Monday, March 28, 2016

A to Z Challenge, Unicorn Bell, Backing up Data...

...Updates, Conspiracies, Healthcare.gov, and the descent into Madness.


A to Z Challenge blogfest is huge, a monster. I participated in 2011 and a two more years after that. Don’t think the word challenge is there for looks because it is most definitely hard. Not only posting every day except Sundays, but commenting on other posts every day as well. But when it’s done, you’ve made new friends and experienced new outlooks on life. Plus instilled a discipline in your writing. Good stuff all around.

Over at Unicorn Bell—our writer’s blog—we are participating in this year’s Challenge. The eight moderators are taking turns posting each day, commenting on blogs, and bringing new perspectives to the game. Check in and see how we do.

Backing up info. My OCD comes out when backing up my documents, files, financial records, photos, and emails. I am
nothing if not redundant. Since I have Amazon Prime, I let it back up photos and docs. Google catches docs also. Norton makes my system image and backs up all of the above as well.

I have a Seagate 2 terabyte external drive for most stuff and use Google Cloud, Amazon Cloud drive, ICloud as backups for the backups of the backups.

Can’t be too safe with your important records.

HealthcareDotGov. The cost of our individual health insurance became unsustainable when it went from $500 a month to $1200 in four years, forcing us into the Obamacare marketplace.

If you’ve heard about the horrors of working through the bureaucratic morass of signing up, believe me it’s all true. I’m still fighting the paperwork.

Win 10. I became a conspiracy theorist—looking over my shoulder—right after I upgraded to Windows 10 and the
subsequent battle to clean it out again.

Rather than allow automatic updates to my computer, I check once a week for anything labeled “Security”. An Important or Optional update always rates another look and research.

One of the updates, KB3035583 is labeled important. Lookee here what it actually is, a way for Microsoft to worm its way back into my ‘puter.

Since I cleaned out the folder containing the mutant Win 10, I discovered it is still knocking on the door wanting in.

Are you an A to Z Challenge Crazy Person? Overindulge in backing up? Have skyrocketing insurance costs? Wonder who is peeking in your computer?Descending into Madness like me? 

8 comments:

  1. I have several external hard drives I use, and yes, I back up often.
    Tough to sign up for Obamacare? Why does that not surprise me? And just for laughs, I checked into it to see what it would cost if my current employer dropped my insurance. I would go from paying $2500 a year to over $8000 with Obamacare. Yeah, that's a really crappy deal...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. here's the thing Alex, I uploaded the documents they requested for income verification and I still receive letters that say they need more proof.
      The rep said they have the documents and it is under review. He was pleasant but I gather this question happens a lot.
      My worry kicks in after reading about people like me who are told, "Don't worry. It just takes a while." Then their policy gets revoked after the deadline passes and Obamacare shrugs.
      Trying to chill here but it's hard.

      Delete
  2. For me, the hard part of A to Z is the commenting, not the posting. I pretty much post 5 days a week most of the year anyway. And I don't back up like I should.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm all those things, LOL
    I do enjoy the A to Z and am doing 2 blogs and a 10th of a third. Silly me!
    I have Carbonite and Dropbox for all my files, since I don't understand the back up system. Ever tried to get something off those back up files. Damn, I'm a tech idiot! :)
    Thanks for your comment on Alex's blog! So appreciated!

    @YolandaRenee from
    Defending The Pen
    Parallels
    Murderous Imaginings

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    Replies
    1. I have Dropbox too, a good program. Maybe the Carbonite company has improved their upload speed. IDK

      Delete
  4. I, too, have backups of backups of backups...

    I also have all the in-screen cameras on all computer covered so the governmant can't spy on me.

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  5. Backups are very important but I prefer to back up on a cd, rather than some place in cyberspace. As for A-Z, yep, that's me :)

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  6. Always good to backup. You can't overdo it. It only takes one nasty crash to learn the how way!

    ReplyDelete

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