Newsletter 3-30-2008

“This weeks newsletter is all about LINUX, so if you are not interested in LINUX at all you can skip this issue.

“I am thinking about going totally to LINUX but what is keeping me from doing this is the applications that I use on my Windows computer. If there were similar application on LINUX it would help me make my final decision. Well I find a great site that has the LINUX equivalent application that I use on Windows. Now I have to bite the bullet and see if I can make the switch.
http://www.linuxalt.com/

“Having problems installing something on your new Ubuntu LINUX operating system? >”Where’s the EXE?”, “Where do I need to extract this to?”, “How do I run it?”, “Where did it go?” – have you been thinking questions like these? Don’t worry, installing software, themes and other things on Ubuntu LINUX is actually very easy! This guide will help you understand with screenshots, instructional videos and to-the-point language. “
http://cutlersoftware.com/ubuntuinstall/

“Next what are the best applications to use on LINUX? Since I am unfamiliar with this operating system what do I need? This web site has their TOP 10. You may or may not agree with them but the applications they review sure sound very useful to me.
http://lifehacker.com/software/lifehacker-top-10/top-10-ubuntu-applications-265052.php

“Next I need a real good file manager so I know where everything is and can find the right location that all the above links are talking about. Well this program looks like it will do just fine.
http://pcmanfm.sourceforge.net/

“OK, you say I like the MAC OSX much better. Can I make LINUX look like the MAC? Yes, that is possible and these guys will show you how in a step by step procedure. Check it out MAC fans.
http://www.howtoforge.com/mac4lin_make_linux_look_like_a_mac

Newsletter 3-23-2008

The high price of fuel for my car has really got me thinking electric, alternate energy, power for transportation. This video on youtube.com looks like it has promise. The problem is when.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ke1VWhZJA

The New York Auto show was last week and a number of cars shown were alternate energy vehicles. Many new vehicles were shown, both concept and ‘almost’ ready for production. Lots of pictures and the link below.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/

It seems in Dallas that the stoplight picture cameras are doing such a great job that the city is turning some of them off because they cost more to operate than they are getting through revenue. OK, since when is revenue more important that saving people lives and preventing accidents? I guess it is in Dallas. Full article below.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-redlights_15met.ART.North.Edition1.468120d.html

At this web site you can search for popular books, music CDs and videos—all of the physical items you’re used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audio books. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren’t available to the public. Because WorldCat libraries serve diverse communities in dozens of countries, resources are available in many languages. WorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world.
http://www.worldcat.org/

“A rule of thumb is a homemade recipe for making a guess. It is an easy-to-remember guide that falls somewhere between a mathematical formula and a shot in the dark. Rules of thumb are a kind of tool. They help you appraise a problem or situation. They make it easier to consider the subtleties of the topic at hand; they give you a feel for a subject. A rule of thumb is not a joke or a ditty. It is not a Murphy’s Law. Murphy says that things will take longer than we think; a rule of thumb says how much longer. While a proverb says that a stitch in time saves nine, a rule of thumb says to allow one inch of yarn for every stitch on a knitting needle.”
http://rulesofthumb.org/

“The word symbol is derived from the Greek word symbolon. In ancient Greece it was a custom to break a slate of burned clay into several pieces and distribute them within the group. When the group reunited the pieces were fitted together (Greek symbollein). This confirmed the members belonging to the group. An ideogram is a special type of symbol, a graphic sign for an idea or concept. For instance, the G-clef in musical notation and the switch for treble range on sound reproducing appliances. It is therefore an ideogram. Alphabetic letters are not considered ideograms proper in this work. But as the first letter in the alphabet A not only is a sign for a specific sound, but also denotes the idea of something that comes first. Consider expressions like “A grade” and “A-team”. A may therefore be regarded as a sign. A sign is called iconic if it has some perceivable likeness to what it denotes. In the opposite case, it is called aniconic. However, whether iconic or aniconic, graphical symbols and signs that are not pictures of easily recognized objects are called non-pictorial. These non-pictorial symbols and signs are the subject matter of Symbols.com. “ If the above tripped your trigger check out the web site.
http://www.symbols.com/

By now most of you have heard about youtube.com or have visited the site many time and enjoyed they videos there. Why limit your search to youtube.com only? There are many great videos that don’t show up on youtube.com. This site searches many video sites and gives results far greater than youtube.com. Check it out.
http://www.ulinkx.com/

Happy Easter to all! Enjoy and celebrate the meaning of this wonderful day.

Newsletter 3-16-2008

“Time & Life Pictures is an unparalleled collection of striking imagery, documenting past and present events in politics, culture, celebrities and the arts. The collection includes some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, Andreas Feininger, John Dominis, Nina Leen and Gjon Mili, whose photographs have adorned the pages of Time, Life and other Time Inc. publications.” The following page take you direct to their search page.
http://www.timelifepictures.com/source/search/product.aspx?p=9&e=0&pg=1&am=-1

“From simple beginnings, to the court of Kings and Dukes, Leonardo’s life was remarkable, some maintain the true Renaissance man. Follow him through his travels to Florence, Milan and Venice, to the court of King Francis I of France. Take a journey of discovery, learn what fascinated him, his investigations into science, anatomy, engineering and military weaponry. Was Leonardo a Great Thinker? Why do you think so? Was it his extraordinary mind or was he just a product of his time? This link goes directly to the4 timeline showing his studio.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/leonardo/studio/

Did you ever wonder why a camel has a hump? If you can really tell the weather by listening to the chirp of a cricket? Or why our joints make popping sounds? These questions deal with everyday phenomena that we often take for granted, but each can be explained scientifically. Everyday Mysteries will help you get the answers to these and many other of life’s most interesting questions through scientific inquiry. In addition, we will introduce you to the Library of Congress’ rich collections in science and technology.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/

“Best Buy Drugs is a public education project. It will help you talk to your doctor about prescription drugs, and find the most effective and safe drugs that also give you the best value for your health care dollar.” The information presented at this web site is from Consumer Reports studies. Their recommendations, reason why or why not to take the drug, alternate choices, and general reporting is very well done.
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/bestbuy-drugs.htm

“Gapminder is a non-profit venture developing information technology for provision of free statistics in new visual and animated ways. Goal: enable you to make sense of the world by having fun with statistics. Method: turn boring data into enjoyable interactive animations using Flash technology.”
http://tools.google.com/gapminder

“This website will introduce you to Smithsonian’s extraordinary collections of photographs and to an understanding of the integral roles photographs play in our lives. Photography and the Smithsonian were born within a decade of each other in the mid-19th century. The fledgling Smithsonian was quick to adopt the camera to advance its mission, cataloging plant and animal species and documenting the grandeur of the American landscape as well as its original inhabitants. Photography brought the faraway near and made visible the previously invisible.”
http://photography.si.edu/

Newsletter 3-10-2008

Has the high gas prices made you search for the best price?
Mapquest.com has a service that provides information on gas prices at more than 100,000 stations around the country, as well as the location of stations offering diesel and alternative fuels, gas saving tips and more. Finding gas stations online is one of the many place searches that users can perform with MapQuest’s renowned and comprehensive Points of Interest database, which contains more than 15 million places. Utilizing pricing data from Oil Pricing Information Service (OPIS), a leading provider of petroleum spot, rack and retail news and pricing information, which is updated up to seven times per day, the site allows users to easily find fuel stations, get maps and directions and check gas prices all in one place.
http://gasprices.mapquest.com/index.jsp

Are you confused by the various charges and items on their monthly telephone bills?
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Truth-in-Billing rules require telephone companies to provide clear, non-misleading, plain language in describing services for which you are being billed. The company sending you the bill must identify the service provider associated with each charge. If a bill contains charges in addition to basic local service, it must distinguish between charges for which non-payment will result in disconnection of basic local service, and charges for which non-payment will not result in disconnection. Telephone companies must also display, on each bill, one or more toll-free numbers that you can call to ask about or dispute any charge on the bill.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/understanding.html

The US government is trying to provide a better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products. So six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create a web site with all the government recalls of merchandise such as consumer products, vehicles, boats, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental products.
http://recalls.gov/

From the site healthytoys.org.
“We launched HealthyToys.org because children’s products should not contain toxic chemicals! HealthyToys.org is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the information they need to make better choices when purchasing toys and other children’s products.”
http://wwww.healthytoys.org

FlightAware is a free flight tracker that will change what you think about live flight tracking and aviation information. This site is tracking 38,142 arrivals in the last 24 hours.” An impressive bit of information. If you planning on flying, waiting for to pickup someone, check this site out before you leave.
You can also get a tremendous amount of information on any airport in the US that serves private or commercial aircraft.
http://flightaware.com/

“Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.”

Newsletter 03-02-2008

“Presidential Watch 2008 is pleased to bring you the ultimate set of tools to see, hear and feel what citizens and supporters are saying on the Internet about the 2008 presidential elections.
Our non-partisan observatory of the 2008 ‘netcampaign’ offers to monitor and analyze the important trends of the campaign, the opinions of citizens and the continuously evolving standings of the candidates taking part in the race, from the primaries to the final run-up.
The tools and the contents we provide should satisfy your private interest for politics. They will also give you great insight for your posts and articles on the presidential race.” Spend some time an follow the link patterns between sites and try some of the various options to redo the chart.
http://presidentialwatch08.com/index.php/map/

This is one of the coolest desk lamps that I have seen. Since it uses LED’s is won’t cost much to operate because it only uses 16 watts, plus it looks like it costs much more that it really does. It focuses the light exactly where you need it.
http://www.aoptk.com/AQUALIA.htm

When I was a lad growing up one of the most fascinating toys I has was an erector set. Now most of you know that LEGOS has pretty much taken up that spot on most kids want list, but Vexlabs hopes to change that. They make a selection of robotic kits that assemble much like the old erector sets but they have added modern technology to keep up with the times. Check out their supply of kits and cool stuff.
http://www.vexlabs.com/vex-products.shtml

What’s the most unusual use for laser beams? This Youtube.com video ranks among the top in my book. This guys plays a laser like a harp. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLVXmsbVwUs

Shopping around for a credit card can save you money on interest and fees. You’ll want to find one with features that match your needs. This information on the following web site will help you pick the right card.
http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/shop/default.htm

uLinkx.com is remarkably different video search site as it provides many functionalities at one place. You can search videos, organize it in playlist, share with friends, add videos from many video sharing web sites and even earn money while using it. uLinkx.com provides fast way to search relevant videos at one place and organize it in the form of playlist/collection. They collect popular videos from top videos sharing sites and make it available to view at one place. It also provides a video bookmarking feature, where you can bookmark any videos from video sharing web sites using their bookmarklet.
http://www.ulinkx.com/video/

“Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger”