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I use something like this for the beginning of a work day. I set it to launch (for example) iTunes, Mail, iChat, and iCal, and then hide everything except Mail.

I think it’s handy. I trigger it to run and then go get coffee and when I get back everything is where I want it to be. If your computer’s slow, probably increase the value in that line that says “delay 5″.

Very easily adaptable as you’ll see if you open it in Script Editor.

launch basic work apps

Here are three new websites I put together this week:

• frothier.info – for personal, non-private things
• chalkier.info – a chalkboard blog
• trashier.info – for things found in the trash

I got tired of copying a column of stuff from Excel, opening BBEdit, doing a find and replace to convert a bunch of lines into one block of comma-delimited text, selecting it all, copying again, and then finally pasting. I felt like I was that chump using an old fashioned blanket on the snuggie commercial.

So, I wrote this AppleScript.

clipboard newlines to commas and paste

Usage:

1. Copy a column of stuff (from Excel, Numbers, anything really)
2. Go to where you want to paste it as comma-delimited
3. Invoke the script!

On my system, I run it with a keystroke trigger defined in Quicksilver. But you could use LaunchBar…or activate it from the scripts menu. By the way, if you want a system-wide scripts menu, here is a page that describes a nice way of activating a bunch of menu extras in OS X.

There are probably more elegant ways of doing this, but it has been working for me. If you find anything funky with it, let me know.

Want to know if any libraries close to you have a particular book? Drag this link to your bookmarks bar:

-WorldCat->

While you’re browsing around and thinking about books, click it. Here’s what’ll happen when you do:

1. If you are looking at a book on Amazon, it’ll take you straight to the WorldCat entry for that book. Magic!
2. If you’re not looking at anything on Amazon, it’ll check to see if you have highlighted any text on the current page in your web browser (i.e., you’re reading book reviews in the New York Times and you highlight the name of a book, an author, etc.) and then search WorldCat for that text.
3. If you’re not looking at anything on Amazon, and there is no text highlighted, you’ll be prompted to enter what you want to search for in WorldCat.

Slick, eh? If you haven’t used WorldCat before you’ll need to tell it your location so it can give you relevant results.

I think it’s handy. It isn’t perfect, though. For example, if you’re looking at an electric toothbrush on Amazon and click this, it’ll take you to WorldCat and WorldCat will say it has no idea what you’re looking for. There are probably some other conditions/edge cases/etc. I haven’t thought of. Let me know if you come up with anything I oughtta account for and I’ll give it a shot.