Website: Citebite

Here's a very useful blogging tool. Instead of linking to random websites, use Citebite to link directly to a quote on a webpage and highlight it.

[Citebite]

The Slanket

According to the website, the Slanket is "a Gigantic fleece blanket with loose, oversized sleeves so you never feel constricted and you have total control of how to use them, while staying toasty ... The slanket is great on a couch, a chair, in a hammock, on your bed or anywhere else you care to take it."

"What the slanket is NOT!!
It is not a poncho!
It is not a Robe!!!!
There is no hole for your head!!!"

Wow, I guess they really don't want us to confuse it with a poncho. Okay, so it's "NOT A ROBE!!!!"

They don't have to be so emphatic about it. Believe me, we'll take their word for it. This actually looks like a cool way to geek out with your laptop while staying under the covers.

[Slanket]

Website: Urbis

Writers rejoice. There is now a social site for us! Use Urbis to critique others' writing or upload your stuff to have it reviewed. Build credits by giving people feedback. [Urbis]

Website: Healing Food Reference

This is quite possibly the most useful website I've ever run across in the entirety of my existence. Yes, I mean it.

[Healing Food Reference.com]

Website: Pickandwatch.com

So, since I recommended TV Links yesterday, I have to give props to yet another streaming TV site I just discovered today. Unlike TV Links, which seems to focus on animé and cartoons a bit much for my adult tastes, Pickandwatch is a full-fledged TV Portal that's all about movies, TV, and links to other media sites. Watching tv has never been so easy. I even downgraded our cable service, seeing as how it's easier to find stuff online than it is on Comcast's goofy, greedy, gluttonous On Demand service.

NOTE: Eeeks, I didn't see that tab to adult sites. Best not let the kiddies on this one....

[Pickandwatch.com]

Website: OpenDNS

We have been having some very perplexing problems with our broadband internet connection lately. The pages would load, but images seemed to be stuck or lagging. It wasn't a severe delay, just long enough to make you cringe. I called Comcast (my ISP) twice! Each time they told me all I could do was re-cycle the cable modem by restarting it. That would sometimes work (but usually not). I insisted it was something else, that maybe the modem itself was on the fritz. I asked them to check my settings, but they basically told me I was crazy and that my connection was fine.

I even resorted to buying a new NIC card, thinking maybe my onboard NIC was outdated.

By chance, I happened to come across OpenDNS today and they have saved Comcast from my wrath. OpenDNS is a free DNS service that's lightning fast and much more secure than Comcast's crappy service. They provide additional security by blocking Phishing sites, they correct typos in the URL address (so you don't end up going to the wrong site by accident), and did I mention they have a major presence in Seattle? So they're really fast.

I switched immediately and now my connection is literally flying faster than I've seen in months. No more glitches when looking at YouTube videos. No more image lags.

Oh, thank you, OpenDNS. Now I won't have to take my cable modem in to Comcast and argue with them to give me another one. If only there was another Broadband provider in the area ... we would have switched a long time ago.

[OpenDNS]

Website: Portland Maps

Portland Maps is a secret little map site that works with your copy of Google Earth to show you really cool information about Portland, like:

• Property Information
• Crime
• Earthquake Hazard Data
• Zoning
• Urban Renewal Areas
• Elevation Data
• Home Buyer Opportunity Areas
  

You need Google Earth to be able to see these maps. To get it, go here: [Google Earth]. System Requirements might be a little high if your computer is old. It runs on most machines. Best if you have a video card and high-speed connection.

[Portland Maps]

Website: Car Talk

Find a local car mechanic. Leave reviews. [Car Talk's Mechanics Files]

Website: Writers Dreamtools

Here is a website for Writers that seems invaluable. [Writers Dreamtools]

Strip Club Mapper (NSFW)

Finally, something useful!

[Strip Club Maps]

Gee, ya think maybe Portland has a strip club shortage?

How To Iron a Shirt Collar with a Hair Straightener

Lifehacker has long been one of my favorite blogs. One of their favorite things to do is present simple aids for living and something they call the MacGyver Tip, in which they use a peculiar method to solve a common problem. Today's post features How to Iron Shirt Collars with a Hair Straightener. Not only is it an ingenious solution, but I wonder why someone hasn't marketed a conventional hair straightener as a collar iron?

Recently, I discovered that using a hair dryer is an easy way to defog your mirror after a morning shower. Some people might consider it odd that it's taken me 35 years to figure this out, but I've never had much hair, and therefore, have never needed to use a hair dryer. That, and I'm not too bright, obviously!

A few years ago, while travelling with a young co-worker on an insurance sales gig, I showed him how to keep his clothes from wrinkling by hanging them in a steamy bathroom after a shower. He declared me a god from that day forward.

Application: Broadcast Clipboard

Ever wanted to copy and paste from one computer to another? Historically, this would require you to email stuff across the office. Now, you can use this handy app to do the same thing, with less clicking or saving. Just fire up Broadcast Clipboard on both computers and it's ready to go. Text only, for now.

Advances in Litter Box Tech

"Oh yeah, well when I was a kitten, I had to poop in the dark, freezing cold basement litter box!"

If only we'd had one of these back in the day, all fancy and stuff. Hell, if you turn it around, most people wouldn't even know it was a litter box.

More nifty pet products.

Wonderful Wine Wheels

I can't drink wine, but here's a great site featuring some wine wheels with excellent information. Great for wine snobs and those who are just curious.

Website: ColorJack

I really like ColorJack for choosing colors. Not that we use much color here at the Propaganda Sifter, but it's certainly easy to use and contains a vast amount of information. Worth checking out if you do anything with color (from printing to photography to web development).

Website: GigaSize

Send mega-size (up to 1.5 GB) files using this website. Files are stored for up to 90 days. This is by far the best website on the web for this service. [GigaSize].

Writers need to rejoice

Writely is an excellent tool for writers. Now, instead of keeping your writing in one computer at home, you can keep it on the net. Import and export of files is simple and efficient in just about all the important formats (HTML, WORD, PDF, ODT, and a few other acronyms of relative importance to no one....). You can even create an RSS feed.

From their site: Offsite storage plus data backup every 10 seconds makes hard drive failures and power outages no longer an issue.

This will forever change the way writing gets done. If you are a writer, you should definitely have a look and sign up.

Website: Send Faxes to US and Canada for FREE

Using Fax Zero, you can send a fax to the US or Canada via your internet connection for FREE. There are some limitations: Ad on the cover page, max. 2 faxes per day, max. 3 pages per fax. Limited to Doc and PDF files (though you can also send Text files).

This is a great service for those times when you need to send a fax on the fly.

Wikimapia - North Portland

I must confess: I'm addicted to Wikimapia. I spent a few hours on this site a while back just entering businesses and other landmarks relating to North Portland. After a while, I couldn't help but branch out into other cities, listing favorite businesses and landmarks. Now, it's simple to embed a wikimapia into your own webpage. Here is a sample of the many links I've entered for North Portland:

Website boasts Coming Attractions

Have a look at films coming out in 2007. If this is any indicator, Hollywood may be working towards a good vintage.