The item pictured above is an iPaq Power Connector. The power adapter plugs into the synch cradle, and then I plug the iPaq into the synch cradle to recharge the batteries. With the iPaq Power Connector, I can plug the power directly into the iPaq, skipping the cradle. The iPaq Power Connector has a little rubber loop that fixes it to the power adapter cable; but it's flexible, and detachable.

Earlier this month, as I wrapped up the power connector, I felt some resistance. I tugged on it, and it came free from whatever it was caught on; but when it did, the iPaq Power Connector was gone. I looked under the bed, under the backpack, under the power strip, and under every other thing I could see that might have both caught and concealed the iPaq Power Connector. No luck. It was gone.

So ever since, everywhere I've taken my iPaq, I've had to also take the synch cradle if I've wanted to be able to recharge my phone. I stuck it in my backpack, and I took it everywhere: to Kinko's multiple times, to McDonald's and various other restaurants, to friends' houses, you name it. Even on a flight from Grand Rapids to Yonkers and back by way of Detroit. Everywhere I went, I had the synch cradle in my backpack, which wasn't exactly convenient: it's an odd shape and size, and makes it harder to fit the backpack into tight places like under airline seats. But especially on business trips of multiple days, I have to be able to recharge the phone.

This latest trip to San Francisco started with a stop in Minneapolis. And Saturday travel is pretty light, so NWA uses smaller planes where they can. This time, the plane was a small one with very limited overhead luggage space. The gate agent strongly insisted on doing gate checks for all luggage. Actually, the backpack could've fit under the seat just fine — even with that bulky synch cradle in it — but I didn't know that. So against all my usual habits, I let the gate agent tag the backpack; and then when I got to the plane, I put it on the cart for checking. I figured it was only an hour flight, and I could be without my CX200X for that long. Besides, I had some new reading to keep me occupied.

So when I got to Minneapolis, I rushed to the gate check pickup shelf. Just because I gave the machine up didn't mean I was comfortable with it sitting on a shelf where anyone could pick it up. But thanks to some slow passengers, "rushed" wasn't quite the right word. By the time I got to the shelf, my backpack was the last piece of luggage there.

And on the floor, right below where my backpack lay, was... my iPaq Power Connector.

I can't even fathom the odds...

And the word in question this morning is "retirement". And it's hard to believe of a man who has written so many books, but apparently Stephen King just doesn't know the meaning of the word. And here's more proof. And more (though he might be forgiven for that one, since it's a non-fiction book about a once-in-a-lifetime event that he as a fan must have savored). I can think of a lot of authors who would love to be so "retired".

The man really just can't help himself. He will write, and no resolution is going to stop him.

Unfortunately, his latest work (Cell) demonstrates why he went into "retirement" in the first place. It's not a bad book at all. Mr. King has a natural talent that makes bad writing all but impossible for him, so the book reads well.

But one thing that led to his "retirement" was his feeling that he was repeating himself, that he had somehow mined all his ideas. This feeling came to him when he wrote From a Buick 8, which bore a superficial but unmistakable similarity to Christine. While the books are very different in almost every way, both are at the core stories about myserious cars which control and possess the lives of the people that encounter them. As Mr. King said in an interview on the Mitch Albom show (paraphrased), "Wait a minute. Haven't I been here before?"

And that's the problem with Cell: it has superficial but strong echoes of The Stand. That book told the story of a sudden release of an engineered virus that wipes out most of the world's population. A few of the survivors then go on a road trip toward some looming confrontation between Good and Evil.

And Cell? It tells the story of a mysterious signal that goes out over cell phones, transforming most of the civilized world's population into drooling zombies that slowly evolve into a group mind. A few of the survivors then go on a road trip toward some looming confrontation with the group mind.

Does that make Cell a rehash of The Stand? No. For one thing, it's only one-third the length. For another thing, it's much smaller in scope, both thematically and geographically.

But if Mr. King wanted to avoid repeating himself, this book was not the way to do it. That's not a criticism of the book itself — I'm quite enjoying it, actually — but I think it points out a flaw in his reasoning when he "retired" in the first place. When you write as many books as he has, you can't help revisiting old themes and motifs. He has largely covered the field already, so there's little room for truly new works. And honestly, I think all great artists revisit and build on their earlier works. For that matter, other artists build upon their ideas. So why shouldn't they?

(Well, funnier than usual...)

Go here, and go to the item, "Inflation Is on the Rise". I expected an economics story. Then I expected an automotive story. And then I was laughing uncontrollably.

I picked up a copy of computer Diplomacy over the holidays. It's a nice implementation, but it's really easy to beat. The AI engine knows tactics, but it's weak on strategy and consequences. Yes, the game will make interesting alliances, and will cheat you if it sees a good chance; but it just doesn't have any long-term vision. Once you get large enough to be a threat, it seems like none of the computer players are smart enough to stop backstabbing each other, while you just keep getting stronger; and at the same time, none of your computer allies are smart enough to decide to abandon you as long as you keep helping them in minor ways. At least some human players would forego temporary gain to stall a growing power, and at least some human players would recognize when they were likely to be your next victim and ought to preemptively attack you.

All I know is that aside from beginner's luck in my first game, I've never outright won a game of Diplomacy against human players; but I beat the computer four games in a row, the last two on the highest difficulty setting.

The game includes an online play option, including a server where you can sign up for games. Maybe when I have a spare day (ha!), I should find a comfy spot with a high speed connection and try to get into a game with some less predictable human players.

UPDATE: Replaced the link, since the one I typed in from the back of the box didn't work. Serves me right...