My not-yet-two-month-old 300GB drive is officially dead. Fdisk cannot see it, fsck doesn't work on it, and all the data is lost. How do you backup a 300GB hard drive on a home budget? I didn't lose any important data, but I will lose some time over this . . . time spent taking the drive out, shipping it off, and replacing it. I did lose data, data that I probably won't replace.

I have been thinking about this since I first found out that my HD had some problems. The data I lost was in the legal grey zone, stuff that could get me into trouble. With all my moral preaching on subjects of ethical and legal things my fansub “collection” has been weighing heavy upon my soul. I have access to anime on DVD, and anime itself doesn't provide me with anything I need, just stuff I want, and I have enough wants that I probably won't miss it so terribly much if I drop out of the scene.

As I contemplate these things I'm still saddened that I have to part with a source of joy like this. Who knows, maybe I will dodge a bullet. Maybe I will find better, dare I say it, healthier things to do during my lunch break. Maybe I will get a different job where watching anime at lunch won't really work. In the end, what have I lost, but a pursuit and a hobby that brought me some joy. (There's some irony in that)

[composed and posted with ecto]