Some people who read my entry about the crackers that came in the 4-per-sheet packages also recalled them, so I looked it up.  I finally wound up having the following correspondence with Nabisco.  If they pioneered this then it seems logical that when I was a little boy some brands would still come the old way as they tried to catch up.

ME to http://www.nabiscoworld.com:  ”…Premium Saltines used to come in big squares that had 4 crackers that were perforated.  The box was the same size as the standard 1 lb. box, but now the crackers come in sleeves.  When did this change and why?…”

“Kraft - Nabisco Email Team <@nabisco.com> Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 1:09 PM To: "herbthiel@" <herbthiel@>

Thank you for visiting http://www.nabiscoworld.com.

In 1959, Nabisco Brands pioneered what has become an industry standard:  the stack pack.  Four columns of crackers, each enveloped in a reclosable wax paper sleeve, rest within a sealed cardboard container.  Later those waxed paper sleeves gave way to the more modern and effective plastic.  Today's stack packs make it possible for consumers to open one sleeve at a time, resealing the remainder and keeping in freshness.

Also, I'm glad to hear your nice comments about our products and company and will share them with our staff. We're proud of our reputation for excellence and work hard to maintain it.  We're continually exploring new food developments and are very optimistic about the future of food production.  Our pledge is to continue to successfully build on our past achievements far into the future.

It was great hearing from you, and remember we're always updating our site so visit us again soon!

Kim McMiller

Associate Director, Consumer Relations”

So there we have it.  If they pioneered it in 1959 and it is now an industry standard, it could take several years or even more than a decade for it to have become SOP for other companies.

Right now I am writing this on my handy dandy laptop.  I am so tickled.  I’m listening to the “Abbott & Costello” radio show right now.  Did you know that you can go to the site that the boys’ family started http://www.abbottandcostello.net/ and download a different show every month?  This is different from the Old Time Radio shows link I recently added.  (Click on the “Listen Now” button and enjoy some good old-fashioned entertainment.)  This does not mean that I think every show is good for everyone or acceptable to everyone.  Just like any other media, you have to take the time to find out for yourself what’s up.  Toward the end of the “Golden Age of Radio” many of the stars were pushing their shows on a new, modern medium called television and broke ground and paved the way for what we have today from Hollyweird.  That doesn’t mean these shows are not good, wholesome fun, but good and wholesome do not automatically equate innocent and there are even some of these that I will turn off.

I do have to say that they were more intellectually honest back then, though and I think that fighting for Truth, Justice and the American way and Law and Order in the Old West are superior to what we have now.

I read an interview with Bud Abbott where he explained how he and Costello rose to fame while burlesque failed.  He said, “Keep it clean.  You can embarrass people into laughing and they won’t come back to see you, but if you are truly funny and people are not embarrassed, they will bring their friends to see you.”

Remember, THE Good Book says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…”