Evernote tip: Easier web clipping using Readability

I’ve previously written about how I use Evernote to organize my youth ministry, and my use of the program has only expanded since then. Consequently, I am constantly tweaking the way I use Evernote to make both the program and my time as efficient as possible.

I recently discovered a killer (and super simple) method for using Evernote’s Web Clipper in tandem with arc90’s Readability to import articles/blogs into the program. Here’s how it’s done.

I’ll be using this article from Youth Worker Journal as the example throughout. Here’s what the page looks like in a browser (you can click any of the images below for a full-sized version):

The article that I actually want to save and clip into Evernote is surrounded by tons of noise that I don’t want. If I use the Web Clipper to clip the entire page, here’s what I get:

If I scroll about halfway down the note, I am finally at the start of the text I want to save, but it’s still surrounded by all the noise from the original page:

At this point, some of you might be wondering why I don’t use one of the most useful features of the Web Clipper — text highlighting. One can highlight text and/or images from any page and clip it all into Evernote with ease, which is really handy, but in this case even if I highlight all the text and clip it, there’s still an advertisement stuck in the middle of my note:

Utilizing Readability, there’s no need for highlighting text in the browser and no unnecessary removal of unwanted text or images once the article has been clipped into Evernote. In fact, just two clicks does the trick.

Once I’ve added the Readability bookmarklet to my bookmark toolbar, I visit the page I want to clip into Evernote, and click the Readability bookmarklet. Doing so results in something like this:

Now, instead of a great article surrounded by distracting noise, there is only the text of the article itself — and without that pesky advertisement. I click the Web Clipper on my browser to clip the resulting page into Evernote and I get the following result:

Voilà! A clutter-free version of the article I want imported into Evernote with just two clicks. I hope you find this helpful; let me know if you do!

• You know when you say a word over and over and you think to yourself, “That is a weird word”? Yeah, turns out there’s a name for that. It’s called semantic satiation. 01/20/2009
• Here’s a nifty little tool called the World Names Profiler that provides a map and statistics about where your last name is most popular around the world. “Bouma” is the most popular in the Netherlands (duh) with a 398 FPM; it’s only 7 FPM in the United States. 09/11/2008

Bible book removal hypothetical

Martin Luther is famous for many things, including the phrase sola scriptura (”Scipture alone”). Interestingly enough, he had quite a distaste for several books throughout the Bible. In his Prefaces to the New Testament, Luther said of the book of James, “St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw…for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.” Regarding the book of Revelation he said, “I can in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it” (If you’re interested, you can read more about Luther’s scriptural views here). Even some of the greatest theologians, Luther among them, had low views of certain parts of the Bible.

So here’s the (hypothetical) question: If you were forced to choose, which book of the Bible would you remove?¹

1. To clarify, the book would be essentially erased from human history and memory. All direct quotes and any references to the whole book or any passages/verses would disappear without a trace. ↩

Blogging from Chicago this week

I’m heading to Chicago on Tuesday to attend a pair of conferences: the Shift Student Ministry Conference and the Wheaton Theology Conference. I’m staying with my good friend and academic journal connoisseur, Brandon Mick. Like the National Youth Workers Convention last fall, I’ll be blogging my experience throughout the week.

Here’s a rough (and flexible) schedule of what I’ll be doing this week.

Wednesday

[Shift Conference]
9:00 – 10:30am — Brian McLaren, Everything Must Change; worship with Charlie Hall
11:15 – 12:45pm — Mark Yaconelli, Failure, Frustration & Loss: The Youth Worker’s Path to Holiness; worship with Charlie Hall
2:15 – 3:45pm — Shane Claiborne, The Scandal of Grace; worship with Charlie Hall

Thursday

[Shift Conference]
7:45 – 8:30am — Shane Claiborne, Jesus for President
9:00 – 10:30am — Brian McLaren, Onramp to the Postmodern Conversation
11:00 – 12:30pm — Scot McKnight, Missional Jesus
2:00 – 3:30pm — Tommy McClam, Mentoring Students in Your Ministry
4:00 – 5:30pm — Kara Powell, Deep Justice in a Broken World
[Wheaton Theology Conference]
7:30 – 8:30pm — Kevin Vanhoozer, Keynote Address #1

Friday

[Shift Conference]
7:45 – 8:30am — Aaron Niequist, Worship Songwriters Unite!
9:00 – 10:30am — Kara Powell, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World; worship with Brandon Grissom
11:15 – 12:45pm — Dan Kimball, They Like Jesus, But Not the Church; worship with Brandon Grissom
[Wheaton Theology Conference]
1:30 – 3:00pm — Mark Husbands and John Franke, The Trinity as Social?
3:30 – 5:00pm — Robert Lang’at and Keith Johnson, The Trinity and Mission
7:30 – 8:30pm — Kevin Vanhoozer, Keynote Address #2

Stay tuned to JakeBouma.com this week for updates from the conferences. Any fellow bloggers going to be at either of these conferences? Leave a comment and let me know; I’d love to meet up.

When Good Friday is just okay

I have a problem with Good Friday.

Here’s the question: Have we, as citizens of one of the most powerful empires the earth has ever seen, lost the “good”-ness of Good Friday? Would Good Friday seem more “good” to me if I wasn’t part of the 20% of the world population that consumes 80% of earth’s resources?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why Good Friday is good. But Good Friday forces me to confront my affluence and challenge my own theology. I can’t help but wonder if the goodness is getting harder to see through the building fog of wealth, excess, and power on our collective glasses. This fog on our glasses and the inherent goodness Good Friday are, I believe, inversely proportional.

This means that for most of us, Good Friday is just okay. We have money, we have homes, we have jobs, we have families, we have status in the world, and we have security. While these things may feel good, they are not capital-g Good.

Here’s what one theologian has to say:

“We take comfort…that we are citizens of the greatest, most powerful nation in the history of the world. Doing so, we are tempted to support exercises of American might and wealth that may be unjust but are assumed to be necessary to secure our nation’s power. To be a citizen of such a nation at least suggests our lives will not be forgotten. When the history of history is written, America, like Rome, cannot be forgotten; as Americans we will have a place in history. Is it any wonder that a people so formed believe that what is happening in this man Jesus’ life is something about our significance? Is it any wonder that we find the lean and gaunt account of the life and crucifixion of Christ so unsatisfying?” – Stanley Hauerwas, Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words, 41-42 (ht)

May we look past our own hedonistic desires to see a truly satisfying Christ on the cross; the One who is tremendously Good for the whole world.

What are your thoughts? What does it mean to say that this day is Good?

Public library hypothetical

If you had to sacrifice your life to ensure the survival of the modern public library system, would you do it?

In other words, if you choose to live, the public library system as we know it ceases to exist and will never return. If you choose to die, the public library system continues on.

Leave a comment with your answer!

Serendipitous stock image sighting

This is totally geeky, but as I was wandering around Barnes & Noble today, the book Please Stop Laughing at Me caught my eye, and it only took me a second to realize why. As you can see by the image above, it was because the same stock image is also used for the cover of Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry by Andrew Root.

I did a brief search at a couple of stock image sites for the image, but I couldn’t find it. Maybe you’ll have better luck (wink, wink). Has anyone else ever noticed the same stock image used for two different products?

Poll: Amazon Wishlists*

Do you have an Amazon Wishlist? Participate in the poll below and let the world know (RSS readers, you’ll have to visit the site to cast your vote)!

I’ve had my Amazon Wishlist since August 2005 (at least, that’s when my first item was added). I love it – adding books to my Wishlist is almost as thrilling as actually buying them. Anyway, here’s a sampling of books I’ve added in the last couple of weeks:

Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright

A Theological Miscellany : 160 Pages of Odd, Merry, Essentially Inessential Facts, Figures, and Tidbits about Christianity by T.J. McTavish

Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life by Robert B. Reich

Now what are you waiting for? Take the poll! ↴

*My name is Jake Bouma, and I approve this message.

3 fantastic and totally unrelated videos

Super Bowl factoid video, courtesy of GOOD Magazine.

Barack Obama’s goosebump-inducing “Yes We Can” speech in music video format, with musicians and celebrities (including a cameo by “Michael” from LOST. So that’s where he went…).

Jason Mraz in France. It takes a minute, but hang tight… it’s strangely inspiring.

Red planet hypothetical

(Hypothetical Thursday is much more fun if you leave a comment with your answer and reasoning and engage with other commenters as to why they are/aren’t insane for choosing their answer. Have at it!)

You have the opportunity to be the first human to live on Mars via a NASA-sponsored solo mission. You will be the first person to step onto the red surface of the fourth planet, while humanity watches the broadcast on television and the internet. The only requirement is that you must leave in six months and live on Mars for ten years, performing various scientific experiments and preparing things for the first multinational group of humans who will arrive immediately before you depart.

You will have contact with Earth while you’re there, and you’ll be able to have video conversations with friends and loved ones. Additionally, you’ll be an instant celebrity and your name will be written in the books of history.

If it was guaranteed that you would survive the mission and return to Earth in ten years in perfect health, would you agree to the mission?

Desktop

my desktop (01/24/08), originally uploaded by jakebouma on flickr.

This is where the magic happens, although I believe things would be much more magical on a Mac.

Wait staff hypothetical

You are being deported.

The USCIS is giving you two options for your destination country: Country A and Country B, respectively.

In Country A, all of the waiters and waitresses are very invasive. They visit your table far too often; asking if you’d like refills when your cup is still 3/4 full, asking how your food tastes two seconds after it has arrived at your table, etc (You know the type). They’re very cordial, but extremely annoying.

In Country B, all of the waiters and waitresses are very distant and apathetic. They visit your table far too infrequently; they never refill your drinks, they don’t care about your dining experience at all, etc (You know the type). They’re insincere and very annoying.

These are the only bits of information you are provided about these countries. As far as you know, other than having opposite sides of the wait staff continuum, these countries are nearly identical in every other category (geographic location, population, GNP, per capita income, et al.).

Which country do you choose, and why?

Hypothetical Thursday

This is the beginning of a series of original weekly posts which pose hypothetical questions. I am fascinated by “what if?” and “would you rather?” questions, so I thought I’d write some and post them here just for fun. Join in by leaving a comment with your answer and/or explanation. [Photo courtesy of kimonomania]

You’re sitting in the doctor’s office, just having finished your annual physical exam. No news; you’re in good health, so you stand up to leave and the nurse walks in again. The nurse assures you everything is fine, but he’d like to ask you an important question. You’ve been randomly selected to participate in a very important scientific experiment, one that less than one tenth of a percent of patients have the opportunity to do.

He gently explains that brain scientists have been researching and experimenting with drugs that produce instant knowledge by targeting nano-specific areas of the brain. You have the option of being administered a shot that has a 50% chance of immediately making you fluent in two foreign languages of your choice (while still retaining your native tongue). After taking the shot, he explains, you will immediately be fluent in these languages with no sign of an accent; they’ll feel totally natural rolling off the tongue, as if you’ve been speaking them since infancy. But there’s only a 1 in 2 chance of this happening. They’re still working some kinks out, the nurse says.

Unlike most experimental drugs, which produce a myriad of side-effects, this shot only produces one, but it’s a big one. If the shot fails in making you fluent (a 50/50 chance), there is then a %90 chance that you will lose the ability to taste for the rest of your life. You will still be able to eat and drink as normal, but you will have no recognition of taste.

Again the nurse reminds you that this has been thoroughly tested, and these are the only two possible effects of this experimental shot. It is not a requirement to participate, but all you need to do to opt in is sign the page and mark which two languages you’d like.

Do you take the shot? Why or why not?

H. Res. 847 is absolutely absurd

H. Res. 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith has passed the House of Representatives and is on its way to a vote in the Senate. It’s not long at all; I encourage you to read the whole thing (if you can make it that far without vomiting). Here’s an excerpt from the end:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

So much for separation of church and state, I guess. And to top it all off, the congressman who introduced the bill, Steve King, is from Iowa. I’m ashamed.

When nine members of congress voted “No”, King said,

I would like to know how they could vote… No on Christianity when the foundation of this nation and our American culture is Christianity… I think there’s an assault on Christianity in America.

The following acronym accurately defines my reaction: OMG.

What are your thoughts on H. Res. 847?

(ht: Nathan Rice)

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