[SEL] Totally off topic-just a "rant"

[Jerry Evans]

Hi Guys,
         This is a really off topic post but what the heck.

         I've had a really s___t week and just feel like spreading the load 
amongst my mates.

         I live in an area of South Africa prone to very heavy electrical 
thunderstorms and do have all the necessary "lightning protectors" etc. 
installed on my house, computers and such but in the last 2 weeks we have 
had 2 thunderstorms here, the like of which I've not experienced since 
moving here in 1969. (Can I blame this on America - climate change and the 
like ??) :-)

         The first was at 12:15 one morning about 2 weeks ago. It knocked 
out my telephone lines, my cordless telephone as well as the "lightning 
protector" it was connected through, woke me up, scared the hell out of my 
pets (dogs & cats) and me as well. Remember that this is an area prone to 
heavy storms and I'm used to them but this one was just too close for comfort.

         The next one was at 5.20 last Saturday morning when we scored a 
"direct hit". It woke me up and my first recollection was of this orange 
fireball in my garden - it slowly faded away and I went and changed my 
shorts :-).  This one lasted for about an hour.

         It knocked out my main computer (also connected through all the 
necessary protection) as well as burst a few underground water pipes (I 
dunno how), broke some windowpanes and took my telephone connections out 
completely. (The Lord alone knows why it did not take out my electricity as 
well)

         This computer is the one that I do all my business on so I've had 
a pretty stressful week trying to get this fixed. Fortunately all my data 
is still intact and I do have backups but my business revolves around this 
machine and finances preclude me from just going out and building a new 
machine so I had to "fix" this one. I'm sure that many of you do know that 
it's easier to just get a new machine but my whole business is configured 
around his one. (Pentium 4 - 2 Gig)

         Anyway - buy a new motherboard, processor and memory and try to 
get it sorted out using all my existing HD drives, DVD writer, CD Writer, 
video capture card and additional I/O cards.

         HAH !  Get it working only to find that my monitor does not speak 
to the new motherboard, - sort that out but the new motherboard also does 
not have a parallel port ( it has the connection but does not have the 
actual "plug in socket" (everything is USB these days but my signmaking 
plotter only works on parallel - no USB). Back to the supplier (60 miles 
round trip) for the parts.
Get some totally useless advice from their salesman that could have caused 
my hard drive to crash had I followed it (with my "Data Recovery" 
background I do know a bit about hard drives!).

         That's where I was an hour ago - 8.00 pm Friday night after having 
wasted a whole week and got next to nothing done.

         Decision to be made - what next ?

         Answer - Pour a "Brandy & Coke" - write a totally irrelevant 
letter to the guys on the SEL and leave the damn computer for tomorrow - so 
this is that letter :-) ( and I feel better for it - thanks Guys - or maybe 
it's the other "B&C's" I've poured since starting this post !).

Keep well,
Jerry

Keep the revs up (or down)
Jerry Evans
Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.
Etched Brass Engine Plates made to order:
www.oldengine.org/members/evans/plates/index.htm



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