Last Legs

Sadly, i am convinced that Ol' Bessy, my laptop computer, is on her last microchips.

She no longer stays properly open, having to be propped to keep her screen half from simply flopping back. No right angle, she wants to go all the way to a 180. Splits are a great thing when it is you doing it in Pilates or ballet class. When it's your computer, not so much.

The "O" doesn't work properly. If it's not hit at just the right angle and with enough force, you end up with wrds withut ne imprtant vwel.

It doesn't overheat as much with the extra fans and the cooling pad, but still has to be iced to run a virus scan. That will boil her processors every time.

When left alone for any period of time (think more than two minutes), she can freeze and have to be restarted.

Checking email while brushing my teeth or bottle feeding a kitten can entail two or three restarts.

Something is going to have to give, and it's obviously going to be me, getting something different.

Cover me, i'm going in for research, to try to find something i can afford and that won't shut off by itself when my back is turned. Wish me luck.


Today is:

Buttering-Up Final -- Fairy Calendar

Dussera -- Hindu

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar

Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf

Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)

Improve Your Office Day

Independence Day -- Lesotho

International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self promotion

Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)

National Taco Day

Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)

St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of Assisi, animals, birds, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families; Italy, lacemakers, merchants, needle workers, tapestry makers, and zoos; against dying alone and fire)

St. Petronius' Day

10-4 Day (C.B. 'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.

Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors)

Vodka Day -- US, internet generated

World Animal Day -- International

World Space Week begins -- International



Birthdays Today:

Susan Sarandon, 1946
Anne Rice, 1941
Jackie Collins, 1937
Alvin Toffler, 1928
Charlton Heston, 1924
Buster Keaton, 1895
Damon Runyon, 1884
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807



Today in History:

One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363
The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537
Pope Gregory XIII announces the calendar adjustment that bears his name, 1582
Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636
Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648
Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675
The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830
The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864
The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883
Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991
The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique, 1992
NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001
SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004