| Every house needs many power cords and | | | | than the old three-way sockets. Today, a good |
| power cord sets. With so many electrical and | | | | power cord also contains a surge protector and |
| electronic appliances and gadgets, there are just | | | | an off/on switch. These devices make it less |
| never enough places to plug them all in. In some | | | | likely that an overloaded circuit can pose a danger. |
| places, you need a power cord with a lot of | | | | Today's power cords also allow you to be just a |
| receptacles. In other places, you need a longer | | | | bit greener. Have you noticed that all these new |
| cord because the appliance cannot be placed close | | | | appliances leak electricity? I don't mean that you |
| to the power outlet. Sometimes you need both. | | | | will be shocked if you touch them. What I mean is |
| For example, the entertainment center in a corner | | | | that they are always ON. What I want to know |
| of the living room probably has many gadgets | | | | is, what is the use of having a little red light on |
| that need to be plugged in. There's the wide | | | | my DVD player when it's off? It doesn't have a |
| screen television, the game box, the cable box, | | | | clock. It doesn't store channels. Why does it have |
| the digital recorder, the I-Pod station, and maybe | | | | to be on when I'm not using it? The same is true |
| a decorative clock. At the computer desk, you | | | | of the new television and the digital converter and |
| have to plug in the computer, the monitor, the | | | | many of the other electronics. You can have a |
| printer, the scanner, the lamp, the coffee pot, and | | | | greener house if you plug these devices into the |
| the automatic pencil sharpener. In the kitchen, | | | | type of power cord that has an on/off switch. |
| there's the toaster, the can opener, the blender, | | | | Just turn the whole thing off when you go to bed |
| the food processor, the microwave, and the | | | | and don't turn it on until it's time to relax in the |
| coffee pot. In the bedroom, there's the clock | | | | evening. Of course, if you have the type of |
| radio, the phone, the lamp, the weather radio, and | | | | television that loses its channel settings when |
| the I-Pod station. Whew! That's four outlets and | | | | there's no electricity, you need to put it into a |
| twenty-four things to plug in! | | | | separate power cord that you leave on, letting |
| Then there's the matter of safety. In the old | | | | that amount of electricity to be used constantly. |
| days, we plugged a little device into the outlet | | | | One of the more innovative power cords is the |
| that had three openings. Two of these would | | | | squid. Unlike the old surge protectors, each outlet |
| accommodate six appliances. But we were always | | | | is attached to a short cord. This arrangement |
| warned by the fire department against | | | | allows you to plug in numerous devices that have |
| overloading the sockets. Today's power cords and | | | | that annoying transformer at the end of the plug. |
| power cord sets are more sturdy and forgiving | | | | |