What's this crap? I didn't learned the LED lesson yet? There's duct tape to be applied to an LED light near you. It's cheap. It's plastic. It was loose shortly after I bought it. So, I brought out the duct tape to fix it. It worked. However like anything fixed with duct tape that isn't attached to an air moving device, it screams cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap!

A man built this! It's a LAPDESK (TM)  Yes, a desk designed to provide SURFACE (TM) (no, not of the Microsquish variety.) For those times when you want to do something while you're in bed or in the field or anywhere else sitting behind a desk pushing pencils just doesn't fit your lap. Of course I got this as a closeout, but it filled a need for a short time. Yes, I've written with this, but for the most part, it was a desk for my laptop and it  preserves my jewels from absorbing the lithium go-go juice. Lloyds of Flatbush.

Back to the duct tape. I buy the bargains when I see them. It does fit very well and it's pretty big. It has a place for your writing utensils. Most important, the drink spot. I can put a beer there. Yes, it didn't take long before this light was broken. Cheap plastic connected to metal and meant to flex a lot, it flexed right off. So, the duct tape came out. The desk "surface" is a bit on the cheap side with little bubbles and imperfections. It must be a factory second, or third. It's got a spot where I can store my BEER!  Better be a short can, tall cans might spill. Don't want them to spill on my fancy broken LED light. Oh yeah, did I mention that how it's screwed into the desk ain't worth two beers? Always loose, and fixing it requires diving into the bowels of BEADS! *shudder*

There it is. The source of all evil. Waiting to escape like locusts and be found for the next six months in every crack and crevice within 500 feet. Little foam balls. Just like what you had in that duct taped bean bag chair in college, or in the rec room as a kid. You know what a fun chore it was to put those thousands of beads back in their cheap vinyl sock. Never mind the smell...... Yes, I had to go there.

I opened this LAPDESK(TM) and it's where the battery pack resides. Hooray! It takes AA batteries! Wait... it takes THREE AA batteries. *grumble* Oh well, lesser of two evils. The LED light did maintain it's brightness for a lot longer then the dreaded three "AAA" power pack.  However, the "pocket" the battery pack was in had a hole in it, so the beads came pouring out when I tried to feed this monster. Remember how I  said the light was loose?  It was impossible to tighten from the top, so you had to dig around and find it. That made the "pocket" come undone. So the batteries were now hard to get and the regular tightening chore needed would surely release 1000 foam beads. After about the 15th time this process got tedious. I abandoned beads. I was scared to even open this "pocket" and frightened when a bead popped up. It was breathing.  I locked it back in.

There it sits. Waiting for it to strike. Oh yeah, it's now doing what it was intended for. Yes, it's a LAPDESK (TM) but lurking beneath that friendly LAPDESK (TM) exterior is 1000's of those foam beads. Oh they got theirs when Saturn used to use foam beads to cast engine parts. You could even see the faint image of the beads on the outer casing. No, I'll leave these where they are. Hopefully never to be duck taped over a rip in the fabric. Wait, what's going on? Somebody opened the zipper? OH NO! (*Blog Horror Organ Noise*)

THEY'RE LOOSE! *GASP*

THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. SAVE YOURSELF!

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*click* *LOUD NOISE FOR 30 SECONDS* *click*

The day was saved when Mr. Vacunozzle jumped into action and sent these beads to a trashy dump grave ..but.... they are waiting, if ever you feel the need to use the light inside. Always here. Always waiting. At least you don't have to worry about the batteries leaking....but....we may... NOOOOO!

-Ric