A symbol of my frustration

This is not a craft post, its a personal rant.

For weeks I have been meaning to purchase a kitchen timer. I have always relied on my brain and the clock to time my cooking as somehow I have never possessed an oven with a working timer. But with increasing distractions around the house that might lead to ruined baking, and the need to have an indisputable marker of time in the house for a certain three year old ("Bath time in five minutes when the timer rings."), I splashed out $7.87 for this simple white timer at the supermarket.

What it has going for it is that its not shaped like a hamburger or a cupcake, its easy to read, its simple and mechanical, no batteries or special functions, very low tech.

What it doesn't have going for it is that its made in China and is slapped together in a factory with zero quality control by an under paid worker, and it doesn't work. When the time is up it just limps to the finish line and tic-tocs into silence, not a tinkle of its little bell sounds forth to let me know "time's up".

Its a symbol of everything that troubles me about life in the 21st century. Where is the integrity, the pride of work? What happened to quality? Why can't I just buy a simple mechanical 60 minute kitchen timer that works?

Mum had a kitchen timer, it was ugly mustard yellow, it was made in Germany, the bell was so loud it was scary, and it helped to rule the household. I would not be scoffing at its colour now if I had it in my possession.

Hrmph.