Elderjane's experience with a new-but-leaking MrCoffee reminded me of the little round outdoor table I bought on sale at JoannFabrics. It was one of those tiny bistro tables with tiles all over the top, and you had to attach the top to the wrought iron legs.

Opening it at home, I found a little fewer than half of the required bolts and screws necessary to put it together had been included. The page of directions said if I found any parts missing, that I should not return it to the store but call a phone number. So I called, and the operator said the pieces would be mailed to me. It would take about 2 weeks.

JoannFabrics took the table back, no problem. What disgusted me was that the store knew it had parts missing, because the box had been opened before -- it had been returned at least once already. And they decided to try to sell it anyway.

Just like the little wooden over-the-bed table I bought for a friend who was bedridden until some bones healed. The table fell apart when I removed it from the box. It, like the bistro table, was from China. I get so very tired of this shoddiness when I need a practical item.

And yet, I love little junky useless stuff -- in Toronto, Can. there is a Chinese section where I took my time going store to store, looking through cheap, silly but fascinating lamps and shades, beaded curtains, sewing kits, pots, stuffed animals, weird books with cartoon characters that faintly resembled Disney characters, ladies' fans, plastic doormats, plastic pillows, games and stationery with oddly translated phrases on them, tiny boxes that sing Buddhist chants, candles, and so on. I bought some of this and that, wishing I had a good reason to get a lot more.

After I reached home, it occurred to me to wonder if any of it was the really toxic plastic. Europe bans products made with it; our own shower curtains wouldn't be allowed to get into the stores there. I have no idea if Canada is being particularly diligent about keeping out harmful exports. For that matter, the U.S. isn't doing so well with Chinese items either! Oh, well. I have to die sometime. If the tiny plastic decorated box in my room which is singing so nicely to Buddha needs to poison me, so be it. I do hope it keeps working for a while, at least.