For your reading pleasure today we have a guest rant.
For many things the original is better than the remakes. The original Eames Chair used far superior wood and adhesives than the ones that are currently being produced. That is understandable, as high quality wood has become scarce, and there are more regulations that apply to furniture components. However some changes that are made in the name of progress serve to reduce efficiency. This is pervasive. Farms have become large, and relatively specialized. The result is a separation between the raising of cattle and the like and the production of fruits and vegetables. What used to be a simple solution-using the manure from the animals as fertilizer is now two problems-that of the manure and that of all the chemical fertilizer now needed.
Many people tend to assume that when it comes to technology that newer is always better, with the possible exception of products that are in the very early stages of their life cycle and have temporary flaws. This is often true, but not always. One example of this is cameras. Digital cameras are made to be used for a relatively short time and then replaced with a newer model, while older analog cameras were made to last. It is a testament to the idiocy of the American consumer that analog cameras have been pushed to the margins, while digital cameras are everywhere.
Crazy Old Coot