New Computer

After my old computer crashed, I did everything I could to save it. Nothing I tried seemed to work, but fortunately I was able to save all of my important files. I got to the point when I didn't really care about the computer itself, but I really wanted to save things like my photos and important documents. I even took my computer into work and had one of our IT guys take a look at it. He tried everything and said that the computer was pretty much dead. It was about five years old and I got a lot of good use out of it, and it was a great computer up until the point that it died. But it was also getting old, getting slower, and running out of space.

So, after a lot of research and after seeking advice from family and friends, I went out and bought a new computer. In fact, this time I bought a laptop. I wanted a laptop this time because they are more energy efficient and eco friendly and you don't have to deal with all of the cords and wires overloading an outlet. And, naturally, there is always the option to take it with me if I need to go somewhere important.

I'm now on Windows 7 and Microsoft 2007, so I'm still getting used to the new system. But quite frankly so far the hardest thing to get used to has been the keyboard on the laptop. I'm so used to desktop keyboards after using my old computer and work computers for so long, so it's taking a while to get used to all of the keys. Yes, they are all in the same place, but it feels so different. So, if there are errors in this post, I'm going to blame the new keyboard! Although, even harder to get used to is the track pad. My hand keeps brushing on the pad and accidentally clicking on things, so I sometimes don't know where I might end up.

In a nutshell, I'm thrilled to have a computer again. Now I feel like I'm part of the world again!

Current mood: happy
Current music: Loreena McKennitt
Current drink: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac (I have to celebrate!)

Blue Screen of Death!

So I've been a little silent lately for a few reasons. One, I just haven't had all that much to say. I'm swamped with work and haven't had much time to think about anything else. Two, my personal home computer has crashed and is more or less dead. I noticed some odd things earlier this week, but on Tuesday night, it froze when I was browsing the web and brought up the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. After some research online (while at work), I discovered that several people were having the same problem and apparently a Microsoft security update was the main cause, or at least they were part of the cause. Microsoft, however, claims that it wasn't their fault per se. They say that their patch update simply unleashed some malware on several computers. I've tried multiple solutions, and so far I've been unsuccessful. I'm pretty savvy as a user, but when it comes to the guts of the computer and the technical code, well, that's just beyond me. So I've been without a home computer for most of the week, and I'm hoping that one of the IT guys in the office can help me fix it. I really only care about somehow saving or recovering my personal things, like files, pictures, and music. We'll see... 

Spam - And I Don't Mean the Meat

Spam is something that—when it doesn't fill our bellies—fills our e-mail spam filters. With these fancy filters, you'd think that you'll be able to escape it entirely. Well, I'm starting to wonder if there is a new spam target—text messages. Tonight I received a strange text message saying "Hey. We should talk. I don't know you but you sent me some text messages that have me worried." I don't recognize the number and I didn't even send any text messages last night. Maybe the person who sent it has the wrong number, but it has to be an incredibly nice person to write a complete stranger who has apparently caused some kind of concern. I kind of doubt that, so I wonder if someone came up with a new method to spam the world. I'll ignore it for now, but when I start to get messages from full-figured Russian women who want to keep me warm during the winter, then I'll start to worry.

The Importance of Lightness

Earlier this week Apple unveiled its new gadget, a fancy tablet computer. While a lot of people were talking about all of the amazing things it can do and a few of the things that it can't do, a lot of the buzz surrounding the new gadget revolved around its name. It's called the iPad. While some might not think twice about this name, many others couldn't resist a slight giggle or chuckle. You see, the initial response—maybe predominantly among women—was that the name iPad sounded like a feminine hygiene product. Jokes immediately went viral around the Web with people asking if the iPad had wings of if the more powerful versions would be called maxiPads. I, myself, couldn't help myself or resist asking if they would have light, regular, and super versions.

These types of jokes soon spread to reputable blogs and news sites, with the bloggers and writers asking the same questions or making light of the name. I read some of these stories and blog entries, and, I admit, I laughed my little head off. What surprised me, though, was how many negative responses there were to these blogs and stories. Comment after comment, people were complaining that the writers were being immature and needed to grow up. They indignantly asked if people thought of maxipads when someone said lilly pad or note pad or shoulder pads. They said pad is a word that has many meanings and it doesn't always refer to a feminine product. People were even saying that some of these stories were below the high journalistic standards that you'd expect from news sites like NPR or the New York Times, and they were offended and outraged that the site would waste time and space on such a non-issue.

I was more mortified with the comments than the story. Maybe this means that I'm immature because I myself giggled when I heard the name iPad. But to be perfectly honest, I'd rather be slightly immature and have a sense of humor than to be stuffy and uptight all the time. Let's face it, the world can be a horrible place and you see and read horrible news every day. There are deaths and disasters and after a while this can all get downright depressing. Every now and then you need a story that is lighthearted and humorous. When you look in the TV Guide you don't just see listings for serious dramas; you see listings for comedies as well. Even the ancient Greeks performed comedies in addition to their tragedies. Shakespeare wrote comedies. Why? Because people like to laugh every now and then. Because people like to escape some of the harsh realities of the world. In my opinion life is too short to not enjoy it. What's the point of life if it doesn't contain some fun and laughter.

Current mood: relaxing
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Melissa Etheridge "If You Want To"   

Disconnected

On Sunday afternoon I went to downtown Boulder with a mission to find the perfect wedding gift for one of my friends, who is getting married next week. While walking along Pearl Street, I was taking in the sights and mingling around booths that filled Pearl. It was the Boulder Asian Festival, so it was busy and there was a lot to see. At one point I stopped to sit on a bench to rest and to watch the people wander by. I happened to be near a restaurant that had a patio. At one table were four girls, all were otherwise engaged with their cell phones, BlackBerry, or iPhone. Two were talking on their phones, while the other two were frantically typing away with their text messaging. They didn't say one word to one another and hardly even looked up to make eye contact. Maybe the two on the phone were talking to each other, and maybe the other two were texting each other. Who knows?

I'll be the first to admit that the new cell phone technology is pretty awesome. The fact that you can browse the Web and send e-mails through your phone is pretty cool. Then there is there is that other, occasionally used feature, the ability to make an actual phone call. I'm a technology geek, so I like these things. But I all too frequently see people completely absorbed and taken over by these little machines. Even in the fanciest restaurants where people are dressed up for the fanciest dinners, you'll see more than a few people fiddling with their phones. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't go more than twenty minutes or an hour without checking your e-mail or reading your text messages. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't take more than a few minutes to engage with the person sitting across from you. Technology is cool, but the complete inability to interact with someone unless it is through a screen of some kind is kind of sad. So put your phones down people! Take a minute to actually look at the person sitting across from you. Look into their eyes, watch their expressions, listen to their voices. It might be an old fashioned way of talking to someone, but it's pretty rewarding.

Connected

For the past week or so, I've been thinking about getting a new cell phone. My now previous cell phone was perfectly fine. Even though it was four years old, it still worked well, always got great reception, never dropped a call, and in general was a perfectly fine phone. But, I just got it in my head that I wanted a newer phone and an upgrade. Quite frankly, seeing my nieces and nephews with all kinds of fancy, high-tech phones put the idea into my head. So, for the past few days I've been doing a lot of research online and looking into some of the latest phones. The LG enV Touch got a lot of great reviews on cnet and the Verizon Web site, and today I went to the Verizon store to give it a closer look. I liked what I saw and decided to buy it. Actually, "buy" it isn't even an appropriate term. The phone itself is about $200, but with the in-store discount, "new every 2" program, and rebates, the phone cost $o.00! I had to upgrade my plan, but I can live with that.

The phone is super fancy and is filled with quite a few features. In addition to the standard calling features, it comes with mobile web, mobile e-mail, and your basic text messaging abilities. So if I wanted to, I could check my e-mail or browse the web from my phone. The phone also has a camera and a music player. And in addition to all that, it also has some fun tools like an alarm clock, calendar, stopwatch, world clock (in case I want to know what time it is in Athens or any other city, like Tokyo), notepad, drawing pad, calculator, and even a tip calculator. I'm pretty excited about the tip calculator. Being an editor and one who often has lunch or dinner with a group of other editors, calculating the tip and dividing the bill among 5 or 6 people can sometimes be quite the ordeal. None of us are paid for our math skills, so now it's nice to have a handy calculator rather than trying to spend 10 minutes sorting out our bill!

I'm still figuring out the navigation of the phone and all of the menus and features, and I've already accidentally called two people while playing around in the address book, but eventually I'll get the hang of it. So far this new phone seems really nice.

Current mood: relaxing
Current music: Tori Amos "Spark"
Current drink: Fat Tire