Gibarian's Favorite Links on howto from Diigo

Google Tutor: Tutorials and Tips for Google Users

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:36:15 -0000

A nice collection of howtos and hints for Google users.

Tags: google hints tutorial howto

Posted by: gibarian

Vitamin Features » Add microformats magic to your site

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:21:13 -0000

How to add microformats to your own site.

Tags: microformats semanticweb howto

Posted by: gibarian

How to Mix the Perfect Martini || kuro5hin.org

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:46:55 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Hardware:
Shaker (preferably metal, although plastic will work too)
Large Martini Glass
Refrigerator (seems obvious, I know, but it's important)
Olive Spear

Software:
6 oz Gin or Vodka
A splash of Dry Vermouth
Olives (1 to 3 is traditional) or Lemon Peel
Ice (cubes will work, crushed is better)

Ahead of Time:
Start by refrigerating your vermouth for the amount of time it takes for the bottle to get cold (at least an hour). I'll explain why in a bit. Chill a Martini glass in the refrigerator or the freezer for about 10 minutes. You can go for less time, but I like my Martinis at the lowest possible temperature.

The Mixing:
Take the glass out of the fridge/freezer and pour a small amount of Vermouth into it. Here's the important bit: swirl the vermouth in the glass so that the sides of the glass are coated. DISCARD THE REMAINING VERMOUTH. Spear an olive or two, and put it in the glass. Pour your gin or vodka (gin is better) into a shaker over copious amounts of ice. Shake the living crap out of it. Seriously, shake it like a revival preacher shaking the devil out of a sinner. Strain into the glass, and you're good to go.

Technically you're supposed to eat the olives first, but I won't tell if you don't.

Some Explanation
The reason for refrigerating your vermouth is so that you don't warm your glass when you swirl with it. I know it seems like a waste of good alcohol to toss the vermouth remaining in the glass, but trust me, it makes the end result so much better, that it's well worth it. I suppose you could save it, since it's barely even touched the glass, but that just sounds strange to me.

Also, the reason crushed ice is better than cubes is that the surface are of the crushed ice is significantly greater than that of the cubes (like a heatsink in reverse). Greater surface area equals greater cooling power.

Variation
Now, having said all that, my person favorite variation is to replace the olives with a lemon twist. Take a small twist of lemon rind, rub it around the edge of the glass, throw it in, and pour the gin over that.

Brands
Not to start a flame war, but here are my favorite brands of spirits for use in martinis. I prefer Beefeater gin to all others. As for vodka, Skyy is my personal favorite, as I find Absolut has too much bite for my taste. Haven't gotten around to buying/trying Grey Goose (although I hear it's excellent). I use Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth.

Tags: martini cocktails perfect howto

Posted by: gibarian

Step By Step: Jott Your Way To EverNote Bliss

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:47:04 -0000

Unfortunately, Jott still doesn't work for European folk like me.

Tags: evernote howto jott lifehacks

Posted by: gibarian

Bartending - Wikibooks, collection of open-content textbooks

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:46:16 -0000

Howto to be a bartender. Or at least know stuff a bartender knows. Great resource, really.

Tags: bartending cocktails howto opencontent

Posted by: gibarian

Explore Your Interactions with Google Reader

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:30:03 -0000

Great list of "hidden" Google Reader links.

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

* All the posts you've emailed to your contacts:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-emailed

* All the posts you have marked as unread at some point (to keep a post unread, you need to uncheck "Mark as read" from the options bar; note that "Mark all as unread" will not maintain this state):
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-kept-unread

* Did you click on a post's main link to go to the original location? You'll find it here:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-item-link-used

* Did you click on a link from a post's content? The post should be included in this list:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-body-link-used

* If you use the list view, you can find the list of posts you've actually read (or at least you have clicked on the title):
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/read

* Are Google's recommended feeds interesting? Check the list of recommended feeds you've subscribed to:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/recommendations-subscribed

* Did you accidentally dismissed a recommended feed? You'll find it here:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/recommendations-dismissed

Tags: RSS google greader howto reader

Posted by: gibarian

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:35:06 -0000

Tags: howto inspiration writing

Posted by: gibarian

GIMP Color Effects on a B&W Photo - Instructables - DIY, How To, photography, art

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:45:26 -0000

Tags: gimp howto photo tutorial

Posted by: gibarian

A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before | Zen Habits

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:48:39 -0000

Tags: 12steps food health howto

Posted by: gibarian

ScriptingQuestions - WebHostingBuzz Wiki

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:47:01 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

How do I get PHP5 to work?

Shared and reseller servers, have both PHP4 and PHP5 preinstalled for the client.
Dedicated servers require consultation with the client, before a specific installation is chosen.

By default, PHP4 will handle all PHP requests, except files with the (.php5) extension.

You can utilize PHP5 by...

Renaming all of your files and links so they use the (.php5) extension.
Making a change to, or creating a (.htaccess) file, with this line of code below, added to the file.

 AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5 .php .php5 .php4 .php3 .phtml

It may just be a different way to achieve the same goal, but this is what I used on another host:
AddType application/x-httpd-php5 .php

NOTE: Some programs and code written for php 4, will not work with php 5. This is why they created version extensions. Many older scripts, still use the code translations, as they have two versions (file.php4 and file.php5), of the code. I recall three items in the Fantastico console, that will not function with php 5. (And I assume that this is the reason we still have php 4 on these servers. If you just told all your code to be processed by php5... and php4 is running... which one is processing your code? Which programs will still run? None, if they were coded for php4. The codes are not backwards compatible. Php 4 code will crash Php 5, and Php 5 code will crash Php 4.)

Tags: howto php5 webhostingbuzz wiki

Posted by: gibarian

Ubuntu Gutsy Installation Guide - cchtml.com - Swiftweasel

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:54:01 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Configure the Driver

Note Method 2 Users: Before you carry out this step you must reboot your machine. Or else the fglrx driver will not be in use on xorg.conf and using the aticonfig options will cause a memory dump and not intialise the Driver properly.
Note: An alternative to the aticonfig --initial command is to edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and replace the string "ati" with "fglrx" in the "Device" section. This way you won't lose your old "Screen" and "Monitor" settings. Afterwards you can use aticonfig for setting overlay etc. Another alternative is aticonfig --initial --force if you encounter issues with the first command.

sudo aticonfig --initial

Then:

sudo aticonfig --overlay-type=Xv

Note: Alternative in the overlay-type to "Xv" can be "opengl" or "disable" if the TV-out makes problems in videos.

[edit] Alternative: Configure the Driver, The Manual Way:

An alternative to the "sudo aticonfig" commands is to edit "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" and change the "Device" section for the video card as shown below. This way you won't lose your old settings.

gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Section "Device"
	[...]
#       Driver          "vesa"
	Driver		"fglrx"
	Option		"VideoOverlay"		"on"
	Option		"OpenGLOverlay"		"off"
	[...]
EndSection

[edit] TV - Out

The composite TV-Out is not working simultaneously with the VGA on my System. To use it I have turned the VGA off and only the TV on. Attention! This command turns off your Monitor!!

sudo aticonfig --enable-monitor=tv

To change back to VGA:

sudo aticonfig --enable-monitor=crt1

Some have had luck with both mirrored.

sudo aticonfig --force-monitor=crt1
sudo aticonfig --enable-monitor=crt1,tv

reboot after that and it should mirror the CRT1 onto the TV.

Tags: gutsy howto installation

Posted by: gibarian

toonlet: web-comic blogging in minutes

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:22:50 -0000

Tags: cartoons fun howto timekiller

Posted by: gibarian

RulesofThumb.org - Homepage

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:04:37 -0000

Tags: howto lifehacks rules

Posted by: gibarian

How to Take Notes Like an Alpha-Geek | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:23:23 -0000

Tags: howto lifehack notes productivity tumble

Posted by: gibarian

Getting Started with IMAP for Gmail

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:00:45 -0000

Comments:

This is really perfect!
posted by gibarian

Tags: gmail howto imap

Posted by: gibarian

[SOLVED] Installing Intel HD Audio Alsa-1.0.14 Drivers. - Ubuntu Forums

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:02:25 -0000

Tags: gutsy howto installation linux sound

Posted by: gibarian

Wikipedia:How to edit a page - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 05:47:58 -0000

Tags: editing howto wiki

Posted by: gibarian

How to Make Stikkit into Your Personal GTD Powerhouse · The Cranking Widgets Blog

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:04:23 -0000

Tags: gtd howto stikkit

Posted by: gibarian

Howto: ATI Mobility Beryl/XGL FGLRX in Edgy - Ubuntu Forums

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 15:30:54 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

FGLRX Suspend and Hibernate
Edit "/etc/default/acpi-support" and change the following lines:

Code:

MODULES_WHITELIST="fglrx"
SAVE_VBE_STATE=false
POST_VIDEO=false
DOUBLE_CONSOLE_SWITCH=true

Tags: ati beryl hibernate howto

Posted by: gibarian

How to Read a Scientific Research Paper--

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:29:42 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

How to Read a Scientific Research Paper--

a four-step guide for students and for faculty

Ann McNeal, School of Natural Science, Hampshire College, Amherst MA 01002

Reading research papers ("primary articles") is partly a matter of experience and skill, and partly learning the specific vocabulary of a field. First of all, DON'T PANIC! If you approach it step by step, even an impossible-looking paper can be understood.

1. Skimming. Skim the paper quickly, noting basics like headings, figures and the like. This takes just a few minutes. You're not trying to understand it yet, but just to get an overview.

2. Vocabulary. Go through the paper word by word and line by line, underlining or highlighting every word and phrase you don't understand. Don't worry if there are a lot of underlinings; you're still not trying to make sense of the article.

Now you have several things you might do with these vocabulary and concept questions, depending upon the kind of question each is. You can

Look up simple words and phrases. Often the question is simply vocabulary--what's a lateral malleolus, or a christa, or the semilunar valve. A medical or biological dictionary is a good place to look for definitions. A textbook of physiology or anatomy may be a good source, because it give more complete explanations. Your ordinary shelf dictionary is not a good source, because the definitions may not be precise enough or may not reflect the way in which scientists use a word (for example "efficiency" has a common definition, but the physical definition is much more restricted.)
Get an understanding from the context in which it is used. Often words that are used to describe the procedures used in an experiment can be understood from the context, and may be very specific to the paper you are reading. Examples are the "lithium-free control group" in a rat experiment or the "carotene extraction procedure" in a biochemical experiment. Of course, you should be careful when deciding that you understand a word from its context, because it might not mean what you think.
Flag this phrase as belonging to one of the major concepts of the paper--it's bigger than a vocabulary question. For example, a paper about diet and cancer might refer to "risk reduction," which you would need to understand in context and in some depth.

Comprehension, section by section.

In the Introduction, note how the context is set. What larger question is this a part of? The author should summarize and comment on previous research, and you should distinguish between previous research and the actual current study. What is the hypothesis of the paper and the ways this will be tested?

In the Methods, try to get a clear picture of what was done at each step. What was actually measured? It is a good idea to make an outline and/or sketch of the procedures and instruments. Keep notes of your questions; some of them may be simply technical, but others may point to more fundamental considerations that you will use for reflection and criticism below.

In Results look carefully at the figures and tables, as they are the heart of most papers. A scientist will often read the figures and tables before deciding whether it is worthwhile to read the rest of the article! What does it mean to "understand" a figure? You understand a figure when you can redraw it and explain it in plain English words.

The Discussion contains the conclusions that the author would like to draw from the data. In some papers, this section has a lot of interpretation and is very important. In any case, this is usually where the author reflects on the work and its meaning in relation to other findings and to the field in general.

4. Reflection and criticism. After you understand the article and can summarize it, then you can return to broader questions and draw your own conclusions. It is very useful to keep track of your questions as you go along, returning to see whether they have been answered. Often, the simple questions may contain the seeds of very deep thoughts about the work--for example, "Why did the authors use a questionnaire at the end of the month to find out about premenstrual tension? Wouldn't subjects forget or have trouble recalling?"

Here are some questions that may be useful in analyzing various kinds of research papers:

Introduction:

What is the overall purpose of the research?

How does the research fit into the context of its field? Is it, for example, attempting to settle a controversy? show the validity of a new technique? open up a new field of inquiry?

Do you agree with the author's rationale for studying the question in this way?

Methods:

Were the measurements appropriate for the questions the researcher was approaching?

Often, researchers need to use "indicators" because they cannot measure something directly--for example, using babies' birthweight to indicate nutritional status. Were the measures in this research clearly related to the variables in which the researchers (or you) were interested?

If human subjects were studied, do they fairly represent the populations under study?

Results

What is the one major finding?

Were enough of the data presented so that you feel you can judge for yourself how the experiment turned out?

Did you see patterns or trends in the data that the author did not mention? Were there problems that were not addressed?

Discussion

Do you agree with the conclusions drawn from the data?

Are these conclusions over-generalized or appropriately careful?

Are there other factors that could have influenced, or accounted for, the results?

What further experiments would you think of, to continue the research or to answer remaining questions?

Tags: howto papers reading thesis

Posted by: gibarian