I hate those packages, not only are they a pain in the ass to get the CDs out of, they don't fit right in most of the CD racks.

And the idea that it's cool because it looks like an old album, uh no. That novelty has worn off, now it's just a pain in the ass.

And the cardboard just isn't as durable as the plastic cases.

A pox on them. Bastards.

These things are good if you're a complete spaz like me. They'll flop open and the disc will slide out, and hit the tile floor at just the precise angle it needs for it to crack into two pieces.

There are no words, beyond "What the Fuck?"

No good. These things are no good, is what I meant to say.

Again, spaz.

And for a moment I thought you were merely expressing comfort with your spazdom. Or is it spazocity?

Spazitude.

I get rid of all my original packaging and keep them in large zippered CD cases. Though, I'm phasing that out as I move to different digital media. The ability to burn mix CDs of 20 hours worth of MP3s in a few minutes is just too cool.

But yeah, back when I kept them in cases, that sucked.

I personally just love those DVD cases where you can't get the fucking disc out without nearly snapping it in half......

Tex,
I love you. I know exactly what you mean and am nearly laughing myself to death. Half in anger and half in laughter.

I miss your posts.

Spazelocity.

Dot com.

The only ones I have like that are "world music" compilations. I figured it was a statement, you know: We realize it's a lot harder and a lot more annoying to get the CD out of the case, but hey! Look! We used renewable tree-stuff to make your case, rather than evil evil plastic!

I also cannot STAND that when you buy a cd - even when it's mailordered from a not-brick-and-mortar (and therefore, no shoplifting) place, it comes totally entombed in the Shrink Wrap Plastic of Death that you can't get off, and then, to add insult to injury, has that damned strip of tape across the top. I have CDs that I've had for 10 years that still have tape-fragments clinging to their cases...

Ricki,
And the DVDs that have those security strips that are stuck on with that same kind of glue they used in that commercial from the 70s or 80s or whatever where they glued that guy in a hard hat to some construction beam about 1000 feet off the ground. Remember that one? It shouldn't take 20 minutes to open a friggin' DVD case.

Or, for that matter, any of the electronic devices that come encased in the King Tut's Tomb of hard plastic.

I bought a new powerstrip/surge protector the other day and the only way to remove the thing from its packaging was to dig out my box cutter and slice it free. Almost took my thumb off in the process. And the plastic is bloody sharp after you cut it. (Maybe someone will sue the companies for doing it because they wind up putting out their eye or something trying to break through the exoskeleton of lucite that things are shrouded in).

And, seriously: do they think I'm gonna manage to shoplift a 18" long powerstrip? I'm not exactly a TINY woman but I can't imagine anywhere on my body that I could hide that thing and not have it be obvious...

(I know, I know. Ken will have something to say about that last bit. But I'm leaving it in - that's how frustrated I am with the trend in impermeable packaging.)