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Thursday, May 21, 2020

Hijacked and disconnected!


Some of you are hijacked, and simply announce “My Facebook was compromised, so if you get a friend request from me, blablabla.” Well, I was simultaneously hijacked and my internet cable was severed. One did not result in the other, but one may have facilitated the other.

A reasonably seasonal spring day yesterday, and I heard Dan, now the only maintenance man for three parks, driving his lawn mowing tractor at about double speed, come roaring along the side of my unit, cropping weeds at the level of dirt. He passed my line of sight, and then the next news item did not appear on my screen, and my internet slipped away.

This does not happen to me; I have good internet service. I called Cathy. She had internet. I called Spectrum. “Oh, yes, you went off at 12:31 p.m. Can you think of any incident that may have occurred at that time?” I flicked mental pages and announced Dan had “mowed” the “grass” pretty much at that time. “It easily could have been a cut cable,” announced my technician. “Didn’t they bury it?” 

Yes they did, last June, when it was installed. Dan did not mow at dirt level back then. New Jersey was not looking to refinance back then. Dan did not have to worry that a drone would fly over and check up his three parks.

In the meantime, my cable cannot be replaced for four days. Until Saturday. I was furious mad, and Dan knew it. Early this morning he crept in and did something to restore my television. I got a text: Your TV should work now.

But, my email asked if that was me, logging into Netflix in Turkey. That bastid in Turkey changed my identity and my phone number. A very polite Netflix fellow spent an hour walking me through changing everything. 

Once he did ask, prefacing his question stating he was not speaking in a derogatory way, or sexist, or demeaning, but was there a much younger person available? I told him I had no innate understanding of the workings of my Roku or his Netflix, but I followed directions well. We got it done.

It's not Saturday, you say. Why are you on the internet? My neighbor Cathy, who lives behind me now, called and asked if I would like to sign onto her cable ID. Thank you, Cathy.


And I had a haircut today. Stopped for ice cream on the way home. I decided apple crostata needs ice cream.







45 comments:

  1. I think that is pretty cute that he wanted to speak to a younger person! I always let them talk to the younger person in our house - but she is till seventy, which I don't think is what they mean! Glad that everything has been restored in any event.

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  2. Hari OM
    Well, that was all very inconvenient - but you had good help, so that's the plus side. As is that pretty hair trim! YAM xx

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  3. That's a stylish cut! And phooey on cable cutting tearaways.

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  4. Bless Cathy. Curse Dan. And your hair is gorgeous. It is getting so nice and thick.

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  5. Yes, Dan better tiptoe around you pretty quietly from now on! And oh, if you could only get your hands on that guy in Turkey!

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  6. Wow, getting hacked so upsetting but it seems that you have the patience and fortitude to deal with it and get the right person to help you. I hope all goes well.

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  7. Strange that the cable/internet cut happened around the same time you got hacked.
    Hopefully things will stay protected now. The haircut/salon businesses have not yet opened up here.

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  8. I'm glad you got everything rolling again. It can be a real inconvenience when we don't have our technology operating as it should or at all! Your haircut looks very nice

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  9. So sorry to hear of your troubles all caused by a little carelessness on Dan's part. Apple crostata definitely calls for ice cream.

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  10. How frustrating! I'm sorry that happened to you. We don't realize how much we appreciate things like internet until we don't have it! I'm so glad Cathy could help you - what a sweet lady. Your haircut looks great! I am really needing to get mine cut. I have to say, just the thought of your apple crostata with a little ice cream makes my mouth water! Enjoy!

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  11. Your hair looks great - those hairstylists have the magic touch, don't they? Sorry to hear of your technical troubles. I'd love to be a fly on the wall if you ever got your mitts on that guy who stole your Netflix connection. Good thing there's an algorithm to detect unusual logins. Cathy is a good neighbour to share her internet hookup. I feel a bit sorry for Dan - it's no fun being under the microscope on the job. Drones, eh? What will they come up with next to monitor employees?!

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  12. Turkey, eh? That sort of thing is truly global...I forget sometimes.

    Nice, new do!

    Dan should probably avoid you for a spell.

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  13. Hair cut and ice cream, doing good things for yourself after all that turmoil is the way to go. Sorry you had to deal with things like that.

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  14. I like the haircut. Thank goodness for friends that help you stay connected to the internet

    Betty

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  15. You are looking good. But how frustrating! In two ways. Luckily, I see you have people around you who want to help.

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  16. Dan Dan certainly not the man of the moment!
    I'm echoing everyone who is saying how lucky you are to have good friends willing to help you out. They are hard to find sometimes.

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  17. "I told him I had no innate understanding of the workings of my Roku or his Netflix, but I followed directions well. We got it done."

    hahahahahaha. Glad you are up and running.

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  18. LOVE your haircut.
    And yes, a younger person would have less troubles than me but like you I follow directions well (so long as they are not given in technoeze).
    I am glad and totally unsurprised that you got it done.

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  19. As my grandkids would say, your the bomb. Nice cut!

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  20. I'm so jealous of your beautiful, thick hair, Joanne. Thank goodness you were able to get help. There are so many scammers out there.

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  21. I was shown a huge list of unprotected routers by a techie friend of mine. Many people (myself once included) did not realise that routers should have their internal, factory-set password changed to one of your making as soon as it is switched on, otherwise anyone in the world can access it. I don't know if this was your problem, but it's worth knowing.

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  22. I'd have been furious if asked whether a younger person was available. They take your money just the same.

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  23. We live in a new world, only half of which we really understand. But so did our grandparents. I remember a cousin patiently explaing how to change between the two channels available on my grandmother's new television in the early '60s.

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  24. My email was hacked once and being used by hackers far and wide. Fortunately, my SIL is a techie guy and was able to kick them all out.

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  25. It is scary these hackers, they come sniffing around on our computers from all over the world finding something to steal. Hope you get it all sorted.

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  26. I bet Dan will be more careful next time!

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  27. Actually that sounds like a pretty scary and annoying day - being both disconnected and hijacked. Ugh - some people have too much time on their hands.

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  28. I would have screamed at that guy if he'd asked me if a younger person was available. And that's all I have to say about THAT!

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  29. younger person available? um, my husband. he's two years younger, would that do? ha ha. I could use a haircut but don't know if I'm ready for that. and any fruit pie thingy needs ice cream.

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  30. Cathy is a good neighbor. Nice to hear that she is able to provide temporary internet access for you.

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  31. A good haircut sets the world back on its axis again.

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  32. The "younger person" always makes me laugh, I WISH there was a younger person here to help me with tech. Oh well, don't need to know car parts to drive, right?We are still not open up here, my corona hair has gone wild, but I rather like it, think I will keep it and not spend so much - once I start getting proper hair cuts I seem to need them...Covid19 has slowed the drain on my bank account and I like that part also! You are correct- ice cream is essential!

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  33. Joanne, I don’t know if your provider has this, but we no longer use the cable lines (been having interruption problems for years) but have been using their app to stream everything. We have Comcast and downloaded their app on our smart Roku. It is about relearning TV, but after awhile, I am doing pretty well. As long as you have good WIFI, it works well and there are no boxes to pay for. We saved money and all our streaming stations, Netflix and Prime are all together along with live TV.

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    1. My TV is so old it has two controls, one for Roku and one to turn it on/off, adjust the volume. I would have to buy a smart TV.

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  34. Nice haircut--I'm very envious. My coiffure is out of control. That's irritating about the lines being cut. My elderly parents kept having their telephone lines cut due to some nearby construction. My mom's pacemaker uses their landline, so I was more than annoyed the third time it happened and let them know how I felt. Glad your issue got resolved, more or less.

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  35. We're all so dependent on the internet now that if it suddenly fails it's most disconcerting. It's like your hands suddenly being unable to do anything.

    Nice haircut!

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  36. Glad your neighbor took care of you and everything gets back to normal as soon as possible. Also glad to see that you were able to your hair cut. Take care.

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  37. You got your haircut?! Lucky girl, you.

    If the internet went out during this pandemic, can you imagine the fury and disastrous behavior?

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  38. I do love the haircut, and your purple scarf.

    What a day with all severed. Gives a brand new title the story of Reluctantly Unplugged.

    Glad you are up and running again now. I think I would curl up and die without streaming.

    XO
    WWW

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  39. Welcome back. What AN Ordeal that was.

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  40. I enjoyed the post. You typify me in another country!

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  41. I'm jealous! My hair is really bugging me these days. Funny how such a natural part of your existence can bring you such pleasure or pain!

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  42. Haircut! Lucky you. It's hilarious here watching everyone growing shaggier every day. I will definitely never go back to short layers. They are a nightmare unless regularly maintained. Why didn't I know that?!

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