The continual and never-ending saga of Internet-Explorer:

HORSE-PILLS

-1) I have successfully completed an online order with Internet-Explorer (my version is 5.2).
The order was to brandvitamindiscounters.com for Metagenics EHA-DHA 720™ lemon-flavored Omega-3 fish-oil pills (the pills), gigantic horse-pills I take once a day.
They were recommended to me by my dreaded Physical-Therapy gym which tossed me when I inadvertently outed a public-figure patient.
(We still think they were using this as an excuse because I was using their equipment too hard.)
I was recommended these horse-pills, because they claimed the 1,000 mg fish-oil pills I was getting at Weggers were contaminated — these are only 720 mg.
The PT was charging well over $42 per bottle (120 pills per bottle); Brand-Vitamin-Discounters wants $40.15.
I’m not absolutely sure I need them — I’m sure I’ll be noisily advised to glom Cheetos, food of champions.
My first attempt at online ordering from Brand-Vitamin-Discounters got two orders: one with FireFox, and one with Internet-Explorer.
Both apparently completed, but the FireFox order looked like it didn’t.
Only one order shipped; Brand-Vitamin-Discounters called me. They were suspicious of the double-order.
So rather than tempt fate, I decided to use Internet-Explorer, the browser I only use for online orders — but not much any more. FireFox usually works.

-2) I then began online entry into a Trains Magazine sweepstakes.
I have Trains as a FireFox bookmark (“favorite” for you IE guys) so I started with that.
You get only two choices: -a) enter and subscribe, or -b) enter only.
I have subscribed for eons, so “enter only.”
VIOLA; essentially a blank screen.
So I cranked up IE and get essentially the same blank screen.
I fire up Netscape: same blank screen.
I give up! Sounds like their end. “Subscribe and enter” gives me a complete fill-in form.
Snail-mail time; with a snide remark about their online entering crashing mightily in flames.
Who’s writing their web-code? Microsoft graduates?

-3) Next item of business: online ordering of a Trains Magazine special publication. FireFox again; fill in the complete form, and hit “submit.”
Around-and-around we go. “I can’t wait all day,” I say.
We toddle into Linda’s PC, and get the same order form.
“NOTHING DOING,” I say. “I ain’t double-ordering something because their site is wonky.”
“I ain’t desperate. If I don’t get an e-mail indicating my first order, I’ll try again.”

“Weggers” is Wegmans, a large supermarket-chain based in Rochester we often buy groceries at.

RE: “I’m sure I’ll be noisily advised to glom Cheetos.......” —My macho, blowhard brother-in-Boston gloms Cheetos by the bag, and then washes everything down with gallons of Mountain-Dew; loudly claiming that’s the diet of champions.

“PT” equals Physical-Therapy;” “IE” is Internet-Explorer.

RE: “Who’s writing their web-code? Microsoft graduates?” —All my siblings use PCs with Microsoft applications, loudly claiming Microsoft is the greatest company ever. Since I use a MAC, and other applications, I am inferior and reprehensible and above-all stupid. (Internet-Explorer is a Microsoft application — I find it frequently inferior to other browsers, like FireFox.)

My wife (Linda) has a PC with Internet-Explorer.