Hissy-fit

Last night (Monday, October 4, 2010) our combination DVR/VCR threw one of its hissy-fits; thereby vaporizing the evening news, the only program we record.
When I turn the machine on, it says “hello;” not a voiced hello, but a digital readout on its face.
“Hello” lasts maybe eight seconds, after which it says “read,” and sends a video-signal to our TV.
After that, I begin “playing” the DVR.
This time, “hello” never ended.
I shut off and tried again.
Never-ending “hello” again, followed by “unable to read disc. Do you wish to initialize?”
I don’t think so! That’s the same as formatting; zaps everything, including what news we recorded, if any.
I tried again.
Never-ending “hello” again, followed by “Do you wish to initialize?”
Well, I guess I have no choice.
“Yes,” vaporizing the news.
“Unable to initialize disc.”
WHAT?
Disc out; reinsert disc.
“Unable to initialize.”
I tried my recording program.
“Invalid disc,” it says.
I did successfully initialize the old disc — or so it claimed.
But ”invalid disc,” and I can’t extract.
The machine has a mind-of-its-own, and has taken over. It’s defeating everything I try.
I insert a new disc in the recorder.
“Disc okay;” ready to record.
I insert my old disc in this here ‘pyooter; it crunches, but nothing on it. It was initialized.
I reinsert my old disc back in the recorder. I can’t back it out, and my recording-program is saying “invalid disc.”
“AHA!” I say. “Finger-prints on the recording surface.”
I wipe them off with with a soft tissue, but my recording-program still says “invalid disc.”
I give up!
In the trash with the old disc; something must be wrong with it, I guess.
Reinsert new disc into recorder, and cross fingers.
Ain’t technology wonderful?