Piss & Moan Table

The most go to conspiracy theory is the Mandela Effect isn't our memories failing us. There's people who point at the Hadron Collider's first use in 2009.

Not sure if I believe that or not but, I also don't remember ever seeing so many things that don't represent the memories I have of the way certain thigs were when I grew up.

Like Fruit of the Loom: Cornucopia on the label or no cornucopia on the label at all?
Stove top Stuffing: Kraft or Stouffer's?

Exactly. I remember being good looking. Mirror tells a different story, but I swear, that's the way I remember it! :sneaky:
 
Nobody packs for a living more like survival pay. Throw it in, tape it up and throw it on the pile of the many boxes already packed. FedEx or who ever throws it in to the truck. At each step its thrown and stacked under what ever comes next in line. Finally the delivery driver throws it on the ground at the final destination. If you’re lucky they’ll ring your doorbell. UPS is the only delivery service that rings my doorbell. They don’t care how it survives just that it was delivered.
When I worked in the hospital and we got a shipment of sensitive medical parts or equipment the inside and outside had accelerometers attached. Before we signed for receipt of delivery we checked the accelerometers. We refused to accept more than one $20K x-ray tube over the years.
 
Nobody packs for a living more like survival pay. Throw it in, tape it up and throw it on the pile of the many boxes already packed. FedEx or who ever throws it in to the truck. At each step its thrown and stacked under what ever comes next in line. Finally the delivery driver throws it on the ground at the final destination. If you’re lucky they’ll ring your doorbell. UPS is the only delivery service that rings my doorbell. They don’t care how it survives just that it was delivered.
When I worked in the hospital and we got a shipment of sensitive medical parts or equipment the inside and outside had accelerometers attached. Before we signed for receipt of delivery we checked the accelerometers. We refused to accept more than one $20K x-ray tube over the years.

My postal carrier, as well as the UPS delivery guy, are awesome. Same mailman for almost the entire 30 years that I've lived here. Great guy both personally and professionally. As for the UPS guy, he's a young Asian fella sporting a blue Mohawk. Honks the horn as he's pulling up. If it's a heavy and/or bulky package, he typically will assist with getting it inside the front porch (I have bad knees). Even will assist with larger packages that were not delivered by UPS if they're present when he shows up. But the coolest thing I've seen him do repeatedly is stop his truck when passing by, jump out, feed the neighbor's dog a treat, give her a head-scratch, and then drive away. No delivery, just an act of kindness. Gotta love that! :)
 
I’m really ticked off with Bartact
Going on 9 weeks and no delivery of front seat covers.

They sure as shit took my money
Why have TJ seat covers on “sale” then not have them in stock ?
Made in the USA?
Or waiting on the boat form China ?

I can’t imagine taking someone’s money then delivering it 4 months later
 
American Tourister gorilla

The number of times I've reference this commercial in my life...and no one ever remembers it... :ROFLMAO:

...and I find it rather interesting how many people recall it as the "Samsonite Gorilla". Something tells me American Tourister's marketing may have backfired a bit. :D
 
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I travel extensively and always find it interesting looking at the bags on the airport carousel. Everything from cardboard boxes tied with rope to designer bags. I remember when the first luggage had wheels. Then there were the big duffle bags with 2 wheels transitioning to soft sided suit cases with 2 wheels then 4 now back to hard shell. The colors evolve over time also, red, blue black and everything in between. I’ve learned that the expensive stuff gets destroyed as much as the lower price stuff. I’ve watched out side my window and seen bags falling off the tugs and the handlers tossing bags like the Gorillas in the commercials. I’ve had to repair our suit cases several times over the years because I’m frugal and can do it. My carry on bag has served me well for over 20 yrs. It’s been around the world and back and goes on every trip including my Jeep adventures and other than being a bit dirty it’s held up well. Oh and I got it at Ross. There’s another commercial reference for you.
 
Yep - it doesn't pay to get the expensive stuff, it doesn't last any longer than the cheapies. My long serving large soft-sided case got cut by something on the Cairo-Luxor flight, so had to buy a new one in Egypt. The new bag made it to Sweden and had a broken latch. A spare was included, so I put it on and taped over both. It made it home OK.
 
I travel extensively and always find it interesting looking at the bags on the airport carousel. Everything from cardboard boxes tied with rope to designer bags. I remember when the first luggage had wheels. Then there were the big duffle bags with 2 wheels transitioning to soft sided suit cases with 2 wheels then 4 now back to hard shell. The colors evolve over time also, red, blue black and everything in between. I’ve learned that the expensive stuff gets destroyed as much as the lower price stuff. I’ve watched out side my window and seen bags falling off the tugs and the handlers tossing bags like the Gorillas in the commercials. I’ve had to repair our suit cases several times over the years because I’m frugal and can do it. My carry on bag has served me well for over 20 yrs. It’s been around the world and back and goes on every trip including my Jeep adventures and other than being a bit dirty it’s held up well. Oh and I got it at Ross. There’s another commercial reference for you.

Yep - it doesn't pay to get the expensive stuff, it doesn't last any longer than the cheapies. My long serving large soft-sided case got cut by something on the Cairo-Luxor flight, so had to buy a new one in Egypt. The new bag made it to Sweden and had a broken latch. A spare was included, so I put it on and taped over both. It made it home OK.

American Tourister would beg to differ...;)
1779915398805.webp
 
The brand still exists, likely owned by a Chinese conglomerate.
Nope. Two minutes with Google revealed that Samsonite Corporation, headquartered in Luxembourg, acquired American Tourister in 1993:

https://corporate.samsonite.com/en/about-us.html

I doubt the products are anything what they used to be.
Possibly. Other links I found said that American Tourister is Samsonite's value brand. They were once fierce competitors, but now AT is subservient to Samsonite. The quality is likely worse with that arrangement. I have no personal experience with the old AT or the new AT, though, so who knows?
 
I did have to check the map (because I'm clearly a very thick individual)...but you're correct, Luxembourg isn't in China! You know where else it isn't...the feckin' USA! :ROFLMAO:

Both were American companies/brands, now they aren't. The point wasn't so much the damn Chinese.
 
Google-foo to the resc-yoo...

Samsonite is not owned by any Chinese company. It is a publicly traded, globally dispersed corporation with headquarters in Luxembourg and Mansfield, Massachusetts. However, it does have strong operational ties to the region through its supply chain, stock exchange listing, and retail focus.
The connections and ties include:
  • Ownership: Samsonite Group S.A. is broadly held by global institutional investors (such as Principal Global Investors, Fidelity, and Vanguard) and the general public, with no single controlling shareholder or parent company.
  • Stock Exchange Listing: Samsonite has been listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since 2011. Because of this, a portion of its institutional investor base operates out of Asia.
  • Manufacturing & Sourcing: While designed in the US and Europe, a significant portion of Samsonite's luggage is manufactured in China under strict international quality controls.
  • Retail Market: The Greater China region is a major market for both the Samsonite and Tumi brands.

American Tourister is not owned by any Chinese company. Its corporate ownership and structural ties mirror those of its parent company, Samsonite Group S.A.. Here is how the 1993 acquisition and the brand's current operations connect to the global landscape:

1. Corporate Ownership
  • US Roots: American Tourister was founded in Rhode Island in 1933.
  • The Acquisition: Samsonite’s parent company at the time (Astrum International) acquired American Tourister in 1993. The corporations eventually consolidated fully into the Samsonite Corporation.
  • Current Status: Because American Tourister is a wholly owned subsidiary brand of Samsonite, it is entirely controlled by Samsonite Group S.A.. It has no independent Chinese corporate parent, ownership, or board members.

2. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Ties
  • Heavy Reliance on Asian Manufacturing: While American Tourister suitcases used to be manufactured in the United States, Samsonite closed those domestic factories in the late 1990s to cut costs.
  • Production Hubs: Today, American Tourister products are heavily manufactured across Asia. A massive percentage of their softside and hardside luggage is outsourced to third-party factories in China. They also maintain substantial manufacturing footprints in India (specifically Nashik), Vietnam, and Indonesia.

3. Market Focus
  • Target Demographics: Samsonite positions American Tourister as its vibrant, youth-oriented, and budget-friendly global brand.
  • The Asian Market: Alongside Samsonite and Tumi, American Tourister relies heavily on the Greater China and broader Asia-Pacific retail markets for its financial growth