Letters to the Editor

• Well, it's a lesson for the rest of us

  [Read the article: My laptop was stolen -- I feel like my life is gone!]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  This doesn't do the LW any good; it's too late. But for the rest of us it should serve as a reminder to back up all our important files. Burn files to disk, or better yet, burn them to DVDs (for more storage). Put the CDs in a boring but sturdy container that nobody would want to steal. (I am sure others here can recommend other storage methods.)

  Laptops are probably one of the most-stolen items. I've heard cases where people who had installed tracking software on their laptops were able to find the IP address of the person who stole their machine, alert the police, and catch the burglar. Yes, this is rare and only works if the thief is too stupid to re-format the hard drive. But it should also be a reminder to put your laptop someplace safe 'n' hidden when you're not at home.

  I've experienced something similar to the LW, when a hard drive of mine crashed. It contained 4 years' worth of creative stuff. The problem wasn't the hard drive, because I found some really good recovery software for $40. The problem is my friend who "helped" me by (without my knowledge) re-installing the operating system which then wrote over the files that I later wanted to recover. Whoops. (Bottom line: Figure things out yourself so you have nobody else to blame.)

  As for burglary, my parents' homes have both been burglarized multiple times. Many of my most cherished and valuable childhood possessions were taken. So was my mother's engagement ring which had been my grandmother's as well and was going to be passed down to me. It sucks being ripped off. I've harbored fantasies of catching people in the act of burglarizing my home, and then most likely murdering them. Those fantasies don't really help -- they just stir up more ugly feelings. It's much more satisfying to learn not to care as much about possessions. If your happiness is mostly inside your mind and spirit and healthfulness, it's a lot harder for people to take that away from you (well, they can do that too, but it requires a different kind of violation).

  Permalink Thursday, October 18, 2007 04:23 AM

• Richard Corliss...

  [Read the article: Richard Corliss: Rush didn't threaten me]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  ...is probably one of the worst movie reviewers working for a major publication. If you really want to connect the dots, draw lines between all the mediocre movies produced by Warner Bros. and all the glowing reviews Corliss inexplicably gives to them.

  And the confession to masturbating in a porn theater is embarrassing.

  Permalink Thursday, October 18, 2007 07:30 PM