Electronics are revolting against me.

Yesterday morning, I was working on my laptop when suddenly it froze. It stayed that way, grinding, for fifteen solid minutes. It was stuck at 7:07am while the clock on my cable box had moved on to 7:17. Normally, I'd just turn it off. I couldn't this time. I didn't know if the document I had been working on was saved or not. It was something I couldn't loose. So when my laptop finally burps and unfreezes there are lines in the LCD screen. After I saved my document, I did a restart... yup the lines are still there. Great.

So today I reached for my iPod. Turn it on...scroll around the menu looking for some Lady GaGa when I notice a line going horizontal across the screen of my iPod. WHAT THE HECK ELECTRONICS?

I should maybe step back a few and explain that I may in fact have the touch of death when it comes to these sorts of things. I can't own a DVD player for more than a year because they break. I don't do anything to them! They touch me and die. Just ask my mom!

One time...my mom and I rented an Elvis movie Change of Habit (if you haven't seen it... YOU NEED TO!) I powered on the DVD player, ejected the tray, placed the DVD in and then pressed play. The movie played. My mom and I ate popcorn. Then when the movie ended I clicked the menu button on the remote and all hell broke loose. The DVD player froze. I waited a few minutes and finally my mom says, "just try turning it off." I did. It never turned back on.

So I'm actually starting to think that maybe I'm just one of those people whose electrons are more destructive than most. Maybe I need to wear rubber, electron-neutral gloves when touching things plugged into a wall?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Do any of you Ranters have this problem?
Leave 'em in comments!

Rats! Foiled Again!! Why can't manufactures make what I want?

I'm looking to purchase a new camera. I've been in need of one for an extremely long time. I haven't owned a camera since film was the norm. There's been lots of reasons why, from too poor to just hadn't found one I loved.

Then I found the one I loved... but a little too late.

I want the Nikon Coolpix P80. While it doesn't pack the Zoom that its replacement the Nikon Coolpix P90 boasts, it takes photos with much more "punch." The colors in the P90 are washed where as the color from the P80 are bright and crisp. Naturally I want bright and crisp. I don't need a camera that is also a telescope.

But alas, Nikon has discontinued the p80 and despite telling the guy at BestBuy I would kiss him if he found one for me, I haven't had much luck in finding one. I've come close. I found one online retailer who had a brand new one and could sell me the same warranty that BestBuy sells...only I was an hour too late.

Clearly, God does not want me to own this camera.

And so it is, I am still without a Camera.

*Shakes fist at Nikon!*

When are manufacturers going to understand that a) some people don't need a lot of "features" added to their camera. I don't need an HD video camera built into my stills camera *gives Sony the shifty eyes* and I don't want to pay for it. I don't want zoom that allows me to see the nose hairs on an ant--not if it sacrifices the picture clarity and color. Maybe other people want those things or are willing to pay for things they don't need, but I'm not them.

Now, I know I'm going to get a bazillion comments on how I should get an D-SLR. That's great. But right now, I don't want an D-SLR. I don't want to be bothered with changing the lenses. I need something quick. I need something that is ready to go if there's a humming bird drinking nectar at a hibiscus tree.

And yes, I want more zoom than a pocket camera (and a damn view finder!) but I will never understand why manufacturers have to go beyond what is necessary.

I may have found a cure...

If you've read my previous post, you'll know I die a lot in my dreams. Well...I think I figured out a cure. Night-lights. I started thinking about what might be triggering them and the nights during which I don't have dreams that wake me up in a panic. The pattern I started to see was lighting.

I have a pretty bad habit of falling asleep on the couch (laptop on lap). However, never during these nights do I have the kinds of horrific dreams I usually have. The only difference is that when I fall asleep on the couch the lights are on. Both my couch and my bed are insanely comfortable.

About a week ago, after I had dragged myself up the stairs and into my bed, I could not fall asleep. I was dreading the dreams I might have. Every movement of my sheet or itch of my skin sent death-dream signals to my brain. In an effort to sleep, I turned on the bathroom light. Worked like a charm.

Now, I'm not afraid of the dark. There isn't anything in the dark that is going to hurt me...but there is something calming about having a light on.

Then I started thinking back to growing up. When I lived in my parents house, my mother was notorious for staying awake into the wee hours of the morning. (A trait I inherited.) So all those nights I was trying to get to sleep 99.9% of the time the hall light shone through the cracks between my door and the door jamb.

The other day I purchased some LED night lights. I haven't had one bad dream or trouble falling asleep since. So...even though I feel a bit like a seven year old...I'm keeping them.