The Virus

I got a harmless-looking message from a friend on Facebook with a video attached. It was late and I was tired, but I was curious about what she would be sending me, so I clicked on the link. It said I needed to download the latest version of Adobe to view the video, which made sense, because my computer had been telling me for some time that there were some Adobe updates that I needed to install. So I clicked on that too.

It didn't take me long to realize I had made a grave mistake. The video still wouldn't play, and suddenly my Facebook page was popping up on my screen, and showing me that it was forwarding this "video" (which I now realized was a virus) to all of my friends (250+). More things started popping up on my computer, keeping me from being able to control anything but making me watch in horror as it continued to send the virus to my friends.

I re-booted my computer. I tried to send word out to my friends not to click on the link, but my computer soon locked up again, and the same thing began happening. I tried several times, with the same results.

This was late Saturday night. I don't get on my computer on Sundays, so I turned it off completely. Monday I had to leave early for jury duty, and Monday night I was too tired to even think, but I did try a couple of strategies I had thought of while sitting and waiting to be called for jury duty. I changed my password on Facebook and fixed it so the password would have to be typed in every time before it could be opened. I made more efforts to alert my friends during the approximate 5-minute stretches I could work on my computer before it locked up and started acting crazy.

Friends sent me suggestions for how to get rid of it, but every website they told me about that offered help had been blocked by the virus, and I couldn't open it. I ran my antivirus scan, which found a couple of things but didn't knock it out.

Meanwhile, I was back in jury duty all day on Tuesday and Wednesday so still didn't have much time to fool with it. Finally on Wednesday night, a friend suggested I get into my computer's Safe Mode and gave me some suggestions about what to do. I tried that and, while I couldn't get it to work exactly like she said, when in Safe Mode my computer suggested I use System Restore to repair my computer. Basically what that does is to take your computer back exactly like it was on the date you specify (limited to days that it backed itself up). Of course, I would lose anything I had done since then, but I hadn't really done anything since I got the virus, so I didn't have much to lose. I had it restore things to the way they were two days before I got the virus, and as far as I can tell, it worked!

The lesson here (for me and for you) is this: Be careful what you open! Be very aware of clicking on any suspicious link, even if it came from someone you know. If in doubt, check with that person before opening it.

I think the thing that burned me up the most was that some brilliant person out there, who could be using their brains to find a cure for cancer or some other worthwhile cause, is using them to figure out ways to destroy people's computers that they don't even know. It's something I'll never understand.

It's a CHRISTMAS Tree!

A Jewish friend of mine wished me a "Merry Christmas" yesterday. She didn't get offended. I have had a number of Jewish friends through the years, and none of them would have hesitated to wish me a Merry Christmas. If any of them came into my home, they would have commented on my Christmas tree. They may have even sent me a Christmas card or given me a Christmas gift. And I am happy to wish them a Happy Hanukkah as well.

So why is it taboo to use the word "Christmas"? Who, exactly, is offended by it? My latest pet peeve is going in Wal-Mart and seeing "holiday" trees, candy, cards, gifts, etc. I think Wal-Mart has actually made a point not to sell anything with the word "Christmas" on it, though they certainly don't mind profiting from the season's sales. The weatherman tells you what the weather will be for your "holiday travels." There is even "holiday music" playing on the radio.

If you are going to put up a tree, aren't you celebrating Christmas? And if you are going to celebrate Christmas, how can you not call it that? If you don't want to acknowledge Christmas, then don't celebrate it! Don't buy a tree or gifts, sing carols or send cards. Because it's Christmas, and it's our holiday, and I refuse to call it anything else just because there are a few people in the world who are offended by a word that contains the name of Christ, even though they are celebrating His birth.

So, I may be the only one to do it this year, but I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Computer Woes

It all started about 3 weeks ago. My computer, which has always been a bit quirky, shut itself down, and I was unable to re-boot it. After spending FIVE HOURS on the phone with Dell, my computer was up and running again, though still acting a bit quirkier than usual.

About a week ago it happened again. Since a lot of things had already been ruled out, Dell was able to resolve it more quickly. It was running again, but a couple of times I got messages about serious errors that Windows had recovered, and it has continued to re-boot itself at odd times, which is maddening when I am in the middle of something!

Yesterday I got an error notice that my hard drive was failing. The ironic thing is that my warranty expires TODAY. So of course, when I called Dell, they told me I really ought to extend my warranty another year -- for only $180.

I told them that I didn't have $180 to spend on that, and I felt they needed to get this problem resolved since it occurred before my current warranty expired. I spent an hour or more last night on the phone with them, and it shut itself down several times while we were working on it, which I was sort of glad of because at least the guy was able to experience some of my frustration.

At 10:00 (his getting-off time), he told me to back up all my files; he would call me today, and we were going to reinstall Windows.

I'm not looking forward to losing everything on my hard drive; there are some things that can't be backed up easily; but if I have to, I have to. I only hope that this will take care of my problem, or at least that Dell will continue to work with me until it gets resolved.

So, by the time all this is over, I will either be singing the praises of Dell, or I may have some not-very-nice things to say about them. I'm sure you'll hear about either way (assuming I have a computer to blog on).

Beware

I confess. I’m not very good at keeping my checkbook. Not terrible, mind you -- I haven’t written a bad check in years -- but not great either.

My usual procedure when I use my debit card is to stuff the receipt in my checkbook and then periodically go through and write them all down. Then I call the bank, make sure their balance is at least roughly comparable to mine, and check what checks/debits have cleared.

Occasionally there will be a charge from the bank that I don’t have recorded. If it’s just a small charge, I usually just assume it’s a receipt that got misplaced and let it go.

I was going through this procedure this week, and there was a charge for $4.95 that I had no record of. This caught my eye because I rarely put an amount this small on my debit card. Plus, it sounded familiar. I scanned my check register and noticed that I had the same charge one month earlier. I got out my paper statement, and it said the charge was from Juno.

I used Juno as my Internet/e-mail service for about seven years. They took the $9.95/month charge out of my checking account. Their service was satisfactory, but alas, dial-up Internet has become all but obsolete, and Juno doesn’t offer DSL, so several months ago we made the switch to AT&T.

At that point I called and cancelled my service with Juno. I remember talking to a man there who, after I cancelled the service, told me about Juno Speedband, which I could have as a backup service, in case my DSL service ever went down. He told me he would give me a month free, and I said that was fine. I am positive that I did not knowingly agree to pay for this service at any time.

After I saw my bank statement, I looked up my Juno account online. They had been charging me for 3 months. The first month was $6+ because they charged me for some extra days. I was FURIOUS. I decided to wait until after work to call them so I could calm down a little bit.

When I finally called them and began to explain the problem, the lady began a well-rehearsed speech about how I really needed this service, in case my DSL ever failed, and it would fail. It was obvious that she was accustomed to these types of calls. She was talking so fast I could hardly understand what she was saying, but I finally interrupted her and told her that I did not want this service, and what was more, I had not authorized them to take money from my checking account, and that I considered this to be stealing! She said they would end my service that very day.

I told her that wasn’t enough. I wanted my money refunded that they had already taken out. She said she wasn’t authorized to do that. I told her to find someone who was. She put me on hold. She came back and told me they would refund me $9.90 for 2 months. I told her they still owed me another $6+. She said they could only refund for up to 2 months because they didn’t know what transpired in the conversation between me and the man I talked to when I cancelled my service. She said they would send me an e-mail confirming this agreement. "Thank you for using Juno. Please consider us for your future needs." Click.

That was Monday. I finally got the e-mail yesterday, but I haven’t yet received a refund. I still have hope that they will at least do what they said they would do, and at that point I am going to call my bank and tell them not to allow any future transactions from Juno.

Thankfully this was not a huge amount of money, but the fact that they took money out my account without my permission makes me furious! So my warning to you is, if you have any charges on your checking account that you can’t account for, check them out. It would be nice if we could trust people and companies to behave ethically, but unfortunately, we can’t in this day and age. We have to protect ourselves.

The Evil Media

Don and I watched a Nova special on PBS this week about the Old Testament. We were excited that Nova would cover such a topic, but after we had watched it for a little while, we realized that our joy was futile. They were basically on a quest to convince people that the Bible wasn’t true. It was when they said that the Israelites were really Canaanites, not a separate people as the Bible clearly states, because their pots they used were similar to those used by the Canaanites, that I had had enough and quit watching it. Don lasted a little longer, but he too gave up before it was over.

It makes me mad that the media can say whatever they want to, and people will believe them. They can make up lies about anything and speak them as if they were the truth. PBS, the "educational" channel, is especially bad, for example, about talking about evolution as if it were an established fact.

On Wednesday morning in Bible study we were studying Sodom and Gomorrah and talking about how the media today glorifies sin, i.e. homosexuality, the specific sin the Bible most clearly cites as what was going on in Sodom before God destroyed them. On Wednesday night I was watching a show I like, Bones. We don’t usually get to watch it because of worship team practice at church, but practice got cancelled, so we watched it. In that episode one of the best-liked and most respected characters, Angela, announced matter-of-factly and shamelessly that she is a lesbian. There was no real sense of shock from any of the other characters.

As I have said before, I don’t hate homosexuals as people, but the Bible clearly says homosexuality is wrong. I believe God will judge our society for treating it as if it weren’t.

This is why I almost never watch TV. I can’t control the things they say, but I don’t have to watch it. Why, as Christians, do we allow the values of Hollywood into our homes to pollute our minds and those of our families? There may be a few good things on there, but basically every time I watch it, I am shocked and disappointed.

I think the media is responsible for a good deal of the moral corruption that is prevalent in America today. If we would just turn off the TV, stop watching movies, reading gossip magazines, and giving the media power over us, I think we would all be much better off.

A Month of Craziness

We’re about to enter into the crazy season. From Thanksgiving ‘til New Years, the world goes insane. My December calendar is already almost full. Plus I have to shop to buy presents that nobody really needs anyway.

Why do I have to do all this? Because I live in America. I have been trying for years to find a way to avoid it all.

It’s not that I completely hate it, but it just seems to me that if we are going to have a celebration of Jesus’ birth, then that’s what we ought to do. Why does it have to be accompanied by so much stress? It’s very unlikely December 25 is actually Jesus’ birthday anyway. The holiday actually has pagan roots. More on that in a future blog.

If I had my way, I would go to church on Christmas Eve and then spend a cozy Christmas day with my family, maybe exchanging small, heartfelt gifts. We would rejoice together in the Savior God sent into the world. Then life would go on (though I think the celebration of Jesus should last all year).

But I feel like I would be considered a "grinch" if I handled Christmas this way, if I didn’t go to any of the parties I was invited to or didn’t give gifts to the people who gave them to me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy parties; I just wish they didn’t all have to be in December. And it’s not that I don’t like to give presents; I just like to do it when I have a good reason or desire to, not just because it’s Christmas.

And why do we have to eat so much? As most anyone who struggles with their weight will tell you, this is by far the most difficult time of the year to control your food intake.

Sorry to be such a stick in the mud. What are your thoughts? Do you love every minute of it, or if not, how do you handle it all?

Dusting

If anyone asks me what housework chore I dislike the most, I don’t need any time to consider it: dusting. I’d rather scrub toilets, run the vacuum or wash dishes any day. There’s something about moving all of my knick-knacks aside and having to wipe under them, or maybe it’s just having to clean up a mess I didn’t make. Possibly it’s because it’s a detail-oriented chore, and I’m not a detail person when it comes to making for extra work. I’m not really sure why I hate it so much; I just do. Therefore, I do it as little as possible, usually 3 or 4 times a year, and that’s only when I’m having company and it’s bad enough that I know they would be grossed out by it. I did it this weekend, because my mom was coming over and you could write your name with your finger on our furniture. I’m looking at doing it again maybe at Christmastime.

What chore do you dislike the most?

Leave Her Alone

I rarely sympathize with liberals politically, but this is one occasion when I would have to sympathize with one personally.

I read Elizabeth Edwards’ autobiography a year or two ago. I like to read biographies about all kinds of people, and hers was pretty good. I think she’s genuine, and I respect her as a person, even if I don’t agree with her on much politically.

Most people know that she had a son killed in a car wreck as a teenager and that she has cancer now that is considered incurable. It became common knowledge recently that her husband had an affair a couple of years ago. What a jerk.

But yesterday I read a news article that said she is being criticized for keeping the affair a secret when she found out about it. What’s wrong with these people? Hasn’t this poor woman suffered enough? And why in the world would she want to share her pain and humiliation on a matter that is strictly between her and her husband, knowing full well how the media handles things like that: delving into the most private details of people’s lives, blowing them out of proportion, and splattering them all over the covers of newspapers and gossip magazines for people to gawk over while they’re standing in line at the grocery store?

I think the media needs to quit whipping this poor, wounded woman and mind their own business.

Those Poor Atheists

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." Psalm 14:1

I read a news article yesterday that sent me reeling. Apparently the Wilson County Fair, which is going on this week, is offering a $2 discount off their admission price on Sunday to anyone who comes with a church bulletin. Well, this has upset the atheists. HOW DARE THEY offer something to Christians and discriminate against atheists? A representative from the American Atheists sent an e-mail to the Wilson County Fair people and demanded that this promotion either be removed or that the poor dear atheists be included as well.

The board members of the fair, not wanting to cause any problems, decided that they would change their policy so that "anyone who brings a dated piece of printed material from their faith or non-belief" would be eligible for the discount. I know they were trying to stay out of trouble, but I must say I am a little disappointed in them for caving. It seems to me in this country of ours, Christians are allowed fewer privileges than anyone else, primarily because of a few outspoken, paranoid people who think Christianity discriminates against them.

I have taken a look at the fair’s web site to see what other promotions they offer. On Monday they are offering $5 off for senior citizens, age 60 and over. Now, I don’t like that at all. I think they need to change that policy right away so that anyone who can show proof that they are any age or non-age will qualify. The nerve of them! On Wednesday you get $1 off if you bring a lottery ticket stub. I don’t play the lottery. I think you should get a discount if you can show you have bought a ticket for anything, including the fair itself. I’ve also noticed that children 6-12 get in for a lower price, and children 5 and under get in free! This is absolutely outrageous! We should all get in free! And the kids get to ride the kiddie rides too, another area in which their discrimination is obviously targeted directly at me. They won’t let me ride them, just because I’m over 48 inches tall!

What’s more, I’m not qualified to enter any of the livestock shows because I don’t raise any livestock. How ridiculous! I am going to demand that I be able to enter my dog in the poultry contest (and he’d better win too), or that they just not have one at all because it’s going to offend me!

Seriously, I think it is up to the people who plan the fair to decide what promotions they are going to offer. It’s their fair. If there is someone who doesn’t like what they’re offering, then they certainly have the option to just stay home!

Will They Ever Shut Up?

We live in a residential neighborhood. About a half mile away (as the crow flies) is a little nightclub. I don’t know what’s going on over there, but this weekend and last weekend they have had LOUD music playing from mid-afternoon until 10:30 or 11:00 at night.

Thankfully, I have been blessed with the ability to sleep through almost anything, but my husband hasn’t. He has been sleeping on the futon in the basement, which doesn’t lend itself to a very good night’s sleep. I guess he finds it preferable to laying awake upstairs and listening to loud music though. So the next day he is usually a little tired and grouchy.

This happened occasionally last summer too, but it didn’t seem to be quite as loud and only bothered us when we tried to sleep with the windows open. Right now the windows are closed, and it is still loud enough inside our house to sing along to. Don actually called the police on them one night, to no avail. Don’t we have any rights here? I know there are a number of houses as well as an apartment complex and a hotel that are even closer to them than we are, so we can’t be the only ones who are being bothered by it. Surely there is a noise ordinance that is being violated or something. It is a small place, so I can’t imagine that there are nearly as many people there enjoying it as there are neighbors who are being bothered by it.

I tried to find a web site where I could get an e-mail address and contact them and ask them nicely to be quiet, but couldn’t find one. I guess I could actually call them, though I don’t imagine their employees would be able to hear me over the loud music when they answer the phone, not that it would probably do any good even if they did. Does anyone have any suggestions for how we can handle this??