When it rains...

[Carl Distefano CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx]

If I recall correctly, way back when we had a discussion here about
keyboard maintenance, and someone suggested taking the thing into
the shower from time to time. I was skeptical then, but I've become
a believer. In fact, I heartily recommend showering not only with
the keyboard, but also with monitor, printer, fax machine and the
CPU itself. It may not help, but apparently it doesn't hurt. Or so
I found out today, when a torrential, wind-driven rainstorm blew
across the five boroughs of NYC -- in honor, no doubt, of the
centenary of their consolidation into a single municipality -- and
into my open window while I was away.

One-half of my work area -- the half, of course, that contains all
the electronic equipment -- was in the path of destruction and got
soaked through and through. The fax paper supply was a sodden mess,
and when I opened the chassis, it spilled a puddle of water on the
desk; ditto my trusty HP IIP printer. Keyboard, monitor and the box
itself were all sopping wet. The only encouraging sign -- here's
the XyWrite connection -- was that Xy4 still responded to commands
(yes, the system was running when the rains hit), and OS/2 shut down
normally. (I'd rather risk electrocution than lose data, wouldn't
you?)

But after 15 or 20 minutes under the hair dryer, all vital signs
were stable. The fax machine made copies and produced a dial tone,
and the printer printed; the computer computes. The only casualty
I've noticed so far is that the Windows Help key now does what the
Start key used to do, while the Start key itself is dead. Not only
does everything work, it sparkles, too! Altogether, an excellent
adventure, but, um, not one that I hope to repeat any time soon.

--------------
Carl Distefano
CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/