Communist Plot Unveiled

I’ve turned out a lot of work with my Toshiba Satellite P15 laptop since I got it in April of 2004, but that shouldn’t excuse the short life of its power adapter. I already replaced it once, and the second one died yesterday. I went online (via desktop PC) looking for a different solution than another stock Toshiba adapter. Several companies make nice ones you can plug into a wall outlet, or a cigarette lighter in a car, or a seat in an airplane. They work with thousands of different laptops; but not the Satellite P15. So I went to KC this morning to get another “stock” adapter. You can’t find them in Lawrence and I couldn’t wait for a shipment. I was ready to shell out $90 when the conversation turned to how long the last one I bought had lasted. I didn’t have the receipt but the courteous salesperson looked it up. I bought it in January this year. She informed me there’s a one year warranty, kept the dud and handed me the new one for free. So my day started off on a positive note.

But that’s not really the point of this. Trying to verify the volts/amps/watts requirements for this Toshiba P15, I went through the rather summary handbook that came with it. I was astonished at one of the warnings, the thumbnail of which is over there and you can click it to see what it says, unless your eyes and monitor resolution are keen enough to read the thumbnail.

In recent conversations with a few friends, we discovered we’ve all arrived at the same conclusion about the Chinese toys with lead paint. It wasn’t just cost-cutting or slipshod manufacturing but, rather, a pernicious Communist scheme to dumb down our citizenry. That’s what lead does to you, you know. Makes you stupid. And now it’s apparent that kids who didn’t suck enough lead off their toys, and managed to grow up smart enough to go to college, have been targeted for another volley of lead via the tools/toys they handle every day as tech savvy young adults, via lead embedded in their power cords. And what about the keys on all those keyboards that are made in China? Do you know what they’re made of?

Think my friends and I have over-active imaginations? Just consider the people you encounter every day. The plot is obviously working, which proves that it exists. :goofy:

Wash your hands. There’s more to fear than just a bad cold!

Wellsville Thanksgiving

It was the usual early Thanksgiving feast at Wellsville Manor today, and Becky and I trekked on down for the event. Jeff and Paula joined us, with Mercedes and Brenna. Evelyn was in fine form, and enjoyed the company.

After the party Becky and I drove up I-35 to Metcalf Mall so I could see about buying new lenses for my glasses at Lenscrafters. Suddenly, it was Christmas! Took at least ten minutes cruising the parking lot to find a space. Once inside, it was teeming with patrons and jammed with Christmas fare. Lots of booths in the middle of the aisles selling everything from watches to cell phones to calendars to whatever you can imagine.

So, I got some single vision lenses. I had already ordered progressive bifocals at the optometrist’s office last week.

We got home in time to watch the KU v. Oklahoma State game. We were sure the announcers were putting a hex on us by repeatedly referring to “the unbeaten Jayhawks”; but it didn’t work. We won, anyway; convincingly. This is most strange! KU has suddenly been catapulted into not only a respectable season, but one with national commentators talking about national championship and Heisman Trophy in the same breath as “Kansas”. Most surreal.

You can click on those thumbnail photos to see the larger pictures. Or, you can visit the Wellsville Thanksgiving Collection at Chappell Famly PicasaWeb, which has a few more of today’s photos. While there, you can peruse other new collections I’ve uploaded, if you’re so inclined.

Halloween 2007

Can’t believe it’s another Halloween already. That means it’s pretty much Thanksgiving which means it’ll be Christmas before I know it which means a Christmas break that’ll be over soon as it starts making it 2008. 2008? What happened to 1958? Y’know, I remember when Bic pens were the latest thing. A seven transistor radio that ran on one of those new 9 volt batteries was cutting edge. There was no FM, much less stereo. Color TV was a curiosity. Sometimes the technological advances of humankind seem breathtaking until I stop to think — over 100 years and we’re still getting around on internal combustion engines.

We had a few Trick’r’Treaters; maybe a couple dozen. It was a good night for it. No rain, not cold or windy. One nice thing this year was no teenagers. I never understood teenagers humiliating themselves going around in some sort of thrown together non-costume such as “bum” or “homeless person” ringing doorbells and saying “Trick or Treat!” just like the cute little 4-year-old that was just here.

Becky did some cool decorating! I couldn’t believe she hauled a real hay bale up onto the porch all by herself. Yeah, she did all that before I got home from work.

I think the best part about Halloween, now that the kids are grown, is not having to sort through a bunch of candy trying to spot evidence of tampering with the kids fidgeting like “c’mon you guys, gimme!” Hey, a candy bar sounds good right about now!