Every now and then I have one of those moments that remind me of the inexorable march of progress.  The other day I had one when I went out and bought a Strait Line Laser Level 120 at the Home Depot.  What blew me away was here was a laser that I could stick on the wall and play with in my house.  What’s more, this wasn’t a weak-kneed laser like the one you’d find in a CD player or laser printer, but one that had a shining, Star Wars-like beam.

To put this in perspective, in 1981, it cost $17,000 to buy a laser printer.  By 1985 that was down to $2,995 and today it’s $99.99.  Or, if all you want is a laser to level your paintings and conduct home cataract surgery, you can get that Strait Line above for $23.

Also, home laser usage is not just for printing, listening and straightening any more.  It looks like Gillette is going to bring laser hair removal into the confines of the home in 2007.