It's Never Quite Over, Folks...
Welcome to a little something I like to call "Car-Repair Tuesdays", which is NOT to be confused with "Computer-Repair Mondays".
(at least that's what's occurring around OUR little parcel of the 7th layer of Hades).
As you might know, we're operating on our #2 computer system, as our #1 system is busy with corrupted Win XP. Add to that the #2 monitor on/off switch took the big "dirt nap" as well, so I did what any good "tech" would do...I swapped the monitors. We once again have a viable desktop system, but we did purchase a new monitor for the #1 system, should we somehow manage to get it set to rights.
*** Enter the wonderful world of online I/M troubleshooting...
We contacted emachines (the new system is STILL under warranty) and the missus was busy with the online "tech" (actually some guy in India reading from a manual, most likely) trying to get the system to boot normally. I was riding shotgun on the new system, trying everything wifey was relating from "Faizel".
And, naturally, nothing worked.
So...what THEY are gonna do, is send along a "restore disk/ CD" to us (in about 7 business days), and that "should" solve the problem (seeing IS still believing to me).
In the meantime, we HOPE this will in fact solve the issue of bad software.
If not, we have to send the entire CPU back to emachines for a replacement.
In either case, we lose all data stored on the drive (like my damn DAZ3D...for the THIRD TIME...this is getting a little boring, don'cha think?) when it gets reformatted.
Lucky us.
But we still have our "notebook" computer...as a backup FOR the backup...just n case.
Anyway, today is the day we "help our economy" by taking the wife's car into the shop for some A/C system work.
And again, we HOPE it STAYS fixed, but the way things are managed TODAY, it's a real crap shoot. Now the wife is contemplating getting a "newer" car...like her parents' 2005 Impala, but it IS a FWD car, and that comes with a whole other set of "repair baggage", as opposed to a RWD vehicle.
In other words...it costs a LOT more to fix a FWD vehicle..'cause all the crap is UP FRONT, like the suspension, engine, transmission...yeah, those things.
Seems the "gods" of commerce and auto making have pre-determined that we ALL "need" FWD, because it's "better". And after all, THEY know what is best for US, due to the fact that we're all dumber than a bump on a damn log, right?
WRONG.
I know ALL of you readers here are about as far from DUMB as EAST if from WEST, otherwise you wouldn't be frequenting this blog...LOL!
We know what WE need more than anyone else, and we know US better than anyone else (and that's because WE spend the most time with US, right?), so I get perturbed when some jackhole comes along and TELLS me what I "need".
And so should YOU.
The ONLY thing I really NEED is to be left the hell alone BY these buttwpies, to make my OWN, informed decisions.
But, I digress...
My car also needs some A/C repair, and it hasn't worked in over 5 years, but it's not as high on the old priority list as the more immediate stuff. After all, I drove cars LONG before having air conditioning was "standard" equipment.
We "suffered" along with the windows down, the "vents" open (car makers did AWAY with those, mechanically-speaking), and the collar unbuttoned. THAT was A/C for the masses back in the day.
When you stop and think about what we DO have today, versus what we did NOT have about 40-50 years ago, we seem to be doing pretty damn well.
Or are we?
Have we sacrificed creature comforts and other "amenities" because we just can't be bothered with paying attention to what's going on on our streets, our schools, and our governments?
Has all this technological posturing become the mainstay in our lives, diverting out attention fro the REAL issues?
I think it has, but now we're beginning to see all those trees in the forest once again.
"ANY technological advancement is ONLY AS GOOD as the level of responsibility of the individual applying it."
(and yes, you may quote me on that)
Doesn't matter if it's a damn computer or an automobile...or anything ELSE in between.
We are consumers...we can't help that.
That's what drives capitalism.
But there is a downside to all of it.
And that occurs when planned obsolescence reaches new heights, and we can no longer "repair" things, but rather REPLACE THEM.
In my opinion, that DEVALUES whatever is being replaced, simply because no one wants to be bothered with repairing whatever it is that needs repair.
And if we can carry such an analogy over to something more important...like PEOPLE. we see that much of the "socialized medicine" does the EXACT SAME THING...with living beings.
Treatment is deferred, or even ignored, only we can't just "replace" those people dying off, can we, at least NOT with the same TYPE of person. We CAN treat them, and treat them WELL...in essence, "repair" them properly, so they don't become "obsolete" in the process.
Yes, this all borders on the philosophical, but anything that requires cogent thought will do that.
Still, we are far from finished when it comes to getting things fixed.
Some things NEED fixing...others NEED replacing, but let's never mix the two into some perverse homogeneous pablum that covers "all the bases" for God's sake.
Let's set about FIXING what needs fixing...replacing what needs replacing, and that applies to computers, cars, people, and YES...even our government.
WE still are the voice that needs to be heard, whether it's to a president, a congressperson, or even an auto mechanic.
It's OUR lives that are being affected
And it's OUR lives that we all have to spend some time working with.
So, before I go see what is going to crap out in our house next...
Watch both hands carefully when it comes to those "fixer-uppers", and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.