I'm getting a fair amount of writing in on the new laptop. I was looking through the folder where I keep unfinished stuff and ideas, having transferred it to my computer, and I found a story that I didn't immediately recognize. Reading through it I was certain that I hadn't written it. To be honest, I thought it was better than most of the stuff I have written. It wasn't until the last of it that I finally realized that, yes, it was my work.

I liked it. I'd completely forgotten about it. I wonder how many more stories, essays, articles I have floating around in my documents, and throughout the archives of this blog, for that matter. I'm sure I will find more than a few incomplete books to add to, edit and whatever else needs to be done with them. I'd send them to a publisher if I weren't so sure they would merit anything loftier than a rejection slip. Besides, I have this blog and Chromosome 11 as depositories for it all, in a medium in which a visitor or two might actually stop in and read one or two. I would like it if people read and enjoyed these vignettes. But if not, oh well. I'll enjoy 'em a few years from now when I'm in the mood to look back at it all and become nostalgic. That's what it's all about.

At any rate, the reason I dredge that all up is to let you know that, although the blog posts have dropped off just a little bit, I assure you that material is being written for articles that will appear in the next several days. Maybe sooner if I get my internet wireless service hooked up. Side note: When I first got this laptop last week I got it up and running and woohoo, we were immediately piggy-backing someone else's wi-fi. But that all vanished within 254 hours...I still don't know where it came from.

The internet will wait. It will still be there, perpetually new and improved, when I come back to it. For now I'm gonna utilize the only three programs I have installed in it.

1. The first thing I installed was the ACID MUSIC STUDIO 7.0. It's the most addictive thing in the world to me, as far as computer activities go. Now I can take it wherever I happen to be going, sort of a "mobile studio". It may be a task trying to figure out the best ways to work it with a touch pad instead of a mouse. I can even use it as a game. Take random loops and mix them all together with the mute buttons all turned on, then see what they sound like...sort of like chance music. Something John Cage might do if he were working with the ACID.

2. The Sims. Bryan has already progressed into Sims 2 territory, so he didn't have much use for his copy of the original. So I went ahead and installed it on the laptop. In the past I have found this game to be frustrating and, in it's own way, rather difficult. In a strange way I see it as the electronic equivalent of playing God. Which I don't necessarily have a problem with. It's just hard as hell to do. If I uninstall any of these three programs to make room for another, it will be this one. But until then I'm going to see if it's become any easier to "play God" than it was a few years ago.

3. I am no video game player...meaning I am not a very good PC game player so I tend to avoid them. Still, I wish it were otherwise. So I bought a copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to try and get better and maybe lead to more gaming as I become more proficient with the way they work. I thought it would be a good idea to get one that's got a little humor in it. It makes me laugh. And I don't think it will lose it's novelty too soon.

That's it...3 programs and 6 Sigur Ros albums in the Windows Media Player, it's all I need until the wireless gets up and running. Those and the folders I imported from the desk top.

Have no fear, music lovers, I will make it a point to post the weekly music video. The only thing hard about that will be trying to think of who I want to feature. Sometimes this dillemna perplexes me to irritation, but usually I see the reality of the situation.

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