[SunRescue] That maddening cycle...

[Bill Bradford]

On Tue, Dec 19, 2000 at 12:03:31AM -0800, Christopher Byrne wrote:
> 1. Admit you are powerless over your addiction
> Oh yeah, I am totally powerless over this one. My isp was down for three
> days, so I started using my cell phone to get online at a cost of $0.39 a
> minute, a total of $400.00 in three days.

I've learned to keep a dialup modem handy (via laptop) and a normal
ISP dialup account available.  When we have minor DSL outages, I
have learned to just go watch TV, read a book, etc.  However, my
significant other threatens to rip off a testicle unless I "FIX IT NOW!"
or get her online somehow.  We depend too much on this 24/7/365 access
I guess. 8-)  (I've had at-least-ISDN 24/7 access for about 4 years now,
with 1.5megabit ADSL for the past 1.5..)

> 2. Believe that a power greater than yourself can help
> That one I'm not so sure about. I don't really believe in a higher power as
> such, I'm more of a primal forces kind of guy

Someone has to be MAKING this equipment.

> 3. make a decision to turn your life over to that greater power
> That one I'm definiltey not going for. I'm a total control freak

In this case, "greater power" would be the person yelling "HONEY WHAT
IS IN THAT BOX?  Oh god, not more equipment!" 8-0

> 4. Make a searching and fearless inventory
> I recently calculated my total expenditures in computer hardware this year
> for my taxes, and it exceeds the national average income for a two child
> family. Software is pretty hefty as well.

I havent *spent* that much.. but if I counted what the original list price
of everything I own is . . (looking at the VAX 6000 in the garage...)

> 5. admit to yourself, to the higher power, and to one other person the exact
> nature of our wrongs
> Like I said, more than the income of the average two child family

I dont have to admit whats wrong about my collection, Amy tells me its
too large, all the time. 8-)

> 6. We are entirely ready to have the power remove these defects of character
> Ummm, I'm not so sure about that one either, I kind of like being computer
> addicted

I only hate it when I cant walk around the living room due to too much
hardware.  And picking up screws and such in the vacuum sucks (no pun
intended).

> 8. Make a list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make
> amends
> My wife definitley. I was supposed to buy her a new car a few months ago, I
> bought us both new computers instead

Yeah.  A ThinkPad 770E sure can help make up for any bad things we've done
as the male side of the equation. 8-)

> 9. Make direct ameds to those people when possible
> Well I'm working on that one. I'm buying her that new car in a few weeks

She's getting an upgrade to 256Mb RAM in 2 days.

You're not the only one, dude. 8-)

I dont mean to sound as if what Amy does is a bad thing - she just simply
tries to keep my collection manageable. 8-)

-- 
Bill Bradford       |    "Do you expect me to talk?"
mrbill at mrbill.net   |    "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
Austin, TX          |        -- "Goldfinger", 1964