Reminder

Just dropping a little reminder that all articles, writing, etc. on this blog are my own work and copyrighted.

Internet Pop-Ups and What I Think of Them

Flashing mouse cursors. Animated screen savers. The "you-won-the-jackpot--millionth-customer" deal. What do I think of these?

Absolute junk.

As a harried student is frantically trying to do research for his school paper, he/she encounters several pop-ups. He/she shuts the window quickly and tries to continue on, but once again is blocked by another pop-up. As soon as this one is shut, there is a brief period of peace. And then again, another pop-up!

This is what many people face as they try to use the internet. The "try-out-new-cursors" pop-up with flashing hearts and smiley faces and who-knows-what-else doesn't even work! Even if by some miracle it does work, who wants some distracting, flashy cursor that they have to blankly stare at every time they get on the computer? Next, the screensavers. Fine, there's a cute little doggie dancing on the screen, or dolphins jumping in the air. But doesn't the screensaver start up when the computer isn't in use for a while? If the computer isn't in use, that means that YOU AREN'T USING THE COMPUTER, so YOU'RE NOT THERE TO SEE THE SCREENSAVER! Unless, of course, you're one of those people who find entertainment in sitting in front of a dusty screen with your eyes bugging and your drooling tongue hanging out of your mouth as you watch your amazing fabulous screensaver all day! Finally, the "you-won-blah-blah" pop-up. Did the inventors of this useless idea think that people would actually fall for it? If you click on the pop-up, you are taken to a page where you are requested to fill in all your personal information. Would you really give up all that information for something you don't even know is reliable? If you do fall for it and give your name, address, phone number, etc., you'll find that someone's now using your bank account, or you're being stalked by strange people in black! Whatever happens at any rate, I doubt you'll be getting your jackpot money.

I'm sorry if I have unintentionally offended anyone in this article, but I just wanted to say that people in charge of Internet pop-ups should think twice before sending them out, because they are very annoying to most people and are almost always ignored.

Riddles

The bottom of me is as thin as a cane,
In times of need I provide shelter from rain.
I come in many sizes and shapes,
You could compare me to a warm black cape.
My spindly arms are welcoming and wide,
Under me is one of the best places you might want to hide.
What am I?

I am the cause of a damsel in distress,
I create quite a mess.
I feed off the chocolate that you eat,
To turn that into something else is a rather amazing feat.
I leave you clutching your mouth all day,
But you can get rid of me if you wish to pay.
What am I?

I have many hands, usually two or three,
If you want to know what's late or early you can just look at me.
My hands move without missing a beat,
When they've gone all around me the pattern repeats.
If I've got numbers at my edges, around all 360 degrees,
What in the world do you think I could be?

I awaken by the sun's brilliant leave,
Upon the ground I glow and the darkness I weave.
I am a dove among a sea of black silk,
As smooth and white as milk.
I get smaller and smaller as the days go by
Until I am non-existent to the human eye.
And then I slowly begin to become revealed,
Until I am once again as white as an ice field.
If as the sun comes up I wave goodbye,
What am I?

I decided not to post answers to these riddles on the blog post itself in case I spoiled someone's thinking. If you would like the know the answers, click on the comments link for this post.