Twitter's Most Influential Topics of 2009

In 2009, influence emerged as a source of filtering and focus, especially when TwitterTwitterTwitter released its new “lists” feature to empower users to organize and follow custom streams by topic, personality, and themes.
Twitter's Most Influential Topics of 2009

100 Skills Everyone Should Master

In 2008, Esquire published 75 Skills Every Man Should Master and Popular Mechanics published a list of 100 Skills Every Man Should Know. My list was inspired by those, but it was Jason who mentioned that someone should do a list of gender neutral skills; I’ve been working on this on and off since then.
100 Skills Everyone Should Master

Is aviation security mostly for show?

Last week's attempted terror attack on an airplane heading from Amsterdam to Detroit has given rise to a bunch of familiar questions.
Is aviation security mostly for show?

New Year’s Eve Folklore

For most English people, New Year’s Eve is either spent quietly at home, or at a party, which lasts till after midnight to ‘see the New Year in’. Such gatherings differ little from other parties, apart from the ubiquitous singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’…The only other regular features of the season are the ubiquitous salutations of ‘Happy New Year’ and the tendency to make personal ‘New Year resolutions’.
New Year’s Eve Folklore

The 1979 Cabinet Records

The year 1979 was the middle year of the second term of the Fraser Government. The Government had a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives and control of the Senate, but the opinion polls were less encouraging. A Morgan Gallup poll held in November 1979 showed the Government parties trailing the Australian Labor Party (ALP) by 48 per cent to 43, and Malcolm Fraser’s approval rating at only 35 per cent (behind Opposition Leader Bill Hayden at 43 per cent).
The 1979 Cabinet Records

Just Released: 35th Annual LSSU List of Banished Words

Word “czars” at Lake Superior State University “unfriended” 15 words and phrases and declared them “shovel-ready” for inclusion on the university’s 35th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.
Just Released: 35th Annual LSSU List of Banished Words

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 1/2010 - January 1, 2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 1/2010 - January 1, 2010

More Tips about Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions Than You Could Want

More tips about making and keeping resolutions than you could want.
More Tips about Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions Than You Could Want

Why do some people mispronounce fungi

Monthly gleanings from OUP.
Why do some people mispronounce fungi

10 Healthy Things to Eat and Drink in the New Year

Here's a roundup of the most healthy (and tasty) foods to start eating (or eat more of) in the new year.
10 Healthy Things to Eat and Drink in the New Year

10 Business Mistakes That Will Nearly Break You… Literally

Starting a business is hard! You know it, I know it, and everyone else in this world knows it. But what you probably don’t realize is that it is really easy to screw up your business. Entrepreneurs have to a tendency to mess things up through stupid mistakes. So save yourself from being one of these foolish entrepreneurs by avoiding the following mistakes.
10 Business Mistakes That Will Nearly Break You… Literally

How to Remove Super Glue from Practically Anything

Super Glue and its off-brand cousins are the next best thing to duct tape when it comes to good-enough repairs, but heaven help you if it spills. Luckily, there's a guide to getting SuperGlue out or off of nearly anything.
How to Remove Super Glue from Practically Anything

How to Clean Gold Jewelry

Although gold doesn't tarnish, it can easily get dirty. To clean your precious rings, bracelets, necklaces and other gold jewelry, just follow the steps below.
How to Clean Gold Jewelry

What Twitter and Facebook's 2009 Trends Tell Us About Ourselves

As the year comes to a close, several social media companies decided to take a look back and reflect on the events, people, technologies that captured our interest this year. Twitter took the first crack when it revealed the most discussed topics of 2009. Facebook was next when it released its Facebook Memology for the year.
What Twitter and Facebook's 2009 Trends Tell Us About Ourselves

5 Big Real-Time Web Trends of 2009

Web technology and social media change radically from month to month, so it’s difficult to make predictions about what The Next Big Thing is, but you can be confident that the real-time web will get bigger and more essential in 2010. It came to a head in 2009, though, and this year’s applications can give you some idea of what to expect after the New Year.
5 Big Real-Time Web Trends of 2009

2009 review: Favourite picture galleries

From carnivorous robots to exploding stars and bizarre medical devices, here are your favourites from the image galleries we posted this year.
2009 review: Favourite picture galleries

Best of the Decade: A Collection of 30 "Top 10" Lists

From publications dealing with gadgets to those that cater to soccer fans, everyone is compiling lists commemorating the first decade of the 21st century. Here are some publications' choices.
Best of the Decade: A Collection of 30 "Top 10" Lists

Tracking Santa with Bing Maps in 2009

MSN and The Today Show (.com) have united forces to create this year’s Santa tracker with the Bing Maps Platform. This year’s effort allows you to follow Santa’s current location as well as where he’s been. Check Santa to see his current position.
Tracking Santa with Bing Maps in 2009

On Santa Claus

Ever wonder where the jolly father of Christmas came from? Well I have! So I turned to Oxford Reference Online which led me to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. Below is an excerpt about everyone’s favorite man in red. Happy Holidays to all!
On Santa Claus

Top Ten Dinosaur and Fossil Finds

Large, "lost," or simply unusual, a bevy of prehistoric beasts were brought to life in National Geographic News's most popular paleontology stories of the year.
Top Ten Dinosaur and Fossil Finds

Restaurants Use Menu Psychology to Entice Diners

The use of menu engineers and consultants is exploding in the casual dining arena and among national chains, a sector of the business that has been especially pinched by the economy. In response, they are tapping into a growing body of research into the science of menu pricing and writing, hoping the way to a diner’s heart is not only through the stomach, but through the unconscious.
Restaurants Use Menu Psychology to Entice Diners

Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Track Santa and his sleigh with NORAD

NORAD's Santa-tracking dates back to 1955, when a Sears and Roebuck magazine ad in Colorado Springs accidentally directed readers to call NORAD instead of the "Talk-to-Santa" hotline they were advertising. Embracing the holiday spirit, the folks at NORAD provided callers with Santa's location according to their radar and have tracked his journey ever since.
Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Track Santa and his sleigh with NORAD

Why It's Better To Pretend You Don't Know Anything About Computers

Oh Yeah!
Why It's Better To Pretend You Don't Know Anything About Computers

60 Stunning Satellite Photos of Earth

Looking at nature from different perspectives can create stunning compositions for your photographs. This couldn’t be more true than when we look at our planet from outer space and appreciate the reality of its beauty from such an incredible and rarely seen perspective. The images in this compilation are from the Landsat 7 satellite and were created to introduce the general public to the Landsat Program.
60 Stunning Satellite Photos of Earth

Facebook Unveils Most-Mentioned Topics of 2009

Last week, Twitter revealed its list of the most-discussed topics of 2009, based on Twitter’s trending topics. Now Facebook has come out with their own list, based on data from the millions of daily status updates of its users.
Facebook Unveils Most-Mentioned Topics of 2009

Lifehacker’s Guide To 64-Bit Vs 32-Bit Operating Systems

You’re probably aware that 64-bit and 32-bit versions of your operating system exist, but apart from ascribing to a bigger-is-better philosophy, you may have no idea what separates the two. The question: Should you use a 64-bit version of Windows, and if so, why?
Lifehacker’s Guide To 64-Bit Vs 32-Bit Operating Systems

How To Protest Against Internet Censorship Laws

It’s clear Lifehacker readers think the plan to make Internet censorship mandatory in Australia in 2010 is a deeply stupid idea. While there may be ways of working around the filter, not having the filter would clearly be a better idea. How can you effectively make your views known?
How To Protest Against Internet Censorship Laws

10 iPhone Apps to Avoid Work Disasters

Ten battle-ready apps for your iPhone armory to help keep your work life as organized, streamlined, and efficient as possible. With these at the ready, you’ll be prepared for just about anything.
10 iPhone Apps to Avoid Work Disasters

How to build a successful Internet filter

Sen. Conroy has obviously received rather poor advice. If he follows these instructions, he'll have an unbreakable Internet filter.
How to build a successful Internet filter

Best New Blogs of 2009

Bygone Bureau editors Kevin Nguyen and Nick Martens and fellow bloggers talk about the latest and greatest additions to their RSS readers.
Best New Blogs of 2009

Top List Of Brands That Experienced The Most Phishing Attacks In 2009

Avira has published a top list of brands that experienced the most phishing attacks in 2009. The top 3 brands according to their chart are PayPal with 32205 threats followed by Chase Bank with 25901 threats and eBay with 18738 threats. Each threat in this case refers to a unique Internet address that was being used to phish data from users.
Top List Of Brands That Experienced The Most Phishing Attacks In 2009

Blackstump Australia Issue 35 -December 20, 2009

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 35 -December 20, 2009

Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia

This publication presents information about the retirement status and retirement intentions of people aged 45 years and over who have, at some time, worked for two weeks or more.
Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia, Jul 2008 to Jun 2009

Capture Handwritten Notes on Your iPhone

Dan Bricklin’s Note Taker App lets you take quickly take notes on the go by sketching onto your iPhone’s/iPod touch’s screen using your finger. Because scribbling small notes would be difficult, the app lets you write using large gestures, then shrinks your notes to fit onto the pages, which are about the size of a 3×5 index card.
Capture Handwritten Notes on Your iPhone

The Most Influential Twitter User in the World Is...

How do you measure influence on Twitter? While follower count is perhaps the most obvious metric, other activities, like the numbers of times you’re retweeted, provide a bit more insight. Along those lines, INQ Mobile has just released their 2009 Twitter (Twitter) influence study, determining the most influential Twitter users in both the UK and the world.
The Most Influential Twitter User in the World Is...

Google Zeitgeist 2009

Google has released the year-end statistics of Google Zeitgeist 2009 which includes information about the most search topics in various niches in 2009. The default statistics show the search queries for the United States with the option to switch the country to view them for several dozen other countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany or the European Union.
Google Zeitgeist 2009

Scientists crack cancer codes

Scientists are hailing the unlocking of the complete genetic code of two of the most common cancers as "a fundamental moment in cancer research".
Scientists crack cancer codes

Yale Book of Quotations Annual List (2009) of Memorable Quotes

Fred Shapiro, the editor of the Yale Book of Quotations and associate librarian and lecturer in legal research at Yale Law School, is out with his annual list of memorable quotes.
Yale Book of Quotations Annual List (2009) of Memorable Quotes

What You Watched and Searched for on YouTube in 2009

This year has been the biggest yet for online video, and for the first time we're sharing our official Most Watched lists and some of the fastest-rising search terms on YouTube. Some moments were big (President Obama's inauguration), some small (a Minnesota wedding party erupts into dance), some expected ("New Moon"), some surprising (Susan Boyle) — but all of them inspired, entertained and connected millions of people around the world via YouTube.
What You Watched and Searched for on YouTube in 2009

10 iPhone Apps That Bring Holiday Cheer

In the spirit of the holiday season and an attempt to recover some of that holiday excitement, the following are 10 fun iPhone apps to help put a little more festivity into your lives.
10 iPhone Apps That Bring Holiday Cheer

Twitter reacts to Australia's internet filter

Senator Conroy's announcement has been controversial, sure, but the reaction from Twitter has been decisive, and loud.
Twitter reacts to Australia's internet filter

Australia: Internet Censorship Plan Gets the Green Light

The Federal Government has announced it will proceed with controversial plans to censor the internet after Government-commissioned trials found filtering a blacklist of banned sites was accurate and would not slow down the internet.
Australia: Internet Censorship Plan Gets the Green Light

How to Prevent Identity Theft

In 2008, there were almost 10 million cases of identity theft in the US alone, 22% more than the previous year.[1] While people are getting better at recognizing identity theft, and minimizing the damage, the best solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place by following these steps.
How to Prevent Identity Theft

Google Year-End Countdown Easter Egg

Just found out about a neat little Google search box Easter Egg for the New Year: Click on the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button with nothing in the search box to see a live count down of seconds left in 2009. What they should have done is linked the seconds number to a "seconds in days" calculator search to let people know what it is. Time marches on….
Google Year-End Countdown Easter Egg

Change DNS Servers With DNS Jumper

DNS and DNS servers have been pushed into the mainstream with Google’s announcement that they have released public DNS servers to speed up computer user access to the Internet. We have already given tips in the past how to benchmark DNS to find the fastest and most reliable one from all the public DNS that are offered by various organizations and companies.
Change DNS Servers With DNS Jumper

Mathematics of slicing pizza

For almost twenty years, mathematicians Rick Mabry and Paul Deiermann have attempted to figure out the perfect way to slice a pizza for sharing. urns out, mathematicians have been pondering pizza slicing problems since at least the 1960s.
Mathematics of slicing pizza

The Happiness Project Secrets of Adulthood

The Happiness Project: Each one changed my life, once I figured it out. Gretchen Rubin.
My Secrets of Adulthood

Mystery Giveaway at 1saleaday.com.au Pay only $4.95 for delivery Aust wide. - OzBargain

At 1saleaday, they need to make space for new and exciting products so they’re giving all their old stock away. If they’ve sold it in the past, chances are it could be here in the mystery giveaway. All you have to do is pay the 4.95 postage. You could get anything from a memory card to iphone Case to HDMI cable.
Mystery Giveaway at 1saleaday.com.au Pay only $4.95 for delivery Aust wide

TeuxDeux: a simple online to-do list manager

TeuxDeux is an new online to-do list manager created by Tina Roth Eisenberg (AKA Swissmiss) and Fictive Kin. It’s not as full-featured as some other online to-do list applications, but if you’re looking for something that’s easy to use and has a strikingly elegant and minimal user-interface, then you should definitely take it for a test drive.
TeuxDeux: a simple online to-do list manager

Most Popular Top 10s of 2009 - Lifehacker

Every weekend, we comb our memories and archives to compile 10 useful items addressing a specific topic you may have forgotten about, or just happen to be excellent. Here are the 20 list(icle) posts that proved the most popular in 2009.
Most Popular Top 10s of 2009

Most Popular How-To Features of 2009 - Lifehacker

We cover a lot of tips every day on Lifehacker, but we get our greatest pleasure from putting together in-depth, step-by-step guides. From Windows 7 to Hackintoshes and beyond, here's a look back at our most popular how-to features of '09.
Most Popular How-To Features of 2009

IPL 15 Things

From the Internet Public Library - Explore our first seven of 15 "Things," Blogs, Microblogging, Social Networking, Wikis, Virtual Worlds, Podcasting, and Videos, and take the 15 Things Challenge!
IPL 15 Things - IPL Wiki

Australian Social Trends, Dec 2009

The December issue reveals that over the last decade, the number of jobless families has fallen, while the number of people who live alone has been increasing. We also see that Australians are less likely to smoke than in the past, but more likely to be obese and that many workers work non-traditional hours.
Australian Social Trends, Dec 2009

FAIL Blog’s Top Ten FAIL Lists for 2009 « FAIL Blog

Drum roll please! The votes have been tabulated and FAIL Blog has the official results for our first annual Top Ten Lists of the Biggest FAIL Moments, the Biggest FAIL People and the Most Epic FAIL Blog Videos and Pictures for 2009 as voted on by 100,000 FAILers. It was a year of many fails, but Kanye West won the grand prize of “King of Fail” for 2009.
FAIL Blog’s Top Ten FAIL Lists for 2009

Mystery mountain range explained

Scientists have explained how a mysterious mountain range in central Australia was formed 550 million years ago.
Mystery mountain range explained

The Louvre iPhone App's Like Being There Without the Plane Ticket

If you're not traveling to Paris anytime soon to visit The Louvre, then grab the art museum's free iPhone app. It's packed with enough info about its famous paintings to make you feel like you're there on a private tour.
The Louvre iPhone App's Like Being There Without the Plane Ticket

WhoCrashed Explains Why Your Windows PC Crashed

Generally, when your computer crashes, your best hope of figuring out what went wrong (and thus preventing future crashes) usually hinges on sifting through complex log files. WhoCrashed aims to make this process easier by summarising what happened when your computer went down, including specific information on exactly what piece of hardware, software, or driver caused the crash.
WhoCrashed Explains Why Your Windows PC Crashed

Australian Bushfire Map Offers Up-To-Date Fire Tracking

Bushfire season is in full swing early, and online resources are key to keeping track of where things are happening. The Australian Bushfire Map integrates fire warnings for four states (NSW, Victoria, Queensland and SA) with Google Maps to provide up-to-date news of current fires.
Australian Bushfire Map Offers Up-To-Date Fire Trackin

John Lennon tribute: "War is Over!" crowd-sourced translations

Yesterday, December 8, marked the anniversary of the death of John Lennon. In tribute, Yoko Ono and the Imagine Peace team are crowd-sourcing translations of the famous John & Yoko "WAR IS OVER!" poster for people to print and share over the holiday season as cards or posters.
John Lennon tribute: "War is Over!" crowd-sourced translations

Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Jun 2009

This issue contains estimates of the resident population of Australian states and territories as at 30 June of each reference year. Estimates up to 2006 are final, based on the results of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Estimates for June 2007 have been revised and estimates from June 2008 onwards are preliminary.
Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Jun 2009

Japanese subway etiquette poster campaign

I like the art and colors of these Japanese subway posters that remind people to be considerate of others.
Japanese subway etiquette poster campaign

namebench - DNS Benchmark Utility

Are you a power-user with 5 minutes to spare? Do you want a faster internet experience? Try out namebench. It hunts down the fastest DNS servers available for your computer to use.
namebench - DNS Benchmark Utility

How to Never Be Late For Work or Anything Again

I hate to be late. If I’m driving to a business meeting and get stuck in traffic, I whip myself into a frenzy, imagining the person on the other end checking their watch every two minutes and cursing me for having such little regard for their time.
How to Never Be Late For Work or Anything Again

How to Know When Your DNS Servers Are Failing

Now that both Google Public DNS and OpenDNS offer alternative, public DNS services anyone can use instead of their service provider's DNS servers, the question is: How do you know if your DNS service isn't working properly and if you should switch?
How to Know When Your DNS Servers Are Failing

Google Launches Real-time Search

We knew that it would be coming eventually and the time apparently has come today. At least for some users that is as Google stays true to its policy to roll out changes to their services over time. Real-time search is an addition to the standard Google search results that users see when they perform a search in the search engine.
Google Launches Real-time Search

The Top 10 Gadgets of the Decade; Will the Data These Devices Hold Be Accessible in Another 10 Years?

We love gadgets and it’s likely many of you also love them. The same goes for lists. So when a list containing selections for the Top 10 Gadgets of the Decade, we have to make mention of it.
The Top 10 Gadgets of the Decade; Will the Data These Devices Hold Be Accessible in Another 10 Years?

Q&A: To treat or not to treat visual migraines?

Every couple of months I get a visual migraine—flashing lights in my field of vision, but no headache. My ophthalmologist says not to worry and that I don’t need any treatment. Is he right?
Q&A: To treat or not to treat visual migraines?

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 34 -December 6, 2009

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 34 -December 6, 2009

100 Blogs that Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person

Everyone needs a little help sometimes in getting motivated, relaxing, feeling happy or just getting those creative juices flowing. Luckily, the Internet is full of places to find inspiration. These blogs can help you get moving towards your goals, whether you want to give back more to the community, feel better about yourself, or just get in shape.
100 Blogs that Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person

Eight Tips to Know If You're Being Boring

How do you know if the other person is interested in your conversation – or not? One challenge is that the more socially adept a person is, the better he or she is at hiding boredom. It’s a rare person, however, who can truly look fascinated while bored.
Eight Tips to Know If You're Being Boring

Is it time to kill the Antarctic Treaty?

Fifty years ago, 12 nations—Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union and the U.S.—agreed to cede their claims to Antarctica. The continent would belong to no nation and become a nature preserve and scientific laboratory open to all.
Observations: Is it time to kill the Antarctic Treaty?

iPhone Constantly Running Low on Juice? Try a $15 External Battery

A $15 external iPhone battery from MonoPrice that can store enough juice to charge the phone twice over.
iPhone Constantly Running Low on Juice? Try a $15 External Battery

Step-by-Step Math

Have you ever given up working on a math problem because you couldn’t figure out the next step? Wolfram|Alpha can guide you step by step through the process of solving many mathematical problems, from solving a simple quadratic equation to taking the integral of a complex function.
Step-by-Step Math

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 Goes Live

The NORAD Santa Tracker service has just gone live for those who are ready to start searching for St. Nick. While you won’t actually get to track him until Christmas Eve, there are resources at the site now.
NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 Goes Live

Lasik: is it worth $6000?

Excimer laser technology was first used and developed by IBM to make etchings on computer chips in the 70s. The first excimer eye surgery was conducted in 1988, and the basic underlying technology has remained pretty much the same since then. There are a few things that are new now.
Lasik: is it worth $6000?

AOL’s List Of Lists – Top Searches 2009

AOL has weighed in with a heavy hitting list of 2009’s top searches in the categories below.
AOL’s List Of Lists – Top Searches 2009

Official Google Australia Blog: ​Melbourne in 3D on Google Earth

Been to Melbourne lately? If not, it has become a whole lot easier to get your Melbourne fix without jumping on a plane, thanks to recent updates to the 3D buildings layer in Google Earth.
Official Google Australia Blog: ​Melbourne in 3D on Google Earth

Yahoo Releases Top Searches of 2009 (Twitter Nowhere to Be Found)

2009 was a year of ups and downs for Yahoo search. While we wait for the Yahoo/Microsoft search deal to take effect, we know that Yahoo still holds firm as the number two search site, with 18.8% market share (to Google’s 64.9%) according to October data from comScore.
Yahoo Releases Top Searches of 2009 (Twitter Nowhere to Be Found)

Google’s 2009 Aussie Zeitgeist results zoom into the room!

Google’s top list of Australian searches for 2009 has been revealed, showing the ideas and spirit of the times as they were down under, and as you can imagine, many of the major Australian and international events of the year such as Twilight, Susan Boyle and stimulus packages all definitely make the cut!
Google’s 2009 Aussie Zeitgeist results zoom into the room!

Find of the Month - National Archives of Australia

Long before the six white boomers of Rolf Harris and Christmas cards of Ken Done, Lionel Lindsay created uniquely Australian greeting cards. From the cattle dog stealing the Christmas turkey to the big boomer acting as Santa Claus, and native animals toasting in the New Year, Lindsay’s cards took a whimsical look at how ordinary Australians and our native wildlife might celebrate the festive season.
Find of the Month - National Archives of Australia

Do You Really Need More Than 4GB of RAM?

With the price of upgrading system RAM extremely low these days, people are always asking me whether it's really worth it to upgrade beyond 4GB; today we'll answer that question for everybody.
Do You Really Need More Than 4GB of RAM?

Twitter Declared Most Popular English Word of 2009

While Twitter may have taken second place in Bing’s 10 most searched topics of 2009, we’ve now learned that it has become top dog in something far bigger: the entire English language.
Twitter Declared Most Popular English Word of 2009

Top Bing Searches in 2009

Cue Music. Awwww, 2009. It was a year of UFO shaped dirigibles, mom jeans on pop stars, real housewives, a new president, and a new decision engine. Oh and there may have been something about Vampires too, we weren’t really paying attention. Yes, it was quite a year and what better way to reminisce then by taking a trip down memory lane with a look back at what topped the list of Bing searches. If you’re curious how we determined the top searches, we analyzed billions of search queries and developed the list based on searches made with Bing.
Top Bing Searches in 2009

10 Views of Earth from the Moon, Mars and Beyond

For more than 40 years, missions throughout the solar system have sent back stunning images of our home planet.
10 Views of Earth from the Moon, Mars and Beyond

How to Fix Your Relatives' Terrible Computer

Drop your bags, grab a drink, and grab the XP CD—it's time for the holiday ritual of fixing up your relatives' computer. Here are some tips and downloads to keep handy while you're cursing all the auto-starting crapware.
How to Fix Your Relatives' Terrible Computer

How to Light a Fire in a Fireplace

Lighting a fire in a fireplace is, in general, viewed as an easy task. Because of this, a majority of people may forget a few key steps in the process that would help them enjoy their fire better. What could have been a nice night by the fire can easily become a smoke filled room. Here is a recommended method that if followed, should help make your fire enjoyable from the start.
How to Light a Fire in a Fireplace

61 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For

Cornucopia of excellent free software and webapps we're extremely thankful for. So whether you're an American celebrating the season or not, the selection of apps below is like gravy-drenched turkey and mashed potatoes for your computer.
61 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For

Diamond optical illusion

Antonio at Fogonazos writes about this interesting optical illusion. The four rows of diamonds appear to be colored with different shades of gray, but all the diamonds are identical. In fact, the diamonds aren't solid gray, they are tinted with a gradient (lighter on the top, darker on the bottom).
Diamond optical illusion

How to maximize coupon savings

Yesterday we came across this amazing YouTube video of a Good Morning America segment profiling Kathy Spencer, who runs How to Shop for Free. By using a few techniques highlighted in the video, she manages to feed her family of six for less money than you probably have in your sofa cushions right now.
How to maximize coupon savings

Cash is King: Proverbs about money

With yet more stories in the press about banks, bailouts, recession, and the economy, I wondered what the new edition of The Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs had to say about money. Unsurprisingly, it’s something that has preoccupied people for a very, very long time. Here’s a selection of money-related proverbs from across the centuries.
Cash is King: Proverbs about money

How to Do Laundry While Traveling

If you're going to be away from home for more than a few days, washing clothes along the way will mean carrying far less. On an extended trip, washing clothes may be the only way to travel. It's not difficult or even time consuming to wash your own clothes while you are away.
How to Do Laundry While Traveling

Deaths, Australia, 2008

Death rates in Australia have remained steady over recent years, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The standardised death rate was 6 deaths per 1000 people in 2008 - unchanged since 2005. Twenty years ago, the rate was 9 deaths per 1000 people. There were 143,900 deaths (73,500 men and 70,400 women) registered in 2008.
Deaths, Australia, 2008

10 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Getting Cancer

Below is an expanded list of things you can do to reduce your risk of getting cancer.
10 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Getting Cancer

Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo Mail Comparison

Have you ever asked yourself how you did end up with the email account that you are currently using? Chance is that you have at least one account at one of the three most popular web based email service providers Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Windows Live Hotmail.
Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo Mail Comparison

Math tackles the rear-end collision

According to U.S. researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, rear-end collisions can be avoided by a simple algorithm inserted into your car’s computer that tells a driver that the car in front is going slower than they are.
Math tackles the rear-end collision

Buzzword: Teeth bleachorexia

Bottom line: With so much still unknown, we think you should take it easy on how frequently you use tooth whiteners. If a super-white smile is especially important to you, break out the kits for special occasions, like before you greet your friends over the holidays. With any luck, that should tide you over until at least swimsuit season.
Buzzword: Teeth bleachorexia

Simple, cheap remedy for toenail fungus

I used to cringe when my yoga instructor told us to “take off your socks.” The big toenail on my right foot was an ugly flakey brownish gray, a condition I’ve had for years. It may have started when I was taking Tae Kwon Do and kept landing on my big toe while trying to do roundhouse kicking.
Simple, cheap remedy for toenail fungus

How to Make Luggage Easier to Spot

After a long flight, the last thing you want to do is pull a dozen pieces of luggage off a baggage carousel to check if they're yours, since they all look pretty much the same. The best way to avoid this is to buy unique luggage, but if you've already got luggage that looks like everyone else's, here are some ways to make it stand out.
How to Make Luggage Easier to Spot

Digger's diary recounts 'hell on earth'

After 94 years of research and historical writing, you might expect that we would know everything there is to know about the Gallipoli landings. But the State Library of New South Wales has just proven that there is more to learn, especially on a personal level. The library took possession of a digger's diary, largely penned in the trenches by a young soldier from Sydney called Charles Hardy.
Digger's diary recounts 'hell on earth'

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 33 -November 22, 2009

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 33 -November 22, 2009