Thanks for posting this up I've been using AppGeeker Mac DVD Ripper for a while now. it converts DVD to anything (avi, mov, mkv, mpg, mp4, etc.) with the minimize loss of video quality.

Raven-- I live in a no man's land between Time Warner Road Runner, six miles south, and Fios, six miles north. I am surrounded by beautiful farms and most of them are owned by Mennonites, who aren't likely to use the internet unless they run a business that demands the service. The area is sparsely populated and there is zero plan for any cable to come our way. I have to use TDS for my land phone and DSL, and DISH for TV. I am retired and have all day free most of the time. There is no competition for the poor folks living in Conquest, NY and I believe TDS takes advantage of that. Thanks for the idea of adding another fan to my tower. I do periodically clean it because I have three cats. It has run hot from the day I got it and it doesn't help that my computer and TV are located in my double wide's smallest room. I absolutely hate using a touch pad instead of a mouse, and I have a wireless mouse for my netbook when I take it on vacation. I don't do anything on my Kindle except order and read books so a lack of keyboard isn't an issue. I was hoping that a good tablet would have a touch screen so I could avoid having to use a touch pad to select programs or mail. My house is 44 feet long and the router/WiFi I have works well in all rooms. I was recently on vacation in Maine where I met up with my son from California. He is a whiz on his iPhone and I would like to be able to manipulate images the way he can on his phone. Clearly, if I wanted to write more than a few words I would go back to the PC. Other than checking email and the weather frequently throughout the day, I always check my bank accounts, credit cards and all the monthly bills I pay online. I use two to four credit cards on a daily basis because I charge everything I possible can, paying cash only to the small vendors who insist on cash payments. I always pay my credit cards in full at the end of the month, so using them doesn't cost me anything. I go for the perks offered by the cards and since I never pay any interest, any benefits I receive are totally free to me. I wait until I am eligible to receive 1% cash back and then collect my "free" money. I really think I would enjoy having a tablet with me so I can check the above mentioned information whenever I have a spare minute. It would make waiting through commercials on TV less annoying. Nancy

Good Saturday afternoon from not-so-warm SE Texas. It's only 30 F. right now and the sun is shining brightly. It got down in the low 20's during the night. BRRR! I know it's nothing compared to what most of y'all are experiencing, but I admit it - I'm a weather wimp! ;) Maddie, congrats, girl, on being your skinniest! Now to modify your food to healthy! I know that you can do it because you've conquereed so many other things. Jan, that's quite a daily walk, and I'm so impressed. I'd also love that soup recipe. It's actually one I DON'T have. lol Suzanne, bless your heart - having walking pneumonia is no fun at all. I'm happy that your dh was home to take over though. What a blessing that was! Hope you're feeling much improved by now. Tikanis, about this time last year, my dh was told to give up caffeine because he was suffering from neuropathy. Well, he had us go cold turkey without telling me about it, and I had sick headaches for 3 days in a row and didn't know why. He had switched out our regular coffee for decaf which he makes every morning. On the 4th day, we had an early lunch where I ordered a Diet Coke, and after the first sip, I felt almost human again, and by the 2nd refill, I felt like a million bucks. Once I understood what was going on, I adjusted my coffee intake with half & half caf/decaf, and my headaches disappeared. I gradually cut out the caffeine slowly, and now I'm fine with decaf. I wish you well in weaning yourself from the cokes! Donna, I'm excited for you about your renovations. I'd love to see the photos, too. Congrats! Dee, how did the reviews go? It must be a nerve-wracking thing. Helen, I like it cooler than the temps we usually get around here - especially in the summer. And I agree that the Michelin man comment was hilarious! Raeanne, once long ago, my preacher gave an entire sermon on saying "NO". I only remember what I want to about it, but it stuck with me that the kindest thing you can do for yourself and for others sometimes is to turn things down if it can't be done with your whole heart involved. Now, when I try new things around here, I preface it to myself, and to the ones involved if it's necessary, that I want to make sure I'm the right person for the job or if I'd be good at whatever it is. I'm much improved now. I think it's been the huge change in the weather lately giving my sinuses fits. I don't have a headache today, TG! I'm going over to my friend's house this afternoon for a 'girls' day out' of movie-watching/knoshing/solving world problems. Susanne is hosting us and wants to fill her empty home with laughter and human warmth. It's a beautiful day to get together with all these great women friends I've been blessed with in the past 2 years. Wishing everyone a wonderful Saturday!

Amy, the lyrics you came up with are sad to me, but thanks for stopping in and sharing them. They sound lonely. Are you lonely over there? What kinds of social activites are you indulging in? Do you still have the home helper to take you out to the stores and galleries? And have you had any new ideas on canvas? I remember you were thinking of painting the small Hawaiian homes and broken down trucks beside them --some local flavor. That was a cool idea. What about your web site ---- ? I know these are a lot of questions, but I am curious about your forward movement. I think about you all the time..... Raeanne~ Geez! How'd the guy's fire start? Having things burn always makes me feel really strange. I really enjoy controlled fire, but fires that destroy are so irreversible. You lose so much of your life's history when a fire takes the things you've worked for and cherished. The photos and memories are virtually lost and there is so much to rebuild. However, speaking from experience, a fire is a time when you find out who your true friends are, so it is an excellent eye-opener for the New Year. I hope the community pulls together for him and shows him the spirit of hope! I've only just read the latest couple of posts, so I'll read more and be back to relax later. All in-laws left yesterday, so we took down the tree, decorations, and will drive them to storage to day. Also, gotta go to the transfer station with all the garbage and recycling. Then, off to the grocery to refill the pantry and get the kids lined up for school to start tomorrow! Whew! Happy New Year!