Learn something new.

[der_kluge]

In this thread, we'll each teach everyone something that they might not otherwise know. This should be something useful, or something that makes our lives easier. Maybe a piece of knowledge, or about some new piece of software that you really like using, that not everyone already knows about. Whatever it is. Share with us here, and we'll all be a little bit smarter.

I'll start with an esoteric Excel trick.

Say you have columns in Excel like
A B C D E

You can highlight them, and copy them to the clipboard.
Then, click on an empty field (say, a2)
and then go to edit, paste special, and click "transpose", and then hit ok.
You know have
A
B
C
D
E

Neat, huh? It's a handy little Excel trick, that can save you mountains of time if you need to transpose from columns to rows (or vice-versa).

Share something you know.

 

[VirgilCaine]

There is lots of free stuff on the 'Net to help with RPGing.

For example, here: http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=toolbox
is an index of D&D gaming tools of various sorts.

Here: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/ is a site with a huge amount of generators for a variety of genres.

The book generator is nifty, it can generate notes and codes and similar extras as well as include the quality of the information in a book and why is it good/not good.

Oh, and don't forget all the free stuff that WotC throws up on their website every month. Surely some of it is useful to someone.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/dnd

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b

 

[Psionicist]

You can use google as a calculator or conversion utility:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=15+ev+in+joule&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=30+degrees+celsius+in+kelvin&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=pi+*+5&btnG=Search
( http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+life+the+universe+and+everything&btnG=Search )

 

[Henry]

Slightly wilted lettuce or celery can be refreshed by leaving it in clean cold water for a few hours.

Kind of an obvious one: Grease fires should be extinguished by either smothering the flame or with a NON-WATER-based extinguisher.

White vinegar acts as a non-abrasive and safe cleaning agent on items used in public food consumption in a pinch. Many items such as coffee brewers even suggest using it periodically to remove both stains and molds.

 

[Psionicist]

Oh, this is important too: If you need help (such as medical aid) in a crowded area dont shout help, try to get attention from a single person. "You, the man with the blue jacket. Yes you. I need you to call 911".

 

[Mr. Kaze]

In the original 1937 release of The Hobbit, Gollum promises Bilbo "a present" if Bilbo wins the riddle game, with the full intention of giving him the ring of power and it is only after Gollum finds the ring missing that Bilbo suggests that Gollum could just show him the way out instead. This was drastically re-written after Lord of the Rings was released to more-consistently ascribe the corruptive and jealous power that the ring exerts over its steward.

Something for anybody opposed to "Special Edition"s to think about.

Source: The Annotated Hobbit

 

[Jdvn1]

You can use google as a calculator or conversion utility:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=15+ev+in+joule&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=30+degrees+celsius+in+kelvin&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=pi+*+5&btnG=Search
( http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+life+the+universe+and+everything&btnG=Search )

In the same vein:
Just about everything you need to know about Google is here.

 

[reveal]

If you find a dish in a resturant/fast food joint that you love and wish to emulate at home, http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/ is a great source for recipes of that nature.

The [Windows Key] + D key, pressed at the same time, will minimize everything in Windows XP and show you the desktop.

1 pint = 1 pound (A pint's a pound the world around!)

 

[Hand of Evil]

There is a little pocket sized black book you can buy at hardware stores call The Book About Everything. The shear knowledge it contains is freaking amazing!

 

[Angcuru]

Seagulls and piranahs don't get along when bathed in molten saltwater taffy.