newsletter

i write a monthly newsletter called "Digital Papyrus" for the Other Worlds Cafe SF chat group (there's lots more than just chat). this week, i've been working on a supplement - a mini-review of LOSCON 34, which i attended Thanksgiving weekend in 2007.

i am totally enthralled by adobe lightroom. i've used adobe photoshop for many years, but lightroom puts some "speed" into my work process. having recently convrted to a dSLR camera, i now have some huge photos to work with. lightroom simplifies cataloguing and some of the early editing, without damaging the files.

even though the pics i took at LOSCON were .jpgs from a "point and shoot" camera, lightroom helped me adjust the tones and details immensly. and the CS3 "quickselect" tool helped me create smart objects in a number of photos in less than a third of time it would have taken just 6 months ago (before i upgraded).

should be able to finish this issue in just an afternoon, now

bill-pay

so i've neglected my inbox for almost 3 weeks. my bad... good news; only one bill was late, and only 1 day late at that! i do love managing my finances online. instant payments can really save your bacon ;-)

another really cool advantage to online banking is the ability to find up-to-the-minute account information. i was able to balance my checkbook and three credit accounts to the penny as of 2:20pm this afternoon. there's nothing better than knowing exactly how much you owe and what funds you have to rely on.

i just wish Quicken home & business was available for the mac...

sidestepping frustration

i've gotten so fed up with the "transition" period at my web host, that i've transferred my blog here for the time being.

6 months is way too long! they're taking their sweet time getting it done., and i'm not at all sure whether any of my changes are even possible at this time. once they've transferred the files, can i make new changes at the old log-in? i can't use the new one, as i still don't have access. they've transferred my DB and now it says none of my pages are writeable (i had a hell of a time getting the files i needed to transfer this much here.) i can't even get a backup of my site anymore (good thing i keep a copy on my HD, right?)

so - this now looks like plain jane, and horribly lamer than it was before. but at least nothing's lost.

shouldn’t be allowed

some people just shouldn't be allowed to run a computer.

i spent 6 hours, today, removing the same trojan from a client's computer that i removed three weeks ago. the virus has changed; last time it only took 4 1/2 hours.

the user hasn't changed. after years of trying to teach this client safe internet usage, my client is still operating the machine with an admin account. willy-nilly clicking on e-mail links, downloading and installing files, and just generally NOT learning from past mistakes. and today was NOT the day to call me for emergency recovery. if it happens again, i'm charging them double my regular rate.

the machine is once again "clean". and i have created a user account. the admin account now has a password; the client does NOT have the password. we'll see just how long this works. my threat is now "system recovery, whether you have a back-up or not". no hesitation, i will brick the machine to keep the client off the internet.

did i say i'm in a rather nasty mood?

still exploring

there's so much available in wordpress; it's hard to decide where to work first. should i create new pages? should i edit my old website? i want to add to the posts i already have, and create a bit of perspective. with so many options, i find myself a little stymied.

what about the blogroll? i'd like to include links to so many different types of sites, it's hard to just start listing them. it would be nicer to categorize the links, i think. there's plenty of time... why do i feel i'm wasting it?