Firstly, my computer (momma’s little sweet laptop…*sniff*) got infected with some wicked Trojan. This is the first time EVER that I’ve had a computer virus…and it was very traumatic. When I became aware of it was when I tried to log onto IRC to chat with John on Valentine’s day, and it wouldn’t let me! I was directed to go to some bogus scanning site for a free scan and to get my PC cleaned up before trying again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!
Well, out of desperation I did go there where I was scanned extensively for hours, only the site never ever come up with a diagnosis or a cure- just scanning forever. I did the next stupid thing by downloading probably close to 12 different scanning programs and trying them all. Even after I allegedly cleaned off 3 Trojans and a worm (according to free programs) I was still unable to get into IRC. So on Valentines Day I basically stayed up the night trying to get my Trojan destroyed with no joy, and no chat to John either. *sigh*
Two days I battled without any results, before calling in the big guns. My buddy-old-pal Tiaan...henceforth will be known far and wide as Tiaan-Trojan-Slayer entered the battle field and after installing a shiny new anti-virus called BitDefender on my Laptop which also did not defeat the beast he spent a whole day working on my problem and won the battle on the 17th of February after four days of our combined efforts. I have dedicated the day to him and erected a commemorative plaque in his honour on our news group’s pages (Kwaaiplaas). Basically we strongly suspect some dodgy Microsoft updating let it in and it wormed into my registry nice and deep where we couldn’t find it. So we backed up documents, pics, e-mails and music and re-installed. It was a scary and horrific experience (the four days, not the cure) and not something that I wish to go through ever again.
So my advice to everyone out there is:
* Get decent anti-virus and malware protection
* Be vigilant about downloading anything (not everyone is your friend)
* Trust no one, and don’t open dodgy e-mails in funny formats even if they are from people you know
And if you’re an idiot and you do everything wrong hope that you have a super-cool-trojan-slaying friend like I do. J Thanks again Tiaan!
Here is a picture of the master at work on my poor little laptop…
As if that’s not bad enough even more pests have infiltrated my world. Due to our dogs’ feeder and therefore constant availability of food, we have developed a rat-problem at our house. (I know: the shock! The horror!) Actually I’m not really afraid of rodents (unlike spiders who are all out to get me), but I am getting nervous because they are starting to vastly outnumber us now.
And our little rat family (who are as big as small dogs due to the very nutritious food they enjoy here) have been blessed with a litter of baby rats. The grown ups up until now have had the decency and good sense to keep to the ceiling where they enjoy midnight romps and day-night-series soccer games, and occasionally send someone to the trap so that we don’t get discouraged and call an expert exterminator. The babies however have less sense and two have found their way into the house. One was running for its life away from Diablo when my dad unsuspectingly opened the back door at just the right moment to make it a viable escape route. It now lives in my brother’s old speaker box.
The other has been graciously brought to my room for inspection by my cat Tigger. It would have been gross but okay if she had brought it in dead or killed it once she showed it to me, but Tigger is not interested in anything except her Whiskas and only wants to roll on prey. She honestly doesn’t even use her claws…and that is how the second baby came to live behind my bookshelf with an enormous spider that I saw going in there a while ago and have been too terrified to find and destroy. I think if it does not eat the spider or the spider does not eat it, one or both of them will want to come out again at some point and that is why I now study and chat at my desk wearing my winter slippers (boot-like and fluffy with lots of protection from little scampering feet on my bare skin…urrrgh!). It’s a bit uncomfortable in the hot summer climate I’ll confess…but probably more comfortable that jumping into my ceiling fan head first – which is what I almost did when I first saw Tigger’s catch hot-footing it across my room for the safety of the bookshelf. Here is a picture of Tigger at the entrance of “behind my bookshelf” waiting for her toy to reappear.
Other news this past week, not related to pests: Bug-boy and Bugzilla have both disappeared…I suspect one disappeared into the other one. Vodacom, the bane of my existence, have informed me that I will be getting a R1600 credit on my next phone bill – we still have one outstanding issue between us, two if you also consider the mailing list they sold my details to. Louelle came to visit me and has offered me a commission for selling her paintings for her (I’m very excited about this). And a rabbit has taken the opportunity while the dogs are confined at the back for our swimming pool construction to move in under our deck – I have decided to call him Deckster for that very reason. He is fast but cheeky and I suspect that Diablo will probably attempt to eat him as soon as they get released to the front again…in two weeks at the most. Hopefully he will go back to where he came from before that happens?
I hope that you all will have an excellent week ahead… I am looking forward to it that’s for sure! Thank you for everyone who participated in last week’s poll…it looks like everyone agrees that the police (super-crime-fighters) are afraid that their trailer will get stolen if they don’t disable it.
Have a great week! Take it easy…
2 comments:
Looks like you had an eventful week.
I didn't get to the studying I said I would do and I am still very behind on it all! *sigh*
I hope your new roommates don't take up too much space in your room, I think you should lay down the law with them before they get out of hand!
So much for feline instincts, if I didn't know Tigger better I would suspect her to be a wimp! But I have felt those claws, and I do know better! Hehe.
Hope you have an awesome week. See you for coffee on Thursday (if not before).
;-)
Freddy, I wish I knew how! hahahaha...but I guess your right. I will have to do something soon...
I am also battling to get my studying done with this construction site that the house has become...even now I am listening to the "molodious" whine of a grinder cutting bricks and the "murmur" of roughly 12 people enjoying their tea time festivities.
Soon...
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