tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69524332024-03-07T14:08:49.800-06:005LifeThe ramblings and stories of what's its like to live in 5Life - Life with an Enneagram 5 and other thoughts, beefs, and (scary part here) ideas.Evanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306664492152773538noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952433.post-12826341231622329362012-07-14T11:02:00.002-05:002012-07-14T11:02:40.508-05:00Evan's Software ToolsI've had a few friends / contacts ask me what tools I use... well here's my current list and why I use them. This is just my opinion and there are other equally good tools out there, I use several of these just because they were the first ones that I used, I don’t claim that this list is ‘best of breed’.<strong><br /></strong><br />
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<strong>Last Update July 2012</strong></h3>
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<strong>This list is always available at </strong><a href="http://bit.ly/NsJguN"><strong>http://bit.ly/NsJguN</strong></a></h3>
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Primary Tools</h2>
<strong>Email Client</strong> Gmail <a href="http://www.gmail.com/">www.gmail.com<strong></strong></a><strong><br /> Office Software</strong> Microsoft Office <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/t">http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/<strong><br /></strong></a><strong>Web Browser</strong> Google Chrome<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/">https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/<strong></strong></a><strong> Anti Virus</strong> Microsoft Security Essentials <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows/products/security-essentials">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows/products/security-essentials</a><br /><strong>Online Backup</strong> Mozy <a href="http://mozy.com/">http://mozy.com/</a><br />
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Secondary Tools </h2>
<strong>Notetaking</strong> Evernote <a href="http://evernote.com/">http://evernote.com/</a> <em>Has a clipping add-on for chrome as well.</em><strong>Online Storage</strong> Dropbox <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/">https://www.dropbox.com/</a><br /><strong>ISO Mounter</strong> Virtual Clone Drive<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html">http://www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html</a><br /><strong>Online Office / Storage</strong> Google Drive<strong> </strong><a href="https://drive.google.com/">https://drive.google.com</a><br /><strong>RSS Reader</strong> <a href="http://reader.google.com/">reader.google.com</a><br /><em>Don’ use this much anymore, it now feeds a tool on my iPad called Zite </em><a href="http://zite.com/">http://zite.com/</a><br /><strong>IM Client</strong> Google Talk<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.google.com/talk/">www.google.com/talk/</a><br /><strong>Bitmap Drawing</strong> Paint.Net<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.getpaint.net/">www.getpaint.net</a><br /><strong>Text Editor</strong> Notepad++<strong> </strong><a href="http://notepad-plus-plus.org/">http://notepad-plus-plus.org/</a><br /><strong>Photo Orgaizer Software & Online Album</strong> Google Picasa<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.picasa.com/">www.picasa.com</a><br /><strong>Calendar</strong> Google Calendar<strong> </strong><a href="http://calendar.google.com/">calendar.google.com</a><br /><strong>System Cleaner </strong>CCCleaner<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.ccleaner.com/">www.ccleaner.com</a><br /><strong>Secure File Delete</strong> Eraser <a href="http://eraser.heidi.ie/">http://eraser.heidi.ie/</a><br /><strong>Virtualization</strong> VMWare Player <em>(It now allows you to create new vm’s)<strong> </strong></em><a href="http://www.vmware.com/products/player/overview.html">http://www.vmware.com/products/player/overview.html</a><br /><em>Changed from MS Virtual PC, vmware has better Linux support and has better hardware</em><br /><strong>Torrent Client</strong> uTorrent <a href="http://www.utorrent.com/">www.utorrent.com</a><br /><em>Bit-Torrent is a file sharing protocol, yes, much of it's traffic is less than legal but I suspect that over time Bit-Torrent will become a major way of sharing legal/open source/creative commons material.</em><br /><strong>Game Purchases</strong> Steam <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">http://store.steampowered.com/</a><br /><strong>Music Management</strong> iTunes <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes">www.apple.com/itunes</a><br />
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<br /></h2>
<h2>
Installer Service</h2>
<strong>Ninite</strong> allows you to check off the 'best of class' tools in several categories and install them in one run! <a href="http://ninite.com/">http://ninite.com/</a><br />If you are setting up a new PC I’d recommend you run <strong>PC Decrapifier </strong><a href="http://pcdecrapifier.com/">http://pcdecrapifier.com/</a> before running Ninite.<br />
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<br /></h2>
<h2>
Development</h2>
Visual Studio 2010 Premium (C# is my language of choice) <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-ca">http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-ca</a><br /><br />I have a list of development tool ad ons at <a href="http://bit.ly/PXFSMO">http://bit.ly/PXFSMO</a><br /><strong>Ω</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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But I've also spent LOTS of time over the last year writing C# code and those skills have grown considerably over the past 12 months. </span></div><h2>Organization & Tasks</h2><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The 'stuff'' is getting deeper. We are planning to work on the basement bathroom this coming year - we'll see if that spills over into a cleaning frenzy.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><h2><span style=" font-weight: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Well, some help here - the Aimless Surfing has been removed as the laptop died :-) Turns out that I still take time to sit and play games etc. but I'm not watching TV at the same time. The other thing that removing the couch surfing did was ruin my blogging time. In fact, it may be that I'm better at clearing my personal email box when I am couch surfing - something I hadn't expected! I've recently purchased a new laptop we'll see what kind of effect this has...</span></span></span></h2><h2><span style=" font-weight: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We did get the living room painted and it looks great</span></span></span></h2><h2>Activities & To Do's</h2><div><span style="font-size:100%;">We didn't have great summer weather - I accomplished little outside at all. I'm going to have to be harder on myself and commit to getting more done. There is little time in the evenings when it's nice and I enjoy being outside in the garden and I would enjoy it more if it looked more complete!<br /><br />We did plant a garden but yields were poor - it was very wet during the prime growing period and we didn't drain well - resulting in few carrots and poor beets - got some good beans. We continue to produce good tomatoes in almost too large quantities. We added a willow in one corner<br /><br />Fall on the other hand was very nice - we had some nice family adventures - strawberry picking and petting zoos for instance. The snow held off until almost Christmas so that almost made up for the poor summer. <br /><br />Our winter task is the basement bathroom - just a toilet and sink for now and it shouldn't be that hard to do. We were able to go and buy the vanity and the toilet on a boxing day sale and get a pretty good price! I'm ok doing most of the plumbing and the electrical but putting in the toilet from scratch (installing the flange in the floor for example) is something I haven't done - I'll be calling a friend to help with that!</span></div><h2>Volunteering</h2><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our experience this year at our parish has been less than stellar - we are in an interum time, meaning we don't have a permanent priest. The process of getting a new one is taking by far too long, there was little that needed immediate repair and the previous priest retired after 10 years of good service. Leaving little real conflict. The congregation is loosing membership and energy. The 'corporation' (the executive of the parish council) has become insular and controlling - issuing directives vs. being consultative. Not to mention that some members are (to say the least) abrasive towards S. This distancing continues, as the interim withdraws from various committees that she was chairing, in particular the key music and worship committee. We cannot reasonably expect to have the new priest in place until the fall and I am deeply concerned that we will be in really deep trouble by then. Frankly my willingness to do volunteer work for them is failing and we're considering a different parish - one that might more closely match us and that might be appreciative of the skills and experience that we as a family bring. </span></span></div><h2>Family</h2><div><span style="font-size:100%;">K and now P ( 4.5 and 8 months at this writing) are doing just fine, taking time with K to be with him, play with him and enjoy his time and enjoyment of life and the world is a at times a task (way too much energy) but I enjoy being around him greatly. He started school this year and while shuttling him back and forth is an issue P is just beginning to crawl it will be interesting in the next few months as she gets mobile and can begin to enjoy the world - while dad chases after her!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">S is bored - she's been home with the kids now for 8 months and really, she needs to get back to work - just for her own enjoyment, I saw this last time, she really doesn't seem to enjoy 'homemaking' much, at least not when it's full time. She is often tired and finds the constant interaction with K draining. She's much much happier when she can work - thankfully that's over in four months!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Overall, a successful year - more like plodding ahead really but onward to the next!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Have a great year!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Evan</span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Photo Credit: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/altoexyl/4231879087/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">AltoExyl</span></a></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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I know that many families send out those letters at Christmas and some people find them really annoying to read (I usually don't by the way).<br /><br />If you don't like those letters, you probably want to skip this post!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Accomplished </span><span style="font-size:130%;">(From things To Do and What Didn't Work, from last year)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Personal Organization</span><br /><blockquote>With the completion of the basement this has improved - we still have a house with a 2.5 year old kiddo but it is getting better. I'm keeping accurate and better notes; I use one large Blueline Twin Wire Bound notebook for my paid-work notes and continue to use (and enjoy) my Moleskine for all else (Scouts, Church, Personal) and I carry that everywhere that I go, these notes are transcribed to Minutes, Calendar, Agendas etc. as needed but I only need to go to one place to find everything that is actionable.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finish Basement</span><br /><blockquote>Thankfully this is all but completed - some trim remains outstanding but we are now moved into this space and using it much to the enjoyment of the house - and it's spin off effect is that less 'stuff' gets stuck upstairs. </blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yard / Outside</span><br /><blockquote>The sod is down, the path almost completed and we are now enjoying the space we planted many many bulbs that will come up in the spring! The Deck remains to be finished but that seems much more easy to accomplish now.<br /></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garage Cleaning</span><br /><blockquote>Both cars are back in the garage now and much (though not all) of the crap has been thrown out or given away! No more scraping the windows!</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Outstanding</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Personal Development (Training/Certification)</span><br /><blockquote>Made no progress here - I guess I need to decide if this is really important. </blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Craft Room</span><br /><blockquote>Like many people we still have a 'deep dark secret' in a pile of collected junk that we need to sort through.</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tasks</span><br /><blockquote>This has improved but need to get better at focusing real time onto tasks be they work, personal projects, Scouts or just having time to enjoy cooking dinner.<br /></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Painting the Living Room</span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>This is probably one of our 'next tasks' only issue is that the living area has a vaulted ceiling over the stairs that is going to be very very difficult to paint. </blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ideas for 2008</span><br /><br />I'm going to try and limit 'Aimless Surfing'...I frequently sit on the couch and surf the net - whatever I find interesting, problem is it isn't productive on any level. At the same time the TV is on and that just creates mental noise (as one blog I read this year said) if I'm going to make time to accomplish tasks then I need to have less unfocused time when I'm not productive.<br /><br />I continue to try and change the 'tone' of the items I buy - wood, stone, stoneware, metal in place of plastic and that has been somewhat successful.<br /><br />Kiddo is now old enough that S. and I are going to try and take him out canoeing this summer - we'll see how that works out.<br /><br />Have a great 2008!<br /><br />BTW my 2006 Year in Review is <a href="http://5life.blogspot.com/2006/12/classic-cheescakesecret-recipe_28.html">here</a> if you want to read it<br /><br />Evan<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo Credit: Fabrizio Morroia from Flickr</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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The text of this blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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