Monday, June 18, 2007

ACSS Newsletter - Office Suite converters (Update)

Mac Users

A month ago I told you about a converter you can download from Microsoft to convert any Word files sent in the new Office 2007 format. An update has been released that addresses an issue whereby the previous version will expire prior to it's intended expiry date. Strange, I know.... I don't know when the prior version is supposed to expire, but if it has, you will want to get the update.

You can download it at:

http://tinyurl.com/3ysg57

If you are interested in the original post on converters not just for Mac users, you can read it at:

http://acss.livejournal.com/#item12667

Friday, June 15, 2007

ACSS Newsletter - Google search tips

Here are some very interesting tips for customizing searches through Google. 

Tip #1:
Let's say you are interested in articles on "nutrition" in US News and World Report magazine. Now you could go to US New's website and do a search there. Another option is to just type in the Google search prompt:

site:www.usnews.com "nutrition"

Whereas some sites don't use www at the beginning, you can leave the www out. For example try:

site:.usnews.com "nutrition"

Let's say you want to search government sites for licensing information. You could actually just type the following search:

site:.gov "licensing"


Tip #2:
What is the definition of "oxymoron"? Let's see, where is Webster online..... But no, again you could type in the Google query:

define:oxymoron


Tip #3:
Final tip. This is something I run across fairly often. Hm, someone just sent me a file with the extension .wpf. But I can't open it. What kind of file is that? What will open it?
Again, just type in your Google query:

filetype:wpf

Oh, so it's a Word Perfect file!

ACSS Newsletter - Google search tips

Here are some very interesting tips for customizing searches through Google. 

Tip #1:
Let's say you are interested in articles on "nutrition" in US News and World Report magazine. Now you could go to US New's website and do a search there. Another option is to just type in the Google search prompt:

site:www.usnews.com "nutrition"

Whereas some sites don't use www at the beginning, you can leave the www out. For example try:

site:.usnews.com "nutrition"

Let's say you want to search government sites for licensing information. You could actually just type the following search:

site:.gov "licensing"


Tip #2:
What is the definition of "oxymoron"? Let's see, where is Webster online..... But no, again you could type in the Google query:

define:oxymoron


Tip #3:
Final tip. This is something I run across fairly often. Hm, someone just sent me a file with the extension .wpf. But I can't open it. What kind of file is that? What will open it?
Again, just type in your Google query:

filetype:wpf

Oh, so it's a Word Perfect file!

Friday, June 1, 2007

Movie Review: An Unreasonable Man

Someone please take my documentaries away from me! Again I only went to bed around 1 am after watching "An Unreasonable Man."

This documentary starts out with Bernard Shaw's definition of unreasonable:
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself."
The movie is about Ralph Nader. So, I can already hear a lot people who get this confirming this definition and reaffirming their slurs, contempt, anger, etc. with respect to Nader. The documentary is full of the usual criticisms particularly from democrats. 

But Bernard Shaw's statement goes on to say: "Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
And so the movie is about the life work of Ralph Nader. It is very important that everyone watch this movie and gain a new found respect for what Nader has done even if you disagree with his presidential bids. 
One very interesting story in the movie was when the CEO of GM ended up apologizing to Nader for hounding him after Nader's exposure of the dangers of the automobile. It is difficult for me to imagine the CEO of any major corporation being brought before Congress, being questioned by Congress, let alone apologizing for anything these days. 
Another quite interesting study that every Nader naysayer should look to was performed by a Harvard Associate Professor who pondered what effect Nader did have on the 2000 election. His conclusion was that Nader seems to have actually gone out of his way to not have an adverse effect on Gore's campaign. Complementing this, was material with Tom Brockaw and others on the election night talking about Florida. Tom Brockaw was noting that given the results so far there is no reason to believe that Nader's campaign effected Gore's results. That by all poles the votes for Nader were by voters who have otherwise stayed at home. His co-host agreed completely. And then a guest host/commentator (I've seen him before buy don't know his name) then added, yeah, but you just wait. If Gore looses Florida you can sure bet that the Dem's will be pointing the finger and blaming Nader. Why is it that the media can get it right when not being censored? 

By the way, this purpose of the documentary is not to say that Nader was not a spoiler. The point of the movie is really to show what civic responsibility is all about. So whether you consider yourself a democrat, republican, independent, etc., this documentary should definitely be seen by all people concerned about democracy.

Hacking Into the Past

In my youth, I would take apart various electronic games, un-soldering and re-soldering them, and taking pride in the fact that that the suc...