I’ve been trying to justify buying one of these high power laser pointers. I’ve hovered over the checkout button several times now unable to pull the trigger. Truth is I go through this struggle with my inner child often. I have a wide range of interest so there’s an endless list of toys that I could make full use of. I’m a capably person and I quickly outgrow less capable toys when exploring my interest so if I decide to go down a road I know it’s going to hurt financially. I need to be very picky about which roads I take. I’m ok financially and I’m past the need for delayed gratification for necessities but when I want something expensive I need to hunker down and go without for a period to get it.

Buyers remorse is my constant companion, I agonize over every superfluous expenditure even for small ticket items. I wonder the isles at the grocery store before checkout thinking “are shallots really that much better than onions for sauce”? I use alternate reasoning such as “red meat’s not good for me anyway” to justify putting the $13 a pound steaks back. (I think the cows must have formed a union). Old habits are hard to break, it’s why I stayed out of the military, I felt it would forever change me for the worse.

So I discovered that they had these high power laser pointers online of course and immediately wanted one. I’ve always loved lasers, I even built one in high school. I couldn’t believe they actually sold these things to anyone and thought, it’s just a matter of time before some yahoo messes it up for everyone and shines one at a police helicopter or some other nefarious stupidity . Well sure enough some kid shines one a police helicopter and then a hole slew of morons followed. Link. Link. Link. Link. Some genius blinding the QB at a football game too win a bet or something to that effect will probable spell the end to the fun.

So far you can still buy them but I notice the more powerful <150mw are getting very hard to find. I think the crackdown is coming soon so if I want one now's the time. Problem is there not cheap, the most powerful, 600mw and the one I want of course is $2500! bucks. The buyers remorse would most likely be lethal if I purchased this one but I think I could stomach the 300mw for $650. The 300mw is powerful enough to melt anything the 600mw will just not as fast.

For the 4th I was at my friends party as I am every year because he lives out in the sticks and we like to go a little nuts with the pyrotechnics. He’s got this brass cannon that will set off car alarms for miles, it’s great fun. Anyway my friend lit up a cigar and I mentioned they had laser pointers that could light a cigarette, he didn’t believe me so I had too show him online to prove it. We all sat around postulating all the potentially uplifting uses for such a device, everything from zapping the palmetto bugs that like to crawl on the walls here in Florida, to the remote ignition of fireworks. That’s when the mood became somber as we pondered what could’ve been.

I have a feeling the next 4th celebration is going to resemble a Floyd concert.