America Can Survive and Thrive

    Our country is at a crossroads - our decisions in the next few months could affect the outcome of our economic strength for decades. The answers being presented around the Internet are time consuming, inconvenient and quite frankly ineffective. The efforts are there - people do care and that is what I have been looking for. It has presented to me that America is without hope - doomed to an economic depression beyond all imagination. There will be riots in the streets and starving children. All this because Americans are selfish and lazy. They no longer have the spirit or drive to take action. They have become a mass of followers and prefer to point their fingers and whine. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS.
  Our country was founded by our forefathers setting aside their differences and working for a common good. They carried in their hearts an unwavering sense of patriotism, compassion and brotherhood. They established a foundation for freedom and equality like no other country had ever had before on earth. This fire burns in the hearts of all Americans - it is witnessed when a threat to our country fans the embers and reignites the flames of passion that Americans feel for their country.  We are a country that does not give up - we fight for what is right - we are strong.
  Our attentions are being diverted from real issues that will make a difference in our lives - as the donkeys and elephants continue to trample on democracy in Washington  - we are watching and waiting for an outcome that will make little difference to us if we cannot change the public mindset of social and fiscal responsibility.  The power of the government is only as strong as the people it represents.  We define the government by our actions (not our words) They do not define us. We cannot wait until we are pushed to the brink of desperation before we take action. We cannot allow our situations to worsen while we wait on the red tape in Washington to unravel. The results of our combined actions will be bigger than any legislation passed in congress.  I am talking about the effect it will have on our everyday lives - long term change - for the people - by the people. 
  Think this doesn't apply to you - think again.  You may not be headed for unemployment or welfare but inflation will soon start eating into your stock pile of cash.  If the government can't pay for our military - are you really going to feel that safe living in a country that cannot defend itself from terrorists?  "United We Stand Divided We Fall" means a lot more than people realize.
   Our country needs a renewed sense of hope and pride - we need a united productive direction to prove that we are still cut from the same moral fiber as the great patriots that founded this great country of ours.  Our forefathers were asked to lay down their lives in the name of liberty and freedom and they did this without hesitation. What we can do for our country does not come with such a steep price but is just as important. Do not allow Lady Liberty to stumble and fall on our watch - let's prove that our generation of Americans can be as strong as the great generations of Americans before us.
Shop Local - Buy American - support your neighborhoods - quit listening to the negative banter about a dying cause - know where your money goes and keep it local if not in the country. Quit being a zombies and stay out of Walmart (70% Chinese products)  Start your Christmas shopping now and go to local vendors to fill your orders - Do you realize the run off of American dollars at Christmas time - never to return - Is it possible to have an "American Made" Christmas? Our country cannot survive the flow of money out anymore - what is more important - that silly piece of plastic for little Susie - or a country for her to grow up in.
We take our country back - We are REAL people with REAL values and our children are not spoiled brats that have to have these chinese toys - we can live without the junk until an American company comes along and makes it for us to buy from our local vendor - the % of $ that stays in your community will amaze you if you all get onboard.
I will be putting out the community plans to get started soon - all this is free - I do not get paid - it comes from my heart and what I feel for my country and my community and my family. It is what we are all supposed to do for mankind - help without expectation of payment. There will also be ways for you to get involved by forwarding ideas to local businesses - and how you can start to modify your spending habits in small ways that will make a difference.  I am here to answer questions - solve problems - and lend a hand. Everything that will be put forth in this "plan" has been thought out and easily adaptable to the busy working class American lifestyle. Ease and convenience are key to getting this to work and online ordering is good from some things, but not the answer to everything.  I am getting all the info a patriot needs into one spot - and this is information that will change your communities - for free - I will not be selling anything.
Get ready for our country to move towards recovery - we will survive and thrive!
God Bless America
Average American
Amanda Schalau
If you are interested in helping save the American Economy - please spread

Beer and Hair - How It Begins

   Beer - Before the first European stepped foot onto this great country of ours, the Native American Indians were brewing up batches of beer made from what the land had to offer - corn, water, birch sap, as well as a variety of other things. As the early colonials began to populate the land, different styles of brewing developed and beer quickly became a mainstay in the American diet as opposed to wine like in many other countries. By the time prohibition came along there were thousands of microbreweries spread across the land offering up different styles and taste as varied as the location and craftsmen they were coming from. It was an art form as well as an inexpensive refreshing treat for the working class.  You could tell where you were by the beer in your mug.    When the 18th amendment outlawed the production, consumption and sale of beer, thousands of these micro breweries closed their doors and part of our American culture was lost forever. When prohibition ended 13 years later, the larger breweries bounced back and they are responsible for the production of the majority of the beer produced in America today.
   Prohibition brought with it organized crime, prisons filled to capacity, unemployment, and a loss of legitimate taxes. All this because the government wanted to legsilate our morality. So the government made a mistake - how does this affect you now? It has been almost 100 years and we are still feeling the ripple of prohibition. 
   We lost thousands of small businesses that shaped our country and those businesses were replaced by the larger beer companies that mass produce a lower quality product. Most of these large beer companies are not even American owned - yes they are still produced in America and provide jobs for Americans - however - the bottom line is where is the money going at the end of the day - the money is being tapped out of our economy like beer from a keg.
   As I looked at the history of beer and saw how far it had come through the years, I did note that one of the only good things that came out of the self indulgent 1980's was an interest in micro brewed beer again. Those microbreweries have grown and now offer us a choice between the 100% American beer or the "We make it here" beer that is so widely consumed today.
   And of course - as I pondered the 1980's, I thought back to my preteen years and how I was determined to have the biggest perm in school. This had me thinking of the beauty salon and how the beauty shop and barber shop employees were truly our first form of social media. I am sure that any beauty salon worth it's weight could spread any news quicker thn facebook and twitter combined.
  So my goal today was to start a discussion at the beauty shop about buying a 100% American beer instead of the regular cans of blah.  We decided that if enough people started buying the 100% American beer that it would be good for the economy as well as for a spice of flavor in our lives - but would the husbands go for this - hmmmmm. That is a whole different question - is their patriotism stronger than their desire for the mundane and bland cans of comfort they have clung to since their teenage years? Do they even realize that part of their hard earned American cash is heading overseas with every ice cold sip? Would they be willing to and be proud to sport an ice chest full of American pride to this weekend's ballgame?
We will cross our fingers and hope - God Bless America
Sincerely,
Amanda Schalau
Average American  ;-)

Have Big Business & the Government Turned it's Back on Us?

   I grow tired of the red tape and the excuses that are being presented to me about why "Buy American" cannot and should not work. The truth of the matter is that people who say it should not be done are the big businesses that have found a less expensive and more efficient way to operate. Yes these companies have sold out their fellow Americans for a few bucks. They decided that the bottom line was more important - what they have failed to realize is that their customer base is going broke. They start peddling their services and products overseas and then they are okay again but we are left holding nothing but a pink slip. These companies that have supported American familes for years - that built their wealth off of our population have turned their backs on us. - and why?  Because the USA government imposes stricter labor laws and environmental standards than the third world countries do.
  What does this mean to you - do you think you matter to that big business or to any of those political parties now? You don't - The political parties are going to follow the money trail - the businesses just threw you away.  The political parties are going to cater to big business to keep their bankroll.
  The only thing you have left is your fellow Americans left out to fend for themselves. All is not lost - we can band together and take back our country with simply beginning to buy American made products - demand that is the way it has to be = teach your children - or the greed that has consumed our leaders will rear it's ugly head for generations to come
  We are becoming a nation of very rich and very poor - there will be no middle class - I refuse to watch this happen to my great country when all we have to do is buy American.
Think about it - let's take America back. One purchase at a time.
Amanda Schalau
Average American

We Need A Hero!

    This past weekend I decided to see The Pirates of the Caribbean - for some odd reason I, like the rest of the world, am fascinated by Captain Jack - even though he is a vulgar drunk that looks like he would stink if you were too close to him. I was raised in Louisiana so I guess I am not offended by this because I have been to Mardi Gras several times. As the previews began to play, I took note of the types of movies that were headed my way this summer. The list included "Hung Over 2", "X-Men", "Super 8", "The Green Lantern", "Mr. Popper's Penguins", "Transformers", The Zookeeper", Captain America", "Harry Potter", and "Cowboys And Aliens".
    The audience sat with looks of anticipation on the edge of their seats, absorbing the previews and was delighted with what Hollywood had to offer them over the next few months. I, on the other hand, looked at this in a different way. What I saw was a line up of fantasy films spotted with a few comedies.  It was a reflection of the times that we are in.  When the economy is on the downside, Hollywood knows that America wants to escape from the reality of life. They know we are looking for fantastical heroes that will save the Earth and make everything alright. We long for those wonderful characters that always prove that good prevails over evil.
  It was that way in the 1970's with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg giving us "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" when there were issues with oil and gas prices. In 2008 there was a summer of "The Hulk",  "Iron Man" and a Batman movie - all there to deter attention from the recession. And now we face another summer of fantasy flicks to help ease our minds of the economy and the national deficit.
   Seeing the way that  Hollywood and  Americans handle their entertainment choices in these hard times it is no wonder that it is easy for the country as a whole to turn a blind eye to the problems our nation is facing.  Distracting ourselves with fantasies and not facing the realities is allowing politicians and big businesses to make decisions for us and to go unchecked. Believing that good always trumps evil has enabled these people in power to make terrible decisions on our behalf because we believed they would use these powers given to them responsibly.
  It is so common to hear people complain about the state of things in the economy - but then turn back to their daily lives and do nothing. They wait for someone else to take action for them and save the world from a terrible injustice - just like in the movies - they are waiting for their Super Hero to come along and save the day.

But wait - what's that?!?
It's faster than a spending politician!
More powerful when you buy locally!
Able to leap tall piles of imported products in a single bound!
Look up into the sky!
It's Jobs!   It's Opportunity!

It's Captain Buy American!

 Sincerely - Amanda Schalau
Average American!