflict Quickly with The Four Agreements
I dread conflict. In fact, when I know a confrontation is imminent, it’s all I can think about. I mull it over when I could be labeling file folders, I ponder it while my inbox burgeons, while my 3x5 cards gather dust. Conflict is my productivity disaster.
Resolve Conflict Quickly with The Four Agreements
Posted by Blacky at 11:09 am 0 comments
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Productive Arguing
These tips from Relationship psychotherapist Paula Hall can help stop your arguments becoming destructive and painful.
BBC - Relationships - Couples - Productive Arguing
Posted by Blacky at 11:29 am 0 comments
Disable Windows Defender in Vista
Even if Windows Defender is offered for free and it has decent protection features, some people might prefer other applications to secure their system from spyware and other threats. In this case there is no point in having two similar applications running at the same time, both of them consuming system resources. This is why disabling Windows Defender can be a good idea.
Disable Windows Defender in Vista
Posted by Blacky at 11:27 am 0 comments
25 Photographs Taken at the Exact Right Time
Timing is everything, particularly in the case of amazing photography. Sometimes that means waiting through a whole sports game and getting lucky to catch just the right shot. Other times than means trudging through nature for weeks to get the perfect environmental photograph. Here are 25 examples of perfectly timed images from around the world and in various genres.
25 Photographs Taken at the Exact Right Time
Posted by Blacky at 11:24 am 0 comments
Saturday, November 03, 2007
11 Phenomenal Images of Earth
11 incredible photos taken from space which illustrate just a few of earth’s fascinating geographical features and nature’s frightening unpredictability.
11 phenomenal images of earth
Posted by Blacky at 1:49 pm 0 comments
How to convert your vinyl into mp3s
Playing vinyl may be a long-dead activity in most homes, but we’re willing to bet that you’ve at least a few classic records tucked away in the loft.
Whether you’ve got a working turntable or not, in this brave new world of digital music collections and wireless streamers it’s just too much hassle to get everything out of storage and slide those unwieldy records from their paper sleeves.
How to convert your vinyl into mp3s
Posted by Blacky at 1:43 pm 0 comments
Friday, November 02, 2007
When Spellcheckers Attack: Perils of the Cupertino Effect
Dictionaries, for all their virtues, can sometimes be troublemakers. Ever since the dawn of word processing, dictionaries have been mined to create wordlists for automated spellcheckers.
When Spellcheckers Attack: Perils of the Cupertino Effect
Posted by Blacky at 9:19 pm 0 comments
Ways to Minimize The Effects of a Hangover
Why Do You Have A Hangover?
Headaches, Irritability, Stomach pains, Nausea, Vomit are well known symptoms of those who are accustomed to alcohol. The following hypotheses have been given to explain the symptoms of a hangover...
Ways to Minimize The Effects of a Hangover
Posted by Blacky at 9:13 pm 1 comments
Extremely Flexible Woman
Yup, seeing is believing!
Extremely Flexible Woman
Posted by Blacky at 9:10 pm 0 comments
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Five Simple Hacks to Get Your Email Inbox to Empty
You’ve probably read a few articles on how to get your email inbox to empty (if not, read David Allen, Merlin Mann, or even a couple articles by me). Clearing your inbox and keeping it clear is just a tremendous boost to your psyche and sanity, if not your productivity.
Five Simple Hacks to Get Your Email Inbox to Empty
Posted by Blacky at 7:34 am 0 comments
Top 10 Free Video Rippers, Encoders, and Converters
So many video file formats, so many handheld video players, so many online video sites, and so little time. To have your favorite clips how you want them—whether that's on your DVR, iPod, PSP or desktop—you need the right utility to convert 'em into the format that works for you. Commercial video converter software's aplenty, but there are several solid free utilities that can convert your video files on every operating system, or if you've just got a web browser and a quick clip. Put DVDs on your iPod, YouTube videos on DVD, or convert any video file with today's top 10 free video rippers, encoders and converters.
Top 10 Free Video Rippers, Encoders, and Converters
Posted by Blacky at 7:32 am 0 comments
Monthly Gleanings : OUPblog
The death of the adverb. One of our correspondents notes that students in creative writing tend to put adverbs at the beginning of the sentence, as in “Happily, she met her boyfriend at the mall.” The adverb, nearly wiped out by morphology in American English, is doing “just fine” in syntax. For instance, the authors of scholarly publications love the word undoubtedly; they use it when arguments are weak and doubt exists. Obviously, certainly, and definitely serve the same purpose. Actually has become the bane of our life.
Monthly Gleanings : OUPblog
Posted by Blacky at 7:29 am 0 comments
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
How to fix a dented ping pong ball
This is a quick and easy fix for dented ping pong balls. For any school or club that has ping pong tables this will help cut down on the number of balls you have to buy. This is great, now I can slam the ball without having to worry about denting it!
How to fix a dented ping pong ball
Posted by Blacky at 11:17 pm 0 comments
Steve Riley on Security : More on Autorun
Last month, in my post "Autorun: good for you?" I described why I believe you should disable Autorun on all computers in your organization. I also explained how you can do this for XP and Vista computers.
Steve Riley on Security : More on Autorun
Posted by Blacky at 11:10 pm 0 comments
10 Free Microsoft Apps That Don’t Suck
Microsoft as a company is not usually associated with cool and free products. In that sense, Google is way ahead, it has Gmail, Google Reader, Calendar, Google Docs and dozens of other useful services. Nonetheless, there are a bunch of FREE Microsoft tools that are definitely worth a look. While some of them are yet to be released, others have been around for a a while.
10 Free Microsoft Apps That Don’t Suck
Posted by Blacky at 10:40 am 0 comments
The Most Curious Comestibles Found Online
Mmm, mmm … gross? In celebration of strange sustenance chowed 'round the world, we've put together a list of freaky foodstuffs for the audacious, fearless gluttons for gourmet punishment.
The Most Curious Comestibles Found Online
Posted by Blacky at 8:16 am 0 comments
The Art of sharpening Pencils
Welcome to the world of pencil sharpening - this may sound like a dull topic but there is actually a lot more to it than you think. There are a number of different sharpening styles and methods; all good artists should know them. The trick is using the right one at the right time.
The art of sharpening pencils
Posted by Blacky at 8:14 am 0 comments
The Ultimate Consumerist Guide To Fighting Back (Revised Edition)
We've posted recently about how to fight back when a business screws you over, and we've posted a lot of executive contact info over the years. Now we're packaging the two together into one big mega-post of usefulness: a one-stop-stop for figuring out what you need to do to start a customer complaint, or how to escalate a stalled one so that it can be resolved.
The Ultimate Consumerist Guide To Fighting Back (Revised Edition)
Posted by Blacky at 8:04 am 0 comments
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
How To Set Up a Network Router
This guide explains how to set up a router for home computer networks. The exact names of configuration settings on a network router vary depending on the model and whether it is wired or wireless. However, this general procedure will guide you through the process for the common kinds of home network equipment.
Router Setup and Configuration Guide - Setup a Router
Posted by Blacky at 9:41 am 0 comments
Monday, October 29, 2007
Births, Australia, 2006
Australia's total fertility rate (TFR) in 2006 was 1.81 babies per woman, the highest since 1995 (1.82).
The increase in the TFR between 2005 and 2006 was largely due to births to women aged 30 to 39 years.
Women aged 30-34 years experienced the highest fertility of all age groups in 2006, with 120.1 babies per 1,000 women. This was the highest rate recorded for women aged 30-34 years since 1963.
Fertility of women aged 35-39 years increased to 63.3 babies per 1,000 women, the highest rate since 1961.
Fertility of women aged 25-29 years decreased slightly from 2005, to 100.8 babies per 1,000 women in 2006. Women aged 25-29 years continued to record the second highest fertility of all age groups.
Fertility of women aged 40-44 years in 2006 was the highest since 1971.
At the national level, teenage fertility continued to decline.
Births, Australia, 2006
Posted by Blacky at 5:26 pm 0 comments
Birthrate hits 35-year high
Australia is experiencing its biggest baby boom in more than three decades, as more couples are choosing to start a family later in life.
Birthrate hits 35-year high
Posted by Blacky at 5:24 pm 0 comments
Airbus A380 - the complete guide
For Stephen Bleach, being a part of the inaugural A380 flight on Thursday was revolutionary... but not for all the right reasons.
Airbus A380 - the complete guide
Posted by Blacky at 3:49 pm 0 comments
10 Useful Secrets the Major Airlines Don’t Want You to Know
Ironically, traveling by air is getting more and more inconvenient as overbooked flights, lost luggage, and pricey ticket sales become more common. Unfortunately, booking a flight is sometimes just plain necessary, a fact that airlines know all too well, allowing them to continue maximizing profits while we passengers often get stuck on the ground.
10 Useful Secrets the Major Airlines Don’t Want You to Know
Posted by Blacky at 10:04 am 0 comments
Extending the History of Words: The Case of "Ms."
Ms. is “used as a title preceding the surname of any woman regardless of her marital status, sometimes with her forename(s) intervening.” This is obviously a rather recent invention, compared to the title Mrs. for a married woman (from the late 15th century) and Miss for an unmarried woman (from the mid-17th century). But just how recent is it?
Extending the History of Words: The Case of "Ms."
Posted by Blacky at 10:00 am 0 comments
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Top 87 Bad Predictions about the Future
Here's a fine collection of 87 bad futuristic predictions from years gone by -- many of them are risible because of their skepticism.
Top 87 Bad Predictions about the Future
Posted by Blacky at 8:54 pm 0 comments
New UN environmental report paints a very bleak future for Humanity
Everywhere you turn there's more bad news on the environment. According to a new report released by the UN, it's not just other species that are in danger, humans are too. The United Nations Environment Program has released the Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) report, and it doesn't make for happy reading.
New UN environmental report paints a very bleak future for humanity
Posted by Blacky at 12:31 pm 0 comments
Friday, October 26, 2007
Seven topics to avoid if you don't want to risk being a bore
I hesitate to disagree with the immortal La Rochefoucauld, but I think he was wrong when he wrote, "We are always bored by those whom we bore.”
Not always (though I often remind myself of this observation when I'm feeling bored by someone else). I think that sometimes we find a topic so interesting that it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it might not be interesting to someone else. And most of us want to make a good impression and avoid boring other people.
Seven topics to avoid if you don't want to risk being a bore
Posted by Blacky at 10:16 am 0 comments
What is your Word of the Century so far?
Susie Dent, author of OUP’s annual Language Report, has told us that the word of the year for 2007 is “footprint”, but can any one word sum up the 21st century so far?
They are conducting a poll over at the AskOxford website, and would love you to take part. You can either choose from one of the selection that Susie has put together from her five years of monitoring the language for her books, or if you don’t agree with any of them, you can nominate your own.
What is your Word of the Century so far?
Posted by Blacky at 10:00 am 0 comments
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Password-cracking chip causes security concerns
A technique for cracking computer passwords using inexpensive off-the-shelf computer graphics hardware is causing a stir in the computer security community.
Password-cracking chip causes security concerns
Posted by Blacky at 9:40 am 0 comments
Full Moon is really BIG and BRIGHT in October
On Thursday night, October 25, and into Friday morning, October 26, 2007, the Moon will be visually much larger and brighter than usual.
Full Moon is really BIG and BRIGHT in October
Posted by Blacky at 9:36 am 0 comments
Free Online File Storage
Online file storage services allow you to save, browse and share files, photos, and documents from any computer or mobile device.
Free Online File Storage
Posted by Blacky at 9:33 am 0 comments
Making Documents Look Much Better in MS Word
Do you spend a lot of time formatting documents in Microsoft Word? If so, there are a number of under-the-hood features that can make you more efficient at it, and make your documents look better.
Making Documents Look Much Better in MS Word
Posted by Blacky at 9:30 am 0 comments
10 of The World’s Most Unique Restrooms
Next to eating, drinking and sleeping, going to the restroom is something that we all do quite frequently. Most of the time, we tend to forget that the design of a restroom, especially public bathrooms, have an impact on the individual and on society as a whole. Come witness a worldwide initiative designed to educate society and to improve the designs and structures of public restrooms.
10 of The World’s Most Unique Restrooms
Posted by Blacky at 9:27 am 0 comments