The View-Point

Zamzar - Free online file conversion

• Upload a file from your computer (or enter a URL) -- 100MB max -- select the file type you want to convert to, and Zamzar will email you when your file is ready! Very slick. Converts a ton of file types, including:
  Image - bmp, jpg, gif, etc.
  Document - doc, html, pdf, ppt, rtf, txt, etc.
  Music - aac, mp3, wma, etc.
  Video - avi, flv, mov, mp4, wmv, etc.

The Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church Podcast - Daily Prayers Podcast

• Podcast recording of the daily prayers of the Maronite Catholic Church. Recordings can be played directly on the webpage, downloaded via MP3 file, or subscribed to with RSS/iTunes. Provides a very nice daily devotional.
  
  Other Catholic Daily Devotional Podcasts
  XML/RSS: Daily Office of Readings
  XML/RSS: Verbum Domini

Labels: best of the web

KeepVid - Download & save videos from Google Video, YouTube, & more...

• Very slick and straightforward to use. There are some issues with needing the correct codecs to play Google Videos (.avi / .mp4) and using a FLV (Flash Video) player to play YouTube videos (.flv).
  
  See this article on Dvorak's blog for additional video download options.

vixy.net - Online FLV Converter: Download online videos direct to PC / iPod / PSP

• One step beyond KeepVid, vixy automatically downloads (to its own servers) and converts those pesky Flash Video FLV's (YouTube, etc.) to an MPEG4 AVI/MOV/MP4/3GP/MP3 (audio only) file than can more easily be played on a variety of devices.
  

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WorldCat [OCLC] - The world's largest library network

• Search for 1.3 billion items in more than 10,000 libraries worldwide & sort results by proximity to your location

Labels: best of the web

Defeated Rep. Veon Now Tobacco Lobbyist
(Pgh. Post-Gazette, 2/12/2007)

News:

• "[Veon] has created a new consulting/lobbying firm here, called, not surprisingly, Mike Veon & Associates. So far, however, it's just him, without associates. And his first, and so far only, client is U.S. Tobacco Co., which makes smokeless tobacco and cigars, both of which are targeted to be hit by the state sales tax under Gov. Ed Rendell's budget plan.
  
  Mr. Veon [...] said he'll urge lawmakers not to extend the sales tax to cigars and chewing tobacco for the first time. Mr Veon said he will lobby members of the Senate and governor's office, but is barred for a year from lobbying his former House colleagues."

The View-Point:

• It is painful to realize that we the citizens of Pennsylvania have footed the bill for what was, in effect, the 'job training' that enabled Mike Veon to setup this new private venture. Certainly many defeated politicians go the route of 'influence whore', but it is utterly disgusting that Veon would sell his soul to the tobacco industry in exchange for the almighty dollar. Coming from a county inhabited by a significant number of elderly people, many sick or dying from tobacco-related cancers, Veon should be ashamed of the crudity of his new venture. On the bright side: More confirmation that the voters of Beaver County were right to vote this 'bum' out!

(Originally Posted: 2/13/2007 @ 12:01am)

Labels: commentary, news

Could Nancy Pelosi be the next Eva Perón?

Here's a novel idea for the Pelosi 2008 Presidential Campaign: 'Evita' Pelosi!

Whereas Evita Perón was "La Santa Peronista," Nancy Pelosi can be "La Santa Terrorista" (to secure that all-important al-Qaeda vote), or even "La Santa Mexicanos" to gain the support of the massive illegal immigrant voting block.

Now what about a theme song to appeal to the millions of entitlement-minded Democrat voters? With slight modifications, Sirs Rice and Lloyd Webber provide the solution:

• "Would you like to try a college education?
  [NEWS: Democrat-led House will try to help with college costs (USA Today, 11/8/2006)]
  Own your landlord's house, take the family on vacation?
  [Nancy] and her blessed [House] can make your dreams come true
  Here's all you have to do my friends
  Write your name and your dream on a card or a pad or a ticket
  Throw it high in the air and should our lady pick it
  She will change your way of life for a week or even two
  Name me anyone who cares as much as [Nancy Pelosi]!"
  
  (Source: Lyrics to "And the Money Kept Rolling In" from the musical "Evita")

(Originally Posted: 11/16/2006 @ 4:30PM)

Labels: commentary