Morning coffee

[hiball3985]

Was at the local Ford dealer picking up a few screws for my truck and parked next to a brand new Mustang GT and it still had all the stickers and one was country of origin disclosure.  Had to turn back wasn't sure what I had caught a quick glance of. But yes there it was in bold letters next to transmission CHINA. About C@##^+*d my pants. Some other stuff was made in Mexico.

Zap-

It's sad but I can't say I'm surprised. Ford is building two engine plants in Mexico, Chevy and GMC pickups are built in Mexico and GM is talking about building there cars in China in the future. I think the whole global economy thing stinks..

[RICH MUISE]

I agree on the global economy stinking. Perhaps a bigger worry....what ever happened to the idea of keeping auto production in the US in case of need to transform to a wartime production? Remember when the Gov. had to bail Chrysler out because there was "no way they could let it not be there for war time production if needed".

[gasman826]

Now you stepped into it!!!!!  This country's citizens are so protected that manufacturing is more profitable off shore.  Now, much of this protection is righteous and good.  Worker protection, child protection, environmental protection, and on and on may be too much, may be too little.  But what makes me choke is that we a importing stuff that is produced with little or no human rights, no child labor laws, no EPA, no import tariffs (or at least no parity), and certainly no protection with import inspections!!!!!!  80% of what we are consuming would NOT be allowed to be produced in this country if US manufacturers violated these basic protections.  Why are we importing tomatoes that use chemicals in their production that the EPA has band.  Why are we importing goods made in less than sweat shops!!!!!!  Are you buying imported lead based painted toys for your grandchildren?  Welcome to the NEW economy!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for providing a platform for me to vent. 

[RICH MUISE]

Just a look at the envoirmental problems in China....smog, polution, etc....says exactly what your talking about.

[hiball3985]

There is also the other side of the coin. American consumers don't want to pay $2500 for an American made TV when you can get a Chinese made one for $500. just one example. Sometimes we are are own worst enemies 

[gasman826]

My point precisely!!!!  One, buy American takes on a real purpose.  Two, if off shore manufacturers are held to US manufacturers standards, the import TV would also be $2500!  If off shore manufacturers observed US worker rights and wages, EPA standards and processes, not using slave labor, child labor, etc, etc, same quality materials, shipping costs, import taxes, the import TV would actually cost more than $2500.  The other benefits to US manufacture are not only taxes paid but all the support industries...restaurants, transportation, lawn services, all the 'surplus money' spending.  Bigger government is getting less tax money from manufacturing and spin off support industries all the while getting bigger and spending more money.  The solution...more taxes from taxpayers who have less money from fewer and fewer jobs.  DUH!!!!!!!!!!!! 

One other downside, less payroll taxes relates directly to less FICA.  Who's paying Social Security and Medicare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hiball3985]

Yes and none of the off shore stuff is going to change any time soon and neither is the trade imbalances. We dug our selves a hole that will be very hard to get out of. I'll leave all my political comments out 

[Ford Blue blood]

Only comment is I buy American, read labels when grocery shopping and VOTE!

[RICH MUISE]

Well, looks like Amarillo is about to catch up on snow fall that's been light the past few years. Extreme blizzard warning for all of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles from early this evening to noon Monday. They're expecting 20 inches of snow and winds 30-50 with gusts up to 65. Expect 5 -10 foot snow drifts and zero visability!! Hmmm doesn't sound like it's gonna be too much fun out there for a few days.
In our neighborhood there are hundreds of old brittle elm trees, guessing at least 50-60 foot tall We had 3 of our our 5 topped a few years ago. One next to the house was 4 ft diameter at the base...we had that one taken out, and the 5th I had topped the previous year. We closed the street and I just let the limbs fall to the street. The 4 we had topped or removed cost us 2200, which is why so many in our neighborhood are not topped...very dangerous.
My next door neighbor has one that would reach our front porch if it fell the wrong way and probably the biggest in the neighborhood is 40 or 50 feet behind my garage, but it's healthy...not sure if that's good or bad...if the wind takes it, it'll probably fall over rather than break up like the 1/2 dead ones.
Yeah, I'm the guy who's always joking we don't have trees in Texas.
Good chance we'll be stuck in the house for a few days..hope the intenet doesn't go down.
One good thing about the wind along with the snow...if the snow isn't too wet it won't build up on house or garage roofs.

[RICH MUISE]

Bill....any news on your neighborhood? I see flooding in the Birminghan area in addition to the tornado 10 miles North of downtown yesterday.

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich the flooding was away from my place, Trussville.  They are in a valley between two ridges and catch it when totals are high.  Don't know about the tornado north of down town, have to call the house and see if the answering machine picks up.  If it does that means part of the house is still there!

I worry about you TX guys as that area has taken a beating the last couple of days, OK, AR, and parts of MO and TN as well.

Waiting for 6 - 8 inches of the white stuff here in southern WI.  Looks like the freezing rain will stay south.  Original forecast was for 1/4 - 1/2 freezing rain followed by snow.  We (in WI) will have the added benefit of 30 - 40 MPH winds.

Will be heading home on New Years day, have to wait until then to see if we have any issues at the house.

[Sandiaman]

Got 20 " here in NM. I'm on the east side of Sandia. It is a powder instead of the heavy snow. Lots of blowing snow with very high winds. Don't know if I can get out of the driveway yet.

[Sandiaman]

I-40 shut down from I-25 to Amarillo eastbound

[RICH MUISE]

We lucked out in Amarillo within the city limits, at least. 4 or 5 inches of powder is all. Lots of wind though. No getting out of the city very far in any direction...particularly towards New Mexico as sandiaman said

[Ford Blue blood]

Got a solid 6" with wind here in WI just north of Madison.

Called the house and the answering machine picked up so that means there is at least power and the phone line is still hooked up!  Only unknown is if there is any wind downed trees in the yard and that isn't high enough on the list to get the skivvies knotted up over.