just one fix

I have a huge problem at work that I can't solve. Maybe you can. Every time I use Adobe Audition to make a recording, the recording cuts out and skips every 15 to 20 seconds. It used to work fine, now it doesn't. I've rebooted, checked every progress, disconnected the network and gone through every scenario troubleshoot Adobe itself offered me. This contributes to my ongoing belief that machines aren't just predictable, programmable objects. They have souls. Their behavior can't be predicted because they act on whims just like you or I do. And just like just about every personal relationship in my life, I'm offended by the computer's disconnect from me.

What's the difference between something biological and something mechanical anyway? What's the difference between being built and being created? Biology is just softer. That will change. I read in Popular Mechanics that in order to build quicker, stronger robots; scientists are replacing hard motors with plastic artificial muscle modules. As a result, when these mechanizations get damaged, they won't dent... they'll bleed.

So we're all the same. Human, kitty, computer, vacuum cleaner -- it's all just life. That's why it's so hard to know what's going on with everything (not just the people).

Maybe, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the computer doesn't have a soul. If that's the case there's something I can do to it to get it to do what I want. There must be some kind of command or function or something to force it to act accordingly. The weird (and horrifying) thing is, machines are less predictable than human beings now. I never see people change on their own. They're programmed based on what they experience. How many times do I find myself in variance with others because of our different programming? Answer: wicked lots.

I hate this situation. Some people have adjusted to others' programming just fine. Computers work for them when they don't work for me (my computer is still giving me a huge silent treatment) and people oblige them while I'm disconnected. Why do I suck so bad at interpersonal/intermechanical relations? Despite my efforts, I can't relate to or fix anything.

So tell me what you think is scarier: 1) Machines have souls and that mechanized revolution that happens in every science fiction movie is inevitable, or 2) Human beings are heartless and soulless, but programmable. I say both are possible.

Erica fixed her cat today. She just called.