I don’t know about you, but the just released ADP National Employment Report absolutely feeds my loss of ‘investor’ confidence. It feeds my loss of ‘buyer’ confidence, my loss of ‘I will eat tomorrow’ confidence and my loss of ‘I can pay my mortgage’ confidence too. Scary stuff huh?
Posted by Perry
After I read Shelley’s post about the problems Sherry had with her computer, and the struggle we had to fix it, I thought about my own pre-mac days and the headaches I had with viruses.
Most people believe that if you stick to not opening suspicious emails or just not clicking on certain links that you can remain virus free – this is simply not true. While it is true that a lot of today’s viruses are email based, there are hundreds of the nasties just sitting there on web sites. Some are obsolete and even though you might catch one, its payload is now gone, having been caught with anti-virus software and OS security patches.
Here is a link to the top ten worst viruses. This is from 2007 and know that by now, even more ugly viruses have been created (like the rogue software that plagued Sherry’s beloved pc.)
One of the viruses I remember with disdain is Sasser. This worm would infect your pc and cause random crashes due to faulty code in the worm itself. It took me a little time, and some colorful language, to get rid of this thing.
Another virus that doesn’t get much publicity due to its low infection rate is Chernobyl. This thing was an absolute monster, it had dual payloads and was ‘timed’ to deliver them on April 26th, both the authors birthday and the anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.
The best advice we can give pc users is to get a great Internet security program — one that has both a firewall AND anti-virus software. Be careful what you open — that seemingly harmless email joke could contain something that turns your computer into an expensive paper weight. Update your OS and security programs often — don’t take a chance that they will keep your system secure without some tlc from you.
Hope this helps and happy computing!
Snow started in the burg last night, and although I still see a flake fall now and again, I don’t think there’s a big accumulation predicted. No matter how much hits the ground, it’s a hoot to watch Libby play in the white stuff.
Ok, so you don’t see Libby in the photo — that’s because she had her large body moving so fast that I didn’t get a single one that wasn’t out of focus. The cooler temps make her frisky; they just make me cold. Capturing fast moving (even big) objects in low light when you’re standing in a doorway trying not to get your socks wet is a pretty darned good example of a difficult shoot. Anyway, I still smile today when I think about her running inside to get her stuffed hedgehog, and tucking her butt to get traction for speed on the slick deck.
One more time-wasting item for today…
Check out Name Voyager and get the skinny on your name and find out when it peaked in popularity. Not like this takes priority over work or anything, but it’s still a pretty cool way to waste time online.
That takes on a whole new meaning for me today…
My friend, Sherry, is a PC user. She doesn’t claim to be a computer expert, nor does she aspire to be. She simply wants to check email, keep track of various blog posts and know what Martha Stewart or The Pines Restaurant suggests she cook for dinner. She’s the exact type of person that suffers most from malware, spyware and viruses.
It’s been an all day affair, and her beloved PC is still sick… Never, EVER install a program called ‘Spyware Guard 2008″ (not to be confused with another program called ‘SpywareGuard’, a fine freeware from Javacool).
UPDATE: It’s working – we rock!
I’ve got a bunch of stuff to share today, and none of it fits together. Sift through the rambling and pick out something that interests you — all of this is simply too good not to share! 🙂
First, my brother with whom I closely work, Scott McKain, is offering a FREE 14-day audio workshop to help you reach important goals and dreams in 2009. The program takes around 15 minutes each day for 2 weeks and is well worth your time. The programs are available on his BLOG site or you can simply subscribe through iTunes. C’mon and give it a try!
Next, I want to let you know that I’m working through the new ‘folder tickler’ organization system and so far so good. I found myself making a couple calls this morning that I normally would’ve put off, just so I could get them out of my folder.
And finally… Libby has a new best bud!
And sometimes…just sometimes…when you’re taking photographs, you receive a wonderful gift. It’s one of those moments when the light is just like you want it to be, and your subject — without any effort — gives you a special look.
