One Word - Plastics

This is the classic dialogue from the 1967 movie The Graduate.  Dustin Hoffman in his film debut, plays a 21 year old college graduate, Benjamin Braddock, with little direction of where to go with his life, he is getting advice from a family friend:

Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you – just one word.
Ben: Yes sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Ben: Yes I am.
Mr. McGuire: ‘Plastics.’
Ben: Exactly how do you mean?
Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Ben: Yes I will.
Mr. McGuire: Shh! Enough said. That’s a deal.

Mr. McGuire was right on the money on this one!  What is this clear plastic that everything comes in these days?  This is a quality product.  It is bullet proof!  Blueberries, strawberries, computer parts, flashlights, batteries, screws, nails and COOKIES are all sold in these clear plastic molded containers.  They are now the new restaurant "dogie bag" for that half a piece of pizza you take home and never eat. This plastic is as clear as your living room window.  There is no distortion, what you see is what you get.  This is some darn good plastic!

This darn good plastic is wrecking havoc on my life.  Should you try to open, let say computer parts, and I have done this--you may be seriously injured!  When you buy a part that is in this molded plastic, you can not open the package! You think you can pop the clam shell design apart but you can't.  You have to get a sharp object like kitchen knife, or a pair of scissors to attack the package!  Guess what?  The PLASTIC is cut proof!  If it happens to be rot proof as well, some archaeologist digging in a landfill will find it fully intact 2000 years from now!

Okay, I exaggerate, you can cut it.  Very slowly and with great difficulty.  When you do cut, usually part way, and you try to wrestle the package open, you may lacerate your hands on the razor sharp edge you created by cutting the plastic!  Yes, I have inflicted injury on myself in this manner.  I didn't need stitches but it was close to an ER visit.

Forget the parts, lets talk COOKIES!  Clear plastic food containers can be opened with your hands.  There are nifty little buttons in the plastic.  A male and female type of configuration--like a wall  plug.  Now it isn't easy pulling the plastic boy and girl apart; it can be done.  If you are going for a chocolate chip cookie at 2am look out!  When that package POPS open it will bellow a sound that will wake the entire house; now explain to the dog and your wife what the hell you are doing up, eating cookies in the middle of night.  There is a chance with the windows open in the summer, you might wake a neighbor as well.

The reason these packages are so noisy, is that they are like a little speaker cabinet, amplifying every pry and twist you are applying, trying to get to that cookie.

Plastics--here to stay; not sure what my future will be with them.