OK Computer

On mature reflection, Batgirl is the first computer I've ever owned that I've bought, new, in its entirety, instead of cobbling it together out of begged or borrowed bits or single, grudging infusions of commercially-acquired newness pried from my scanty resources. Mnemosyne, my last one, was pretty much a Dwarven ancestral axe in the sense that there was no actual bit left of the original Mnemosyne, but she'd existed in a continually-upgraded continuum from the first DOS-based 286 I ever bought. Second hand. To write my Masters on. I've been slaving old hard drives to new since then. It's a very strange feeling, to have a complete data disconnect as well as all-new hardware that's not actually about five years out of date. The cleanness of the new drive is lovely, akin to moving house and throwing out junk - and, wow, does data junk accumulate. Worse than dust bunnies under the bed. The stolen hard-drive could have been sectioned like an archaeological dig to reveal weird little programmes going back to the Paleozoic. (Paleozoic is a lovely word, had you noticed? Rolls off the tongue).

The only non-backed-up data I've lost is about fifteen years worth of CLAW role-playing tournament modules, and my considerable database of LARPs. I have everything in hard copy and some back-ups on possibly-defunct ancient stiffy disks, but I'm going to have to make the rounds of the Old CLAW Gang and find out who has spare module files stashed away so I can recreate the collection. Not for any real reason, mind you, other than random acquisitiveness, and an overdeveloped sense of history. Also, after an unplanned wrestle with the feeble campus "bandwidth" and a pinpointedly accurate stealth raid on the Evil Landlord's study for the wireless drivers, I Can Haz Internets. The Iburst sort of works if I festoon USB extension cables across the study and tape the antenna to the top window in the corner. Heath Robinson drew it once.

Department of Random Linkery: the Tor site is live, presenting much sf goodness including a new Charles Stross Laundry story. This has done much to reconcile me to the rigours of today, which will almost certainly be almost as horrible as yesterday. Wish me luck as I face my 8-hour non-stop doom advice marathon. Which unlucky student will buy it today at the hands of my teeth? News at !11!1!!

Last Night I Dreamed: wide-open fields containing giant hills of fluffy sheepskin. Also, being governess to an extremely wealthy family somewhere, and rather sad about it. Also, Robert Downey Jr., again, in an unspecified role involving a pine-floored attic. That darned Iron Man DVD better come out soon, is all I can say, otherwise I may be forced to pine away in a fearfully fangirly fashion.