One of the things I've been frantically doing in my last week in L.A. is selling off all my unused computer equipment. I've had a good deal of success -- so far, I got rid of two computer systems, a processor, and a CD burner and made over $100 in the process.

I met an interesting guy yesterday who wanted to buy an internal CD-RW unit off of me for $7 (it was pretty useless -- I was glad to be getting any $$ for it). On the phone, I formed the impression that he was an eccentric, middle-aged man, because he had a low voice, rambled in conversation and provided too much information (you can imagine the type). Plus, he said he was a "computer repair technician" and wanted the CD burner to "send to his mother back home."

Anyway, after a bunch of hassle I met up with him yesterday in Hollywood. The funny thing was, he turned out to be a young kid who was not older than 14-16 years old! Even stranger, his job apparently involves a 50-year-old "boss," an unfriendly looking, balding guy who I heard complaining in the background every time I called the kid on his cel phone. The "boss" apparently has a "bad back" and therefore hired this teenager to drive his fancy BMW for him and take him places, but only at 20 miles per hour. I don't know where the computer repair part of his job comes in.

Before the day was over, I ended up selling the kid one of my two obsolete Power Mac 6100's for an additional $10. This is the same 6100 that I tried to give away to Goodwill two years ago but couldn't, because Goodwill refused to take it. This guy knew off the top of his head that it was the first Power Macintosh ever produced, that it was a 1996 model, and that it uses an unique monitor adapter. Selling my out-of-date computer to someone who actually appreciated it.. well, that really made my day.