Step Away From The Computer Before You Have A Mental Meltdown!
Do I Read A Technical Manual Tonight, or The Lord Of The Rings?
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Just out of courtesy, I think I should tell you that the following article is about as far from my typical writings as I can get. Quite frankly, it is nothing more than a very tired technology guy ranting and raving. Maybe a little wining too.
My entire world is about technology; computers, data communication, wireless and wired Ethernet, PDA's, mobile devices, firewalls, security assessments, and on and on and on. I'm so addicted to technology and business that I have trouble deciding whether to read a technical manual or a good sci-fi / fantasy novel.
I love what I do and have no plans on making any changes in the
foreseeable future but something as simple as checking the time of day
nearly resulted in a mental nuclear meltdown this morning. This week
has been considerably stressing. I have written at least eight
significant proposals, performed continuous work on a report for a
external security
assessment, made and received way to many phone calls, and have been
staying up to all hours of the night, or morning depending on how you
look at it (It's 2am on Saturday right now).
My Kingdom For The Right Time On All My Clocks!
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This morning, I literally became overwhelmed when I looked at the time on my desktop computer. Between all the laptops,
digital and analog clocks, stereos, televisions, cable box, DVD
players, and other electronic devices in my home, there are 28 devices
that display the time of day. And guess what, there was about a 5
minute delta in the current time between this vast amount of time
pieces. It sounds quite ridiculous but I nearly freaked out. With all
the technology at our disposal, you would think it would be easy to
synchronize all the time pieces in my home. And keep them synchronized!
Ok,
this article is not really about clocks but it was "time" that set me
off this morning. The fact is, like many others, time is something that
I just don't have much of. I believe Mr. Einstein would take a
relatively strong position on this issue of mine. On top of the time
issue, how much technology, or should I say , how much continuous
exposure to technology can the human brain take before it just
explodes. My family, friends, and associates routinely ask me "How in
the world can you remember all these things about computers?" Sometimes
I wonder this myself.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I
wish I could just completely isolate myself from everything electronic;
spinning fans, clicking hard drives,
bussing monitors (even these darn flat panels), the clicking of the
keys when I type, and lets not forget the inevitable beeping of my
UPS's several times a day because Florida Power and Light can't seem to
regulate the flow of electricity in a stable fashion.
It's Vacation Time: Technology Prohibited At All Times
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I've
been in the technology business all of my life. Do you know it took
about 5 years of my wife complaining about me bringing laptops and
other technology gadgets
with me on vacations before I finally wised up. And guess what, the
first time I left technology behind on one of our summer vacations, it
was like someone had lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders. It
was so unbelievable that when my wife asked me where the laptop was it
took her the entire day to believe me when I said I left it at home.
I
know I'm not the only person that has these little "moments". My New
Years resolution this year was to simplify my life. I'm not embarrassed
to say that I've not made much progress yet but I am not going to give
up. I am going to bring harmony to my life if it kills me in the
process.
Conclusion
-----------
I won't blame anyone who
reads this article and feels compelled to send me a bill. After
reviewing what I've written here it reads like notes taken during a
psychotherapy session:. I've decided that I'm taking the day off from
technology, right after I'm done posting this article. And now, I'm
tired and going to get some sleep.
You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.
Original URL (The Web version of the article)
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http://www.defendingthenet.com/NewsLetters/StepAwayFromTheComputerBeforeYouHaveAMentalMeltdown.htm
About The Author
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Darren Miller is an Information Security
Consultant with over seventeen years experience. He has written many
technology & security articles, some of which have been published
in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals. If you would
like to contact Darren you can e-mail him at Darren.Miller@defendingthenet.com. If you would like to know more about computer security please visit us at http://www.defendingthenet.com.
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