Scribd
I found a document on the net that I wanted to read offline. That is, on my iPad, because it's something fairly long and I do a lot of my reading in bed and juggling a laptop and a cat in a horizontal position doesn't make for a calm reading experience.
The thing was on Scribd. And about a million pirate sites that wanted my credit card to start up an account which I graciously declined.
Scribd also wanted money, but gave the opportunity to download stuff if I uploaded stuff. So I found something to upload - my review of the Australian War Memorial, which has been around on the web for a while.
And then I was able to download the thing I wanted as a PDF which I imported into Calibre, converted to an epub and copied across to my iPad, where I've been reading it at my leisure.
I got a "Welcome to Scribd" email, which I glanced at before deleting. WTF? Jimmy Wales subscribed to my uploads? Jimmy Wales, the God-king founder of Wikipedia? Cripes.
Along with my sister and a few social media friends.
Anyone know anything about Scribd? I only heard about it a few weeks ago, and apart from my very limited experience described above, I'm quite in the dark.
In other news, I'm enjoying my Levenger Circa Balanced Life journal, which helps a bit with my chronic disorganisation, and amply satisfies my craving for fine stationery.
I ordered up some more Levenger stuff yesterday - I want to make a few more notebooks for specialised projects, and while I have plenty of their excellent pre-punched paper, I'm needing more covers to hold the stuff. And rings too, I guess, but I think I'm reasonably OK for the Circa rings for a bit.
Just browsing through Levenger's catalogues and website is a treat. I could easily dump a few thousand dollars on their stuff. I'm a particular fan of their Bomber Jacket folios and wallets and cases - I have their International Shirt Pocket Briefcase as my everyday wallet in the beautiful brown pebbled leather, and I've put my journal in my zipped folio. It's a pleasure just to look at it, not to mention the tactile pleasure of the leather and the checked material inside.
I lust after the various bookcases and tote bags and chairs and books and punches and folders. It's all marvellous quality, a world away from the bland plastic stuff you buy in Officeworks.
But perhaps I'm confusing quality for personal ability. It's one thing to have the world's best organiser system. Quite another to actually use it. That comes from inside, not a stationer. I'm maybe kidding myself that I'm following the path to divine efficiency, but at least I'm taking a few steps and getting a few things done.
In other news, I'm working my way through The Wire: The Complete Series
/i>, an episode per day. This is a gritty US crime drama set in Baltimore, which has a lovely eye on the similarities between police, criminals and politicians. I remember how when I was a taxi driver, I felt that I was a small part of the city's machine. Just a cog, helping get stuff done, passengers to the airport, pensioners to the doctor, drunks home in the early hours...
Well, The Wire exposes more of the wheels and springs and gears and gunk. I ration myself to one episode a day. And loving it.
The thing was on Scribd. And about a million pirate sites that wanted my credit card to start up an account which I graciously declined.
Scribd also wanted money, but gave the opportunity to download stuff if I uploaded stuff. So I found something to upload - my review of the Australian War Memorial, which has been around on the web for a while.
And then I was able to download the thing I wanted as a PDF which I imported into Calibre, converted to an epub and copied across to my iPad, where I've been reading it at my leisure.
I got a "Welcome to Scribd" email, which I glanced at before deleting. WTF? Jimmy Wales subscribed to my uploads? Jimmy Wales, the God-king founder of Wikipedia? Cripes.
Along with my sister and a few social media friends.
Anyone know anything about Scribd? I only heard about it a few weeks ago, and apart from my very limited experience described above, I'm quite in the dark.
In other news, I'm enjoying my Levenger Circa Balanced Life journal, which helps a bit with my chronic disorganisation, and amply satisfies my craving for fine stationery.
I ordered up some more Levenger stuff yesterday - I want to make a few more notebooks for specialised projects, and while I have plenty of their excellent pre-punched paper, I'm needing more covers to hold the stuff. And rings too, I guess, but I think I'm reasonably OK for the Circa rings for a bit.
Just browsing through Levenger's catalogues and website is a treat. I could easily dump a few thousand dollars on their stuff. I'm a particular fan of their Bomber Jacket folios and wallets and cases - I have their International Shirt Pocket Briefcase as my everyday wallet in the beautiful brown pebbled leather, and I've put my journal in my zipped folio. It's a pleasure just to look at it, not to mention the tactile pleasure of the leather and the checked material inside.
I lust after the various bookcases and tote bags and chairs and books and punches and folders. It's all marvellous quality, a world away from the bland plastic stuff you buy in Officeworks.
But perhaps I'm confusing quality for personal ability. It's one thing to have the world's best organiser system. Quite another to actually use it. That comes from inside, not a stationer. I'm maybe kidding myself that I'm following the path to divine efficiency, but at least I'm taking a few steps and getting a few things done.
In other news, I'm working my way through The Wire: The Complete Series
/i>, an episode per day. This is a gritty US crime drama set in Baltimore, which has a lovely eye on the similarities between police, criminals and politicians. I remember how when I was a taxi driver, I felt that I was a small part of the city's machine. Just a cog, helping get stuff done, passengers to the airport, pensioners to the doctor, drunks home in the early hours...
Well, The Wire exposes more of the wheels and springs and gears and gunk. I ration myself to one episode a day. And loving it.