Archive for October, 2006
Face it–most computer applications have a spell check feature that removes the pressure of us having to really know how to spell. They do a good job at trying to guess what we really meant when we mangle the letters of a word. Programs like Microsoft Word show us right away when a letter is misspelled, and sometimes even fix the most common errors automatically. This can perpetuate bad spelling habits as we aren’t even reminded that we have made a mistake. However, with so much content being typed directly into web forms, our spelling safety net is gone, exposing our ignorance to the world.
Blogs, forums, Wikis, feedback forms, commenting systems–all of these ask for input directly into the browser, but alas, Internet Explorer (still the most popular browser) does not have a spell check tool. Some of us type or copy the text into Word (or any other program that has a spell check), do our proofing, and then copy into the form. This is hardly elegant.
Enter ieSpell, the Spell Checker add-on for Internet Explorer. I have been using this for a few weeks, and I can’t believe I had been getting along without it. It is available free, and once installed adds a button to your Standard Toolbar and some options to your Tools menu. You can expect it to work just like your Word spell checker, however personal dictionaries are not shared, so you will have to build this as you go.
click to enlarge
If you do a lot of text entry on the web, you need this tool.
Link: ieSpell - Spell Checker add-on for Internet Explorer
October 25th, 2006
A Massachusetts elementary school has banned the game of “tag” during recess. That’s just crazy. Of course there is a concern for safety and probably the self-esteem for the child who is always “it”, but c’mon, playing tag is a classic recess game–no equipment or special field, and playable with any amount of participants. (willing or not).
Kids need to play games and run around. Sometimes when they run they fall. Sometimes they bump into each other. Sometime they even get hurt. This is how they learn and grow and become physically active. We lock up our kids inside enough protecting them from the terrible world. They are eating junk and getting fat and we are not telling them to sit still and don’t move too quick or you might get hurt.
All parents are cautious, but when I see my 3-year old chasing my 1-year old, they are both laughing and having a great time. They need to learn about what too fast is and playing too rough so they can behave appropriately.
When I was in elementary school we have a friendly, tag-like game called “kill the guy with the ball.” Someone was given the ball, and the rest of us chased him and dog-piled until someone else stole the ball and ran away. I never understood the motivation to actually want the ball. In junior high, we had a gym class activity that was officially called “war ball” by the gym teachers. This was what we consider official dodge ball today.
I’m sure my grandfathers played games like “beat the guy with the stick”, but my point is that we probably shouldn’t be progressing to games called “sit quietly in place and avoid any eye contact that might hurt another’s feelings.”
Ease up people.
Not it Mass. elementary school bans tag - Yahoo News
October 18th, 2006
I’m all for saving the world one person at a time, but I don’t understand the celebrity adoption craze lately. Madonna has been visiting Malawi (which I had never before heard of) first denying then actually moving forward in adopting a young “orphan” boy.
At first account, the boy’s father and grandmother were delighted. I know cultures and language are different across this big blue marble, but in English, an orphan is a child without parents — typically a father and mother.
The one-year old boy, now revealed with the rock-star like name of David Banda, did lose his mother as she gave birth to him. The father placed him in this “orphanage” for his own well-being, but never expected him to actually be adopted. (It kind of reminds be of a pawn shop.)
It also appears that is a really good to be a high-profile celebrity with tons of money, as all of the red tape and usual procedures which are put in place to protect the child from crazies were waived for the “material girl”.
(note to self: become high-profile celebrity with tons of money.)
Music News- Father Wanted Madonnas Adopted Child Back - AOL News
October 17th, 2006
Everyone has experienced seeing a huge full moon rising in the distant sky. And we all have our theories on why the moon appears bigger when it is lower in the sky. Some include refraction through the atmosphere, the tilting of our head, etc. But the truth is, the moon’s apparent size remains the same at any point in the sky.
This is hard to believe when you are driving toward this huge orb, but alas it is. If you were to hold a ruler out at arms length and measure the diameter of the moon at any point in the sky, it would be the same. Our minds are playing a trick on us with something called the Ponzo Illusion:
The Moon, when it’s on the horizon, is interpreted by your brain as being farther away. Since it’s the same apparent size as when it’s high up, your brain figures it must be physically bigger. Otherwise, the distance would make it look smaller.
However, tonight’s moon will be about 12 percent larger than other full moons because it is at its closest point to the Earth along its elliptical orbit.
October 6th, 2006
