Another Microsoft Frustration Monday

Well, I just spent the first 2 1/2 hours this morning straightening out Bill's HP laptop. He couldn't get on. Why? Microsoft now has an annual program that you have to setup up everything all over again. Bill was on his computer for a two full hours trying to re setup that hybrid Windows tile and classic desktop. He got stuck on his password.

Bill get's up at 4 AM.  I don't get up until 7 AM or 8 AM.  This morning I got up at 8 AM.  By the time I hit the bathroom and went into the kitchen for my breakfast Bill was in a high dungeon.  He blames me for everything  (of course).  I had just poured the almond milk on my bran flakes and he said "Can't you help me with this damn computer?!"  I said "Can it wait five minutes? I'll just finish my cereal."  He storms out.  Then I had an urgent call to the bathroom. These days, ever since my seed implant surgery I cannot ignore theses calls to nature.  I run for the bathroom before I have an accident.  I get back to my now soggy cereal.  Bill is really pissed now. He says "You never have time for me!?  Gee, when have I heard that before?  Some people wonder why I don't volunteer my time to help local causes like political candidates and others in need.  Want to know why?  I have my hands full right here.  Not only including me (which is becoming increasingly necessary) but Bill.  I love Bill to death but on mornings like this I better drop everything and FIX THE PROBLEM.

So here we go folks.  My visceral hatred for anything Microsoft.  I HATE MICROSOFT AND WINDOWS PRODUCTS.  And this morning was a perfect example.

Bill couldn't sign on. The screen gave him NO OPTION to reset his password.  This is standard operating procedure for Windows and Microsoft.  Will Mr. Softee is out trying to cure all the diseases in the world and eliminate world hunger, his products stink.  

THEY.ARE.NOT.USER.FRIENDLY.

I won't take you through the blow by blow, but basically this is what I did this morning.

• Looked for the website where I could get live help.
• After several frustrating tries I called.
• Someone with a foreign accent answers the phone (of course, Microsoft saves money by outsourcing their Help line so Mr. Softee and his cohorts can have more BILLIONS to add to his already overflowing coffers).  
• I explain my problem.
• The next thing I got was a dial tone.  Of course.
• I call again.
• I get "Michelle" (sure). I ask where she is located. 
• "The Philippines" she says (of course, I was expecting say Iowa?)
• "Michelle" was nice enough but we struggled until I finally understood what was happening.  Seems that Microsoft now has a new procedure that you have to reset up your computer once a year to prevent hacking.  Hey folks, Windows based computer are so hobbled now by all the devices like Norton and McAfee to prevent hacking, why not add one more layer?
• All I wanted to know is how to reset Bill's password.
• I had to go on my computer and bring up their website.  Then I had to put Bill's iPhone in so they could send a text message with the code number.
• I get Bill's iPhone, turn it on and wait for the code.

Oh folks, do you really want me to go through all the steps?  It's painful for me to do so.

To sum up, another half hour of reentering code numbers and resetting the password (to the previous one by the way) until I could finally finish the setup on Bill's computer which included being cutoff one more time.  I was on hold (for the second time this morning) until I got "If you would like to make a call, hang up and dial again."  

I took Bill's laptop down to his basement office.  I had to restart it TWICE before I could finally get his e-mail and Internet connection up.  

Of course Bill's not speaking to me now.  He'll get over it.  I understand his frustration.  No one is more frustrated than me dealing with Microsoft and Windows.  That's why I gave away my brand new Dell computer last year ($1,500) and got an iMac which is what I am using now.  

So relish Gates getting a well deserved dose of disrespect by getting a pie in his fugly  puss.  I can't see that image enough.  Now I'm going to leave this house on this beautiful sunny day and ride down to Rehoboth Beach and sit on a bench on the boardwalk and not be bothered by anybody.  I need to unwind BAD.  And wonder, will I ever rid myself of being personally affected by Bill Gates and his company's malfeasance?  I've said it before and I'll say it gain, Microsoft and Windows is the biggest scam on this world in history.  And there goes Mr. Softee, in his never ending pursuit to prove to the world he's a saint.  If anybody is a saint it's me for being subjected to his crap over and over again.  HELP!

Ted Haggard

Remember the old TV show “That Was the Week That Was?” That’s what this past week felt like. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer. Of course I continue to still have technical problems with my computers and accessories. I won’t even go into all of that. The one thing I will say is that I will NEVER buy another Dell computer for a Microsoft operation system, I don’t care what kind of fancy name they give to it. The last time I got a new Dell it had the Windows ME (Millennium) operating system. I eventually gave that computer away because I couldn’t turn it off and Dell lied about their premium support. I gave the computer to my friend Bob who had to install Windows 95 to get it to operate. I read this morning where Microsoft is going to try and peddle a new operating system called Windows 7. Oh yeah. Hold your breath when I buy that system.

We had the whole range of weather this week. Monday and Tuesday, snow, rain and ice. Pretty. I stayed out of that mess until the rain melted the snow on Wednesday at which time I made a run for the grocery store in the fog. I was out just long enough to cover the sides of my red car with road salt. Yesterday I made another run to Milton to get a laser wash to get rid of the salt. I now have my shiny red car again, albeit with 110,000 miles on it. I felt so good yesterday I took the Grand Tour through the hinterlands. I drove through Milton to Rt. 5, then down Rt. 9, to Rt. 24, then onto Rt. 1 Rehoboth Beach. It was good to get out of the house and drive around the flatlands down here to clear my head.

Yesterday I went to work. The economy is affecting everything, including the number of guests at the hotel where I work in Lewes. We’re offering generous discounts to lure the guests in but there aren’t too many takers. We have some long term guests in the hotel and a few passers through but none of the usual guests who come into town to enjoy the fine restaurants and take advantage of the outlet shopping on Rt. 1 in Rehoboth Beach. Those days are gone, for now anyway. I'm hoping they come back this spring and summer. We're all hoping.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I saw a good movie from Netflix this week. It was called “Big Eden.” It was about a gay guy and his unrequited love interest but more than that. It was about family, all kinds. What really made this film interesting was the total lack of homophobia in the small town to which he returned. Perhaps that’s why they titled it “Big Eden.” It might just have been a fairytale (no pun intended.)

Bill still isn’t talking. Of course this is very stressful to me as well as it is to him. The heaviness hangs over the house. Not much “family” here this week. However, this too will pass.

Last night on “Larry King Live”, I watched Ted Haggard try to explain away his fall from grace from his church. Mr. Haggard seems like a fine man but he should come to terms with reality. He’s still justifying his actions as a test from God. Perhaps. He says his wife has accepted him as has his children. I say whatever works for you Ted, go for it. One thing he doesn’t have to do is apologize for having normal, natural feelings for members of his own sex. As long as he denies these natural feelings, he will be in misery. I could see the sadness in his eyes as he was listening to clips that Larry King was playing from his accusers. How sad. I’m sure that Mr. Haggard loves his wife and five children but he will always be conflicted his whole life with his sexual conflict. That’s what I liked about the movie “Big Eden.” The townsfolk were not conflicted or repelled by the main characters’ homosexuality. They took it as normal, which it is. To all the arguments about homosexuality; is it normal or is it against God’s will my answer has always been, “God made me this way and God doesn’t make mistakes.” Amen.

Rules for Kids

Lately, I haven't been feeling too good about Mr. Softee (Bill Gates) because of all my computer problems with Vista. Actually, I'm not feeling too good about the PC industry as a whole, and that include Dell computers and Hewlett Packard printers. However, a friend sent this to me this morning. I thought it was worth sharing. In this once instance I agree with the Chief Nerd.

This attributed to Bill Gates but that is incorrect. It is actually the work of Charles Sykes in his book Dumbing Down Our Kids)

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time..

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Thank a teacher!

Most of all Thank A Veteran for keeping our country free so this can be passed on to someone else.