Maybe I had "Online Deal Freeloader" written all over my face and he knew I was a lost cause.

ENGADGET: This is the Modem World: Fear and loathing in the local bike shop

Even to myself I was a lost cause.

NEWYORKER: Where I Learned To Read

Getting my bag and my guitar was a lost cause, and I had no place to sleep.

WSJ: Traveler's Tale: On the Road Again, and Again, So Help Me