An old television commercial for my all-time favorite toy, Jane West. I have to smile when the announcer makes sure to tell us about her makeup kit. But maybe things haven't really changed all that much after all, because the last time my husband and I went out car shopping, the salesman seriously showed me the "handy" makeup mirror on the sun visor. And when we went horse trailer shopping at the Sundowner dealership, the salesman pulled out all the stops and brought out the "handy" gas grill that affixes neatly to the side of the trailer so you can cook out beneath the canopy. My husband swears that's the feature that sold me on that Sundowner and that that salesman knew exactly what to do to get me to buy it.

Aargh.