Computer Burbs; Searching for Harry Potter; QAF

Wednesday, the lap top burped and would only oink when turned on. One of those pesky dll's was corrupted and XP would not start.

(The first time this happened was soon after I got the machine. But that turned out to be a corrupted hard drive. You would boot up the system, and finally the cute litte XP theme tune would play for a few seconds. Then the tune would sound like a drunken sailor pissing on a spark plug. I tried to restore using the restore discs. BUT they too were corrupted. Customer service sent me a new hard drive AND new restore discs.)

So Wed evening I sat down and started the restore process. ONLY to realize after about 45 minutes that I'd used the corrupted discs. So I started over. And everything came out fine.

Of course, in the process I lost any new apps I'd installed and any data not backed up.

I've found the VERY BEST web mag to be "Internet Magazine." In terms of practical solutions, it can not be beat. But its true worth is in the accompanying CD. I was able to grab Adobe Acrobat Reader, Netscape 7, Opera, and several utilities from the disc. Almost everything I needed.

Next, I found a batch of floppies and began to check the files. But several would not play, and several were empty. Then I remembered I'd moved many of the files to the lap top in order to check for duplicates. But I never copied them back. Fucking Opppssssssss! There went my extensive collection of photos of Lukas Ridgeston, Greg Louganis, and assorted other studmufs.

At least and at last, I realized I need to do a better job of making backups.

Friday night I actually thought of swinging by Barnes & Noble to check on the Harry Potter fans. But I was so exhausted I opted not to.

Saturday afternoon, I did stray by, but the only items left were two deluxe editions at $60. I asked the cute clerk if there had been 10,000 kids, and he said it must have been for it was wall-to-wall.

I next hit Books-A-Million, but the results were equally bad. Then on to an independent store, but again there was not a book in sight. In fact, I didn't see any Potter books.

Sunday, I wanted to go by "Best Buy" to pick up some CD-RW discs to back up my collection of gay erotica. (Why I never thought to use CDs before is beyond me.) So after lunch, I zipped over. I went in and headed for the discs section. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a shelf of what looked like dark blue boxes. Then I realized it was a display of Harry Potter books! Dozens of them in fact. How bizzare! It never occurred to me to think of Best Buy.

Sunday evening, I started on Mr. P. And I do believe it may be the best one yet. As I read, it struck me how natural Harry's world seemed. Within minutes I found myself immersed. Most everything is from Harry's perspective. So you definitely feel yourself in his place. "The New Yorker" in its review of the last book said that part of its appeal may be that it does not deny the possibility that good may not always win. That sometimes evil may have the upper hand.

The third season of QAF ended Sunday night. Ted has been under the influence of crystal for the last few episodes. And he finally decides to seek help. He checks into rehab, and later as he waits, he hears someone call his name. He turns and it's Blake, his former boyfriend, from season one. (As you'll remember, the first season ended with Ted visiting Blake in rehab, only to discover that he had checked out.) Blake asks if he's going to group, and once there Blake introduces himself as the counselor.

Blake was/is my favorite character in the series. So it was a delight to see him surface again. QAF has its ups and downs, but it still manages to surprise me.

Now that I think about it, so does Harry Potter.

PAX!