Lost Files

Most of us have been there. We’ve been working on a file or set of files for a few hours (or even days). You’ve finally finished your work on a file, so you save it. Next morning you go to the PC and look for the file, and you can’t find it! You’re sure you left it on your desktop, so you have another look…but it’s not there. You check a few more folders in your desktop.

Nothing!

You start to feel the sweat popping up on the back of your neck. Is someone playing a prank on you? Did you delete it by accident? You check some more, but you begin to realize that the file you worked on for so long has vanished.

What do you do? Start again from the beginning? Well, you might have to, but it’s too early for that just yet.

• Don’t panic. The more you panic, the longer it will take to find the file you are looking for.
  

• Check the Recycle Bin. Did you delete it by accident? If so, it might be there.
  

• Think – are you on the right PC? If you have more than one, perhaps you were working on the file on the other computer. This is quite likely.
  

• Carry out a search for the file using the search facility on the opening system. (In Windows, click on the Start menu and then click on Search). It helps if you know the name you gave the file (hopefully you made it descriptive and unique).

• If you make a lot of use of a network, check other PCs on the network. Do a search.
  

• One handy tip: sometimes programs “remember” where they saved the last document; so open the program you used to create your lost document and click Save As. Make a note of the folder it is saving to; you might find that your lost file is there. (Click Cancel to leave the Save As dialog box)
  

• Think again. Did you save the file onto some sort of removable memory (such as USB flash memory)?

• Do you access to any undelete or unerase utilities (such as Norton UnErase)? These utilities can search your drive, looking for files you have previously deleted (or that were deleted by another user or maliciously deleted by a virus). The sooner you discover files are missing, the sooner you can let the utility loose, and the greater chance you have that the file hasn’t been overwritten yet so that it can be recovered. If you don’t have an access to an undelete utility, consider the value of your data. Does it justify the cost of buying the software?
  

• If all else fails, go to your backups and recover your most recent copy.

What is a Good Film? Let me count the ways…

It is really important that a film is well made. A good film is not only a film that is technically okay. No! A good film is more than the technical aspects. Not because a film happens to have more eye-blasting scenes or visual effects, can it already qualify as a good film. We cannot also call good camera movements, good sound effects, good actors and actresses as a good film. For me, a good film is a combination of many factors. And that starts with a good story.

How do we arrive at a good story?

A good story starts in the mind of the scriptwriter. Although a film is basically a director’s medium, it could not stand a chance in FAMAS or in OSCAR’s unless the film emanates from a good script. And a good script comes from a writer who knows what he/she wants.

A film is good fit if it conveys a message. As usual, there are rotten messages. One starts showing his/her private parts or starts beating a helpless guy. Those may convey a message. Those scenes say something. But a film is good is the writer gathers together scenes to contrast the main themes of the film and arrive at a solution. It is not just an orgy of scenes, but every scene advances the theme that the writer wants to communicate. Nudity maybe okay if it advances a message; massacre scenes are okay if they advance the message of the story. But if these scenes no longer serve the purpose but instead just titillate the watcher, then they do not make a film good.

A film is good if it narrates a story. And it can only happen if the script narrates the story. There are times when we watch a movie and in the middle of the movie, we begin asking why the hero comes to know the whole thing or how on earth the bad guys discover the whole plan of the bida. At that instance, the film, and for that matter, maybe the script as well, fails to narrate the story. A good film shows in a gradual way and through visual presentations the development of the story.

A film is good if the scenes are beautiful and well-crafted. And when I say beautiful and well-crafted, it does not mean showing panoramic scenes with the best sceneries in the country. It must a create a good feeling in the audience – that is, the audience’s mind and heart contemplate the whole presentation, and they came out from the theater feeling good and contemplating.

Anyway, there are other things to look for in a good movie. I guess if moviegoers were educated and knew what a good movie is, there would really be no need for any board tasked to review and monitor movies/television shows. But I guess, that is a long, long way to go=)

Are you Game?

Admit it. You love playing computer games. And because of the Internet, you are no longer confined to playing one-on-one with the computer. Now, you can play the same game with different people from all over the world right in your home. That ism if your parents would not mind the Internet, phone and electric bills.

The Internet offers a hundreds of games whether you are a novice or an expert. Some games are free; others require a monthly subscription fee. You can find portals that give you access to different games. These portals allow you to play the games online or you can download them onto your computer so you can play them even without Internet connection.

Some online games require plug-in. Pug-ins, such as Flash and Micromedia, enable your computer to run the games.

Some of the popular game portals are Yahoo! Games and Shockwave. Some of the games available online are the all-time favorites. Solitaire and Crossword Puzzles. There are science and math brainteasers. Think about learning and having fun at the same time.

And if you are looking for a more sophisticated and exciting online adventure, there is the role-playing game. In a role-playing game, you put yourself in the shoes of the character and try to think and act as that person would. You can develop and build the character and allow it to have its own history and personality. At the same time, you can also link up and play with other people. Individual gamers from across the world often join together and compete with other teams in a game.

Online games can be addictive. You must not let yourself get too engrossed that you already neglect other important things like your family, studies or work.

Enjoy the game but do not let it rule you.

Dealing with Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a very serious issue. But there are ways of safely dealing with it.

• No matter how tempted or provoked you are, do not respond to, interact with, or otherwise engage cyberbullies. This is what they want – to get rise out of their targets and by responding, you are taking their bait.

• Save the evidence. Keep all abusive messages on your computer or use monitoring software.

• Get help. You are not expected to deal with cyberbullying all by yourself. Tell a trusted adult about any threatening messages you get or anything disturbing that is posted about you online.

• Protect your privacy. Keep passwords, pictures and secrets to yourself.

• Google yourself to make sure that your name is not posted in any unwanted places/sites. Tell your parents or any trusted adult if it is. They can help you take action.

Why is a cell phone called a cell phone?

Actually, cell phones are more like radios. Just like radios, cell phones have antennas. They use these antennas to send and receive signals to and from the antenna towers of their cell phone company.

Instead of using one huge antenna, the cell phone companies divided towns and cities into "cells," each with a small antenna that repeated the signals. That way, the signals could be passed on from cell to cell without having to use one huge antenna.

So that's why they were called "cell phones!" =)