Yup. I see plot potential everywhere.

Early Thursday morning, fire destroyed a historic building in the downtown San Jose. Since I transfer from VTA's light rail to the Line 64 bus at 1st & San Fernando, this screwed up my ride home over the last two days.

But that's not why I'm posting this. See, according to several reports at the time the fire was breaking out in the under-renovation Porter Stock Building, a false alarm was called in for a location that would send the engine company responsible for downtown to the far side of their service area. Makes you wonder why, hm? Perhaps someone was after something in the building, and was afraid that the renovation would reveal it. So they went in to get it, ruptured a gas line, and called in the false report to delay emergency services long enough to spirit their prize away.

Let's put on our Ken Hite hats!

The Porter Stock Building was built in 1867. What was going on at that time? Well, the Civil War had just ended. People were still searching for the Motherlode up in the Gold Country. In other news the Tokugawa shogunate ends, Emperor Norton is holding court in San Francisco, and Das Kapital was first published.

During the 19th Century it served as a bank. One of its more prominent customers was Sarah Winchester. She's best known for going slightly nuts and building a house. (I used to work there, BTW.) It should also be noted that California was briefly the capital of the state.

So, what was in the Porter Stock House, and who was after it?

I can haz a computer.

Specifically, an Eee PC 4GB 701. Mine is black, natch.

This is the first computer that is mine as opposed to one I've shared with someone. Not a power machine, true, but it does what I need it to do: web and mail, what little office stuff I do, and play Nethack. I can even plug in my iShuffle and listen to my music.

After watching me stroke the computer in a disturbing manner in the car, we decided on the new little box's name. At first it was going to be MiniPC (I do a dead-on MiniMe "eeeee") but then we thought of a better one. The box is Mr. Bigglesworth.

Further into the 21st century!!

Posting from Mr. Bigglesworth. Thanks to kor27 we now have wireless! I'm typing from my papasan chair. Oh, this brave new world...