Shop Local - Does NOT mean Wal-mart

          Recently I have spent most of my time blogging the benefits of buying American made products - today I am going to spend a little time on something that is just as important to your local communities - Shopping LOCAL.  When I use the term "shop local" I am not talking about running down to your local Wal-mart and do your shopping.  When I say "shop local" - I am talking about the individually owned shops around your town. How will this little bit of time and effort on your part benefit you and your community? - Well it starts by keeping more of your spending dollars in your immediate communities. More $$$ in town means more jobs in town right?
         With Mother's Day upon us - I am truly disturbed by all the 1-800 numbers being advertised all over the internet and the television to order good old mom her spring bouquet. - When a person picks up the phone or goes online to order their flowers - they are a middle man taking a cut of the money and having your local florist doing the work and getting paid less. Why not just call your local florist directly and get a custom arrangement unlike all the 1,000s of ones being ordered by a picture online.  Shouldn't your local florist get to know you and what your budget and tastes are like? Wouldn't it be nice to have  relationship with someone in town who is there for you for special occasions?
         I have always used a local florist - always.  When I had my children - they sent me a stuffed animal to say congrats - when Christmas came around I was surprised with a card and a poinsettia - when my husband passed - they were there to hold my hand and the flowers were as special as anything you could imagine.
       Knowing that hundreds of thousands of people out there are missing out on a relationship like that saddens me.
      The average consumer is lost when it comes to communicating their needs with these hard working individually owned businesses - they are used to buying chain store prewrapped gifts that they forget that they call call these locally owned shops and get better gifts and service for the same price. And the gift means more when it doesn't have a Wal-mart sticker on the shrink wrap.
        Beauty shops are especially good at putting together special gifts and most offer gift certificates - also keeping money in your community. Also tell your local beauty shop what hair spray you use - or how much you want to spend on beauty products and let them fill your needs instead of the big box chains that are sending you money out of town.  These people will accomidate your needs - they want to - and your local community will thrive. 
      So to sum it up - using your local businesses - keeps money in your community, creates new jobs, better customer service, spices things up with unique products and added diversity, keeps character downtown with local storefronts, and the most valuable thing that cannot be bought - YOU will be bringing you community closer together as well as making friends that you can invite to your annual Christmas party - instead of emailing thanks yous to all those online stores.  
       By the way - when is the last time you got a invitation to a get together from Wal-mart or 1-800-Flowers?  I must have missed mine - (never)

Spelled Out Again in Black and White

Someone else thinks like me !!!  I am not alone!!!!

Did y’all see  Diane Sawyer's special report. They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family's home that were not made in the USA .   There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they are going to show truckloads of items - USA made - being brought in to replace everything and will be talking about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..   It was interesting that Diane said that if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like 200,000 new jobs! I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID 'FROM CHINA ’ FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN 'FROM CHINA ' I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE SINCE IT'S FROM CALIF. Are we Americans as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think while the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets? 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA !! Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.   The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own. THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!! Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on May 1st and continue it until June 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it. Remember, May 1 thru June 1!!!!!! START NOW. Send this to everybody you know. Let's show them that we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted. If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET! Pass it on, America .

An American Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep... one less terrorist this world does keep. With all my heart I give my thanks... to those in uniform regardless of ranks... You serve our country and serve it well... with humble hearts your stories tell... So as I rest my weary eyes...while freedom rings our flag still flies... you give your all, do what you must...with God we live and in God we trust.... Amen!!
Author Unknown

What THEY Want You to Believe

       I know that I have been focusing most of my blogs about manufacturing jobs being lost to overseas, but people need to understand it's no longer only manufacturing jobs that are moving overseas. Technology today has made it easier for most all  types of jobs to be located almost anywhere. This means that  thousands of software development and call-center jobs that used to be located in the USA  have outsourced their business overseas. So our service based economy is suffering and beginning to collapse.                                  Many economists would have us believe that globalization benefits Americans by lowering prices on goods and services.  You can pretty much get an everyday low price on anything these days at your local super centers that make it impossible for the local small businesses to compete. The economists say that this allows these BIG businesses to use the money they save from outsourcing to create other higher-skilled, better-paying jobs in the United States. But if they are outsourcing the manufacturing and NOW outsourcing the service parts of their companies - HOW exactly are we benefiting again? ;In the same breath, they say, 'the countries gaining jobs benefit from stronger economic growth and greater stability'.  So isn't that the answer to our country's problems right now?
    If the answer to a stronger economy and more stability lies in having more jobs - manufacturing and service oriented alike - then why again do we allow things to get outsourced overseas?  If we have no jobs how are we going to buy all these discounted goods from overseas? If we had jobs - couldn't we just pay a few cents more for the American made products?  
     And why did we pass the Buy American Act if BIG companies get to apply for waivers and not follow it at all.  Obama said last year in Feb or May I believe that we had to increase our exports to balance the import/export trade - Why can't we just start making our own things here in the USA?
    The answer is so obvious - the security and economic health of our country depends on us demanding American made products - and our government needs to make it easier for this to happen. But we have got to do our part too - BUY American - from a local business - keep your money in your local community.
That was your Wednesday Rant
I have a plan - stay tuned!
Sincerely, Amanda Schalau

United We Stand, Divided We Fall - America Needs You

    I love my country and feel blessed to have been born here. After Bin Laden was killed we wittnessed how the whole country could come together and celebrate as one. We were united - all together. I was reminded of the days that followed 9/11 and how everyone was ready to defend eachother against these outside forces that threatened our way of life.  The sense of pride that we feel for our country, The United States of America, can be so overwhelming at times it can bring tears into the eyes of out most harden soldiers.
    The outside forces, that dared to threaten our way of life,  we relentlessly hunted for ten years - with no thought of how much it would cost or what sacrifices had to be made. It had to be done - to defend our Lady Liberty.
    Our beloved country and our precious way of life is being threathened again but now in a more subtle way. We are being torn apart, piece by piece and this time the government cannot send troops over to do our fighting for us.  We as Americans have got to recognize the real problem with the economy, we need to understand that with a weak economy there will be less troops to be called upon in our time of need. We have got to take charge of our lives again and bring wealth and jobs back to the United States. We have got to make a deliberate effort in our choices of all products offered to us and choose Made in America first.
  I have a dream that storefronts reopen, that schools will be able to pay teachers their worth, that all our children can afford to go to college. I have a dream that crime is reduced, home values go up and neighborhoods are revived. I have a dream that I can make all the American people - no matter what their political preference - understand the power that they possess when they stand united.
Spread the word - Love your country and it will love you back - Choose American Made
God Bless America
Amanda Schalau

My Most Important Message To Date

       Someone said to me - "Our country has it's up and downs, we will bounce back, we always do" and that got me to thinking.  Times are different now - people cannot really believe that this is a passing phase and everything will be fine in a couple of years after we get a new crop of politicians in office.
      If you look back at all the times when the USA was suffering from a failing economy - people have to see that we were a different country then - a different group of citizens with different skillsets.  The 1920's and 30's for instance - people farmed back then. When the economy  took a turn for the worse - people still could eat and survive. 
      Our country started out as an agricultural oriented country, then it moved to a manufacturing oriented country, and now we sit at being a service oriented country. And those service jobs are being outsourced overseas because it is cheaper to do business that way.
     America sits now with no real manufacturing base to fall back on. The reason behind that would be the trade deficit - put in plain terms - EVERYTIME WE IMPORT IN GOODS - WE EXPORT JOBS OUT.  We bring in alot more than we send out (unless you are talking about $$$).
     The way I see it is that either we as a people bond together and start buy American products only - or get ready to plow the fields because we middle and lower class citizens are on our way to growing our on personal food. The government will not be able to keep us all on food stamps and if they do not change the way they handle the import export trade - they may have a revolution on their hands.
    We have got to spread the word to everyone the importance of buying American made products before we fall so far back that we are unable to recover.
     Remember the average American is the one who counts and the ones making our choices have no idea what it is like to be an average American.  The policies that have been put into place make things harder to operate businesses in our own country - and have made it easier for foreign countries to get their goods in here at lower costs. 
      Unemployment to the ones making the laws is just a number - to the middle and lower class - it means whether or not the kids are going to eat,  it also means whether or not the other desperate unemployed citizens are going to turn to crime to survive.
    The only ones who can stop the downward spiral is us. We have to care about our futures and not be drawn in by lower priced foreign items and begin demanding all our necessities be met with American products.  They have made it to where I cannot survive in this world without being forced to use something that is made overseas or deal with an operator that is based in India.
That was your Tuesday morning rant - I think I am on day 14 - it's all running together now
I am still working hard on organizing this "movement" or "cause" or whatever you want to call it - It started as a summer project for Lauren - but it is taking a life of it's own.
Please keep up with this blog - follow us and be ready to take action with us. All we are asking is that you help draw the line and say NO to throwing away our country's wealth so that we can bring back the JOBS and support our own people first.

Always Sincere - Amanda Schalau
ALocalWay@aol.com

Short and to the Point - Common Sense Again

John Smith started the day early,
having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 am.
 
While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, 
he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG),
and put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA),  
designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and  
tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).  
 
After cooking his breakfast in his new
electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA),  
he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO),
to see how much he could spend today. 
 
After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN)  
to the radio (MADE IN INDIA),
he got in his car (MADE IN JAPAN),
filled it with GAS (from SAUDIA ARABIA)
to continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
 
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day  
checking his Computer (made in MALAYSIA),  
John decided to relax for a while.  
 
He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL),  
poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE)
and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), 
 
and then wondered why he can't find 
a good paying job in AMERICA.  

http://www.w3f.com/patriots/

Where is Our American Pride When it Counts?

     After the news of Bin Laden being killed last night and hearing of the location as to where they found him, I became even more frustrated with all the "deals" oyr government has made with foreign countries. We have given billions of dollars to Pakistan and they were harboring America's most wanted terrorist.  I understand the need to help less advantaged countries - but at this point in the game  America is becoming less advantaged. We cannot wait for Washington to fix these problems - we have to stand united - like they did last night as we all celebrated the passing of a cruel heartless killer that was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. WE all need to stand up for ourselves now and do the only thing possible to bring jobs back over here.
          It sickens me to think of how the money could have been put to better use.
The United States is also investing $100 million to expand access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses, and provide $50 million to support investments in innovation and technology projects. According to thsi news article - http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/19/clinton-unveils-major-aid-package-to-pakistan/  - it's because of things like this that I honestly think that the only way this country is going to pull itself back up is going to be on the backs of middle class Americans. We have to stop pointing the finger of blame at all these politicians and start taking care of ourselves.
  The only WAy to Help Your Local Community is :
1 Shop local - meaning shop at a locally owned business - seek out stores owned by individuals in your community
2 Buy only American made products - if demand for American made products go up - then there is a demand for American Manufacturing again
3. American manufacturing means more jobs here and less money going overseas
4. If there are more Americans employed then there is less stress on the welfare system, less crime, less depression
    Think about how every purchase you make - part of your money is going overseas and we are not getting it back. NO ONE is giving us aid and offering to rebuild our communities. We can't even get a break on gas prices. Our homes are worth less - our jobs are disappearing - our teachers are having to work extra jobs to make ends meet. It costs so much to go to college that if our children go they will be in debt with student loans for years to come. Our store fronts are closing down - we are all becoming walmart and amazon zombies -   Even the companies in the USA that are still making products here but owned by foreign investors are syphoning off Americas wealth in a less obvious way. 
     There is a plant closed down 60 miles from me because they cannot continue to work because the pieces they need to assemble all come from Japan - and NO ONE in the US makes it anymore - so hundreds are waiting to work until someone figures out that mess.  My point is that America needs to be able to stand on it's own - especially if the rest of the world continues to look to us for humanitarian reasons. 
     I realize I sound like a broken record at this point but I actually have a plan - and I intend to follow through with it and pray that it helps. The challenge once again is that this is a $0 campaign and I am doing all the work myself so it's going to be tough getting this ball rolling.
     How far can we get without big corporate dollars or support of any political or religious organization?  Can we get the American public to bond together like last night and do the economically healthy thing for our country?  Why has it gotten so difficult to try to do the right thing?  Why are there always people telling you that people do not care and that American products are junky?  Where is our American Pride when it counts?    
     As Always - another soap box rant by:  Amanda Schalau
Have a great day  and Thank you to our US Armed Forces - you are providing the freedom we need to make the choice to Buy Made in the USA - : )
   

Confused for now

So I started this blog about 11 or 12 days ago - and I never figured out exactly how to publish it or whatever - I am such a goof when it comes to computers and such. I have spent the last few hours trying to set up stuff that I do not understand - the obvious solution at this point is to go ask the teenagers how to do it.  I mean URL addresses and all that jazz - redirecting feeds and such - and then pings out the wahoo - All these different names of places that do it - then they want keywords?  and do you set it up everytime you post? Ugh  I just want to write and press one button - I am spreading a message - not trying to sell stuff so why would I need a backlink - right?  I picked a bad weekend to stop caffiene - any help out there would be appreciated - but also might confuse me - lol
As Always very Sincerely,
Amanda Schalau
Will be back on the job blogging when this is sorted out - : )

Live, Laugh and Learn for a Better Economy : )

As I start the new week - I realize that I my focus had been disrupted last week by opinions from others who pretty much just like to hear themselves speak. Or I admit I could have put myself in a bad position to get smacked around a bit because I have a terrible sense of humor. I can find humor in just about anything - and it does make life more bearable with all the injustice in the world today. But I do understand that some people out there take their convictions so seriously that my joking around really light a fire under them. God help them because I plan to be blogging all summer and I really don't know if I can control my tongue!;) Enough about me - the next few blogs will be about our cause and shopping local supporting local communities and trying to get the US economy back on track for our children. I am sure that politics will play a part in this, but I am more interested in people like me being educated about what they can do other than voting for the right guy and then sitting back in their lazy-boy waiting for things to get better. Our goal is to reach the people - even people who are not online reading blogs - and let's face it - people do not get online to read blogs like this - they get online to be entertained with clever quips or YouTube videos of cute animals . That reminds me - I need to find a cute animal for our cause - then maybe we will reach more people - or maybe I will film the kids on skateboards - someone is bound to get hurt and that always seems to be a big hit for followers - lol. That was a joke so no one needs to call social services on me. Have a great day - this week we will focus on what we can do to start helping now. Sincerely, Amanda Schalau - the average American living check to check like most everyone else