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.

#780 Window's Tip -- If you ever want to completely delete some files without having to go though Window’s Recycle Bin, try hitting the Shift Key before the Delete key. This will delete the file permanently instead of just moving it to the Recycle Bin. (HT: Lifehack)

#781 Firefox Hack -- If you accidentally close a tab you can bring it back by hitting Shift+Ctrl+T (on Windows) or Shift+Cmd+T (on a Mac).

#782 Google Tool -- Install the Days Since widget on your iGoogle homepage, and enter the number of days since you watered the plants or gave the dog a bath, and Days Since will keep track for you as each day passes. (HT: Lifehacker)

#783 HowTo -- Organize a Collection Using Flickr

#784 Download of the Week -- Content Preferences lets you modify the display settings for individual sites and remembers those settings on future visits. Specifically, you can adjust the text zoom, page style and character encoding. Just head to View > Sidebar > Content Preferences, then tweak the settings to your liking. (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.