Computer Viruses

            A computer virus shut me down for three days until I could get my computer to my son, John, who is a computer whiz and have the damn thing removed.  The virus has delayed my essay on the Meaning of Life.  Nevertheless, as my wife is in the wholesale floral business, the upcoming Memorial Day kept us all busy and gave me a chance to catch up on some prime reading.

            Being invaded by a computer virus is like being burglarized.  It’s an invasion into our personal lives by someone who is delighted over intruding in the life of someone else.  It’s a shame that someone with the intelligence and skill to manipulate computers has a life so shallow that in order to make it meaningful he is driven to make trouble for other lives.  I suspect that from a genetic point of view this kind of behavior can be traced to envy and jealousy – an animal instinct that according to Will Durant, we inherited from our hunter-gatherer ancestors; and when you think about it, it makes sense. 

            I use Google to research biographies and ideas.  Before Google one accessed the vast resources of libraries.  Furthermore, I receive an average of 10 to 15 emails a day from friends, scholars and students researching religion, cults and polygamy.  My morning ritual, as I suspect it is with many of you, is to read the emails and newspapers on line while munching on honey-glazed toast and sipping a hot cup of coffee.  I am a creature of habit and when I can’t go through my morning ritual, it throws me temporarily off course. 

            I am also a gentleman farmer, although I suspect there are those which would challenge the gentleman label.  I grow the best heirloom tomatoes in Utah – about a 100 plants, besides beans, corn, cucumbers, squash and cabbage.  About five acres is in alfalfa, the rest is pasture for our steers, and of course weeds are the most prolific crop, especially morning glory - a plant as cursed as cockleburs.

            The rain has put us “gentleman” farmers a good two to three weeks behind.  But once I get my crops planted, between irrigations turns (13 hours) and cultivating, I plan to spend the best part of the summer fishing, camping and exploring the Utah deserts with my kids and grandkids on our ATVs.   As a result, additions to the blog will be probably be two weeks apart.  Don’t give up on me if you find this blog interesting. 

            I might even offer my two cents regarding the political status of the Obama Administration, Obama’s shameful treatment of Israel and the Republican competition for a worthy presidential candidate that can dethrone Obama.