E-mails Gone Awry

You must be very careful when e-mailing not to be misunderstood. And it is such an easy thing to do. Follow this morning’s e-mails if you have doubts. As soon as I opened my computer this morning I read this from my son.

From: Son

Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 4:07 AM

To: Mom

Subject: Re: This gun toter did a GREAT job (from a recent e-mail I sent him)

Sent from my iPhone.

Just wanted to tell you I am in the ER in *town* pain to much in knee I will call when I get out. I just got here love you

From: Son

To: Mom

Sent: Friday August 14, 2009 6:24 AM

Subject: Re: This gun toter did a GREAT job

Sent from my iPhone

I am at home now. They gave me two big shots in my ass and some weird prescription and told me I need a orthopedic doc. Now my ass hurts too. I am ok if I do not answer your call that is because I am sleeping

(Of course, I write my sister to tell her what is going on by forwarding son’s e-mails. ) Message to sister:

From: Me

To: Sister

Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 7:35 AM

Subject: Fw: This gun toter did a GREAT job

My first email from *son* was at 4 a.m. He was in the ER at hospital near here. This is follow-up. I hurt. I know that shot probably put him out. I’ll keep emailing and see if he needs me to bring anything.

From: Sister

To: Me

Sent: Friday August 14, 11:20 a.m.

Subject: Fw: This gun toter did a GREAT job

What…….never mind. I will call.

And then the phone rings. It’s my sister from Texas all frantic, wanting to know how *son* is. I started explaining it was just his injured knees again and the pain had been too much.

“He didn’t get shot?”

And then I re-read what she had received: Gun toter did a GREAT job…..shot probably put him out…..

Oh sure, NOW we can laugh. Hope you did, too.

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Cat Attraction

Are all cats drawn to computers? Are they the ultimate technophobes or is the spot between you and the computer commensurate with you and the newspaper? Neither Emma nor Luther will dare sit in my lap. Oh no, but when my “lap” is the computer desk I can’t keep them away.

So today Luther parked himself right where I needed to spread receipts to enter in Quicken.  I just pretended he wasn’t there and stacked them right on him. He hardly twitched, sat there the whole process.

Now Emma comes along later as I am viewing the picture I took of him. She sees brother on the screen, figures it’s her turn and plops in front of the screen. In a way, Emma is the bigger challenge because she doesn’t know the command “lie down” and he does, and she has that lush plume of a tail that Luther doesn’t. On the positive side, it is well dusted behind the screen everytime she loops back there.

Are you quite sure Hemmingway got any writing done in Key West  with all those cats roaming around?

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Twitter Hacking

I wanted to post this as a clue in the Twitter hacking that happened today. Apparently hackers were able to invade millions? of computers and jam the Twitter site, shutting them down. Facebook got squirrely, too. During a real slow down of my machine I checked processes and there were two Picasas listed and together they were using almost 100% capacity of my computer. No new photos had been downloaded so no reason for that to happen. I am assuming that was one of the portals through which they took over mine and others’ computers. The last few days my Mozy backup has been work ing almost constantly also. Those are the two main sites that have access to my computer.

I am in no way a computer whizz, but I can feel a slowed down computer and read processes taking place. I immediately shut down and reopened my computer and Picasa was not even on the processes page.  These are probably only two of many sites that were compromised. Just thought you’d like to know and perhaps try shutting down briefly to see if it helps.

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TEXT Too small?

On newer MS software, like XP, you can enlarge text by hitting CONTROL & + at the same time. You may know this, but it was new to me. Hope it helps on some of my smaller text posts. Reduce size by hitting Control & – (minus sign) at the same time.

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Before You Were a Computerholic

What did you do before with the time you now spend on the computer? My husband sprang that question on me the other day and now I’m springing it on you. I do spend hours at this screen every day. I’d never thought about what I was doing before with my time. So here is my list of things I have given up or spend less time on:

 

• TV—That’s the activity that has suffered the most and I don’t miss it at all. As a matter of fact, when I try to find something to watch while relaxing I wear my thumb out channel surfing. TV has gotten worse. My time is better spent on the computer for sure.
• Shopping—I had to dig to come up with this one. Surely I did more than watch TV before, and I did. This revelation surprised me. Shopping used to be an enjoyable sport to me. Now what I don’t order online I save up to buy in one trip as quickly as I can. When did that happen and why? Who knows, but I see the UPS man more than a store clerk now no doubt.
• Finances—I wrote checks by hand, balanced my checkbook (sometimes) and subtracted until the money was gone. Now Quicken shows my finances at a glance, bills are paid online, bank accounts handled the same way. I’ve saved money and time in this instance, and best of all kicked the little voice from the FUKOWEE Indian tribe. If you read Kurt Vonnegut I won’t have to explain that last one.
• Writing fiction—This is the one downer. I realize my writing urges are being too satisfied with this blog, leaving my serious writing over in a corner somewhere.  

 

That is it as far as I can tell. I still exercise (biking, walking and yoga) though no longer at a club. I certainly read as much as ever, if not more. And photography? I take way more pictures now. The instant gratification of seeing them on screen or printed immediately enhances that activity. Now that I have pinpointed the one area I need to attend to, I plan to do just that. Of course, that will mean more time here on the computer. It all comes back to Big Hal, doesn’t it? 

 

What have YOU thrown aside or slighted for your relationship with the computer? How has it affected your life? Perhaps you have thought about it; I hadn’t. If computer is as big a part of your life as mine I think you should. I would really like to hear your views.

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Where I am…

This blog has been neglected and it pains me. Just as remodeling hit a place not quite so frantic my computer crashed. Sharing a computer with my generous husband is not the same as total access where thoughts can travel through my fingers anytime of the day. I am so addicted to this mode of communication. I don’t know whether to apologize or rejoice. Please hang in there and keep checking back. The Calvary in the form of a Computer geek is due tomorrow.

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