Well, I just had one of the most bizzare computer experiences I've ever had. First of all, to put it in context, I'm locked out of my home computer at the moment. Somehow, my password got changed, or I forgot it, which is less likely, because I use the same password or variations of it for just about everything. Anyway, if you don't have an administrator set up on it, you're basically fucked. I have one user account set up, and I can't get into it. There are a few freeware fixes for it, but unfortunately, they're located on sketchy sites that the GM internet won't let me one. I suppose I'll have to get Jeff the intern to download me one of these safecracking programs.
Anyway, that's not even the bizzare thing. I'm sitting at DTUT, and all of the sudden, my computer tells me that its going to shut off, and starts counting down from 60. Now, I'm supposed to be working on my Stanford essays, so this isn't exactly the most opportune time for such an event. And of course, the "why don't you try turning it on and off" method (see "EDS manuever" in the dictionary) didn't work. So it just kept shutting off on me. I tried to connect to the internet to wirelessly e-mail myself my essays, but I couldn't do it quick enough. I had to go back to work, swap my CD drive for the floppy, and see if I could copy my files onto a disk before the countdown ran out. Then, I figured, I'd grab Jeff the intern's computer and type it on there. What was bizzare was that, while I was at work, the countdown never started. It sat there fine. So, I tried to figure out what was different about logging on at work vs logging on at DTUT, even if I'm not actually on the network at work. The only difference is that, at DTUT, the wireless card picks up a network and starts doing stuff. So, after copying my files and lugging BOTH laptops to DTUT, I unplugged the card and restarted. It worked fine. Then, I even went as far as to plug it back in after startup, and, well, I'm obviously blogging now so that works. So, for some strange reason, if I start the laptop with the wireless card plugged in around a live network, a 60 second countdown starts on my PC and it shuts off.
WTF?
What the hell kind of malfunction is this? Dude... whoever designed these things was touched in the head. I'll tell you... Open Source can't be any worse than this.
You know what I realized, though? One of my strengths definately has to be my ability to be methodical and keep a cool head in a bad situation. I didn't get frustrated or annoyed. My pulse barely moved up a hiccup when my computer crashed. I calmly thought about what I needed to do, packed up, walked to the subway, and went back to work and did it. No stress, no nothing. Just effeciency. :)