How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Sunday, February 17, 2013

How I found a cheap replacement adaptor for my HP printer


I have previously posted about the wastage resulting from cheap printers produced by manufacturers in China. Basically, it is cheaper to buy a new one than to replace one which is not working. But what if the machine is ok but not the adaptor?

Being one against wastage, I have looked for one in Amcorp Mall and the dealer confirmed if he had one, it would cost over Rm100. But I bought my printer from Tesco for less than Rm200! So I was prepared to continue looking and even prepared to buy another similar model to share the adaptor, provided it is as cheap as before. The dealer has one at Rm369!

Two weeks ago, I forgot to bring along the old adaptor when I was at the Sunday market in Ipoh. I found one which looked like mine but did not bother because of the uncertainty. This morning, with the sample in hand, I went to the same stall. But the specs were different. When I enquired about the price, the man quoted Rm25 and that he would refund if it cannot be used. I would not like to argue later, especially when it was not the exact model I want. As I kept looking for it at other stalls, I found to my surprise, the exact model. When asked, man quoted Rm7 only. From my experience, this could easily be bargained down to Rm5, or even Rm3. But having been quoted Rm25 earlier, and having found the 'needle in a haystack', I did not bargain. When asked, he said he did not try if it is in working order. So I bought it like buying a lottery with a 50:50 chance of striking.

When I got home, I wasn't optimistic when I connected it to my printer. But to my pleasant surprise, it worked!

Moral of my story: If not in a hurry, it is worth checking out flea markets for something similar. The dealers take the trouble to keep and display their wares, in the hope that someone is looking for a particular item. I am glad this particular dealer is honest about not having tried the adaptor but it works. I was most disappointed some time ago, when I bought a CD from the same Sunday market. When I returned it to exchange for a good one, the man just put it with the rest of his CDs! I was expecting him to at least break it because it cannot be used, but his action showed he was expecting another buyer who would not bother to return it.

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