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.

#715 Home Hack -- Depending on the "color" of the wood, you can use the "meat" -- the actual flesh part of a nut -- to color over light scratches. Break a pecan or walnut in half and rub over the scratch several times. Then, rub with your finger till the area is warm, to help the wood absorb the oil from the nut. This usually works on light scratches. (HT: Good Houskeeping)

#716 Online Tool -- It's too late for this tax season, but the Mileage Calculator -- a Google Maps / Google Calendar mashup -- can be a handy tax write-off tool. You can enter any number of start/destination addresses and calculate mileage based on Google's driving directions service. And if you have meetings scheduled in Google Calendar, you can enter your XML URL to pull events to calculate mileage based on the locations you've entered for those events. (HT: Lifehacker)

#717 Browser Hack -- Need the weather forecast? In your address bar, just type: weather.gov/12345
where "12345" is your zip code. (HT: Lifehacker)

#718 HowTo -- Download Videos from Websites Like Google Video, YouTube, MySpace, and Others

#719 Download of the Week -- Keep your PC safe with Comodo Personal Firewall, a free security program designed to block outside intruders and keep your PC from "leaking." (HT: Lifehacker)

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.