Lock Up Your Computer!

It's Computer Security Day

Now, this

is a serious business day!

I have been victim

to Trojan horses and viruses

 which galloped in

and took over my computer!

 Everything flashed…

pages opened and closed…

things shut down…

warnings were everywhere

and the sudden sense of panic

 and fear took me by surprise.

 I still do not remember

turning the internet protection

 off – but, somewhere along the line,

 I must have!

This day was established in 1988 –

 helping to raise awareness

of computer-related security issues.

 This is celebrated world-wide!

So, one way to look after

 your computer’s safety,

is to use good passwords.

So, here are a few

(commonly used)

dodgy passwords:

password (yep –

people actually use this!)

123456 and 12345678

(so much trickier!),

abc123,

qwerty

(while I love this…

using the first five letters

 on the keyboard

is not a good idea, apparently!)

letmein (I like this!)

 dragon (??)

111111 (ok, this feels dodgy!)

baseball (must be American!)

iloveyou (so sweet!)

 trustno1

and a few others –

but I couldn’t be bothered

 adding them!

If you use one of these passwords

 – change it!

Change it, now!

 

E-Greetings

Electronic Greetings Day

You know…

I don’t really like

electronic greeting cards.

I think this stems

from my backpacking days…

when internet access was

not easy to get…

and downloading greeting cards,

which played music and

wished me a Merry Christmas,

complete with flashing lights

and dancing reindeer,

took a very long time to download…

Before I knew it,

my internet time would be almost up

 and I would have wasted it

 on looking at an impersonal

electronic greeting card.

I’d have rathered read a short,

personal email! Anyway,

it is Electronic Greetings Day –

so, if there’s someone

you’ve lost contact with…

perhaps you could send them

an electronic greeting…

(though, I’d still prefer something

a little more personal).

Don't Toss The Bread

French Toast Day

Really?

I’m only just getting back

 into the blogging paddock

and I’m sent off

to learn about

 French Toast Day!?

OK!

 

1500’s – that was

a long, long time ago…

but that’s how long

people have been

eating French Toast!

In England, French Toast

was known as

the “poor knight’s pudding”.

It was so cheap to make,

even a poor knight could eat it! 

While we call it French Toast,

the French called it

“pan perdu”,

which translates (I’m told)

to “lost bread”.

It was named this

as it was the perfect way

 of getting rid of stale bread.

So… Being French Toast Day,

you best soak up some bread

 in egg mix and fry it up

 for breakfast!

Enjoy!

picture

A Play on Needles

Pins And Needles Day

Have you ever woken

from a deep sleep –

only to realise that you can

 no longer feel your arm?

Have you shaken that arm,

knowing it is moving,

but unable to feel it move?

Have you lifted it

with your other arm and shaken it…

feeling the thick, heavy weight

 of a “dead” arm.

Have you ever felt the moments

 of panic as you imagine

never regaining any feeling

in your sleepy arm? I

f you have…

you may have also felt

the moments of panic

as you realise the return of sensation

will come in the form

of pins and needles…

severe jabs of agonising pain,

shooting through your skin!

Today is the day

for suffering this agony!

It’s Pins and Needles Day.

And yet, today has

nothing to do with pain!

Actually, today’s special day

celebrates a musical,

which opened in 1937.

So, back in 1937,

the International Ladies

Garment Workers Union

met in the Princess Theatre

 in New York City.

The workers formed the cast of

Pins and Needles (P&N).

The orchestral pit was “fully” decked out

 with two pianos!

Rehearsals occurred at night

 and on weekends.

P&N was a pro-union play

 and looked at the

current events of the time.

 While the play started

as a small thing –

the International Ladies

Garment Workers soon quit their jobs

 in order to satisfy the crowds

being drawn in

by the raving reviews.

Every few months,

new songs and skits were incorporated –

 in order to keep the play current.

P&N opened today –

back in 1937

and ran for 1108 performances.

(This whole play business

is not what I was expecting

today to be about!

Happy Pins and Needles Day!)

Stepping Out

Take A Hike Day

(Double meaning!

There are a few people

I would like to tell

to take a hike!)

I’m guessing this

is a more positive,

get-in-touch-with-nature type day…

Take a Hike and enjoy the fresh air,

 get, fit, have a happy day! 

That’s what I’m assuming

 today is all about…

Though, you could be annoyed

 by others on the hike

and you may have to

 tell them to take a hike!

 Covers both versions of the day!

 – and, if the person gets angry

 and wants to hurt you,

 you can mutter

 that you meant –

Have a nice walk!

If you are frustrated by someone…

 a nice fast walk might get out

 some of the frustrations

and the endorphins released

 from exercising

might even make you happier!

In the words of Hippocrates

(The Ancient Greek Physician guy)

“Walking is man’s best medicine”

Sure, medicine has improved somewhat

 since Hippocrates’ days,

but… he makes a good point!

Take a hike!!

 

Ditch the Stuff

Use Less Stuff Day

I like this day!

I use very little “stuff”.

I don’t like cleaning-

so I don’t use

a lot of cleaning “stuff”.

I don’t like shopping,

so I don’t often go out

 and just buy “stuff”.

I don’t buy a lot of food “stuff”…

I think I celebrate this day

most days of the year!

 Coming up to the festive season,

people run around…

fighting for car parks

and jostling their way

through over-crowded shopping centres,

to buy “stuff”.

The stuff is then wrapped

in more stuff

and handed to different people.

 Often, the people

getting the stuff

don’t really like the stuff –

 or want the stuff –

and the stuff is thrown away.

This is the time

When our recycling bins

 are overflowing with stuff

and our rubbish bins

spill over with stuff.

This year, Use Less Stuff Day

might help us all prepare

to collect less stuff,

collect less packaging

with our stuff,

to recycle and reuse

more efficiently and to have

 less stuff to clean

from our homes in 2012.

Use Less Stuff today!

When The Sun Went Away

 

The kids were pretty excited

about today’s solar eclipse.

So, we did some art!

They produced these pieces

with no help from me…

after looking at a few different

photos of eclipses.

So many of the kids

loved their art so much,

they took it home

to share with their families.

Uptight?

Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day

Today seems to be

without hidden agenda…

It really does seem to be

“Lighten Up Day”.

Relax…

Chill out…

Take it easy…

Quit stressing about the small stuff –

forget the big stuff for a while…

Quit worrying that there are only

41 days until Christmas…

So, today…

take time for the little things…

 smell the roses,

look for a rabbit in the clouds,

 find a four-leafed clover,

catch a ladybird,

ditch the office for an ocean walk

and eat dinner by candlelight.

And laugh…

Don’t forget to laugh!

Truck Convoy

Almost 700 motorbikes…

Almost 700 trucks…

crowds of kids

and a family fun day…

all to raise money for Camp Quality

and kids with cancer

in the Illawarra.

The Truck Convoy is impressive.

You can’t help but feel

the love and generosity

of thousands of people,

as they line the streets

and cheer as truck after truck

after truck rolls through the streets.

 Horns blast, sirens shriek

and people wave.

This is the 8^th i98 Convoy.

Since the convoys began,

almost 2.18 million dollars

have been raised.

This year, on November 18^th,

the trucks will move

through the streets again.

Rehearsals have taken place,

so volunteers know

how to park the (almost)

700 trucks at Croome Road.

Bands will play, people will sing…

food and drink will be sold

and money

will be thrown into buckets.

People come all the way

from Queensland

to enter the convoy!

Each truck pays

to enter the convoy.

The truck which pays the

highest amount

will lead the convoy.

This will be decided very soon.

Trucks are currently bidding

at $1800…

A very clever idea,

formed by some locals,

is to enter a People’s Truck…

a truck for the people.

Anyone can pay

to have their name,

business name, logo or website

 put on the truck.

Last year, adding names

 lead to a donation

of over $43,000!

These will stay on the truck

 until the 2013 convoy.

As the truck moves around NSW

 and around the other states,

businesses will be advertised…

the People’s Truck

is sure a wonderful sight –

with lists and lists and lists

of names printed on the sides.

I know some names

on the truck this year.

I’ve had a chance to learn

 a little more about

the truck “owners”.

I’m proud of their creativity

and the incredible money

they will raise again this year.

This Sunday,

bring a hat and a drink.

Bring every coin

from behind the lounge,

the floor of the car

or from your dad’s little stash…

 bring a cheering voice

(and maybe, some earplugs!).

 Bring a smile and watch

as the trucks roll by,

each one expressing

their generosity and love

for kids with cancer.

 (I’m not sure what

Crazy Day today is,

but it is Convoy Week -

and that’s sure special!)