I suppose I could've gone to the Library and used the Gates Foundation computer (more on that later),
and while at the same time this trojan is doing "God Knows What" to my computer?

In dealing with all non-trivial life problems I have what I consider an excellent habit of always using what Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance calls "the Scientific Method" ("How exactly does every part in this bike work, to make it run") - after having extensive knowledge of a subject, one can logically examine the causes and effects all the way down the chain. (Cuz I've been programming computers since 1978, I'm able to do this with any computer) I.e. "ok, how does a ms windows computer start? ok, there are the 4 or 5 system configuration files, that's not it; it's a windows issue ok what's in the registry and/or windows/system directory, and how does that load on startup?" In all, a very thorough but painstaking, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking process.

I must say, I didn't "feel" very good at all. I know I sometimes make fun of people that say "I had so many problems I just had to use", but: I will remember yesterday: perhaps in different life circumstances I'd have done "something I'd later regret" to stop feeling that very upset...

So after several hours I fixed it (I guess I was "lucky" - otherwise this'd have been real expen$ive...).
And I ask (right after serious problem, again a good habit): "Why did this happen in the first place? And what can I do to prevent it from happening again?"

My Overwhelmingly Clear and Certain Answer to this is:
"Well with Micro$oft Windows set up the way it is, stuff like this always happens. That's why the web's full of software vendors selling virus scans for Micro$oft systems, firewalls, and all that." Why is that the case? So I again use the above method and asked myself (which was part of the above process that got me out of trojan hell:), "Well, how would I write a windows system - which program files, and how would I start them?" I realized:

If I wrote a windows system, I wouldn't have this enormous "system registry" that can be sneakily changed and which will later cause all kinds of problems. And I'd write a web browser that has only one VISIBLE 'channel' for information, and it ALL appears on the screen." The Root Cause of this recurring problem is that Micro$oft Windows "Internet Explorer" is written ON PURPOSE so that when you're online, YOU CAN'T STOP 'ADVERTISING WINDOWS' AND OTHER SUCH UNWANTED, POTENTIALLY EVIL MATERIAL FROM BEING TRANSFERRED TO YOUR COMPUTER, LOADED IN MEMORY, RUN, AND PROCESSED/DISPLAYED/OR WHATEVER)". Try M$'s 'Hotmail' and you'll see ad windows all over - PRESENTING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH UN-ASKED FOR, UNWANTED ADVERTISING IS WHAT MICRO$OFT IS ALL ABOUT! (That's why I use the "$" in the name).

Again, the browser I'd write: when I type "http://www.charming-holly.com", that's what I get, and any bytes transmitted that say "display window 'http://www.advertize_porn.com'" or "show popup '..refinance_now.com'" or "load into system directory and system registry '..hijack_now.isr' and run" would be ignored cuz it's clear that "THESE ARE NOT DISPLAY INSTRUCTIONS THIS BROWSER IS MEANT TO DO, THESE ARE SYSTEM COMMANDS! ('BROWSING' BY DEFINITION MEANS 'BROWSE' - NOT 'LOAD STUFF INTO MEMORY'!) MY BROWSER WOULD BE SET TO DO COMMANDS SUCH AS 'DISPLAY .JPG IMAGE', 'RESIZE WINDOW', 'DISPLAY A VISIBLE LINK TO ANOTHER URL ADDRESS', AND IT WILL IGNORE OR NOTIFY USER OF TRANSMITTED COMMANDS LIKE 'LOAD' 'RUN' OR 'REGEDIT' !)

It should be obvious to anyone who thinks about it that, Micro$oft could write a browser that does the above, and it'd be pretty simple and 1/5 the file size. But THEY DON'T - because of the above, and because their URL is "micro$oft.COM". Do you know what ".com" is? Commercial - to make $$$ ! I.e. Retail Sales and Tons Of Advertising. Not ".org" - for the service of humanity, to make their life better WITHOUT profiting from it personally!

Actually, in the last few days I've noticed that THERE ARE OTHER GOOD NON-MICRO$OFT BROWSERS OUT THERE, AND THEY'RE ALL GOOD. AND MOST OF THEM CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR FREE!"

And it's too bad, because for 15 years, I loved Micro$oft and its products. I loved its 386 and 3.1 DOS Operating Systems (used in the 1990's). I totally love MS Word - I use it always; I love its look, functionality, and how you can write "macros" to do anything you want and put them on the main menu. But after "upgrading" to Window$ 98 (yeah I know after only five years) - it's the 1st M$ software I'm starting not to like, because of its enormous registry, huge number of system files, and sneaky 'Internet Exploiter' (I mean 'Explorer')". Time for W98TE (Third Edition) - I hope one of the thousands of excellent programmers "out there" on the net decide to code it and make it freeware / public domain.

So I say openly to Bill Gates: please, don't donate another computer to a library from your multi-billion "Gates Foundation" to feel better - do something good! Have someone take a simple browser (The one YOU use, or any one of the many good ones out there, whose owners would be very happy to sell the rights to M$ for this), and put the Micro$oft name on it, and put THAT on a computer and donate THAT to a library! It would cost you the same ($0, cuz i's "Gates Foundation"), and it would be a GENUINE GOOD to humanity that you could be PROUD of! Something the library kids could use and not get ad windows and popups all over that they can't control. That's the wrong idea for kids to get - that things are out of control! Instead of being the totally self-centered capitalistic money-grubbing pig that you are now.

Part of what our present task is, especially for us who are in this Met Group, is:
To discover what has caused our problems in the past; and,
To then make changes so they don't happen again.