President Hinckley Speaks to Our Family

I love this quote and feel him speaking to me, and to all in our family.


“You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others. …
“In this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right” (Brigham Young University devotional, Marriott Center, 17 Sept. 1996).

Word Verification

On many blogs, readers are required to type in a word verification if they want to comment on a post. I'm told that the purpose of word verification is to prevent spammers from stuffing blogs with junk postings.

How can I be sure that is the real reason?

What if word verification is really some kind of code or cipher?

How do I know it's not from Obama Bin Laden?

Where do the word verification combinations come from?

Is there some word verification generator that resides at Hoover Dam or Area 51?

Please comment if you know the real reason, as I am flummoxed.

I love the letter combinations that are generated with word verifications.

Here's one I saw today: upkue

I love the sound of this one. Is that what you do when you have to step vertically to get in a line for tickets at a ballgame?

Other favorite’s word verifications include: zfwsw, ecuxl, tmscd and frxjq.

Randy and I used to play a game when we would go to lunch. We would look at the alpha characters on the license plate of the car in front. We would then try to verbalize the sounds phonetically. It was hard at first, since there were rarely any vowels, but we would make some great sounds. There were rules to the game and everything. Like you have to say it audibly.

People who didn't know what we were doing thought we were insane. People who know us know we are insane. We called the game PLATONICS. It was great fun. Ask me...I'll teach you how to play.

It just occurred to me that I could use word verifications to play a similar game. Take tmscd for example. It would be pronounced as "tomscud". Ecuxl would be "eckucxal". The consonants need to be pronounced very sharply with exaggerated tones and guttural emphasis. But it really is fun to play. Frxjq is harder, it would be more like "Frixjuhk" but you have to hang on to the j sound longer, then quickly dump the q (or k) sound a the end, while simultaneously adding an brief but airy "a" sound. Get it? Fun Huh? I think we could call this game VERIFONICS.

Next time you have to do a word verification when adding a blog post comment, try playing Verifonics.

Please let me know how it goes. For you advanced Verifonics users, try doing it while a coworker or roommate is around, and watch their reaction.

Well got to go. Ptypbq, oh, I mean Pitybobq(a). :)

Nothing? Fine!

That's what I have to say because nobody commented on my post "The Smoking Chevy".