Classic Rant #408 (December 20, 2010): Time To End It All

No, my computer is still not working correctly. And yes, I am writing this on an outside unit.

Everything was fine, I was using it without any problem, and I was hooking up to the Internet just fine on Friday night.

But on Saturday, there were some strange images on the screen, and then, nothing. I tried another monitor, and it once again crapped out on me pretty quickly.

I brought the unit in for repair on Sunday, and they later told me it might be the monitor. Funny, I tried another monitor I had, and it didn't work either. Maybe it's the video card?

Whatever the reason, they are keeping my unit overnight, and perhaps they will find out the problem.

Right now, I am ready to tear out the remaining hairs on my head, which don't number many.

I told my wife that I feel like I have been born under a bad sign when it comes to electronics. I always seem to have problems with them.

This dates back to when I was a teenager, and I got my driver's license. In my early cars, my radio either didn't play or didn't play very well.

In the old days, I can't tell you how many tapes I got stuck in my car tape player.

Also, later on, my stereos always played, or didn't play right. They were adequate, but never really that great.

I have had countless TVs--I was nearly electrocuted by one when lightning hit our roof antenna, frying my TV right after I had manually turned the channel--stereos, computers, VCRs and other electronics, and they all go bad on me.

The latest cycle started in October, when we had a brief power outage and my video recorder died due to the rapid power deflation--and then power surge--brought on by this outage. Luckily, I had a spare one around, so it was relatively easy to switch them.

Later, I bought my mother an inexpensive computer, only to find that its operating system was antiquated, and I couldn't hook up to the Internet.

Over Thanksgiving, I blew out a part of our electrical system when I hooked up a battery charger to one of our wall outlets.

And then we come to this computer, the latest episode of which has driven me nearly to drink.

By the way, my son received a new iPod for the holiday, and yesterday we decided to get it in sync with his computer.

Of course, based on my luck, there were problems.

It took about 45 minutes for the new version of iTunes to download. Heaven knows why, I have downloaded other versions of iTunes in the past, and it takes maybe five minutes, at most, to do.

Then, the songs he selected wouldn't go into the newly installed iTunes. I have no idea why, but somehow, we were able to fix this problem. In fact, the whole thing works pretty well now.

Anyway, I still yearn for the day that the only thing we had to worry about was if the rabbit ears on our TV were in the right position to pick up our local stations.

Frankly, I can't take anymore of this nonsense.

But what am I to do?

It is time to end it all--I mean all the computer/electronics problems, nothing else--and get back to normal living.

Believe me, I am trying.

Let's see what happens with my computer so I can get back to some type of normalcy.

That would be the greatest present I can get this holiday season.