First off, I must include a word of thanks for the great Thanksgiving meal of last night. The meals that go with Shinji's prize turkeys seem to get more elaborate and delicious each year. One topic that came up last night was, of course, the current global financial situation. As well as the stock market volatility, we mentioned globalization and other issues we've witnessed during our lives. It's always nice to have an adult conversation.
Just a few minutes ago, I vacuumed the living room. The old Bissell is on its last legs. Attachments are falling off and it doesn't lock into the upright position anymore. I think this the third cheap vacuum cleaner we've had since being in Canada. That means they've only, on average, lasted about four years. I guess that's okay, but it's also a great example of how our expectations about products have changed.
I can recall in the 1960's or 70's my mother saved up hundreds of dollars to buy an Electrolux. The Swedish company engineered products and sold around the world. So that might be comparable to the Chinese goods we buy today. There was at least one huge difference: Electrolux focused on quality rather than a cheap price. It seemed like a lot of money; however, the product had a lifetime guarantee. People used to have old appliances repaired if they broke. How very different this is from our throw-away and replace mindset nowadays.