Some history and introduction.

I've been fascinated with computers since Star Trek, the original series, but around 1974 hand held calculators entered the scene at school. They were pricey and you were damn lucky to have access to one and we were not supposed to use calculators in school even for trivial tasks, "since", the teacher said, "you might not have access to one". I suppose that the teacher was trying to save us face. I on the other hand was sure that without one I would never have a face to save. Even then in the 4th grade I knew that computers and calculators would be in our wrist watches, after all I read Dick Tracy. The math teacher even raced me in arithmetic exercises and she was impressed with my speed, but she could beat me on average with rather large multiplication problems. I have actually been able to pick up on some small mental math ability, but it has taken 40 years of being around numbers to acquire. Delayed indeed I am.

The scientific variety of calculator was made available to me around 1979. The TI-30 I can't remember, but wikipedia has them at $25, I was thinking they were higher, but anyway they came just in time for Geometry! They used little red LED displays so did the wrist watches then, but it might as well been a cray super computer. While they crunched the numbers they displayed a moving set of LEDs that was contained in one character to let you know it was working. Like a spinning icon on a web page i suppose. Some had dots that traveled across the diodes, a progress bar sort of.. as they just cycled until the calculation was finished.  I'll need to do some research maybe...

I am a lover of facts and knowing a bunch of them doesn't necessarily make you smart, but after years of reading them you acquire an extensive coverage of materials. Eventually with some luck trends or patterns can be deduced. This is a sign of hope for the layman. Having an endless supply of knowledge at my fingers has made me one avid reader and anything I want to read is available. There is an entire library of books, an open encyclopedia that has references to follow, you do read the references don't you? Every topic in the world has a forum to ask questions. Like I've heard or actually read in this age of information ignorance is a choice. If you want to know something you can find it out.

Knowing vocabulary is always helpful. I learn way more words with a computer, I use lookup tools where possible. I am using one in this browser that allows me to look up the definitions of words, simply by highlighting a word and right clicking and choosing define. This is a great thing, since in my AADD state I am apt to look in a dictionary and stop whatever I am doing and get lost.

I will try to maintain my experiences here with computers, science and my ridiculous life and place them in functional context for someone to read in a way that is entertaining and not too laborious. This one is getting rather long....  but these are my favorite things and that is what I hear you should write about, so hey....

I wish I were interested in something that was well in my reach like painting walls, but I am just not blessed that way. I "study" anything Linux and science stuff, as well as I can and sometimes venture into the world of current affairs. If I have found a reader that understands my disposition I will have at least accomplished something. My respirations will perhaps have not been to the detriment of the world's supply of O2 and my attempt at a little contribution could go somewhere.