jozsef

A story that redefines excitement: The latest episode of my mangled computer tales

There are those who think I lack the skills to be truly boring (you can see we are quickly leaving reality and entering the world of imagination, such as it is) and this post should put such ideas to rest, since it once again revolves around my recalcitrant computers. It seems like only yesterday that every malfunction was but an entertaining diversion. Not so in the past few months, since the computer gods became angered by some transgression of mine that so far defies all remedies.

Since Windows is generally an exercise in masochism, and if you don't agree, just be patient and the true nature of the universe will reveal itself, it seemed time to go to Linux. (See above illustration of Ubuntu Linux. It really looks like that, but I don't mind because I'm very accommodating.) Having downloaded Ubuntu, it only required getting XP ready for burning the CD to be in business. In a clear act of sentient rebellion, a veritable explosion of malware struck, rendering the installation capable of many things, but all invariably distinct from any wishes of mine, thus the sun sets on yet one more finely and meticulously honed Windows setup. It lasted five days and a couple of hours, tying the previous record for living large and dying quickly. It's recent hardware and was very nice and fast. This Mac G4/800 is a little less speedy.

For anyone still reading, I've had four drives and the power supply go in a week and a bit, so there may be a war on or a curse of some kind is in full force.

I did promise boring, and since no profound tangent has presented itself during the course of writing this, I suppose I've delivered, but there is a thought I've wanted to put out there. I wonder how common is my experience that involves people sending messages telling me I'll never know how much my words meant to them and then never writing again, and I mean nothing after many months or more than a year. Is perceptual distortion so common that we routinely re-evaluate past events and "realize," OMG, he doesn't really care about me at all! It's all right there in the tea leaves/ constellations/ Freudian dream interpretation/ bathroom graffiti at the local bar, etc.

The truth is that being perplexed by other people isn't really surprising when it happens, since none of us interpret the world in quite the same way, but it's still sad. In truth, being the best friend we know how to be is all we have to offer, and how things play out after that is not ours to control. Oh, where is supernatural power when you really need it!

EDITED to add that the Mac has been making groaning noises without any manual stimulation from me, so it's either automanipulation or imminent failure.