No "Import" Christmas

[Sgt. Pepper]

16 minutes ago, Pinch said:

Yikes.  Ugh.

That's how us Capitalist Americans roll.

Gotta be first to get the Taylor Swift action figure with Microphone, Football Player Boyfriend and Sparkly Pink Guitar as accessories. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[Ceptorman]

9 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

That's how us Capitalist Americans roll.

Gotta be first to get the Taylor Swift action figure with Microphone, Football Player Boyfriend and Sparkly Pink Guitar as accessories. 

Hey.....where have you seen this 😁

[Notes_Norton]

4 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I used to live in Puerto Rico

What part?

In the late 1980s, I gigged on cruise ships and went to San Juan PR once a week. It was our long port so I didn't have to get back on the ship unitl late.

I loved the Salsa music there, met a couple of local musicians, and had a great time.

Rented a car and went to El Yunque one day.

The mayor of Bayamón wanted to get re-elected, so he threw a street party with 12 of the top Salsa bands. One of our PR friends drove us there, and let us know how the best way to get a cab back.

I met a lot of nice people there, and they are part of the USA.

Did all 3 of the US Virgin Islands too.

Plus, I've been to all 50 US States.

I've also been abroad, but that's OT in this thread.

 

Notes ♫

[Pinch]

3 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

That's how us Capitalist Americans roll.

Gotta be first to get the Taylor Swift action figure with Microphone, Football Player Boyfriend and Sparkly Pink Guitar as accessories. 

It's not exclusive to the US, there are stupid people everywhere.

Here's what happens: a herd of people stampede in, every one of them thinking they'll get that great deal. Someone beats them to it. But they're there, so they buy a bunch of other crap they don't even really want.

I'm with you - Black Friday deals? I buy online or not at all.

[Ceptorman]

It's odd....Thanksgiving we give thanks for everything we have, then Friday we rush out throwing elbows to get more stuff.

[Murph]

I was at Rural King yesterday getting dog food and saw a whole slew of American Made socks.

Lincoln Outfitters Men's Merino Wool Blend Sock 2 Pack Charcoal - L2/8791-CHAR | Rural King

[RBSinTo]

16 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

It's odd....Thanksgiving we give thanks for everything we have, then Friday we rush out throwing elbows to get more stuff.

For which you can give thanks next year. 

It's Nature's way of keeping the Circle of Life rolling.

RBSinTo

[Notes_Norton]

In all my years on the planet, I've never-ever done the "Black Friday" thing. I also remember when the day didn't have that name, it was just a busy shopping day.

The idea of going out and competing with a herd of stampeding shoppers has never appealed to me. But then, I'm not much of a conformist anyway.

Mrs. Notes and I don't buy each other Christmas or Birthday presents. Anything we want and can afford, we just buy (thankfully we don't want much). Instead, we save our money and buy ourselves a vacation.

So far we've been to: All 50 US states, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix & St John (USVI), more than half the Canadian provinces, 7 Mexican states, Bahama Islands, Bermuda Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, England, Scotland, Wales, Gibraltar, The Netherlands, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Czech Republic, Austria, Australia, Russia, Japan, and China (From the Great Wall down to Hong Kong).

We were planning Madagascar when COVID hit. It's next on the list as soon as they have recovered from the last cyclone that hit.

To us, the experiences and the memories are more valuable than the jewelry, new cars, giant TVs, fashion items and other things that we do not have. Plus, nobody can steal them, and we possess them until either we die or go senile.

I don't suppose that's the best way for everyone, but it's the best way for us.

Regarding buying USA, I do that when I can, and I buy locally when I can, but value and quality go into the decision. IMO my USA made Parker Guitars were built better and with better materials than the Parker imports. I patronize local businesses because my band http://www.s-cats.com  is also a local business (do unto others). But my saxophone was made in Japan.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

 

[SteveFord]

My mail order Black Friday purchase showed up: 300 lighter flints in a little glass bottle, sent all the way from China!

My in store purchase was a can of Zippo fluid, the gas station was out of flints so Amazon, take my pennies and make me happy.

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 11/24/2023 at 2:46 PM, Notes_Norton said:

What part?

In the late 1980s, I gigged on cruise ships and went to San Juan PR once a week. It was our long port so I didn't have to get back on the ship unitl late.

I loved the Salsa music there, met a couple of local musicians, and had a great time.

Rented a car and went to El Yunque one day.

The mayor of Bayamón wanted to get re-elected, so he threw a street party with 12 of the top Salsa bands. One of our PR friends drove us there, and let us know how the best way to get a cab back.

I met a lot of nice people there, and they are part of the USA.

Did all 3 of the US Virgin Islands too.

Plus, I've been to all 50 US States.

I've also been abroad, but that's OT in this thread.

 

Notes ♫

I lived in Bayamon in base housing, and was stationed at the USCG Base in Viejo San Juan. I went to so many islands in the 2 years I lived there. Name one after a saint and I’ve probably been there, and back a time or two. I’ve been to Europe, and went to Spain, Gibraltar, and Switzerland. I was stationed in Japan, when I was in the Navy and I went to the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong under British rule, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. While in the Coast Guard on my other ship, I went to Japan twice Alaska, many times, Mexico, many times back to Puerto Rico,  the Grand Cayman Islands, St. Thomas, Key West more times I can count, and probably a couple places that slipped my mind. I was also on a troubleshooting and training team where our Op Area was the Gulf Coast, the East Coast, Caribbean, and the left half of the US. I was also stationed at the USCG Air Station Barbers Point on the island of Oahu. Been to Maui and the Big Isla. There were many times, when being in the military absolutely sucked, but traveling and going to cool places did not suck.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[badbluesplayer]

I bought a John Deere 235 lawn tractor this year.  Does that count?

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 11/24/2023 at 2:46 PM, Notes_Norton said:

What part?

In the late 1980s, I gigged on cruise ships and went to San Juan PR once a week. It was our long port so I didn't have to get back on the ship unitl late.

I loved the Salsa music there, met a couple of local musicians, and had a great time.

Rented a car and went to El Yunque one day.

The mayor of Bayamón wanted to get re-elected, so he threw a street party with 12 of the top Salsa bands. One of our PR friends drove us there, and let us know how the best way to get a cab back.

I met a lot of nice people there, and they are part of the USA.

Did all 3 of the US Virgin Islands too.

Plus, I've been to all 50 US States.

I've also been abroad, but that's OT in this thread.

 

Notes ♫

I saw El Grand Combo play for free one night up by Fort El Morro. Damn good. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

I bought a John Deere 235 lawn tractor this year.  Does that count?

Is it made in America and if so, yes?

[Murph]

12 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

I bought a John Deere 235 lawn tractor this year.  Does that count?

I've always wanted a 300 series, but have yet to drop the cash.

[SteveFord]

Doing worser, 2 Ben Wade tobacco pipes from Denmark.

Also looking at another motorcycle from England.

Gotta make sure Santa gets what I want.

[badbluesplayer]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:20 AM, Murph said:

I've always wanted a 300 series, but have yet to drop the cash.

I almost bought a 4044 this year.  A real tractor.

[badbluesplayer]

I always liked this one -

 

[Notes_Norton]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:09 AM, Sgt. Pepper said:

I saw El Grand Combo play for free one night up by Fort El Morro. Damn good. 

We pulled in to San Juan weekly for 8 months. I met a few P.R. Musicians, and I learned a lot about salsa music, and traded pointers about North American music. San Juan was my favorite port in the Caribbean, at least from the ships I gigged on. It was a long port, didn't have to get back on the ship soon, and being a big city, there was something to do every week that wasn't a repeat of the week before.

Notes ♫

[Sgt. Pepper]

30 minutes ago, Notes_Norton said:

We pulled in to San Juan weekly for 8 months. I met a few P.R. Musicians, and I learned a lot about salsa music, and traded pointers about North American music. San Juan was my favorite port in the Caribbean, at least from the ships I gigged on. It was a long port, didn't have to get back on the ship soon, and being a big city, there was something to do every week that wasn't a repeat of the week before.

Notes ♫

I'd rather go to Tortola, St. Maarten, or Barbados. I ate a Flying Fish sandwich in Barbados. Damn good. I was only on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, and not the French side. Drank many a Pain Killer at Pusser's in Tortola. 

PR is fun. I went all over the Isla when I lived there. One thing though is its pretty law-less. I went to El Yunque once or twice. We used to go to Ponce a lot.  There was a place in Santurce called Cafe Diez Y Ocho that had killer Cuban sandwich's and killer Arroz Y Habichuela's. Down in Viejo San Juan there was a food truck the used to sell Tripleta sandwich's, and were they killer.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[merciful-evans]

 

Great English stuff: Blue Stilton, Fylde guitars, Hawk picks, Christies Hats, Eccles cakes. 

I could not enjoy life fully on home products though. Camps Guitars. Rioja, Oloroso, Manchego and Hojiblanca olives are pretty much essential; and that's just the Spanish stuff. 

[Murph]

16 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

I could not enjoy life fully on home products though. 

Nor could I. I like Swiss Army Knives and Apple electronics and German sausage.

I'm just doing it this Christmas as a challenge and to support local and American workers.

It's been fun, I'm about done.

[PrairieDog]

39 minutes ago, Murph said:

Nor could I. I like Swiss Army Knives and Apple electronics and German sausage.

I'm just doing it this Christmas as a challenge and to support local and American workers.

It's been fun, I'm about done.

I think the rule is, it’s fair game if it’s something that never was or would be made in the US.   If they started making Reber grown-up confections here, I’d be on it, but Germany it is (at least through a US retailer).   

[NighthawkChris]

I’d like to think that a vast majority of electronics are made with semiconductors that are fabricated overseas. Sort of like how American are vehicles that use - and they all do - parts overseas? A lot of overseas corporations here in MI that work on building electronic modules for the Big 3… Maybe Americans put this stuff together, but couldn’t do it without international support apparently to make the stuff line workers assemble. Just curious on others’ thoughts in this regard. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

15 minutes ago, NighthawkChris said:

I’d like to think that a vast majority of electronics are made with semiconductors that are fabricated overseas. Sort of like how American are vehicles that use - and they all do - parts overseas? A lot of overseas corporations here in MI that work on building electronic modules for the Big 3… Maybe Americans put this stuff together, but couldn’t do it without international support apparently to make the stuff line workers assemble. Just curious on others’ thoughts in this regard. 

I brought that up earlier with guitars. I said how much of your guitar has stuff on it made overseas (or grown), but yeah a guy,  girl, he, she, it , they, them assembled it in the USA, so there is the loop hole that its American Made. Now two people are saying in and not the the JERK me.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[PrairieDog]

Well, I think that is the point of the discussion… building semiconductors and car parts *used* to be American jobs, as well as mining and milling the materials to supply all the manufacturing.  Look to the rust belt and mine country for the economic impact from moving those operations overseas.   

Prompted by this thread, curious, I went and reviewed the rules for a “Made in USA” labels. Except for textiles, where the yarns/fabric can be foreign origin as long as they are finished here, they are pretty strict about what counts as a Made in US product.  That is why your truck sticker says “assembled in Indiana with parts from XYZ.” They can’t use the Made In label unless the product is created from substantially US materials/parts and manufacture.