My Facebook experience

I joined Facebook nine months ago and promptly forgot about it. [Except for some lady who keeps inviting me to polo matches in Argentina.] Then the other day it came. That loose thread that you just have to pull on. It was the question that starts out with “Are you the one who used to…? I calmly replied that I indeed was that person.

Next thing I knew eleven requests to be friends flooded my separate email inbox and they were all from people that I knew! This was Monday before last and it’s like someone lifted an upside down bowl off of an ant to expose a whole new world.
Are privacy issues at stake here? Could I have a bad experience? Will the bullies pick on me? Probably. So what?

Here it comes. The quote about “Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.” I agree. But privacy is a whole other issue. I hate to say it, but if you want privacy, don’t use the web for social networking. On the other hand, I see no harm in a little gossip and fun with old friends. Plus I really rock at “cartoon trivia” quizzes and I get to taunt my peers with a challenge.

So is it harmless? Will it suck your brains out and leave you quivering on the sidewalk?
Only time will tell, my friend. In the meantime, did you know that the first bedroom scene on TV was with Fred and Wilma Flintstone?

The best bargains are still at garage sales

For no good reason that I can think of, I awoke at 4:30 AM. But it was a good thing I did. The garage sale across the street was at a fast rock n’ roll cadence by 7:30 AM. I moseyed on over like I had no interest in someone’s second hand junk
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It was then that I spotted the blown glass swans mounted atop a mirrored, rotating music box that plays Swan Lake. My sister collects both swans and music boxes. It came at a hefty price of twenty-five cents. Then came the solid brass unicorn for another whopping twenty-five cents. One of my dearest friends collects unicorns. It weighs in at almost two pounds.
I had to dig out two quarters for a sack full of jewelry and stickpins. One of them was a solid brass unicorn.

Rounding out the long, grueling trip across the street in 76-degree weather during July, I purchased a working dinosaur skeleton, some cd’s [now playing] and other gift items. Now saddled with a single digit debt, I spotted two large antique matching pillows still in the original packages. Mine, not a gift, mine. As I returned with more than I could carry, an old saying came to mind. “Used to be a hand full of money got you a sack full of groceries. Now a sack full of money gets you a hand full of groceries.” Not at yard sales it doesn’t.

I just met big brother...his name is Skippy

I’m not sure if I want to believe what just happened right here in my office. Did big brother just pay me a visit? Should I call the FTC?
If you have ever turned over remote control of your pc during an online chat with “technical support” from Symantec, here’s what you just did.

By the time I got offline with them it was five hours later and I was at level three with the supervisors. No, my problem with their software was not resolved, and it wasn’t even security related, but that’s okay. I applaud their efforts. Here’s where it gets weird. After I signed off with them I restarted my computer, not because it is probably just a good idea, but because I was prompted to do so in order for some “changes” to take effect.

“Finally I can get some breakfast, it’s noon.” But wait a minute! What did I just see? The cursor on my screen just moved. Is that the theme from The Twilight Zone I hear? No. Skippy from India has remote control of my pc again! No I didn’t enter any access number or click “I agree” anywhere. Skippy just waltzed right up and hacked into my computer. Are you creeped out yet? No?
Well that’s not all. At one point he, “Skippy”, was reading my email, trying to access my 401k info and just being generally nosey.
No my “cards and log-ins” still doesn’t sign me directly into my Gmail like it does my Yahoo account, but that’s okay. A little privacy feels reassuring about now.
I’m sure this is all harmless or is it? I don’t know. You make the call. I’m going to unplug my computer and rest easy.