FWIW, I think the first THEY is not the same group of people as the second THEY.
The LL Bean Boat & Tote is still the best reusable bag. Heavy canvas, multiple styles and sizes, with optional LONG handles on the smaller sizes.
I have one of these which I got as a giveaway from a book publisher years ago. It’s one of the larger ones, and I use it with a luggage cart for grocery shopping. It’s great because it holds just about as much stuff as I can lift onto the bus (even when I’m picking up a 14 lb container of cat litter) and I don’t have yo mess with a bunch of smaller bags.
It does need to be cleaned, and I haven’t been able to find out whether I can toss it in the washer or not. I don’t want to take a chance on damaging it.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago seems to have been gradually dumbing down its exhibits throughout the past ten or fifteen years; possibly more, but I’d be too young to know.
They have long handles on all sizes, I believe. We give about a dozen of these things away each year as gifts.
The Sunday New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle has been dumbed down as well.
Virtually all “niche” cable channels. They start out with a good idea and good programming, then start dumbing it down and broadening their base. Translation: make it appeal to the lowest common denominator, because God knows that’s a huge demographic.
I miss the old Learning Channel and Food Network.
Nostalgia just isn’t what it used to be.
I can’t imagine LL Bean would sell something so apparently rugged but is allergic to the washing machine. Chuck it in the wash and if anything does happen, call 'em up and they’ll more than likely ask you to send it in so they can send you a new one. AFAIK, Bean’s return policy is every bit as good as it ever was.
My latest “Not as good as they used to be” has to do with door locks. When we bought the house four years ago, we bought new Kwikset locks. Two out of a total of five cylinders have broken - a five-cent internal part snaps and the cylinder plug comes out of the lock which results in all of the little pins and springs escaping. The first one broke a couple of months ago. I took it to the hardware store to be fixed and the guy said “That shouldn’t happen!” and charged me twelve bucks to rebuild it. Happened again this past weekend on a different door. Back to the hardware store. Told the guy about the previous identical failure. “That *really *shouldn’t be happening!” was the response and the price had gone up to $12.50.
At least small independent hardware stores are still as good as they used to be. (Shout out to Cole Fox Hardware in San Francisco!)
I have certainly noticed the new lower prices, but at the location we go to, food is as good as ever----The staff does know us by now, and they may be going the extra mile for regular customers, (though in general they are polite, but not especially friendly) butl I have been really happy that they decided to become more affordable, (they were actually about the same price as a mid-level sit down restaurant before, I feel they wanted way too much for thier food) and we end up eating there much more often as a result.
Not if one is using them to pick up dog poo. Nothing is more disgusting than discovering your disposable grocery bag has a previously unnoticed hole in it…
…commercials at the movies! :mad:
I remember when MTV actually played music videos. And I, too, miss the old Learning Channel (we went through a period of no cable, and I gather that I missed the very best bits of the Food Channel).
I am particularly aggrieved at all the “history” shows which purport to tell the story of various Biblical characters. That’s not history, that’s mythology! Some of these shows are actually fairly interesting and informative, but I don’t consider them history because they rely on one source, which is biased.
Eventually everything in the universe is going to be the same temperature. Step one is holes in the tote bags.
I thought I was the only one who remembered the gravy of the gods.
[David Banner]
Do NOT get me started on that vile, despicable, sucking the wet fart from the dead dog abomination into which the Learning Channel has been corrupted.
[/David Banner]
Yet, GM is now circling the drain after years of putting out an inferior product… I guess the key is finding just the right balance of usefulness and obsolescence.
My parents recently travelled in Canada and apparently they could still get it there.
teehee! 
Ah yes, I remember when cable was new and cable channels had NO commercials.
Coffee pots? I used to use a drip maker… then I visited my sister who uses an old fashioned percolator. Oh man, now THAT makes a good cuppa coffee. I have since bought myself a percolator, and remember why my dad would leave a little coffee at the bottom of his cup. No matter what, you get sediment. But, I refuse to go back to drip makers. Percolator all the way.
There was once a gas-powered refrigerator. They quit making them because they never. ever. wore. out.
Once upon a time, household appliances were repaired, because it cost less to repair than replace. That changed, and now, it’s less costly to throw it out and replace it. Sad, really. The quality has deteriorated badly!
Damn, I’m getting old. I could go on, but would no doubt bore you.
Carry on.