Royal Treatment and the Motherboard

Still having problems with the desktop. They sent someone out to replace the power supply yesterday but that, apparently, is not the issue since the computer has conked out without warning 4 times in the 18 hours since the technician left. I called again and they're sending someone out to replace the motherboard. This is blogworthy for 2 reasons:
1. Somehow, although the email confirmations of service that they are sending are being sent to me, the first was addressed to Jason [my last name here]. I guess this isn't too odd since my partner called in the issue and his name is Jason even if his last name is not my own. Today, however, the email was addressed to PAUL LISS. Who are you Paul and how did you come to share my email address?
2. I bought this computer through the department with my grant. Apparently this gets you extra special treatment from Dell. They said that, since I bought it on an academic account, they don't need to run through all the troubleshooting rigmarole that they do with normal humans (you know, when they have you sitting in your study with a crick in your neck from the phone taking your computer apart and you ask them to assure you again and again as you look in horror at the various pieces of hardware on the floor that you won't lose any data). Instead, they can just keep replacing parts until the bugger works the way I want it to. I'm having a glimpse, my friends, of the way life works on the other side of the dissertation and I like what I see.