Computer Advice Needed

I had been using Anastasia's old laptop. She had purchased a brand spanking new one last year. Yesterday morning when I tried to boot (my) laptop kept wanting to do a disk check, so I let it, and it took well over an hour. After the check was completed it checked for free space, then it started the boot process. Then a blue screen came up too fast to read, but I did manage to see "beginning dump". Then it started the boot process again. It kept looping and wouldn't boot. Damn I hope the stuff on (my) hard drive can be copied or I am really screwed. It had my resumes, photos, future posts, financial/legal information and brochures, flyers, forms and contracts for a business start up. I don't have the money to take it anywhere right now, but was thinking I will probably take it to Best Buy's Geek Squad (this is not a paid post), because I really don't know of any other local place to take it.

Anyone have this happen? Were you able to have your data recovered? How much did it cost you? Does anyone know of a reputable place in Illinois around Joliet, Shorewood, New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Plainfield, Lockport, Romeoville?

So now I will be at the mercy of the lovely Anastasia for computer time. Have I said lately how much I love love love her? I do have a desktop, but using it is difficult for several reasons.

1. The table and chair for the desktop exacerbate my back problems.
2. I like to multi-task and watch television while I drop Entrecards. I can't do that where my desktop is located.
3. I'm kind of afraid to even turn on my desktop for fear of having that take a dump. I have even more crucial financial data on there. And nothing is backed up. What can I say? I like to live on the edge.
4. The desktop is in an area away from the "family zone". While in theory this sounds good, because I will get a break from the family, I will be isolating myself. I don't think that's a great idea right now considering the current state of my psyche.
5. There is no space available to move 1 of the "working" printers near the desktop. Very cramped for space and no other option to move the desktop until someone with big muscles comes over to take our computer armoire (which is in boxes unassembled and weighs about as much as a small car) up to our second floor so it can be assembled.
6. I want to get a new laptop, but it's not in the finances right now. If I get my taxes done, I could use that money and stimulate the economy at the same time. Woo Hoo! But, I need to get the tax software and then I have to deal with #3. (I think I know what I will be doing on Sunday - my taxes.)

Regardless, I will still be posting and dropping Entrecards. I may not be able to read as many blogs as I used to. (Not to mention that I lost all my bookmarks. Grrrr.)

Which brings me to the ultimate question...PC Versus Mac. I've always had PC's.

PC - I really don't want to deal with this virus nonsense anymore. Getting a PC would necessitate continuing to have to deal with virus threats. Windows Vista - I really don't want to go there. I have heard such bad things about it. I know it is possible to get Windows XP machines if you really look. I also know that there are some machines loaded with Windows Vista that can be converted to Windows XP

Mac - I've worked with a Mac once when I worked for the library. I'd like to get a Mac, but 2 things always hold me back. Those 2 things are the much higher price and the fact that I need to stay adept at Microsoft Office 97 (Excel, Word, Access, Powerpoint) for my career. Also, I already have the software. I've done a little bit of reading on using Mac's Boot Camp to load Windows XP SP2, and be able to run Windows software, but right now that just confuses me even more. I'm pretty much Mac stupid. I know very little, but I figure I have some time to get educated. So, help me out, educate me!

So what are your thoughts on PC Versus Mac? And if you are a Mac devotee, please convince me (in detail) how I can easily run my coveted Windows Microsoft Office 97 on a Mac.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival Feb 16-22

I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting Cabin Fever. Punxsutawney Phil's sighting of his shadow was the last straw.

I NEED A VACATION!

Like many of you, a vacation is just not in the cards due to finances. So I came upon the idea of the Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival. Since I can't go on vacation and many of you can't either, I thought it would be great to have us all write about our favorite/most memorable vacation. If you don't have a favorite/most memorable vacation, then feel free to make one up.
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I've decided to make this interesting. I'll be awarding Entrecard Credits for the best stories.

1st Place - 1,500 Entrecard Credits
2nd Place - 750 Entrecard Credits
3rd Place - 250 Entrecard Credits
Be sure to sign up now! I look forward to reading your stories!

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Here are the rules:
1. To participate, you must post the Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival Badge on your website and link back to Lola’s Diner. Click HERE to get the HTML code for the badge and the rules. If you are having difficulty doing this, please let me know and I will try to help you.
**PLEASE NOTE: Posting the Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival Badge, and link back to Lola’s Diner IS REQUIRED.

2. Anyone is welcome to join in the fun. On Monday, February 16th thru Sunday, February 22nd stop by Lola’s Diner to link to your individual Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival post instead of your home page. Here is how you link to an individual post if you’ve never done it before: Right click on the date at the bottom of the post you want to link to (or the post title depending on where you blog) click “Copy Shortcut” and then paste it into Mr. Linky in the sticky post at the top of my page. If you make a mistake with your link just try again. Either I will delete the mistake or you can click on the smiley face next to your link and delete it yourself. You may need to hit “refresh” to see the smiley face on your screen.

3. During your Cabin Fever Margaritaville Carnival blog reading session wear a Hawaiian shirt, tie dye or other colorful shirt. Shorts optional.

4. You must provide your own frosty blender beverage or a cold one. (Alcohol or non-alcoholic, your choice. If you choose alcohol, don’t drink and drive.)

5. Sponge cake, six string, porch swing and flip-flops optional.


Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Why We Have No Food

I have a 14 year old son who is almost 6 feet tall (5 foot eleven and a HALF Mom!) and could double as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears. Do you have teens? Do you ever have any food in the house? It’s just so frustrating.

Leftovers – I tell him don’t touch them because that’s lunch for tomorrow for Anastasia and I. (Since she lost her job. It’s silly, but she likes to each lunch when she is home.) He hears, 'wow great! Breakfast!'

Chocolate – Anastasia and I hide it for those times when we must have chocolate or die. He can sniff it out no matter where it is. One time I hid a bag of snickers in my car in one of the door pockets, on the drivers side. He found it within 24 hours!

Now if he could use this sniffing skill for good and not evil, we’d be proud.

Lunchmeat – We can’t even buy lunchmeat on a Friday and have ANY left by Monday morning. Even if we overbuy, there is still no lunchmeat left on Monday. The more we buy, the more he eats. When he sees lunchmeat he thinks – 'Breakfast! Snack! More snack!' The ONLY lunchmeat we can keep in the house is Bologna. (He’ll only eat it if he is desperate, unfortunately, so will we.) And liver sausage. I love liver sausage as long as I have lettuce and white bread.

Hot Dogs – We stock up on them when they go on sale ridiculously cheap and we like to serve them for a quick meal when we have to run to an evening appointment or for a weekend lunch. He sees them and thinks 'after school snack!' (Yeah, 3-4 at a time WITH 3-4 slices of bread, and then he still eats a big dinner.) I know, I know. Don't write me about how unhealthy hot dogs are, when Oscar Mayers are $0.99 a package and you have a chowhound and no money, you have little choice. Everything else, save for the lunchmeat is made from scratch.

With Anastasia not working I don’t know how we are going to keep food in the house for the rest of us. A starvation diet is not what Anastasia and I had in mind for a weight loss plan.

I fear we may need to sell Junior’s spleen if he persists in this eating pattern.

Ok, maybe there isn’t a big market for teenage spleen, but I have looked into selling our plasma. Thank goodness I am medically cleared now since it’s been over a year since my blood transfusion. Maybe then I can afford to go pick up some more liver sausage.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

What Were You Thinking?/Now We Know

Drew Peterson – You became “mock” engaged to a girl 26 years your junior JUST for the publicity? Your “mock” ex-fiancée claims that you “had told me that his lawyer had wanted him to be in the media and wanted to propose to someone at a restaurant”. Seriously? "Peterson told her: 'Well, if it comes out that I'm engaged to someone, it's not really true.' ... He had told me that he never said it was me. He never said that he was engaged to me. But I have heard that, like, off camera he had told I think his producer or publicist that it was me." Peterson’s Ex Christina Raines on CBS’s The Early Show.

Watch CBS Videos Online
Raines disclosed that she met him when she was 15 and he appeared to stalk her trying to date her since Stacy's disappearance. (Ewww!) Or should I say "mock" stalk? He frequented the restaurant that she worked at and was always "showing up" wherever she hung out. I had a feeling when Blagojevich was taking over Chicago media that this might be a stunt and joked around with Anastasia and a few bloggers, but I didn’t think he would be so stupid. I was wrong!

Now we know. You are just a media whore. If you can’t get your 15 minutes of fame on a regular weekly basis you have to make stuff up to catch the media’s eye. We'll just call you Illinois' media whore #1, k?

Michael Phelps – Over the weekend a London tabloid released a photograph of Michael Phelps taking a hit off a bong from September of last year. He apologized. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again." Michael Phelps Caught Behaving Badly - -Again. The bong incident was the second behaving badly incident. The first was a drunk driving arrest at age 19 after the Olympics in Athens. He has contracts with Kelloggs and Subway and has been caught in public consuming competitor products. Sponsors Speedo and Omega say the photograph of Phelps taking a hit off a bong is a non-issue.

Now we know. You can be a role model to millions of young impressionable children and behave badly and you will still be rewarded. Exactly how is it we parents are supposed to teach our children to say no to drugs when a 14 gold medal winning swimmer smokes marijuana and there are no consequences?

Rod Blagojevich – Is going to be on The David Letterman Show tonight. You've been removed from office, how long do you plan on doing this media circus road show?

Now we know. You are just a media whore. We'll just call you Illinois' media whore #2, k?

Lola's Diner
©2008-200

Plausible Deniability - $900 Billion Stimulus Package

Thankfully our President does not experience Plausible Deniability. It is obvious that the crafters of this Stimulus Package are hoping that our Senators and Representatives and our President experience Plausible Deniability.
Obama Bans Stimulus Package Pork. Looks like he’s got his work cut out for him. Check out the 40 Year Wish List on the Wall Street Journal’s website.

Here is some of the more obvious pork:

• $726 million for an after school snack program. Don’t we already have enough meal programs for school children?
• $8.2 billion to bring broadband and wireless to unserved areas. With the economy such that it is, is this really important now? Can’t this money be better spent?
• $52.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration demonstration projects. Ditto. WTF? How much can some cardboard and poster board cost? And is it really necessary?
• $4 billion for community activist programs such as ACORN. Haven’t we heard enough about ACORN to know that the government should not be giving them money?
• $400 million for global warming research. What are we researching? Don’t we already know the earth is suffering the effects of global warming?
• $335 million for STD prevention. Why is it necessary in these economic times to throw money at this?
$50 million for National Endowment of the Arts. I realize the arts are now under funded and hurting, but can’t we let the economy get a leg up before we start spending in non-essential areas?
$20 billion to digitize medical records. Can’t this wait until the economy is in a better position?

Anastasia always tells me when I cook a dish that has an ingredient that she doesn’t like, to not mention that the ingredient is in there. If she doesn’t “know” it’s in the dish, she can eat it. If I tell her the ingredient is in the dish, she can’t eat it no matter how good everyone else says it is.

We’re watching the latest installment of Indiana Jones last night. I am so not an Indiana Jones movie fan. I know I may be in the minority, but I always thought the first one was a snoozefest. Anyway, there is the scene in the quicksand when Shia Labeouf runs to go get something to throw to his mother to pull her out.

He brings a snake. When he throws the snake to Indiana Jones, even though he is going to die if he doesn’t grab the snake, he tells Shia Labeouf’s character to stop throwing the snake at him and get a rope. Of course there isn’t any rope because they are out in the jungle. So Indiana Jones tells him to stop calling it a snake. Plausible Deniability. So Shia Labeouf’s character screams for him to grab the ROPE and Indiana Jones grabs the snake and is saved.

I know our economy is in a lot of trouble right now. This current Stimulus Package is not palatable in it’s current form. Can’t the crafters of the Stimulus Package come up with something less snakelike and more ropelike? When we're talking about the economy and the Stimulus Package, Plausible Deniability can get quite expensive.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009