Kids these days....

I agreed to do a favor for my business partner yesterday. His daughter is dating some guy who apparently had a question regarding Computers and Games (that's what my Business partner said. When it comes to the computer world, all he hears is 'blah-blah-blah-Microsoft-blah-blah-blah-Printer-blah-blah-blah'...you get the idea).

Soooo...today I get a call and do not recognize the Caller ID. Some times you just gotta shrug and say "I'll bite." I picked up the phone to hear my business partner's daughter on the other end. (the Caller ID gave a name I wasn't familiar with I would have recognized her name), and she promptly reminded me that her dad said it was Okay for her to call about helping her boyfriend.
I gladly replied to her, and said of course I'd be glad to help. She began and asked if I knew anything about Windows 7. I informed her that I had a copy but had not installed it yet (which is true). She sounded disappointed, but not wanting to let her down, I asked her why. She informed me that he took his computer into Best Buy and they upgraded it to Windows 7 (Warning: avoid Best Buy unless someone puts a gun to your head. I doubt their Geek Squad could erase an 'Etch-a-Sketch'), and now none of his games and stuff won't work. I began to inform her that normally when an OS is installed over a prior one, there is usually a re-installation required of the applications. Judging by the pitch, she turned her head slightly away from the phone to inform her boyfriend "You have to re-install all your stuff." To wit, I heard him talking to her in the background, in a constant drone. I was unable to tell what he was saying but it lasted for nearly half a minute, when she came back to me and said "Sorry, he's talking to me."
"Yes, I noticed." came my reply.
Then she asked me "What's a good graphics card and where can he get one." (What kind of cowardly boyfriend has his girlfriend call for his problems....? sheesh). I informed her to tell him that his best bet would be to go to www.tigerdirect.com and www.newegg.com. They have some of the good deals, and if you are of the kind that do it...go to Craigslist.
...Again, they bantered back and forth...
Then she told me that he's a Fire Spinner (Spitter?) and wanted to know who who he can talk to in order to get into the Renaissance Festival. I informed her that I have not associated with people from there in nearly 10 years. She was surprised to hear that, and as I was talking to her, she was talking to him and he was talking to her until I said -
"He's right there, correct?"
"Yes."
I'm afraid I lost my patience. This was terribly wrong to me so I said "Put him on the fucking phone." (This is uncharacteristic of me to say to a teenager, but I know her father.)
"Well, he was busy at first, but..." her voice became distant again as she moved the phone away from her, and then I heard her say "Here."
"Hello?" came the voice.
"Howdy," I replied, then went on, "Lets take them in order, First, when install an OS over another one, you generally need to re-install all your applications as well. Some times these won't work because of the bit of the OS, be it 32 or-"
He interrupted me about that point telling me that he did that and that none of his programs will work because they are 32-bit vs the 64-bit OS and that he prefers 32-bit because its more compatible.
I waited about 2 seconds to be sure he was finished, and said "Correct. In fact that is what I was actually starting to tell you before you interrupted me. Please try not to interrupt and just let me finish, okay?"
...I didn't wait for an answer...
"Secondly," I began, then proceeded to inform him that if he wants to be out where the leading edge of technology is, that he needs to research it. I gave him the analogy that tech is like dog-years. It advances so fast, that you need to spend time to keep abreast of it.
Then he asked me what was the fasted CPU out there. (Obviously he suffered from teenage selective-hearing. he didn't get the answer he wanted so he I felt it best to repeat my answer, only I slightly re-worded it). Then he wanted to know what a good graphics card was and where he could get a good deal on it.
...I had an inclination on what he was fishing for, and so I followed that hunch and let him know that I was no longer in the business and no longer deal with the manufactures any more.
I could tell by his reply that he was genuinely disappointed that I didn't have the ability to get him the latest and greatest graphics card at little (to no) cost to him. (And for a PC that isn't working right? Hardly.)
Then I informed him that although I no longer associate with people from the Renaissance Festival, I am on good terms with some, including those in the Fire-using circle. If he had a promo-video or a web-site, I would be happy to direct them to him and -
"I don't see what good that would do because my skills are superior to theirs." he interrupted.

I was done with him at that moment. He went on about how his skills are more advanced and broad because the people at the Renaissance Festival specialize.
I answered with an 'Uh-huh.'
And the rest of my replies were non-committal. He went on about his chains and how he supposed he has to make a web-site, etc...


Wow. Heinlein was right "Age does not grant you wisdom, but it does lend perspective."
I can easily identify a punk...I was one.

I think tomorrow I will post an incident from the past. Something with humor = "Boy's Are Dumb."

Here endith the Blog...