Well, Guido, can't do anything about the spouse situation, but in my way of thinking, if the amount of power consumed will pay for itself in the better way of getting work out the door and yield an easier or faster time between contract and invoice, this old crusty capitalist must invest in the equipment.

But, it usually takes a lot of long and hard thought to get this crusty old capitalist to part with his hard-earned money anyway. And then I try to shop very carefully, often choosing used or demonstrator deals over brand spankin' new stuff.

My youngest daughter once told me that I was cheap.

I thanked her for the compliment and then informed her that the more proper term might be "frugal".

Today, she is all grown up and married, the mother of my two grandsons and I've noticed something about her. She's now just as "cheap" as Dad ever was, right?

And the price of power over on this side of the pond is rising on a near monthly basis as we speak...


--Mac