How to Upload Large PDF Files to Your Blog

You cannot actually post a raw PDF file directly into your blog. The other thing to consider if you're able to convert a very large pdf file to html or txt is the page size limit. Fortunately there's a lot of ways to get around with it. Here's my story..

A few days ago, I was struggling to post a large PDF file into my blog. This file has 774 pages!! Yes you read it right, but I did it with a dash of patience and and a pinch of persistence. It's a complete list of successful examines who passed the 2007 Nursing Board Exam (Philippines). I tried to convert the file to both text (txt) and HTML files using Adobe Acrobat Pro and upload it in this site, but the file size exceeds the limit. Well, just imagine how many pages, but my idea was to put it inside a box and you can scroll it to view the file. Anyways, that simply didn’t work.

So with my googling power, I stumbled upon the following solutions. I tried each one of these to find out which can do the job.

SaveFile is a free File Hosting Website where you have to register for an acoount... upload the file up to 60mb... they will provide you a link to embed in your site. To view that file, click the link which leads you back to their website, and while there, you have to find another link to access the file. Duh… Not Recommended, more cons than pros.

Gmail account. If you already have this, just login to your account, compose an email, attach the file to that email, send it to youself, open the attached file as HTML, then copy and paste it to your website. Easy huh. But it only converts, from PDF to HTML, 3 pages of my file. My verdict: Very handy and recommended for small files.

Scribd is another File Hosting Website that works for large files. With this, you can upload any file type, upload multiple files at the same time, and convert to flash files which can then be embedded in your site. While viewing, you can pan, scroll, adjust the view size, search a word or name within the file, print, download the file as PDF, MS Word, Plain text or MP3, print, email it... Wow!! For me it is more convenient than downloading the file locally and viewing it using Adobe Reader or even Foxit. Check out the post where I used it.

More tips from Blogger Tips and Tricks

2007 Nursing Board Exam Result

After more than two agonizing months of waiting, the PRC finally released the result of the exam held on June 10 and 11, 2007. The passing rate for first-time takers, repeaters, and voluntary examinees is 48.18% or a total of 31,275 of the 64,909 examinees. For those who re-took the exam as per decision of the Court of Appeals, 73.8% or a total of the 248 of the 336. The result of Tests 3 and 5 taken by some 13,000 nursing graduates from the June 2006 batch were not announced by the PRC. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will announce the results on Tuesday according to a DOLE information officer. Congratulations !!!

You can also check these links:
Board Passers as posted in Inquirer.netu
Top performing schools
How to Upload Large PDF Files to your Blog

Friendship

Watch this lovely TV commercial from Thailand.. oh, they're so sweeeettt...

Minimalist Browser

Here's what I did to optimize the usage of the "only" real state I own - my firefox browser "display window" or "work space".

1. Remove the Bookmarks Toolbar. This toolbar is redundant because you can access your bookmarks through the bookmarks menu toolbar. You can remove this by right-clicking a toolbar then uncheck the "Bookmarks Toolbar".
2. Transfer all items from Navigation into the Menu Toolbar (I guess I need to post a separate article about toolbar names). This is done by right-clicking again the toolbar, this time choose "Customize". Now you can freely drag any items in the toolbar and move to anywhere you want, e.g. drag items from the "Customize Toolbar Window" to your browser and vice versa. I prefer hiding the search bar so I dragged it into the window. Before clicking the "Done" button, select "Icons" in the "Show" drop-down menu, then check "Use Small Icons".
   
3. Remove the Navigation Toolbar by right-clicking then unchecking it. Same as what we did with the Bookmarks Toolbar.
4. Shrink the Menu Bar (File, Edit, etc.). Download TinyMenu, a Firefox extension. It will automatically convert the Menu Bar into a one tiny pull-down menu.
5. Now you're ready to display your favorite or most frequently visited website icons or shortcuts for easy access. Drag it from either the address toolbar or from bookmarks menu to anywhere you want inside your last remaining toolbar (I'm not sure what this toolbar shall be called now). Right click that link you just dragged, select properties, and remove the name leaving just the icon. There's no reason of putting shortcuts or icons on your desktop because you can access it here!
   
6. Personalize it by changing the Firefox theme. I personally like the Blue Ice theme.
7. What else?... Organize your Bookmarks. Download Firefox Extensions. Check out the list of my Favorite Firefox extensions.
   

The reason I set my homepage to Google is because it is the "fastest" page to load, no embedded sound, images nor ads. From there, I can easily select the site I want to visit or do some googling. This is my Google Home Page.
See? a lot of reasons I like Firefox and I'm not ready yet to try Safari (still in beta).

Mag firefox ka na nga ...

Minimalist Desktop

Is your desktop still a mess and full of icons/eyesore? I am a minimalist and I like the look and feel of a Mac OS but can't just leave PC for many reasons. All I have in my desktop is a nice taskbar and my favorite widgets - one that monitors my cpu and the other my battery. All the apps I used here are free.. want to try?

1. Remove all the icons! Don't worry, you can still easily access them by clicking the start button or through the Windows Explorer (right-click the start button). Your favorite apps can also be accessed through your new taskbar (I will explain next). I used TweakUI to hide the recycle bin icon.
2. Download ObjectDock (free version) to replace your old and boring taskbar. Customize it by adding your favorite apps into it. Under the "General" tab, check the following: "Load the ObjectDock at startup" and "Hide the Windows Taskbar". It doesn't make sense keeping both the Windows and ObjectDock taskbars. I actually set my ObjectDock to autohide, I just show it for you to see.
   
3. Add the Yahoo Widgets. Just visit their site and you can pick whatever you want. Just don't clutter again your desktop with widgets.. not more than five (My Rule!).
4. Change your Wallpaper with something different. I got mine from deviantart.com. I love their wallpapers.
   
5. Keep customizing according to your taste, play with it and release the creativity within youself. Cheers!!
   

My other computer.. do you like Naruto ?!
Kita mo Chikka icon ko? tsika tayo.

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

Black as the Devil,
Hot as Hell,
Pure as an Angel,
Sweet as Love.

That’s the recipe for a perfect cup of coffee, according to the French statesman Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (1754-1838).
... and yes you're right, he forgot the most important ingredient - a good quality coffee beans.

How to download videos from tv-links

Some have trouble downloading DivX videos from tv-links. Last night I tried my luck and I actually copied an episode of "Fawlty Towers", a DivX video. At first I don't have a DivX plug-in so I downloaded just the player and web player components from this site www.divx.com (stage6)

After downloading it, I just played the DivX video in embedded mode then use DownloadHelper (a firefox extension). If the video plays in a small window, just right click the window and select "embedded mode" or just click the exit button. You cannot copy if it plays in "windowed mode" or plays in a separate small window. Now I can see the DownloadHelper icon gets animated, click it.. and VOILA! I got the video and watch it in my DivX Player (you cannot view it without this player).
If it is just a flash video, walang problema, just click the DownloadHelper icon and enjoy. Try it and have fun!

Paraiso (Paradise)

Dedicated to all pinoys out there..

Return to a land called Paraiso
A place where a dying river ends
No birds dare fly over Paraiso
No space allows them to endure
The smoke that screens the air
The grass that's never there

Refrain 1:
And if I could see a single bird
What a joy!
I try to write some words and create
A simple song to be heard by the rest of the
world

I live in a land called Paraiso
In a house made of cardboard floors and walls
I learned to be free in Paraiso
Free to claim anything I see
Matching rags for my clothes
Plastic bags for the colds

Refrain 2:
And if empty cans were all I have
What a joy!
I never fight to take someone else's coins
and live with fear like the rest of the boys

Chorus:
Paraiso, help me make a stand
Paraiso, take me by the hand
Paraiso, make the world understand
That if I could see a single bird
What a joy!
This tired and hungry land could expect
Some truth and hope and respect
From the rest of the world

Repeat Refrain 2
Repeat Chorus

ano okey ba?

Paraiso was composed by Ryan Cayabyab in 1992(I guess) for the group "Smokey Mountain" - named after what used to be a garbage dump in Tondo.

Buliding a Hexagonal Gazebo Deck

Last week, I built a deck for a 14' Metal Gazebo bought from Sam's Club. I took pictures while working on it for all to see the steps how to DIY. The first and the most important step is to determine the length of the side of the deck. I did this by assembling two posts of the gazebo on a flat ground and attaching the link that connects the two. Here are the steps in building the deck:

Join the six equal-length 2x6 treated lumber with 60° beveled ends (use a miter saw). Remember for a regular hexagon, inside angles are 120° (.. and it cannot fit into a square!!) In this project, sides are 88" long, therefore the distance between two opposite joints is 176" (do the math!!). Make sure distances between the opposite vertices are equal. No need to measure the angles!!!

Attach the joists together using 3" deck screws and "skewable angle" brackets or connectors. Each connector is strong enough to withstand a shearing force of around 500lbs. For 90° angle joints, use 2x6 joist hangers.

Position the pre-cast concrete pier blocks and level the frame. Use a shovel and a little common sense to accomplish this. This is much easier and faster to do than digging posts. Notice also that the frame dictates the position of the blocks therefore marking the ground for the posts before starting the project is unnecessary and a waste of time.

If you're a little paranoid, you can add more support at the corners. You can use as many screws as you want... but not too much.. LOL

Have fun and be creative. Obviously I'm a big fan of Spidey. I added more joists after realizing composite woods are not as stiff as the real wood.. hmm.. I mean solid wood (both of them are real unless the composite wood is made of synthetic fibers)

Tack the first rows of composite wood enough for the gazebo posts to stand. Take note that composite wood a.k.a. engineered wood may be toxic due to the fact that most binder contains formaldehyde resins... use mask!! (OMG, I didn't!!) Also the treated wood used as joists contain chromated copper arsenate (CCA). It is toxic to various insects and fungi that might cause decay as well as to human (like meh.. and remember Napoleon Bonaparte)


It took me (with extra help) four days to build this shelter.. not bad I guess for a neophyte. But it's one plank of composite wood short to finish it completely because I forgot to consider the nominal dimensions of the lumber when I did the BOM (can you see it ??).