Filed under: "It seemed like a good idea at the time"  

HA.
you know whats funny? I'm a painter and someone gave me these weird vintage canvas panels. they were thick and labeled with the company and said "gessoed artists panels". but the inside.. of the boards was insulation like or something. They were throwing them out so they gave to me to paint on. So I drag all of them up to the studio. and decided to look them up online because they were so weird I was worried about their archival quality. long story short the company used asbestos in all their products from the 50s to the 70s! and i had their powder rubbing all over my arms when i was carrying them. ICK. i tossed em.

Asbestos
is not poison. It is harmful if fibers are inhaled into the lungs, in sufficient quantities. Most people who suffer from asbestosis or mesothelioma were employed in an industry where they were exposed over long periods of time.
In our media-addled and fear-driven times, many minor threats are seen as major ones by much of the public. Who profits ? Look up "mesotheloima lawyer" or "abatement specialist" online. . .

And another one.
I'm going to have to start watching "Mad Men" to find out what kind of thinking went on in those days.

There's always
been overhyped schlock.
Amerock, maker of widely-available cast-metal cabinet handles for the kitchen trade, used to call their wares "Cabinet Jewelry" (or maybe that should have been "Cabinet Joolery" !). . .