Changes are coming.. And we can't do anything about it.

[Timothy]

Read Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451!

[billt]

The Dead Sea scrolls lasted 2000 years stored properly.

And that "Shroud thingy" wouldn't even wash out with new, improved Tide! 

[Rastus]

Home CD's & DVD's are supposed to degrade over time.  Flash drives, on the other hand, probably will last much longer.  The price on flash drives is pretty good for a "permanent" media.  Now, how long will they last I dunno.  Two generations would probably be enough.

Also, the decline in the US will continue until the "workers" revolt against the parasites.  Will it happen?  When?  Who knows, but this class warfare stuff the liberals are putting out everywhere may be the catalyst...2012 will be an interesting summer and may foretell future direction.  Despite all this, even in a communist regime educated professionals live better than peasants and knowing how to work and actually self-motivating one's self to work has some enhanced value even in a worker's paradise.  I think the bottom line is to raise children with good work ethics and education so they can do well on whatever is on the other side.

[Tyler Durden]

Marshall'ete wrote:

#10 Ford Motor Company recently announced the closure of a factory that produces the Ford Ranger in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Approximately 750 good paying middle class jobs are going to be lost because making Ford Rangers in Minnesota does not fit in with Ford's new "global" manufacturing strategy.

I bet that Ford Ranger would sell if it came with a 4 cylinder diesel standard and got close to 50 MPG.

I am really jones'ing for a Volkswagen, probably a Jetta with the TDI .  I am tiring of feeding my F-150 which gets somewhere between 13 and 16 MPG.

I would really like to try to make my own bio-diesel out of french fry grease, but that is a thread for another time.

as far as getting away from checks, in general, I think there is a move away from cash anyway....keeping everything electronic makes it easier to tax.

[Timothy]

Ford is no longer producing the Ranger after 2011.  They're retiring the little truck after three decades because the F150 gets nearly as good MPG or better in a full size truck.  It's probably too costly for Ford to re-tool the plant to produce something else.  They will still make them for other foreign markets but it makes no sense to make a truck in MN that's going to Oz...

Of the Big Three, I think Ford is doing it's best to produce more domestically for our domestic market.

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

I did some Christmas shopping yesterday (Yes I know it is New Years, but everyone is shopping on Christmas Eve, so I moved our family Christmas to December 30th) and all I did was get frustrated.  I was looking for just a few special things for the wife, daughter and s-i-l.  This is never an easy task, but on a couple of the items I also wanted made in the USA.

If you want an irritating day, try to purchase a made in USA fishing reel.  I went to one mom and pop bait shop and two big box stores.  It is no surprise that the results were the same, because everyone carries the same products.

I know that there is a lot of blame of our own governments (local, state and federal) for why business is leaving, there is also a lot of bottom line drive by business itself, but how many of us as consumers are driving this.  How many of us are more concerned about low price than where it is made.  Or should I phrase it in a more personal way - We are more concerned with paying the lowest price than we are about our neighbors and friends have good, well paying jobs.

[MikeBjerum]

Ford is no longer producing the Ranger after 2011.  They're retiring the little truck after three decades because the F150 gets nearly as good MPG or better in a full size truck.  It's probably too costly for Ford to re-tool the plant to produce something else.  They will still make them for other foreign markets but it makes no sense to make a truck in MN that's going to Oz...

Of the Big Three, I think Ford is doing it's best to produce more domestically for our domestic market.

Yep.  A few weeks ago Pres BHO was on 60 Minutes bragging about how he saved the auto industry and saved the U.S. economy with that move.  The next day the big news - the news that dominated our local print and airwaves for two weeks - was the closing of the Ford plant in St. Paul.  After nearly a century a plant that has cranked out several models and that generated its own electricity through hydro is no more, and the good jobs that came with it are gone.  Good save Mr. President 

To compound this travesty, the local government is taking the lead on "developing" the property.  Are they looking to bring in new industry?  Hell no!!!  They want to turn it into a "model community."  They want it to have housing, shopping and recreation all confined with in a small footprint.  How many of the tax dollars they just lost to a foreign country are they counting on to pay for this joke?

[Timothy]

I did some Christmas shopping yesterday (Yes I know it is New Years, but everyone is shopping on Christmas Eve, so I moved our family Christmas to December 30th) and all I did was get frustrated.  I was looking for just a few special things for the wife, daughter and s-i-l.  This is never an easy task, but on a couple of the items I also wanted made in the USA.

If you want an irritating day, try to purchase a made in USA fishing reel.  I went to one mom and pop bait shop and two big box stores.  It is no surprise that the results were the same, because everyone carries the same products.

http://www.ardentreels.com/index.asp

Never tried them Mike.  I use Garcia and Shimano myself for the most part.  There might be several US Reel companies out there but you won't find them at Dick's Sporting Goods.  Try Cabelas or Bass Pro, you'll have better luck.

[tombogan03884]

I know I always say this when the "buy American" subject comes up, but I believe it's an important factor.
For many it is a choice between affording the foreign made item and not affording the US made item.

[MikeBjerum]

I know I always say this when the "buy American" subject comes up, but I believe it's an important factor.
For many it is a choice between affording the foreign made item and not affording the US made item.

I agree that often it is about "affording."  However, many times it is about stuff we don't need so much of anyway.  There are also enough of us with disposable income that we can afford to support our local economies and friends by paying for the benefits.  The key to this is that they actually produce a product that justifies this (there is made in the USA stuff that is just as bad as made in China, but there is also made in the USA that is far better and a far better value).

I think everyone needs to watch the Made in the USA segments on ABC and start shopping accordingly.  I have seen a couple of these, and they are eye opening!