By Larry Baum

On ESPN they have a fun show called “Who’s No. 1?” where they countdown from 20 on various questions of sports intrigue.
David Letterman each night works his Top 10 magic and that is always fun hearing his brand of madness.
As for me, I have always had a fondness for lists and rankings. In the case of ranking the inventions, there is no wrong answer, just further debate. There will be no Super Bowl to allow the combatants to see which invention really is best.
The list:
1. The computer
2. Television and the DVR
3. Heart transplants
4. All drugs, including Viagra, Tylenol, blood pressure and diabetes medications
5. The car
6. Air travel
7. Indoor plumbing
8. The refrigerator and freezer and modern food manufacturing
9. Eyeglasses, modern ophthalmic surgeries
10. The electric guitar
I have worked my job as QA Manager both with and without computers and the most significant tool and influence on change thru 30 years has been the computer. It takes data and turns it to information with statistical importance. With computers decisions are faster and more accurate. Due to our skillful use of computers, our companies are still in business versus competitors who also use them. Because of computers we have e mail and can communicate better and more accurately. Embrace it, or fall behind. At home, it is the source of recreation and assists us in every phase of living. We could live without it, but we would be worse for it. When our computer is down, we fix it. Every five years or so, we go back out and get the top of the line, because whatever we have had is too old, too slow. So I say computers, it’s No. 1.
We are several generations into TV and now the DVR has taken the TV into the computer age. TV is the No. 1 recreation item in our house, and we have 5 of them, one is 50” HD.  Sorry, but it’s got to be No. 2 in my book. I go to medicine for No. 3, as we simulate God’s mechanics and actually repair the heart.  Thank you Doctors for that.  In a more general medical spirit and a tip of the hat, I have to go with all drugs and all the benefits we have derived. Viagra? Nice application. High blood pressure? No problem, we have pills. Diabetes? We have other pills. Have a headache? Not to worry, there’s an aisle in every pharmacy, and it’s coming in solid as No. 4.
Care to get somewhere? I could walk or ride a horse, but driving a car is so much better, especially with a Sirius satellite radio on the dash. We would be nowhere without the car which easily could be rated higher, but let’s give it No. 5 for now. Until we get Star Trek transporter power, we’ll have to go to air travel for No. 6.  With our need to travel long distance for business and commerce, we will have to rate air travel this high.
I can’t resist indoor plumbing, which will give the entire plumbing contractor group a huge boost. Think about it, without plumbing we would be in the out house, and that just wouldn’t do at all. So let’s at least give it No. 7 and call it a day. How would we live in our houses without our water handling, sewage and plumbing advances? So, please don’t scoff pilgrim.
Without the refrigerator I’d have to work a lot harder and longer just to get the food daily for the family. We need modern refrigeration and cooling to accomplish this. Refrigeration is a great barrier against microbial spoilage and with modern food manufacturing and processing, we have the food we need to eat and we don’t have to go out and kill it or till it ourselves. It all costs too much but that’s a problem to discuss on another day.
I go back to medical support for the No. 9 invention. For me, this is very personal. It is eyeglasses and overall ophthalmic advances. I had several right eye surgeries 20 years ago which saved my eye, so I am biased in this area. That’s what makes these lists so much fun. I need to see, so let it be No. 9!
The last invention on the list is the electric guitar.  Perhaps this is a frivolous piece of the list, but it’s been a very cool invention and very meaningful to many of us, so thank you Les Paul.
Now, thanks for all of your cards, letters. E-mails and reader comments. If you have a counter list, send it in, I guess I’ll just have to consider it.