The more we collect the more we stand to lose.

That’s very true of electronic gadgets. In a household with four kids, there are numerous mobile phones, digital cameras and laptops.

Discarded models get handed down to the youngest ones, who are less reliable than adults at keeping the associated paraphernalia.

Throw in a couple of recent shifts and the problem is compounded.

Battery chargers are the worst.

The twins are currently missing the charger for a small netbook computer. We have no idea where it might be.

There are a couple of old digital cameras missing their chargers. I often struggle to find (but usually do) the chargers for a small video camera and compact camera, which don’t get used often.

There’s an old mobile phone missing a charger and it may as well be thrown out.

While at one level it may be careless to lose these items, it’s frustrating that industry standards are non-existent.

Why can’t there be a single standard each for laptop computers, mobile phones and digital cameras? Instead, every brand has its own unique size for the adapters.

New chargers are expensive too. A cynic might suggest there is profit to be made in selling accessories.

What’s the correct response?

Not sure of the ethics, but in a sleep haze I wanted to impale the mouse and hang a sign around it’s neck to warn furry buddies they can expect the same.

Can’t sleep now, thinking the Greens probably want to ban mouse traps.

My last eye check was about 18 months ago, and at the time I thought I might need bifocals in the future because of growing shortsightedness.

However, I’ve decided to stick with the mono lens for now. I’ve retained the old frame and will consider getting special lenses for them in the future if my shortsightedness gets worse.

At the moment I can read fine close up without any glasses at all.

Twins James and Maggie, aged 7, took a netbook computer to the match. They played games on it and listened to music.

When I was seven years old, the high-tech gadgets in our house were a television (black and white), a wireless (that’s what we called the radio), an LP player and (unusually) a tape recorder.

The tape recorder was a bulky thing with two reels. Dad used it to record and play some of his music.

We kids were allowed to play with it sometimes, but I recall that winding the tape was often a tricky exercise.

I assumed they were window keys, because I knew the house only had three doors.

As it turned out, I have no idea what most of those keys were for. Only two of them worked, one for the front screen door and one for the back door. I had no front door key that worked.

The agent tracked down a front door key for me.

This post isn’t to ponder the mystery of the 12 keys. Instead, I wish to reflect on the great key-cutting rort.

In a bid to bolster my depleted key stocks, I have variously taken the three keys to be cut and multiplied.

In seven attempts so far, I have twice succeeded in getting functional replicas. At roughly $4 a key, I have wasted $32 in failed key proliferation.

I have forgotten each time to demand a receipt, compounding my frustration on the discovery of each successive failure.

Either key cutters are not the master tradesmen they used to be, or I’ve unlocked the Pandora’s Box of a great conspiracy.

At first I thought the vehicle belonged to someone who worked in a nearby business. There are several such places near my home and the street is filled with cars during business hours from Monday to Friday.

I’ve also heard that many people park in Mile End and walk to the city, although I suspect most of those vehicles are left in the nearby Bunnings car park.

The West Torrens Council has seen fit to impose parking restrictions in this neighborhood to curb workers filling the streets at the expense of residents’ convenience.

When I eventually got fed up with the abandoned vehicle outside my house I rang the police in the first instance, thinking it may be a stolen car.

The police took relevant details and suggested I contact the council.

I sent the council an email with registration details of the vehicle, my address and phone number.

A few days later I received a phone call from the “compliance officer” saying they were aware of the vehicle, but couldn’t do anything until all nearby residents had been contacted.

There are businesses on three sides and barely half a dozen houses within 100 metres, so I found this somewhat surprising, especially as the car is illegally parked.

I wonder what the council would do if someone left a car indefinitely outside their office in a no-parking zone?

Meanwhile, I’m sure that Soroptimists are lovely people.

In fact, Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.

But I wish they would buy their own camera, or use a mobile phone that has a camera inbuilt.

Ever since I started in my current job, and for years before, a Soroptomist drops into the office regularly to collect a tiny battered camera. They use it to take photos of guest speakers, handover ceremonies and the like.

They are the only community organisation that does this and nobody else in the office uses the dilapidated camera.

This week a Soroptimist called in and the camera was missing.

Most of the staff had the good sense not to bother me with this dilemma, apart from the cadet, who is too young and bulletproof to know or worry about distracting an editor on deadline with issues like that.

I told her relatively politely I had no idea where the camera was.

I tried to block out what was happening around me, but two receptionists, the office manager, the cadet and two journalists spent the next half an hour looking for the camera and fending off the irritated Soroptimist.

It was finally agreed the camera could not be found. The Soroptimist then wanted a journalist to attend their handover dinner, three hours later at 6.30pm, to take photos!

I had to be consulted over that and I said it was impossible.

Another flurry of discussion occurred and the Soroptimist was temporarily given a camera from the production department, which is normally used to take pictures of cars, shoes and so forth.

Earlier that morning I had appeared before a Supreme Court judge.

I wasn’t in trouble, fortunately. Although pleasant, if not a little brusque, his honour can appear quite intimidating to someone who is unused to looking up at a severe figure in a red gown and wig.

I was making a representation, the details of which I can’t disclose for legal reasons.

Did I mention that we are in the early stages of a state election campaign and a murder trial is also under way?

Both demand my attention and significant staff resources.

In that context, the Soroptimist and the missing camera were friendly reminders of the joy of country newspapers.

To close the day I received a phone call from Mrs B.

She claimed to have a cactus that literally grows before your eyes. Mrs B said she planted a bulb earlier this year and it’s now 20 feet high.

Impressed, I dispatched a journalist with all haste.

What a day!

Capricorn for Wednesday

A series of mistakes and frustrations will sap your natural energy today. Don’t let it get you down! Money matters will command your attention. Stand up for yourself and recover what’s owing to you.

The day started with me forgetting my office key. I arrived 10 minutes later than usual at 7.40am and figured someone else would get there soon, so I may as well just wait.

The next person arrived at 7.55am. During the wait I discovered I had few staff members listed in my phone’s contact book. I knew that none of the early arrivals would answer the switchboard phone and I needed to call a direct line to get in.

Should I go home and get the key or wait? I waited and eventually got in.

I later resolved to sort out something with my share trading account.

Last week I received a hot tip from a reliable source. It’s been months since I traded, so I had to transfer some cash into the account, which took several days.

When I finally tried to buy I was told I had insufficient funds.

Originally I had a trading account with Sanford attached to a St George Bank margin loan.

Sanford merged with Comsec, but my margin loan remained with St George instead of transferring to the Commonwealth Bank.

I had forgotten this. Instead of depositing funds with St George I had placed them with Comsec and St George didn’t know they were there.

I had to ring Comsec and get the money refunded to me. They will send a cheque, which will obviously take several days.

My final frustration was learning that the new mobile phone handset I ordered from TechBuy in early February for Kathleen’s birthday on the 12th won’t be in stock until March 12.

I was never told it was out of stock until it failed to arrive in time. Then I was told it will be here by February 18.

March 12 is ridiculous and I’ve asked for a refund.

Despite all that I felt energetic today.

I’ve just discovered the article, but it’s still thought provoking to ponder the technological changes that have occurred in three decades.

The list is as follows, in their order of importance:

1. Internet, broadband, WWW (browser and html)
2. PC/laptop computers
3. Mobile phones
4. Email
5. DNA testing and sequencing/Human genome mapping
6. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
7. Microprocessors
8. Fibre optics
9. Office software (spreadsheets, word processors)
10. Non-invasive laser/robotic surgery (laparoscopy)
11. Open source software and services (e.g., Linux, Wikipedia)
12. Light emitting diodes
13. Liquid crystal display (LCD)
14. GPS systems
15. Online shopping/ecommerce/auctions (e.g., eBay)
16. Media file compression (jpeg, mpeg, mp3)
17. Microfinance
18. Photovoltaic Solar Energy
19. Large scale wind turbines
20. Social networking via the Internet
21. Graphic user interface (GUI)
22. Digital photography/videography
23. RFID and applications (e.g., EZ Pass)
24. Genetically modified plants
25. Bio fuels
26. Bar codes and scanners
27. ATMs
28. Stents
29. SRAM flash memory
30. Anti retroviral treatment for AIDS

I was 12 years old in 1979. Computers didn’t exist as far as I was concerned. Color TV had just been introduced to Australia a few years previously. Mobile phones were unheard of.

Looking at the list of 30, I don’t have much argument with it.

I would personally rate digital photography higher than 22. I might add DVD to the list; it’s not only used with computers, of course.

I would also add the fax machine. It’s largely been superseded by email, but it was revolutionary when it hit the office scene.

Motor vehicle improvements probably need to be added too, like fuel injection, cruise control and LPG.