December 9, 2008, 10:26 am Some say the ubiquitous computer mouse was born 40 years ago in 1968 when SRI researcher Douglas Englebart demonstrated, in what author Steven Levy called “the mother of all demos,” not just a kludgey wooden-cased mouse, but the system of user interactivity based upon it. However, I can say with authority that the mouse had escaped Englebart’s Augementation Research Center some months before.
 Lawrence Livermore's PDP-1 installation In September 1966 I began working at my first job after grad school. I hired into the engineering group supporting Lawrence Radiation Lab’s computer center with visions of working on the supercomputer (for the time) time-sharing system being assembled. My boss, Bob Wyman, however, gave me a wire-wrap tool and pointed me at the PDP-1 with the goal of designing and building an interface to a mouse George Michael was having built. George had seen Englebart’s work, and wanted a mouse to “play with.” My assignment was to design a two-channel A-D converter to digitize the x and y analog signals for the two potentiometers in the mouse. I don’t recall how long this took, but I think I made a good showing with my first project. For sure, the mouse was functional on the PDP-1 in early 1967.
Not long after I completed the mouse interface I transferred to a smaller engineering group supporting nuclear chemistry labs, so I’m not sure how much the mouse was ever used on the PDP-1, and getting all wrapped up in the laboratory automation that minicomputers ushered in, I paid no more attention to the user interface issues that Englebart was pioneering.
In 1984, the mouse became a permanent fixture in my personal computing environment when I bought an Apple Macintosh.
December 7, 2008, 5:15 pm  Ruben
December 7 is one of those days that is hard to forget. Of course December 7, 1941 was the day America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. One of the consequences of that event is that both our fathers-to-be served in the war: mine in Europe, and Karen’s in the Pacific. I saw my father (more accurately, he saw me) briefly a few days after I was born, and then next some two years later, at which time, I am told, I told him in child-talk to get his hands off my mother.
 George Another reason to remember December 7 is that three years ago, December 7, 2005, Karen had her final chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. It was an uneventful treatment, unlike her first couple in which her reaction was so severe we were very afraid. When we returned from the hospital the kids had decorated the house with ribbons and welcome signs and had dinner cooking—a very welcome surprise.
Like every cancer survivor, I suppose, she sees each day as a gift, and the anniversary of completion of treatment is a special day of thanks. And, I agree.
December 6, 2008, 6:52 pm A couple of days ago, the Dr. said Karen could begin walking again without the huge ankle brace to treat her achilles tendonitis. Today, when Annmarie invited us to go hiking with them in Morgan Territory, Karen wanted to go (it remains to be seen if she overdid it with too much too soon). It turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon.
 Moon over the oaks in Morgan Territory We hiked about 2.5 miles. Both girls did really well, and Chase just was as happy as a clam in the backpack. Chase got excited about the cattle, and the girls got to see a couple of coyotes.
 Chase  Cortnie  Time for a rest  Walking in the shadows
|
Consider this:“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 |
