By the year 2020, you won’t need a keyboard and mouse to control your computer, say Intel Corp. researchers. Instead, users will open documents and surf the Web using nothing more than their brain waves.

Scientists at Intel’s research lab in Pittsburgh are working to find ways to read and harness human brain waves so they can be used to operate computers, television sets and cell phones. The brain waves would be harnessed with Intel-developed sensors implanted in people’s brains.

Interesting you say. Yes, it is. Excellent for those who are paralyzed or have lost a limb–again true.

But I still think this is something that will go horribly, terribly wrong if implemented.

Why? Here’s the second headline of the article: Brain waves will replace keyboard and mouse, dial phones and change TV channels

Change TV channels.

Think about that for a second. You’re sitting down watching TV, when suddenly the TV switches to professional bowling. You switch it back to Baywatch:Hasselhoff and the Girdle of Doom. It switches again back to bowling.

Can you imagine a scenario where this does NOT end up in fisticuffs?

Me either.

I am delighted by the changes I made to the main page of my site.

Go ahead and refresh!

And really, you should be using a browser other than IE. Because IE is evil.

Well, exciting and expensive.

Saturday we got a new range. 30″ Kenmore Elite Range (white). Michael researched everything in our price range, and this was the top rated stove we could afford. It’s got five burners, five racks, and convection.

Even better, we got it 12 months same as cash. (Here’s not never paying interest!)

It’s to be delivered next Sunday.

I’m wondering how many things I’ll ruin till I get used to the convection?

Today, I got a new laptop.

HP Pavillion dv6, and 18 months same as cash for payment. (Woot!)

Getting a laptop was almost more complicated than buying a new stove. You see, I’m a lousy typist. So all those laptop keyboards with the page up/page down etc buttons to the right of the enter key are a nightmare for me, since I’m constantly hitting them. That significantly reduced the number of options available; primarily to Sony, Asus, Lenovo, and HP, and not all all models of those brands.

After spending an evening looking at specs and reading reviews, I had a couple models I thought would be good.

Since Amazon didn’t have any of those models with 6 or 12 months same as cash financing, we wandered off to Best Buy, where they had the Sony, Asus and HPs I was considering, but no Lenovos. Which is too bad, because for the most part I have liked my Think Pads (though my favorite, the T41, was actually made by IBM before they gave the Think Pad line to Lenovo.)

After about 20 minutes of back and forth, I finally settled on the HP Pavillion. 15.6″ screen, and extended keyboard.

I’m in love!

Of course, I’m tying this on my old old desktop in the basement, since I’m supposed to be down here doing bills.

Including all the ridiculous purchase we made this weekend.

Perhaps I’d better get back to this bills…

I do not think it means what you think it means.

female big brust picture
I’m not sure how Steven Brust would feel about that.

james madison admitted states to union
All by himself?

I just realized that my web host is only saving the top twenty search terms. Why on earth would I want just the top twenty? The weird ones appear only once.

This is my life, in flowchart form.

If you are offended by strong language, don’t click.
(more…)

Still sitting in my parent’s basement, while Michael sets up Dad’s new computer.

Microsoft seems to be unclear on the definition of “word”.

Sometimes I am quite baffled by the search terms that come in for my blog.

I mean, in the past month there were 18 different searches for me? I find that… unlikely.

But I have had some particularly awesome searches recently.

hot chicks with banjos
Eight different searches for this? Really? I am ashamed to admit that I can’t even think of any female banjo players off the top of my head. And as much as I like the banjo, I don’t see myself taking up stringed instruments again. I’m entirely too lazy for the work required to become good.

things that make people mad
Republicans.

bad reviews in 2009 on the abacus group
I have no idea how this search landed someone at my website. In fact, I can’t even remember talking about abacuses here. Not that I haven’t discussed them before, but still…

peonies buds shrink up and look like the
Well hell, now I want to know the answer to that.

broccoli midgets
OK, the Enchanted Broccoli Forest comes to mind, but I know I’ve never written about that.

3.141592653589
and
2.7182818284
Add ’em together and you get a tasty pastry.

this is not sophie
Oh yes. Yes, it is Not Sophie.

I didn’t think my web design posts were THAT bad.

Here’s the wide view of my desk:

Here’s a closer view of the desk.

The poster with the ship? Text is: “Mistakes: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.”

I love Demotivators.

Today was an early day, and Wednesday is going to be even worse.

Then, to add lemon juice to the paper cut, Michael has to go to North Carolina for work. We’re still trying to figure out how I’m going to get the car tomorrow.

To top it all off, I think the battery is going on my laptop. Boo hiss! Yes, I know I can buy another one, but that’s not the POINT, now is it?

Oh, and I walked 14500 steps today–that’s almost seven miles.

(For those who don’t use MS products [and right now I hate you] QuickCorrect is a MS term.)