Okay, so I like Star Trek

I know it's a 'guy thing' and that most women don't like or know the first thing about Star Trek. But I like it. Especially The Next Generation. There's just something about all those little gadgets that they have that make life a little more convenient. Yes, I realize it's completely fiction. But indulge me a bit...

How cool would it be to walk up to a console in the wall and say, "Computer, hot chocolate with marshmallows." And voila, you'd have the perfect, most tasty mug of chocolate heaven at your fingertips...in an instant! What's not to like?

And no one would ever be lost again. If you want to know where someone is, just say their name. If they don't answer, again, ask the computer where they are. And voila! Their precise location is revealed by the smooth, knowing voice of the computer.

But my two favorite, future inventions? The transporter and the tri-corder. No more driving cross-country. No more airport rules. Just stand on the transporter and say, 'Energize.' I've already told my son that he needs to get right on inventing that lovely little invention. I'm afraid he hasn't put much thought into it though. Too bad, could mean big money.

Today, I could use the tri-corder. This little hand-held computer can tell you everything from what pollutants are in the air to exactly what ails you. I need the latter. I'm tired of trying to match my symptoms with the words on the side of a box of cold medicine, trying to decide if I need the version that can only be handed to me by the pharmacist or if the one on the shelf will suffice, and hoping and praying that I've chosen well. This is the second time in three months that I've had a fairly severe cold. The last time, I ended up at the doctor's office to get an antibiotic and STILL couldn't hear out of my left ear for a month because of that ear infection. Probably wouldn't have gotten that bad had I simply known which cold/allergy/sinus/flu remedy to purchase in the first place. I'm tired of wasting time and money on the wrong thing. No one wants to be sick. But I feel like I'm only prolonging the misery by not treating my symptoms correctly. And I'm not an idiot. I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person. But with a huge head/chest cold, standing in the aisle at CVS, I don't feel all that qualified to determine the best pill/liquid/capsule to do the trick.

THAT'S why I'd like to use the Star Trek technology of the tri-corder. One quick scan and I'd know exactly what my cold was caused by and the perfect solution for it. No wasted time. No wasted money. Too bad it's not expected to be invented for another 400+ years.