and I don't like it.
My disk imaging program says that it can't read a particular sector. On the other hand, this time chkdsk didn't throw any errors, so perhaps the backup program is just flawed somehow. But somehow I doubt it, and I really do not have time to be replacing my hard drive again just now, or really ever.
(The last full backup I ( Read more... )

Dear fellow drivers in winter weather:

Despite what you may have been told, driving in winter weather is not actually that complicated. Keep these two simple rules in mind and you will be fine:

1. You must change speed over a much longer distance than usual.
2. You must change direction much more slowly than usual.

(The observant will note that these ( Read more... )

If it's ever a choice between saving my life and saving the whole world?

Save the fucking world, already.

(See also the quote at the end of this old booklog post.)

On one hand, it's almost reassuring to try on maternity jeans that are so long that I could use them as footie pajamas, because at least it's clear that they are meant to be altered, rather than the manufacturers having peculiar ideas about the length of women's legs.

On the other hand, I should not have to have jeans altered just because I'm ( Read more... )

In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, two different people asked me if I celebrated Thanksgiving.

Today, a store clerk was remarkably persisent on the where-are-you-really-from front. Was I from Indonesia? Where was I from? No, where were my ancestors from? Oh, they have a store clerk from Korea now. His name is such-and-such. [*] He's a student ( Read more... )

Dear manufacturers of keyboards,

It's called muscle memory. Don't screw with it.

In particular: Do not group function keys in non-standard sets; F3, F4, and F5 have very different effects. Especially do not mess with the placement of the Delete key.

Very truly yours,

P.S.: I admit, the slight curve is a surprisingly effect compromise between a ( Read more... )

Lost my temper over not one but two online discussions, which is the first time that's happened since I can remember. Only SHOUTED in one; I'm not sure if, in the other, it was apparent to anyone other than Chad that I was truly angry.

I did come up with a ten-second theory on the predominance of women in fanfic, which is that it's more socially ( Read more... )

You know, the ObInterview with the losers is bad enough when it's adult professional athletes. But when you're interviewing a kid who's just washed out of the spelling bee, who's obviously been crying, and asking how it feels to know that a lot of people were rooting for him? Come on, that would be cruel & unusual punishment if the government were ( Read more... )

steelypips.org has been down since early yesterday morning; the restore is taking much longer than expected, but I hope my provider will have it back up today sometime. In the unlikely event that anyone's been trying to reach me, the e-mail address attached to this account works fine.

*grump mutter*

ETA: we appear to be back up on Tuesday night. ( Read more... )

The preliminary program is up, and I'm making notes to myself to figure out my schedule for the weekend.

But first, I whine: my throat feels like some evil persistent imp has taken a Brillo pad to it, my lungs ache profoundly, the skin around my nose is bright red and stings when I move any muscle on my face, my stomach has gone on strike to ( Read more... )