Day: November 16, 2019

Browser Bug

Fandango13 Comments

2be639c5-27fa-4de9-af9e-ec041c09607b-e1573942737695.jpegDan was surfing the web the other day and came across an almost imperceptible bug in the browser he was using. It really freaked him out, so he call the tech support hot line. When the rep answered, he said, “How are you doing, Mr. Jenkins?”

That shocked Dan out. “How do you know my name?” he asked.

“We at Shell Technologies pride ourselves on knowing our customers,” he said. “I see you live in our fair city and that you’re calling us from one of our smartphones.”

“Wait, what?” Dan said. “How could you know that?”

“It’s based upon your IP address,” the guy said. “Plus, we have an algorithm at Shell Technologies that has a very sophisticated prediction functionality, and based upon your past behaviors and purchases, we predicted that you are not only using our browser on one of our laptop, but you’re also using one of our smartphones. Plus, we have all of your product registrations in our database. I want to laud you for your excellent purchasing choices.”

“Listen, I’m calling you because I discovered a bug in your browser software,” Dan said. “I think it’s a serious vulnerability that might permit the capability for bad actors to install spyware.”

“Congratulations, Dan,” the guy said. “May I call you Dan?” Before Dan could answer, the guy continued. “You clearly have demonstrated some serious technology chops to have uncovered that. Since you live here in the city, I want to invite you to come to our campus so we can discuss what you’ve uncovered. We’ll send a car to pick you up. We have your address and will be there in five minutes. Bring your laptop.”

Dan didn’t know whether to be worried or excited. The limo arrived precisely five minutes later and Dan was driven to the Shell Technologies campus. When they arrived, the driver said, “Follow the path to the main building. Our representative will meet you in the lobby.”

Dan got out of the limo and headed down the path toward the main building. He met the tech rep he had spoken with on the phone. “Thank you, Dan,” the guy said, shaking Dan’s hand, “for discovering the bug in our browser. But let me assure you, Mr. Jenkins, that it’s not a bug, it’s a feature.”

Dan was never seen again.

Written for these daily prompts: Daily Addictions (surfing), Ragtag Daily Prompts (imperceptible), Word of the Day Challenge (prediction), Your Daily Word Prompt (laud), The Daily Spur (path), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (lobby). Image credit: OMKDrawing at DeviantArt.com.

Weekend Writing Prompt — Draconian

Fandango15 Comments

112B4CB7-4E01-4745-995E-A97EDA6BEA16 Recent data shows that more than 900 children, including babies and toddlers, were separated from their parents at the border in the year after a judge ordered the practice curtailed.

If that isn’t draconian enough for you, another report documents how the Trump administration is separating newborns from their migrant mothers. These mothers, who are in detention centers and who have babies — which are U.S. citizens, having been born on U.S. soil — are having their newborns taken away from them and placed with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The mother is returned to the detention.

Is this still America?

(103 words)

AFC6E6D4-41D3-4FA4-A138-257B34663B26Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where we are challenged to write a poem or piece of prose using the word “draconian” in exactly 103 words.

SoCS — Perchance to Dream

Fandango11 Comments

D6CA6094-C6AA-4F89-9117-3225F111F174For this week’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt from Linda G. Hill, we are asked to write a post using the word “dream.”

I dream every night. In fact, I dream multiple times each night. I know this because I will typically wake up two or three times during the night. I wake up, look at the clock, and realize it’s way too early to get up. I will recall that I was dreaming right before I woke up and sometimes I’ll even remember what I was dreaming about.

There are times, after I wake up like this, that I hope, when I fall back to sleep, the dream will resume. There are other times, though, when I hope the dream won’t continue because it was not a very pleasant dream.

The dream I have right before I wake up for the final time, which is usually between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning, is often very vivid. I think to myself that I need to remember the dream, but because what woke me, more often than not, is a pressing need to take a leak, I will head to the bathroom, take care of my pressing need, wash my face, and brush my teeth. If I’m lucky, I may be able to remember a few bits and pieces of the dream, but more often, by the time I leave the bathroom, it’s gone…poof!

I really wish someone would develop a technology that could record dreams so that you could view them like you can view TV shows you recorded on your DVR. Wouldn’t that be cool? Although I wouldn’t want my wife to watch a recording of that redhead I dreamed about last night.

Image credit: RondellMelling at Pixabay.com.

FOWC with Fandango — Lobby

Fandango19 Comments

FOWCWelcome to November 16, 2019 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “lobby.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

The issue with pingbacks not showing up seems to have been resolved, but you might check to confirm that your pingback is there. If not, please manually add your link in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.