My morning was mostly spent on getting small problems resolved with what seemed to be my day of dealing with appliances. In one of the homes I just sold, there’s a gas range which appeared to not be working when the buyer went to turn it on. I drove out there and discovered the pilot lights were out. Evidently someone must’ve turned the gas off and didn’t check to make sure all the pilots in the house were re-lit. While there, I re-set the clock on the built-in wall oven as well.
Several days ago a tenant called and said the electric oven on his stove quit working. After visiting with the owner, he thought it best to just get a new one for the unit. Just before I picked up the phone to order a replacement, I thought I’d better go over to the unit and check it out for myself. I called the tenant and asked if I could stop by and take a look at it. He mentioned he was already at work but it was fine to go ahead and look at it.
When there, and checking out the problem, I found not even the oven light would go on in the knob panel. The first thing I thought, “Oh it must be something computerized that went bad.” After trying to get it to go on several times, I finally called it quits and decided it was a lost cause. Just as I was walking out of the kitchen, I thought a moment and went back in to check its timer device. To my surprise, the tenant must’ve been messing with the dials and turned off the “manual” override. I put the timer settings where they were supposed to be, and to my delight the oven worked when I turned the oven knob to the “On” position.
It certainly makes a person wonder how many people unknowingly get their appliance settings out of kilter and end up thinking they’ve gone bad and order new ones. This is just one more example of how we truly have too many gadgets and settings on our home appliances to where they’re all the more likely to get set wrong, or some computer chip goes bad. Why can’t we just have an “On” and “Off” button and let it go at that?
Look at how the cell phones have evolved. Not only have they become mini-computers, they also offer an endless list of “Apps” that are available which are supposed to simplify our lives, but in the end, they’re just making life all the more complicated. So much for the “Keep It Simple” movement.
After reading an online news article this morning, I’m now all the more convinced how much more dangerous the world is in which we live. According to that Newsweek article, Russia has managed to get itself far more advanced with its nuclear weapons capabilities. It’s no wonder why Putin has become all the more emboldened these past several years.
It seems in every age there always has to be a little bully carrying around a big stick.
