I feel like I've been doing this all day in one way or another, hassling with a program meant to keep my laptop safe from viruses. It detects a Problem. But if you were to look up this so-called Problem, you would find that it isn't actually a problem or a threat in anyway. Rather, the program looks at it and is intimidated by it and doesn't like the way it looks and puts it in a big red box, demanding your immediate attention. You have two options: to fix the Problem or to ignore it. Of course there is an asterisk next to the Fix option telling you that that is the preferred method for dealing with it and that it isn't, in fact, better left let alone. I just keep clicking Fix again and again and again but nothing is happening. The program is ignoring my attempts to do what we both think needs to be done. I can look at the scan's progress, I can check on the files it's looked at, I can minimize it or just put it off to the side of the screen, but for some reason I just cannot Fix the Problem. I'm sitting here, looking at the window head-on, with my eyes imploring the program to just let me fix everything. But to no avail. I need to get to bed, I'm very aware of this, but what am I supposed to do about the Problem? If I just shut down for the night, that same Problem will be there in the morning. For how long, though, can I sit here clicking Fix before my little touch pad gives out and the little so-called Problem begets a very real, very serious one?




There are entirely too many metaphors running around on any given day.