Mom got a phone call yesterday from someone who told her that Donald J. Lafferty had won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes for five million dollars. However, she had to first send them some “insurance money” before they could release the check to her.
She immediately recognized that it was a scam and told them so, but they insisted it was not. So she got a phone number and name and told them she would call them back after checking it out.
She called me and I assured her that it was most definitely a scam. Sweepstakes never require “insurance money” in advance, but that’s a common scammer ploy.
I toyed with the idea of contacting the police to see if they could be caught, but I doubt that they will call her back, or that the number was valid.
Anyway, Kudos to Mom for not falling for their tricks.
It is even smaller and lighter than I expected — about the size of a thin hardback book (Not a Clancy book!). It’s a full PC — in fact it would have been state-of-the-art 5 years ago or so, with a 900 MHz Intel Celeron Mobile chip, 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of (solid state) hard drive. It comes loaded with a version of Linux, though you can install Windows XP if you want. I don’t think I want to; there’s no need.
The keyboard is a little small, and I have been making frequent typos as I write this, but the more I type the better I get. I think with a little practice it will be quite comfortable to type on. The screen is also a little small, but quite usable.
The big advantage is the small size and weight. I can throw this in my suitcase or backpack (almost in my pocket) and hardly know it’s there.
It’s marketed as an easy-to-use computer for kids or new users, but it has found a much broader appeal.
If you need a very small, light, cheap computer for travel or whatever, you should consider this baby.
Devon drove in from Pasadena yesterday. He’ll be here until sometime in the week between Christmas and New Years.
His job is still up in the air. He’s working without a salary right now as they try to drum up new business, but if they find some jobs he will make a healthy commission. I guess he will be making some calls from here.
Derek is also on winter break from ASU, so you can imagine with the two of them free that lots of video-gaming has been going on.
Devon was home for the Thanksgiving holidays, but is going back tomorrow (Sunday). I (Daryl) am going to ride back with him and spend a couple of days over there.
Devon’s job is still in limbo, as the company (or remnants of) figure out what they are going to do. Sounds like they still want to keep him around, but he may be asked to do marketing or sales, which he isn’t very interested in. We’ll see what happens.
Thank you Derek, for telling me about this website.
Take a look at Free Rice. It’s a simple multiple-choice word definition game with a twist. For each word you get right, the page sponsors donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger.
In my last post I talked about the basketball team I played on. David Chau was not on the team, but he practised with us a lot.
Last Saturday night most of the team was together playing basketball (I wasn’t there), when David suddenly fell down unconscious. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
David wore a pacemaker, so I’m guessing the problem was heart related. However, his doctor had given him permission to play ball, so I’m not sure what happened.
It’s a little unsettling when something like this happens; someone apparently in good health is suddenly gone, with no warning. Is this easier than hanging on for years, slowly fading away as Dad did? One way is a shock; you are unprepared. The other way people have already come to terms with the end when it happens, but the years of decline are hard on everyone.
For the individual there is a lot to be said for knowing death is coming so you can get your affairs in order, and make sure your family can survive, but you’ve got to stand there and face your death.
I think when I go I want a compromise: Not several years slowly losing my mind and body, but not instantly either. Give me a few days or weeks of alertness and health to get everything in order and say goodbye to my friends and family.
In September I joined a Chandler City League basketball team. We played 8 games and went undefeating the whole season.
We started out poorly, losing our first game by 40 points. The next few games were 30, 25, 15 and our high point of the season when we only lost by 6 points, to the 3rd place team. I hit 6 out of 7 three-pointers that game, so it was a high point for me too!
We played the first round of the (single elimination) tournament on Sunday, and only lost by 10 points. I was 5 for 7 on threes in that game. (We won’t talk about the game where I hit 1 for 11…)
Most of the players had never played in a league before, so it was a learning experience, but we enjoyed it enough that most of us are going to play again when the league starts up in January. We hope to acquire a couple of new players in the off season, and are optimistic that we might even win a game next time around.
Hey There, Apollo (To the tune of “Hey there, Delilah”, shown above in the video)
Hey there Apollo, what’s it like out in the back yard?
You’re a hundred feet away, but boy, tonight you look so naughty,
Yes you do.
Just look at all the things you chew.
You know it’s true.
Hey there Apollo, don’t you worry about the kitchen,
It’ll be there in the morning,
You can sleep out on the lawn,
Close your eyes.
Sleep a little longer ‘fore you rise,
Then come inside.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Hey there Apollo, I know nights are getting hot
But just believe me pup, someday you’ll feel the chill there in the yard
You’ll have it good
You’ll feel the cold you know you should
The yard is good.
Hey there Apollo, you’ve got so much time to play
If every puppy toy we gave to you
You grabbed and took away,
We’d buy you more.
Even though you chew them to the core.
You’d still have more.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Around the lake’s a long, long hike,
But you can run beside the bike,
We’ll zoom along as fast as in a car.
The other dogs will bark at us,
But you’ll just bark along because.
You know that none of them can run this far
Apollo I can promise you,
That by the time we get through,
The yard will never ever be the same
It’s just so tame.
Hey there Apollo,
You be good and don’t you bite me
Two more months and you’re off puppy food
You’ll keep making dog poop like you do.
You know it’s all inside of you
You can lift your leg if you want to.
Hey there Apollo, here’s to you
This one’s for you.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Oh, what you chew and eat.
Devon’s company called and wants him to come back for a few weeks to finish up some jobs. They realized after letting everyone go that they had some billable projects under way that would pay more than Devon would cost.
So that basically gives him more time to look for another job.
