Planned Obsolescence & My Chair

I just got finished with attempting to fix my desk chair.

Two or three months ago the arms (plastic) cracked. I could still sit in it, but do do so further would cause the entire thing to crack and fail. I know that any 6'5" 230 lbs fella could test just about any little thing he sits in, but I noticed that the engineering of the chair wasn't poor or cheap... it looked as if had been purposely made to fail.

The areas where the chair needed the most structural strength were right where the designers decided to bore holes and put the bolts in to attach it to the underside of the seat cushion. I mean, even the shape of the plastic elbow rests forced even more pressure on these areas.

When it broke I just moved it aside and used another chair thinking, maybe I could fix that later. Not the chairs fault. I'm a bigger guy. Well, the time came today to brace the old thing up. I examined the chair trying to figure out the best way to brace it and realized that with all the subtle curves in the plastic I could only possibly go with a bracket about 4" long (and even that I couldn't use any other place but the side of the chair handle.

I headed out to Lowes and got some cheap brackets and screws. It cost me about $3.00. I even purchased twice as much as I thought I needed. Anyway, I'm sitting in my chair with little fear that it will collapse on the floor now. It looks terrible, but it saved me from buying another chair of similar quality at about 40-60 bucks.

So where am I going with this? Well, have I somehow, inadvertently, hurt our economy? Is the company that makes these chairs all the sudden out of another 50 bucks cause I didn't buy a new one? Oh no! Let me check who made it...

Looks like we've got a well traveled chair here. Wow... first off it isn't plastic... it is polyurethane foam... Manufactured in Canada by a place called Office Star Products... individual parts made in China... sold at Target. So designed in Canada---parts fabricated in China---put together (well, mostly) back in Canada---and sold at Target. Interesting. How is that cheaper then making it in the U.S. again? Opps, there is a warning... check the bolts every three months... Are you kidding me!?

I'm reading up on what's called Planned Obsolescence. I'm not an industrial engineer, or designer, nor am I a marketer. The term came up recently with me when Michael Moore brought it up in a letter about GM. After reading it I thought about my chair, thought about the simplicity of it in comparison to a automobile. I know every single piece and part of a car is designed to breakdown at some point on purpose, from the shocks, breaks, tires, batteries, paint, gaskets, heads, lifters, down to each and every nut and bolt that holds it together. I also know that their engineers know when each one of those parts will fail... right down to the mileage and weather condition. They plan it. One could say that everything we purchase we make is designed this way from our Apple products to our clothing. It's a business philosophy that has Americans wanting to buy new homes instead of "used" ones.

In tooling around the web I've found a few things worth reading on this topic. But as always I want to find out where it first came from. Why did it come up?

Here is something worth reading; it is called Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence (1932), by Bernard London. It touches, very frankly, on things we still see today. I mean, look at the "Cash for Clunkers" program. Government sponsored obsolescence, of which Mr. London writes about. Buy new cars, keep Detroit turning!!! ugh.

Most people want something new. It's almost built into us. I'm not saying, by posting this, that I've not seen what goes on (particularly in the computer industry and software). I'm not all the sudden discovering an anti-consumerist attitude 40 years too late. Nor am I having a 'gee, now I see where all the do-it-yourself stuff comes from. I'm just saying that an 80 year old philosophy for getting us out of the depression is still in use. And that is interesting to me. Heck, ever our bodies go obsolete. But, by golly, I'm sitting on my old chair, aren't I?

So why the picture of an old 1968 Camaro up there? I think it because it reminds me of a time when it new design, more powerful engines, and innovation drove the auto market. Now that I'm getting older I am starting to subscribe to the belief that US automakers have not designed a good car since the '70s. Good old fashioned innovation took a back seat to bottom lines and GM has suffered for it. What ended up happening is that GM was forced to tone down the gas guzzlers an make poorly designed dog food crap 10 years too late. Then, in the late 1990s the had to learn the same lesson over again with SUVs, 10 years too late and are AGAIN making crap to try and keep up with Honda, Toyota, and VW, when those guys never really changed at all and didn't have too. They made (make) a quality product with good design. We are in the same auto cycle we were in during the early 1980s. It's painful to see.

I don't believe that building smaller compact cars will help GM get back on it's feet. They can make an efficient engine in a big car if they want. Tricking a customer by just selling a tiny car is a joke if quality and commitment to it aren't there. It has to a revelation in quality and design that does it. GM can point to it's own successful history to help. The former CEO of General Motors, Alfred P. Sloan stated in 1941, "Today the appearance of a motorcar is a most important factor in the selling end of the business—perhaps the most important factor— because everyone knows the car will run." Recently, it seems, GM wanted mechanical obsolescence and successful refreshes in design. That failed. What they got were lemons and a mid-nineties Oldsmobile Bravada.
Saaaaweeeeeeeeetttttt!

How about I help GM out:

That was in the 1960s. GM is still behind. Catch up and lead damn it.

It's funny to me how they sold the Saturn line. It is a sad misstep for them but a huge gain for Saturn (and Penske, the company who purchased them). It is also sad to me that they are closing the doors on Pontiac. The G series of performance cars look great and are well built up here in Ohio (Lordstown). I'm also looking at Saab, who for the better is going back to Sweden. Then there is the mighty Hummer, a brand who, while being a monstrosity, sold very well and was at least interesting and different. That is going to China. Right where my chair was made.

Hey maybe I can design the next Hummer compact, have the parts manufactured in China, import them back to North America and assemble/distribute them from Canada, then sell it to Wal-mart and make a $7 hr employee sell it here in the United States upon trade of a an older union built American so called clunker! I could even set up customer service in India!!! Everybody wins!!! oh, wait...

10 Cent Beer Night

How could I have missed the anniversary of one of the best baseball stories of all time. 35 years ago last month was 10 cent beer night in Cleveland!


From Wikipedia:
The riot

In the ninth inning, a fan attempted to steal Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs' cap. Confronting the fan, Burroughs tripped, and Texas manager Billy Martin (thinking that Burroughs had been attacked) charged onto the field, his players right behind, some wielding bats.[3] A large number of intoxicated fans – some armed with knives, chains, and portions of stadium seats that they had torn apart – surged onto the field, and others hurled bottles from the stands. WJW producer Tony Lolli then suspended the station's live telecast of the game. Realizing that the Rangers' lives might be in danger, Ken Aspromonte, the Indians' manager, ordered his players to grab bats and help the Rangers. Rioters began throwing steel folding chairs, and Cleveland relief pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the head by one of them. Hargrove, involved in a fistfight with a rioter, had to fight another on his way back to the Texas dugout.

Among the Indians players suddenly running for their lives was Rusty Torres, who was on second base at the time, representing the winning run. In his career, Torres wound up seeing three big-league baseball riots close up; he was with the New York Yankees at the Senators' final game in Washington in 1971 and the Chicago White Sox during the infamous Disco Demolition Night in 1979.

The bases were pulled up and stolen (never to be returned) and many rioters threw a vast array of objects including cups, rocks, bottles, batteries from radios, hot dogs, popcorn containers, and folding chairs. As a result, umpire crew chief Nestor Chylak, realizing that order would not be restored in a timely fashion, forfeited the game to Texas. He too was a victim of the rioters as one struck him with part of a stadium seat, cutting his head.[4] His hand was also cut by a thrown rock. He later called the fans "uncontrollable beasts" and stated that he'd never seen anything like what had happened, "except in a zoo."[5]

As Joe Tait and Herb Score called the riot live on radio, Score mentioned the lack of police protection; a riot squad from the Cleveland police department finally arrived to restore order.

Later that season, the team's promotion of three additional beer nights were changed from unlimited amounts to a limit of four cups per person. American League president Lee McPhail commented, "There was no question that beer played a part in the riot."[4]

Family

As I do tend to wander here on my online journal and post all to many videos (doesn't work well with publishing sites like Blurb). I'm still dedicated to the idea that writing things down will be something I look on decades from now as a thing I'm glad I did.

I'm a little over two years on now (started June 2007) and extremely happy about starting this. I like to think of it as writing about things going on that often get forgotten do to time. In the same overt vain as "life is what happens when you are busy making other plans".

I'm saying some of this because I am applying for a place with the organization called "Sons of the American Revolution". My father and a family friend have been organizing officially family documents to create a direct link to a family member who fought in the war. They have compiled documents all the way back to Abel Johnson born 1757. The real stuff, handwritten sometimes and testimonies from his children claiming he was in fact in the war. I think this was to get pension given to relatives after the war. They are a fascinating read. Hey! maybe I'm entitled to the 20 shillings a year.

I'll probably be posting some pretty boring stuff here soon about it, but before I get to that I have discovered some interesting factoids.

1. I am the first Johnson in Abel's line to be born outside of, not just NC, but Harnett, Pitt or Johnston Counties. 80% of them being born in Johnston Co.

2. Only three times since Able has a Johnson not married another Johnson. Two of those times were my father and grand father. In 1856 Amos Greene Johnson, my grand fathers great great grandfather (who fought in the War Against Northern Aggression) married a Sutton. If that sounds weird (or worse) join the club. Either way what happened happened. The fact is that there are so many intersecting trees make up what we are today... that said though, my brother and I have known this for some time. In fact he nearly lost his mind researching that family tree. Think about it.

And, yes, we have counted our toes. Our sanity? that's another matter.

Loss for Words

Not sure what to say here. I found it over at Dubious Quality of which claims it as the worst music video ever. It's got over 600,000 hits so I'm behind the curve on this one me thinks. But, how on earth, or perhaps... Space, did this happen. Here is the Youtube link to dig around for answers yourself. If you dare.

The Hangover

Surprisingly good. Of the summer movies I've made it out to see this is one going into that I thought for sure I'd have nothing good to think about, let alone write about.

What set me up from the get-go was the opening shots of Las Vegas. I can be a sucker for the west, I know. But the opening shots were done from slightly different angles with slightly different objects and subject matter. To be sure, there have been plenty of 'Vegas' movies done in the past. Remarkably, I've been to Vegas. After seeing in person I realized that what you see in movies is the completely wrong way to show it. Of course the angles and sight lines you get from the ground there are not what you see in movies. You generally get the helicopter view, or the quick post card looking shot of a too insane to be true hotel. But Vegas, on the ground is completely different looking. Almost too strange to believe in size and scope. It is no wonder so many movies take place there. There aren't many movies that shoot it well. This one is and I can see that this can be attributed to Larry Sher.

Sher doesn't seem to have an impressive resume of great looking movies. He is a younger guy. But he does of a couple that stick out that I have seen. Garden State being one and Dukes of Hazzard being another. Yeah, I said Dukes. He also did Captain Jack way back. Yes! This guy is clearly having fun with his craft.

Comedies can be funny in script and this one has that in a way of an over the top Swingers. But only rarely can they also be beautiful to look at. Sher sets it up from the start and doesn't turn it off. I think if this movie were to have shown Vegas in the way that we are so familiar with seeing it then it would've fallen flat. But instead of the 'Helicopter/Micheal Bay' looking Vegas we get one where our cast of characters have to climb the stairs to the top of Cesar's and see it from there.

Good stuff.

Coshocton

Noise About Automobiles

For posterity and before I completely forget, I am going to list out all the cars I've (partially) owned. In my lifetime I've purchased two cars by myself (well, one and a half). I've had hand me downs, cars on lone while mine was getting worked on, one donated from a church to me, one lost in a divorce, one loaned for the summer, I could go on. But without further ado... here we go:

1. 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

I got this from my parents when I was around 17 years old. It took me through most of my college days. Good car and worth more then you think now out here in the mid-west. The fall came when I obliterated a deer one very early morning. It lasted for a time after that, but she was never the same. Eventually the timing went out and she got put out to pasture.

2. 1987 Pontiac Fiero.

This car was on loan to me for one summer between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college. I drove it once on a long trip to the beach. On the way down I stopped at a gas station and was pumping gas when another guy there calmly stated, "you're engine is on fire". Sure enough it was. The station attendant put the fire out and I continued on. There was no fall with this car, it went back to it's owner.

3. 1978 Monte Carlo

I had this beast for a little while after the Olds went bye-bye. I got it from my grandfather. I had the choice of this or a El Camino. I don't know where the Camino went (wish I had either of these at this point). The Monte Carlo was beautiful. It had a coolant issue and a bad thermostat. But it was fixed and eventually given to my bother. He drove it all through college at UVA where it gain quite the reputation. After much leaking and minor issues my brother moved on to buying a Chevy Malibu. The Monte Carlo sat at my parents for years until recently my dad donated it to the Salvation Army.

4. 1979 Mercedes 280 E Class.

My father purchased this car for $850 from an older lady. I wound up with it somehow for a short time. Best car I ever had? Maybe. She drove like a tank but could pass any car between 60 and 80 like nobodies business. I loved this car but I killed it. She had a leak in the radiator and she over heated and the engine froze up.

5. 1988 Honda Civic.

This little hatchback deserves the title of the worst car I ever had. It ran alright at first. It was donated to my fathers church and he passed it on to me. The civic pretty much died after a long trip with my mother, brother, and a friend on a trip down to another friends wedding in Florida. Hundreds of miles with four passengers did her in.

6. 1994 Dodge Intrepid.

My first car! I purchased this down in Coats, NC. I'll never forget the experience I had buying it. She ran well for the four years I spent (painfully) paying it off. The month I paid it off the PCM board failed and I spent nearly $2500 trying to fix it. The steering column eventually bent and she became un-drivable. I gave her away to one of the greatest men I know, he fixed and and after that and she kept going strong. I she still out there??

7. 2004 Oldsmobile Aurora.

The muscle car for the 21st century. Now hold on a second... I know She was a 5.0 L V8 and I know that She was a 2004. I know that she was the 2nd to last production model Oldsmobile coming off the line in April 2004 (the Alero was stopped a month after). I can't find her on the web. This is getting interesting. I know she was unique because of her year. She also didn't have a front hood ornament. I can't find a 5.O online. I'll keep looking. Did I have something unique here? Anyway, life circumstances forced me to get rid of her. She did start having numerous electrical problems and was very expensive to maintain (low profile, $300 tires anybody?).

8. 2003 Honda Accord.

My current car. My coupe. My daily driver. She's got a V6 that gives me 240 HP. Pretty potent for a smaller car. She also boasts a sporty, more rounded shape. She is still valued at around $13,000. Not much less then I paid for her a few years back. Pretty amazing. Honda made a quality car here. I've been washing here and maintaining her diligently here recently with the idea of a possible trade in for another car and get better financing. It is a possibility. But until then I am very, very satisfied with this car.

So there it is. All my rides.

Some Notes:

Five of the eight have come out of Detroit, which really means nothing I guess cause they where older. However, two (out of three) of the ones I have a direct hand in picking where later models out of Detroit. The Honda I drive was manufactured up the road in Marysville, Ohio. No Fords on my list.

The satisfying car I have ever driven is the 2004 Olds, I wish I still had her. The overall best car I've ever owned is my Accord.

"Clunkers" Plan

Some details on the plan is here to get you started.

First question is: Does this make economic sense?

Second question is: With the level of interest in older cars increasing, will this increase the value of older cars with more of them getting shredded and becoming more rare?

Catherine Marshall via My Mom

The stage is set like this... Peter Marshall is trying to gain the attention of a large crowd anyway he can when he shouts out "how about a song!". From the crowd he hears "how about a song about Rosie?"

Catherine Marshall steps up and says the following:

“I never thought much about being a girl, until two years ago when I learned from a man what a wonderful thing it is to be one. Until that Sunday morning, I’d considered myself lucky to be living in the twentieth century; the century of progress and emancipation. The century when supposedly we women came into our own.

“But I’d forgotten that the emancipation of woman really began with Christianity, when a girl – a very young girl – received the greatest honor in history. She was chosen to be the mother of the Savior of the world. And when her son grew up and began to teach His way of life, He ushered “woman” into a new place in human relationships. He accorded her a dignity she had never known before and crowned her with such glory that down through the ages she was revered protected and loved. Men wanted to think of her as different from themselves. Better.

“It remained for the twentieth century, the century of progress, to pull woman down from her throne. She wanted equality. For nineteen hundred years, she had not been equal; she had been superior. To stand equal with man, naturally, she had to step down. Now, being equal with men, she has won all their rights and privileges … The right to get drunk. The right to swear. The right to smoke. The right to work like a man, to think like a man, to act like a man. We won all this, but how can we feel so triumphant when men no longer feel as romantic about us as they did about our grandmothers, when we’ve lost something sweet and mysterious … something that’s as hard to describe as the haunting, wistful fragrance of violets?

“Poets have become immortal by remembering on paper a girl’s smile, but I’ve never read a poem rhapsodizing over a girl’s giggles at a smutty joke. I’ve never heard a man brag that his sweetheart or wife could drink just as much as he and become just as intoxicated. I’ve never heard a man say that a girl’s mouth was prettier with a cigarette hanging out of it or that her hair smelled divinely of stale tobacco…”

My mom states at this point it is known that Catherine Marshall stopped abruptly as she realized she had given her first speech.

I'll like to note that one of my very first memories is asking Catherine Marshall a question (which my mom wrote and forced me to ask:) during an event at Len LeSourd's home in Northern Virginia. I also remember from that day that there was a parade of stuffed animals that everyone had dressed up. Strange, I had forgotten that till now. I'll have to get with my mom on that.

Thank you mom for this article today!