Dramatic Cats!

Beeminder bookmarklet for tracking minutes

Beeminder is an excellent commitment device which you can use, amongst other things, for tracking the number of minutes you spend on a project.

There is a useful bookmarklet to help you fill in data for a Beeminder graph that tracks minutes. Click on the bookmarklet while you are looking at your Beeminder goal page and are about to start work on the goal. The bookmarklet will record elapsed minutes in the goal's data field for as long as the goal page is open. When you have finished work, all you need to do is click the submit button and the correct value will be submitted.

Found at @richarmstrong's twitter feed

Cousin Relationships

I have found an excellent, easy-to-understand description of cousin relationships with diagrams such as these:




Read more at Fredd's Web Whereabouts

Worrying Medical Results

Found at imgur

Dog Shaming

These pictures were sent to me in an email with no attribution; I'm guessing they're a collection of the some of the best entries from dog-shaming.com. I had not previously been aware of that site but I have already become convinced that it is essential to the smooth running of our universe.

TARDIS drinks cupboard

I found this image on Facebook, shared by a friend of a friend, but not created by them. I'm posting it here because I haven't been able to find it anywhere else on the internet (Google, you have finally failed me!!) and something this cool needs to be somewhere other than Facebook.

The small TARDIS on the top shelf is apparently an ice bucket although one Facebook comment suggested it's where the rest of the cellar is concealed. :) Another indicated that the cabinet would be significantly enhanced by a remote-controlled K9 drinks trolley, which has to be the second-best idea ever, the best of course being the cabinet itself.

So, anyone who is wanting present ideas for me now knows what to obtain. This Christmas would be good thank you.

Gorgeous artwork in gorgeous journals

The journals are Paperblanks; the artist is Pia Ravenari. Image found at the Paperblanks blog post Pia Ravenari: Australian Visual Artist and Writer.

A Dog's Last Will and Testament

Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, give their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I would ask.

To a poor and lonely stray, I'd give:

• my happy home
• my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillows and all my toys
• the lap which I loved so much and the tender loving touch
• the hand that stroked my fur and the sweet voice which called my name

I'd will to the sad, scared shelter dog, the place I had in my human's loving heart, of which their seemed no bounds.

So, when I die, please do not say, "I will never have a pet again, for the loss and the pain are more than I can stand." Instead, go find an unloved animal, one who's life holds no hope or joy, and give my place to him.

This is the only thing that I can give... the love I left behind.



Text found at Galveston Daily News ["Author anonymous, included in a recently published book in Germany 'Der Verlust eines Hundes' (The Loss of a Dog) by Elli Radinger, translated by Janet Beasley."]
Image found at Sandy Schepis's Google+ stream [click image to view larger]

Legacy From Eileen

by Ceciley Cranstoun

'Goodbye,' I whispered softly
And watched as she passed by
While others all around me
Bowed their heads and cried.

My thoughts turned to her paintings,
Huts, silent in soft light,
Herons, cranes in marshlands,
Or startled birds in flight.

Her eyes absorbed the beauty
That others failed to see.
She brushed into a keepsake
A treasure meant for me.

Though Eileen has departed
With eyes closed as in sleep,
Her spirit framed in brushstrokes
Remained, and healed my grief.

in remembrance of Eileen Gleeson, June 1993
published in Ascot Hangings (ISBN 0-8643-9198-6)

Chrome tip: Open new tab next to current tab, using JavaScript in a search engine "bookmark"

In the Chrome browser, the keystroke for opening a new, blank tab (Ctrl-T or Cmd-T) always opens the tab at the far right of all tabs. Usually I would prefer it to open to the immediate right of my current tab.

You can do this by right-clicking on your current tab and selecting "New Tab" but I prefer keystrokes to mouse actions.

You can also do this with the Tab to the next right extension (a deservedly popular extension), but it also controls which tab will be selected when you close one and I prefer to use Chrome's own selection method. Also, sometimes I DO want the tab to open at the far right. :)

I've worked out that I can get what I want with some JavaScript in Chrome's search engine preferences. I tested it only on a Mac so the steps might be slightly different on other devices. It looks like a long process but it's really very simple.

1. Go to Chrome's Options / Preferences screen (click the wrench icon on the browser toolbar then select Options or Preferences -- whichever appears on your system).
2. You'll find yourself in the "Basics" preference page, which should have a "Search" section. Click on the Manage Search Engines... button.
3. You'll see a list of your custom-built search engines for various sites (if curious, read about Chrome's search engine configuration). At the bottom of the screen, find the set of empty fields for adding a new search engine.
4. In the first field (labelled "Add a new search engine"), enter Open new tab or something similar. The words you choose are not important -- make them meaningful to you so they'll trigger your memory if you go back into this screen any time in the future.
5. In the second field (labelled "Keyword"), enter a single word or single letter or a sequence of letters (no spaces nor punctuation). You'll be typing this every time you want to open a new tab to the immediate right, so short and memorable is good. I use tt
6. In the third field (labelled "URL with %s in place of query"), enter exactly this text including the semi-colon at the end:
   javascript:window.open();
7. Click anywhere outside the fields to "save" your entry.

That's the end of the set up. Now whenever you want to open a new tab next to your current tab, you can do this:

1. Move the keyboard focus to the address bar (Ctrl-L or Cmd-L).
2. The entire current address should be highlighted, but if not, highlight it all (Ctrl-A or Cmd-A).
3. Type the keyword you chose in step 5 above -- e.g., tt -- and hit Enter or Return.

Once you get used to doing this, you'll be able to do it very quickly: Cmd-L tt Enter

The new tab will open immediately to the right of your current tab. Your current tab will not be affected except that the URL might have disappeared from the address bar; if you want to see the URL again, just reload the page hit the ESC key (thanks lehrblogger for your tip!). If you ever want to open a new tab at the far right of the address bar, use Chrome's default new tab keystroke (Ctrl-T or Cmd-T).

If you know of a better method for opening a new tab next to your current tab, please tell me by comment or email!