laptop down, hewlett packard, etc

Sad sad sad. My laptop dc-in/powerjack seems to have failed, and I'm in the arduous process of convincing HP that it is indeed within the warranty period so that they'll fix it. Meanwhile, Los Angeles pics and further thoughts are truncated for a bit.

HP: please please hire people at level 1 support (phone and chat) who speak native English. I'm fine with a world-diverse set of technical employees, but not as the professionals who are supposed to sympathize and understand my problems on the phone. The comprehension gap is awkward and maddening. I'm fighting anger toward your company, and now I'm frustrated at myself for being getting worked up. geesh. Gotta love the spiritual implications of tech support.

Hopefully I'll be technically on my feet soon. (looking like longer than a week at this point, though).