My rant...MADE IN CHINA

Well, we don't really advertise our blog, so i'm not really expecting a big response on this questionnaire, but i thought i'd post it anyway.

I have been concerned lately about all the "Made in China" items that I find around me. I go to the store, and most of what I buy says "Made in China". Why would this concern me? Simple....this is not a country to underestimate...nor fool yourself that they have our best interests in mind.

While there are a lot of great reasons to buy "Made in China", well...I guess there is only one. It is cheap. How can people so easily forget/forgive China for sending us things like the drywall that is eating people's houses. Tens of thousands of houses are becoming worthless because of this junk that they send us. Remember during the last five years all the lead painted toys? Don't think for a minute that these aren't still being sent over. Cadmium is the latest gem coming over in the form of children's jewelery. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34807662/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

I work for a company that manufactures things. We get some of our raw materials from China and it is absolutely necessary that we do 100% testing on each and every lot that comes over. Why? Well, it may contain hazardous chemicals, may not be what they tell us it is, may contain poisons, insects or any other number of issues that the American public chooses to forget about.

The issue isn't even so much that Chinese products contain all these things, it's that they KNOW about it and they try to pull the wool over our eyes. Don't fool yourself, this is not an accident.

Don't forget about the Chinese Malamine Milk scandal. For anyone who has forgotten, this is where the Chinese watered down their milk to make it go further (substantial watering down), and to cover it up, added the chemical Malamine, which is the toxic ingredient in RADIATOR COOLANT for your car. They did this because malamine gives a false positive for the protein marker that milk is tested for. Basically, it fools the test that is being used to identify the milk as milk. Without this chemical, the watered down milk would have been discovered by importers long before it was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal

Funny thing is...Americans have a long memory for certain things. Many are still convinced that American cars are junk...and the Japanese are FAR superior. That's fine, as far as i'm concerned domestic companies may have products comparable to the asian counterparts, but they're still paying the price for letting us down.

Problem is, other companies/countries products aren't being held to the same disdain as we have for our domestic auto industry...and please keep in mind that GM NEVER tainted your children's milk with POISON. FORD never put led in your childrens toys.

It really is time that we take a stand against this kind of behavior. There are countless examples of what is happening here, but we choose to close our eyes, and shut our ears so we don't hear it. It may be poison, but at least it's cheap right?

If intentionally poisoning the American public isn't enough reason to avoid MADE IN CHINA how about the political scene? We have a country who is famous for their human rights abuses, near slave labor and history of politically stabbing America in the back. Look at how often they've supported us with Iran, Iraq, N. Korea. China is the country who is constantly vetoing the UN mandates for action. They talk friends when we are buying their junk, yet the second our back is turned we have a knife lodged in our spine.

They sell weapons to N. Korea, and then gripe when we send some weapons to Hong Kong.

This is a country who cares NOTHING about ANYTHING except their self interests. It is impossible for any company to setup shop in CHINA unless China owns 51%. They won't buy products from abroad (with few exceptions), unless the bulk of the item is made in China. The second we have issue with Chinese tires blowing up causing cars to crash and put a tariff on them, then China freaks out and tells us we are being uncompetitive! US!

PUUULLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!!!!

So for all these reasons, and many i have not discussed (not enough time), we have decided to do our own "Made in China" Boycott. I would like to invite everyone to consider this action. It certainly isn't easy, but surprisingly it isn't necessarily that much more expensive. If you make an effort to check the tag and pick up a competing brand...you'd be surprised that a few cents mark the difference between made in China, and made in the USA. I'm not even saying you need to be all patriotic and buy only USA products. Get made in Germany, Africa, S America, for all I care. But it is time that we take a stand as our leaders seem completely gutless to do so.

It is time we buy products from our Allies, not those who poison us. Those who like us, not despise us. We each have our lives to live, and probably don't have time or money to make a huge political statement. But sometimes in our own way we can make a financial statement.

Besides, even if you save a few pennies buying chinese products, keep in mind that every time you do, you support those who outsource. "Why not outsource, it's cheaper?" you say. Well, you may not have been in the tool making industry, but that chineese screwdriver (aside from being junk) also was one screwdriver that wasn't made in an American company...one of many more happening every day. What about that man who lost his job because you wanted to save 40 cents...and opted to buy a screwdriver that would round off screw-heads instead of his much higher quality unit? YOU may not be in that industry, but someone else was, and they took pride in their work.

Sure 40 cents here and there can add up...but so what? So you end up with only 20 shirts instead of 21 for the same cost? Is that the end of the world? Do we really need MORE stuff in our lives? more to fill our closets, more to poison our children with? Remember, just because your work hasn't been outsourced yet, doesn't mean it can't/won't. Next time it COULD be your job. When that happens remember that we could have prevented this. When our nation is so indebted to China that we need to beg for more time to pay them off.....remember, this could have been prevented.

Simple fact is, America NEEDS a manufacturing base to survive. We buy so much junk from abroad that we NEED something to produce to sell ourselves. We can't all be middle managers at a financial company can we? Someone has got to make the things we use on a daily basis. If not there will be fewer and fewer jobs. Once that skill and infrastructure is gone, it will be nearly impossible to get it back. Don't fool yourself, this is not something to take lightly.

So, join us if you will in a boycott against China. If you don't...it's a free country, but regardless of what you decide, keep your ears open and listen to what is happening. It may make you change your mind.

Lasik Countdown

Hello, all!

I currently am wearing glasses, and have done so for the past 6 days. Let me tell you, it wreaks havoc on my self-esteem. :) I don't know what it is, but I hate how I look in glasses. I also hate how they feel on my face, and the headaches that come along with them.

HOWEVER, all that will change oh-so-soon... We've decided that it's a good idea for me to have Lasik, and I've set up an appointment for February 1st. Yippee! For those of you who are highly interested (me), that's only 19 days away! That is, three times as long as I have currently been wearing glasses. :) I am excited, though. I have two eye appointments before then, to make sure I'm a "candidate." One is one the 18th, one is on the 29th. Hopefully they will give me the go-ahead because I am thinking this is a great idea!

Of course, I'm also terrified. :) Anyone who has done it tells me it's the best thing and that I will love it and that it's worth every penny, etc. I BELIEVE all of you out there--really, I do! I just have this fear that the doctor is going to blind me, or make me see stars all the time, or something like that. I know it's not likely--just have that fear.

But I'm working through it. :) I will definitely keep you posted!

Christmas, already?

Well, it is here. This was the first time i noticed Becca's post that said she hopes to get done with the rental asap..and i'm sad to disappoint everyone in saying that it did NOT get done, and Becca didn't go to all the holiday parties, and do all the fancy cooking she'd been dreaming of. As a matter of fact, i was a scrooge and said we shouldn't have a christmas tree this year.

It's not that i don't like them, we just haven't had time for it, nor anyplace to put it. I like to blame the piano in the living room, but becca likes to blame my tv in the other corner. While i wouldn't admit it to her, the tv is certainly the easier of the two to move.

Unfortunately we were so busy that the tree never materialized, and i feel really guilty about that. However...i went shopping for christmas presents, and hopefully that will help negate some of the disapointment this season that has been a result of our working. Sorry everyone, Jewelry is not involved....

Merry Christmas everyone!