Ian's Messy Desk

• Del.icio.us Visualization with Vox Delicii
  >Heat mapped visisualization of del.icio.us' popular links
• Blog Better With MindManager
  >Idea mapping for better blogging
• Mirror Me: Download Tracking and Mirroring
  >An interesting service that let&#x2019s you manage, track and mirror files
• Download: Skylook
  >Record Skype calls to MP3 in Outlook and more.
• Learn How The Brain Handles Stress
  >Understand how your brain deals with stress for better health
• Download: Temptation Blocker
  >A nifty little application that helps you curb screen time
• Apple&#x2019s Mighty Mouse
  >Apple&#x2019s first multibutton mouse, Mighty Mouse
• How to Surf The Web Anonymously
  >Tutorial on use proxies to surf anonymously
• Brown-Bag Your Way To Half a Million!
  >Bringing your four times a week can eventually earn you half a million dollars

TGIF: This week's best posts

If you're easily addicted to simple online games you shouldn't go to Guess-the-Google - a game where you're given a series of 20 pictures from Google's images and have to guess what keyword triggered them. My highest score was...

Guess-the-google

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

"Nice guys finish last, but we get to sleep in."

Evan Davis

From Michael Hyatt:

"Tom Peters has a nifty little slide show called 56 Ideas/Suggestions for Presentation Excellence. The content is great. The slides themselves are pretty weak. Ironically, he violates his own rules (e.g., “Only one point per slide”). Nevertheless, the content is great and well worth downloading."

Tom Peters on Presentation Excellence

10 things you shouldn't buy new

10 things you shouldn't buy used

[link from Ricky]

• Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.
• Someone call the janitor. We're going to need a mop.
• Bo! Bo! Come back with that! Bad dog!
• Wait a minute, if this is his spleen, then what's that?
• Hand me that, uh, that uh, thingie.
• Oh no! I just lost my Rolex.
• Oops! Hey, has anyone ever survived 500ml of this stuff before?
• Darn, there go the lights again...
• Ya know, there's big money in kidneys. Heck, this guy's got two of 'em.
• Everybody stand back! I lost my contact lens!
• Could you stop that thing from beating? It's throwing my concentration off.
• What's this doing here?
• I hate it when they're missing stuff in here.
• That's cool! Now can you make his leg twitch?!
• I wish I hadn't forgotten my glasses.
• Well folks, this will be an experiment for us all.
• Sterile, shcmerile. The floor's clean, right?
• Anyone see where I left that scalpel?
• And now we remove the subject's brain and place it in the body of the ape.
• Accept this sacrifice, O Great Lord of Darkness.
• Okay, now take a picture from this angle. This is truly a freak of nature.
• Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?
• Don't worry. I think it's sharp enough.
• What do you mean you want a divorce!
• She's gonna blow! Everybody take cover!!!
• FIRE! FIRE! Everyone get out now!!
• Dang! Page 47 of the manual is missing!

Those who have to eat their own words never ask for a second helping. -- Sam Ewing

Something unworthy that is excessively esteemed, especially money.

golden calf

(In case you are curious) A whole grain is the entire edible part of any grain. It consists of three components: bran, germ and endosperm. This definition and a whole lot more whole grain info. is available at http://www.wholegrainlife.ca. N.B., the site is run by General Mills, so there is product promotion throughout.

"This is an interesting tool for bloggers that gives the results on one page. Talk Digger recently released in beta, tracks the leading blog searchers - Bloglines, Technorati, Blogpulse, PubSub, IceRocket, Feedster and BlogDigger - with one click. It also includes MSN Search and Google."

Use MindManager maps as blueprints for successful blog postings

While the low entry barriers to blogging are empowering, the caveat is: Once you start a blog, you better keep it running. You must generate content or the blogosphere will soon forget you. This subtle pressure leads some bloggers to experience a mental unease that one might call "blogophobia" - the ever-present anxiety of letting your blog wilt like an un-watered flower.

It is no wonder that the fear of the blank page has translated into the digital age. But help is on the way! While blogs with advice for blog writers flourish and a service like Autoblogger even suggests you fully outsource your blog, there is also a software alternative: MindManager. MindManager&rsquos unique map interface allows you to visualize your thoughts, organize them, and put them in context.  It is the perfect catalyst for writing a successful blog post.

With MindManager:

• Getting started is easy.
• You easily organize your key points, link them to existing blogs, and make your argumentation crystal-clear.
• You make sure that your topic is fresh and relevant.
• Plus: You can repurpose your blog map as a template for future blogs

Tim Leberecht - Senior Corporate Communications Manager

Blog Better With MindManager

Well, here I am; sort of. In trying to solve my server problems. I attempted to back up my database and delete my site, so that I might be able to rebuild it. The delete bit worked very well. The back up, not so much! So here I am, with the past two years of blogging gone.

On the plus side, I've discovered Thingamablog, a great open-source blogging client. Thingamablog runs on the desktop and manages the entire blogging process from set up to template design to posting and publishing. The feature list from the website

• Set up a blog in minutes via an intuitive wizard
• Maintain multiple blogs
• Effortlessly manage thousands of entries
• Dynamically update blog content
• Write entries offline (Dialup users)
• Publish your blog with a single click
• Read news with an integrated feed reader
• Make posts from your favorite feeds
• Create a unique layout with customizable templates
• Import entries from RSS/Atom feeds
• Set up flexible archiving options
• Organize your entries by category or date
• Save entries as drafts
• Define your own custom template tags
• Syndicate your blog via an RSS or Atom feed
• Ping services like weblogs.com, BlogRolling, and Blo.gs
• And much more...

So, the plan is this: keep posting new posts while going back through files, caches, etc. to recover as much previous material as possible. Hopefully, with the absence of scripted blogging software, my server problems will diminish and access will become consistent again.

My apologies to those who have previously linked to Ian's Messy Desk. Those links will be broken. If you are able to fix them, as old posts become available, that would be great. To those who subscribe to my feed, that address has changed. (New feed link here.) Thingamablog does not support comments. Once I'm a little further along on messing up the desk, I'll see about adding a comment service. Meanwhile, if you'd like to contact me, you can use the mailto link that is associated with my name at each post.

(NC)—The issue of physical inactivity of children is a national issue that has become of growing concern among academics, medical professionals and government officials. One major barrier to physical activity is the costs associated with participating in a sport or recreational activity. But getting kids active doesn't have to be cost prohibitive. The team at Canadian Tire has put together affordable and fun ways to get kids active so they can enjoy the many benefits of sport and recreation.

• Make physical activity a family affair by working in exercise as part of your family's daily routine. Instead of driving kids to school, map out a route so you and your child can ride your bikes or walk to school.

• Instead of watching television after dinner, take your kids to the park and throw a ball around or kick a soccer ball. Invite your children's friends to come along and make a game of it!

• Choose activities that are fun for the whole family like an outdoor hike, nature walk, bike ride or leisurely skate. These activities will not only help kids get active, but are a great way for families to spend time together.

• Many local community centres have recreational programs for kids of all ages and most have indoor swimming pools or outdoor skating rinks to help kids remain active over the winter months. Check the Canada Parks and Recreation listings at www.cpra.ca for a community centre or park near you.

• Encourage kids to enroll in their favourite sport or recreational activity like swimming, dancing or hockey.

All kids deserve the chance to play and benefit from sport and recreation. Families unable to afford the cost of an organized sport or recreational activity should look into programs like Canadian Tire JumpStart that provides financial support to help cover registration fees, transportation and equipment. For more information, call 1-877-616-6600 or email canadiantirejumpstart@cantire.com.

- News Canada

Posted by Robert Snedegar, Technical Solutions Engineer
>
>Today marks the launch of Current TV, which will let television viewers (like you, for example) broadcast their own videos to the world. Amidst this content contributed by viewers, Current TV produces segments which use Google Zeitgeist data to highlight trends in what people search for using Google. Ever wonder what the most popular searches are for animals? The answers may surprise you (liger, anyone?) Jointly created by teams at both companies, these Zeitgeist segments are aptly named Google Current.
>
>Congratulations to the Current TV team. We wish them the best of luck in their admirable effort to empower television viewers!

Lights, camera, action

"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."

G. K. Chesterton

Test post from Thingamablog.

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believèd, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing. -- Sabine Baring-Gould