No "Import" Christmas

[Guest]

13 hours ago, manse said:

Hi there - as the UK - including Scotland, left the EU years ago, I can't see the link between tariffs on scotch and EU subsidies?  The EU hates us now!

 

 

Agreed. at risk of getting political, this is nonsense. Not only is the UK (incl Scotland) not in the EU, but after Brexit we approached the US asking for a trade deal. The US told us where to go because they didn't want to upset the rest of the EU.  What we import from the USA has nearly doubled since we became free to trade with whoever we like. We hope you guys will return the favour one day with a trade deal. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

8 hours ago, PrairieDog said:

So, I confess I can’t drink/swallow Scotch.  I know. But it is what it is. I’ve tried just about every attainable high end because I “wanna be one of the gang.” But turpentine and burnt rubber just doesn’t grab my palate, lol.  

However, years ago in my search I came across something called  Macallan Amber: a special edition maple/pecan infused Scotch liqueur (not to be confused with the 1824 version)  Okay, now that I can drink!  At least it looked kinda like whiskey in the glass, if you ignore the syrupy element flowing down the sides. 

Me like many here are old enough to remember when Scotch was flavored like Scotch, and not bubble gum and fruit flavors.

[Murph]

43 minutes ago, Farnsbarns said:

 We hope you guys will return the favour one day with a trade deal. 

I'd give you a great trade deal. The best trade deal ever in history.

Vote for Murph!

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Murph said:

I'd give you a great trade deal. The best trade deal ever in history.

Vote for Murph!

Aww, thanks! Would it be biggly the best ever in history, covfefe? 

[PrairieDog]

1 hour ago, Farnsbarns said:

"burnt rubber" sounds like you've been drinking peated scotches (lowland/islay). Try what's generally called a highland scotch. No peat smoking of the malt, no smoke/burnt flavour. (Not me thing, I like medium peated whisky myself).

Laphraoig  is too much for me, but a Talisker level of smoke is nice. 

I had a fantastic bottle of  Yoichi Japanese single malt "scotch" for my birthday this year (a bit spendy, but my mother was in Japan so not quite as much). 

 

3 hours ago, IanHenry said:

All Single Malt Scotch whiskies are very different from the next one (note, that's Whisky, not Whiskey, that's Irish) for example Islay Whisky is very peaty and I avoid that like the plague.

The best way to drink it is with a little drop of water, or as I prefer, with an ice cube but leave it to melt into the Whisky. 

 

Thanks for the coaching, but really not needed.  I used to work in a liquor store, and all my friends partake. I promise I’ve been tutored by/with the best.  I’ve tried all the brown stuff: Scotch, Whisky, Whiskey, Bourbon, Bourbon Whiskey, peated/unpeated, NAS, aged, more aged, buy a house with aged, singles, blends, room temp, cold, neat, ice, water, holding my nose, even in cocktails. Nope nope nope nope. Tannins are just not my friends.  (Can’t stand oaked wines either.) Anyway, not really the point of my story, but it’s all good, I can keep up with my bottles of Patrón, and Mount Gay.  

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, PrairieDog said:

 

Thanks for the coaching, but really not needed.  I used to work in a liquor store, and all my friends partake. I promise I’ve been tutored by/with the best.  I’ve tried all the brown stuff: Scotch, Whisky, Whiskey, Bourbon, Bourbon Whiskey, peated/unpeated, NAS, aged, more aged, buy a house with aged, singles, blends, room temp, cold, neat, ice, water, holding my nose, even in cocktails. Nope nope nope nope. Tannins are just not my friends.  (Can’t stand oaked wines either.) Anyway, not really the point of my story, but it’s all good, I can keep up with my bottles of Patrón, and Mount Gay.  

Ah, so it's not scotch you don't like, or the "burnt rubber" but whisky in general. That's cool, more for me!

Edited November 21, 2023 by Farnsbarns

[PrairieDog]

3 minutes ago, Farnsbarns said:

Ah, so it's not scotch you don't like, or the "burnt rubber" but whisky in general. That's cool, more for me!

I’m nothing if not generous.  Always happy to oblige 😆 A result of my search, friends were always more than delighted to come over and help me with the overstocked Scotch/bourbon section of the liquor cabinet.  They got to partake of some pretty nice bottles. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by PrairieDog

[jvi]

Scotch is wiskey made in Scotland....thats all

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by jvi
content re-word

[Sgt. Pepper]

22 minutes ago, jvi said:

Scotch is wiskey made in Scotland....thats all

 

I come here to learn stuff too. Scotch is made in Scotland, but it doesn't taste like the whiskey your country makes, or my country makes called bourbon, or the whiskey Ireland  makes. 

[IanHenry]

42 minutes ago, PrairieDog said:

 

Thanks for the coaching, but really not needed.  I used to work in a liquor store, and all my friends partake. I promise I’ve been tutored by/with the best.  I’ve tried all the brown stuff: Scotch, Whisky, Whiskey, Bourbon, Bourbon Whiskey, peated/unpeated, NAS, aged, more aged, buy a house with aged, singles, blends, room temp, cold, neat, ice, water, holding my nose, even in cocktails. Nope nope nope nope. Tannins are just not my friends.  (Can’t stand oaked wines either.) Anyway, not really the point of my story, but it’s all good, I can keep up with my bottles of Patrón, and Mount Gay.  

Oh, sorry to hear that Prairie, sadly it looks like there's no hope for you🙂 

[Notes_Norton]

I have two priorities when I buy something, if possible

• USA Made
• From a small business instead of a huge corporation

Of course, sometimes you don't have the choice. There are no good saxophones made in the USA anymore, and no Mom&Pop music stors around here that carry saxophones at all.

 

[Retired]

10 hours ago, Murph said:

Round House jeans are 100% American. Mesa amps used to be mostly American, not sure now. We have farmers markets and local butcher/food sources around here. 

We went to Cabbalas and I found USA made leather cowboy Boots. Yeah!  So We bought them. 

[IanHenry]

I think a lot of the manufacturing done in China may be in for a major upheaval in the not-too-distant future, it seems their "Tiger economy" has fallen off the edge of a cliff.

I can't see that manufacturing returning to Western nations though because basically, we are too expensive but most nations price themselves out of the market eventually, I can remember when Japanese products were referred to as Jap crap here in the UK, not so now. 

[gearbasher]

My father (who served during WWII) had two sisters that married servicemen who also served during WWII. These two women (my aunts, of course) refused to buy anything made in Japan or Germany for their entire lives.

[Murph]

1 hour ago, gearbasher said:

My father (who served during WWII) had two sisters that married servicemen who also served during WWII. These two women (my aunts, of course) refused to buy anything made in Japan or Germany for their entire lives.

Priorities. 

[PrairieDog]

4 hours ago, IanHenry said:

I think a lot of the manufacturing done in China may be in for a major upheaval in the not-too-distant future, it seems their "Tiger economy" has fallen off the edge of a cliff.

I can't see that manufacturing returning to Western nations though because basically, we are too expensive but most nations price themselves out of the market eventually, I can remember when Japanese products were referred to as Jap crap here in the UK, not so now. 

Or we all could come to grips with what something ‘should’ cost, and how much do we really need?  

If Americans got over the wasteful churn of cheap, closet stuffing, “fast fashion,” and discarding  usable products just because a newer version comes out, it would go a long way to solving both the import and climate problems. How many shirts can we really wear at a time?  

We could put the Rust Belt and American manufacturing back to work making quality items, if folks just sucked it up and wore their clothes/used their stuff until it actually needed to be replaced, not every 6 months when some CEO decides to change the style.    

Sure, there’d be sticker shock buying new at the price of a living wage. Still, shelling out 30 bucks on a tee shirt that can hold up for a few years, is the same or cheaper than spending 10 bucks every year for the new color.  

I figure folks who curate vintage guitars, still sporting their Eric Clapton tees, get it, chuckle. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by PrairieDog

[fortyearspickn]

My mother lost her only brother in Saipan.  Would never, ever buy anything made in Japan.  As noted earlier, Japan's earliest products here were 'crap'.  Became a cliche.  But, we helped them turn their country around -  and now they are an ally.  And manufacture quality goods.  Cars that make Detroit blush. 

[Ceptorman]

We created our current mess ourselves. The average American worker is 50 lbs overweight, has a bad attitude, thinks the company owes him something. He makes $20 an hour, but cost his company $30 an hour. It's pretty sad that the company can ship their stuff across the globe and back, and still save a bunch. 

[ksdaddy]

It's snowing out at the moment. Supposed to get a few inches, I don't know.... it changes every half hour so I don't pay attention. Someone posted on a local FB group that my city is going to have a crappy time with the roads this winter. We have four plow drivers where we should have ten. Apparently the city doesn't pay much and many of the city employees have gone elsewhere. In the not too distant past, people would be getting into fistfights in the parking lot, racing to apply for a steady job. Not anymore. Replies to the FB post were predictable, people either wanting to know what the job paid before they would even consider applying or people pointing out that the city doesn't pay well. 

I see many help wanted signs. In the 70s 80s 90s I don't think I ever saw one. Anywhere. Didn't NEED to put the sign out. 

I spent a couple years cleaning offices in the 90s. I was supposed to be a Supported Employment Specialist, helping people with mental health issues get back into the workplace (or get into the workplace for the first time!). We rarely had participants because the system rewarded them more for sitting home collecting a check. But the offices needed to be cleaned, so guess who did it? People used to place a penny under their desk to see if I had vacuumed. If someone's telephone had dust on it, I got a lecture. If one of the restrooms ran out of TP, that was my fault because six rolls apparently wasn't enough to go two days. By contrast, in 2023 the cleaning lady leaves us nasty notes if there's too much trash. Who's working for who?

As to buying American, good luck. I did pay $250 for an L.C. King denim barn coat last year and I don't regret it. But that is so insignificant in the rest of the year's purchases.

I don't hear the car makers saying anything about buying American anymore. My wife's Bronco was made in Mexico.  Every time I buy a part for my Impala, it is marked "made in China" regardless if I buy it at the local parts store, Rock Auto, or the Chevy dealer. Makes no difference.

As to buying local in general, I do try. And a good percentage of the time they don't have something in stock and say "I can order that for you". I say, "I can do that myself".

As to guitar stuff.... I gave up on Fender telling the truth about anything a LONG time ago. "On the XYZ models, we carve the bodies out in the US, then they are sent to Mexico to be sanded, then back across the border to be spray painted, but then back to Mexico to be buffed, then they are assembled in the US, except the ABC models, which is exactly the opposite. Subject to change without notice. "  Gibson and Martin at least have labels that hopefully speak the truth.  But I bet in my lifetime I will see both Gibson and Martin's daily production move to China, leaving only a 'custom shop' of sorts in the US.

[IanHenry]

6 hours ago, gearbasher said:

My father (who served during WWII) had two sisters that married servicemen who also served during WWII. These two women (my aunts, of course) refused to buy anything made in Japan or Germany for their entire lives.

Yes, but people had principles in those days

[SteveFord]

1 hour ago, ksdaddy said:

But I bet in my lifetime I will see both Gibson and Martin's daily production move to China, leaving only a 'custom shop' of sorts in the US.

I can't see that happening, their sales would tank.

Buck Knives moved part of their production to China, people threw a fit and only have the cheapies made off-shore these days.  Gibson already has Epiphone, Martin has their Made In Mexico beaters.

[Sgt. Pepper]

32 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

I can't see that happening, their sales would tank.

Buck Knives moved part of their production to China, people threw a fit and only have the cheapies made off-shore these days.  Gibson already has Epiphone, Martin has their Made In Mexico beaters.

The day Murph watches CNN is the day Gibson goes to China. 

[NighthawkChris]

Like our corporations, I’m gonna always buy the best value for my buck. Hasn’t done them wrong, hasn’t done me wrong. Then again I invested in my education and make a good salary so I don’t see how it affects me to buy strictly American stuff let alone go out of my way to do so. I used my head and applied myself though. Paid for every cent of my education too. I own my home, my cars, etc. paid for these too - every red cent. The boogey man isn’t the far East… you think these people live good over there? Spoiler alert, NO

[Ceptorman]

The largest guitar factory is in China, and they produce 100k guitars a day! That's incredible even if most of them are junk.

[PrairieDog]

2 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

you think these people live good over there? Spoiler alert, NO

That is why I try my best to not engage in the exploitive offshore economy. I don’t feel I’m entitled to a good deal at the expense of slave labor wages, if not actual slaves, and working kids.  When I walk through the pet store, I often wonder what the third world thinks of us as they spend 12 hours of their day churning out bumble bee costumes for our dogs, chuckle.