• ⇤
• ⇽
• ≡
• ⇾
• ⇥

how to secure data on an old disk drive by turning it into a maraca

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Today I made myself a musical instrument. I took a half-dead hard disk drive from the defunct laptop that I'd been given by my Uncle Ulli to try and patch up and give to my Aunt Laurie for her novel writing. The thing had stopped working entirely, so I decided to pitch the laptop. This meant getting rid of the HDD as well, but I didn't want it going off to the dump with my Aunt's creative works on it.

So I removed it from the laptop and kicked it along the street to the train station. Along the way, I placed it in some corners and kicked it with my steel-toed boots. And I hammered its broader sides against the bolts atop fire hydrants and stand-pipe covers.

Now it makes noises like a maraca (sp?) when you shake it. Shh-sh-shh, shh-sh-shh "in the Summer time, when the weather is hot..." sh-shh.