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Wallpaper"> | 1024x768 Palm Tree Beach

But then, the cursor flickered. It didn't go for the Start menu. It began dragging the folders. One by one, Taxes 2008 , Vacation Photos , and Resume_Final_v3 were dragged into the abyss of the Trash.

Then, the cursor did something it had never done before. It clicked the "Internet Explorer" icon. A moment later, a window popped up. Greg wasn't looking at spreadsheets anymore. He was looking at one-way flight tickets to Belize. 1024x768 Palm Tree Beach Wallpaper">

Asset_01, the taller tree with the slightly jagged frond, was a cynic. "He’s doing it again," he’d rustle (silently, of course). "He’s hovering the cursor over the Trash bin. One day, he’s going to drag us in there and replace us with a high-res photo of a mountain range in Switzerland." But then, the cursor flickered

For fifteen years, the two palm trees—officially named Asset_01 and Asset_02—hadn't moved an inch. They were trapped in a permanent state of 72 DPI bliss. Their job was simple: provide a "relaxing atmosphere" for a guy named Greg while he balanced spreadsheets and ignored emails. One by one, Taxes 2008 , Vacation Photos

Asset_02, the curvy one, was an optimist. "Nonsense. We are a classic. We represent the dream of the 4:3 aspect ratio. Besides, look at the icons."

He moved the cursor one last time, right between the two palm trees, as if he were virtually tapping the screen goodbye.