Peskipiksi Pesternomi!

I realize this "Ban Harry" crappola flamed-out long ago but it seemed an appropriate tool for today's comic to point out the blatant hypocrisy of those who judge everything according to a single mythological tome that contains one small section they're willing to happily embrace. Basically, if the scripture is not germane to Jesus, the Easter Zombie, its adherents have a conveniently short memory.

Oops! Forgot about the Armageddon fans. Sorry, end-timers.

The Bible itself is no less a fantastical fabrication than Harry Potter. Beginning with a wildly fictional creation story it also offers magical events, talking animals, accommodatingly devastating meteorological occurances and floating menageries, not to mention the death and resurrection of the main character. The big difference between the two books is that HP is written for 8-year-olds, while the Bible is written for people with the minds of 8-year-olds.

I've heard people refer to the later volumes of Harry Potter as "dark", but it has nothing on a book that is a virtual parade of violence. I'm not the biggest J. K. Rowling enthusiast but I wouldn't care at all if my kids desired to read her works.

As for the Bible, it might surprise you to know that I'd let my kids read it. But you know what? They wouldn't. There are so many better things to do.

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My first computer was a TI-99/4A. I used it for business and pleasure right up until 1993. During that time I wrote commercial software, in BASIC, that even won an award or two. But technology required I move forward and so I bought a used PC, and thereupon descended into hell.

For one solid month I tried, without success, to get its crappy modem to connect to my local BBS. Eventually I dumped its cursed corpse on Goodwill's doorstep and bought a second-hand Mac Plus. It connected on the first try. I've been a Mac fan-boy ever since. In fact, that very Mac Plus shares a place of honor on my bookshelf with an equally admired SE/30.

Today, Beloved Girlfriend's G5 Pro Tower, a towering silver behemoth that she dotes on like one of her own furry children, wouldn't start up. After some poking and prodding on my part it became clear that the power supply, after seven long years, had given up the ghost.

So we shlepped it down to the local Genius Bar this morning only to be told that they don't make that part for it anymore.

Say what?

I called the attention of the Genius over to the corner of the store where the lone Pro Tower, awash in a sea of iPads, stood guard. The form-factor has remained unchanged after all these years so, why, I asked, should the power supplies be so very different? The unhappy, and all-too-practiced, answer was that the connectors are different now.

Sigh.

I love ya, Apple, but you can do better than this. I own a 46-year-old car and I can still buy every part on it.

BG is still considering her options but she needs the computer replaced quickly, for business reasons, so she's leaning towards a used G5 Tower. She may even go with a new Mini if we can work out the details. As for me, I'm casting about for a replacement power supply.

I can rebuild it. We have the technology.

Addendum: BG bought a modestly superior G5 Tower this morning off Craigslist. We swapped the drives and got on with our lives. I've located a good source for power supplies and will be attempting surgery early next week on the dead metal kid. If successful the patient will go into the closet as back-up for the next trial of tears.

Were that Japan's problem's be this easy to solve.

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And what is Fox News spewing lately? Lies about trade unions and National Public Radio.

If you don't watch it please request that your local cable provider remove them from your monthly bill by calling them about it at three in the morning.

=Lefty=