After my eye exam, we had a script to fill. "We" included Kelly and twin Grandsons. Dialated Eyes .... Sun ...... Ahhhh!!!! ...... Etc.

While in line ... Kelly says "Go take your Blood Pressure". I slid into the booth and slipped my left arm into the cuff. Touch Screen. About 80" I think. Screen covered in text. Among the mess was BEGIN.

WHAT TEST would you like to take? Way down the list was BP. Push ....

Do you have ..... Droopy earlobes? Mismatched Feet? Dual Elbows? A Paisley Tie? Puffy lips? Milk Mustache? Push....

Do you have ....., BenGay Fever? Aspirin Breath? Bubonic Plague? Head Lice? Head Mice? Fuzzy Dice? Push ....

By now my eyes were bugging out like a stomped on toad frog .... I could SEE my pulse in my throbbing temples.

The next few screens went by in a haze. Eventually it told me to insert my left arm into the cuff ..... just shoot me ....

It proceeded to explain how the cuff was going to e-vent---ually get tighter. And where the BAIL OUT PANIC button was.

I thought I could begin to detect it getting tighter - or it could have just been my arm swelling up from my BP ....

It was the most "stately" BP test I've ever had.

It Fiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnaaaallllly ended. And we sat there .... just staring at each other. The 80" flatscreen monitor, and my bloodshot eye.

I scanned the screen full of suggestions for running my life. Where WAS all this help when I needed it?????

Eventually ...... Down in the lower rightish area of the screen, it quietly asked if you wanted to know the results.

Then .... HOW would you like the results?

E-mail, post card, registered letter, Sky writing, Singing Telegram, Cuneiform Clay Tablets, Copper Scroll, or ..... just tell you!

I pound on the screen and exhibit advanced vocabulary skills ....

And it posted a "Well FINE!!!" With clearly inflated Vengeful Numbers designed to Alarm me. Hah!!!!! THAT's ALL YOU GOT???!!! At which point I could hear metal bolts sliding into socket, the Emergency Lights Came on, they locked up all the Candy Isles, and Joey shuffled forward with a big ultra can of Wasp and Bug Spray! "Please re-re-rem-remain calm sir."

I agreed to take a six week course at the Garden Center entitled "Aphids and AAA Batteries .... You light up my Life ".

Gary

Gary,

I woke up in a crap mood. I bought some electronic video converter on line, it arrived and did not work, and it was made in..... (hint not the USA). I spent all day yesterday trying to get the instructions and the wiring diagram on line and then called their support number here in the Philippines. After 90 mins and I am not kidding, (just put the phone on speaker and listened to their music and commercials saying what a great company they are) I got to a human who said I will look that up.. Then the nice lady who sounded 12 or so said ... Sir, we have never sold that model number. I said I have it in my hand and the paperwork from your company, I paid by debit card and it was shipped from your company. I read her the shipping data, addresses, model number, and said in my tough guy American voice, "So what will your company do"??????

She was totally quiet for like a minute and then said.. So Sorry Sir and hung up. See I made her lose face by backing her into a corner with no options since I did buy it there and her company had crap records and just shipped whatever they had in stock, That left her with no options and since her company was wrong and I was right......she hung up to save face. The perfect solution... for her..

WAY TO GO LARRY, I REALLY HANDLED THAT WELL, and wasted 2 hours of my life with Zero results. Sigh!

I opened the converter voiding the warranty they would never have honored anyway and the main chip socket was empty. Just a guess that might have some effect on the ability for the unit to function. On the unit was a sticker that said "tested by.... and a number" Maybe he had to take a coffee break or bent over to tie his shoe as my unit went past him on the belt. Anyway, It is the chip that does all the math to make the video converter work. So I know a guy in Manila with the same box and he opened his for me and found the chip number and found one near him sent a guy to buy it and sent it to me. About $2 and $8 to send it. It will arrive tomorrow.

So glad to read your email and know we both had great days dealing with Machines and People.

I am looking for an anger management course here (in English if possible) because the "You light up my life" class is sold out a year in advance here and it has no American V.I.P. sign up.

Gary just keep getting up everyday and let the chip fall where they may.

Have a nice Day. I bet I will. ha ha ha

Larry

Hi Larry,

Well, there's your answer. If that chip is worth $2 retail, it might be worth ..... $.75 on the black market. If that guy pops one in his mouth every shift or so, he can double his "take home" in a month.

That factory needs better security.

Glad you have the skill set to figure it out.

Good luck!

Gary

Ok Larry ..,,

Anybody else notice that string of miracles there ....,

1). So I know a guy
2). Guy has the SAME box
3). Guy willing to open box
4). His Chip has legible writing which is NOT in Chinese, Korean, etc.
5), That guy knows a Guy
6). They HAVE a copy of the Chip YOU NEED
7). It's NEARLY FREE
8). He sends another GUY to get it.
9). The runner actually retrieves the correct thing
10). They SEND it to you
11). You ACTUALLY RECIEVE the item
12). It's the CORRECT item
13). It ACTUALLY WORKS when installed.

Priceless.

Sounds just like all of my projects.



Gary

Gary,
What 'LarryinAsia' said!
Jeff

Thanks Jeff,

"Luv, luv me do .... you know ..."

Amen Brother, amen!
We all live in a yellow sub...

So Larry,

Did you have skim past their phoney-baloney ISO 9000 certification first to find the fine print with the tech support telephone number?

Guys,

Gary it does sound like an Angel came down and walked the deal through the way you wrote it. Cracked me up. The chip had a number in English because they make that is a power distribution chip for thousands of devices in the real world. Gary I just don't write you when this does not work and I toss the item in the dump. We all love it when a plan comes together and works.

I know the importer of electric Junk.. I mean the wonderful electronic devices and parts from China. Here you have to build friendships to get things done because people only do the minimum they have to do to get paid. It made me crazy for years here till I figured out that "Using Honey is way better than ..... Well you know.

To answer Rotor Head the company here is just an office, call center, and a warehouse. I knew the number in Manila. So when my converter did not work tried the phone but I should have known it would not work but I am hard headed and had to try. Then I took the long shot and opened it knowing I was going to fix it or toss it the trash. Got lucky this time, the fix was known, the part was here and it worked. There are no rules and the ISO 9000 is kinda like a guide line for them to sometimes conform to or not. Sad but true.

Knowing "The right guy" to contact for things I use has saved me many times here. My guy for this stuff knows by heart the bad parts and problems with the popular things that are used in Video and Audio. He knows when China makes 1 Million crap TV sets and dumps them here. His company finds the problem like a bad chip or part and orders the fix and he rides the wave info and having the part to fix it all the way to bank. There are guys like that for many products from China. Sad but true.

You guys are just jealous I got lucky and fixed something from China. ha ha

Remember I do not have to go to Harbor Freight... I live in the middle of it, here everything is made in China.

I have to get back to work I am writing the worlds shortest book, Great things I bought that were made in China. Might be a big seller.

Gary I sent you a PM about a funny T shirt ... It said "Getting old is not for Sissy's" I think you should make something for us older crowd with that on it. Nothing small you know we have trouble reading fine print now. ha ha Might be a good seller.

I hope all of you had a great Weekend.

Larry

Hi Larry,

Your Tee shirt is funny but now considered "hate speech". We can't use the word "Sissy" anymore Stateside. Sorry.

Let's see ..... perhaps ......

"Becoming Chronologically Challenged is a Secondary Goal". I feel that may be a suitable alternative. Don't you?



Gary

Gary,

I forgot about all the new rules. Are they the same people who changed SHIT HAPPENS to DO DO OCCURS ???????

The USA has changed so much ha ha ha ..

I better stay here. I am afraid my lack of a filter between brain and mouth might cause me to have to have my foot removed from my mouth or end up in court.

Sigh.. Gary things have changed..

Be safe,

Larry

Larry,

Typing in "all caps", is now considered to be a micro aggression.

Sorry.

Gary

Gary,

my bad sorry to the entire forum.

Is it really that bad now? I would get in trouble.

Take care I am tired was a strange day.

Larry

Hey
You guys know there are laws against bullying!!

Thanks
Kurt