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Greetings!
 What if you could reboot your life? If you still had all your knowledge and experience but could wipe the hard drive of your life clean, what would you do? In a way, I just got that opportunity.
I've been working since before computers. My first glimpse of computer life was in high school when I took a Fortran programming class. I can remember thinking typing skills were going to be important in the future, not for the stereotypical secretary job, but specifically because of computers and so I included a typing class with my electives.
 It would be nearly a decade later before I actually got my own computer for work. If I remember correctly, my (then) company first installed them in the mid 1980's. We had giant green screen monitors built with cathode ray tubes (CRT) and powered by a main frame. Instead of a GUI screen, we had a character based system that now seems beyond archaic. GUI - pronounced 'gooey' - stands for Graphical User Interface and is the pretty Windows environment with which we're all so familiar.
 Since the beginning I've been saving data and moving it from computer to computer. First with floppy drives, then the 3.5 inch hard disk, then by cables, external zip drives, CD and ultimately via USB drives. It's amazing how much data has grown while its storage mediums shrink. I just purchased a 4 GB USB drive that is the size of a piece of Trident chewing gum. Technology has grown so fast in such a short amount of time.
Anyway, that was the long way of saying I've been saving data for the last 25 years. My entire life, both personal and professional, has been captured in electronic media. That is until a week ago when someone broke into my home and stole my purse, keys and laptop.
 After the initial shock of realizing someone has been in your home while you were sleeping and after being immensely grateful the situation wasn't horribly worse; your concern turns to protecting yourself and, in my case, our clients. So in a flurry of activity I virtually shredded my life by canceling credit cards, posting fraud alerts, and changing passwords.
While Executive Errands' data was backed up daily online and thus the business was not interrupted, my prior business life and my personal data were not. It was always one of those 'I need to do this one day' things that I never got around to doing.
 A lifetime's worth of family pictures, correspondence, personal documents, tax info, both my daughter's wedding plans and all my friends' contact info - all gone. Twenty-five years of work, consulting projects, volunteer and non-profit activities, educational seminars and workshops - literally thousands of Word, Excel, Power Point, Project schedules, Access databases and Visio documents plus countless client contacts, email history and other information - all gone.
I know I should feel devastated and yes rebuilding contacts is going to be a pain, but instead of feeling devastated, I feel.....curious.
 You see, I firmly believe not only that everything happens for a reason, but also that things happen as they should. Every experience contains a learning opportunity; some message that makes you stronger or smarter or more capable. I've spent my whole life that way, analyzing difficult situations to find the lesson that makes me (hopefully) a better person in the long run.
If it wasn't for my passport which was, ironically, in my laptop travel case, I would have no identity right now. No plastic cards that say who I am, no driver's license or social security card. No data history whatsoever. It's like my past has been completely erased.
 So here I sit, barely a week later, staring at the DOS prompt of my life, its little blinking colon asking 'now what?' Hmmm I don't know yet. Maybe data, like 'stuff' is just more baggage to weigh us down. I'm still not sure what the reason was for losing my past, but it doesn't necessarily seem like a crisis, at least not yet.  Strangely, I feel free and a little excited - like anything is possible. I can create anything I want right now. I was going to end this by saying maybe I should press F1 for help deciding where to go from here, but as I look at my new laptop, I realize there are no discernable function keys - where was I when that changed? (sigh). Technology - ya gotta love it!
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Our Favorite Things...
ATEHO - Art to Wear
Actual item from the store |
When you're looking for a unique gift or would simply like to treat yourself to something special, we recommend ATEHO - a lovely boutique featuring all handmade jewelry, scarves, handbags, and ceramics. Prices start at $25 and go up from there.
ATEHO is off the beaten path but still easy to find. They are located at 41-910 Boardwalk, Suite A-8 in Palm Desert. If you are going North on Cook from Fred Waring, you turn right on St. James Place and you'll drive right into them (they are at the end of St. James).
Actual item from the store | When you first enter their large showroom, you will be delighted at the beautiful colors and range of gift options. Each piece is far from ordinary. Some are one of a kind and some are limited editions and everything is made by hand. ATEHO currently offers designs from 35 artists and is always adding more.
If you'd like more information about ATEHO or to sign up for their mailing list, please contact Teri Howard at th@ateho.com or by phone at 760.776.1888 or you can visit their website at www.ateho.com
For high quality, wearable art and gift pieces, please visit ATEHO....one of our favorite things!
["Our Favorite Things" gives us an opportunity to share people, places, events and things that we truly love and that you might too. We have no business affiliation with any company or individual featured here. We just want to share good things with you and if our recommendations help build business for someone else or saves you time or money, GREAT!!!] |
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End of Summer Specials
 With the thermometer still hovering over 100 degrees it's a stretch to call this column 'end of summer' but August is traditionally the time when homeowners begin planning their return to the Desert while the rest of us are getting our homes in order so we can be ready for the busy season.
Whether you live here all year or part of the year, here are a few specials to help get your homes ready for the Fall season.
We are offering 10% off your total bill for housekeeping, window cleaning and/or carpet cleaning. Pick any one or all three.
 All you have to do is schedule and complete the work in August and we'll take 10% off your bill. It's that easy!
This offer is good for anyone who contacts us - whether you have us facilitate the work at your home while you're gone or whether we process a referral for you to arrange the work yourself. Either way, the 10% discount applies. And remember, referrals are always free. Be sure to mention you saw this special offer here in the newsletter so we can properly apply your discount.
Executive Errands - we care for your home like it is our own.
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Especially for August
Here are a few services that might be of value for you this month:
 1. If you're planning to get away on vacation this month, don't forget to have your home checked while you're away. Even if it's just a week, it's helpful to have us stop in once or twice to make sure everything is ok.
For vacation absentee home service, there are no membership fees - just an hourly rate. To learn more, please call us at 760.469.2487 or 760.898.9604
2. You might have noticed our usual August increase in the cricket population. And along with crickets come black widow spiders. If you need pest control service, we have a great company to address all of your pest and rodent problems. Just give us a call and we'll refer you to our pest control service immediately. 760.469.2487 or 760.898.9604
 3. Do you have pets that need care while you're away? We have a great pet care service - they are licensed and insured and are certified in all types of pet care, including the delivery of medications to special needs animals.
Our pet service offers home visits/walks, day care, overnight care or weekly care and your pet will never be in a kennel. Each animal is cared for in a safe and caring home environment or in your own home. For a free referral, please call us at 760.469.2487 or 760.898.9604
Executive Errands - we are a complete Personal Concierge service attending to your every need.
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Simply Celebrated for the Holidays
 Last month we announced the birth of a dream - Simply Celebrated, our take on all inclusive weddings and vow renewals and now we want your opinion - what did you think of the website? What do you think of the concept?
This all inclusive celebration program includes the venue, photographer, flowers, cake, champagne, music and food for small intimate groups of 25-50.
 And more importantly, because the dates between Thanksgiving and Christmas go fast, now is the time to start planning your Holiday parties.
If you are a small company looking for an affordable way to give your employees a holiday party, Simply Celebrated can fulfill that need. No minimums to meet - these events are truly all inclusive and at 4 hours each are just the right length for a weeknight event.
Please see our website at www.simplycelebrated.com We hope you find this new take on event planning as exciting as we do.
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For Sticky Situations....Part Deux
 This is month two of our three month summer-only column about the many practical (but perhaps little known) uses for WD-40. For August, practical uses 11-20 for WD-40 are:
-Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill
-Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing
-Removes tomato stains from clothing
-Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors
-Keeps scissors working smoothly
-Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
-Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide
-Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers
-Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises
-Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open
 Given my access breach experience this month, I'm not sure I'm happy about nor would employ hint number 16 or 20, but the rest of them are interesting and informative.
For more information about Executive Errands please contact us at 760.898.9604 www.executive-errands.com |
New Services... Ghost Writer
Do you need new website copy, a proposal written, a newsletter or an article, but find yourself staring at a blank page, unable to get the words out?
 Then maybe you need a Ghost Writer - someone who can translate your 'chunks' of ideas into a cohesive and logical body of text.
We now offer Ghost Writing services. Give us a call and we'll discuss what you need and we'll come up with either an hourly or a project cost depending on the scope of work.
Together, we'll create something you can call your own.
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Disaster Recovery Plans...
 Laptops are stolen every day. According to the FBI, over two million notebooks are stolen every year. That means on average one laptop is stolen every 16 seconds! They are very portable, very valuable, and potentially contain much more information than you care to give to a common criminal.
The following are a few ways you can protect yourself and your digital media from theft or fraud. Because there are so many options these days and because it's so difficult to tell which are legitimate companies, we highly recommend you invest in the services of a computer/software professional who can help you select the appropriate services for your needs. We have a great computer specialist, should you need one. Laptops: --Entrust (www.entrust.com) offers a wide variety of digital protection including a product that wipes your computer clean if someone tries to log on and puts in the incorrect password more than twice. A word of caution:  After changing my Windows logon password, I've entered it incorrectly at least a dozen times because my fingers don't have it by rote yet. If the Entrust feature for logon had been activated, I would have erased my laptop multiple times so be sure you have your password nailed down before utilizing this particular product. Entrust has all sorts of products in all price ranges including, at its most sophisticated, the use of thumbprint recognition for logon.  --LoJack for Laptops (www.lojackforlaptops.com) This is literally a software application that runs quietly in the background of your computer. Virtually undetectable, this software application tracks the whereabouts of your laptop. Once each day it 'phones home'. If you've reported your laptop as stolen, the number of calls increases and can be as often as once every 30 minutes, allowing the police to track your laptop's whereabouts. According to the FBI, if a laptop is stolen, most of the time it will never be recovered. The manufacturer of the LoJack product claims at least 75% of the laptops with this product installed are recovered.
 --Cloud Applications - Microsoft Live (www.live.com) is just one company who offers a 'Cloud' environment for your data. This is the future of data computing and if you haven't yet heard of it, you will soon.
In layman's terms, what a Cloud does is host all your data which is then accessible via the internet no matter where you are. Basically it renders your home or business computer into a terminal with no data saved locally, much like the old-fashioned terminal/mainframe of days past. Cloud, however, is much more sophisticated.
Besides hosting all your data, Cloud may also be set up for multiple user access which facilitates interoffice communication and work tasks. Cloud may eliminate the need to purchase software updates too as the Cloud should maintain all that for you. There are so many companies on the Cloud bandwagon and so many options you will truly need the assistance of a computer professional to ensure you select the best application for your needs.
 --Data Backups - there are several online data backup services (and if you use a Cloud application, you won't need one). There are so many of these services be sure to check them carefully. Sample search keywords include 'remote data backup', 'data archiving', 'offsite data storage', and 'online data backup'.
Credit Cards:  --After a theft, time is of the essence and calling multiple credit card companies may allow the bad guys a few more shopping sprees.
Citibank is one company who offers a 'single call' credit card theft reporting service. Their service is called WatchGuard Premier (www.watchguard.citi.com) and it allows you to list all your credit and debit cards in one place. If your wallet is stolen, you can call one number to report them all at the same time. If you're more than 100 miles from home at the time of theft, they provide you with a $500 cash advance and, once you activate a theft alert, you are automatically enrolled in six months of fraud protection.
 -Should your wallet be stolen, immediately call one of the three credit bureaus and log a fraud alert. That way should someone try to use your driver's license or social security number to open an account, they will immediately call you for approval. All fraud alerts are also easily entered online at www.experian.com or www.equifax.com or www.transunion.com and it is only necessary to notify one of the bureaus. They notify the other two.
Passwords:
 With our ever-growing dependence on the internet and the amount of websites and tasks we manage online, keeping track of logon's and passwords can be overwhelming. Most of us create a spreadsheet or word document to track this information and most of us name the document with some obscure and totally unrelated name so it can't easily be found.
An even better idea is to save that single document on a USB drive that you carry with you everywhere so it is never out of your possession. Many of the new USB drives come with a quick release system for your keychain so you can easily remove it in the event you need to leave your keys with the valet or an antsy teenager. Better still, there are all sorts of novelty USB drives - ones that look like a tube of lip balm, coins, or that come on chains you can wear around your neck. 
Password format is important too. All numeric passwords are easier to hack than alpha numeric. Add in special symbols and case sensitivity and you'll create a much stronger password. Most software specialists recommend at least a six character password made up of numbers and both capitals and lower case letters.
Keys: Never leave your keys in your purse or near your wallet.  Whenever possible, keep these items separate, out of sight from windows or car seats. That way, if a thief picks up one, he may not get the other. Also keep your home and mailbox keys separate from your car keys. That way if you do leave your keys with someone else (valet, auto service, a friend) your home keys are not at risk.
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As fast as technology advances in software protection, the bad guys are also advancing in ways to crack your security. In the end, no matter how many precautions you take, there is always the chance your data and identity can be compromised. All you can do is take the appropriate precautions for your particular work habits and hope nothing bad happens. But if or when it does, be sure you have your own disaster recovery plan so you can protect your identity, minimize your recovery time and so you can recover the data that is important to you. For more information or to request a referral to our computer specialist, please contact us at 760.898.9604 www.executive-errands.com |
 Mark your calendars - the Annual Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade is Sunday, October 31, 2010 and as always will be parading down El Paseo boulevard. This year's theme is "Halloween Extravaganza!"
This will be the fourth year in a row Executive Errands has provided the Concierge service for the Silver Circle box seats.
To reserve your seat, to enter a golf cart or for more information, please contact Katie at katie@pdcc.org or 760.346.6111
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 The Cathedral City-Rancho Mirage (CC-RM) Soroptimist Club's annual Fall Fashion Show and Fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the beautiful Desert Willow Golf Club.
Soroptimist, for those of you who may not be familiar, is a charity devoted to helping women and girls.
All the funds the CC-RM Club raises goes to the House of Hope in Desert Hot Springs and other local charities.
Please mark your calendars to attend this very special and enjoyable event. The theme is Holidays in the Desert and in addition to the Fashion Show, there will be fashion related raffles plus unexpected and exciting Live Auction items .
Also, our Soroptimist club will be honoring Maggie Montez, President of the Sheltering Sisters Auxiliary, an extension of Shelter From the Storm. Maggie is our Ruby Award recipient (formally our Women Helping Women award) and we are very excited to be recognizing her for the great work she does on behalf of battered women in the desert.
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My telling you about the theft at my home is not intended to illicit a sympathetic response. I appreciate the well wishes and support, but my primary reason for sharing it with you this month is twofold:
1. I found my reaction to the loss of my life's data to be unexpected and interesting. I've always promoted the release of attachment to 'things' as part of our growth as human beings, but given my own dependence on computer technology and perceived attachment to my laptop, I would have never guessed my reaction would be as it is. I thought you might find it interesting as well and maybe it will inspire you to consider your own feelings about the data you save.
 2. It is timely to consider Disaster Recovery Plans. Every business should have one and most do. But now, with the majority of people using the internet and actively computing in their daily lives, a personal Disaster Recovery Plan is a must. Don't be like Dilbert. Use this month's newsletter as a reminder that each of us can lose our data at any given time and implement the appropriate precautions.
I suppose I should count myself lucky. In 25 years of data collection, I've only ever had one virus (it ruined that computer) and had my laptop stolen once. Those are pretty good odds but shouldn't lull you into a sense of 'it won't happen to me'.
Oh! And by the way, it turns out there are function keys on my new laptop. They are really tiny and in a light blue color that made them invisible to my old eyes until I put my nose nearly on the keyboard! So glad they're still there!
We hope you enjoyed learning about various data and identity protections. As always, thank you for your loyalty to Executive Errands! Your referrals are the best compliment we receive.
Leslie Spoor
760.469.2487
We value our clients' privacy. Therefore we do not, nor will we ever, distribute your email address to anyone. Ever.
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