In need of a laptop

I have to go to this conference for work next week, but I also have a number of big assignments due that I'll need to work on while I'm there. So, I need to get a laptop computer.

Thing is, I don't want one; I just need it for this weekend. I don't want anything fancy, my requirements are that it has wireless internet, a dvd drive, and at least a 20gb HD. I've looked at getting a used laptop, but for about the $400 or so it would cost to get a computer with those specs, it seems like a hassle and of course could break on me in my moment of need. Nothing new of course is that cheap.

So, I'm currently contemplating buying a laptop at Futureshop and then returning it within 14 days to get my money back. Of course, the risk is that once I have it I won't want to get rid of it. Or something breaks on it and I'm stuck with it.

Anyone (of the probably 3 ppl who might actually read this :P I'll post more often I swear!) have any thoughts on how to resolve this predicament?

Le Nordique

So Corinne and I went to Le Nordique spa a few weeks ago, and I must say it was quite enjoyable. The premise o the joint is for you first use either the Swedish sauna or the steam room to warm up your body, open up your pores and get the toxins out; you then go into the cold pool/waterfall to wash the toxins off your body and cool off. You then go to one of the relaxation areas for a little while to acclimate yourself, and then repeat the process.

This waterfall is only slightly above zero degrees, and believe me, watching people's reactions as they go under it is worth the price of admission right there. You can litterally feel your skin contract and tighten as you go through - definitely one of the strangest feelings I've experienced.

Would I do it again? Sure! I fell asleep in the relaxation area - Corinne tells me I was snoring which explains the funny looks I got from others when I woke up - which is a rarity for me in the daytime. I wonder if there are other places similar to Le Nordique that I should try - anyone have any recommendations?

Random thoughts... by Dave (part 1)

I want to propose a new diet, something vaguely along the lines of being a vegetarian. I don't know what to call it yet, but I'm sure something will come to me. It sort of comes from the "eye for an eye" philosophy, as it could apply to your dietary habits.

Basically, what has a head of lettuce ever done to you?

Lettuces are being slaughtered by the millions every year, all for our personal benefit. And yet I've never heard of anyone being attacked by a lettuce. Sure, someone may have gotten indigestion from eating out of date lettuce, but holding them accountable for such a transgression is somewhat akin to blaming cows for getting BSE from the limited food supply we provide on farms. Surely there must be a more egalitarian approach.

What I suggest is this: from now on, we only eat foods that have a chance of fighting back. Instead of beef, we now eat bear; instead of lamb, wolf. For vegetation we'd get to feast on venus fly traps, poison ivy (the irritant is just an oil on the surface), nightshade and cacti. Seafood would include shark, jellyfish and possibly lobster to name but a few delicacies. Criteria for edibility would revolve around the animal or plant's ability to do us harm.

For those purists (the vegans of my dietary world), I say you can only eat food that you are able to capture and prepare yourself. No more going to the grocery store for you! And really, if you can't take that bear down by yourself, it would serve to encourage cooperation between neighbors and build a sense of community.

Sure, it's not perfect, but I don't see anyone else coming up with anything better.

Harry Potter

So is anyone else as excited as I am that the new Harry Potter movie (The Order of the Pheonix) and the new Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) are coming out this year - and a mere eight days apart no less?

"You want to go out in July? Sorry, can't, Harry Potter. I'm glad you understand."