I have a virus... and it's not the Swine Flu

The other day I clicked on one of my friend's pages and my computer automatically redirected me to a site that said "Microsoft Internet Security" with an icon that told me my computer was infected and I had to download some software to fix it. I said, "Ya, ok whatever" and had to go through step-by-step with Rob over the phone to get rid of the darn thing. Apparently it was a 'trojan' virus (as opposed to a worm??). But I just don't understand why people create viruses. I'm convinced that anti-virus software companies secretly employ people to create viruses so that they can sell more software! It's a conspiracy!!!

But seriously, why? Are you an angry person trying to get back at the world? Are you trying to collect my personal information to sell on black markets? Do you seek the thrill of destroying people's computers? Does wasting people's time and energy and money give you great personal satisfaction? Who has time for this stuff anyway?

And that brings me to another question. Is there a punishment for creating viruses or is it completely legal? I looked it up and found out that the US created something called the "Federal Computer Abuse Act" which prohibits such "cybercrimes" but you never hear about people getting caught and their subsequent punishment. In this day and age, you would think the global community would adopt more stringent laws to make sure these people are punished. Or maybe I just haven't been listening? Maybe if the media made it more of a headline story when these people get caught, it would deter more of them from doing it in the first place. At any rate, I'm glad my computer is no longer infected and I hope they catch the person who developed the virus in the first place!

Second-hand smoke

This past month has been a bit rough for me. It started getting pretty cold outside, so I've had to close the windows in my apartment. I enjoyed every moment of this spring, summer and fall with the soft breeze and constant flow of fresh smells of the outdoors. The first few nights I had the windows closed, I noticed the smell of cigarette smoke from my downstairs neighbors a bit strong in the kitchen and living room. The longer the windows were closed, the worse it got. It got to the point that I was waking up every hour at night, coughing. I would hack for an hour or two every morning, and lived with a sinus headache and even a taste of cigarettes on my tongue when I woke up.

Rob was so sweet dealing with my constant complaining, God bless him and his patience! For some reason, I just couldn't let it go. Honestly I felt like crap. Period. So finally I went to the doctor. She told me I had a massive sinus infection (sinusitis) and also told me I am allergic to second-hand smoke. I guess in a way I was suprised because I'm 28 years old and I've never been allergic to anything. It's odd to find out you're allergic to something at my age (I think) but then again it kinda makes sense that it went unnoticed. No one at home ever smoked, only a few of my friends smoke, and I've never been around smoke for an extended period of time. And thank GOD because I started looking into the effects of second-hand smoke and it's scarey! Second-hand smoke is also called Environmental Tobacco Smoke (or ETS). It is a known cause of cancer, it increases the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, is known to cause sinusitis, middle ear infections, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pnemonia and other breathing problems. It contains over 40 cancer causing chemicals and over 200 known poisons. Yum.

The good news is that Rob talked to our landlord and the landlord talked to our neighbors and everyone has been very understanding and so far they have agreed to do all their smoking outside. So let's hope this winter is a healthy one!

UPDATE: Our neighbors did NOT stop smoking, so we had to move... will update blog with our new place!