So...looks like my hard drive is on the fritz. My good ole' Compaq has seen me through grad school, and has decided it's had enough. S has been very generous in cleaning out and de-fragging it for me over the last couple of days, something which I have no idea how to do and have never done in the six years I have had this computer. Last night the screen went white and all these bright colored stripes started flashing around. S worked her magic again, and it's been better, but her calculation is that my hard drive is in the final stages of biting the dust. Ah well. It was bound to happen. I'm thinking of switchiing to a Mac...The stripes are flashing around as I type. Looks like I might be plunking down my credit card sooner than later!