Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Phil, Merrimack, New Hampshire on October 11, 2007:

Good grief, Charlie Brown! The explanation we heard in the UK for the switch from detaching to non-detaching tabs was that it was supposed to reduce littering. But dropping the detached tabs into the drink then suing the manufacturer when they swallow the tab?!? Sometimes I am left all but speechless at the sheer mindless idiocy of which people are capable.

When I am feeling cynical, I often think we should remove all product safety warnings for obvious hazards, and all safety devices designed not to protect against reasonable hazards but to protect people from the consequences of their own sheer arrant stupidity, and allow the most determined imbeciles to select themselves out of the gene pool. Our descendants would probably thank us.

Posted by Bill from Buffalo, NY on October 11, 2007:

Re: Pollution. I made a trip to Hong Kong in the mid 80's and I understand the air pollution is exacerbated by the terrain. Hong Kong and the harbor are in a sort of "bowl", not unlike LA. But what struck me was the condition of the water. One "river" literally had sewage floating on top, and one of the public restrooms near one of the shopping areas was a concrete slab with a trough that ran downhill straight into the water. There was a hole for the solid stuff also.

Posted by Chakolate, Chicago, Illinois, USA on October 12, 2007:

You're right - you two do clean up nice. :-)

Are you really that tall, or is she that short? I'm betting she's of average height, and you get stared at a lot by the Chinese. :-)

---

Kit is of average height -- for Chinese. I am nearly 2m tall. -rc

Posted by BJ, California on October 12, 2007:

What's really strange is that in (Mainland) China, canned beverages are canned like in the U.S., but on the Chinese airlines, they use the pull tab cans.

I don't know why.

---

I have only seen the old style pop-tops here in China (I'm now in the mainland). The weird thing: tonight they served us Budweiser at dinner, though with plenty of Chinese characters on the label. I suppose they thought they were giving us a treat, but I would have preferred Chinese beer! -rc

Posted by Jeanie, McAllen, Tx on October 12, 2007:

Someone please tell Phil not to read the Stella awards. :) He may never be able to speak again. I have left the legal business, but oh the stories! Often had the gene pool idea, tho'!

As for pollution: we live just north of Mexico - that's normal. They don't treat the water, it just goes down river! Tourist venues, big hotel chains are there to make the $$$, not change the infrastructure of a country...or create it.

Y'all have fun over there anyway....they'll be surprised having tourists who are not the "ugly Americans"!

Posted by john, hangzhou china on October 13, 2007:

Hey, stop complaining. At least you can see for half a mile. Come on over to the other side, the one they call "Mainland China" and the visibility drops to 1/4 mile. And the air tastes better here, not like that rarified stuff they breathe in HK.

---

I'll have more to say about the air pollution in my next entry.... -rc

Posted by Fred - Cape Town South Africa on October 13, 2007:

I always knew many people in America were stupid especially when they'd had a few drinks (like the story about the blind ATV driver in the latest issue of This is True), but your story about the ring-pull beer cans is the tops. Probably the person or persons who swallowed the can cover, were on their 10th or 11th beer by that stage? Did that ever come out in court?

BTW, I loved Hong Kong when we were there in 1992, but I got scammed by a store selling out video recorders at lower than low prices. Serves me right!

Posted by Al, Bavaria, Germany on October 13, 2007:

I thought the reason they changed the can's ring pulls was because the ring was just the right size for the coin slot on the parking meters. I'm told it went in just fine, got you the hour and then jammed the works up. Not that I'd know from practical experience.

Posted by Bill, Delta CO on October 13, 2007:

Ah, you're just spoiled from your consistently clear views of the Sneffles range. :)

---

While indeed I am spoiled by that, that's not my complaint. Rather, it's the chunks of lung tissue I'm coughing up here.... -rc

Posted by Chris, Reston VA on October 13, 2007:

Re: Pollution in LA. I was fortunate to grow up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles in the '50s. The Valley then was usually but not always clear and the sky was blue. Truly a Golden Age. But then into the '60s it did deteriorate somewhat rapidly. By the mid '60s when I was in College it could get quite horrid at times. The gray smog seemed to back up against the mountains when the prevailing winds came from the West. Relief from the Santa Anna winds when the winds were from the East was always welcome.

As my plane flight came into LAX on the few times I have been back since leaving there in late '69, I've always been distressed by the deepening gray haze. What a pity. Just proves the old adage that "you can't go home again."