The system I have here is a Pentium 233, 1.6 GB HDD, Soundblaster AWE 64, 16 MB Monster Fusion graphics, 56k modem, 64 MB RAM…it’s got everything needed for a basic internet machine.
I just don’t have much useful software I could include with it…I’ll look and post what I have, but I don’t think any of it has any practical use.
jab1, don’t give up! It sounds like you have several computer offers, and I’d be willing to chip in with a financial donation to Monster104 if he gives you his old computer. Of course, you would need to get a phone line and some free internet access. I also have an old modem lying around the house that you could have. Unfortunately I don’t have any spare computer equipment around the house except some old SCSI drives (I’m a Macintosh user).
Monster104, that’s very generous of you! You’re OK (for a Windows user 
). If your family would like some financial compensation I’ll chip in a few bucks.
It sounds like one of the difficulties would be jab1 getting a phone line at home, if I understood his original post correctly.
First of all, thanks for everyone’s kind offers. I will explain why they have to be put on hold for awhile.
If I have PTSD, it’s because of what happened to me when I was in the third grade. We moved to a new town and I didn’t know anyone and it seemed like every other kid was bigger and meaner than me and it was quite traumatic. Kids of all ages rode the school bus and some of the high-schoolers thought it was a lot of fun to make a little four-eyed 3rd-grader cry for Mama.
IOW, it isn’t service-related. I had no clue that I might suffer from PTSD until I read this. It describes my feelings perfectly and I have attempted suicide more than once.
As for getting my own computer and getting on the internet, there is one big hitch: I cannot get a telephone where I live. I live in one of those transient hotels downtown (I said my rent was only $400 a month) and this particular hotel (would you believe it’s called the Cecil?) does not allow anyone to get a wired telephone, just a cell phone. (Maybe they’re trying to eliminate drug dealing, I don’t know. I once saw a drug deal go down in the laundry room.) Unless I can get wireless access to the Web, I’m going to have to move, so don’t anyone expect me to send you my mailing address just yet.
I picked this place because it seemed less run-down than all the others. Some of these old hotels are so bad, I don’t know why the city hasn’t condemned them. I certainly don’t want to live in one. The advantages of the Cecil are that they do keep the plumbing in good order and they’ve put in new furniture and mono-sound TVs they have lots of working washers and dryers in the laundry and they do clean every floor and bathroom every day and every room once a week. many of the other places downtown either don’t do the minimum maintenance you’d reasonable expect or they charge a lot more for rent.
If I do move, it won’t be until August because my rent is due Wednesday, the day after I get my next check and that is just not enough time to look for a new place. Also, I cannot afford to rent by the week ($135 per), so I am stuck here for at least another month.
As for using a computer, they still haven’t tried enforcing the two-hour rule. I’ll know for sure on Monday when the library is open from 10 AM to 8 PM.
hajario said, “Why the hell should people have to wait around while you spend the entire day keeping one computer to yourself?” I don’t keep one computer to myself. It’s one hour at a time on any particular computer. It’s possible to be here ten hours a day M-Th, but it’s on ten different computers. See the difference? Theoretically, no one should ever have to wait more than an hour to get a computer, but demand has gotten very high recently so the rules are going to be enforced. (To reserve a computer, you need an ID or a library card. Maybe they are going to keep people’s cards and return them when their session is done. I don’t know and I’m afraid to ask.)
Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Jab, on a medical note, you might want to see a doctor. If you can get some sort of coverage, the copay would be pretty low. If you need help, I can send you a little cash, and I am sure some others would too. A good doc will diagnose you and give you a few free samples to last you a little while. You could also try a free clinic; I am not sure they cover that kind of stuff though.
We all want you to be happy and healthy, my friend. Salaam.
Doug
OK, Jab,
The fact is you have started the nicest damn pit thread in board history, and we should damned well hold you accountable for it!
Moving sucks. (I know, I am going to be doing it too, at the end of August!) Loosing contact is not acceptable. I have been clinically depressed, and suicidal, and that sucks pretty bad too. But I know one thing. You need contacts. Internet contacts are not sufficient, but they are something. So, even if it drops down to an hour a week, I expect you to post, at least once during that hour!
I am not kidding.
You should also pick at least one regular and fairly long term, member from the board and establish a regular email exchange. Keep yourself associated with us. We are people. We actually care. You are a person, too. You actually care. It all matters. Things can get better.
The computer deal sounds like something you should remember when you go apartment shopping. You need a phone. Not just for the Internet, but for the connection to the world. I hope Monster can keep the deal open, although we can find another deal, if not. I will keep my MS. Works copy for you, and if I can come up with anything else, I will keep that too.
One serious thing; if you get home access, that will not replace everything you get from the time you spend in the Library. Don’t eliminate that time out of the house. Replace it with some other useful activity, but specifically something outside of the house! I cannot over emphasize how important it is not to eliminate any socialization contacts you have developed.
Forgive me, Jab, but I am going to pray for you.
I’ll do it quietly. 
“The road to truth is long, and lined the entire way with annoying bastards.” ~ Alexander Jablokov ~
Sorry is what you are, all right . . . you ought to be ashamed.
your humble TubaDiva
who is quite angry right now.
TubaDiva, Gaudere, et al:
A bunch of us have agreed that we’ll help him out. How do we coordinate this?
The guy needs:
a PC or similar
a phone line with minimum monthly payment
From the parts and pieces that have been offered, something can be put together for him. Hotmail is free, juno is free, AOL has offers all the time. Someone on the board mentioned phone service for $1 per month under certain circumstances. Are there any CA dopers (LA county preferred) that can wade through the paperwork?
I need a place to send my ten bucks and the old laptop if anyone can diagnose and fix it. Also can send a working printer. Would make more sense to send it to Jab but need that address as well.
Anyone with enough time to take care of all of this? If we have a coordinator and an address, am sure Jab can get connected.
Even if Jab can’t hook a computer up to the Internet right away (pending getting a new place which allows phones) a computer can be a great hobby even without an Internet connection. While waiting to get hooked up to the 'Net, there are lots of great educational software, games, etc. that one can use on a PC. Time well spent, honing those computer skills, and learning new things!
I constantly admonish people not to make the biggest mistake possible on the internet: do not become offended on someone else’s behalf. It will save you from much useless anguish.
I understand that jab1 will feel a loss if he is unable to spend 8 hours a day on SDMB. But if I was in his position, I would be over in the library stacks, studying something, ANYTHING, that might change my life. I am a firm believer in education. Maybe instead of chatting, he could go pick up a computer programming book or something. Knowledge is power, education will change your life more than SDMB ever will. He could spend 6 hours reading books, and 2 hours practicing programming. There are wonderful sites like http://www.informit.com and http://www.codewarrioru.com that offer free programming instruction online. I only use programming as an example, and because it seems to be a field that accepts people’s eccentricities. There are many other fields available.
And since you seem to believe I’m some heartless bastard, you couldn’t be more wrong. I happen to be in almost the same position. I’m disabled, and recovering from a horrible surgery, trying to make my way back to the world of work. It is tough. Perhaps it is my karma, having spent much of my life helping other handicapped people, to now experience it personally. I’ve even volunteered to work with the LA skid row residents back when I lived about 3 blocks from where jab1 lives. I could easily send jab1 an old Mac I have, but I’m too poor to afford the postage, and he doesn’t seem to want one anyway. So I am sincerely offering the only thing I can offer, my advice based on my personal experience and my limited knowledge of jab1. If you think that is cruel, well, that’s your problem not mine.
So that gives you free reign to be an insensitive jerk? Yeah, I can feel the love… :rolleyes:
Esprix
ChasE should have been less taciturn in his first post, it would have helped clarify his position.
I do understand where Chas is coming from (in his second post.) I think the social interaction from these boards is GREAT. I feel like I’m stuck in Hooterville (I suppose I’m not, but I feel like that sometimes) so I really enjoy socializing on these boards. But I also feel like I spend too much time on them, and it keeps me away from my studying (I want to certify for Photoshop.) If I had no internet access, I’d still find a lot to do with my computer. I’d find a lot to do with books. Books, books, books. Ah, how I love them. I have umpteen Photoshop books right now. [sub]Yes, I’m a geek. [/sub]
I’ll bet there are some great computer books at the library, too.
That’s why I said (in my last post) that even if Jab can’t get hooked up to the 'Net right away, there’s a lot of great things he can do with an old used computer. Hell, I’ll pitch in and send him some great old software to play around with. (I have an old version of Photoshop I don’t use anymore…and Photoshop is a marketable skill.) He can be developing new skills, or just be having fun! Not that it’s my place to tell Jab what’s the best use of his time, but he seems bright, and I doubt he’d turn away the offer of a nice older computer, and lots of fun software to play with!
Once again I applaud ChasE’s comments. TubaDiva, I think you were WAY out of line. Jeez, the sanctimony is so thick around here sometimes you can cut it with a freaking knife.
First, I sympathize with jab1’s condition, I really do. My father-in-law suffers from a bad case of chemical depression though not as bad as jab and Mrs. H seems to have inherited some of that from him. Second, I think that the way all of you came together to try to help is an outstanding display of humanity. That’s how “charity” should work, giving from the heart rather than from government bureaucracy.
This does not mean that I think that gov’t supplied 'net access should be abolished, quite the opposite. TVeblin makes an excellent point that providing some sort of link with the outside world for some people is a necessity.
Here’s my problem: How can it be perceived to be an injustice when this two hour rule is being enforced? jab is spending 10 hours a day, every day, using these computers. Whether it is on one single computer or ten different computers is irrelevant. They have to enforce the rule because apparently there are some people who are not getting to use the computers at all or having to wait up to an hour or more while some people have been using the facility for the whole day. Many of them are probably students who need to do research. If there were computers sitting empty and the rule was being enforced then I would agree that there was no reason not to let someone use them for a longer time. Right now there are more people who need to use the computers than there are computers.
I stand by my original comments. jab, you’re already in the library. Get some books and study. Go to a park and walk around. If you haven’t already, find a government or charity sponsored counciling group where you can have face to face interaction with people. That’s probably hard for you to do but you have to try. Some interaction on newsgroups is a good thing. All day long is probably unhealthy. Your self diagnosis of yet another psychological disrder (PTSD) is certainly not healthy. It provides yet another excuse to not have to get out in the real world. I hope that you’re seeing some sort of medical professional about this (through SSI or MediCal).
I’m not convinced that supplying a tool to a chemically depressed person is really helping in the long run if that tool has the potential to make that person a virtual shut in. It’s a short term fix but quite possibly it will cause long term harm. A better way to help would be for those in the area to spend an hour a week with jab. Buy him a meal and talk to him. That’s how to help.
Aw, hell. Now I’m the one being sanctimoneous.
Haj
jab,
You know from our discussions both here and elsewhere that I have nothing but the highest amount of respect for your intellect, and for your ability to construct logical arguments. I urge you to take these folks up on their offers of help. I also urge you to email me should you wish to talk. It would be a significant loss to this community if you were not around.
Everyone else,
If things get organized, someone please email me, and I can send some $$ to help defray the cost.
IMHO, haj and ChasE did not mean to come across as offensive as they did. Clearly, they did not anticipate the strong reaction they got when we felt that one of our own was being threatened. I admit that I was ready to flame away when I first read their posts, but I had the benefit of immediately scrolling down to see their later responses. If I had found this thread a day or two earlier, things might have been different.
Okay, y’all are embarrassing me with all these offers. I’m starting to wonder if I deserve them. It makes me a little uncomfortable. What if someone wants me to do him a favor? If I refuse, does that make me ungrateful?
Please, wait until I move to another place. Besides having no telephone, I don’t have any room for a computer. For furniture, I have a bed, a four-drawer dresser with a TV atop it, a chair and a lamp-nightstand. There’s no room left on the dresser for a computer as big as the TV. The TV is bolted to the dresser so it can’t be stolen, so it can’t even be moved aside.
I am going to look in the paper for ads for affordable apartments with telephones. I’m going to see if I qualify for the city’s SRO (Single Room Occupancy) Housing. I was going to do all that anyway, eventually, but the change in the rules makes it more imperative.
Wish me luck.
(BTW: Has anyone else noticed the view-count? Only 54 posts, but more than 1200 views. I’m not sure what to make of that.)
Oh, and it looks like the library is enforcing the “one hour per floor rule” and not the “two hours per day” rule. That limits everyone to seven hours per day, but that ought to be enough for anyone.
As for getting a job, don’t you think I want one? You try living on $800 a month, spending half of that on rent! I’ve been to a grand total of three movies, and went to see writer Harlan Ellison at a book-signing last week. Every other night this year I’ve spent in my room watching TV. I haven’t been able to afford to do anything else.
I don’t like going to Doper parties because I’m afraid not everyone will like me.
Okay, now I’m rambling. (I sometimes don’t know how to finish a post.)
You do. And I’m guessing that the people who actually agree with you from time to time would probably agree even more. Best of luck.
Simple. We care about you. Now think about it: you wouldn’t want to wind up with 1327 computers in your pad, would you?
Sincerely hope things turn out O.K. for you, on more than one level.
Yes, I understand that on the surface, but deep down, I think that anyone who cares about me is exhibiting poor judgment. I mean, there are millions more out there who deserve care more than I do.
jab~
I think you realize the spirit in which this is intended…
:rolleyes:
hee hee!
We’ll be the judge of that, thank you very much!
Seriously, having been in your shoes, financially and mentally, the first thing you’re going to have to wrap your hands around is that you are worthy. If the people you respect tell you so, then maybe you’d better listen. It’s a hard lesson, maybe the toughest one of all.
We value your mind, we value your thoughts. Give us the grace of believing we might know what we’re talking about, and hard as it may be, accept that you’ve got some value.
God knows, if a royal fuck-up such as myself can make it, you, too, have a chance. It’s hatefully hard, you’re gonna have to bust your butt, but it can be done. There are a lot of people pulling for you, if you’ll hear what they’re saying.