My blog featured on Pingy

I noticed some traffic coming from Pingy today, and discovered I was the top listing on their featured links.  Am I famous yet?

Nothing like a root canal to make the season bright!

Jen Morrison brought me breakfast.  Smiley Face jello is something I can chew on while I wait for root canal surgery.

I love having friends to cheer me up.  And there's nothing like a root canal to make the season bright.

Review of Free Video Converter by Freemake.com

If you take a video with a smart phone, and accidentally turn it on its side, it is tricky to flip it back upright.  You can do it in Windows and Mac if you have a compatible file and are willing to look up the procedures, but some so-called "smart" phones use 3gp formats which are a dumbed down flash format and won’t play on PC (very annoying .

I downloaded this free app called Free Video Converter by Freemake.com.  Very easy to convert and flip at the same time.  With an additional free download, you can also download YouTube videos and convert them to Quicktime or WMV in one easy step. 

User interface is dirt simple and it even has simple editing tools for cutting. And it is true freeware as opposed to a free trial or free download.  No ad-ware evident. 

I downloaded a 3gp video from my HTC TouchPro cellphone, opened it in Free Video Converter, clicked "edit" where I was able to flip it to the proper orientation, and then converted it to WMV.  I could have converted it for YouTube, Quicktime, or any number of other formats. Note that I couldn't accomplish this in Adobe Suite.

 I give it five stars.  *****

This is an independent, unsolicited and, unfortunately, unpaid review.  Add your comments below. 

I'm going to be replaced - by a bird!

Zella, my 12-year-old daughter, informed me yesterday that when I die, Mom is going to replace me with a Conure.  This apparently from a conversation the two had on the way to a doctor appointment.

I haven't fully processed the implications of this announcement just yet.  Still thinking it over as to what it really means...

LDS October Conference turned my life around

Twice a year, Mormons gather for a worldwide conference.  My wife Linda was reading some words from the October Semi-annual Conference Report of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I remembered hearing the words at the conference and how they impacted me at the time.  I suddenly realized how that conference has turned my life around.  Here is a quote:

Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves.

 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency


Here is the full article.

A plea for help from Sgt. Alihu

I got this plea for help from Sgt. Alihu by email today. He's in a real predicament. How should I respond?


Hello my good friend,
I pray this message reaches you in the best of health and imaan., I am Sgt Douglas Alihu a security officer, I am seeking for a reliable foreign business partner who I will trust in terms of joint venture and investment, actually this is a confidential transaction which all directives has been arranged, here in my company I discovered a consignment which had been in a security vault for 8 years now and the depositor is deceased so I want to get the funds out of the security company and invest it and if I try to invest the funds here our Government will probe me and confiscate my investment so I took time to think and decide to invest the funds in your country base on the fact that your country speaks and understand English.Can you kindly brief me what kind of investments that will be lucrative as a foreign investor?And the amount involved is $18M USD which is in the consignment.I will tell you all that you need to know about this transaction once I hear from you and confirm your interest. Thanks and I look forward to hear from you ASAP Insh'a Allah.
Sincerely,
Sgt. Alihu
Chief Security Officer

Here's to partisan bickering

Tired of partisan bickering?  Not me.  So long as Democrats and Republicans are not making back room deals, my wallet is safe.  The minute they start saying "Can't we all just get along?" then you know they are going to start getting things done.  And that's going to cost you money. Taxes always hurt the little guys the most. So raise a toast to partisan bickering.  The best we can all hope for is a deadlocked house and senate.

Lemon Pepper and Tomato

No one ever accused me of having any culinary skills - though I do make a mean piece of toast - but tonight I discovered a treat.  I sliced a tomato and dusted the slices with lemon pepper.  Mmmm.  Zella asked for more.  Just luck you say?  Ummm.  Yes.

Why are you not happy?

Video: Why are you not happy?

This will help you learn how to use your happiness synthesizer.  Did you know you had one?  Leave a comment below.

The four virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity and...Barbie?

Just heard a funny story.  My sister-in-law, Carrie, bought three bottle-fed goats and named them, Faith, Hope, and Charity.  Later she acquired a fourth, which was named "Barbie" by one of her children.  So the four goats are now Faith, Hope, Charity, and Barbie. 

Has a nice ring to it don't you think?  Have you heard any interesting stories of animal naming?  Please share in the comments below.