If you want to keep track of your working hours, PadAware TimeClock is the right tool to use. It keeps track of breaks, lunch, out time, and working hours, calculates when you can leave for the day, and can e-mail you a daily log with spreadsheet attachment!
Get it on the App Store and start tracking your time today!
]]>See the documentation page for more information.
]]>To create a compressed PDF document in Leopard—as described in the revamped online help—you must first create a Preview PDF document from the Print dialog, then select the "File->Save As" menu item where you can request the "Reduce File Size" Quartz filter.
Unable to accept that two steps are better than one, I've written an Automator workflow that puts the Compress PDF feature back into Leopard. Just install this package to restore the feature to the Print dialog.
See the documentation page for more information.
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FILE643
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For a preview of the code and full documentation, including a link to the classic Concept 14 macros, visit my Mainframe Source Code Web page.
]]>Recently the speakers attached to my entertainment system began to sound "scratchy." To my horror, when I pulled the faces off the speaker cabinets, the cones on each woofer appeared to be torn to shreds. Luckily, it was only the foam surrounding the cone that had disintegrated, and my overactive imagination playing tricks on me; the cones and voice coils were undamaged.
According to The Speaker Place, it is inevitable that the foam will deteriorate over eight to sixteen years. This is a common problem with a simple and inexpensive solution: a refoam repair kit for only $29 including shipping charges and an instructional video. Only a few days after I placed my order, I had received the kit and by the following day my speakers were in fine condition once again.
If your speakers ever require a refoam job, don't hesitate to buy one of these kits. It will save you hundreds of dollars.
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A Cheap Imitation!
Housesitter is an awful rewrite of the charming 1941 movie It Started with Eve. Unlike Deanna Durbin's character, who is honest and likeable, Goldie Hawn plays a pathological liar no decent person could respect. In fact, the whole plot of the original has been so cheapened that it's hard to accept any of the relationships between characters, or the final outcome. The two movies share a cast of characters in similar roles, and even humorous scenes like tripping over a living-room chair, but the wholesome quality of the original is totally lost in Housesitter. The film's only saving grace is the superb acting of its well-picked cast. The story line, though, has been shamefully distorted. I would expect a rewrite to improve on the original, but comparing these two films saddens me to think how far American screenwriting—and perhaps our sense of values—has deteriorated over those 50 years. — Paul A. Scott
]]>Rissa Kerguelen by F.M. Busby
Masterful SciFi!
Originally published as two volumes—Rissa Kerguelen and The Long View—this first paperback edition combines both works.
The paperback version hit the racks in 1977 right after Star Wars hit the theaters. While Star Wars kept audiences spellbound, Rissa Kerguelen captured this reader's imagination far more profoundly. La Femme Nikita meets Han Solo! No ordinary science fiction novel, Rissa Kerguelen is an epic tale of feminine charm, guile, and revenge unleashed on a galactic scale.
In response to global financial crisis, North America adopts an election-based corporate-run government. When United Energy and Transport is elected, its Presiding Committee seizes total control, canceling further elections. To secure its financial interests on foreign soil, UET quickly overruns those governments. The brutal Committee Police force maintains global order through fear and assassination. Using stolen alien technology UET begins exploring deep space. On Earth, it implements a prison-model totalitarian welfare system to control the growing number of poor—and political dissidents.
After the Committee Police murder her journalist parents, a five-year old Rissa Kerguelen becomes a ward of the state, to live out her life in total welfare. When—as a teenager—Rissa escapes, she becomes a poster child of the underground, and is hunted relentlessly by the chagrined Committee Police. Under the guardianship of the Hulzein Establishment—a matriarchal autocracy of great wealth and power outside the reach of UET—she learns sophisticated armed and unarmed combat techniques, control of air and land vehicles, political and financial manipulation, psychology, mastery of several languages, the art of disguise, sexual prowess, self-discipline and other invaluable skills.
Her training complete, and her parents' deaths vindicated, Rissa begins her incredible journey across space and time with the Committee Police one step behind. Through a series of chance events, she finds herself allied with Bran Tregare, secretly a Hulzein by blood, and captain of the only armed ship to escape. Together, they implement an armed fleet, and embark on a mission to free Earth from UET control. But unknown perils await them on every front: space faring aliens, UET, and the Hulzein Establishment itself!
Beyond the adventure and suspense, Busby weaves an impressively complex tapestry of elaborate characters and events over space and time on an unimaginable scale. By embracing the theory of relativity—a subject most science fiction writers eschew—Busby not only flatters the intelligent, science-minded reader, he achieves a more dynamic and believable story—one that remains as thrilling today as when it was published. — Paul A. Scott
]]>The Iron Giant
An animated masterpiece
My sister-in-law lent me the VHS version last Thanksgiving. Looking briefly at the front cover, I could gather little desire to "pop it in" and sit back to what I thought would be a boring story and even less interesting animation. There it sat on top of the VCR until this Thanksgiving when I figured I was way overdue in returning it. So, with time and indifference to burn, I blew the dust off the VCR and, lucky for me, it still worked. Almost immediately I was drawn in by the quality of the animation; honest to goodness animation, not over-the-top CGI. I started paying attention. As the story unfolded an amazing thing happened. I was that little boy, feeling surprise, fear, happiness, anger, contempt, sadness, respect and love. I forgot I was watching an animated film, and began living an unforgettable experience. The Iron Giant is a beautifully crafted film built around a touching story with high moral value that is guaranteed to entertain. Yet more proof that you shouldn't judge a book (or a movie) by its cover. I was so impressed, I bought the DVD, which will forever be an annual Thanksgiving Day event. — Paul A. Scott
]]>Not Just Another Action Film
If you saw "Point of No Return" with Bridget Fonda, you owe it to yourself to see this film, "La Femme Nikita." While the two films are superficially very similar, the original "La Femme Nikita" has depth that the remake completely lacks.
Anne Parillaud's performance is so powerful she wouldn't have to speak a single word to convince us of the totality of her metamorphosis from a punkish, thoughtless killer, to a complex, yet sensitive and caring woman. More than anything else, this movie is a social commentary against the death penalty. When Nikita (Anne Parillaud) recklessly pulls the trigger, ending the life of a policeman who is asking for mercy, I was demanding she be put to death. But almost immediately afterwards, Parillaud had me feeling sorry for her! My feelings flopped back and forth throughout, but each time a little less back and a little more forward. Given a chance, an education, self-esteem, and her femininity, Nikita becomes a new and decent person; a world apart from the life she knew as a drugged-out punk.
Don't miss this film! — Paul A. Scott
]]>You Won't Want to Put This Book Down!
Walton captures your attention on the first page and never lets go. His skillful writing style is eclipsed only by the abduction experience itself. After a brief but delightful introduction, you are taken on a wild and terrifying journey through the unknown, as you bounce between the surreal world of alien abduction and the repercussions back on terra firma. Walton displays uncommon courage by delving into his own psyche, before, during and after his abduction. With impeccable logic, and verifiable facts, he successfully counters virtually every known criticism from his detractors. Walton should be lauded for avoiding personal interpretation in the telling of his experience. And yet, in a chapter dedicated to speculation, he satisfies our natural curiosity. Walton does such an expert job of answering our questions along the way, you may feel totally sated by the time you get to "The Making of Fire." Don't cheat yourself by skipping this chapter. Apart from explaining the reasons the movie departed from fact, it is a fascinating look into the world of movie making, with captivating portraits of the cast members. This book should be thoroughly enjoyable to UFO buffs and newcomers alike. Those less familiar with the UFO culture may be a little put off by Walton's defensive stance—the bulk of which is thoughtfully confined to an appendix—but hardcore enthusiasts will appreciate his candor and thoroughness. — Paul A. Scott
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