Excuse me, while I kiss this pole.

I mentioned on Twitter, that I seem to be lacking backup skills. I’m not good at backing up my computer, or my car. Perhaps these short blog entries will become an ongoing theme? If only I could do a better job at limiting myself to 140 characters.

Good thing I obscured my license plate. I don’t need you finding out my real name.

-gj (a computer pro)

 

Trying to be cool like Psystar.

Psystar is sPunky. They’re either smart, or they are cRaZy! The law says, you’re only allowed to put OS X on an Apple labled computer. I’m not a lawyer, but I play one on Twitter. So Psystar, what the heck are you thinking?

In a show of support and solidarity to my irreverent brothers and sisters at Psystar, I have decided to put Mac OS X Leopard on my toaster. Here’s a photo to prove it.

Now I’ll just sit here and wait for the cease and desist letter to arrive.

Have a nice day.

-gj (acomputerpro)

Socializing… v2 dot 1

…

So here is my first revision to Socializing… v2.0 (two dot zero.)

Twitter… blah blah blah… I love you all.

Thank you for your time.

Good (insert your current day-part here.)

-gj (a computer pro)

Ticketmaster, thanks for nothing!

I’ll make this ‘blog entry short and sweet. Well, maybe not so sweet! I just filed a complaint online with the Better Business Bureau against Ticketmaster.com, because they really made me mad.  Here is the complaint:

Complaint Type* Advertising Practices

Complaint Summary (150 characters maximum) Tried to purchase tickets for Radiohead concert at 4/12 10 AM PDT per ad. No tix available within 1 second. Redirected to co-owned TicketsNow.com.

Describe your problem with Ticketmaster Corporation (1500 characters maximum)* Tickets for the Radiohead concert at the Hollywood Bowl and Santa Barbara Bowl went on sale at 10 AM PDT on 4/12/08. Within 1 second of Ticketmaster making the link to purchase active, customers, including me, were redirected to purchase from http://www.ticketsnow.com/ConcertTickets/Radiohead_Tickets.html  at a highly inflated price above the actual ticket cost from Ticketmaster. It is my understanding that Ticketmaster.com also owns TicketsNow.com. It appears that this was all a pre-planned scheme to rip-off the consumer. I have seen hundreds (well, okay… a few)  other blog posts today about this same issue.

So WTF do you want Ticketmaster to do about it?* 1. Stop deceptive ticketing practices. 2. Offer tickets fairly and at the advertised price. 3. Stop exclusive pre-sale offers that exclude the majority. 4. Stop giving preferential treatment to Ticket Brokers. 5. Disclose that they own TicketsNow.com 5. Be prevented from using any bait-and-switch tactics. 6. Provide me and others, with the tickets we could have purchased from TicketsNow.com at the TicketMaster price. 7. Stop charging inconvenient excessive and unreasonable “convenience fees.”

Ticketmaster.com

You are preparing a complaint for:	Ticketmaster Corporation
	3701 Wilshire Blvd 7th Floor
	Los Angeles, CA 90010
Contact:	Geoff Carns (800) 726-8669

 

So, let’s see what happens. I’ll keep y’all posted. If you want to complain too…  http://www.labbb.org/

Peace out!

–gj (acomputerpro)

Advanced Twitter 101.1 (not an FM radio station.)

In follow-up to my previous basic Twitter instructional posting, I have added a few things for you, now that you’re ready… Grasshopper.

1. Sometimes you will notice that I put the @username in the middle of my Tweet instead of at the beginning, so it doesn’t show up in their replies. I’m not doing this to be mean or confusing. I do it that way so every one of my followers sees the Tweet. It is somewhat practical when replying to people who have less that 200 or so followers. I know they will see it, but so will many others, and “@username” may get some attention from it.

2. Don’t anger the power hungry moderators of Leo Laporte’s chat room by asking Leo if he is on @Very Green Team, or they will kick you out without warning and then deny they ever did it. This item has nothing to do with Twitter. I just added it to amuse myself.

3. Leo’s listener @TooHip did a great job following the instructions in my Basic Twitter Manual, as evidenced by the hysterical photo below.

That’s all for this moment.

-gj (acomputerpro)

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ???

Updated at 9:54 PM PDT | 3/19/08 - Additional Below 

Wow, there was a lot of excitement in the room, and of course the room is Twitter. Microsoft finally made SP1 for Vista (aka: Windows Vista Service Pack 1) available on 3/18/08 - although they dated the files 3/17/08 on the Microsoft Download site. Don’t ever question Microsoft logic. Perhaps they forgot to set their calendar ahead for Daylight Savings Time?

New Information as of 1:52 PM PDT: …with thanks to my super cool Twitter friend @NickStarr, I have added the important all inclusive download link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Browse.aspx?DisplayLang=en&nr=20&productId=38DF6AB1-13D4-409C-966D-CBE61F040027&sortCriteria=date

The above link gives a chronological listing of the Vista related Service Packs, release notes and additional downloads necessary to prepare your Vista OS for accepting future Windows Updates.

Most of you will want the 32-bit version. That’s the normal one for mom, dad and the kids. The 64-bit version of Windows Vista is for those who boldly go, where no man has gone before. (Cue StarTrek Theme Music.)

Some important notes: Vista SP1 will break stuff and fix stuff. Read all the notes first before running the service pack. My Twitter pal @mickduc adds “SP1 install fails if sfc /scannow fails. Make sure it is clean.” I say, take a nice warm bath and scrub your lower bits and upper bytes too.

My other Twitter buddy @Lolagrrl tweets, @acomputerpro I’m afraid! So much stuff is broken on my compuker already! Will SP1 actually help?! I scared! Hold me!!

Note: I will hold any of my female Twitterbuds at any time. That is written into my consulting agreement. Male Twitterpals, you’re on your own. Sure… call me a sexist, but I favor the ladies.

3/19/08 Late Night Update – Some of us (LIKE ME) can’t install SP1 into their Vista! Presenting Microsoft’s Top 8 Reason’s Service Pack 1 is not available for your Vista: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948343

I love Reason #1: You can’t download and install Vista SP1 because you are already running Vista SP1. Hey Micro$oft… thanks for assuming we’re stupid.

So, in recapitulation… here is my instruction set:

1. Install Vista if it’s not already on your computer (and if you want it on your computer.) The service pack won’t work if you don’t have Vista installed, because it’s a Vista Service Pack… DUH!

2. Read all the readme.txt files and notes. Follow all the instructions. Run the built in Windows System File Checker [sfc /scannow] from a command line. Look it up if you don’t understand what that means. I’m not here to baby you. You’re running Vista you know!

3. I have no idea what to do at this point.

Happy updating…

 -gj (a computer pro)

P.S. Follow me on Twitter if you aren’t already. www.twitter.com/acomputerpro

Warning: MySpace Virus Attack

I love getting new MySpace friends (NOT!) Today I got an email notifying me of a new friend request from Kempfy. Now keep in mind… my normal friend requests come mostly from porn girls trying to entice me to visit their websites. From her photo, Kempfy didn’t appear to be one of “those girls.” That is why I thought it might be a legitimate friend request, from perhaps one of my many thousands of Twitterbuds. Fine then… one of my 1,400+ Twitterbuds.

 

Above is a thumbnail of Kempfy’s MySpace page. (It is safe to click on! You will see a larger image. It’s a .jpg picture… that’s all.) It appears that a Windows Automatic Updates dialog box pops up, telling me to download the latest Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. Well, maybe not “the latest” (clue #1.) Then I thought, that’s a bit odd. Why would Windows Update pop up here? That’s not how it’s supposed to work (clue #2!)

So I got brave and did a test. After all, I do have Windows Vista UAC (user account control) turned on to help protect my computer from malicious software attacks. I tried clicking on the link.

 

The above is a thumbnail ‘picture of what happens,’ if you click on the link.  (You can click on the thumbnail to see a larger image. Don’t worry. It’s safe. It too is an inert .jpg picture image.) I’m assuming that anything downloaded from windowupdate.microsofzsupport5.cn is a virus!

As a matter of fact, Kempfy’s whole MySpace page is a download link to the virus file, no matter where you click.  Oh my!

Bottom line, trust no-one! (Except for A Computer Pro – That’s me)

-gj

P.S. If you’re not following me on Twitter, you should be! *wink*

Basic Twitter Manual – (Twitter 101) *gj style*

I have been asked by no one, to write this manual on how to use Twitter. I probably shouldn’t even be the one to write it, since I know nothing special. I have only been “tweeting” for 3 months. But I am a writer and a computer pro, so here goes.

Oh my… the thought of writing this manual is already overwhelming to me. The whole reason that I love Twitter is I can blog in 140 characters or less. That is perfect for me. My thoughts are fast, short and sweet. So using that philosophy, here goes something:

1. Get a free Twitter account. Oh, you already have one? Good.

2. Make sure you have a secure password. You don’t want me to get a hold of your Twitter account and embarrass you.

3. Make a few new friends or “Twitterbuds.” Start with me because I am the best. Then add @LeoLaporte. Leo probably won’t follow you back because he has over 13,000 following him. Follow @ChrisBrogan. He loves everyone and will “probably” follow you. @MouseWords loves everyone too. She’s sweet, wholesome and spiritual. So am I, but you’d never believe that now, would you?

4. Consider adding @Tindle. I said, consider… you don’t actually have to do it (wink wink.) Oh, the heck with it… go ahead and add the bloke. He can buy me an ale later. There are actually some very helpful people on Twitter. One could call them the matriarchs. They seem to have a fetish for knitting… and for me. Use www.Terraminds.com to find them. Search for the term “frozen pea.”

5. Add @iJustine. Everyone else does. This would be a good thing, because at least then you’ll get half of my jokes. I tease Justine quite often… but in a very humble and loving way. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.” You go, girl!

6. Tweet! That’s what it’s called when you type 140 characters or less in the text box under, “What are you doing?” Then click the “update” button below the text. Now a bazillion potential stalkers can see what you’ve just tweeted. Don’t worry though, most of them are harmless and many don’t even speak English.

7. Now might be a good time to remember that this is ALL public. Don’t put your address in your Twitter profile. Oh, and don’t talk to strangers. Wait a second… strike that last thought. Hmm, I guess I already did

8. Did I mention to following @iJustine yet. You see, I told you I’d have trouble with this.

9. Placing an @ symbol in front of a username designates it as a reply. Here’s where Twitter gets real tricky and it’s the main reason I am writing this stupid manual. In your settings, check how you are set up to receive reply tweets. It’s under Settings/Notices/@ Replies.  If you don’t want to miss a precious and precocious tweet of mine, make rootin’-tootin’ sure you have Twitter set to “show all @ replies.”

I’m really tired of writing. Can I PLEASE stop now? You can figure out the rest of Twitter on your own, or better yet… just Google (or Mahalo) Twitter 101 to find out more.

That’s it for now. When I muster up the energy, I’ll blog again about the more advanced features of Twitter… like the Secret Twitter Back Door, or how to get @MegFowler not to follow you.

Bye for now… -gj (a computer pro)

A Purpose Driven Twitter

You might be aware that I’m not a Christian. I am a little more old school when it comes to my religious belief. I’m happy with that. But I live in a world where most of my friends are Christian. I am well aware of what that means, because I spend a lot of time in Church. I maintain the computer systems and networks for three different Churches. Their Pastors are my good friends. We talk a lot.

Being old school, means I’m pretty set in my ways. My beliefs are strong. I consider myself very spiritual. I believe strongly in prayer. I believe in the Old Testament. I am a believer. I believe that Twitter has a purpose, and we are seeing it unfold in real time. So what is the purpose of me having over 1,000 Twitterbuds in less than two months? What is the purpose of my closest Twitterbuds being (what I consider IMHO) the “good core people” in the Twitterverse? Out of the many thousands of Twitterers, why was Ashley Spenser, aka @ashPEAmama my Twitterbud? What about Susan Reynolds and Preppy Dude? Why did we become Twitterbuds so quickly?

I was told as a child, that I needed to write. It is one of the things I supposedly do best. I was never really motivated to do so, until I found an easy way… in 140 characters or less. So here I am, making friends fast and doing what I was probably created to do. I have found a new purpose, which I believe I shall use for good.

I hardly new my Twitterpal Ashley, but I miss her. I hardly know Susan Reynolds or Preppy Dude Duane, but we have a true friendship and I never want to miss them.

Sure, I make every effort to entertain when I tweet. I also occasionally attempt to make an intelligent point. Rest in peace, Ash. That’s all.

-gj

Maserati shopping for NetDorks

I went online this Cyber-Monday to get a total deal on a Maserati, But apparently I typed the URL for Beverly Hills Maserati incorrectly and inadvertently wound up at a porn site called Technorati ??? I didn’t really mind all the nekedness, but I was hoping there would be pictures of iJustine, CaliLewis, AmberMac or Leo Laporte there.  Oh well, “live and learn.”  I guess I’ll have to keep driving my crappy Ferrari for another year. I just got it washed but the rims are still dirty. I’m afraid to ask, but isn’t there a phrase I can relay to my house boy Kato… a request to have my rims cleaned?

P.S. I can’t login to my LiveDoor account because amazingly, I still don’t speak Japanese.

 -gj (dork)