Jul 172010
 

So, I write like Dan Brown, except that he gets the big bucks for his writing, and I get… Well, actually I may have the better situation, I get friends & “cousins” I never knew I had

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I was alerted to the website to test my writing by The Karen About Genealogy blog. Kinda fun! Thanks Karen. Try it out yourself… I just pasted in a few paragraphs from a recent blog, and instantly it sail the I write like Dan Brown. Give it a try.

Jul 082010
 

In the midst of packing for our move, I am still reading posts on my genealogy blogroll.  So, when Thomas MacEntee suggested this meme, I decided to take a break from packing and respond.  While most of my office is packed away awaiting the move, I thought I give it a try now (and perhaps complete it after the move).  I added a few categories from Elyse’s Genealogy Blog on this meme, as well as a couple of my own.

  • Hardware:  My main computer is an Acer laptop running Linux Mint.  My Acer Aspire One netbook is also running Linux Mint.  My Gateway 3562 laptop is running Windows XP (some functions of genealogical database programs run better in a native windows machine, rather than in Virtualbox).  I also have an iPad.
  • External storage:  1TB Iomega external drive, 75 GB Seagate FreeAgent drive
  • Online storage: DropBox (free), BrennerFamilyTree website
  • Backup: DropBox, BrennerFamilyTree website, and files backed up with my son)
  • Printer: HP 6500 wireless (printer, copier, scanner)
  • Scanner:   HP 6500 and VuPoint “Magic Wand” scanner
  • Phone: Palm Pri Plus
  • E-mail: Gmail
  • Mobile device:  Palm Pri Plus
  • eBook Reader: iPad
  • Browser:   Mozilla Firefox
  • Calendar:  Google Calendar
  • RSS: reader is  Bloglines
  • FTP: Filezilla
  • Text editor: OpenOffice Writer, and Pages (iPad)
  •  Graphics: GIMP
  • Screen capture: Evernote
  • Social media: Facebook, GenealogyWise
  • Office suite: OpenOffice.com,  Google Docs
  • Virus protection: Avast (on Windows)
  • Genealogy database: RootsMagic 4 (primary), Legacy 7.4 (for SourceWriter), TNG (online), GedView (iPad). 
  • PDF generator:  OpenOffice.com, Pages (iPad)
  • Blog:   Blogger
  • Genealogy tools:  TranscriptRelatively Curious Internet Genealogy Toolbar
  • Other tech stuff:   Olympus FE Digital Camera, Sony ICD-PX820 digital voice recorder
Jul 072010
 

Blogging has been on the back burner for a while.  We are in the process of packing for a move to the St. Louis area.  This will put us closer to our daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.  This Sunday my wife takes off to spend a few weeks with her sister in Florida while I complete the move.  After 47 years of marriage, we are both aware that sometimes it is better to have only one decision-maker on site.  I drew the short straw.  Actually, most of the major decisions have already been made.  But there are always those last minute choices to be made.

Once the move is complete, I will finalize preparation of our current house for putting it on the market.  That is the big task ahead.

Hopefully, before the end of the month, I will get two days for myself – one uninterrupted day to return to my genealogy research (I will have a mountain of “stuff” to sort through);  and a second day to wend my way to the Current River to wet a fly and scare up a few trout.  I anticipate attending the Kansas City Family History Expo at the end of the month. 

By August, I’ll be back to blogging.