I hope you weren't expecting photos today.

Should I be upset that my first digital Brownie croaked in two years? Maybe that's all we can expect of consumer electronics. I was furious about it yesterday, and it turned into a morass of frustration as I sifted through the internet, which, despite its reputation as a high-tech wonder, is just a flea market for data. Data, not information.

When I bought that camera I predicted that the cheesy trap door for the battery compartment would snap off some day and cause an otherwise fine camera to achieve the American Dream, aka, the dumpster. But it was the zoom lens mechanism.

How does the lens mechanism even work for one day? The sliding surfaces have gaps just right for jamming up with dust or sand, of which there is plenty in the Southwest. Ultimately the motion of the lens depends on cheesy plastic parts and gears.

I've decided to do no more internet homework. Even the best reviewer won't tell me anything about durability. Any camera that costs $150 or more takes good photographs. Tech weenies and reviewers prattle on about high-tech features as they study a camera one day old in their office. The only feature that I care about is whether the damned thing is broken or not.

If the reader has any ideas about choosing a camera that will last longer than two years, please comment. Until then, let's just say that I probably should have taken Edward Abbey's advice about cameras.