Eating my words.... More than before, I see stuff made here in the USA. Funny how that works. I still take pictures, and still marvel at the way things get to me, but I guess the tide is changing....GOOD!

Even Walmart

Wow, Walmart cups that were 10 cents a pack? How could they make this in the US. I found a bunch of stuff luike this, perhaps the tide is changing?

An entire section at the store dedicated to organic veggies and fruit in the frozen. Ever single one had the label in the bottom pic here: Product of China.

Nice!!

And look, old evidence that organic food has been coming 10000 miles...

Wheel of Fortune

I remember what I used to marvel at when I was a kid. I used to watch Wheel of Fortune to see people getting down to 1 letter missing, then get the puzzle wrong. Well, modern times have arrived. And now, Wheel of Fortune dubs itself "America's Game." So I thought about it, and it does seem to embody much of what America stands for:
-Greed
-Stupidity
-Vanity

Every time they get it wrong, or buy a "U" that isn't there, I realize that I may be a bit different. Umm, that's ok with me.

Designed in California

The latest phenomenon is to proudly announce that something is designed in the US, but made in China. I observed this with the iPhone I bought 1 year ago, but just thought of it now after starting to see other products marked the same.

So now what do they think? How is that different from the old labeling? Duh, everything decent is designed here....

Aaah, Black Friday

Another year, another list of shit that the big-box retailers are selling for "bargains". Look around and you'll find that the things you want are on sale, but that the "doorbusters" are typically no-name brands, old merchandise, or things you really wouldn't want to or need to wake up at 2am to get. Stories about people sitting in lawn chairs all night make me wonder where priorities are these days. Its no wonder that people can't get their financial act together when they are waiting outside walmart at 3am for a fuckin fake hamster or westinghouse tv. Just can't get in line quick enought for interest payments on those credit cards, can ya?

Anyways, I have done Black Friday before and I do understand how it can be so appealing. But things level out (or fall), Amazon.com always has better deals, and I doubt that buying DVDs at 5am really helps the economy. All we really get is a bunch of people wiht more debt and useless gifts.

Ho Ho Ho, here is your gift: Stop spending money on worthless shit from China.

Total Bullshit Coins

This has been building for a while, and I wish I posted it before. I am a self-proclaimed coin expert, collecting and studying them when I was a kid. There NEVER was an advertisement in public for any sort of coin in the past, but now they are all over the place. The problem is... companies selling them are complete scams artists selling bullshit fakes (called "tributes") that are stamped out in China no doubt. When you see the "New York Mint", the "National Collectors Mint", or any other outfit selling these things, RUN!! The only real mints are the US Mints in Philly, Denver, and San Franciso. Period. Why would you pay 20 bucks for something that is 100% worthless? They use the terms "24-karat gold blah blah blah" then have "clad" as the last word in the sentence. Clad mean "mixture of metals", so essentially they are worthless.

The other thing I see with coins is some outfits selling "rare" silver dollars, found in a "horde" that was discovered recently. BULLSHIT. Morgan dollars are plentiful, almost always found in near-mint condition, and always have been. They sell 1921 Morgans, which is the year they made by far the most ever produced. Yes, they are silver, but an ounce of silver is worth 10-12 bucks, and to sell these coins for 30 or 40 is a ripoff.

In case this entices you, National Collector's Mint also sells other shit at 75% more than it is worth. Sounds great, huh? Must work well for people who are watching TV at 3am....