pinned to the mat by technology

I had far too much on my plate yesterday to have the time or the patience to deal with (Mutter! Mutter! Mutter!) computer problems.

But so much had gone wrong with my old machine in past years that when it chucked a woobly yesterday (that was located so deep in its gizzards that I had to seek professional assistance) I crunched some numbers and invested the quote (to get the old machine fixed) in a whiz-bang new computer.

Am I happy with my lovely new toy?

No I am *not* happy!

Even though the new machine is faster and works better than the old one it cost me *money* - and my second name does not begin with 'Mac' for nothing!

I loathe parting with money under any circumstances - but especially after I had spent the weekend working out how much the chap with the big ATO wheel-barrow (parked at my front door) expects from my 06-07 capital gains!

Adding fuel to my feelings (about a techno-conspiracy against my financial health) last week my old mobile phone upped and died on me too.

I'm 69 and have the grey-hair to prove it - but the youngsters who sell mobile phones must think I have a girlfriend on the International Space Station that I need to see and talk to (on the hour) like a lovesick teenager:



It took me it quite a bit of effort to convince them that all I wanted was a mobile phone that worked like my old one did - and was inexpensive!

Friends could phone me (on my old mobile) and I could call the Suicide Hotline on it when ads like this appear 17 times during the TV news in coming weeks:

This is a message from the Australian Government:
Your Chooks Will Go Off The Lay If You Vote Labor!

When all else fails...



... try group therapy.