Nice sunbeams through holes in the clouds

I'm getting 'arty' - framed this one for you. Those shafts of sunlight streaming through those holes in the clouds looked more distinct when I was taking this, but for some reason, this image seems to have lost some of that in translation. Maybe I need a more sophisticated editing program, so I could 'doctor' these up more. Trouble is, the really good ones can cost hundreds of dollars, and I can't justify that kind of expense just for fun.

Moving right along here, I bet you're just dying to know the latest in my ongoing saga of the new and uncooperative Acer x3200 desktop, aren't you? Today, it went back to the shop where it came from, and our resident expert there had a look at it, and asked me what I saw on the monitor when it failed. I said that I hadn't seen anything but a few very faint flickers on the monitor, and nothing intelligent ever showed up on it. He said that maybe I had two problems - the computer itself, and the monitor. I said that the monitor is only a couple of years old - it's a 2007 model. He replied that it doesn't matter - if it dies, it dies, so we should check it. I came home, got the monitor, returned to the shop, and we checked it. Dead! He says these flat-screen monitors are usually covered by a three-year warranty, but I said that I'd prefer not to get into a hassle with Acer over the monitor, because they seem to be having enough difficulty already with their ESL studies.

The day ended with the news that the computer has to go back for warranty service, and it isn't a quick fix. This has me wondering which piece of equipment went bad first, and if it caused the problem with the other one... I won't know until I hear what's wrong with the computer itself. Meanwhile, it looks like I'll also have to go shopping for another monitor. Acer products are attractively priced, but there seems to be a problem with the quality, and lack thereof. Before I returned the computer to the shop, I pulled the side cover off it for a quick look inside, and I couldn't help noticing that there were screws missing in the framework which holds the power supply in place, and others missing for the side-panel cover itself, indicating to me that it seemed to have been rather hastily assembled and not checked afterward to make sure it was properly done. Did I get a "Monday Morning Special" as we used to say in the car business, or are they all like this? I'm not prepared to invest in the answer to that question. I'd rather switch than fight.