Short Takes

I bought a couple of new undershirts for winter today.  As I removed them from the packages I was reminded of something that used to be and no longer is.  I remember when underwear was heavy enough to keep you warm.  Cotton underpants, undershirts, bras, socks etc. not only kept you warm, but wore longer.  Now, if you need to work outside, or even keep your house cool to save money, you would need to wear at least two, maybe even three layers to equal the thickness I remember.  My biggest pet peeve are the socks.  They are "padded" with filler(lint) which gets between your toes for months after washings.  I remember John's thermal undershirts being heavier than they are now, but he still had to wear two or three layers to be able to work in the cooler.  Thermal knits are very thin now.

Of course, "planned obsolescence" permeates our whole manufacturing industry.  The grade of steel has been greatly reduced, and steel has been replaced by aluminum and plastic as well.  Sizes of products have been reduced.  Your facial tissues are now an inch shorter.  Candy, crackers, cheese slices, cookies, etc. are smaller, but the price is "new and improved" - meaning higher!  In a few years they will go back to the original sizes and call it "jumbo" or "biggie," etc. and raise the price again.  If we had wanted to move our '35 Plymouth back to Omaha in 1955, it would probably still be running! (Note the well preserved antique cars at car shows.)  There are ever so many things that were better made when I was a child, and I miss that.