making it work...

I can't remember where I came across this but I've been using it a lot lately and thought I would share the love.

You know how sometimes you want to print something from the internet and you end up wasting paper and ink because all of the extra stuff on the page, like ads and headers,etc.? The fine folks at Print What You Like have come up with the solution. You can go to this site, enter the url for the page you want to print and then edit out all the stuff you don't want or isolate only what you do want. So that news article, or recipe, or whatever goes from being 5 pages of mostly crap, to one concise page of just what you need. Brilliant!

let the music play...

After listening to the Oscar Peterson tribute (see previous post) I explored the CBC Radio 2 Concerts on Demand page a little further. There are some amazing concerts on this site! How did I not know until now that this existed? I often wondered what happened with the tons of live shows that the CBC records on a regular basis, after they have been broadcast on various radio programs. It's so great that they offer some of them up on the website for us to enjoy. So while I've been cleaning up my home office, I have enjoyed some great live shows including Jim Cuddy at Kingfest, Serena Ryder at Hugh's Room and William Carn Quintet at the Rex. And there are a ton of others that I plan to listen to. All thanks to the magic of the interwebs!

doin' it right...

I came across a very cool website today.

At Instructables, everyday people share their methods for how to do stuff in words and pictures. Let's say you have the perfect technique for cutting a fresh pineapple or you're a whiz at curing hiccups. Why not share your expertise on Instructables? The idea is for people to share and learn with others in an online community setting. And some of the stuff on the site is very cool! Where else would you find step by step instructions on how to make your very own, working banana phone? Ever wanted to make your own trombone out of PVC pipe? Or maybe you really need a safety pin but all you have is a paper clip. No problem. The answers to all of life's little dilemmas are here.

I don't know about you, but I'm totally going to make some cranberry infused vodka!

you're the inspiration...

Today marks my one year blogversary. Yes, I have been blogging for exactly one year today. Now I haven't always been the most consistent blogger but I did successfully complete my first NaBloPoMo and I had a few other good stretches of posts. I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, but I do want to blog more consistently in 2008. I'm actually thinking of taking my laptop with me on my daily commute to work on blog posts. I'll let you know how that goes.

So far, I have found blogging a fantastic and rewarding experience. I love being able to sit down and blather on about whatever the heck I want. It's my way of decompressing from the stress of daily life.

On this anniversary day, I feel compelled to let you know why I decided to do this. It's quite simple. Elizabeth. I had been reading my dear friend's blog and loving it. Then I watched her complete her first NaBloPoMo and I thought, "man, I wish I could do that." Well, I could! Thanks to the glory of the internets, anyone can blog! Including me, the ultimate technology moron. Yeah, I know how to check my email and load music on my iPod, but that's about it. I am of the generation just before computers became mainstream. I used a typewriter for my high school essays and didn't own a computer until my 2nd year of university. But Blogger makes blogging idiot-proof. I just have to make the time to sit down and write.

So cheers Elizabeth and thanks for the inspiration. Who knew that blogging would become my favourite hobby.

And thanks all of you, for reading.

take it outside...

One of the things I love about the Internet is how it breeds creativity. I saw this featured on blogUT. Miranda July is a performance artist, writer, director, actress and musician. To promote the release of her latest book, she has created an entire website on a dry-erase board. Sometimes the only way to get noticed is to differentiate yourself from others. This very clever website might just do the trick.

And yes, I ordered the book.