Yak Shaving -- [MIT AI Lab, after 2000: orig. probably from a Ren & Stimpy episode.] Any seemingly pointless activity which is actually necessary to solve a problem which solves a problem which, several levels of recursion later, solves the real problem you're working on.#640 Online Tool -- Wordcounter is an online tool that ranks the most frequently used words in any given body of text. Useful for finding overused words or for determining keywords for a document. (HT: Lifehack.com)
#641 Excel Hack -- The Microsoft Education Center has an excellent tutorial on how to make a timeline in Excel. (HT:LifeHacker)
#642 Word Keyboard Shortcut -- Ctrl+Shift+W -- Underline words but not spaces
#643 Know Your Fallacies -- Joint Effect -- One thing is held to cause another when in fact both are the effect of a single underlying cause. This fallacy is often understood as a special case of post hoc ergo prompter hoc. (Ex. "You have a fever and this is causing you to break out in spots." (In fact, both symptoms are caused by the measles.))
#644 Google School -- Google has partnered with Valpak, a leading supplier of coupon advertising, to provide more than 20,000 coupons from current Valpak advertisers when consumers search for relevant stores using its Google Maps map and local directory service. Google even allows businesses to create their own discount coupons using a simple Web-based template, giving small businesses an easy and free way to attract online customers. [Google Local Business Center] (HT:LifeHacker)
#645 HowTo -- Incorporate Google Calendar Into Outlook
#646 Outlook Hack -- Normally, e-mail messages are sent immediately when you click the Send button. But Outlook allows you to delay sending a message by postponing the send date as follows:
- In the Message window, Click the Options.
- In the Message Options dialogue box, select Do Not Deliver Before check box, and choose the desired send date in the calendar drop-down and the desired time you want the message sent in the appropriate drop-down.
- Click Close and Send.
Your message will go to the Outbox folder until the assigned date and time to send it. (HT: Tech Recipes)
#647 SoYouWanna -- Design your own web page.
#648 Download of the Week -- Free software DM2 adds all sorts of windowing, desktop and folder management enhancements to Windows. With DM2 installed you get 4 virtual desktops, custom Open/Save dialog folder locations (can you say godsend?), and the ability to minimize any window to the system tray. (HT:LifeHacker)
#649 Writer's Tips -- Let punctuation control pace and space. Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think. (HT: PoynterOnline)
See also: The Yak Shaving Razor Archives
Have a useful recommendation for making life more pleasant? Send them to me at jpcarter[at]evangelicaloutpost.com.