Computer Safety Red Alert

(I welcome the day our computers can be half as safe as a new born baby chick)

We all take computer safety for granted.

I did for years, and i became complacent after a while.

Sure there were those massive computer attacks during the early 2000 era, and they continued up till about 2004, but those days are over now arn't they?


Wrong...

I just had my first major attack in about 5 years today.
(Getting Trojans or port scans is not a major event for me. But having Window's files corrupted definitely is)
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Most people see my computer specs or my programs and don't bother pinging me or port scanning me.

Ignore the terms if you don't exactly understand them, but just think of a thief looking at the outside of a home, and through the windows.

But someone finally got in, and his program executed, something that rarely happens with Nod32 (my anti-virus) around.

Anyways my anti-virus got it but by then the damage was done and my system32 folder was partly currupted.

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So after being forced to restart and finding that my computer is freezing, and using system resources like no tomorrow, i get the "server busy" error, which is 2009's Blue screen of Death lol.


Anyways, with that kind of problem, you can't run anti malware or spyware programs; because you can't run anything.

System restore came to the rescue for me, i found a way to execute it in safe mode.

1. Restart your system
2. When the system first boots, type F8 to bring up the boot menu
3. Select the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option
4. Log-on as administrator if needed
5. At your command prompt type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
6. Hit Enter
6. This will open the system restore wizard…

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That seems to have fixed the freezing and I'm all set now, but i have to wonder when computers will get more proactive then reactive.

Our body survives because it proactively goes after threats and puts up very strong defenses.

If computers could harness a tenth of that power, we'd have a new age of computer security.

Stay on the look out everyone, for your computer safety.

I recommend Comodo Firewall and Nod32 at the very least.

~~Phoenix

They're "just words"

(J.k Rowling wrote words worth billions)

Someone said some very offensive things about the Virgin Mary, as a joke to which i replied:

"And btw saying something offensive and then saying "It's just words" means nothing in 2009.

Words start wars and the deaths of millions.

Choose your words wisely, that virgin Mary thing, very unwise, and very rude.

And you speak of tolerance too... wow, talk about irony."

That was a reply to a video, where a person spoke about tolerance for a good period of time, and then later, on a tangent, mentioned a very offensive comment about the Virgin Mary.

If it was just a small shot, or a small joke, I wouldn't have said much but it was very offensive, and even if the whole world isn't offended by it, a good 1/3-2/3'rds of it is.

When i know something will offend that many people, I won't make the joke at their expense.
As for morality and ethics, people already know not to make jokes at the expense of others, so there really isn't any good excuse he could have made.

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Anyways, someone else protects the offensive comments by saying:

"His point was that all that stuff SHOULDN'T happen because of words, although it does; the world just needs to grow up and stop being so hung up on every little thing someone says. Because they ARE just words."

To which i replied:

""Just words"
Isn't our society based on words?
Isn't the only way you talk to someone, just words?
Isn't the best medium for discussion, that of words?
Haven't millions of people died, over a few words?
Doesn't the president and the pope, only give out words?
Words matter, I learned that back in 3rd grade, maybe you didn't.
If that offends you, don't worry, it's just words. "

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The Philosophy of Words


Words are truly intimate and shape your appearance to others.

The lack of words can make you someone's enemy and later with a discussion, make you their greatest friend.

Words shake the very foundations we stand upon, shifting our strongest beliefs, and humbling the proudest of people.

They have the power to make you appear as one of the greatest people living in the eyes of society.

Words in essence are everything.

You could see the most beautiful person in the world walking down the street to talk to you.
You could imagine them being your spouse and living the most perfect life.

Then they could open their mouth and start talking, mentioning completely useless things, and acting like they were a little kid.
Besides being immature, they would have their head in the clouds, not being down to earth or having good perspective.
Their only goal would be to have as much fun as possible at anyone's expense.

A few words in essence shattered your dreams. Those words were pretty useless weren't they?
That is of course if you don't just want a partner for their beauty, because looks fade, but you'll still have decades left to live with that person.

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Physical v.s Emotional

So do sticks and stones really hurt more than words?

Is it true that if you get a beating, that it will sting more than an emotional conversation?

Don't they say that physical pain eventually goes away but emotional pain stays with you?

Just through my personal experiences, I've found that emotional arguments and words have damaged me many times more than physical beatings ever could.

I've broken my leg, had my wisdom teeth removed (Twice without proper anesthesia), and had a number of other painful things happen to me, yet they all pale in comparison to certain words people said to me.

They were just a few words but they had the power to inflict that much pain.

What we should say:

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words won't go away.
It should be what we all say, from now on til judgment day.

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Overview

Some people will continue saying that "words" are nothing and will continue to caution us to not get offended.

But why would you caution me, if logically most people should not be offended?

It probably means that most people will get offended, and you want them to understand, you're just using words.

But how can you expect humans to not feel something when you're using the most intimate and deepest form of expression, against usually something they love or hold dear to them.

It's like an artist who paints 10 works full of inspiration for their hate against someone and tells them not to get offended.

It's like a musician who writes some lines in their lyrics dedicated to their hate against someone. Then they ask that person not to get offended.

But rather than write lyrics or paint a painting, you're using the most intimate form of medium we all possess; language.

Simply said, don't get offended if you see your name in the paper, with the bold words "American Traitor" next to it; remember it's "Just words".

~~Phoenix

Courtesy with Sincerity

(Courtesy with Sincerity lead the boat of life towards the realms of peace and tranquility)

Courtesy with sincerity is the most treasured commodity in this world to me.

That along with constantly struggling to following the truth, is what every single human should strive for.

"Courtesy costs nothing and buys everything"(1) and to do so sincerely means to put your heart into it.

You can be ruthless, you can be cruel, and you can force your opponent to bow to you.

But then you end up no better than a coward, hiding in a hole, selfishly trying to take whatever you can from the world, while your life slowly ticks away.


The world stands firm with 6 and a half billion people.

The strongest of these people raise their brothers and sisters around them.

The weakest oppress and suppress them.

In principle, we are always one or the other.

This year, evaluate your decisions, and analyze yourself, so you will not become one of these oppressors, leading to the suffering of your fellow brethren.

~~Phoenix

(1) All the inspiration for this post came directly from Hassanain Rajabali, on his third night of Muharram speech in Toronto, Canada.

He simply had said, "Courtesy costs nothing, it buys everything", for all these principals to come rushing forth to me. That man could inspire me, every second of every day, for the rest of my life if he was near me.