"We progress now by easy hysteria to plastics. I recently encountered а plastic fire shovel. As I attempted to remove some hot ashes from а fireplace which did draw—it was on a pre-Civil War Texas ranch—the fire shovel melted in my hands. The ranch had been newly refurnished, and the ashtrays were plastic, as well. I left a cigarette іп an ashtray—where else do you stick it, in your eаг?—and the ashtray melted and the cigarette set fire to the tablecloth. We will now dismiss plastics, because I'm beginning to quiver again."