Beyond... The Black Stump

‘If You Don’t Know It’s Impossible, It’s Easier To Do’

2012-05-23T08:06:00.001+10:00

You have no idea what you’re doing. This is great, says author Neil Gaiman in a commencement speech at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Being unfamiliar with established rules and limits is a plus when you’re trying to be creative and make things: “If you don’t know it’s impossible, it’s easier to do.”
‘If You Don’t Know It’s Impossible, It’s Easier To Do’

Classes of annoying customers

2012-05-23T08:00:00.001+10:00

Joel Anaya, a Hospitality Business Management student from Washington State University, studied entries from Web sites like dinnersfromhell.com, flightsfromhell.com, and notalwaysright.com to identify seven classes of annoying customers. Now, Anaya's data set was certainly limited, but his breakdown seems pretty good to me. I'm not sure though if "loud talkers/laughers" would fit under "Service rule breakers."
Classes of annoying customers

Easiest way to show windows side by side in Windows

2012-05-23T07:48:00.001+10:00

When I’m working on a computer that is connected to a single monitor, I often like to display two windows side by side, especially when writing a new blog post. I usually display the WordPress admin interface where I write the post in one window, and the developer web page or another source in the second window. This allows me to access information directly and without having to juggle around with open windows or tabs in a single browser window.
Easiest way to show windows side by side in Windows

The Lifehacker Total Security Guide

2012-05-22T21:47:00.001+10:00

Security is one of our perennial Lifehacker topics: as fast as technology advances, criminals find new ways to exploit it. Here are our 10 most popular guides to security, covering every aspect of your online life.
The Lifehacker Total Security Guide

Find The Address Of Any Location With Google Maps

2012-05-22T07:53:00.001+10:00

Most of the time you head to Google Maps with an address in your head (or clipboard) with the goal of seeing it on a map. For those times when you’re looking at a map and thinking “I wonder what the address is here,” Google Maps has a handy shortcut for you.
Find The Address Of Any Location With Google Maps

Planhacker: Complete NBN Plan Guide May 2012

2012-05-18T21:50:00.001+10:00

The range of National Broadband Network (NBN) plans continues to expand, and there are many more to come. Planhacker covers all the plans on offer in Australia right now in a custom spreadsheet you can use to find the best option for you.
Planhacker: Complete NBN Plan Guide May 2012

‘I Don’t Know’ Is One Of The Smartest Things You Can Say

2012-05-18T08:41:00.001+10:00

When it comes to our brains, black is white and up is down. Any time we try to achieve a desired result, we end up doing the opposite. Such is the case with trying to be smart. We like to come off as intelligent, and so we often act like we know more than we do to achieve that effect. In reality, however, saying “I don’t know” can be a whole lot smarter.
‘I Don’t Know’ Is One Of The Smartest Things You Can Say

Facebook for Beginners

2012-05-17T20:57:00.001+10:00

Against all odds, you likely know someone who still hasn’t succumbed to the lure of Facebook. Maybe you’re a beginner yourself. Or perhaps you just haven’t had the gosh darn time to explore every last corner of the world’s most expansive social network.
Facebook for Beginners

Apollo 10 space-a-versary: Space Meal, 1969

2012-05-17T20:39:00.001+10:00

To commemorate the May 18, 1969 launch of Apollo 10, our friends at the Smithsonian are celebrating the launch by sharing this photo of a meal package from the Apollo 10 mission.
Apollo 10 space-a-versary: Space Meal, 1969

The Ten Habits of Passionate People

2012-05-16T17:31:00.001+10:00

Habits are what differentiate successful people from others.
The habits that you’ve developed in the LOST phase – where you used to wander aimlessly without a clear passion or purpose – won’t help you build a life of passion.
That’s why you need to develop a new set of habits to serve you in your newly passionate pursuit.
These are 10 habits of passionate people that you can start cultivating today.
The Ten Habits of Passionate People

Footy Stats

2012-05-16T14:29:00.001+10:00

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL) have developed a program that uses football to improve the statistical literacy of young Australians. The ABS Footy Stats program provides a fun and interactive introduction to the world of statistics. The program involves kids participating in a range of footy activities and learning how to collect, analyse, interpret and communicate basic statistical concepts with the guidance of a facilitator.
Footy Stats

Cascade of 60,000 dominoes

2012-05-15T22:13:00.001+10:00

FlippyCat assembled 60 walls, each consisting of 990 dominoes, and an additional field of 600 dominoes. The project took 65 hours over 8 days and some painful failures along the way. But when he finally pushed it over at 0:55, he made a beautiful cascade of color and sound.
Cascade of 60,000 dominoes

10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Wallet

2012-05-14T20:40:00.001+10:00

We all know that sense of panic when we realize that our wallet or purse is missing. If you’re like me, half of your life is in your wallet. Credit cards, debit cards, ID, insurance cards, money — you name it, it’s in there. And if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be devastating. The least that can happen is you lose a little money. But you could be the victim of identity theft and fraud that could have repercussions for years.
10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Wallet

Learn To Quickly Memorise Lists

2012-05-13T22:47:00.001+10:00

The key to remembering things is to make them memorable. Turn names, numbers, and abstract words into images that are gross, funny, or absurd. In this video, Nelson Dellis, USA Memory Champion, demonstrates how to do this — using an example list of random words. Memory champions use this technique of creating pictures out of words and weaving them into a story.
Learn To Quickly Memorise Lists

If you put all the water on Earth in one place

2012-05-11T08:58:00.001+10:00

Put all the water on this planet into a single sphere and it would have a diameter of about 860 miles, says the United States Geological Survey.
If you put all the water on Earth in one place

How to Find the Location where a Picture was taken?

2012-05-10T22:56:00.001+10:00

Say you are exploring interesting places on the Internet and come across a gorgeous destination that you would like to visit sometime in future. The only problem is that the web photograph carries no text caption and you therefore have no clue of the location where that picture was possible taken.
How to Find the Location where a Picture was taken?

10 Biggest Computer Security Myths Busted

2012-05-08T17:18:00.001+10:00

Keeping your computer secure can be confusing, so it’s not surprising that mistaken beliefs often end up taking root. Here are the ten biggest myths about computer security, busted once and for all.
10 Biggest Computer Security Myths Busted

Excellent vintage film about the first accurate atomic clock

2012-05-08T17:17:00.001+10:00

This short film was produced by the film unit of the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the 1950s, and explains the principles behind the first accurate atomic clock, which was designed by Louis Essen and built at the National Physical Laboratory in 1955. The NPL's YouTube channel has other videos of interest to science geeks.
Excellent vintage film about the first accurate atomic clock

13 Spectacular 'Supermoon' Photos From Mashable Readers

2012-05-08T08:49:00.001+10:00

Over the weekend, the moon was not just full, it also got the closest to Earth than it’ll get all year. The result was what some are calling a “supermoon,” a yearly phenomenon that draws out night sky watchers and photographers.
13 Spectacular 'Supermoon' Photos From Mashable Readers

CIA thwarts new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot

2012-05-08T07:50:00.001+10:00

The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.
CIA thwarts new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot

Shocking new photos from BP disaster unearthed by Greenpeace

2012-05-08T07:49:00.001+10:00

Kate Sheppard at Mother Jones writes about a trove of new photographs documenting the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which released nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico two years ago.
Shocking new photos from BP disaster unearthed by Greenpeace

Space Mountain with the lights on

2012-05-04T09:16:00.001+10:00

The Disney Blog's John Frost captures one of my favorite sights: the interior of the Walt Disney World Space Mountain with the lights on, as seen from the silently retrofuturistic maglev safety of the Wedway Peoplecrusher.
Space Mountain with the lights on

This week in TSA awfulness: a recap of recent American airport atrocities

2012-05-03T11:21:00.001+10:00

In case you missed it, there have been a number of Boing Boing posts of late documenting outrageous TSA incidents:
This week in TSA awfulness: a recap of recent American airport atrocities

‘Force Quit’ Yourself To Get Your Sleep Schedule Back On Track

2012-05-03T09:18:00.001+10:00

It’s easy enough to decide to go to bed strictly at a certain time, but actually doing it is another story. We often get carried away in the late hours of the night, trying to knock off just a few more things we wanted to do, whether it’s for work or fun. The next day, we’re tired and filled with regret, yet we don’t stop. If this sounds like you, it’s time to start “force quitting” yourself at the end of the day. Here’s how.
‘Force Quit’ Yourself To Get Your Sleep Schedule Back On Track

Apple Is Australia’s Most Reputable Brand, But How Did Australia Post Come Second?

2012-05-02T17:20:00.001+10:00

It’s no surprise that Apple has topped an index of Australia’s most reputable brands — it’s a highly-regarded company with massive market share. But how on earth did Australia Post come second?
Apple Is Australia’s Most Reputable Brand, But How Did Australia Post Come Second?