Want a buy once, never buy an other "backpack" again?
Saddleback Leather Company. 100 year warranty.
You're welcome.
(I have the large briefcase (15 years old) and the flight bag (8 years old); I use the flight bag daily. I also have a bunch of other stuff: wallet, belts, desk accessories, etc)
How many US citizens actually have the economic understanding or even care about these things is up for debate. Or understand the history of the trust busting, the depression and the growth of the current economic system. Or how politics affects economics. I remember after George Bush won in 2000 that in an interview a Bush supporter who was in the lower middle class reported that the issue most important to him was the Estate Tax when that issue was never realistically ever going to come close to affecting him.
Thank you. Thank you all for knowing about, despising and for as long as you, Sarah, Bill and Tim are involved there will be no enshittification of The Bulwark. I will gladly stay with you as a DOJ ding member for the duration of this crazy ride. I am proud to be part of this COMMUNITY. It makes me feel great to support this team and know how many other folks feel like I do. I feel way less alone than when you look at all the TERRIBLE PEOPLE out there. So many in my / my husband’s demographic have gone MAGA it blows my mind continually and makes me question my judgment of people. This community restores the faith. Your growth and the QUALITY of the growth is a bright spot for us all.
Very curious how my bags from Timbuk2, Rains, and the Italian leather company Piquandro all fit into the story of Big Backpack. One of the zippers on the Rains bag went off-track frustratingly quickly (after five months), but at least their warranty policy is pretty friendly. Very happy with the other bags so far. I never in my life owned a JanSport, even though everyone else did.
First of all, anytime you have to refer to private equity, you should always add *ghouls* to the end of that descriptor: *The private equity ghouls at Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe were in the news last week as they kicked puppies out the window of a nunnery they acquired in a long and scamtastic takeover.*
Anyhoo, the goal of every private equity group is to eventually end up owning the real estate of every group they manage, run or play footsie with.
Highly recommend *Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream* by Megan Greenwell. Just a remarkable and eye-opening look at the virtually unregulated shenanigans going on in the world of the private equity ghouls.
What's so great about a million free subscribers? I pay for what I get and revel in almost all of it. But a million FREE subscribers??? Why is that a big deal? What portion of that million are free loaders (as contrasted with economically squeezed Americans)? Euity firms that behave like the backpacker companies that steal from their customers by selling shabbier products more often and generate artificial demands to milk more out of consumers is scurrilous, I'm not seeing. JVL, what makes free subscribers so exciting . . .
I hate things that break in 18 months. This is what causes lower income earners to never have a chance to improve their lives. If you have the money up front for the $200 backpack, you will smartly purchase it. If you only have $35 left after all of your monthly bills are paid, you get the shitty backpack. Because you need the backpack now since last year’s fell apart.
I finally swore off of coffee makers for this reason. I wasn’t willing to spend $700 on a coffee maker. I tried many brands and spent up to $120 on a coffee maker every year, until that one broke. I may have screamed, “FU capitalism and your planned obsolescence!” I bought a pour over set on Etsy and am so happy every morning. It will only break if I knock it on the floor.
"Some day I will write an entire newsletter about YKK."
Yes. Please do. I've been dying to know more for years. For detail snobs, debating zipper manufacturers is a thing. YKK isn't the only name in town these days, but they're the name that everybody, but nobody, knows.
3) back after the wall fell in 1991, lots of ex soviets were coming to Houston (and Houston oil folks were all over Moscow). Someone wrote an article about the new Russians going to Houston grocery stores and being dumbfounded and overwhelmed seeing 16 different ketchup choices, or and entire row of cereal options. In the past 30 years even the grocery options, much less the grocery store options have been greatly diminished.
That's a great essay - and believe me, my entire extended family will read and enjoy it too, because every single lefty among us (all of us) love the Bulwark. Not because we loathe the same people but because we can "talk" together like rational people who love our country.
And yeah. I used to sell backpacks in a summer job at the Ski Hut in Berkeley. I know my zippers. Here for the YKK story.
The hockey article enraged me. I'm ready to burn it all down now. Thanks a lot JVL, you turned me into anarchist.
Hey, Derek, when are you going to drop YKK on us, buddy?
Want a buy once, never buy an other "backpack" again?
Saddleback Leather Company. 100 year warranty.
You're welcome.
(I have the large briefcase (15 years old) and the flight bag (8 years old); I use the flight bag daily. I also have a bunch of other stuff: wallet, belts, desk accessories, etc)
How many US citizens actually have the economic understanding or even care about these things is up for debate. Or understand the history of the trust busting, the depression and the growth of the current economic system. Or how politics affects economics. I remember after George Bush won in 2000 that in an interview a Bush supporter who was in the lower middle class reported that the issue most important to him was the Estate Tax when that issue was never realistically ever going to come close to affecting him.
I wondered immediately if JVL intended to create an image of Ross Douthat's column as ass-wipe. I wish it were even that good.
1- Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns
Thank you. Thank you all for knowing about, despising and for as long as you, Sarah, Bill and Tim are involved there will be no enshittification of The Bulwark. I will gladly stay with you as a DOJ ding member for the duration of this crazy ride. I am proud to be part of this COMMUNITY. It makes me feel great to support this team and know how many other folks feel like I do. I feel way less alone than when you look at all the TERRIBLE PEOPLE out there. So many in my / my husband’s demographic have gone MAGA it blows my mind continually and makes me question my judgment of people. This community restores the faith. Your growth and the QUALITY of the growth is a bright spot for us all.
Very curious how my bags from Timbuk2, Rains, and the Italian leather company Piquandro all fit into the story of Big Backpack. One of the zippers on the Rains bag went off-track frustratingly quickly (after five months), but at least their warranty policy is pretty friendly. Very happy with the other bags so far. I never in my life owned a JanSport, even though everyone else did.
Oh yes, and I would be interested to read about YKK zippers! Especially if you talk about their new innovations that are not quite on the market yet.
JVL: "...we will never beat the New York Times. But by giving them competition, we can force them to be better."
Here's the thing... well, 2 things: 1) Maybe, maybe not; 2) so what?
Can The Bulwark make the NYT better? <12th Doctor Voice> "That's not the question!" </12DV>
Johnny, tell 'em the correct question: Are you making your best effort to do right by your public, to help them understand & do better?
I know the answer to THIS question. That's why I'm here
First of all, anytime you have to refer to private equity, you should always add *ghouls* to the end of that descriptor: *The private equity ghouls at Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe were in the news last week as they kicked puppies out the window of a nunnery they acquired in a long and scamtastic takeover.*
Anyhoo, the goal of every private equity group is to eventually end up owning the real estate of every group they manage, run or play footsie with.
Highly recommend *Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream* by Megan Greenwell. Just a remarkable and eye-opening look at the virtually unregulated shenanigans going on in the world of the private equity ghouls.
I am one who would love an essay of YKK zippers!
What's so great about a million free subscribers? I pay for what I get and revel in almost all of it. But a million FREE subscribers??? Why is that a big deal? What portion of that million are free loaders (as contrasted with economically squeezed Americans)? Euity firms that behave like the backpacker companies that steal from their customers by selling shabbier products more often and generate artificial demands to milk more out of consumers is scurrilous, I'm not seeing. JVL, what makes free subscribers so exciting . . .
I hate things that break in 18 months. This is what causes lower income earners to never have a chance to improve their lives. If you have the money up front for the $200 backpack, you will smartly purchase it. If you only have $35 left after all of your monthly bills are paid, you get the shitty backpack. Because you need the backpack now since last year’s fell apart.
I finally swore off of coffee makers for this reason. I wasn’t willing to spend $700 on a coffee maker. I tried many brands and spent up to $120 on a coffee maker every year, until that one broke. I may have screamed, “FU capitalism and your planned obsolescence!” I bought a pour over set on Etsy and am so happy every morning. It will only break if I knock it on the floor.
"Some day I will write an entire newsletter about YKK."
Yes. Please do. I've been dying to know more for years. For detail snobs, debating zipper manufacturers is a thing. YKK isn't the only name in town these days, but they're the name that everybody, but nobody, knows.
Love this Triad!
1) George Carlin’s riff comparing Baseball to Football is one of the funniest bits ever. But that quote from George Will is pretty good. https://youtube.com/shorts/cloARYO0lnA?si=_q_etszvMu7N0lFQ
2) this is the same story as Live Nation
3) back after the wall fell in 1991, lots of ex soviets were coming to Houston (and Houston oil folks were all over Moscow). Someone wrote an article about the new Russians going to Houston grocery stores and being dumbfounded and overwhelmed seeing 16 different ketchup choices, or and entire row of cereal options. In the past 30 years even the grocery options, much less the grocery store options have been greatly diminished.
That's a great essay - and believe me, my entire extended family will read and enjoy it too, because every single lefty among us (all of us) love the Bulwark. Not because we loathe the same people but because we can "talk" together like rational people who love our country.
And yeah. I used to sell backpacks in a summer job at the Ski Hut in Berkeley. I know my zippers. Here for the YKK story.