Friday, September 18, 2009

Cell Phones for Soldiers

...and a way to erase data from your old phones...
Erase Cell Phone Data: Free Data Eraser

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Cat Claws M.A.X. Big Cat Scratcher

This thing is so frigging awesome I only wish I had the room in the apartment to get one. I'll have to settle for one of the smaller ones, like
Bumpy Ramp
or
M.A.X. Scratch 'N Snooze Scratcher

They have a large assortment here;
M.A.X. Scratchers

Feline Furniture Cat Activity Starter Kit

I don't know that I would actually buy this for my cats, maybe if I had enough money.

However it seems to me that this would be fairly easy to make from pvc pipes and the interlocking joints that you can get at a hardware supply. Get some ripstop nylon and sew it up for the hammocks and those cube enclosures are sold at other places, or I could try my hand at one, but it's all held together with velcro straps so, why not?

BLIND CAT RESCUE & SANCTUARY, INC.

"...started to answer the need for a safe place for blind cats that were deemed unadoptable by regular shelters"

They have a real cute video of two blind kittens playing. Simply adorable!

Modular Cat Cages and Cat Enclosure Systems

Lovely idea! I used the smaller 14x14 inch wire storage cubes to make a large kitten enclosure once, and that worked very well. If I ever get into my own home I will seriously consider this option to make am outside playground for my buddies.

Cat Gym

Despite the maker saying this cat tree gym is not for adult cats I think that my nut-butts* would have fun with this one.

*short for peanutbutter - I have no further explanation :-)

Giant High-Sided Cat Litter Pan

This pan is 23.4"L x 18.25"W x 11"H. Works great for cats who stand as they go, or multiple-cat households.

Cat Walking Jackets

Listings of soft vest-style harnesses that might work for walking a cat.

1) The WalkingJacket

2) HDW's CAT WALKING JACKETS

3) In The Company of Dogs - Soft Walking Harness
Size for the smallest dogs might work for cats.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Don't forget about Brusheezy for Resources

Which has Photoshop brushes, patterns and textures to download. Just watch the licenses on them. Also remember that the Eezy network includes Vecteezy for vector graphics, Flasheezy for free flash, and Fresheezy for website themes.

Smashing Magazine's List of Freebies

Smashing Magazine has a list of great freebies from Photoshop brushes to WordPress themes.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Windows Registry and System Restore

The following are all Microsoft Knowledge Base articles;

Back up the registry in Windows XP

How to Back Up the Registry in Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition

Windows System Restore

WIndows Start-up Programs - Help Sites

Just a few sites that offer some insight and advice as to what programs your computer is running from start-up. Several resources noted as some go down at times. Use caution and think these through BEFORE applying changes to your computer.

And please, back up your Registry before starting.

1) Black Viper Windows Services ~ Includes complete explanations of each service and advice on which services you can safely disable.

2) Arvind Gopu's Tweak Windows XP services

3) Beemer's Optimize XP Services

4) GovernmentSecurity.org - Disabling unnecessary and potentially dangerous services
Don't ask me about the site name - I couldn't find the reason right up front. What they look like is a six-year old network security group who share information about resolving problems and advising members as to proper network security protocol.

That's about it. Other sites found were ambiguous in their instruction that just might possibly make a someone mess up their computer.

Just take care with what you do, it will take some time so don't start unless you're willing to devote, at minimum, an hour reading everything and then another half-hour to 45 minutes actually resetting your system from the instructions.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

TUTORIAL: 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Tutorials

And someday I'll get to this program as well. Earmarking this for future use.

TUTORIAL: Learn How To Automate Photoshop With Actions at Photoshop Essentials.com

Just something I want to run through and accomplish someday. Heck, once this economic crap is over I may just get a membership and download some of their lessons.

Creamundo

Just a basic font site listed alphabetically. You can alter the display text, but I haven't yet found anything to make the text larger; or anything to sort categories. 

How to create a Photoshop Chrome Effect Style

Set of mini-tutorials that take you through the different steps of creating your own Photoshop layer styles.

TUTORIAL: Windows Live for Blogging

A short, graphical tutorial for using Windows Live to post to your blog.

The Digital Scrapbook University

Beginning digital scrapbooking step-step guides to creating a digital layouts Advanced scrapbooking on how to use the graphics editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, and JASC Paint Shop Pro, as well as an many other design and style tutorials.

RESOURCE: PNG Compression

OptiPNG: Advanced PNG Optimizer
"OptiPNG is a PNG optimizer that recompresses image files to a smaller size, without losing any information. This program also converts external formats (BMP, GIF, PNM and TIFF) to optimized PNG, and performs PNG integrity checks and corrections."

PNGCrush
"Pngcrush is an open source optimizer for PNG
Its main purpose is to reduce the size of the PNG IDAT datastream by trying various compression levels and PNG filter methods without compromising quality."

On this date I have no idea how these work, but I am interested in trying them out to see if they compress well without degrading the image.

TUTORIAL: Heathrowe's Photoshop tutorials

Sometimes the oldies are the besties.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

FontSpace

Free font repository. Nice decorated fonts.

PSP RESOURCES: Humbug Graphics Freebie Scripts

Several decent freebie scripts here. Some tutorials as well.

SCRAPBOOKING: CU Freebies

There are some Commercial use freebies here. Many look like vector work.

TUTORIAL: Dizzinz PSP-Tuts.com

Dizzinz extensive $20 for 182 (currently) tutorials for Paint Shop Pro.

TUTORIAL: Keep the Chains

A nice little tutorial on how to make shiny metal chain links.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Humbug Graphics

Paint Shop Pro tutorials, scripts and resources geared towards scrapkit creation.

Monday, June 8, 2009

PixelGun
Designer's Blog and site. Some good tutorials here including the hard to come by Wacom tablet tips.
Wonderful Waste of Time
A scrap group blog with tutorials and tips to make scrapbook kits in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro.
Noir.org Barbed Wire Tutorial

Saturday, June 6, 2009

WebDesignerWall
"Web Designer Wall is designed and maintained by Nick La, who also runs N.Design Studio and Best Web Gallery."

Thursday, June 4, 2009

The VA Connection
"... the ultimate resource for Virtual Assistants. Information and products are spread all over cyberspace but finding it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack...until NOW..."

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Color Scheme Designer
This online color schemer just keeps getting better and better.
AVIVADirectory.com
"List of Online Color Resources for Designers"
Daily Blog Tips
The Do's & Don'ts of Modern Web Design
"Relevant, snacksized web design resources"
Webdesigner Depot
Vandelay Design Blog | Web Design and Development Blog
Freelance Switch
"FreelanceSwitch is a site for freelancers. Whether you’ve been freelancing for years, have just started or are considering making the switch, this is the place to get all the information and support you need."
Doodles by Lady Fox
Some very nice, original tutorials that actually teach technique in Paint Shop Pro.
Wizard_Pygal's Paint Shop Tutorial and Tube Finder Index
The Paint Shop Pro tube list here (transparent layer graphics) is one of the oldest, longest lived, and the best. I've come back here for the last eight years.
HeroTurko
This is one site that is evolving and I'm not sure where it's going. I originally bookmarked this as a Photoshop tutorial site, but there's a lot more here now and I've not explored it much at all.
MickM
There used to be a lot here, but apparently he's trying to handle a spam problem. Currently only the forum is available.
LIFE photo archive hosted by Google
Photos from Life magazine dated 1860s to 1970s.
Scrapbook-bytes
Specific Tutorial on how to create a felt-like texture in Photoshop.
TipClique Tutorials
TipClique has links to tutorials on just about everything. I'm not quite certain about the direction of this site presently. It seems to have some trouble with odd spams. Will watch and see.
All Graphics Design Tutorial
Tutorials for Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand and 3DS Studio Max.
Photoshop Roadmap
Photoshop tutorial and resource site.
Tutorialized
Another graphics tutorial index site featuring tutorials for 2D and 3D programs.
Tutorial Kit
"Tutorial Kit is a comprehensive resource of Adobe Photoshop tutorials and tips to help users of all skill levels reach their full potential...The tutorials are updated daily from different authors and sites so that you won't have to spend hours searching the web for them yourself."
Vectorials.com
"Vectorials stands for vector tutorials. We've worked hard to collect and organize free Adobe Illustrator tutorials, Corel Draw tutorials and other vector graphics software tips and tricks. We keep updating our collection of vector graphics tutorials from different sources all over the Net."
PhotoshopStar Tutorials
Veerle's Creating Patterns in Photoshop
Poser Links
I apparently saved this for the large amount of Poser links.
Studio7 List of Resources

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

PixelAddiction: The Golden Touch Tutorial
Nice tutorial to skin something in gold and make it shiny. I used this over at BioRUST.com to answer a question on the subject.
Gerry's Paint Shop Pro Tutorials and Tubes
Note to self: In Dutch, use Google's browser button to translate.
CGTextures
Tons of textures and even some tutorials.
Good-Tutorials
Tutorial Search Categories include; CSS, Flash, HTML, Illustrator, Java, JavaScript, Maya, Photography, Photoshop. PHP, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, 3ds Max
Pixel2Life Tutorial Search
Searches Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, 3D Studio Max, Adobe Flash, well the list is way too long. They cover searching so may categories of tutorials you really have to look yourself to see.
2nd Chance 4 Pets
Planning for the care and welfare of your pet should something happen to you.
The Cat House on the Kings
"The Cat House on the Kings is California's largest no-cage, no-kill, lifetime cat sanctuary and adoption center. Our mission is to place rescued cats and kittens into loving, permanent homes; to provide a safe, happy and healthy home for unwanted cats and kittens in a unique, no-cage facility; to prevent pet overpopulation through spaying and neutering; and to educate the public about responsible pet ownership."
Jacorre Design Studio
Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials under Resources.
TutsBuzz
Another tutorial index. This link is for the Photoshop index. Some decent tuts showing presently on the front page.
Photoshop Tutorial Index from 3DTotal.com
A different take on the tutorial listings. This is just a page of examples of the absolutely stunning artwork you can make, all linked to their respective tutorials.
Make Your Own Handwriting Fonts
This is something I will try before the year is out. I've always wanted my own vanity font.
High Logic: FontCreator
This is a wishlist entry. Someday I will get this or something like this.
ArtRage
ArtRage is a really great, inexpensive alternative to Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, Corel Painter, etc. There is extensive information at this site, including a well populated forum with tons of user donated resources for the program. I bought it, it's only $25 US, and I love it.
Wired How-To Wiki: Replace Google Notebook
With the news circulating that Google was going to shut down it's Notebook, I earmarked this article for later reading.
EveryStockPhoto
A photo search engine I started using when yotophoto shut down. I really miss yotophoto and wish they would come back. Searches my favorite free stock photo places like sxc and imageafter.
Create Your Own Planets Using Your Panoramas
Turning a Photo into a Vector-Like Drawing
Photoshop tutorial that I really like.
North Carolina State University Wiki List of Search Engines and Databases
Just a reference note for myself.
Swift Disc Burning Wizard
Just a note of a utility for burning backup CDs I was thinking of using.
Investopedia
Just what you would think, a site with investment dictionaries, tutorials, calculators, other tools and more.
Kids In Mind
Is a movie review site so that parents can be informed about what they may bring home from the vide store, or what their kids will be seeing at Saturday's matinee. I find it refreshing to be able to find out beforehand whether a movie has too much gratuitous sex, violence and swearing.

I can also check, at times, to see if the reviewer mentions my new pet peeve - cheap filming in darkened studios to hide the fact that they are very low-budget.
Erti's - Graphics and Plugin Pages.
This is the listing of all of the freeware plugins and filters Erti uses in the graphics tutorials. You can access the tutorials here at Erti's Website
AV Bros Page Curl Plugin
Purchaseware. Makes professional curls and fols to pages and ribbon like strips. Also have a Puzzle plugin.
digital scrapbooking freebies - from retrodiva {designs}
This lady has some nice scrapbooking freebies that are changed out pretty regularily.
Rosie's PhotoImpact Tutorials
The famous Rosie Tutorials, I come here for the Sinedot tutorials.
Telegraphics Adobe Photoshop and Elements plugins
"In general, each plugin can be used with all versions of Photoshop (3.0-7.0, CS, CS2), under Mac OS X, 9 and earlier, and Windows.

Should also work with other compatible programs such as Elements, AfterEffects, Premiere, PhotoDeluxe, Corel PhotoPaint, Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, Painter, Photo Impact etc. (incomplete list)."

They also have information at the site for using these, and other Photoshop plugins, with the GIMP (on Linux).
Home of the Adobe Exchange
What is the Adobe Exchange? Simply a place that many, many skilled artists placed files for others to download and use. Photoshop and Illustrator brushes, patterns, gradients, actions, layerstyles, etc., there are so many that folks should start their search here before venturing out on the Web.

There are libraries of files for After Effects, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, and more, to be found as well.
DTG: Design, Type & Graphics
I want to take the time somewhere and dig into this site for the nuggets of wisdom I know are there.
Silkfair
On online store for member arts and crafts.
NAPP - National Association of Photoshop Professionals
$99 a year US ($89 educational) - steep price for a membership site, but many benefits. Would be nice if there was a tiered membership for beginners, so obviously this is a wishlist item for me until I can generate some funds to justify getting a subscription.
Art Renewal Center
You have just entered the largest on-line Museum on the internet. A work in progress, steadily expanding with thousands of high quality images of the greatest paintings and sculpture in history, the Art Renewal Center is building an encyclopedic collection of essays, biographies and articles by top scholars in the field.

Monday, June 1, 2009

PhotoEverywhere
Nice travel photos from around the world.
Toomey's Mardi Gras Supply

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Tips For New Bloggers
All kinds of tips on things that new blooger may want to know, and that Blogger Help is devoid of.

Monday, May 25, 2009

phong
Just some really great Photoshop tutorials.
Eyes on Design
Download free graphics and learn how to create stunning Adobe Photoshop effects
BioRust
A really nice Photoshop and other graphic program community, Everyone is very helpful. Free and paid memberships.
The Russell Brown Show
Russell was doing video's before YouTube showed up. Losts of really great advice and knowledge in that insouciant Russell Brown way.
x-tremegeek.com - Geek Toys, Gifts and Gadgets
Commercial Use Scrapbooking Items
Items you can re-color, etc., and then sell in your own kits at a shop.
Camp Chef
All sorts of stuff for cooking while camping out. Source of iron cookware.
SourceForge.net: Find and Build Open Source Software
Where you can find Notepad++, Notepad++ Plugins, css and javascript editors, paint programs, and much more. I may want to dig around in here some day when I have a little time.
House of Lime - Dingbats
The purple page.
PD Photo
PDPhoto.org is a repository for free public domain photos. However the photos may not be high-res. Better resolution images are apparently available for a small fee.
openphoto.net
Free stock images. A little hard to use. Look for the image url or the Raw Image link after clicking download.
Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free Notepad replacement for MS Windows.
40+ Free Windows Apps
Free and/or open source alternatives to commercial windows programs.

20 Open Source Windows Apps Open source and/or free alternatives for windows programs.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Blue Vertigo: Massive Graphics Resource List
The website is slightly disorientating, hence the word "Vertigo", but you can find free and paid stock photos, fonts, PS brushes, vector graphics, color tools, sounds, patterns, and textures from the listing as you scroll - to the right.
MrNifty: 100 Legal Sources for Free Stock Images

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Decorative Films
Privacy films of all types and colors that use a light, soap andwater removeable adhesive.

Glass Decor & More
Frosted Vertical Blinds Static Cling Film
PhotoShop Roadmap - 25 Nice Christmas Photoshop Tutorials and Brushes

Photoshop Roadmap - Even more Christmas Photoshop Tutorials
TutorialKit - Large directory of Photoshop tutorials.
PluginsWorld.com
Plugins for Acrobat, AfterEffects, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Apple's Aperture, FinalCut, iMovie and iTunes. Large freeware listing, click your interest on left to get directory, then choose license type.
PS Brushes.net
500+ Photoshop brushes to download.
Painting Grass by John Shannon
A single tutorial, but the results are awesome!
Graphic Reporter
Photoshop and Photoshop Elements tutorials, digital photography, and graphic design tutorials.
Photoshoptalent.com
Interesting place that has contests with prizes. I go for the tutorials.
ChainStyle Photoshop Resources.
Tutorials, downloads and some products for sale.
ArtRage
Inexpensive graphics software that can do one heck of a lot.I have it and need to work with it more.
DPHOTOJOURNAL
Everything photo including 230+ Photoshop Tutorials.
DSLreports.com
"DSLreports.com is the largest online community based on interest in consumer broadband (and related) information, news and tools."
Wikipedia: Network neutrality
"Neutrality proponents claim that telecom companies seek to impose a tiered service model more for the purpose of profiting from their control of the pipeline rather than for any demand for their content or services."

Friday, May 1, 2009

Union of Concerned Scientists
I don't agree with everything they say, but I enjoy considering their research and opinions.
Celebrations Party site
Party and gift ideas. Recipes, and craft instructions.
"Add This" - where to get those buttons.
Veteran Bloggers probably know about this already, but the Add This, Share This, and Bookmark This buttons not only allow readers of a blog to send and save a post, but the blog author can use it as well to promote their blog.

Use the site to make your own appropriate button and script, copy and paste in according to directions, viola! now click it to send your post where you want it.Forums for help as well at the site.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Blogger Buster - helping you build a better blog.
Pretty informative site with tons of useful information for customizing a blog.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Duct Tape Fashion
Sells all sorts of tape, duct tape included. He makes some of this stuff and has how-to's for the rest of us.
DuctTapeGuys
But, there's so much you can do with duct tape!
3M
Well, they make tape - don't they?
Slashdot: News for Nerds
GeekBidder
Free to post a job, free to find a job. It may not look like there's a lot going on, until you use the Buyer's Search for a geek and see that there's a lot of people signed up. Pass this around so more people use it.
Do Not Sleep - Things to do instead of sleep
Most of the links are still current.
The Straight Dope
"Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 (It's taking longer than we thought.)" -- Excellent site where questions are fully answered leaving little doubt, along with reference links to get more information.
PhotoRack
Free Stock Photo Images "Terms of Use: All pictures listed at PhotoRack are Free to use for personal and commercial projects. No limitations. No backlink required to use them, however we really appreciate it if you want to link back to us."
The Go Ogle Project
Essentially a pre-loading search utility to find a large selection of anime. As it says at the site, "This is done to provide fans of anime and manga in Western countries who are not acquainted with the Japanese language easy access to images and fan-art they would not otherwise be able to find."
Xaviera Outpost - Fonts
"The fonts on this site are freeware, to be downloaded and used by anyone who wants them for free. I didn't put them here so people couldn't use them!" - Vic Fieger

Click the silver picture circles to access the fonts.
Letterhead Fonts: Rare & Unique Lettering for The Artist
Wow, not only are the fonts gorgeous, but the site is amazing!
Movie Mistake
Boopers, missing scenes and outright impossible situations.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK
Smashing Magazine
Some of everything under the sun to do web pages and graphics.

Monday, April 27, 2009

NSA - UFO Documents Index
Documents at the NSA (National Security Agency - US) scanned in from various paper documents.

Free Photoshop Plugins

WebResourcesDepot - Free Photoshop Plug-ins Collection


speckyboy Design Magazine - 25 of the Best FREE Photoshop Plugins and Filters Resource Sites

This should cover all of the free Photoshop plugins.
Tutorials | Naldz Graphics
A listing of different most sought-after Photoshop tutorials.
Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
at photofocus.com by by scottbourne. Work in Photoshop faster by using keyboard shortcuts instead of clicking through menus to find the commands.
photoshopstar
Photoshop tutorial site.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

New Scientist
In publication since 1956 with an online launch in 1996 New Scientist is an extremely interesting, and readable, science journal with a very large worldwide audience.
Free-Ed.net
Site where you can free-form study the materials that they make available. Not a "credit" based system. Rather, review for tests, extending understanding of work already engaged in, and exploring possible fields of interest.
Internet Public Library
At the very least you can find listings of online dictionaries and encyclopedias. Well worth an afternoon of browsing.
HubbleSite -- Out of the ordinary...out of this world.
I never get tired of digging around in this site for space news and images. They have come so far since the early days of the web and continue to deliver entertainment and education.
A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety
Very good guide including how pervs get kids to collect call or use a 1-800 number so the perv can get the kid's phone number and find out where they live from that.
Computer Stupidities
"I have a monitor, keyboard, printer, modem, scanner, speakers, CD-ROM drive, external hard drive, ...and the computer still won't work ... what do you mean - CPU?"

Yep it's all there, dumb things people do when trying to hook up to technology.
What were they thinking?
Wedding fashion so bad you have to laugh.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Banned Books Online
An eye-opening listing and explanation of the reasons, all ridiculous, why the books were banned.
Top Secret Recipes: Kitchen Clones of Brand Name Foods
Yum! Recipes to make all that gooey, naughty goodness at home!
Click to Give @ The Breast Cancer Site
Click once a day to help women get free mammograms who can't afford them.
Renaissance Faire
Amazing site with everything having to do with Renaissance Faires including the what, where and when.
Gordon Sinclair - The Americans
One of my favorite people in the world. Love going back and listening to this every now and then.

Here's a video that someone put together where Gordon re-read his radio address before the camera.
YouTube - Gordon Sinclair: The Americans
Ultra Narrow Band Modulation
Site dedicated to the understanding of Ultra Narrow Band modulation. Layman and engineering explanations can be found here.
BBC NEWS: Mexico bid to contain deadly flu
Depressing news. Just what we all need at this time.

Friday, April 24, 2009

ArtShare.ru
Wow, I could just sit on this site all day. Plenty to look at and plenty of Photoshop and Illustrator resources.
I just found out that Yahoo! changed their LAUNCHcast service after their partnership with CBS radio and deleted all the user stations.

Ah well, I guess it's Pandora all the way now. I like their service better anyway and have a couple of stations I made and a few others I listen to. The accounts and radio stations are free so, if anyone is interested, here's "Of the Female Persuasion"

So I begin again...

I had a blog back in 2000, but things happened worldwide and it got put away. Chose not to just start that one back and begin this anew.

Herein will be a motley assortment of things I want to make a more permanent note of that will be available to share with friends and family. If you're neither, but want to stick around and see what develops - pull up a seat and we'll see. :)