Scaaary. Whew.

So I turn my laptop on this morning when I get to work, and it informs me that it can't start because it can't access the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

Ummm. Not happy. Shut off, turn back on. The disk check program runs, finds errors, fixes them. I figure, at this point, I'm either fine - or dead. Because it either fixed them, or destroyed any hope of recovering 'em, one of the two.

Since I'm posting, as you can tell, it fixed things. Still, erk. I've not done a backup in a bit too long for my peace of mind. To be fixed tonight.

Jerks. Telemarketers with see-through games.

Telemarketer. Whee. Fortunately her timing was good (by my standards): She called just after I finished eating.

After identifying me - by my full name - she says, "I see from our records that you've ordered Sesame Street Ornaments for your children in the past...."

I'm on their do-not-call list, now. No, no I haven't. First, that sounds horribly tacky and stupid. Secondly, I neither have nor want children. Thirdly, I have had this number for four years, this address for the same, and the last person to live at this address had a name not at all like ours. I was still getting their occasional junk mail a year ago, so I ought to know.

Really, people. Pick a less moronic lie, please. And put me on your do not call list.

Oh, my.

Thanks to pheon for this one. Have a look:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~soldier/towboat.htm

"In God We Trust"

Elsewhere, there was a question posted about whether "In God We Trust" is a religious statement.

Some people said no, at least one person saying they didn't believe in God as such.

I don't believe in God as is meant in that phrase, but I contend, and I will continue to do so, that it is a religious statement. The question of whether one believes in that religion, and/or whether it is true, does not prevent it from being a religious statement. In fact, I would almost argue that any sentence that speaks of God as if based on the assumption of His existing is a religious statement, absent any other portion. That one, expressing trust/faith in Him, most assuredly is.

Discussion of deities in the sense of their actually existing, regardless of the deity chosen, and regardless of the listener's belief or lack of same, is a religious statement. (It is up to the listener to decide if it is a valid, real, or relevant statement - but it is religious.)

Just my two cents. Or twelve. Sorry, I just hate carrying around all these pennies....

(no subject)

http://legends.everquest.station.sony.com/

Ahem. Greed, anyone? Neat setup. $40 a month? Good grief, I don't spend enough time on it for the $10 a month I currently pay. Not switching, folks.

*sighs* Stupid cell phone.

So, I'm on call this weekend. The cell phone just rang (glad I hadn't gone to bed early - I'd rather be awake, really). I'd just gotten back onto the chat site where I'd been dropped from, but the problem was at a site I had to dial in (rather than use the VPN) to get to. Which meant disconnecting, because I needed to be over by the phone.

No biggie. No one was chatting much anyway. But still.

Connected in. Fixed symptom quicklike. However, this time it was a bona fide crash with an access violation. After confirming with the client that their access was good again, I started downloading the crash log, 'cause I'd rather fix this than not.

It's estimating 40 minutes or so, now that it's stabilized. Dial-up is lousy. That file would be here, long since, if this one were a VPN connection instead of a dial-up. I was getting all worked up about the long distance cost, but that is silly. I pay 5 cents a minute out of state, which this is. So the whole cost to me should be under $3. They pay me way more than that per call resolved, and I have resolved this one, as far as symptoms, and just need to follow up on the cause. Which I need that file to do.

Really, the only bad thing is, couldn't this have happened four hours ago? It would be so very convenient if the problems would suit themselves to my schedule.