Computational Calamity

While not actually related to EvE ... the following does have relevance to my ability to play EvE... also, tech-heads everywhere will frown and laugh at the following farce.

My laptop, although worthy and capable, is far from a gaming powerhouse, and knowing this I also maintain a more powerful *cough cough* desktop unit.

Recently I've been sorting my study into order after we've moved house, the majority of bits still in the boxes... So, having found the monitor (easy mode) the computer ( ... still quite easy) and the parts which constitute an operation home computer (monitor leads, mouse and sundry cables) I find myself in need to access my ancient external HDD... which in itself requires a power source 12v 2Amp ... simple I already found the DC adapter brick!

Now, build the following picture... you have in-front of you a computer, with 1 kettle lead plugged in for power, a monitor also requiring 1x kettle lead, and you already know that 1 kettle lead has gone downstairs to power the telly.

Begin the hunt for 'a kettle lead' ... now, don't get me wrong, I've purchased a LOT of electronic equipment, often each being supplied with one of these power leads, and as most tech inclined will know, you end up with a surplus often stuffed into a never-to-be-opened drawer or otherwise lost and forgotten. In the spirit and understanding that "i have tons of these" ... I left a few scattered on the floor of the property we'd vacated nonchalantly happy that I'd no doubt have plenty enough.

Wrong.

Now I find that I cannot access the HDD without somehow deliberately acquiring what, in the lead and cable world, would be the equivalent of the town pigeon. Sad times.

Calling upon my almighty and extensive brain powah I formulate a fool-proof plan to circumvent this little issue, I'll simply take the HDD out of its enclose, plug into the main case and wam-bam thank you mam... everything will be peachy.

After much fumbling around using the wrong head on my technical screwdriver to take out the case screws and bending a few bits and pieces to take out the offending drive, I get into the tech-commando position (AKA... laying on your belly head shoved into the PC case) and begin the implant...

Only to find, and wait for it... this is the real kick in the proverbial nuts. Only to find that I need an IDE cable.

"I have TONS of these... ..."  heard that line someplace else?

So .. now, I have an external HDD casing strewn everywhere... an IDE HDD with NO way to connect to anything and a severe frustration that I've probably thrown away about a dozen IDE cables in the past six months or so... I mean, honestly, who still needs IDE ?

Computers... much fun