Reality Alteration

I sometimes give in to my dark side a bit. Recently, it's begun really annoying me that my school has a lot of old computers sitting around, not plugged in or being used in any way, just in stacks that it's not doing anything with. Even a few spare parts from these would be fairly useful. Considering that one of the memory modules on my secondary computer died, I was starting to seriously be tempted to pop one open and appropriate an unused module, knowing it would likely never even be missed. Tempted to the point of carrying a small screwdriver set with me. Never went through with it, though, it just never felt right to take it. (Though if I had ever seen them throwing one out, I would have popped it open on the spot and taken any parts I could use, possibly even the whole thing, even if I had to carry it while walking all the way home.)

Then something happened. Yesterday, one of my classmates came to school with a computer. (Her own.) And some memory modules. She needed help opening it up, replacing the old modules, and I was the only one in class with a screwdriver on me. I helped her. When we were done, I asked her what she was going to do with the old modules. She said she didn't know, and asked me if I wanted them. I said sure. Got them home. Swapped out the bad module. The new one was exactly the same size as the broken one, so I'm up to a full compliment plus a spare. And without having to do anything immoral to get it.

I feel kind of like reality just shifted a bit to get that module for me. The whole sequence of events seems just a little too serendipitous.

Microcenter Foo

I didn't have class this evening, so on the way home I stopped by Microcenter and perused their books. Ended up taking quite a few home as well:

Java 2 Game Programming - Normal List Price: 49.99. Microcenter price: 6.99 This is almost as low as I could have gotten it for from Amazon.com third-party sellers, plus I don't have to pay shipping.

Beginning Direct 3D game programming - Normal List Price: not available. Third party sellers price: 12.95 Microcenter price: 2.49

Fundamentals of C++: Understanding Programming and Problem Solving - Normal List Price: 72.95 Microcenter Price: 9.99

Gray Hat Hacking: the ethical hackers handbook - Normal List Price: 49.99 Microcenter price: 6.99

Fundamentals of Structured Program Design - Normal List Price: 108.00 Microcenter Price: 2.99

To say I'm quite pleased would be putting it mildly. 293.88 worth of books for 29.45 -> Mother fucking priceless.

Edit: Doc, I was not able to get that nifty toolset you showed me, either they were out of it or it was hidden beyond the power of my geek-fu to find. ;-)