Tool of the Week: LMGTFY

Let Me Google That For You is a real awesome way of telling people not to bother you with dumb questions that they could ask google.  Just type in a question, get the link, and e-mail it to them.  It will show them how easy it is to search for things in google, instead of asking you. Here's an example scenario:...Read More

Trip Report: Hidden Valley Backcountry Skiing

UPDATE: If you're looking for more current trip reports, current avi conditions, other backcountry ski areas, or backcountry ski weather, please check out my new website (which is under construction) at www.PowProject.com [caption id="attachment_343" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Courtney Making some Tele Turns in fresh snow at Hidden Valley"][/caption] This past weekend I had a great time backcountry skiing at Hidden Valley,...Read More

Tool of the Week: Web of Knowledge

Research can be a real pain.  I've already given a tool to keep track of where you've been, but sometimes it seems hard to know where to go. Web of Knowledge is not only a useful tool for searching through loads of journal articles, but it has really useful citation linking.  Once you find a relevant article can search backwards...Read More

Cycling Tip: Cheap Full Fingered Gloves

If you mountain bike, Gloves are essential. You will fall, and unprotected hands are painful! Full fingered gloves are also essential for road riding when it's chilly out. Unfortunately, cycling stuff always seems expensive (which is why almost everything i own, from clothes to bikes, is second hand). So you can imagine how a frugal guy like me would be...Read More

Tool of the Week: PayPal

"Every Time I see a bunch of checks taped to the fridge, I just roll my eyes." -William S. (Roommate) [caption id="attachment_324" align="alignright" width="273" caption="Just make sure you select the "Personal Tab" to avoid fees!"][/caption] You've probably heard of PayPal, maybe you even have an account to buy stuff off of ebay or other online retailers.  But I think the most awesome...Read More

Tool of The Week: VPN

Sometimes you want the privlidges you get when you're on campus computers, but you don't want to be on campus.  Maybe you're working from home, your favorite coffee shop, or on the road.  VPNs allow your computer to appear to have the IP address of another network.  This means is you get the benefits that you normally get on campus, from anywhere....Read More

Tool of the Week: Gmail Ninja

It's no secret I love google products.  I've used just about every mail client out there and I really think Gmail is the best.  They're always on the forefront of innovation, and a lot of features you see coming out in other mail clients are copied from google. Gmail has made a guide to optimize your e-mail exerpience on gmail called "Become...Read More

The quiver grows

My RSS notification on new bikes keeps me in the loop when there are good deals on bikes out there.  However it can be dangerous, as I have a pretty major weak spot for bikes.  Last night I bought yet another bike, bringing my collection up to 5: Konay-nay: The newest addition, I plan on putting gears on this single-speed...Read More

Tool of the Week: Using RSS to monitor news, craigslist, and journal articles

RSS is a way to subscribe to updates to websites.  So, weather there are a couple of blogs you follow, you want to stay on top of current news headlines on a certain subject, or you just want to stay on top of whenever someone posts a new bike in your size to craigslist, RSS is for you. The first step is...Read More

Tool of the Week: Google Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome, in my opinion, is the best web browser out there.  I've experienced less crashes and memory usage with google chrome than any other browser i've tried, which is awesome when you're running an intensive data analysis. Chrome runs noticeably faster than other browsers, and has a very clean user experience, and I love browsing in full screen mode (⌘⇧F on a mac)....Read More