This week, a friend came by with bags of soil, seeds and plants. My garden is now planted and ready for a growing season. I've got three tomato plants, a half dozen peppers, and bunches of beans and squash.

After the robots take over and civilization collapses, I can easily survive for an afternoon on my produce.

I base my assumption that civilization will collapse after the robot revolt on my experience with household robots. None of them would survive a week without me escorting them back to their feeding stations, emptying their diapers and making sure they eat.

Along with the three sweeping robots, I've got three Litterbot robotic cat litter boxes. These are nice in that they automatically cycle and dump the litter into a nice smell-proof box right after the cat leaves.

Usually.

Well, sometimes.

Part of my morning ritual is to manually cycle the litter robots, right after I empty the sweeping 'bots diapers.

This week, the newest litter-robot stopped turning at all. Just sat there staring at me with a fast blinking yellow light.

Fortunately, with the aid of a robotic Berlitz book, I'm fluent in several dialects of robospeak.

This one was complaining about a pinch bar. Whatever that is. The manual pointed out where it was, which wasn't as useful as it might be. Where it is is inside, under and dark.

With some careful prodding and pushing I determined that the pinch bar is a length of thin plastic with a roller-lever switch behind it. If something gets caught (like a cat, I guess) and presses the plastic hard enough, the switch engages and the motor stops.

The switch apparently has many suitors, because it had become engaged without my realizing it. I removed the ring of crusted cat litter (not everyone can afford a diamond engagement ring) from around it with a Q-tip, and now that the robot has been jilted, it's running around again.

So, take the word from a guy who knows, I bought a bot and it really shows. Ask any guy who knows what he's got, He'll say stay away from runaround 'bot.

Say hey - hey, ooh etc.

It's a bot that likes to travel around. Clean half your house and break right down. People let me put your wise, These bots are more A than I