HELP WITH APPLIANCE AND PARALLEL PORT

Hello all! Nice Forum. I am very new to electronics and very interested.
I work late on my pc and my wife is going nuts! I'm looking for a way to have a lamp connected to my parallel port so when I hear her comming down the stairs I can kill the light and lay on the floor and fake like Im sleeping. I searched and found some great sites that explains the pcb but I'm confused how to make the board and hook up the light! I tried reading books but I can't understand it all as of yet.
Any help would be great!!!

Thanks
Larry
Larryvinci@aol.com

Thats the funniest/stupidist thing i have heard!

How about a low tech solution to a low tech problem?

You could use a remote switch, or long power cord?

Make a touch switch (if its close).

If you really want to do it by computer i say the easiest way is to get one of those X10 setups. I have used them before for turning a light off and on. Thats as far as we went.(just playing with it).

The X10 has a trasmiter hooked to your serial port, then you put the reciever on the power plug of your device....Open up the panel on your computer and select your switch.

btw...what are you doing that you dont want your wife to see?,...and why would you be sleeping on the floor

good luck,
bd

I would suggest you to make a simple infrared interrupter. This will detect if anyone has crossed the stairs and will switch-off the lights. I bet your wife will not go nuts now