blim

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Posts posted by blim

  1. *Not sure if this was the right place to post this--please feel free to move*

    (like in every forum so they'll read it?? :huh::):huh: )

    The other day my son got a phone call from a "financial aid company". The woman verified his name, address, phone number (which she already had) and then asked him for his Social Security Number. Thankfully, at this point, Son got suspicious and said, "I don't know it"

    She then said, "Come on, you're almost 20 years old and you don't know your Social Security Number?? Isn't it in your wallet? Can you find it?", then he really smelled a scam and refused to give it to her.

    She then said, "Well, then I can't help you. " and hung up.

    Son gets financial aid through a Federal grant, Michigan Merit Award and the ACT Award. All correspondence through these places are done in WRITING or a secure website like FAFSA, not the telephone!

    So to our students here, never give out your Social Security Number or Drivers License number to anyone over the telephone. We old folks want to keep you safe!

    AND take those Merit tests, if you bomb, you can retake them--anywhere from 3 to unlimited times. Family income doesn't matter and it pays a good chunk of your tuition!. And drive carefully!!. Liz

  2. Well, the link just worked for me--perhaps overloaded before?. Blim is an underground musician, a technical specialist (HA!!!) and an imaginary animal kingdom?!?! Never knew I had it in me.....Liz

  3. Yeah, Macmarauder sure is an old poop!! :D Yeah, thats the reason I don't use an avatar...(besides not learning how or having the imagination to make a really neat one) so just imagine me as Lindsay Lohan :D:D:D Liz

  4. Hi Murtu52,

    Glad you're making virus protection a priority. As you know, I don't know much about these gadgets, but is there a way to scan the flashdrive using the scanner on your home computer? I know my kids scan floppies used at school before they "open" them, perhaps your virus scanner has the capability to scan flashdrives?. Liz

  5. Hi Macmarauder,

    Can't speak for Marsh_ox, but from reading his posts, and his reactions to folks ribbing him, he seems to have a great sense of humor and he probably got a good laugh from your post--then probably blamed G4 :) When you're not feeling well, "laughter is the best medicine". Liz

  6. Hello All!

    Just wanted to let you know that Mcafee updated itself a couple days ago (bright new colors and everything!) and last night Son played Starcraft without having to do anything special--so waiting for the fix from Mcafee was definitely the easiest and best solution! Now I need a solution to keep him from playing that game all the time <_<

    Thanks so much for all your research and suggestions! Liz

  7. Hi Murtu52,

    I know nothing about flash drives, in fact I had to google to see what one was (you can laugh, I don't mind!) BUT I put 2 through high school and I can tell you what they used most on our computer. Microsoft Word and Google. If it doesn't already come with Microsoft Word, or a compatable program, that is the MOST important tool, or at least a spellchecker and grammar check type program. Most high schools use Microsoft systems. Depending on the classes you plan on taking, MAYBE a calculator, alta vista language translator, or periodic table--BUT those items should be already available to you at school. My son also suggested Excell or Powerpoint if you're planning on taking any Computer classes.

    Something else from my google hunt--"In the case of USB flash drives, you might want to consider running a virus scan on the contents of the drive before accessing any files." High school computers are usually full of viruses and spyware. Unfortunately kids think nothing of ruining an expensive piece of machinery if it doesn't belong to them--then kids end up infecting their home computers with "plug ins" they bring home from school.

    And congrats to the jump to High School--it is sooo much less frustrating than Middle School--College is better yet--everyone starts as simply a student number and you get respected for what you DO, not who you are, how you dress, etc. I'm proud of you for thinking ahead. Liz

    PS--my NAUGHTY son says "put an instant messaging program on it", but I bet thats against school rules!!

  8. Hi Marty,

    You brought up one of the main reasons I joined this forum--the blend of people here. There are grandparents, parents and kids and they all respect and learn from eachother. That's how it should be. It is a nice multi-generational family. Liz

  9. Hi Sidekickcat,

    So they honestly are considering something so silly as to tax canned meat?? I truly thought it was an April Fools prank that got past our paper's Editor! If so, that is outrageous--I take an 80 year old shopping every Tuesday and canned meat is the perfect for her to get her protein--good portion size and easy. Sure hope this doesn't go through.

    In MI we don't pay tax on food (6% on fastfood and "goods" and ridiculous property, income, cigarette, liquor taxes) but healthy, non processed food is outrageously priced--the tourists are always complaining in the grocery stores. The grocers blame Michigan's short growing season---yet when I was in Denmark, which has a shorter season than we do, all us Mi folks were amazed at the cheap produce prices and eating like crazy!

  10. Hi All,

    Actually this was in our April 2 newspaper--

    OLYMPIA, Wash.--Lawmakers want to slip a secret ingredient into the state budget: Spam.

    Along with tax increases on cigarettes and hard liquor, the recently released Senate budget proposal would slap a higher tax on canned meat.

    Spam, Vienna sausages, potted ham, chili con carne--no tinned meat would be spared the higher tax rate. While the business tax is paid by the producer, taxes have a way of trickling down the food chain.

    One taxpayer was outraged.

    "They're actually raising taxes on poor people who can't really afford it.", said Richard Wilson. "You know they don't have much money if they're eating chili out of a can"

    Even some who believe lawmakers should raise taxes to pay for human services felt a twinge of sorrow.

    "I'm torn between my love for Vienna sausages and my love for state services," confessed Olympia lobbyist Lauren Moughon, who called the canned meat product a "guilty, guilty pleasure."

    With a budget shortfall of $1.6 billion for the upcoming two-year budget cycle, legislators say they'll take money where they can get it--including a tin of meat.

    "Guess I better stock up on jalapeno chili," said Debbie Culwell, a state employee on her lunch break.

    Maybe our Muskegon Comical fell for an April Fools joke??? Found it funny none the less. *everyone join me in singing Monty Python's Spam Song* Liz

  11. P.S. macmaurauder (am I ever going to spell his screen name right???) should love this story as he has such an interest in robotics.

    God bless everyone.

    Hi Sidekickcat,

    I had a devil of a time spelling his name too!!!! Drove me nuts because he and I banter so frequently. I finally figured out to spell "mac--mar--" and the rest comes easily (kinda like planting your ring finger first when making a guitar bflat chord!) :)

    And I am quite proud of myself for reading the article, saying "...what??", then noticing the date and groaning!!

    Happy April Fools Day, All!

    Liz

  12. Well, Marsh_Ox, if you're reading this, I'm posting here because I'm not a member there. You don't know me, as I'm new to posting, but I've read your helpful advice on TTV/G4 boards and BT for a long time, so I feel I know you. My thoughts and prayers are with you, get better soon and please let us know how you're doing! Much love, Liz

  13. OOOOOoo sideways! i haven't thought of that. i'll have to try it. :D

    Oh Dear, there I go giving Macmarauder more ideas......I'm turning into a bad influence!

    Well, I was oh-so-proud of myself today when I took the rubberband off the sprayer before it got me!! Turned on the water and got soaked. Little poophead scotch-taped the faucet shut and loosened the ariator(whatever its called or spelled) so the water squirted out sideways.

    Time to short sheet his bed. :angry: Liz

  14. Ooooh, you guys are EVIL hoodlums!!! Especially you, Matt, messing with your mom's machine! :) Your posts did remind me of a trick (don't know how to do it but bet you guys do) where you change everything displayed on the monitor to read "sideways". But don't do this to your MOM!!! ;) Liz

  15. Hi Murtu and Mikex,

    Thanks!! I asked son about this and he said, "yeah, music is living in dataform",... or something to that effect. He "catalogued" the backup CD's alphabetically but I bet when he does this again, he'll check out that program--the info on the links made my eyes glaze over, but he understood it! :) Thanks again, Liz

    *PS--and is emailing Word Documents to big Gmail accts ok for backup??? Daughter is about 1/2way done with her stuff.

  16. Hi Marty,

    Does he have to press the power button after the message, or does it automatically shut down immediately after the message? My 5 year old Gateway with Windows 98 displays that message on shutdown for about a second, right before it shuts itself off (orange letters on black background) and has since day one----is XPpro installed "over" 98? Maybe that message is a "leftover" from its 98 days?? Liz

  17. What are your best April Fool Pranks done to you or to others...

    My son puts a rubberband around the sprayer handle on the kitchen sink, so when I turn on the water, I get sprayed. And that hoodlum catches me every single year! <_< Liz

  18. MistaMatt90 and Bearskin, I agree with you. I lurked at 4 different forums for 2 years before joining anything and this is the only one I joined (which is why I'm such a pest sometimes). I feel I did my homework and the "Best of the Best" seem to belong here, and I felt I already knew many of you when I joined. I really appreciate that you folks put up with me.

    And Nic,

    Congrats on that degree!!! Seeing as you're a mom who is obviously active in her son's life working on these forums in addition to school, quadruplecongrats!

    Liz

  19. be forwarned though. you might be seeing me in the support sections. i haven't really messed with the tech support side since i got booted from leoville unless someone PM me or emailed or something. but lately i've helped 2 people here through PM and for some reason someone has been sending people to me through macunderground and mac-forums. i'm even going to try my hand at windows support for once. :o

    (shrugs shoulders)

    why not?

    Hi Macmarauder,

    Good for you!! Looking forward to seeing you on the tech support sections (at least you'll get a laugh out of my really dumb questions! Don't worry, you know it doesn't bother me!) and the more help the merrier.

    And Sidekickcat,

    Loved it! That's where these teenagers of mine (biological and kidnapped) come in handy!

    Liz

  20. Hi Macmarauder,

    Yes I got a giant kick out your comic!!! Thats great! I have a comic of Garfield "mooning" a computer saying "Compute this!" taped to my idiot box. And you created that? Wow, are you talented--artistry, inventiveness, tech, science and humor, and of course your overacting skills!--you definitely are using both sides of your brain! Thanks for the laugh, Liz