White Cables...

Along the way home from checking out the fire yesterday, I got thirsty – so I stopped in a Starbucks in El Cajon to grab a cup of iced tea (they have some very good plain old iced tea, and not too expensive).  I got in line behind about four people, and right in front of me two guys in suits were having a discussion about their computers.  Both looked quite prosperous and successful, and appeared to be in their late 30s or early 40s.  I've no idea what their names are, so I'll call them Joe and Larry.  Here's my reconstruction of their conversation when it started to get interesting...

Joe: I love my Macbook!  All the noise I got with my old Thinkpad is gone!

Larry: You mean your old one had noisy fans or something?

Joe: No, the sound was noisy.  The Apple guys said it was because the audio cables were black?

Larry: Black cables? Why would that make a difference to the sound?

Joe: The Apple guys said their white cables reflected noise, while the black cables absorbed it.  All I know is that now when I play my iPod, the sound is great!  They must have been right.  White cables rule!

Larry: I'd never have thought the color would make any difference...

(at this point, I couldn't resist jumping in)

Me: You're right - cable color doesn't make any difference to their performance.  It could be the Apple cables have better shielding internally, or it could just be that the Macbook's speakers are better.

Joe: (very defensive, and immediately angry)  How do you know?  What are you, a digital engineer or something (in a sneering tone)?

Me: (sarcastically) No, but I'm a 17th level centrifugan.

Larry: Whoa! (and looking very impressed)

Joe: (suddenly interested) You guys study these things?

Me: (after a pause in which I despair for mankind's future) What do you guys do?

Joe: I'm a lawyer - corporate law; I work for [a local biotech firm].

Larry: Combustion engineering, over at [local gas turbine manufacturer].

Me: One large iced tea, please.  (and I make my escape)

You just never know what you're going to run into in El Cajon.  My iced tea was very good.  I spent the remaining half hour drive home contemplating white cables, silly corporate lawyers, and credulous combustion engineers.  And wondering if I should start the cult of centrifugans...might be some money to be made there.  Leastways, out toward El Cajon...