But the company has stuck with the product all of these years and has continued working to improve the speech recognition capabilities. The current incarnation is Dragon Naturally Speaking v. 10.0, which has gotten rave reviews from professional and casual users alike. According to the manufacturer, this is the fastest and most accurate version of Dragon Naturally Speaking to date, making the software even easier and more convenient to use than ever. People who have purchased the product and tried it out seem to agree.

I wouldn’t mind giving Dragon Naturally Speaking another shot. I have to write a lot of papers for grad school, and have no trouble composing out loud. Perhaps I can get my work done faster if I don’t actually have to type everything out! Buy.com currently has the software on sale for $37.99, which is 62% off the usual retail price of $99.99, so this would be a fantastic time to make a purchase. I wish there was some way to try a demo before buying, though. That would probably convince me one way or the other.

I think I’ll start by simply dividing up the meals I currently eat into separate components. For example, my breakfast is usually a bowl of healthy cereal, a slice of buttered toast, and a small yogurt. I can turn that into two “meals” by eating the cereal first, and then the toast and yogurt later. I’m also going to keep protein bars and protein powders on hand for between meal snacking, and reduce my intake of junk food. I’ll also have to monitor my calories to make sure I don’t go overboard with the 5 meals.

It will probably take me a little while to get used to eating smaller portions like this, but I’ve got to try something!

I’m used to seeing touchscreens on cell phones and iPods, but have never seen something like this for a desktop computer. I think it looks way cool! This is definitely cutting-edge stuff as far as home computers go, right? The only other touchscreen of this magnitude that I’ve ever seen is on NCIS: Los Angeles, but that kind of thing is expected for a TV show.

Anyway, this desktop does come with things like 4GB memory, Intel Dual-Core processor (2.1 GHz), 320GB hard drive, built-in webcam and microphone, DVD-RW drive, and remote control, so it can do everything I need from a home computer. And Buy.com has refurbished models on sale for $589.99 after a special $20 coupon is automatically applied. That’s an awesome price for a machine with all these features!

I don’t know how much I’d actually use a touchscreen when there’s a keyboard sitting right in front of me, but I’d still like to give this Gateway Desktop a try! Ok, now who wants to buy it for me??

I’m thinking about giving the harsh treatments a break for a while and going with a steam regimen instead. This should help with unclogging pores and getting rid of blackheads, which would be a major step in the right direction. Plus, steam can help my skin get smooth and soft. That’s definitely something else I need right now. So I’m going to but the Differin and Clindamycin away for a while and just let steam power work its magic.

Obviously, this D-Link SecuriCam has value as a nanny cam or as a legitimate security device, so people needing a webcam for either of those reasons should definitely look into buying this. But as I said, I just want it for fun. For example, I’d point the camera by my dogs to see what they do when we leave the house (do they really just keep on sleeping?). Or I could set it up in my son’s room to make sure he’s doing his homework while I’m in the kitchen cooking dinner (monitoring on my netbook). I could probably come up with a hundred other uses for this thing too!

I wouldn’t go out of my way to spend a ton of money on something like this, but the D-Link SecuriCam is on sale at Buy.com for $89.99 and comes with an additional $20 mail-in rebate, making the final price a very affordable $69.99. Maybe I’ll buy it, use it for a while and have my fun, then pass it on to someone who really needs it!

In the past two weekends, the Blackhawks have led Detroit 2-0 after 1, the Flyers 2-1 with just over 2 minutes left to go in regulation, and the Caps 3-0 after 2. The results? Detroit won 5-4 in regulation, the Flyers won 3-2 in regulation, and the Caps won 4-3 in overtime. WTF???

I know teams can’t win every game, but the Hawks have looked downright awful in the past month or so. Fortunately, their record doesn’t reflect how badly they’ve played. But it shows in the standings, where Vancouver and Phoenix are now within striking distance of that second seed in the Western Conference. At the rate the team is playing now, I’d lay better odds on mesothelioma life expectancy after long-term exposure to asbestos than on the Blackhawks “life expectancy” in the playoffs. If the playoffs started today, Chicago would get bounced in the first round.

One thing these recent losses prove is that the Hawks don’t merely have a goaltending problem. Nearly every aspect of their game is suffering: defense, puck control, power play, offense, coaching. It’s getting out of hand.

Let’s hope they turn it around heading into April and the postseason.

At any rate, the heavy rains and loss of power in places like New Jersey this weekend reminded me to get on the ball with the emergency kit. So I started shopping around and saw this First Alert Storm Light over at Buy.com. This looks like a great piece of equipment for my kit!

The First Alert Storm Light is a multi-purpose flashlight that also comes with a built-in AM/FM radio, LCD clock, and digital alarm with snooze function. The light has a sturdy handle, as well as a wide base, so I can either carry it, hang it from a hook, or set it on a table or shelf to provide illumination. Also, the radio will help keep me informed of the latest goings on with rescue crews and such should my power go out.

The light is on sale right now for $13.99, which is a very good price. I might as well go ahead and purchase three of them (one for the house, and one for each of our vehicles) so we can at least have something in the way of an emergency kit. Who knows, maybe this purchase will spur me on to buy other necessary supplies (like bottled water and canned goods) as well!