22 Aug
1999
22 Aug
'99
4:34 p.m.
q
On Sun, 22 Aug 1999 blstuart(a)bellsouth.net wrote:
In message
<Pine.3.89.9908211900.A10465-0100000@netcom16>, John Lawson writes:
> Anecdote: A friend years ago had such a relationship with a
[mucho snipola]
While I fully agree that one must not insult the intelligence of
a potential business associate, I just can't hold back telling
[mas snipola]
Brian
What I call 'scores' are one of the reasons I get up at 5:30 AM on
the last saturday of every month and grog it down to the TRW
swapmeet here in Southern California.
True Example: Last year someone I know rolled in to his space
rather late in the day as I happened to be walking by. As he lifted
the hatch of his minivan... the blue and red switches of an IMSAI
8080 called out to me. And sure enough.. it was a complete system,
fully fleshed out, with two dual 8" floppies, manuals and software.
"Umm... how much ya want fer the old 'puter?"
"Shit, I dunno, make me an offer."
"Okay, fifty bux!"
"Okay, it's yours. You want me t'help ya take it over to yer truck?"
[sure, as soon as the shock wears off and I can walk again...!]
And many many more of the same I could relate.
POINT CLARIFICATION:
The UberPoint I was trying to make with the sledghammer story was
that we, as patrons of Surplus Businesses and Saviors of Old Tech,
might improve our 'chances' by understanding, just a bit, the milieu
of the Scrapper and Surpluser. Yeah, there's assholes out there...
one of the most famous, old-line companies here in SoCal is run by a
belligerant twit who cares only for the metal value in most things,
and who *generously* prices 40-year-old test gear at %50 off the
catalog price when new.
What frosts me is the number of **IDIOTS** who pay the man's
prices, and thus perpetuate the mindset. And Mr. X. could care
less... he's a millionaire several times over, but the money has
never affected his blue-collar junkyard attitude.
Okay, sorry... enough ranting already.
Cheers
John
PS: Thank you A.C.F... you oughta see the kiddie's faces when I
turn out the lights a fire up the big Tesla coil I bring to my Tech
Demos. It insantly converts them into a roomful of Geeks... hehehe!!