Why Analog Is Still Better Than Digital At Times

I am getting ready for my very first gallery showing of both my paintings and crafts. I am nervous, on edge and frantic. To just get the paintings hung in the gallery last Saturday was a feat. It had been a horrible week with nothing working. I will detail that after I go to the opening tomorrow.

Useless Digital Light Timer by GE

Last night however, I was getting some 20+ birdhouses ready to show as well. I create and paint them and then put in a tub. Some are varnished, most are not. So I had a bunch of varnishing to do.

Walking into the living room there was no light on. It was fine the night before. Turning on other lights I found the timer to the left. ( I should note that I threw it away last night and the actual time when I took the photo was 9 am). Somehow it was set to be on 2 hours a day - 5 pm to 7 pm. No matter what I did, I could not change it. There are NO instructions on it and obviously GE is one of those companies that scoffs at the simplicity of Apple products along with the rest of the world. And that is why Apple is sitting on so much money there are only two or three companies it can't buy for cash in the world.

Good old fashioned timer by Toastmaster

The old analog timer was sitting on the window sill so I unplugged digital hell, plugged in the analog timer and there was light! How simple was that? My only complaint is that you only have one choice a day. Other versions went off in the dark morning and again on in the evening. I didn't care. I wanted light in the evening over no light at all.

The one thing about Toastmaster products is that the back side is covered with instructions. It leaves no doubt what you are supposed to do. I never read them because I simply turned the dial to the correct time, moved the grey tab to the time I wanted the lamp to go on (it works with CFL bulbs too I might add), then you move the black tab to when you want the light turned off. Its done. Its literally that simple.

Maybe I am an old fart. Yet, when you buy something you expect it to work without an advanced degree in engineering. Remember VCR's with the forever blinking 12:00? One of the funniest moments on TV was when some wag took a piece of black electrical tape and covered the clock. The audience went wild and I choked on my beer. Of course! Why not?

My new philosophy is if I bring it home and despite following instructions that often resemble Urdo I can't get it to work back it goes for a refund. If we ALL did that, a whole bunch of consumer products would clean up their acts. That's my take!

Please visit my craft store at KrugsStudio.etsy.com and my fine art store at AlanKrugFineArt.etsy.com. Thank you for stopping by and reading!

P.S. 9.15.14

After coming home from my gallery showing the house was dark yet again. Unpluging the cord from the timer and into the extension cord, "there was light!" Guess where that Toastmaster is right you? Yet, the trash. Is there a timer that really, REALLY works?