[AGL] $5, $10 & $12.50 then and now

[bakhirun bakhirun]

I liked the story, particularly with the nice luddite-twist at the end.

My first thought was AMF, the conglomerate famed for automatic pin-setting
equipment. When they purchased Harley-Davidson the quality of the
motorcycles really went to hell. It was during that
buy-anything-you-can-get-your-hands-on-at-the-right-price mania, when United
Fruit stockholders would be informed that their corporation was suddenly
into dry cleaning or vacation villas in a big way.

But Mike I fail to see the point you're making, if indeed this was supposed
to be a case study. Cheap Chinky products with abysmal quality flooding the
place? That's no news. You buy Chinese you get crap, seems to be the rule.
On the other hand you often don't know where something originates.]

I paid $100. for a pair of sturdy sports-riding motorcycle gloves at a big
dealer store in San Antone last time I was back in the US. They had
fiberglass studs on the knuckles and a pretty good finish.

Red and black and the first good soaking they got my hands looked like
Lizzie Borden's. Made in China, sure enough.

I pretty much strive to avoid buying anything whatsoever made in Korea as
their attitude is to fight imports however possible. (Not to mention their
general attitude, which is unspeakably bad - at least here in Indonesia).

Chinese stuff I am strongly prejudiced against, except that I have a 17-inch
LCD computer monitor which has performed flawlessly for three years, and a
couple of other items which are both value-for-money and of acceptable
quality.

The recent word I've heard is that yes, the Chinese can build quality goods,
but why should they when they are primarily competing on price. The other
factor is what I call the "three Cs": Corruption, Culture and Communism, all
of which contribute to a 'let me cheat you before you have a chance to
chisel me' approach to commerce. Thanks anyway.

Will they be able to globalize, and become, like the Japanese, famed for
their quality (while maintaining their precious foreigner-hating stance)?
It's an open question. For the moment they are notoriously hard to deal
with, and proud of it (though infinitely more reasonable than the Koreans).
They come to Southeast Asia and expect everyone to do business the Chinese
way - much like Westerners used to do, in the bad old days.

Or maybe your case study wasn't about returning inferior Chinee-made crap
after all. Oh well.

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Dying being my only fear,
I trained myself in the innate state beyond death,
And recognized the essential meaning,
The basic nature of self-liberated samsara.

This unsupported and naked inner awareness,
Discursiveness cleared, the confidence of the view,
I have resolved to be empty luminosity.
Birth and death no longer intimidate me.

Milarepa


2008/6/13 Michael Eisenstadt <mike.eisenstadt at gmail.com>:


> Greetings from Amazon.com.

>

> We are writing to confirm that we have processed your refund in the

> amount of $25.00 for your Order #002-2479758-2201010 from softandfluffy.

>

> This refund is for the following item(s):

>

>    Item: Standard Classic White Goose Down Feather Pillow, Set of two

> pillows 26 OZ Filled each pillow

>    Reason for refund: Customer return

>

> life on the front lines: Chinese down pillows delivered free from Amazon 2

> of them normal size for

> $12.50 each. it turned out that the cotton cover was polished cotten and

> CRINKLED when you laid down your head on it. so back in the cardboard box.

> Amazon provides free US postage to return it;

> you print the label out with your printer.

>

> this cant go on. when my father ran away to sea in 1916 his freighter

> docked

> in a Spanish port. The bumboats offered the sailors go to town hats for $10

> american. My father was shocked as he had seen the same hats at Macy's for

> $5 american. True story, i've got the postcard to his newly minted

> brother-in-law, Harry of that date saying yes he had bought the bottle of

> French brandy he had been tasked to (by Harry). Uncle Harry was a bookie

> with a bad brother named Lemons who died in the gang wars. I saw this guy

> once as a young child. He was a small guy with his face set in a permanent

> scowl hence his nickhame. Harry evolved from pool hall proprietor to a

> bowling alley proprietor. He bought a derelict movie theater in Borough

> Park

> Brooklyn, had 10 maple alleys installed and revarnished them yearly. It was

> there I learnt the first of my useless set of competencies: setting pins.

> Brunswick invented the automatic pin setter and wiped out the profession.

>

>

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