So I think I have another malware thingy on my computer. WHERE THE HELL DO THEY COME FROM. There I was, happily browsing the Internet (or as happily as a TalkTalk user could browse, at any rate) when suddenly BOOM! The browser closes, and when I try to open it up again I get a pop-up saying 'install Vista Home Security 2011 OR DIE'. See, the thing is, it looks like a genuine Microsoft program. But then, so did ThinkPoint and Security Shield.

Also, this pop-up, while mostly well-written, contains a few subtle quirks in the language that make my malware alarm go wild. I quote word for word...

"Windows recommend Activate Vista Home Security 2011

Click "Yes, Activate..." to register your copy of Vista Home Security 2011 and perform threat removal on your system."

One: there are elements of Engrish to your writing. Two: I have no recollection of ever having a trial version or whatever of your program. Three: kindly go to hell and perish there a million times.

Methinks it's time to get Malwarebytes on its arse.

Anyway, I managed to write four pages on 'The Great Couch Happening of '69' today, as well as kick arse on Final Fantasy VII. Usually it's one or the other with me. I write and keep writing, or I play FFVII and keep playing. I even managed to listen to a few records, and work a little on my screenplay version of 'The Great Couch Happening of '69'. All in all a productive day. This journal entry will be my final productive act of today, if you don't count sleeping as productive!

Personally, because I'm a lazy sod, I do. It makes me feel better about myself. If someone says to me "So you didn't write or draw anything today?" I'll look them square in the eye and say "I slept. That still counts as doing something with my life!"

Ehem.

The fact that I've split my novel into three big main plots to be tackled separately is working surprisingly well. I've now done a wee bit on all three plots and I can still see myself sticking it through to the end. If anything, I can still finish both it and 'The Chronicles of Stan' by the end of the year, even with NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy '11. Then I can get to work on revising them, perhaps even get another major project underway.

I'm feeling pretty good about my writing. I just need to keep it up; learn to use my dead time efficiently. if I find myself with nothing to do, get out a pen and write! It can only end well, after all!

What I also need to do is get back to that good old post-NaNo routine where I'd sit down every day at 9pm and write 6 pages, ending at midnight. It was knackering work at first but I eventually settled into a rhythm in which I could do that and happily only get seven hours sleep, getting up in time for work at the charity shop or whatever it was I had planned that day.

Well, looks like I'm up for the duration tonight, anyway. Malwarebytes refuses to open (probably the virus affecting it - like how ThinkPoint was able to prevent me using the Internet) so I'm running a BitDefender scan instead. I'll get my slippers and my novel and make good use of the time. I hope this one will be as easy to bust as the other two were...

Did I mention that I can now play 'All This Crazy Gift of Time' by Kevin Ayers on guitar? I taught myself the other day. It's pretty easy really but shush, I'm proud of myself. Let me bask in my success before telling me to go and learn a five-chord song next!

Apologies for the crappy subject line. It's a bad joke anyway but if I got the quote wrong, blame the malware. Normally I'd check online just to make sure I got the right reference but NO. MALWARE SAYS 'U NO USE INTERNETZ'.

Seriously. Where the hell does all this Malware come from? There've been three instances of it in the past couple of months.