I have a laptop here and connect to the internet via a wireless card. My connection tends to run the gamut from very good to nonexistant, but the last few days have been new and unique. It doesn't work when my laptop is on my lap. If it's on the footstool of our black leather Poäng, it works. Lap--no. Footstool--yes. Lap--no. My lap is a mere 2.5 feet away from the footstool but it just doesn't work. As a result, whenever I want to go to new sites I have to hunch over the footstool, and if I want to do any typing I have to bring it to my lap and forego my connection. How weird is that?
German class has suddenly become very difficult. We made it through the first book, which is really only Chapters 1-5 of a larger book (Chapters 6-10 are in the second book). Boy, this text really sucks you in. They start out all nice with "Hello, my name is Shelby. I'm sorry I spilled your beer. May I buy you another?" (okay, maybe just the name part), then move on to identifying kitchen appliances, as in "I wish I had an Elektroherd" (oven), fruits and vegetables, and things to do on a cruise ship. Then we started book 2 (actually Chapter 6) and wham, they slam a ton of grammar on you all at once. This is where it gets grueling. No longer am I the smart student. Now I actually have to know what all of those genders are because there are suddenly all kinds of endings that require this knowledge. And my blind guessing becomes really obvious. Poor me. I can't wait til we branch out from the present tense.
Posted by Shelby at May 11, 2004 09:14 PMI'm not terribly surprised about the wireless hiccups. My cell phone signal can vary by two bars while I'm sitting down if I just move it from one side of me to the other.
Then there's electromagnetic fields to consider. I wonder if it being in your lap interfere's with your body's EM field...
Of course, this is wild speculation from someone who knows nothing of wireless networks, go take this all with a full saltshaker, not just a grain. :)