National Do Not Call List

Check to see if your number is on the list

If you are tired of getting spam calls, one thing to do is to check if your phone number is on the "Do Not Call Registry." The FCC has set up a service where you can check your number.

What about Cellphone?

According to the FCC, "it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones."

If you have a landline, you should register your number - unless you like being interrupted.

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Consumers in the United States have protection through the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.

One More Thing...

The Do Not Call Registry doesn't apply to call centers outside of the United States. They are under no obligation to follow the rules set by the FCC.

This means, as a consumer, you are not obligated to be truthful in answering these calls. :)

Sling TV

Review of the Sling TV service

Back in 2018, I wrote a blog about how can stream the Hallmark Channel, this was critical as we had recently "Cut the Cable" and we enjoy watching Hallmark Christmas shows.

One of the options was using Sling TV. That was back in 2018, and things have changed a bit.

The team at killthecablebill.com wrote an extensive review of the Sling service and it's certainly a worthwhile read. They do a great job breaking down the Sling TV plans and what channels are available in the plans.

They also cover the various add-ons - do you really need them? Hint: You do if you want the Hallmark channels for an extra $6 a month

https://www.killthecablebill.com/tv/stream/sling-tv?off

This is a great guide to getting the full understanding of Sling TV. I would recommend reading through the review and seeing all the options available.

Oh and the guide tells you how you can watch the Free Content on Sling TV without having to sign up.

TextRanch

Service helps you write better

Everyone knows about Grammerly - a browser extension that helps you write better. This is nice - but its all automated and sometimes the suggestion is a bit weird.

textranch.com is a service that makes your sentences read better. It works well because there is a real person behind every suggestion. You don't get an instant response, but you do get a practical one. This is very useful when you're putting together a paper or if you want your social media posts to sound better.

Website Description

https://textranch.com/

Not Free - But Useful

Obviously this is a paid service but it could be worth the money by having more professional-sounding sentences.

Try it out and see if its something that might be something you would use on a regular basisw.

Wheel of Fortune Generator

A Meme type of generator for the Wheel of Fortune

If you know some that are a big fan of the Wheel of Fortune - this is a cool game generator, you can wish them a Happy Birthday or send a secret message.

Simply put in your own clue and let the person guess. This isn't a full game, just the ability to show the puzzle to get them guessing.

Website Description

https://www.thewordfinder.com/wof-puzzle-generator/#puzzle_preview_link

Sample Graphic

Halloween Costume Idea

Need a creative name for your costume?

Halloween is coming up soon. If you haven't thought about what to wear, don't worry, there's an internet site to help you.

The folks over at Fancy Name Generators put together a site that will randomly generate 10 halloween costume names. You can use these to come up with some creative costume idea.

https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/halloween-costume-ideas.php

Starbucks Drink Order Generator

Be Creative the Next time You're at Starbucks

Are you a Starbuck fan? Ever wanted to order a different drink. Why not try the Obnoxious Starbucks Drink Order Generator?

The generator offers creative ways to order drinks at Starbuck. Give the Barista a workout with your order!

Website Description

http://www.generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=11803

eBay Roundup Preview

Quickly compare eBay Listings

Some people are starting their Christmas shopping early this year. Probably because of the various shortages that are going around.

If your looking for unique things on eBay, the place to start is Roundup Preview's Ebay search

Website Description

https://roundupreviews.com/search

removemeplease.org

May Not be a Legitimate site!

Nobody likes getting unsolicited phone calls. On service that promises to stop the calls is [removemeplease.org](http://removemeplease.org)

They are supposed to add you to the do not call list. Simply enter your number and watch your phone ring less. However, there are many sites that claim that putting your number may increase certain types of calls.

Warning

Apparently this is not a legitimate site. There???s no information on who owns the site and what happens when you put in a phone number. Several sites warn people that entering your number may lead to more calls.

Damian Info: [https://removemeplease.org.ipaddress.com](https://removemeplease.org.ipaddress.com/)

http://removemeplease.org

commandlinefu.com

Find Useful One Line Command Line Code

Some people like to use the command line all the time. There are a lot of cool tricks that can make using the command line better than the standard UI interface.

commandlinefu.com has a large library of one line commands to show you the power of the command line. You can browse around the front page, or simply search for something you need.

For example, did you know there's a command-line script to help you generate more secure passwords? There's also a command to make your terminal display like the Matrix.

Not all commands will work on all UNIX environments, but they should give you a clue to how to make it work on your system.

Website Description

https://www.commandlinefu.com/

Colorcinch

Great Way to convert images into Cartoon Style

There's lots of online graphic solutions, and some are better than others. One that I recently encountered is colorcinch.

What makes colorcinch different from others is that they focus on photo editing and they have a lot of cool Effects and Overlays. This helps make your photos really stand out and give them a modern look.

colorcinch has the basic tools: crop, resize, rotate. It's their other tools that make them stand out from others. They have 2.5 million photos, graphics, and icons - an awesome collection to make your photo unique.

Website Description

You can try out Colorcinch for free, some of the tools do require a purchase to download the image. It cost $5.99 a month (or $3.99 for the annual plan)

https://www.cartoonize.net/

Sample Images

This is using the Painting Style Number: Fx006

This is using the Cartoonizer Style Number: FX001

An image from thispersondoesnotexist.com converted to three cartoonize effects. The original is in the top left.

Tools Information

Effects

• Cartoonizer - 30 Different styles to select from.
• Digital Art - 12 Different styles to select from.
• Sketcher - 19 Different styles to select from.
• Painting - 7 Different styles to select from. (Fx006 is my favorite)

Filters

• 16 Different Filters. You can preview the various options available under each filter before applying them.

Overlays

• Texture - 50 Different styles to select from!
• Sun Flare & Haze - 40 Different styles to select from!
• Light Leaks - 40 Different styles to select from!
• Bokeh - 50 Different styles to select from!
• Shadows - 16 Different styles to select from!
• Fog - 20 Different styles to select from!
• Falling Snow - 30 Different styles to select from!
• Floating Dust - 30 Different styles to select from!
• Lights - 40 Different styles to select from!
• Specialty - 40 Different styles to select from!

More Tools

• Freehand Drawing
• Crop & Resize
• Straighten & Rotate
• Exposure
• Sharpen & Blur
• Color & Vibrance
• Text Editor
• Multiple Layers
• Export & Share

Highly Recommended

Colorcinch is worth checking out. It's super easy to convert any image into a cartoon image. This is a lot cheaper than paying someone on Fiverr!