View Full Version : Stuff Made in the USA?
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 10:42 AM
I was at Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomePageView?storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1&orig_ref=blockedReferrer) last week, and noticed a lot of their stuff were quality goods that were Made in the USA!
Goddamn if I wasn't all excited and giddy and shit!!
Seriously, I like finding stuff Made in Canada, or on the other side of the border even. But it was really nice to find stuff made here for a change, and not in The Peoples' Republic of China...
I was in Home Depot last week looking to buy a Hammer Drill...I was happy as all hell to see Dewalt was made in the US.
I agree with you...made in Canada or the US is the way to go.
It does cost you more though...but we need to do it.
sadaist
09-21-2007, 11:30 AM
I have a bandanna that was made in Taiwan. The USA can't make a 12" X 12" square of thin cotton inexpensively?
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 11:35 AM
Originally posted by WACF
I was in Home Depot last week looking to buy a Hammer Drill...I was happy as all hell to see Dewalt was made in the US.
I agree with you...made in Canada or the US is the way to go.
It does cost you more though...but we need to do it.
It may (or even may not in some cases) cost more - but stuff like DeWalt is the shit! I'd rather pay more for quality tools, for example, because you save in the long run.
And the Chinese stuff's quality has really dropped off. And that's no joke! That shit just breaks easily and needs quick replacement often times I've noticed. Then there are the other issues beyond simple the poor QC - the lead in paint on children's toys, antifreeze chemicals in toothpaste, toxins in food items, etc...
Sometimes "The Market" SHOULD NOT be allowed to "decide"..
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 11:40 AM
Originally posted by sadaist
I have a bandanna that was made in Taiwan. The USA can't make a 12" X 12" square of thin cotton inexpensively?
You wear bandannas? WTF?:D
In any case, I even like Taiwanese/ROC stuff since they're the Chinese gov'ts (PRC) enemy #1!
I'll support the Republic of China, but I'm sick of the PRC shitting over economic treaties, hacking our Pentagon computers, treating their people like bees, and having virtually no environmental standards whatsoever...
It's about buying American, or at least the Americas, but it's also about buying less Red Chinese stuff...
Ellyllions
09-21-2007, 11:59 AM
I'm all over American made products these days.
I think I've developed a burning case of OCD in regards to it.
I'd like to see them get more specific and print labels that say "Made in the state of ******"
Because, unfortunately Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff set up a bunch of sweatshops in Guam and a few other islands in the South Pacific. Because they're US imperial posessions, they can legally get away with the "Made In The USA" label.
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 12:36 PM
True dat.
Even so called "American cars" may have more foreign content parts than many "foreign cars" assembled in the USA...
And in breaking news just now on the radio, apparently the Mattel toy corporation is taking the blame for the lead paint on their toys, and NOT holding the Chinese responsible.
What the fuck is up with that?? :confused:
LoungeMachine
09-21-2007, 12:49 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
I think I've developed a burning case of OCD in regards to it.
There's a cream for that now, hun
[ but it's made in China ]
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
It may (or even may not in some cases) cost more - but stuff like DeWalt is the shit! I'd rather pay more for quality tools, for example, because you save in the long run.
And the Chinese stuff's quality has really dropped off. And that's no joke! That shit just breaks easily and needs quick replacement often times I've noticed. Then there are the other issues beyond simple the poor QC - the lead in paint on children's toys, antifreeze chemicals in toothpaste, toxins in food items, etc...
Sometimes "The Market" SHOULD NOT be allowed to "decide"..
Dewalt is the shit....and it would cost more than a Black and Decker whether it was made in the same place or not.
I have found too with name brands being made over in China the Quality control has really slipped.
I used to like Black and Decker but they are a good example of this...they just do not stand up to heavy use anymore...but the price is sure lower.
Did B&D not get in shit a while back for misleading consumers with false claims of made in the US?
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
True dat.
Even so called "American cars" may have more foreign content parts than many "foreign cars" assembled in the USA...
Not just cars.
I have found alot of things that state "Assembled in the USA"...or Canada.
A bit misleading...it could be something as simple as buying a fan and having the screen put on here...the rest built and put together elswhere.
Just an example.
A few years back I was trying to find underwear made in North America after reading how in India alot of people are poisoned by the dye...it seems stupid but I figured I would try and do my part and not support this shit.
Not an esay task...I even found one package that stated "Packaged in the USA"...I just thought "You clever fucking pricks"...
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 01:22 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
There's a cream for that now, hun
[ but it's made in China ]
And unfortunately its key ingredients are babies and used motor oil...
Nickdfresh
09-21-2007, 01:26 PM
Originally posted by WACF
Dewalt is the shit....and it would cost more than a Black and Decker whether it was made in the same place or not.
I have found too with name brands being made over in China the Quality control has really slipped.
I used to like Black and Decker but they are a good example of this...they just do not stand up to heavy use anymore...but the price is sure lower.
Did B&D not get in shit a while back for misleading consumers with false claims of made in the US?
I don't know about B&D...
Not that I'm "Mr.FixIt" or anything, but I used to like "Stanley Tools" as a local hardware chain sold them when I lived near Buffalo. They were made in the USA and pretty good overall quality at only a slightly higher price...
Then the shit started breaking or falling apart (I had a hammer fly off the handle!) and I noticed that all their stuff was from China now, and the quality is little better than the crap you can find in one of the "dollar" chain stores...
Hyman Roth
09-21-2007, 01:34 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
It may (or even may not in some cases) cost more - but stuff like DeWalt is the shit! I'd rather pay more for quality tools, for example, because you save in the long run.
And the Chinese stuff's quality has really dropped off. And that's no joke! That shit just breaks easily and needs quick replacement often times I've noticed. Then there are the other issues beyond simple the poor QC - the lead in paint on children's toys, antifreeze chemicals in toothpaste, toxins in food items, etc...
Sometimes "The Market" SHOULD NOT be allowed to "decide"..
Absolutely! And that goes not just for goods originating in China.... Most Favored Nation for trade my shiny ass!! :mad:
Nitro Express
09-21-2007, 02:58 PM
Originally posted by WACF
I was in Home Depot last week looking to buy a Hammer Drill...I was happy as all hell to see Dewalt was made in the US.
I agree with you...made in Canada or the US is the way to go.
It does cost you more though...but we need to do it.
You get what you pay for. Good nails are hard to find now. The Chinese made ones are like lead wire. The best nails are made in Canada these days and my new fence is full of galvanized Canuck nails.
Nitro Express
09-21-2007, 03:03 PM
The Chinese are not like the Japanese. The Japanese believe they are judged by the quality of their products and make sure everything off the line is equal top notch quality.
The Chinese are hit and miss. They are more into making deals than quality. You might give the best quality stuff to your family or close friends but outsiders are fair game to play games with. The Chinese actually get a kick out of tricking people. They call it being clever.
The results are unsafe toys, poisoned food, contaminated food, chemicals in clothing that give you a rash, counterfit Colgate toothpaste with ethelyn glycol in it.
Nitro Express
09-21-2007, 03:05 PM
Some Chinese company was putting fucking antifreeze in toothpaste to sweeten it because ethelyne glycol is cheaper than glycerin. I'm sorry by ethelyne glycol is what you put in something to poison and kill someone off. It's sweet and tastes great. It's also fatal.
Nitro Express
09-21-2007, 03:12 PM
Some Dewalt tools are made in China. Look at their miter saw. It's made in China. I'll buy Milwalkee over Dewalt if I can because they are 100% USA made and their tools are top notch quality.
Originally posted by Nitro Express
Some Chinese company was putting fucking antifreeze in toothpaste to sweeten it because ethelyne glycol is cheaper than glycerin. I'm sorry by ethelyne glycol is what you put in something to poison and kill someone off. It's sweet and tastes great. It's also fatal.
They used to put that shit in Dr. Pepper. Not sure if that was when they were owned by Carlyle/BCE, but it wouldn't surprise me.
And let's not forget that Poppy and his brother Prescott Jr. are responsible for a lot of this corporate co-mingling with the Commies in the first place.....
http://www.usccc.org/newhome/mem-8.jpg
Originally posted by Nitro Express
Some Dewalt tools are made in China. Look at their miter saw. It's made in China. I'll buy Milwalkee over Dewalt if I can because they are 100% USA made and their tools are top notch quality.
Damn...just a matter of time and I suppose all of their stuff will be made there.
Milwalkee is good...The mine I work at will only buy Milwalkee or Dewalt...we are starting to try out some Hilti stuff too...slow drilling but effortless.
Originally posted by Nitro Express
You get what you pay for. Good nails are hard to find now. The Chinese made ones are like lead wire. The best nails are made in Canada these days and my new fence is full of galvanized Canuck nails.
A few years ago purchasing decided to get us nails from a cheaper supplier.
I know what you mean...utter useless crap.
Our old Silvaco concrete nails pounded into the Potash walls real nice...it would take a half dozen or so of the new ones to get one you could use...yeah...they really saved money.
Ellyllions
09-21-2007, 06:02 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
There's a cream for that now, hun
[ but it's made in China ]
Would you believe me I said that I did that on purpose?;)
I Was Made In New Zealand.:)
sadaist
09-21-2007, 10:41 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
You wear bandannas? WTF?:D
I knew that was coming as soon as I hit submit :) I keep it in the car when working during the summer as a sweat rag. Last time I wore one around my wrist or knee was when Motley Crue toured with Loudness.
I though Craftsman Tools were made in the USA? Found this though.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/sears_craftsman.html
blonddgirl777
09-21-2007, 10:57 PM
Originally posted by sadaist
... The USA can't make a 12" X 12" square of thin cotton inexpensively?
Nope!
As far as the garment industry goes... our Canadian and American sweat shops haven't been able to compete since the Chinese have proved to be able to come up with some high quality goods for a lot le$$...
Those little hands work way better than ours... :( :mad: :o
blonddgirl777
09-21-2007, 11:00 PM
Originally posted by sadaist
... I keep it in the car when working during the summer as a sweat rag...
O.K. then :o ... I was about to send the fashion police to your door! :p
Nitro Express
09-22-2007, 01:17 AM
Originally posted by WACF
Damn...just a matter of time and I suppose all of their stuff will be made there.
Milwalkee is good...The mine I work at will only buy Milwalkee or Dewalt...we are starting to try out some Hilti stuff too...slow drilling but effortless.
My dad owned a Refactory/Demolition Company and all they used was Hilti hammer drills. You are talking the best of the best here. The Company is based in Lichtenstein and the Tools and made either in Switzerland or Germany. When my dad sold his company my dad and I went and took the tools we wanted. I grabbed the chest full of Stahlwel sockets and drivers and two Hilti drills.
I used a One inch bit the other day to drill through a brick wall to run an electrical wire through. I don't use them much but when needed. Damn! It beats a fucking hammer and chisel!
Blackflag
09-22-2007, 01:37 AM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
True dat.
Even so called "American cars" may have more foreign content parts than many "foreign cars" assembled in the USA...
This is a bullshit red herring that I like to dispell.
If a car is made in the US, all the high paying management and engineering jobs are here in the US. They spend literally >$500m in the local US economy developing a new model...and the ultimate profits from the car flow back to US workers and stockholders and the local economy. All the technology, R&D, and corresponding jobs are in the US. They may decide to offload the shitty, low paying, assembly line jobs to foreign workers, like Mexicans.
When a Japanese company builds a plant in the US, they're doing the same thing. All the big money, nice jobs, technology, and profits are back in Japan...and they're just dumping the shitty leftovers here in the US...a guy operating a welder.
So it's far, far better for the US to buy a US made car, regardless where the parts come from. I don't know why people are so fucking stupid they can't see that.
Buy US made cars, Brooks Brothers suits, Alden shoes, and Craftsman tools.
Fuck China and fuck WalMart twice.
:fucku:
Little Texan
09-22-2007, 02:57 AM
If the U.S. were to cut off trade with China, altogether, then Wal-mart would go out of business! Remember back when Wal-mart had that advertising campaign that claimed that all of the products they sold were made in the USA? When was that? Late 80's, early 90's? WTF happened to "Bring it home to the USA"?
Originally posted by Little Texan
If the U.S. were to cut off trade with China, altogether, then Wal-mart would go out of business! Remember back when Wal-mart had that advertising campaign that claimed that all of the products they sold were made in the USA? When was that? Late 80's, early 90's? WTF happened to "Bring it home to the USA"?
Sam Walton died.
Not going to say Sam wasn't a greedy bastard, but at least he had some standards. His kids are all 100 times worse the predatory capitalist than he ever was, and they'll cut corners where ever and whenever possible.
Ellyllions
09-22-2007, 09:12 AM
Originally posted by Little Texan
If the U.S. were to cut off trade with China, altogether, then Wal-mart would go out of business! Remember back when Wal-mart had that advertising campaign that claimed that all of the products they sold were made in the USA? When was that? Late 80's, early 90's? WTF happened to "Bring it home to the USA"?
Sam Walton died and his greedy family took over.
That's what happened.
When Sam was just getting his stores out, he was negotiating a price with a flannel shirt manufacturer in his home town. The shirt company told him that he was asking for them too cheap. Sam didn't believe them. Shortly, the company was up for sale with all of it's equipment on the block. Sam felt bad about it, and offered them a more fair price with the option to sell everything they made to Wal-mart exclusively. The company thrived with that deal.
Sam's board members thought he was crazy for doing it but he told them that he wasn't going to put American's out of business just to sell cheaper flannel shirts.
When Sam died, the takeover with NAFTA following shortly thereafter sent Wal-mart sprawl trolling overseas for goods.
BUT....would anyone like to discuss more upscale clothing and supplies stores? You walk in to Dick's sporting goods, a Nike t-shirt will run you $22.00 and when you look at the label it's made in some obscure Asian or country in the South Pacific that you can't even pronounce. Same goes for name brands like The North Face and Columbia. Astronomical price tags made by people who live in shacks and get paid less than $1.00 per week.
My honest theory is that these upscale stores are thankful that Wal-mart is around to take the brunt of scrutiny so that Volvo driving, Chihuahua stroking, soccer mom's can go to the gym in slave-labor made clothing and brag about how much it cost.
The problem is much deeper than Wal-mart. Wal-mart is on every corner to help businesses like Hechts' , Saks, and Omega sports hide behind it's purchase of foreign goods.
Any company selling foreign sweatshop made goods is guilty and I do my best to avoid them, though I'll confess to owning a Columbia raincoat (which I thought was made in the US at the time)
And when it comes to Nike's, the unfortunate reality of wearing Size 15 shoes is that your choices are often severely limited as it is, so if I can find some comfortable shoes and no alternative is available, then I guess I'm stuck. For the record, at the moment the only Nike's I own are sandals, and that was the ONLY pair of size 15's of any brand on the entire West Coast (seriously, I spent half of my road trip in shoe stores looking for something to wear on the damn beach)
The reason why I consider Wal Mart a greater offender is because of their overall practices of predatory capitalism. In most cases, they move into a small town and force all the core businesses out of existence, because an individually owned local mom n pop can't possibly compete with a huge chain when it comes to buying power.
In this area they took it one step worse..... they attempted to force a trailer park full of senior citizens to close, because the location would have been strategically in the middle of their main competition, Shopko, K-Mart, and a Target store which hadn't even been built at the time. The old folks fought back and won. I was hoping that would keep them away forever, but no such luck.
Then, of course there's the way they treat their employees, but labor is a whole different thread.
Nitro Express
09-22-2007, 12:00 PM
Dude. I had a made in Mexico Suberban and it was the biggest piece of shit. It burned oil and the dealer replaced the engine. The transaxle failed at 20,000 miles. I took the piece of shit back to the dealer and drove every Suberban on the lot and settled with a Made In Wisconsin by UAW workers. No problems yet and it drives tighter than the Jose Special.
GM closed a plant in Ontario, Canada and Toyota snagged the laid off workers. Saying assembly is homogeniouse is a huge mistake. You can't automate everything and the end quality is still down to what happens on that assembly line.
I pretty much have a doulbe major in finance and production managment. I managed an assembly line for Hewlett Packard before it got outsourced. I also worked on huge construction jobs in places like nuclear power plants, coal power plants, chemical plants, and steel mills.
Many blue color jobs require a lot of skill and are actually great stepping stones to an career in engineering with additional schooling.
Outsourcing these types of jobs makes us nothing more than a paper tiger that can't produce shit and engineers who never worked on a car, or built anything are a shadow of the guys who did and then got the engineering degree.
Nitro Express
09-22-2007, 12:08 PM
Germany and France fight to keep their local businesses in business. The Norwegian Pension Fund dumped all their Wal-Mart stock because they didn't like how Wal-Mart used the world's worst sweat shops full of abuse. Germany ran Wal-Mart out of the country because they didn't like the company's ethics.
Europe hasn't lost it's manufacturing like we have. If you want a big truss, you have to order one from the Dutch because they are no longer made here. Europe still makes big steel components. They still have world class shipyards. They have very high quality mom and pop businesses all over.
Here in the US we are throwing it all away. The corrupt corporations have us by the balls.
All very good posts!
Here is the thing though....we as consumers demand lower prices.
To a point we are all guilty.
BUT...here is the thing.
Like my underwear shopping post on page 1, I read about all the things going on and tried to be a Ethical shopper...or using terms like "assembled in" or "Packaged in".
You know it is damn hard...spend a day looking for things made in North America
It is getting harder and harder...but they do exist.
Try and avoid clothing made in India, Pakistan ect....you can do it but it is not easy.
Our former Liberal PM Paul Martin owned a shipping company.
Guess where this environmental talker had ships from his shipping company taken apart...India...where the oils and fuels would just be dumped...and welders would be killed cutting the ships up.
Money talks....
Blackflag
09-22-2007, 01:06 PM
Originally posted by Nitro Express
Many blue color jobs require a lot of skill and are actually great stepping stones to an career in engineering with additional schooling.
I completely agree. I'm not saying it's good they're made in Mexico, or that these jobs are gone.
I'm just saying that people have themselves fooled into thinking that it's better to buy a foreign car assembled in the US than a US car assembled in Mexico. And that's just plain stupid.
Yes, I'd rather have a US car assembled in the US (in fact, I do), but if you have to pick one or the other, the US car assembled in Mexico is far better for the US economy.
You mention "stepping stone"...where does the Japanese assembly job in the US step to? Are you going to move to Japan and be an engineer? And there aren't going to be any more engineers in Detroit soon if people keep buying Japanese cars.
Finally...true about your old "suberban" being a piece of shit. But nowadays the US cars are just as good as a foreign car, Buick beat Lexus in JD Power. (except for Chrysler, I don't know what the fuck their problem is.)
People are just fucking stupid, and that explains why WalMart still exists.
:uck:
Originally posted by Blackflag
People are just fucking stupid, and that explains why WalMart still exists.
:uck:
Like I said...the consumer demands lower prices....
sadaist
09-22-2007, 01:18 PM
Originally posted by FORD
the unfortunate reality of wearing Size 15 shoes
Jesus Ford, I'll bet you're a motherfucker at barefoot water skiing.
Nickdfresh
09-22-2007, 02:40 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
This is a bullshit red herring that I like to dispell.
You'd have to know WTF you're talking about first... :rolleyes:
If a car is made in the US, all the high paying management and engineering jobs are here in the US. They spend literally >$500m in the local US economy developing a new model...and the ultimate profits from the car flow back to US workers and stockholders and the local economy. All the technology, R&D, and corresponding jobs are in the US. They may decide to offload the shitty, low paying, assembly line jobs to foreign workers, like Mexicans.
'
Dude, you're about as smart as BOF! "Shitty-paying" assembly-line jobs? Those jobs pay a small fortune and exceed many white collar salaries.
Why do you think people get on waiting lists for those jobs? Those jobs built the US middle class!
And the reduction of US-sourced components in "American cars" has hurt a lot of contractors with the "Big Three" like Delphi, which was forced to lay off AMERICAN workers and forced the ones that stayed to take significant pay cuts turning high, or at least decent, paying manufacturing jobs into shitty hourly jobs...
When a Japanese company builds a plant in the US, they're doing the same thing. All the big money, nice jobs, technology, and profits are back in Japan...and they're just dumping the shitty leftovers here in the US...a guy operating a welder.
You have no idea what you're talking about. Why would the Japanese build a plant in the US to save money when they could just build it in Mexico or Brazil if it was just about that? It's actually about avoiding import fees. Workers at "Japanese" plants in the US earn salaries that are on par with their US counterparts, although their benefits are greatly reduced with the 401-K and "pay for your own healthcare" mentality that has besets US businesses overall...
So it's far, far better for the US to buy a US made car, regardless where the parts come from. I don't know why people are so fucking stupid they can't see that.
I never said it wasn't. But what's the difference in buying a Ford Focus that was primarily derived from Ford of Europe or a Cadillac Catera that was just a rebadged Opel when all of the engineers are Germans or Austrians? SAABs, Volvos, Land Rovers, and the list goes on, they're owned by the Big Three...
Buy US made cars, Brooks Brothers suits, Alden shoes, and Craftsman tools.
Fuck China and fuck WalMart twice.
:fucku:
I do buy American cars...
But the Big Three are also a bunch of outsourcing frauds. They also own significant interests in foreign companies or control them outright...
By your logic, buying a SAAB is fine because they're owned by Ford. Maybe, maybe not, but the problems are far more complex that you make them seem...
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0707
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070921-0340-china-chery.html
http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=1645
Nickdfresh
09-22-2007, 02:46 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
I completely agree. I'm not saying it's good they're made in Mexico, or that these jobs are gone.
I'm just saying that people have themselves fooled into thinking that it's better to buy a foreign car assembled in the US than a US car assembled in Mexico. And that's just plain stupid.
Yes, I'd rather have a US car assembled in the US (in fact, I do), but if you have to pick one or the other, the US car assembled in Mexico is far better for the US economy.
...
:uck:
No. You're "plain stupid!" Tritely writing off the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to Mexico is far more destructive to US jobs overall because the highest levels of employment in domestic auto makers are in manufacturing. Much more so than engineers and incompetent management types...
Blackflag
09-22-2007, 03:37 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Those jobs pay a small fortune and exceed many white collar salaries.
Why do you think people get on waiting lists for those jobs?
Oh, brother...here we go. Another loudmouth knowitall.
They're very nice jobs. But they don't pay as well as the white collar jobs at the same company. Off the top of my head, I want to say an assy worker in Detroit makes about $20/hr., plus bennies, and no future for advancement. An engineer makes about $40/hr., plus benes., can maybe get promoted someday, goes home at 5pm, and doesn't have to break his back. (And if you want to dispute those figures, bring a cite.)
No disrespect at all to the blue collar workers. But there's a reason blue collar workers save their money to put their kids through college.
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
It's actually about avoiding import fees.
You're not reading my post. Of course it's about import fees. But they're not bringing quality jobs, just the bottom of the barrel shit jobs to avoid fees. So don't tell me it's "good for America."
When Toyota brings their headquarters, engineering, and officers to the US...and spends their profits in the US economy...then it will be good for the US. In the meantime, they're hiring assembly workers here...just like we do to Mexico.
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
the difference in buying a Ford Focus that was primarily derived from Ford of Europe or a Cadillac Catera that was just a rebadged Opel when all of the engineers are Germans or Austrians? SAABs, Volvos, Land Rovers, and the list goes on, they're owned by the Big Three...
Again, read my post. Ford of Europe has nothing to do with it - you're just confusing the discussion.
Compare a Toyota truck assembled in the US and a Dodge truck assembled in Mexico.
Which one supports more jobs in the US, both in number of jobs and in median income? Dodge. Which sends profits to the US? Dodge. Which ultimately spends those profits in the local US economy? Dodge. Which hires US companies as subcontractors for accounting, legal, maintenance, etc. services? Dodge.
Try disputing those points and not dreaming up your own.
Blackflag
09-22-2007, 03:42 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
No. You're "plain stupid!" Tritely writing off the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to Mexico is far more destructive to US jobs overall because the highest levels of employment in domestic auto makers are in manufacturing. Much more so than engineers and incompetent management types...
That's a bizarre statement. If you asked an assembly line worker, do you think he would say he's at the "highest level of employment?"
I'll tell you what's destructive to the US economy...the disappearance of engineering. You can train manufacturing workers anywhere - I hate to say it, but that's become a race to the bottom.
But he who has the technology makes the money and hires the manufacturing personnel wherever he likes. Do you want to be the guy at the top of the food chain or the guy doing his bidding?
...
By the way, have I told you lately that you're an abrasive asshole who can't string two coherent thoughts together? Have a nice weekend. :daisy:
Nickdfresh
09-22-2007, 04:09 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
That's a bizarre statement. If you asked an assembly line worker, do you think he would say he's at the "highest level of employment?"
What's the definition of "highest level of employment?"
He's making a lot of money with a lot of benefits, often making more than us schmucks who have four year degrees...
I'll tell you what's destructive to the US economy...the disappearance of engineering.
Um dude, my brother's an engineer. There's no "disappearance," there's a shortage of engineers! Where importing them!
I'd say the shortage of people that back up what they say with some sort of evidence and critical thinking is far more dire to this country...:rolleyes:
You can train manufacturing workers anywhere - I hate to say it, but that's become a race to the bottom.
It has? Then buy the shit coming from Mexico. Anybody can do anything. Doing it well is the difference..
Just like the quality of VW dropped when they stopped making them in Germany (for the most part). They had to produce the engines in Germany again after the quality level shit-the-bed in Brazil and Mexico, just to regain the confidence of the US market...
But he who has the technology makes the money and hires the manufacturing personnel wherever he likes. Do you want to be the guy at the top of the food chain or the guy doing his bidding?
Personally I could give a fuck. I know people at "the top of the food chain" that would rather own a sandwich shop than deal with the corporate bullshit they have to deal with...
And in any case, isn't that the typical Republican argument as to why it's okay to have sent our manufacturing base first to Japan, then to China?
Would anybody ever accuse the Japanese of lack of engineering or technology even though they had, to some extent still do, a large manufacturing base?
...
By the way, have I told you lately that you're an abrasive asshole who can't string two coherent thoughts together? Have a nice weekend. :daisy:
Oh, coming from the guy that puts smilies flipping the bird in his sig, that's just rich...
"Coherent thoughts?" Yeah, okay. You're just another big-mouthed know-nothing jerk like Baby's An Asshole...
Blackflag
09-22-2007, 10:07 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
What's the definition of "highest level of employment?"
You're the one that used that term. Why are you asking me to define your term?
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Um dude, my brother's an engineer. There's no "disappearance," there's a shortage of engineers! Where importing them!
Originally posted by National Science Foundation at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Since the 1950s, industrial employment patterns for scientists and engineers have shifted significantly, with strong growth in the 1950-70 period, stagnation and decline in the early and mid-1970s, resurgence in the late 1970s and 1980s, and generally falling rates of growth in the 1990s.
There is a shortage of engineers...but not in the US. Do a search under "outsourcing."
Originally posted by Nickdfresh Personally I could give a fuck.
Well now you're really pulling out the persuasive arguments!
Let me bottom line it for you: There is a reason Japan and Germany send their assembly line jobs to the US...but not their management, engineering, or R&D.
Why do you think that is?
blonddgirl777
09-22-2007, 11:00 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
... BUT....would anyone like to discuss more upscale clothing and supplies stores? You walk in to Dick's sporting goods, a Nike t-shirt will run you $22.00 and when you look at the label it's made in some obscure Asian or country in the South Pacific that you can't even pronounce. Same goes for name brands like The North Face and Columbia. Astronomical price tags made by people who live in shacks and get paid less than $1.00 per week...
As far as garments go. China is becoming "too expensive" as they are very advanced on technology and laboUr...
Now, we (the rag workers) have to source out some new suppliers anywhere else, where they are still too poor and un-organized to realise that we are fuckin'em up the ass!
I used to love working as a fashion designer... after I graduated (late 80's) we could still create original styles, have them developed and produced right here in Canada but now... we go to Asia and buy already designed and ready to produce goods.
All they do is to copy the European trend setters... another reason why everybody seem to be wearing the same shit everywhere you go!
There is no more fun for people like myself... America is just a big T-Shirt made in Taiwan!
:mad:
blonddgirl777
09-22-2007, 11:02 PM
Originally posted by sadaist
Jesus Ford, I'll bet you're a motherfucker at barefoot water skiing.
L.M.A.O...!!!
And I thought FORD was a tiny little guy like Jerry Seingfeld!
blonddgirl777
09-22-2007, 11:06 PM
I hate my job!
blonddgirl777
09-22-2007, 11:17 PM
Get a load of THIS...
Last year I was in Belgium and really wanted to see those women that still use the old trade of hand made beautiful lace...
I've been dreaming about it since I was a teenager.
I got to see them work and with goose bumps and tears in my eyes, all I could do is to look at those beautiful peaces, since I couldn't afford to purshase them.
Well... some locals explained to me that there (in Bruges), some main stream stores import table cloths and other lace home fashion and clothing from China, cut the labels off and replace them with "Hand Made in Belgium" ones!
Personally (knowing my lace), you can't fool me but a lot of tourists get to pay top $$$ for fake lace made in Asia!
Now that's fucked up!
Nickdfresh
09-22-2007, 11:32 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
You're the one that used that term. Why are you asking me to define your term?
Sorry. You confused me by completely using it out of my original connotation...
But I bet if we asked a veteran UAW autoworker, he probably makes more than you do...
There is a shortage of engineers...but not in the US. Do a search under "outsourcing."
Um, no genius. There's a shortage of engineers in the US and has been for sometime. Some claim we're "outsourcing" cause Indians are cheaper engineers, but how would that affect a car buyers choice? That their Cobalt may have been partially designed in New Delhi?
I knew a college engineering intern that was already getting recruited with perks, and got a decent summer job in her field - and she wasn't even a junior yet!
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0218/p17s02-lehl.html
And why would I do a search on "outsourcing." I thought your whole point of buying (pseudo) American was that we would be supporting overpayed US CEOs and "American" engineering jobs, so they WON'T be outsourced and American assembly line-workers were replaceable because they're just 'stupid' auto workers easily substituted for with Mexicans...
Well now you're really pulling out the persuasive arguments!
Oh goody! you pull one quote out of context and delete everything around it, and claim that as my "argument," asshat? Good one!
Let me bottom line it for you: There is a reason Japan and Germany send their assembly line jobs to the US...but not their management, engineering, or R&D.
Why do you think that is?
Go back and read my posts. I already stated it! And they DO in fact do R&D in the US. The North American Accord is different than the Japanese version for instance. Who do you think did much of the testing? and where do you think it was done?
blonddgirl777
09-22-2007, 11:46 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
... Some claim we're "outsourcing" cause Indians are cheaper engineers...
Cheaper, good workers and well educated in their fields...
My husband is an Electronic Eng. and sais that since 9/11... most of the engineers he knows in the U-S have lost their jobs to India. It is partly why, we never went back to live there. :( :confused:
There are sill more jobs here (in MTL) than in the well renouned Valley of Technology, in Cali...
Have you ever called the costumer's service (of one of your local I.T. cie.) only to realize that the person answering your call is... in India?
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 12:16 AM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
we would be supporting overpayed US CEOs and "American" engineering jobs
That's what this is about, isn't it? You're pissed that white collar workers make more than you, and you wish everybody made the same mediocre wage that an assembly line worker does. I like that. Very Mao of you.
When you can answer the previous question - why assembly line workers save and send their kids to college - then you will be able to put down the little red book and progress. :fucku2:
Have I told you lately that your grammar is poor? :moon:
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 12:43 AM
Originally posted by Blackflag
That's what this is about, isn't it? You're pissed that white collar workers make more than you, and you wish everybody made the same mediocre wage that an assembly line worker does. I like that. Very Mao of you.
Dude, do you even know what an assembly line worker makes?
And wow! You've psychoanalysed me! I'm angry and pissed and so jealous that engineers make more than me! Like my brother, that could barely get out of his last job to start his own business because his fmr. company kept throwing incentives at him to stay!
Uh no. My comment was more about how US CEOs are drastically overpaid in comparison to their European, and especially Japanese, equivalents...
And that has A LOT to do with some of our economic problems we face, where the inevitable polarization of wealth gravitates towards the top causing a disparity of extremely well off and extremely poor...
When you can answer the previous question - why assembly line workers save and send their kids to college - then you will be able to put down the little red book and progress.
Previous question? Did you ask that already?
And really! You mean they send their kids to college?! No fuck! Does that mean they don't earn really good salaries often approaching $100Ks a year? No. Does that mean their kids would never get to college if we just shit on them, as you do? Maybe...
:fucku2:
You really elevate the discourse. Moron.
Have I told you lately that your grammar is poor? :moon:
How would you know? Associate degree bitch...
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 02:55 AM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
How would you know? Associate degree bitch...
How do you make it from day to day with so much anger and jealousy..? :blow2:
blonddgirl777
09-23-2007, 05:58 AM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Dude, do you even know what an assembly line worker makes?...
Here, the unionised assembly workers make big bucks with tremendous benefits...
Getting a job in one of those cies. is like winning the lotery.
A friend of mine worked for "Bombardier" for about 3 years. All he did was to sit there, listening to his MP3 player and screwing parts on planes... for 55K/year. (Average wage for a man here, is 40K)
He knew very well that when the cie.'s contract was going to end (nobody really knew when), they would take their business down to Mexico wich they did. So while he was there, he accepted all the overtime he could (paid at double time and 1/2) to save for the upcoming rainy days...
Sure enough, those rainy days came faster than he thought and a bunch of assembly line workers like him got laid off and could never find anything close to that, as far as salary goes.
The few laboUr jobs left here are an everyday gamble for the workers. Their union negocies such high salaries that after a while, those cies. are "forced" to take their business elsewhere, to compete in the market.
That friend of mine ended up taking a big drop in salary. He admitted that he was well overpaid for the efforts and responsabilities he had to put in. He sais he would have prefered a lower salary and some job security because that everyday threat of losing his job to Mexico (at anytime) was really hard to deal with!
UNION... now that's another debate all by itself! :o
Nitro Express
09-23-2007, 08:02 AM
Originally posted by FORD
Sam Walton died.
Not going to say Sam wasn't a greedy bastard, but at least he had some standards. His kids are all 100 times worse the predatory capitalist than he ever was, and they'll cut corners where ever and whenever possible.
A Wal-Mart manager told me they had some shirts come in that had the button holes put in crooked. He called corporate headquarters to tell them the problem and corporate just told him to cut the price and they would sell.
Wal-Mart is a miserable place to return anything so on a $10 shirt, people don't bother. That's Wal-Mart.
Nitro Express
09-23-2007, 08:14 AM
I've worked a huge list of odd jobs. I've been everything from a bartender at an exclusive country club to a welder. I've worked on variouse high tech assembly lines, huge construction projects and such.
I've done my fair share of white collar work in the finance industry.
Let me tell say I needed math skills more in the blue collar realm than I ever did at American Express or Fidelity Investments. Try being a welder on a big shutdown project where your welds have to meet certain standards. You work closely with engineers.
I hear it all the time from people who have never worked a blue collar job in their life that somehow white collar jobs require a higher amount of intelligence than blue collar jobs. This fallacy typically comes from accademic elitists who puke out lies cooked up by the World Trade Organization. For years they have told us we would be outsourcing the idiot jobs. The thing is, the best engineers worked blue collars jobs before they graduated. I would take an engineer who worked in a machine shop or automotive garage any day over a number cruncher who never made or fixed anything.
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 10:58 AM
Originally posted by Blackflag
How do you make it from day to day with so much anger and jealousy..? :blow2:
My "anger and jealousy?"
LOL Again, who's the one that started tossin' insults and innuendo in this thread, tool?
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 01:33 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
My "anger and jealousy?"
LOL Again, who's the one that started tossin' insults and innuendo in this thread, tool?
Unfortunately, it was you: "Dude, you're about as smart as BOF!"
Though I don't really know what a "BOF" is, so it wasn't really an effective insult... So much anger, so little intelligence. Kind of like an abused dog? :anger:
Maybe one day you'll get your assembly line job, then you won't be so angry... dare to dream. :dork:
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 06:07 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
Unfortunately, it was you: "Dude, you're about as smart as BOF!"
Actually, as I've already mentioned, it was your interesting choice of bird-flipping smilies...
And secondly, you're the one insulting US workers with your smug, elitist horseshit of the unintentionally self-deprecating...
Though I don't really know what a "BOF" is, so it wasn't really an effective insult... So much anger, so little intelligence. Kind of like an abused dog? :anger:
Baby's On Fire, actually.
We'll just chalk that one up to your boundless body of ignorance...
And oh, okay Greenbuds! is that irony? :)
If you don't know who that is, I'll gladly provide links.
Maybe one day you'll get your assembly line job, then you won't be so angry... dare to dream. :dork:
Yeah, because Washington, DC is renowned for its assembly line jobs, dummy...
Such arrogance for a man with a two year degree...
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 07:31 PM
So it's safe to say that the best insult you can dream up is that I have a "two year degree?" When I called you stupid, at least that was based on actual knowledge.
I'm bored. :sleepy:
Ellyllions
09-23-2007, 07:50 PM
Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Uh no. My comment was more about how US CEOs are drastically overpaid in comparison to their European, and especially Japanese, equivalents...
And that has A LOT to do with some of our economic problems we face, where the inevitable polarization of wealth gravitates towards the top causing a disparity of extremely well off and extremely poor...
...and the crowd goes WILD...
Blackflag, give it up hun, Nick nailed it with this one.
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 07:55 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
...and the crowd goes WILD...
Blackflag, give it up hun, Nick nailed it with this one.
Yeah, the CEO pay is a really good point.
Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with what we were talking about. In fact, it really defeated his point that the "best jobs" in a company are the assembly line jobs.
But it would be a good point in some conversation somewhere in the world, I'm sure. :confused:
Ellyllions
09-23-2007, 08:00 PM
oh shut up.
you're lucky your fingers haven't gone on strike by now.
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 08:04 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
oh shut up.
you're lucky your fingers haven't gone on strike by now.
Trust me...my fingers never goes on strike. :fucku2:
Ellyllions
09-23-2007, 08:06 PM
His fingers are typing away and talking amongst themselves...
"He wants us to type what?"
"is he stupid?"
LoungeMachine
09-23-2007, 08:19 PM
The officials have this scored as:
Nick 5
Blackflag 1
But we're throwing out the East German's score, as they're always biased against Nick.
:gulp:
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 08:29 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
The officials have this scored as:
Nick 5
Blackflag 1
Says the guy who would never dream of turning a screw for a living.
Nick can have my point, I think his self-confidence could use it.
LoungeMachine
09-23-2007, 08:35 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
Says the guy who would never dream of turning a screw for a living.
The economy needs The Arts, too. :cool:
Originally posted by Blackflag
.
Nick can have my point, I think his self-confidence could use it.
6-0 then.
:gulp:
Ellyllions
09-23-2007, 08:43 PM
Hey, he turns a screw everytime he tunes his guitar.
(you do play guitar right?)
blonddgirl777
09-23-2007, 08:49 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
Trust me...my fingers never goes on strike. :fucku2:
Let me guess... neither does your hand, right?
Blackflag
09-23-2007, 08:50 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
Hey, he turns a screw everytime he tunes his guitar.
(you do play guitar right?)
I'll turn your screw, you little scamp.:spank:
Ellyllions
09-23-2007, 08:53 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
I'll turn your screw, you little scamp.:spank:
No thanks but you can reimburse yourself.
LoungeMachine
09-23-2007, 08:57 PM
Originally posted by Ellyllions
Hey, he turns a screw everytime he tunes his guitar.
(you do play guitar right?)
Umm, we have people who do that sort of thing for us....
But I did just go and pour myself a screwdriver [using absolut pears] in your honor.
:gulp:
Hyman Roth
09-23-2007, 09:01 PM
Nick http://e.photos.cx/kissboxer-fd3.gif BlackFlag
blonddgirl777
09-23-2007, 09:02 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
... [using absolut pears]...
What, you got PEARS???
LoungeMachine
09-23-2007, 09:05 PM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
What, you got PEARS???
yeah, why?
Not in Canada yet?
It's nectar, sweetie....
A little too good....
LoungeMachine
09-23-2007, 09:07 PM
Originally posted by Hyman Roth
Nick http://e.photos.cx/kissboxer-fd3.gif BlackFlag
Nice manboobs, Nick...
No wonder Blackflag wanted a smooch. ;)
blonddgirl777
09-23-2007, 09:29 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
yeah, why?
Not in Canada yet?
It's nectar, sweetie....
A little too good....
I just loooove "Absulute"!
We got Blackcurent, Lemon, and others I can't remember 'cause I was too drunk! :p
When in the Netherlands (in a less than a month), I will buy some "Danzka" vodka from Denmark at the duty free shop... for EU. 12.00, you can't beat that!
blonddgirl777
09-23-2007, 09:31 PM
Originally posted by LoungeMachine
... manboobs...
And I thought I was outta lline for brigning SHOES in "Front..."! :o
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 09:53 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
So it's safe to say that the best insult you can dream up is that I have a "two year degree?" When I called you stupid, at least that was based on actual knowledge.
I'm bored. :sleepy:
Yeah okay irony just routinely kicks your ass all over the day, doesn't it, dipshit?
You've told me you've a two-year, associates degree, the last time you trolled here. And I could tell then, as I can see now. You must of have bought it since I've seen high school kids construct better arguments than you have in this thread...
And about 90% of your responses show you're unread, semi-educated, and clearly are own3d by facts posted from independent sources of confirmation (which you ignore). The proof is how quickly you've abandoned your silly, embarrassingly juvenile points and are now just trolling this thread with personal attacks...
And probably over half of your posts are a contentious responses in a flame war with one poster or another, since you seem to attract conflict with your dumb rantings. But here's a tip, if you're going to argue here, at least know what the fuck you're talking about...
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 09:59 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
Yeah, the CEO pay is a really good point.
Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with what we were talking about. In fact, it really defeated his point that the "best jobs" in a company are the assembly line jobs... :confused:
Reading comprehension, ain't it a bitch for you?
(Failed troll technique #2 - rewrite superior arguments and posts, and present them as your nemesis'.)
Show me where I said that, moron?
"Best jobs?" Is that a quote?
And yeah, you're :confused: alright. Dolt!
Nickdfresh
09-23-2007, 10:01 PM
Originally posted by Blackflag
Says the guy who would never dream of turning a screw for a living.
Is this gay-hooker speak?
Nick can have my point, I think his self-confidence could use it.
Well, you're too dumb lack confidence...
Nickdfresh
09-25-2007, 06:57 PM
Just saw this on CNN.
The show "Made in America" with host actor John Ratzenberger (Postman Cliff Clavin from "Cheers") airs on The Travel Channel:
http://travel.discovery.com/Ratzenberger-America_About-Show.shtml
blonddgirl777
09-27-2007, 12:22 AM
That's it,
I went and took this mindless, low stress very technical job that requires no creativity whatshoever... Spec. and fits of garments (maker in China).
I am comparing those measurments we asked for and what we actually got in samples...
How the fuck could they screw up soooo bad?
Man, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!!
Comunication with them (eaven if they are fluent in English is soooo complicated)!
Gotta go for another round... thank God I work from home... so I can drink on the job!
Nitro Express
09-27-2007, 01:53 AM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
I just loooove "Absulute"!
We got Blackcurent, Lemon, and others I can't remember 'cause I was too drunk! :p
When in the Netherlands (in a less than a month), I will buy some "Danzka" vodka from Denmark at the duty free shop... for EU. 12.00, you can't beat that!
Ha! duty free. My dad was on a ferry crossing the Baltic sea and two nuns approached him asking if he could carry some duty free wine for them because father wanted his wine and they are only allowed two bottles each. LOL!
Nitro Express
09-27-2007, 01:56 AM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
That's it,
I went and took this mindless, low stress very technical job that requires no creativity whatshoever... Spec. and fits of garments (maker in China).
I am comparing those measurments we asked for and what we actually got in samples...
How the fuck could they screw up soooo bad?
Man, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!!
Comunication with them (eaven if they are fluent in English is soooo complicated)!
Gotta go for another round... thank God I work from home... so I can drink on the job!
I work for a German company and owe some commercial real estate. I turned the guest apartment above the garage into an office.
Driking at work is a perk but never answer the phone if you've gone too far! LOL!
blonddgirl777
09-27-2007, 08:02 AM
Originally posted by Nitro Express
... Driking at work is a perk but never answer the phone if you've gone too far! LOL!
I never go too far... at work.
Plus, they rarely get to hear my voice... we communicate by E-Mail.
I don't think they would notice anyway since their spoken English is so bad, they all sound drunk! L.O.L.
Nitro Express
09-27-2007, 02:16 PM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
I never go too far... at work.
Plus, they rarely get to hear my voice... we communicate by E-Mail.
I don't think they would notice anyway since their spoken English is so bad, they all sound drunk! L.O.L.
I spent two years in Hong Kong growing up. Let me tell you, those Chinese can put the ethanol away. I also wouldn't trust a Chinese person that I didn't know well. They don't have any ethics. Screwing people and bribery are all fair game as long as it's not good friends of family.
What by western standards would be considered shady business practices in China it's called being clever and they have their little chuckles about it. One reason it's always taken a military to unify that country, they hate each other. If the PRC fell apart they would be at each other's throats.
blonddgirl777
09-27-2007, 08:09 PM
Originally posted by Nitro Express
I spent two years in Hong Kong growing up. Let me tell you, those Chinese can put the ethanol away. I also wouldn't trust a Chinese person that I didn't know well. They don't have any ethics. Screwing people and bribery are all fair game as long as it's not good friends of family.
What by western standards would be considered shady business practices in China it's called being clever and they have their little chuckles about it. One reason it's always taken a military to unify that country, they hate each other. If the PRC fell apart they would be at each other's throats.
I know very well what you mean... you are totally right!
I've dealt with them for quite a while now, and been there (Hing Kong, Ghuanzhou) too.
Never have I seen such disrespect among human beings, not to mention what they do to animals...
A lot of "GAP protesters" are crying out loud that we exploit them and all but that's because they totally ignore the fact that they are their own worst ennemies...
Moreover, the way they handle the over-population problem (killing girls at birth) shoud have been regulated by the U.N. a long time ago!
blonddgirl777
09-27-2007, 08:13 PM
Not to mention their sanitary ethics...
A very emotional train trip inland;
http://i22.tinypic.com/6r0qcy.jpg
blonddgirl777
09-27-2007, 08:22 PM
O.K. now I'm going through some pics. I haven't seen in a while...
As a vegetarian (who gets grossed out by meat), the view and smell of thousands of these, in that hot & humid temperature was simply unbearable!
http://i24.tinypic.com/jhf1h4.jpg
I don't know how their bodies can digest and not get sick from all that (unknown) meat, left un-refregirated?
Nitro Express
09-29-2007, 04:25 AM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
O.K. now I'm going through some pics. I haven't seen in a while...
As a vegetarian (who gets grossed out by meat), the view and smell of thousands of these, in that hot & humid temperature was simply unbearable!
http://i24.tinypic.com/jhf1h4.jpg
I don't know how their bodies can digest and not get sick from all that (unknown) meat, left un-refregirated?
You mean the ducks and stuffed pig's intestines? Looks good to me, I've eaten plenty of it. The meat is marinated in lots of salt and it slowly roasts under those bright lights. It's no different than what you see in chicken rotiseri except the guy has to come out and move the stuff himself. A good Peking duck will spend three days slow cooking just like that. YUMMY!
Nitro Express
09-29-2007, 04:27 AM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
Not to mention their sanitary ethics...
A very emotional train trip inland;
http://i22.tinypic.com/6r0qcy.jpg
It's the Chinese middle class they have been bragging about.
Nitro Express
09-29-2007, 04:34 AM
Originally posted by blonddgirl777
I know very well what you mean... you are totally right!
I've dealt with them for quite a while now, and been there (Hing Kong, Ghuanzhou) too.
Never have I seen such disrespect among human beings, not to mention what they do to animals...
A lot of "GAP protesters" are crying out loud that we exploit them and all but that's because they totally ignore the fact that they are their own worst ennemies...
Moreover, the way they handle the over-population problem (killing girls at birth) shoud have been regulated by the U.N. a long time ago!
People in North America have no idea what prejudice is. We socialized with the well to do Chinese on Hong Kong and a person from the Phillipines was basically an animal to them. In the late 70's boats of refuges from Cambodia were turned away. This was during the rein of Pol Pot. To the elitist Chinese roundeyes like us are second class citizens. I'm not kidding.
Nitro Express
09-29-2007, 04:40 AM
The one child policy has been a disaster and it's backfiring badly. Last time I was in Shanghi I was eating with some friends and their little four year old boy was acting up at the dinner table. They didn't discipline him and just let the kid go wild. So it's a country of spoiled men. Homosexual and hetrosexual rape is rampant. So is wife kidnapping. These new Chinese males are lazy sexual monsters and they will drag on the system because they have no work ethic.
The way we have just given our wealth and industry to them, it will be a huge nightmare if they invade us for "growing space" and pussy. I just hope the lazyness of the spoiled rotten males will handicap them before they can make their military mobil like ours.
sadaist
01-31-2009, 08:41 PM
I know we have a lot of friends from other countries, and I have no problem at all with buying imported products. Swiss watches, German & Canadian beer, Australian surfboards and sheepskin boots are all some of the best products one can purchase. One of my personal favorite imported items is Mexican wool blankets. But we still make some great things right here in America (albeit much less than we used to), so I thought I would list a couple and see what other products others might know of & like. We're still a great country and we still make some of the best damn products out there. So here goes a few of my favorites that I use nearly daily.....
Buck Knives. I've had the standard folding knife in my car for about 17 years. Primarily used for opening cd and battery packages and cutting tie down ropes. Still as sharp as the day I bought it.
http://www.buckknives.com/
Craftsman tools. Awesome tools and the best thing is you can exchange them for ANY reason with the lifetime warranty. Even if you leave it out in the rain and it gets rusty you can get a new one no problem.
http://www.craftsman.com/garageofknowledge/
Zippo lighters. Speak for themselves.
http://www.zippo.com/index.aspx?bhcp=1
Bic lighters. I don't think all of them are made here, but the ones I get from 7-11 have Made in the USA stamped on the side.
thome
01-31-2009, 08:55 PM
I will say women...... but, the -Odessa Babes- have rooled my world for the last couple years.
Women to me ain't the presswhores off the TV/Movie screen.
I'm talking Mid west farmers daughters.
The Odessa babes really knock me out.
We may be loosing out to the Red W'hoard after all...lol
Nickdfresh
01-31-2009, 10:29 PM
I'm thinking of making a special Thome dump thread for when he hijacks others with his drunken gibberish meaningless to any other human being...
thome
01-31-2009, 10:40 PM
I'm thinking of making a special Thome dump thread for when he hijacks others with his drunken gibberish meaningless to any other human being...
I'm thinking of making a special Nickdfresh dump thread for when he hijacks threads and answeres thome posts, with his drunken jibberish that is... meaningless to any other human being...
OFF SUBJECT there are only three things -still made- in the US...(as listed by Sadaist)... so, I was trying to help a brother out with a thread that was over before it started.
sadaist
02-01-2009, 01:19 AM
there are only three things -still made- in the US...(as listed by Sadaist)...
Dang, your reading comprehension is as bad as your writing skills. I just started the list with three. Here are a few more.
http://www.karlstrauss.com/
http://www.maglite.com/
http://www.bose.com/
http://www.deere.com
http://www.whirlpool.com
http://oakley.com/
http://pinggolf.com/
http://www.slugger.com/
http://www.shopvac.com/
I'm surprised by the quality of the Jeeps I've recently come to disown. Surprised in a good way - in that the QC is a hundred percent better than it was in the AMC years.
Thumbs up on Jeep!
Custom Audio Amps.
Avon Skin-So-Soft and Waterlilys hand lotion.. for those intimate moments you wish to share, but can't because she's off screwing somebody else=Avon!
My grandmother, god rest her soul, swore that "Skin so soft" shit was the best mosquito repellent ever invented. Of course she was selling Avon at the time, so she might have been a little biased. And she also lived in the middle of the Arizona desert, where mosquitos, being the water loving creatures that they are, are rarely seen, so who knows if she ever really tested the shit or not?
It's a good company with fantastic margin, you wouldn't believe the suckers my ex galpal used to pull in just by throwing around the odd Avon monthly catalogue or two at barbershops, nail salons, bookstores etc.
She's burned Avon twice for nearly a grand each time, get those preorder credits so high, then bail on the bill. Bitch. Screwed like a branded pig, but still a thieving bitch.
Shit - another grate local company HANSENS!
I was in back east and they had the Hansens fresh juices stocked in the 7-11 type stores out there. "Monrovia, CA" on the label too, I checked. I was amazed they trekked that stuff so far, it must do good and regular numbers to pull that off for a little juice company from Azusa.
Hansens just recently converted their allegedly "Natural Sodas" from High Fructose Corn Poison (not at all natural) back to cane sugar (which is refined, but still something God would recognize as His own design). They deserve a plug for that.
And Jones Soda company is based right here in Cascadia, so they deserve a shout out too.
sadaist
02-01-2009, 03:01 AM
My grandmother, god rest her soul, swore that "Skin so soft" shit was the best mosquito repellent ever invented.
That makes me think of this stuff. If you have dogs, it works great on their nose when it gets dry & cracked. Paw pads as well. Vet recommended it. I think my Mom used to use on her feet too.
http://www.bagbalm.com/
Ziemann trailer axles and HD hauling bullshit is made here in LA, right in Whittier, CA.
Sierra Bullets used to be made in Whittier, moved but still USA made
http://www.sierrabullets.com/index.cfm?section=about&page=history
That makes me think of this stuff. If you have dogs, it works great on their nose when it gets dry & cracked. Paw pads as well. Vet recommended it. I think my Mom used to use on her feet too.
http://www.bagbalm.com/
Got a can of the stuff somewhere in the bathroom. It works great as an antiseptic to fight infections. I used to get horribly infected ingrown toenails when I was a teenager. There were times I literally couldn't put on shoes. I thought my mom was crazy when she told me to put that ugly, stinky, greasy stuff that was apparently made for cow tits on my feet, but I'll be damned if it didn't clear up the infection. So I've always kept it around for the hell of it since then. That and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
Well, it's cheap, and I don't buy it in the 55 gallon drums at Costco, so I doubt I'll waste much of it.
sadaist
02-01-2009, 05:18 AM
Here are some more excellent products made in the USA.
http://www.pennreels.com/
http://www.remington.com/
http://www.smith-wesson.com
http://www.collingsguitars.com
http://www.taylorguitars.com (from my Hometown)
Nickdfresh
02-01-2009, 09:16 AM
Started a thread identical to this, so I'm folding them together...
sadaist
02-01-2009, 11:57 AM
Started a thread identical to this, so I'm folding them together...
Sweet. That's an awesome thing you guys can do now.
Nickdfresh
02-01-2009, 12:04 PM
It's nice to finally have the vBulletin control panel...
sadaist
02-02-2009, 07:17 PM
I had to buy some light bulbs today at Home Depot. All brands offered were made in China :(
twonabomber
02-02-2009, 07:21 PM
GE had a couple light bulb plants locally but they closed the last one last year.
sadaist
02-03-2009, 04:04 PM
I was in a 99-cent store this weekend and saw some sponges made in the USA.
That's the type of stuff I'm looking for. Sure there are Craftsman tools, Buck Knives, Smith & Wesson guns, etc...made in the USA, but if an American wants to make any sort of impact it's the everyday products we should be looking for. Sponges, light bulbs, batteries, detergent, shampoo, razors, film, ink pens, clothing, dvd's, beer...
blonddgirl777
02-06-2009, 09:21 PM
At our local convenient store, I saw those "magic gloves" for $1.00. made in Canada. Only the quality was so much better than the ones at Dollarama!
We're slowly gettin' there...
sadaist
02-20-2009, 04:31 PM
Bought a package of new Fender volume/tone knobs today at Guitar Center...MADE IN USA!
Just shows that the US is still the best place for an old fashioned knobber.
katie
02-20-2009, 06:46 PM
I was at Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomePageView?storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1&orig_ref=blockedReferrer) last week, and noticed a lot of their stuff were quality goods that were Made in the USA!
Goddamn if I wasn't all excited and giddy and shit!!
Seriously, I like finding stuff Made in Canada, or on the other side of the border even. But it was really nice to find stuff made here for a change, and not in The Peoples' Republic of China...
http://www.bayareanewdemocrats.org/img/flag.jpg
,
sadaist
02-20-2009, 09:08 PM
http://www.bayareanewdemocrats.org/img/flag.jpg
Fucking ouch!
katie
02-21-2009, 06:08 AM
my pleasure,
Diamondjimi
02-21-2009, 02:48 PM
Made in England
http://mexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bad-teeth.jpg
LoungeMachine
02-21-2009, 02:51 PM
Made in England
http://mexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bad-teeth.jpg
Please refrain from posting personal pics of katie in this forum.
I dont need any more PM's from her whining about it.
:gulp:
Nickdfresh
02-21-2009, 07:42 PM
my pleasure,
Thanks Shaun/113...
How's that bid to desperately seek attention you so lack in real, everyday life on the internet working out for you?
hideyoursheep
02-22-2009, 06:00 AM
Please refrain from posting personal pics of katie in this forum.
I dont need any more PM's from her whining about it.
:gulp:
But she loves it!
Hi
My name is Katie
I like taking the piss out of some of your self important oap members on this site.
My fav VH member is Sammy Hager and I like the color purple.
X
katie has so many teeth missing, that it looks like her tongue is in jail!
Right, honey?:hee:
Panamark
02-22-2009, 06:14 AM
As an outsider who frequents the US...
Have to agree with all these posts.
US made, is good stuff, from guns to guitars
to tools to cars to bikes (the mighty Harley)
It all fucking Rocks !
Even your clothes are great (and cheap)
although Im not sure they are still US made ??
Is stuff like Old Navy and J Crew still
US made ?? Man, walk into those places with $50
bucks and you have enough shirts and sweaters
to last many moons...
hideyoursheep
02-22-2009, 06:27 AM
As an outsider who frequents the US...
Have to agree with all these posts.
US made, is good stuff, from guns to guitars
to tools to cars to bikes (the mighty Harley)
It all fucking Rocks !
Even your clothes are great (and cheap)
although Im not sure they are still US made ??
Is stuff like Old Navy and J Crew still
US made ?? Man, walk into those places with $50
bucks and you have enough shirts and sweaters
to last many moons...
It's disappearing very quickly....Last time I remember seeing US made Levi's was 1983...about 36 bucks....now, made in Honduras or some fucking where, still about 35 bucks.
When GM started modeling the new GTO's after the Australian car, I knew they ran out of good ideas themselves.
sadaist
02-22-2009, 06:46 AM
Is stuff like Old Navy and J Crew still
US made ?? Man, walk into those places with $50
bucks and you have enough shirts and sweaters
to last many moons...
Old Navy is cool. I go there for my comfy / sit around the house clothes. Pajama pants, sweats, shorts & T's...but it says made in Mexico. A lot of clothes are made in Pakistan now too.
I'm seeing a trend that we still make the high quality stuff that you buy one or two of, but not the mass produced stuff. And definitely NO electronics. Mostly Taiwan & Japan.
Nickdfresh
02-22-2009, 09:06 AM
...
When GM started modeling the new GTO's after the Australian car, I knew they ran out of good ideas themselves.
I would argue the opposite. Holden's are great cars. It is in fact GM's, and Ford's, lack of foresight by ignoring the domestic US small car market and some of the great products they had abroad for most of the 1990s that has damaged them severally...
From a purist driver point of view, the GTO was lackluster; but the Pontiac G8 is a great car that rivals any of that overrated BMW stuff and the beautifully styled (but VERY unreliable junk) that Mercedes pimps...
hideyoursheep
02-22-2009, 09:20 AM
Nick, it would have been more of a sign that GM still had some brains if they didn't take the Holden and slap a GTO badge on it, you know what I mean?
The best they could do to bring back an icon was to recycle a car already being made?
It still doesn't deserve the badge.
The G8 I know nothing about.
But I do know this...
Every used GTP I looked at had some sort of problem with the supercharger or head gasket...I stopped looking after the 3rd consecutive "problem".
Don't know why GM loves those 3.8 engines...they are in everything...including the newer (cough) Chevy Impala SS. Bad idea, I thought.
Nickdfresh
02-22-2009, 02:38 PM
Nick, it would have been more of a sign that GM still had some brains if they didn't take the Holden and slap a GTO badge on it, you know what I mean?
The best they could do to bring back an icon was to recycle a car already being made?
It still doesn't deserve the badge.
The G8 I know nothing about.
But I do know this...
Every used GTP I looked at had some sort of problem with the supercharger or head gasket...I stopped looking after the 3rd consecutive "problem".
Don't know why GM loves those 3.8 engines...they are in everything...including the newer (cough) Chevy Impala SS. Bad idea, I thought.
Um. "The 3800 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th century list, and is one of the most-produced engines in history. To date, over 25 million have been produced."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine
Um, the Series II 3800 engine is one of the best engines ever conceived --absolutely bulletproof as an engine. I had one (Buick LeSabre) with over 180,000 miles on it as a winter car. The thing used almost no oil and ran like a top....
The problem is the shitty gaskets they used on the last generation of Pontiacs using it. But they are getting rid of it...
LoungeMachine
02-22-2009, 02:45 PM
Um.
The thing used almost no oil and ran like a top....
..
It spun around in circles?
:gulp:
Nickdfresh
02-22-2009, 02:50 PM
It spun around in circles?
:gulp:
Only when the rudder was broken...
I think GM used the Holden for the GTO because it was cheaper than refitting a line for that car with a RWD.
twonabomber
02-22-2009, 04:15 PM
Don't know why GM loves those 3.8 engines...they are in everything...including the newer (cough) Chevy Impala SS. Bad idea, I thought.
Impala SS has been a FWD V8 for the last couple years.
I think GM used the Holden for the GTO because it was cheaper than refitting a line for that car with a RWD.
yup...development was already paid for.
Nickdfresh
02-22-2009, 04:20 PM
Incidentally, Holden is an Aussie company that GM bought in the 1930s. They're noted for making very nice V-8 powered RWD performance sedans with a cross between luxury and purist driving performance for the everyman...
hideyoursheep
02-23-2009, 05:57 AM
Um. "The 3800 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th century list, and is one of the most-produced engines in history. To date, over 25 million have been produced."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine
Um, the Series II 3800 engine is one of the best engines ever conceived --absolutely bulletproof as an engine. I had one (Buick LeSabre) with over 180,000 miles on it as a winter car. The thing used almost no oil and ran like a top....
The problem is the shitty gaskets they used on the last generation of Pontiacs using it. But they are getting rid of it...
Right. They've been using 3.8l for at least 20 years.
They are in everything. But the Impala SS? C'mon. Even the mid 90's SS are closer to what real car enthusiasts expected out of the SS than these beefed-up Cavaliers.
Alright, enough about SS models and GTO's...
You ever own any mid to late 80's model GM vehicles? I had 2. A 2.8 Camaro and a Buick GN. The paint seemed to almost wash off both of those cars.
The clear coat must have been water based. Then the primer would let the paint just fly off!
It's a shame, because I was a GM guy up until that time.
As far as the 3.8 being bulletproof? I don't know. Only one I ever had was in the GN, and I didn't keep it that long because of the paint.
Panamark
02-23-2009, 06:23 AM
Incidentally, Holden is an Aussie company that GM bought in the 1930s. They're noted for making very nice V-8 powered RWD performance sedans with a cross between luxury and purist driving performance for the everyman...
Wow ! Im totally impressed, I didnt think you guys would even know holden existed. They have some special vehicle divisions here in OZ that make some mighty tasty V8 supercars.. I bet I was conceived in a Holden ;)
Ford Australia also makes local models. (Including high performance V8's)
Actually I was surprised at the negative sentiment that Ford
has in the US ?? I thought Henry Ford was up there with Abe Lincoln ?
Maybe its just the crowd I hang with ?
The Pontiac you guys are referring to is known as the "Holden Monaro" in
OZ and that name has been used for the V8's going back to the
60's....
Since I was a little dude I've wanted a mustang, stingray corvette
or pontiac firebird lol.... Dont see many of them in Oz, yet you guys
must look at em like pieces of crap everywhere ??
I hear GAS is cheap at the moment.. Might be time to move to
the US for a good drive.... Fook the Saudis !!:biggrin:
Do I hear $20 a barrell ??? What about $15 to the gentleman in
the back row ??? What is it now $35 ??? heheheh
hideyoursheep
02-23-2009, 06:50 AM
The old Holden's look alot like our Chevy Novas!
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Panamark
02-23-2009, 06:59 AM
Fook !!
I wonder if the design came from the US or the other
way around ? Loved that model BTW....
hideyoursheep
02-23-2009, 07:16 AM
Impala SS has been a FWD V8 for the last couple years.
Because no one was interested in the 3.8 version.
Then they kept that same body style, and still no one is interested.
hideyoursheep
02-23-2009, 07:24 AM
Since I was a little dude I've wanted a mustang, stingray corvette
or pontiac firebird lol.... Dont see many of them in Oz, yet you guys
must look at em like pieces of crap everywhere ??
Actually, it doesn't look like the old Holden is too far from the Firebird...maybe a lateral move for you if you're wanting a 'Bird.
If you want an older classic 'Vette, don't get anything after '72.:)
Oz must have straight, flat, wide open roads like most in the states for you guy to have cars similar to what we have, yes?
Panamark
02-23-2009, 07:49 AM
Actually, it doesn't look like the old Holden is too far from the Firebird...maybe a lateral move for you if you're wanting a 'Bird.
If you want an older classic 'Vette, don't get anything after '72.:)
Oz must have straight, flat, wide open roads like most in the states for you guy to have cars similar to what we have, yes?
Yeah we have interstates ! But the best one if the highway that
runs from Darwin to the Centre of Australia.. No Speed Limit !
They used to hold cannonballl runs there (no shit) until too many
wealthy Japanese totalled their ferraris and lambo's !
But you can still drive unlimited speed there :)
I would say our suburban roads are thinner than
your suburban roads, but the highways and interstates
are comparable for sure....
You couldnt drive a hummer around the suburbs here.....
hideyoursheep
02-23-2009, 08:02 AM
Most people who have hummers can't drive or park 'em!
:biggrin:
Nickdfresh
02-23-2009, 08:59 AM
Wow ! Im totally impressed, I didnt think you guys would even know holden existed. They have some special vehicle divisions here in OZ that make some mighty tasty V8 supercars.. I bet I was conceived in a Holden ;)
Ford Australia also makes local models. (Including high performance V8's)
Actually I was surprised at the negative sentiment that Ford
has in the US ?? I thought Henry Ford was up there with Abe Lincoln ?
Maybe its just the crowd I hang with ?
...
Ford has a crappy reputation in the US (Fixed Or Repaired Daily - Found On side of Road Dead, etc) because they focused almost all their resources of the North American operations on selling shitty sport utility vehicles and trucks in an effort to increase revenue by higher sticker prices when gas was cheaper in the 1990s...
Ford's last really landmark, successful US car was the first generation Taurus that sold well and challenged the imports. After that, they sharked with bland, sometimes crappy products in cars such as the God-awful Tempo.
However, in the next two years, most people will not recognize Ford with all of their models changing to ones identical to their European division (the one that makes real money) and the new Hybrid Fusion is already winning accolades...
Nickdfresh
02-23-2009, 09:04 AM
Yeah we have interstates ! But the best one if the highway that
runs from Darwin to the Centre of Australia.. No Speed Limit !
They used to hold cannonballl runs there (no shit) until too many
wealthy Japanese totalled their ferraris and lambo's !
But you can still drive unlimited speed there :)
I would say our suburban roads are thinner than
your suburban roads, but the highways and interstates
are comparable for sure....
You couldnt drive a hummer around the suburbs here.....
I guess that explains why you guys use much, much thicker motor oil like 25W-70, which isn't really even sold here. :D
is stuff like old navy and j crew still
us made ??
no
proc
twonabomber
02-23-2009, 03:42 PM
Wow ! Im totally impressed, I didnt think you guys would even know holden existed. They have some special vehicle divisions here in OZ that make some mighty tasty V8 supercars.. I bet I was conceived in a Holden ;)
saw the Efigy anniversary/tribute/concept car at the Detroit show a couple years ago, that thing was bad ass.
i like the utes also, but i doubt if they will make it back stateside. they were considering a Pontiac G8 sport truck but it's been killed.
twonabomber
02-23-2009, 03:43 PM
You ever own any mid to late 80's model GM vehicles?
no, i owned three early to mid 80's GM vehicles, and two of those were enough to make me never want another GM ever again.
Nickdfresh
02-23-2009, 05:42 PM
I had an 81' Buick Skylark...
I was a great car in the snow and pretty basic. The 2.8L engine developed a rod-knock so I dumped it. But I don't blame the car, I didn't take real good care of it...
And I have to say that despite the fact it was old and looked like shit, the LeSabre 3800 was one of the cars I enjoyed driving the most, even more so than my SPEC V Nissan, which started using quite a bit of oil even though I used synthetic. I had it sold after I began to think the car was a test drive toy that was wrenched on before the motor was properly seated-in...
Ford has a crappy reputation in the US (Fixed Or Repaired Daily - Found On side of Road Dead, etc) because they focused almost all their resources of the North American operations on selling shitty sport utility vehicles and trucks in an effort to increase revenue by higher sticker prices when gas was cheaper in the 1990s...
Don't forget Fucking Old Rebuilt Dodge...
hideyoursheep
02-24-2009, 06:22 AM
Ford came out ahead of Toyota in quality rankings for 07- I don't know what you guys are talking about.
Nickdfresh
02-24-2009, 07:51 AM
Ford came out ahead of Toyota in quality rankings for 07- I don't know what you guys are talking about.
I already mentioned this, and it was in 2008 (for some cars at least) too...
I was just explaining why Ford's image in North America is far more tarnished in comparison to the rest of the world...
LoungeMachine
02-24-2009, 08:24 AM
I was just explaining why Ford's image in North America is far more tarnished in comparison to the rest of the world...
Constant mentioning of the BCE?
:gulp:
Nickdfresh
02-24-2009, 04:52 PM
Constant mentioning of the BCE?
:gulp:
I thought it was the inside job stuff...
Panamark
02-25-2009, 06:58 AM
Nick, I didnt know that about the oil...
Is it because it would freeze up in the colder
areas ? Twona, bad ass indeed !! Theres some
cool utes flying around Sydney. Another
thing learned for the day, I had no idea Americans
even knew what a ute was... The story I heard
was the original ute was an old FJ holden that
some farmer cut the back off and modified...
Almost every farmer (and many tradesmen)
have utes here.... Fords image is not as
tarnished here, but most believe the holden is
a better built car. I drove a taurus from
Dallas to Jackson, and I didnt like it much:ashamed:
That was not meant to be an insult, I just didnt
like that model. (and the fact that I was on the
wrong side of the road and the blinkers
kept turning on the windscreen wipers )
Also the fact that I was drunk and had just been stuck
on a plane for 20 hours probably didnt help my
assesment.... I drove some bad ass cars in your
fine country. You guys make some big mofo SUV's !!!
Panamark
02-25-2009, 07:19 AM
I had a big red V 8 convertible Mustang for a few days (late model)
that I ripped around hawaii in...... That was cool....
I know mustangs are everywhere over yonder,
but it was a childhood dream crossed off the list.....
I havent seen the same model in Oz that I drove.
Had some nice grunt behind it.. Felt like a 350.
(Rental Car)
Panamark
02-25-2009, 07:23 AM
no
proc
You guys dont realize how lucky you are with
clothing prices. First time in the US I was totally
shocked... Wish our clothes were as cheap....
Nickdfresh
02-25-2009, 09:23 AM
Nick, I didnt know that about the oil...
Is it because it would freeze up in the colder
areas ? Twona, bad ass indeed !! Theres some
cool utes flying around Sydney. Another
thing learned for the day, I had no idea Americans
even knew what a ute was... The story I heard
was the original ute was an old FJ holden that
some farmer cut the back off and modified...
Almost every farmer (and many tradesmen)
have utes here.... Fords image is not as
tarnished here, but most believe the holden is
a better built car. I drove a taurus from
Dallas to Jackson, and I didnt like it much:ashamed:
That was not meant to be an insult, I just didnt
like that model. (and the fact that I was on the
wrong side of the road and the blinkers
kept turning on the windscreen wipers )
Also the fact that I was drunk and had just been stuck
on a plane for 20 hours probably didnt help my
assesment.... I drove some bad ass cars in your
fine country. You guys make some big mofo SUV's !!!
The Ford Taurus you drove was actually a good (or bad) example from Ford of North America. I'm guessing it was the poorly thought out rebadging of the Ford 500 after they eliminated the older body style Tauruses that hadn't had a serious update in years...
However, Ford is about to make a huge upgrade with the new Taurus, and they're bringing back the SHO (Super High Output) with a 3.5L "Ectoboost" (turbocharged) engine that generates 365 horses.
Now, if only they would put a 6sp manual transmission in it...:(
http://blogcdn.webridestv.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ford-considers-sho-version-for-2010-taurus_16353_2.jpg
katie
02-26-2009, 07:08 PM
I was at Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomePageView?storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1&orig_ref=blockedReferrer) last week, and noticed a lot of their stuff were quality goods that were Made in the USA!
Goddamn if I wasn't all excited and giddy and shit!!
Seriously, I like finding stuff Made in Canada, or on the other side of the border even. But it was really nice to find stuff made here for a change, and not in The Peoples' Republic of China...
http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/customavatars/avatar6584_1.gifhttp://www.rotharmy.com/forums/customavatars/avatar6584_1.gifhttp://www.rotharmy.com/forums/customavatars/avatar6584_1.gifhttp://www.rotharmy.com/forums/customavatars/avatar6584_1.gif
http://images.google.co.uk/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://images1.cafepress.com/product/98314441v1_350x350_Front.jpg&usg=AFQjCNESMQm_GCabmRAtAH89tr4Rq_Xt6A
Nickdfresh
03-04-2009, 08:17 PM
http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/customavatars/avatar6584_1.gif
http://images.google.co.uk/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://images1.cafepress.com/product/98314441v1_350x350_Front.jpg&usg=AFQjCNESMQm_GCabmRAtAH89tr4Rq_Xt6A
So you love Johnny Depp, and black cock, from the USA?
sadaist
03-12-2009, 03:37 PM
Bic lighters. I don't think all of them are made here, but the ones I get from 7-11 have Made in the USA stamped on the side.
:( Today's Bic lighter purchase has "Made in France" stamped on the side. Looks like they have them manufactured in several places.
Kristy
03-12-2009, 04:01 PM
I though Craftsman Tools were made in the USA?
Only their mechanic sets are still US manufactured and they're not of the quality they used to be. Back when my father was still alive he believed in Craftsman tools (as well as SK). So did my grandfather who bought Craftsman tools from as way back as the early 1950's. "They are the shit" my dad would say to me only to have his heart broken by seeing a "Made in China" emblem stamped to the side of a miter saw.
Now I have thousands upon thousands of dollars of tools (both for wood and mechanic) that I'll never use that belonged to both of them sitting cold in my garage. I'm personally waiting for a Chinamen to make me an offer so I can sell them to him for twice to three times their valued worth.
:fufu:China
chefcraig
03-12-2009, 04:24 PM
Only their mechanic sets are still US manufactured and they're not of the quality they used to be. Back when my father was still alive he believed in Craftsman tools (as well as SK). So did my grandfather who bought Craftsman tools from as way back as the early 1950's. "They are the shit" my dad would say to me only to have his heart broken by seeing a "Made in China" emblem stamped to the side of a miter saw.
The merger between KMart and Sears has been proven to be an unmitigated disaster when it comes to quality. Rather than maintaining the standards of Sears, things have shifted to beneath KMart standards. I'm not kidding. You would simply not believe the cut rate crap that flooded both stores in the months after the agreement. Tape measures that would slice your fingers to pieces, screwdrivers that stripped at the slightest urging and tool boxes that wouldn't last three days on a job site.
It's genuinely appalling, as these mediocre/poor products have filled the shelves now that the Craftsman line has been reduced. Of course the Sears guarantee of lifetime replacement was often abused by careless consumers (the type that would return a non-dull pair of tin snips a week after purchase, leading to the product no longer being made by Craftsman) which greatly curbed sales in the first place. The result is diminished product availability, yet considering the economy and the fact that the people that make up a great deal of the sales for tools are unemployed, there is little alternative at this point.
Kristy
03-12-2009, 05:18 PM
K Fart always struck me as selling its soul to the lowest bidder in order to maintain those comical "Blue Light Specials" they used to throw back when I was a kid. My mom used to shop there all the time for both me and sister not because the products were of quality but just that they were cheap. K Fart built its empire of chains on being cheap. Nowadays it's just sad - I was in one oh, about three weeks ago to buy a USB cable for my laptop (hey, it was on the way home) and the first thing I noticed when walking into that sterile Soviet-style warehouse Xerox-copied Wal-Mart "Superstore" was how vacant it was. It was like America's economy metaphor taking place right before my eyes. Little evidence of employees (or any kind of help) and the ones I did see had the most forlorn faces trying to smile through their button-plastered red vest (probably also made in China) waiting for their minimum wage Zoloft pay to kick in.
As for finding a good percentage of products made in the USA collecting dust on their shelves you can forget it. Yeah, I know being a woman I purport the stereotype and shop around for a deal but all that was in there could only be described plastified junk from Mp3 players to patio furniture again, all bitch slapped with a 'Made in China" sticker somewhere on the back of the product (and I thought the shit they sold in Macys was bad). I had to leave because the place was depressing me so much. I can probably safely say me and K Fart won't be crossing paths again.
hideyoursheep
03-14-2009, 07:55 AM
:fufu:China
What kind of car do you drive?
Just curious...
hideyoursheep
03-14-2009, 07:58 AM
K Fart always struck me as selling its soul to the lowest bidder in order to maintain those comical "Blue Light Specials" they used to throw back when I was a kid. My mom used to shop there all the time for both me and sister not because the products were of quality but just that they were cheap. K Fart built its empire of chains on being cheap. Nowadays it's just sad - I was in one oh, about three weeks ago to buy a USB cable for my laptop (hey, it was on the way home) and the first thing I noticed when walking into that sterile Soviet-style warehouse Xerox-copied Wal-Mart "Superstore" was how vacant it was. It was like America's economy metaphor taking place right before my eyes. Little evidence of employees (or any kind of help) and the ones I did see had the most forlorn faces trying to smile through their button-plastered red vest (probably also made in China) waiting for their minimum wage Zoloft pay to kick in.
.
Which one were you in again?
K Fart has the red vests. Wal Fart has the blue.
At least I think so. I avoid Wal Mart like the plague (which it is) and haven't been to the local K mart in years.
I will admit to going to Target on occasion though, and I'm reasonably sure everyone there wears a red shirt. Don't think they have vests.
katie
03-14-2009, 08:27 PM
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/239/517945992_6fb1d17d95.jpg?v=0
.
katie
03-14-2009, 08:28 PM
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1318/539349394_ee1168639d.jpg?v=0
Kristy
03-15-2009, 03:46 AM
What kind of car do you drive?
Just curious...
I drove a 1995 Ford Thunderbird for years until the maintenance started to outlast the mileage. Now I drive a pile of shit 2004 Mercedes SLK300 that I was suckered into buying (car was originally a lease). Think I had a even crappier Nissan somewhere between the two.
Nitro Express
03-19-2009, 10:44 AM
I haven't been in a Wal-Mart store for four years. I needed a new battery for a four wheeler and in Chicken Screw, Idaho where I was running on some sand dunes outside of town Wal-Mart had the monopoly on batteries in the area. Anyways I walk in the store and I get hit with this familiar smell I haven't smelled in years.
It was a musty and oily type smell. Where have I smelled this before. Then it hit me. It was the smell of the cheap markets in China. The whole fucking Wal-Mart store smelled like a cheap Chinese market.
Nitro Express
03-19-2009, 10:49 AM
I drove a 1995 Ford Thunderbird for years until the maintenance started to outlast the mileage. Now I drive a pile of shit 2004 Mercedes SLK300 that I was suckered into buying (car was originally a lease). Think I had a even crappier Nissan somewhere between the two.
My dad was a Mercedes man. He had a big 500 SEL and the 450 convertable. They were quality cars. My neighbor has one of those newer 300 Mercedes and I couldn't believe how shitty it was build and fit and finish wise.
The best car I ever had was a BMW 325. I drove that car forever.
Kristy
03-19-2009, 03:11 PM
Really? My car is a pile of shit. Paying close to $300 when a starter goes out is a bit ridiculous. The only upshot that I can find in owning it is that at least it's not an SUV.
sadaist
03-20-2009, 12:17 PM
Ugh...in my nearby area there is one Walmart, two Targets, and one Kmart. Walmart is always packed to the gills. Even at 3 am. I went into Kmart a few months back just to check what they had for sheet sets and it was exactly like you guys described....DEAD. I mean scary dead. I maybe saw one other shopper quietly perusing an aisle. Very quiet music piping through, no hustle bustle, no sounds of shopping carts, children, cash registers, etc....eerie to say the least. I remember it being like this about 3 years ago too when I last stopped in. How are they still open? I doubt they made enough in sales that day to even pay for the electricity. Even Montgomery Wards was like Disneyland with crowds compared to Kmart & look what happened to them.
As for Sears, it only seems that the people in there NOT shopping for tools are people browsing as they pass through because they happened to park at that end of the mall. On a personal note, I used to like Sears for shopping for fishing stuff while the woman I was with was spending forever in Macy's or something. Now they don't even sell fishing gear anymore.
sadaist
03-20-2009, 12:19 PM
Really? My car is a pile of shit. Paying close to $300 when a starter goes out is a bit ridiculous. The only upshot that I can find in owning it is that at least it's not an SUV.
Well, when your car is running well, it runs like no other. That's the big upside. But yeah, expensive as hell to maintain & repair.
chefcraig
03-20-2009, 01:29 PM
...I went into Kmart a few months back just to check what they had for sheet sets and it was exactly like you guys described....DEAD. I mean scary dead. I maybe saw one other shopper quietly perusing an aisle. Very quiet music piping through, no hustle bustle, no sounds of shopping carts, children, cash registers, etc....eerie to say the least. I remember it being like this about 3 years ago too when I last stopped in. How are they still open? I doubt they made enough in sales that day to even pay for the electricity.
KMart started instilling some questionable practices soon after the merger. For instance, the floor emplyees (including department heads) were required to unload the stock trucks each day. You guessed it, people who are to deal with the public all day would need to work first thing in the morning at the non-air conditioned oven known as the recieving department for a couple of hours. Once they'd worked up a miserable sweat, these same employees were expected to spend the rest of their shifts as if they felt pleasantly refreshed to take care of customers. And coincidentally, the once stringent safety rules requiring liftbelts for back support and certain types of shoes were suddenly erased.
The overnight crew was cut to a minumum of at times 2-3 people, who were to then fully stock all departments (except shoes, which was done by the department head). Long-time employess making wages a dollar or two above the norm were forced out by being made to work ridiculous shifts with unreasonable demands, and all employees were treated with little more than contempt bordering on outright harrassment by management. In turn, the managers themselves were supposed to meet absurdly unreachable standards, leading to an entire work-staff being reduced to a miserable crew of disenchanted and frustrated drones.
Rainman was correct, as KMart indeed sucks.
Nickdfresh
03-20-2009, 02:22 PM
Mercedes, and to a lessor extent BMWs, have quality control issues and routinely record below average reliability in Consumer Reports ratings giving them something of a "garage queen" reputation...
They're beautifully styled, but can be maintenance nightmares. I think the saying regarding overly complicated, German engineering is something to the affect that, "why would one make something that works perfectly well with four parts when you can use 16 parts?"
Even the Volkswagens, which are nice cars with very good fit-and-finish, have had "slugger" problems with their turbo engines requiring them to use synthetic oils...
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