Any proper move requires the mover to pack the essentials – thing they require when going to a new home. You know, things like shampoo, soap, your bedding. Can’t forget about food either. Then there’s entertainment stuff like your TV, VCR, and computer. So, when moving back up to campus, I definitely had everything…or thought I did.

I had most of my stuff, including my computer. Then, as I was feeling around my suitcases, I realized something: I forgot an ethernet cable to connect to the Internet! Yes, in my rush to not need to pack anything else after getting home from a family function last night, I forgot an essential. How was I to do homework, check my email, forums, or dare I say it…blog on Dymersion? Well, I can do the latter three with mobile web on my enV, but it’s easier to do on a computer, see?

Well, when I went out with a friend, I made a pit stop to the building where the IT helpdesk is, but it wasn’t open today. Luckily, my roommate had to go home, because he forgot his as well, and had a spare. It’ll suffice until tomorrow when I can get up there. When I went to the bookstore, I noticed that the rack with ethernet cables was nearly empty. Fools! They can get one for free, and they skip off to the bookstore instead! Ack! Silly things…

On a side note, I’m getting angry because I keep putting my cursor in a different position, because I’m using my laptop’s trackpad. I forgot my mouse as well, so I’m forced to use this for four days. Four days of randomly moving cursor horror!

Anyway, time to eat.

P.S. Also just realized I forgot my box of Eastern Expedition tapes.  I really am an idiot!  Luckily I’m going home this weekend.

We’ll see what happens with this, but I may have gotten all my problems solved. (Pre-Script: I knew I said I was going to talk more about corruption from both political parties today, but it’ll have to wait).

As you may remember, I recently ranted about Dell’s idiotic decision to put an Express Card slot in my laptop, rather than the older but more popular PCMCIA (PC Card) slot.  Ever since then, I’ve been considering my options.  I could:

A) Suck it up and get the vastly more expensive Express Card (Like $50 at cheapest for IEEE 1394a EC compared to like $13 retail for 1394a PC Card).  This is my least preferable choice.

B) Get a new laptop that has a PC Card slot or Firewire built in.  I’d been considering either buying my own (it’d be an Apple or a high end Dell in this case) or seeing what my dad could do for me.  It so turns out that my dad has a laptop in that has a PCMCIA slot, which would help me out a lot.  However, it’s not much better than my current computer.  Still, it’d fix both my problem of needing a PCMCIA slot and maybe have an actual properly working sound card.  This is my next preferable option, and the one I was going to pursue until tonight.

C) Leave the world of laptops behind and get a desktop.  I’d also been considering this, comparing Mac and high end Dell desktops.  They’re cheaper for one thing, and generally, desktops work a lot better for video editing.  Making it even better though, my dad just got traded a Sony Vaio desktop in lieu of his usual diagnostic fee.

Now, see how fate favors Lord Merritt (sorry fellow Harry Potter fans, couldn’t resist modifying that quote).  Not only does the computer have 1 gig of the best memory out there (Crucial), but it also is a 2.4ghz P4 (I’m using a 1.4 Celeron at the moment).  It also has a DVDRW/CDRW drive (which I’ve wanted for a while since I started getting too much music).  But, that’s not the best thing, and I think you know what’s coming.  It also has Firewire ports!  One 6 pin in the back, and a 4 pin in front.  That’s absolutely fantastic!  Interestingly, it also has an optical output, meaning I could hook this thing up to my living room’s receiver.

The only thing I’m a little worried about is that the guy says he has had to bring it in for repair 3 times this year.  And the fact that this last time (why it was in to us) was because of a failed Hard Drive.  But, my dad says he’ll put in a 160 or 250gb drive in it if I want it.  (Damnit, writing this makes me want it even more).

I already sort of have a monitor in the way of my 15-inch flatscreen TV.  So it’d perhaps be a bit of an unusual monitor, but it’d work.  No, it wouldn’t be a laptop, but who cares?  I’ve never actually brought my laptop to classes or anywhere else on campus, so an actual desktop would work fine for me.

Yea, think I’m going with this desktop.  I’ll need to get a 4 pin to a 4pin firewire cable now, but they’re cheap enough.  Thanks broken repair computers!