Here's a tale which I don't think features in Andrew Rawnsley's book, but which is doing the rounds in Westminster.
An IT company was called into Downing Street one weekend to look at Gordon Brown's computer, which, they were told, had gone on the blink. The problem soon became clear. It turned out that someone had hurled the keyboard through the screen...
Now, if the IT repair man would like to get in touch...
To be fair who hasn't given a piece of flakey technology the occasional good kicking.
ReplyDeleteI know I have!
Quite the most risible reaction of many yesterday was Alan Johnson's solemnly maintaining that in 17 years he had never once heard Gordon Brown even raise his voice. Perhaps Johnson is lining himself up for a subsequent career as a stand-up comedian.
ReplyDeleteWhen you've paid for the item with your own money, you are free to treat it in any way you wish. When it has been bought with my money, then I expect you to treat the goods with a greater care.
ReplyDeleteUp popped "that" Microsoft Paperclip and said....
ReplyDelete"It looks like you are trying to smear a rival, can I be of assistance?"
That paperclip is enough to drive anyone mad though isn't it....
Obviously you've never had fun destroying old computer equipment.
ReplyDeleteThrowing a keyboard through an old CRT monitor would be quite a challenge. Not impossible, but you need to lay the monitor on its back, wedge it in that position then use a lot of force to ram a good solid keyboard (an IBM Model M works well here) down hard on the screen. Any lesser keyboard will just break.
Trying the same thing with an LCD is simple with the monitor laid flat. However, in a normal working position the monitor simply falls over.
Besides which, there are far more satifying ways of trashing recalcitrant hardware than attempting to show a keyboard through the screen.
@albertmbankment 11:31
ReplyDeleteTraudl Junge said pretty much the same, although her version of events is far more trustworthy.
@albertmbankment:
ReplyDeletePerhaps we've found where Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf is hiding...
(But sadly the computer story sounds like a joke.)
@albertmbankment:
ReplyDeletePerhaps we've found where Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf is hiding...
(But sadly the computer story sounds like a joke.)
Windows makes me feel like that, sometimes!
ReplyDeletewv: galling!
So the procedure is
ReplyDelete1. Publish the story
2. Ask for some evidence.
Pickles wasn't kidding about a dirty campaign.
While I believe most of the stories coming out about the Prime Minister's temper, I'd take this one with a pinch of salt. Believe me, it would take a hell of an effort to get a keyboard into a computer monitor, unless of course it was an IBM Model M keyboard which is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteQuite the most risible reaction of many yesterday was Alan Johnson's solemnly maintaining that in 17 years he had never once heard Gordon Brown even raise his voice
ReplyDeleteWas Alan Johnson 18 years old when he first met Gordon Brown?
These stories will just lose you credibility.
ReplyDelete1) Very very difficult to get a standard keyboard through a standard screen
2) No one, not anyone no matter how technically Luddite would call an IT repair technician to fix this. You would throw it away and buy a new screen and keyboard
I had a go as testing the old CRT -vs-keyboard theory half an hour ago when I transported some old monitors and keyboards to the local tip.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite easy to break a CRT with a standard keyboard, providing you take a good full golf swing (as I would imagine Grumpy Gordon doing.
The bloody thing exploded and I was given a strong ticking off by the tip supervisor - environmental hazard of course. I didn't think.....but neither does Gordon ...ever!!!