"jps" wrote in message
...


Deficit, military spending, oil, China, jobs.

There's a string that connects them all.

jps

Speaking of the bitch-du-jour, and manufacturing going overseas, I've got
something to contribute: You can't even get a good night's sleep any more.
The most basic need, sleep, is now in the hands of foreigners. I've never
seen Consumer Reports handle a product category with this much negativity.
And in this case, they're right. Here's what happens when we shut down
textile factories where people knew what the hell they were doing:


August 2005
Sheets: Wake-up call
Silk pillowcases that shred in the wash? Linen sheets so wrinkly after
laundering that you might as well not bother making the bed? Sky-high thread
counts based on creative calculating? Note to the makers of sheets in our
tests: Stop sleeping on the job.

Much has changed in the bedding business. Tried-and-true names such as
Cannon and Charisma are largely gone, a result of company bankruptcies.
High-quality percale sheets--the kind we have recommended--are harder to
find, too.

Instead, consumers are faced with high prices, unfamiliar brands,
poor-wearing fabrics, and marketing that wrongly places a premium on the
highest thread count. Standard sheets used to last years; some of those we
tested don't even come close.

In short, we didn't find much to like among the 19 queen sheet sets we
tested, which are priced from $30 to $385 and are found in bed-and-bath and
department stores and online. They included trendy weaves such as sateen and
satin, and nontraditional fibers such as polyester and modal, a cellulose
fiber made from wood.

Unsuitable fabrics. In 20 launderings following the manufacturer's
directions, the Domestications Washable Silk pillowcases were in shreds. The
Linens 'n Things Home Brilliance Jersey knit sheets shrank so much after
just five washings that they no longer fit the bed. Then there was the
Cuddledown Heirloom Voile set, which is sheer. Who wants to see through to
the mattress pad or pillow protector? Even the percale sheets in our tests
were only fair for strength, typically a standout feature for percale.

Almost all the tested sheets needed ironing to look their best. Some of the
unusual fibers require even more care. Silk needs delicate laundering.
Sateen can rip on a toenail or cat's claw; satin can snag even on chapped
hands.

Poor quality control. Fresh out of the package, a Bed Bath & Beyond sheet,
now discontinued, was 10 inches shorter than it should be. With other sets,
we discovered missing or torn components.

What-were-they-thinking design. Buttons on the DKNY Play pillowcases allow
you to fit king-sized or queen-sized pillows. But you might greet the day
with button imprints on your face. With the Domestications Washable Silk
set, unseemly seams down the middle of the fitted sheet could haunt a
restless sleeper.

Questionable claims. Some manufacturers use creative math to boost thread
count (see Thread counts). Likewise, some sheets are labeled organic. But
that simply means that the material is grown without pesticides. Federal
regulations don't exist regarding the processing of the raw material, so all
kinds of environmentally unfriendly chemicals could be used. "Natural" or
"green" labeling may indicate that harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde or
chlorine aren't used in processing. Without standards, though, there are no
guarantees.