Just discovered a fantastic tool for generating sitemaps, and checking a web site's structure … and it's free, from Wonderwebware, SiteMap Generator. This tool should be in any webmaster's toolbox. One can set up a crawl, and easily limit to just a desired sub-directory. Click upon the image shown to view full sized.

Over the years this blog has built a nice following. Unfortunately this fact means the SPAM kings also target NorthstarNerd.Org with endless, mindless comments in their quest to sell a given product. This has forced me to moderate comments to prevent their junk from appearing online, but I have to admit on occasion their comments leave me laughing. Just like my friend's rich uncle in Nigeria who died leaving a fortune in a bank account … they are getting creative, particularly given their limited knowledge of the English language. Here are four recent SPAM comments, and my post at which they were directed:

Format: Comment Title / My Blog Post Title & Link … and of course, the comment!

Labor Vanquishes: My Favorite Engineering Webinars

• Labor vanquishes
  all—not inconstant, spasmodic, or ill-directed labor; but faithful,
  unremitting, daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Do you think so?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Converting from Office XP to Office 2007

• Singularity is almost
  invariably a clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more
  difficult is it to bring it home. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British writer)

Love: General Mills 2.0

• Love shows respect
  and never hurting our loved one in any sort of way, and if we should, it's allowing
  them to see the hurt in our eyes for speaking disrespectful or wrong to them.

Wasting Time Over Budgets: Mind Mapping Software

• Time spent agonizing over
  budget figures is time wasted. Even if miracle of miracles! Yours are honest
  and accurate, no one else will have been so foolish. Did you agree with me?
  

Do you have some favorite comments that were posted to your own blog in an attempt to sell a given product? Comment below!

How do you say thanks to the person who opened up the world of books to you? There is truly no adequate way to express my gratitude.

Earlier this month my elementary school librarian died. She taught me to love books, starting with Dan Frontier! Over the years I branched out to other books, and I never stopped visiting Mrs. Bissonett. My visits to this great lady lasted for over 45 years! After they closed my elementary school, she ran the children's library at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. 

• As an east coast prep school student attending Phillips Exeter Academy, I always took time out while home in Duluth, Minnesota to visit my elementary school librarian.
  .
• As an Ivy Leaguer attending Dartmouth College, I always took time out while home in Duluth, Minnesota to visit my elementary school librarian
  .
• And finally … two years ago for the last time, as a 52 year software project manager working at a Fortune 100 R&D Center, I visited my dear friend for the last time.

Thank you, Mrs. Bissonett for my love of reading … and the challenge to get a great education. Other than my parents, you were the key person who taught me to "love to learn".

Learn more about this great lady via the Ely, Minnesota newspaper.

I've been a Firefox user for some time, but I finally moved to Google Chrome. While I know there are kinds of posts and in depth articles on the web about Chrome, I moved because Firefox could not handle my old Microsoft technology sites. I had heard that Chrome was the fastest browser, but why move from an open source friend like Firefox? After all, I had already left Microsoft's browser years ago.

In short, I.E. Tabs (a Firefox add-in) was not working with SharePoint. While basic SharePoint pages loaded, when I invoked advanced SharePoint functionality, crash. Obviously I tried upgrades of I.E. Tabs. No go.

Thus, I moved to Chrome for these reasons:

1. It's extension for I.E. Tabs used in conjunction with SharePoint works
2. Chrome is fast
3. The user interface is logical and maximizes my viewable content
4. I can easily synchronize bookmarks between many computers

Click upon the screenshot given below to maximize my Chrome annotations which gives an example of IE Tabs in use. Normally the address bar showing would not be present (I.E. Tabs would be turned off) While Firefox should do items 1 through 4, Chrome does it better. 

More Google on my computer. I hope they "do no evil"

It's raining like crazy in Duluth today. I'm working at home today from my new house which is across the street from a waterfall known locally as the "Deeps". I can hear the roar of the waterfall while I'm at my computer, but can not see it. Sorry about the "rain drops" on the two photos. Even though I was under an umbrella it was hard to stay dry! Here's a video of the same waterfall taken during the Winter melt.

Click upon either image to view full sized.