So I finally broke down and bought myself a laptop. I just purchased on Dell 700M, and bought myself a new printer/fax/scanner/copier as well. My poor printer although still working, it's an ancient HP Deskjet 722C, is on its last legs. Plus when I had printer/fax/scanner/copier for my work at home job, I really really got used to it. I liked being able to make copies and fax stuff.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. I hope it doesn't just become a toy that I will eventually get tired of playing with. I think I got a good deal though considering I bought a multi-function printer, a port replicator so I don't have to mess with plugging and unplugging wires, 60 gig rather than 40 gig, and a 128 MB memory stick and extra battery that I hope to God I will use.

I just wish it didn't have to cost so much money. That's the part I really, really hate, and wonder if it's worth it to buy new instead of used on Ebay or refurbished at the Dell Outlet.

I think I might be allergic to chocolate and if I am, I will be so bummed. I so love chocolate, but lately when I eat chocolate my mouth itches. I don't know if it's just my other allergies or if I'm truly allergy to chocolate.

I know when I'm stressed I crave chocolate like you wouldn't believe, like it's an addiction. Addictions to food are sometimes a sign of an allergy. Damn, I'll just be like my sister. She's allergic to fish and eats it anyway, and has a constant rash. I used to just lecture her about it, and now I'll be in the same boat if I find out I'm allergic to chocolate. I'll eat it anyway and have my mouth constantly itching, not mention be bloated like a whale for the rest of my life.

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

I am saddened by the Pope's death. He was a good man and tried to do much for the Catholic Church. Although I disagreed with many of his views, I admired his tenacity for life and how much he kept holding on despite his failing health in the last several years.

I have always wanted a Tizio lamp. Here's what a few websites have to say about this lamp.

"Tizio desk / table lamp is perhaps the most recognizable lamp in the world."

"Tizio Lamp, Large Black, Richard Sapper, 1972
Probably one of the most famous modern lamps of the century, this lamp is notable for the absence of visible wiring, its counterweighted arms and adjustable head. It is constructed of aluminum and thermoplastic with a matte-black lacquer finish. Made by Artemide."

"The Tizio lamp (1972) has probably made an appearance on the desks of more architects and designers than any other object since the lead pencil. Richard Sapper, its designer, has provided a model for product design that combines the rational approach and technical sophistication of his German homeland with Italian flair and originality. After receiving an engineering degree from the University of Munich, Sapper began work for Mercedes Benz and then moved to Italy to work in the design studio of Alberto Roselli and Gio Ponti.

In 1959, he received a Compasso d’Oro for his Static table clock, subsequently collaborated with Marco Zanuso and finally, opened his own design office in Stuttgart in 1970. He continued, however, to team up with Zanuso and together they produced a number of notable products including a plastic child’s chair for Kartell which doubled as a construction toy. They also created the highly styled Doney television for Brionvega, a sewing machine for Necchi and the compact Grillo folding telephone. These products represented state of the art technology, elegantly housed and designed to convey function with a visual clarity that was eloquently modern.

The Tizio lamp was created for Artemide in 1972. Matte black and minimal in form, it had not only a new look but operated in a completely new way. It was equipped with an inner balancing mechanism that allowed users to alter its position by the lightest touch of the hand. It won the Compasso d’Oro in 1979. Since 1981, Sapper has been a design consultant for IBM, designing portable computers like the minimalist "leapfrog" computer. He has also given his high tech style post-modern inflections, creating successful designs for Alessi including the Caffettiere coffee maker and Bollitore kettle. Sapper is an impressively versatile designer who can create compelling visual images for sophisticated electronic technology, and still respond to the simpler challenge of making everyday objects like flatware or a child’s chair."

But having a famous lamp does not come cheap; it's a $300 something lamp. But maybe that's why God invented eBay. So I'm bidding on a Tizio lamp now. You gotta love eBay.