Dirkmonster

How not to get an infected computer when you wanted a dozen roses

It's a Valentine's Day version of a computer virus that's been around the Internet before.  What changes is the spam email that links the victim to the virus.  In this case, it's a Valentine's Day themed email.

Are you worried about your vulnerability of getting infected with a computer virus? Here are 6 tips that will keep these harmful viruses from infecting your machine:

1. Install virus protection software from McAfee, Norton or Microsoft.  Yes, there are others that work just as well.  But those software giants listed above have proven products for users who don't care to know a whole lot.
    

2. Keep your virus protection updated.  That means either setting the software to update it's list of known viruses automatically, or consistently updating it yourself when it tells you it's time.

3. Secure your home computer.  Especially if you run a WiFi network at home, it should be locked down so no one other than those you allow are able to access the Internet (or your computer!) through your home network.

4. Watch out for attachments that end in ".exe"  Such attachments are software programs! I would never open a .exe attachement sent to me in an email.  It does not matter who sent it to me.

5. Don't click on a link in any email that is not from a trusted source.  Trusted sources are people or businesses that you are used to receiving email from.  If you did not excpect to receive a particular message, don't recognize the sender, and it asks you to click on a link...do not do it!

6. Use an Apple instead of a PC.  I hate to say it, but Apples are far less susceptible to viruses than are Windows machines.

Any other common sense tips to avoid getting infected with a computer virus?  Please leave them in the comments section.

Rosenbaum mocked for attack on Billy Joel

An apparently well known music critic jumped the shark last week in a strange attack on Billy Joel that made about as much sense as Richard Simmons fighting Brock Lesnar.  It was just about as effective too, as some question Rosenbaum's motives: Billy Joel and Boomer Critical Hysteria

Coming to grips with the Titans on Super Bowl Sunday

I'm curious to know how Titans fans (I am one) are dealing with Super Bowl XLIII.

I've got a certain sense of how the organization is handling it.  One way: "Life goes on".  Lyn saw Jeff Fisher buying air filters at Home Depot last weekend.  Another way: "Move on".  Jim Schwartz is the new head coach of the Detroit Lions.  The player's way: "Woulda, shoulda coulda".  I've read several Titans quoted saying they haven't gotten over it and they should've been in Tampa.

As a fan, I may have taken a step closer to coming to grips with the season today.  I was looking for a hat to wear and the first one I could lay my hands on was the Titans AFC South Championship cap.  I wore it thinking, hey, they earned that.  And an AFC South Championship is better then what we were a year ago or a heckuva lot better than what we were the year before that.  (Let's not even discuss the year before that).  That's a banner for LP Field.  Not the banner we wanted, but the banner we got.

One thing I'm pretty sure the Titans ought to do in order to come to grips with the season that slipped away in January: Let someone else pay Albert Haynesworth his money.  Money seems to be all he cares about.  Once he gets it, I doubt whether we'll see the same Albert.  I'm basing this on quotes attributed to him this week in The Tennessean:

"My agent knows what we want to get and he has a number he wants to get...I just want some money.''

To be sure, Albert has earned it.  For two straight seasons he's been phenomenal and there's no way the Titans would have gone 13-3 in the regular season without him.  I just think that some other team should spend the cap dollars and the Titans should sign (I can't believe I'm suggesting this) a top free agent wide receiver.

Back to the game the Titans could very well have been in and won.  I have to go with the Steelers - their defense will clip the Cardinals wings.  The Dirkmonster's Super Bowl XLIII score prediction: 23-21.  The Titans would've beaten the Cardinals too for that matter.  (Clearly, I haven't come completely to grips with the season.)