This is getting to be too much...

Today I was trying to remember a password to one of my email accounts (I have [cringe] 4 POP accounts and 4 web-based addresses), so I decided to print out my database of usernames and passwords. It came to 5 landscape formatted pages. OK, there is more than just address, user name, password info here, but...still, 5 pages.

Now, there are actually only a few passwords and usernames (I have like 4 of each that I normally use, but there are those sites which provide one or both that I never got around to changing and there are sites where I was being "innovative" by using something totally different) in general use, but the question is which combination did I use for that particular site. The result is a five page compendium of user names and passwords. There is no way I am ever going be able to remember more than a few of these, those for sites I use most regularly, and even for those sites I have most stored in my browsers for automatic recall...which means I don't have to remember them so I promptly don't.

There is no easy answer to this modern dilemma. The need for security measures such as passwords is the cyber equivalent of needing keys here in real space. The same people, or types of people, who force us to lock things here also mandate the existence of cyber locks and keys (usernames and passwords respectively). However, there needs to be an easier way to do this...without using Microsoft's Passport. The last thing I want to do is give Microsoft access to my personal information. I trust them less than I trust the kid hacking into the Pentagon. I need a single "lock and key" that will work for 90+% of my security needs. Actually, I'm pretty sure something like this actually exists, my problem is that I'm not aware of it. *sigh*

So, here I am...

Now, for somebody who has spent most of his computing life tied to a desktop machine, this is, without a doubt, pretty cool. I am finally the sole user of a reasonable laptop. Well, ok, so it is about 5 years old and at least two generations removed from the great big honking Dell sitting upstairs on my wife's desk, the good news is that it is strong enough to do this while streaming music to the patio. That last is so cool I can hardly contain myself. No longer am I consrained by power cords and other such antediluvian accouterments. Well, that's not entirely true...this thing only has a two hour battery, so, if I want to play outside longer than that, I have to have some connection to a wall outlet. And the speakers do need that luxury also (ok, I do have a battery powered set of speakers, but these have much better sound...). All that being said, it is still so cool to have streaming music available on the patio.

Now all I have to do is get used to this laptop keyboard so I stop making about one typo per 10 strokes and things will be even better. (Of course, most of the typos could be due to the large amount of alcohol I have consumed tonight and have little or nothing to do with the layout and size of the keyboard. *sigh*

Where does the time go?

As you can see from the preceding post, I have not died...although from the dearth of posting here, it may have seemed that way. Actually, I have been so consumed with other stuff in my life that on those occasions I have contemplated posting, I have not known where to start. So, let's start here...

Since May 10th, I have managed all of six (6) posts. Somewhere in there (May 21st to be exact) one of my two daughters got married. The event was on the other side of the country, so, needless to say, the trip actually consumed far more time than the six days we spent either out in beautiful Seattle or in transit. And, all during this time, I have been working on a business plan for what I think is a killer Internet business. I am at the point with the thing, though, that I am going to have to let it go. I have been reworking and rebuilding the damn thing for two months now, and I think I have found the reason it is taking so long: I am scared to death of losing the dream. Like I said, I think it is a killer application of web-based technology and personal service. Marry the two in this business, and we should end up as truly successful Internet entrepreneurs.

The problem is that we need angel investors to get this off the ground. If we don't get the funding we need, it will die stillborn; just another good idea which didn't have that intangible called luck mixed into all the other ingredients. This is sort of like my last Hurrah as an entrepreneur. It is taking all my energy, and I know I won't have it in me to do this again. It would really suck to end up as a retail employee for the rest of my working life. So, I have a great deal of psychological capital invested in this, and a great deal of emotional capital will go out with every copy we send to potential investors. I know that part of me is dragging out the process just in case we do hit the wall. I have to suck it up and get this sucker out the door ASAP or we will miss our window and we will watch somebody else come up with our idea and run with it. That would suck even more.

So, that is one of the the reasons my posting here has been so sparse. The other reason is that we have been doing a lot of stuff around the house this year. In addition to the never ending war with the weeds outside, we have been making some major renovations on the house which, although for the most part we have people doing the actual installations, there has been a lot of work that I have done in a semi-futile attempt to keep the actual dollar costs down. Anyhow, my personal time has been very, very sparse over the past two months or so. But, all of this should be coming to a completion within the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, the business plan will be out the door at the same time so I will have some time to post here. I find that I need to have this outlet. It tends to clear my spirit and satisfies the need to be creative.

In any event, I will really try to post at least a couple times a week...and I haven't a clue why I'm explaining all this 'cause I've probably lost all my readers (other than Jerry...you still there, buddy?) by my prolonged silence. Ah well, such is life...y'all be good; rock on and I will be back...

I just got the following e-mail from:

FROM THE DESK OF: 
PROFESSOR CHARLES C. SOLUDO
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.

 



ATTENTION:HONOURABLE CONTRACTOR,

RE: IMMEDIATE CONTRACT PAYMENT FOR CONTRACT #: AV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009

THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR OVER DUE INHERITANCE FUND HAS BEEN GAZZETED TO BE RELEASED, VIA KEY TELEX TRANSFER (KTT ) -DIRECT WIRE TRANSFER TO YOU OR THROUGH ANY OF OUR CORRESPONDENT BANK NOMINATED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN DEBT.


AS A MATTER OF URGENCY YOU ARE HEREBY REQUIRED TO FILL AND SEND THE FORM BELOW FOR VERIFICATION PURPOSES SO THAT YOUR FUND VALUED AT $27.5M(TWENTY SEVEN MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WILL BE REMITTED INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT



1. YOUR NAME:..............................

2. YOUR FULLADDRESS:...................................

3. YOUR TELEPHONE..................................

4.FAX.........................................

5.AGE.........................................

6. SEX:....................................

7. YOUR OCCUPAION:....................................

8. YOUR VALID IDENTIFICATION................................


AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THIS INFORMATIONS,WE WILL COMMENCE WITH ALL NECCESARY PROCEDURES IN OTHER TO REMIT THIS MONEY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. THE CENTRAL BANK EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON DEBT RE-CONCILIATION, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA HAS APPROVED THIS PAYMENT,AND THIS FUND IS AS A RESULT OF INHERITANCE ON YOUR BEHALF.


YOURS FAITHFULLY,
 

PROFESSOR CHARLES C. SOLUDO
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR, 
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA 

and I'm wondering what to do...*snicker*....*ROFL!!*...I'm sorry, but I couldn't keep a straight face! What absolutely astounds me is the knowledge that there are enough people out there who will respond to this that it remains worthwhile for these predators to continue to hunt this way.

I guess ole P.T. Barnum was right: "there is a sucker born every minute..."