Computer problems…

…are not fun. The hard drive in my newest Dell laptop failed this morning and won’t boot with several different error codes including this fun one: Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected. The last backup was Friday night, but between then and this morning, but a lot of work (including a final paper for one of my last classes, fortunately it was submitted yesterday) and correspondence created between then and earlier this morning has seemingly been lost.

Because of this, posting will be delayed until Dell follows through on the “Next Day” support I paid for.

Topics I’m working on (and will post when I can):

  • Part II of my Smith-Mundt article that goes to the points discussed with some in off-line correspondence. (Did you see the Heritage Foundation article on Smith-Mundt that went up today? Timing is everything…)
  • A post on another call with Major General Doug Stone, chief of detainee (not ‘prisoner’) operations in Iraq. Stone’s doing some great things, which I’ll write about soon.
  • A post on S/CRS and the Civilian Response Corps following up on an interesting discussion yesterday about S/CRS and CRC.

At present, I’m working off my old Dell, a laptop (now used for my IT consulting work which apparently I’ll be doing most of today) that has had the CPU replaced twice, the system board replaced three times, the hard drive replaced three (or four?) times, screen replaced once, and outer plastics replaced once. The new laptop, about as old as my daughter, 8 weeks, seems to want to catch up w/ the old laptop. I’m not happy. Not happy at all.

I’m thinking an HP for the next go round, an acquisition that might be sooner than later…