Add Remove pgms

ADDING/REMOVING PROGRAMS..

ron thomas


In the operating system Windows XP to remove or add progams to your computer follow this path:


On your display left click the START BUTTON.

In the pop-up menu left click CONTROL PANEL.

In the control panel menu left click ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS.

Wait a few seconds and all the programs in your computer will be listed for you.

Scroll through the list and find the program you want to remove and left click it.

Now scroll back to the top of the page and in the blue dialog box left click the button that says CHANGE/REMOVE.

That will do it... recomend that you do a defrag of the computer after removing a large program.

Blogger post warning

New Security for OUR web page..

Ron Thomas


There is currently no way for spam to enter our webpage unless someone emails the webpage with a story to post. If the special posting address is put into the address book of your computer and you do not have anti-virus protection on your computer you have a good chance of forwarding spam to our web page...

What this means is that if you post a story to the page using the special address feature you should put your name on it so we know who wrote the piece and so we can keep track of the computers using this feature. That will help us find the computer that needs help the next time we are attacked. Meanwhile, you can even further reduce the incident of attack by not putting the special posting address in your mail program's address book . I like Cleda's method... She has the address taped to the frame of her computer display.

If you don't have anti-virus protection you can email your article to me and I will post it for you. My computer is protected from incoming anti-virus and so you won't infect the web page.

We learned a bit about our Operating System for our computers in a below article....

Ron Thomas


Now here is a tidbit of information you need to understand.... You must not buy new programs for your computer that are not designed to run on your operating system. On the packaging of the program you are about to buy it tells you what operating systems it will work with. If it doesn't have your system ... don't buy and install it. Sure it may kind of work for awhile but it will very likely cause massive problems and crash your computer. Here is an example... You have Windows 98 as an operating system and you download Microsoft Word XP on to your computer... It will cause problems with your operating system.

The Virus that was attacking our web site...

Ron Thomas,


We traced the virus that was attacking the website to the clubhouse computer. Jim Dodds came down and removed it and took it home to find the problem.


Here is his email report of what he found and has done:
9 Virii
3 Worms
1 Trojan
382 Malware/Spyware

Reformatted to Win 98.2
7.5 Hours

Will
be back at clubhouse after a good defrag....lol (means laughing out loud)

Added Norton AV
BlackIce Firewall
Misc. Programs

Needless to say.... most of this junk came from downloading stuff without even thinking about it. Our thanks to Jim for the upgrade and the extra programs and effort. Hopefully those that use the computer will pay heed to the Norton Anti-virus prompts not to download suspected files.

Volunteer Fire Department...

Ron Thomas

A park source told me that he had thaked the fire department volunteers for their actions here on the hill . You know, they are the ones that come from everywhere when an emergency like a heart attack befalls someone in the park. That happens often for old folks such as us...

This source was talking to the volunteer fireman who retired and is a Dr. The fireman's response was, "If they really loved us they could send cookies".....

During the last few months...

Ron Thomas


We have heard criticism about how only about 30 people come to Social Club meetings or participate and help in activities. That seems to be more or less true from our observations. So, if there are only that many interested why don't those that are interested in having social events and playing just form a second club?


The Social Club would exist for the park and the other club would exist to have it's own activities. Two clubs if you will. One that has all those that never volunteer and the other that does. One that has meetings and the other for those that want to be left alone. What about the treasury? Well that belongs to the Social Club period. The other club would raise its own treasury.


So you are thinking that creates two groups of people or two classes of citizens in the park? Not so. What it does is put the do nothing folks all together where they want to be, doing nothing unless someone volunteers to do something for them for nothing. The rest of the folks would be free to have parties and celebrate until the cows come home without having to work for those that want to do nothing. It's a win win solution.


The do nothing folks could crab about how their treasury was handled. The fun havers would work twice as hard if they knew they were going to have more fun. The do nothings could stay off to themselves or with their outside interests while the social bunch rollicked and played.


Seems like the ideal solution to me

Searching for Resources

Ron Thomas


We are looking for someone who in a pre-retirement life was a sign maker or has a child that was a sign maker. Why?


Well, free is always better than paying or a discount for what we need is good..... Yep! We're looking for a freebie.... For What?


We need two large signs to post at both entrances to the park that are weather proof (that means tough) .
They will both read something along the lines of, "This Park Under Electronic Surveillance" in very large letters. If we can't find any takers I guess we might make them with plastic letters like we did for the post light globes.

Kmart shopping...

Ron Thomas


Today I went shoe shopping at Kmart. First in Albany and then in Corvallis. Jacky and I both needed shoes. She stayed home and I went.


I remember Kmart the store that had everything from long ago before it fell on hard times and now has become part of Sears. The first thing you notice is the near empty parking lots. That is followed by the depopulated store experience you feel when shopping.


Neither store had the shoes that I was supposed to get... Being a man however I bought some anyhow. Naturally I knew they would not be the right ones but returning from the hunt empty handed is just not in our nature.

One of the new additions to both store is human flys. They come upto you from nowhere and buzz around you offering you the chance of a lifetime to enter their big giveaway contest. They hover around giving this long spiel and then thrust a form for you fill out in your face. In desparation I said ok and filled out the form to the point where it asked for my phone number and skipped that and the email address the fly wanted. The fly then said I had to put down my phone number... Why say I? So they can call and confirm that you are entered in the contest says the fly... I said no... The fly started buzzing and humming about they could not accept the entry as she thrust the flypaper into my hand... As the flypaper stuck to my hand I wandered down the aisle muttering... damn fly.

Now at the next Kmart... a good hunter never gives up... I went in the store and purposely headed for the shoe department determined to bag the right pair of shoes when what did I spy? Another fly bothering someone else... Hurriedly I searched the shelves for my quarry hoping to get away before the fly searched me out... gotem and I'm outta here... buzz buzz hmmmmm the fly found me . I told him (this time) that he could save his time I'm not giving my phone number.... Well you all know flies... they never give up... buzz buzz hmmmm as I walked down the aisle to the check stand... then thanks be to all camels... the fly spotted another victim and he was away in a flash. It was then I noticed another Kmart annomaly...

There are 12 checkout stands but only two are open and in order to herd customers into the checkout chute where they can be prodded by the electronic atm machine Kmart has erected long narrow tunnels of jamn packed shelving spaced together just close enough to allow a basket through. Moo, I say. This just gets me odd stares from my fellow cows who are trapped between shelves and cannot leave even if a strange man is mooing behind them.

At check out I mention that the shoes I have are half off... and the cowboy in charge says oh yeah I almost forgot.... Moo I say...

A Question From an Email...

RON THOMAS


Jim Rose wrote an E-mail asking if he should continue to dowload Microsoft's security downloads if he is now using Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer as his web browser.


Do you remember the old saw about trying to compare apples to oranges? Of course it can't be done because they are not the same thing.


What do ya mean Ron?

Well let's take a short look at computer architecture I think we can find a good answer for Jim there. Using the computer, one thing you notice is you are always on the outside looking in. What the computer does inside most of us don't have the slightest idea nor do we really want to. It does what it does and then causes things outside of it to happen. We may tell it to do a chore by way of a keyboard or a mouse and it will respond by doing something internally and then showing you what you asked for on a screen or by running a printer... it can cause many things to happen externally depending on what we hook to it. This stuff is called Hardware (the external stuff).


What goes on inside the computer though... that is what Jim's question is all about. Let's talk about three parts of the internal computer.


First, there is the OPERATING SYSTEM. Think of the Operating System as the president of your own corporation and you are the CEO (Cheif Executive Officer) The OPERATING SYSTEM takes all of his orders from you and carries them out as fast as he can. This operating system (our corporate president) has a name ...His name is Mr. MICROSOFT WINDOWS.


Our company president (Microsoft Windows THE OPERATING SYSTEM) has a whole group of underlings that he supervises and gives tasks to be done that you the CEO have specified. These middle managers are called PROGRAMS. Each manager(Program) does a specific task when called upon by the company president (Mr. WINDOWS).


Programs are software and are internal to the computer. One program's name is Microsoft Internet Explorer or IE for short. Another program is called Mozilla Firefox. Some other program names are Microsoft Word, Spider Solitaire and so on.


So if we want something done we pound a keyboard or squeeze a mouse to talk to our company president who then sees to it that the appropriate manager is assigned the task. The programs do what they do and pass the completed task back to you through the operating system(Mr Windows)...


If you receive word that MICROSOFT has updates for WINDOWS (the operating system, our president) Yes! You need them. They are just going to make the operating system Mr. WINDOWS a better PRESIDENT or keep him secure from thieves. On the other hand, if you are notified that the PROGRAM, Internet Explorer needs to be updated... Andyou are using Firefox as your browser program you don't need to download improvements for Internet Explorer as you don't use it.

You can post your stories once again on the website...

ron thomas


A little wiser after the last spam attack... Knowing what caused it. We are going to re-establish a new email address that you can send your letters or articles to here on the website.

But we will be having new security rules. We can no longer let people in to the inner workings of the web page unless they want to be on the permanent writing staff (which is now just me) In order to gain entrance these folks must realize when the computer they have been using is found to be infected with a virus they will be removed until the problem is fixed.


The special email address will become the way that casual writers post articles on the website. Occasionally, that address may have to be changed to keep the website secure. When we change or put a temporary stop on it we will announce it here on the web site.


To publish on this webpage you will need to go to the clubhouse bulletin board and get a copy of the publishing address off the poster that is there. I will have the new address up this evening. Or, you can email me for it Click here


The cause of our spam was an infected computer that would send email to this site when ever that computer went on the internet.

SEE ELECTRONIC BOARD FOR NEW ITEMS FOR SALE......

Happy Birthday Ruth

How Could You

How Could You?


When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.

Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"

-- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.

Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me.

These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers."

You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.

You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago.

At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream...

or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room.

She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.

As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago.

She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself --a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.

And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

Emailed By Jim Willis

Happy Birthday Marilynn

How Big Was The Recent Sumatra Quake

How Big Was The Recent Sumatra Quake




The recent Sumatra earthquake displaced a section of the ocean floor over 700 miles long and 10 miles wide, nearly 100 feet upward. An equal amount of ocean water on the order of 135 cubic miles was moved violently upward and outward. This massive plunger type motion created huge tsunami waves that brought devastation to coastlines 4,000 miles away. On a map of the world it is hard to gain a sense of how big this thing was. So, on a map of the United States AccuWeather.com has placed the entire length of the fault segment that shifted. As you can clearly see, it is huge covering a distance from Chicago all the way to Denver or from New York City all the way to St Louis.



A devastating earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of Sumatra 12-26-04. The quake, rated at a magnitude 9.0, is the most powerful recorded worldwide since 1964. Taking place at a depth of 6.2 miles below the surface of the ocean, the quake caused a severe deformation in the seafloor which displaced 135 cubic miles of water upward and outward much like what a massive plunger would do. This created massive waves called tsunamis that moved outward in all directions bringing devastation and even death to coastlines up to 4,000 miles away.

emailed in by Milt Sadusky

Lesson 23

Evaluating Your Web Browser's Security Settings
Lesson 23
Now At The Schoolhouse

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can you find it?

Good Reading

...when slowly, slowly, a door in the belly of the great wooden horse creeaaaks open, and out softly slither the Greeks who were hidden inside ...

... when to my left, I heard Denise whisper to herself, as sincerely as could be: "Oooh ... I knew that was going to happen!"

Good Reading
Click Here

Phel Trojan

Security firm Symantec Corp. is warning users of a newly discovered Trojan horse named Phel -- an anagram of the word "help" -- that attacks Windows XP. The Trojan is capable of remotely controlling a user's system even if the latest Windows XP Service Pack, SP2, has been installed.

The Trojan, distributed as an HTML file, attempts to exploit a vulnerability in Internet Explorer's HTML Help Control component in all versions of Windows. The vulnerability was discovered in October.

Microsoft is actively investigating new public reports of a criminal attack, according to a Microsoft spokesperson.

For the exploit to succeed, an attacker would need to entice a user to visit a malicious Web site and then place the Trojan on the user's machine. If the Trojan executes successfully, potentially malicious software could be downloaded and run on the user's system, the spokesperson said.

Microsoft is working to forensically analyze the malicious code in Phel and will work with law enforcement agencies to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the malicious activity, he said.

"Microsoft is taking this vulnerability very seriously, and an update to correct the vulnerability is currently in development," the spokesperson said in an e-mail message. "We will release the security update when the development and testing process is complete, and the update is found to effectively correct the vulnerability."

Microsoft said customers in North America who think they may have been affected can receive help with security update issues or viruses at no charge by calling Product Support Services at 866-727-2338. International customers can receive the same level of support online at http://support.microsoft.com.

Customers in the U.S. who believe they have been attacked should contact their local FBI office or post their complaint online at www.ifccfbi.gov. Customers outside the U.S. should contact the national law enforcement agency in their country.

Exercise Equipment for Sale

In with the new and out with the old.

A new year and once again I have purchased another piece of exercise equipment. This means I must sell some of the old to have room. See two pieces for sale posted on the board at the Clubhouse and on this page. Prices reduced to move.