MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL : BEAT UP AMERICAN FLAGS STILL FLYING OVER MADE IN THE USA CAR DEALERSHIPS

The Memorial Day weekend was glorious.


We decided to spend most of our time at home, but we were also hoping to visit a veteran we know who had recently been admitted to the closest VA hospital. Sadly, we were informed that he didn't want any visitors. Our friend is a senior citizen now and we had to respect his wishes that he only wanted his closest family near him. We knew he was depressed about his own condition as well as the condition of the United States and the younger veterans he was meeting there. We wished there were something we could say or do that could lift him out of the depression he's feeling.


So we decided to do something really old fashioned, something people used to do when gas prices were so low that fun meant cruising the boulevards, showing off your car, and meeting up with friends. We decided to drive around with nowhere in particular to go. We drove right up the boulevard where there are numerous car dealerships in our town, and what we saw were a lot of shiny, bright, new cars, each with two small new American flags attached to the front doors, and a big flag blowing in the wonderful breeze, faded and torn to shreds, not because it had made it through a historic battle, but because WHEN IT COMES TO USING THE AMERICAN FLAG TO MARKET CARS the flags are new, but when it comes to hoisting a flag that is the symbol of our country, of which we are proud, a flag we salute, there's apparently nothing wrong with shabby.

WE HAD TO WONDER IF THE DEALERSHIP EVEN TAKES IT DOWN EACH NIGHT the way public libraries do, for if anyone did that, surely they would notice it's faded and shredded. At our local public library an employee who is slow is assigned to raise and take down the flag each day, and he does so with reverence and proper folding technique so how difficult can it be?


Later we talked some young veterans who had noticed that same flag. One was of Mexican American background and the other of Armenian American background. They both said how sad that was and put down greed and materialism.


We would rather companies who do not respect our flag NOT FLY IT!
And we sincerely hope the next flag they raise will not be that of China!

NOWS THE TIME TO PLAN A PATRIOTIC PARTY! 4TH OF JULY? THE ELECTIONS?

It's not too soon to host a PATRIOTIC PARTY. Fouth of July is the obvious choice, but you might also want to think about election parties, President's Day, or, well YOU DON'T NEED AN EXCUSE TO THROW A PATRIOTIC PARTY, especially not for the kids.

HERE IS THE CHALLENGE!

Everything you serve, everything you use to serve, everything you use to decorate, everything from the TP and the GUEST TOWELS IN THE BATHROOM to the GRILL, OVEN, or MICROWAVE must be MADE IN THE USA - even if it's VINTAGE!

More, all guests should be advised that they need to wear clothes and shoes and hats MADE IN THE USA - even it it's VINTAGE!

We went shopping to a variety of dollar themed stores in our area from chains to independents and we know you can find CHEAP PARTY DECORATIONS that aren't made here...

Tempting to buy them, but then what do you do after? Usually throw away all that paper and plastic to fill our landfills where, covered with earth, it will take them years - even hundreds of years - to deteriorate. You're throwing away your time, energy, effort, and making more expense ultimately for yourself by doing so.

Look through what you already have, or go thrift shopping! We found mugs from the last Presidential Election at a thrift store for both Democrats and Republicans!

YOUR BUYING POWER : EVERY PURCHASE IS A DECISION TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR VALUES ARE!

We are watching the Presidential Candidates these days, trying to decide who to vote for.  For us it's not an easy decision, since we probably won't vote a straight ticket for either Democrats or Republicans or any other party.  We know what values matter to us and we're looking for the candidates that seem to reflect those values.  So far no one person is coming into focus for us as the person to vote for.  The economy is a major issue.  We don't think that anyone who is elected will bring us out of this shattered economy which took years to ruin.  Any promises to do so are going in one ear and out the other here.


We feel, as many of you do, a bit helpless.  We know that we cannot expect any elected government officials or leaders to do it for us.  We know that the ECONOMIC POWER WE HAVE IS BUYING POWER.  What little money we may have, how we spend it is all important, because when we spend, we stand behind not only products and services, but MADE IN THE USA - jobs in manufacturing and all else.  When we as citizens have employment,  we come closer to the ideal of independence.  No one really wants to depend on society - the government - for food, shelter, and clothing,  even health care, education should not have to be public, but that is our default, because these days few can afford that much independence.


How are you feeling about the Presidential Candidates?

CANADA GETTING RID OF THEIR PENNY : ROUNDING PRICES UP

Canada decided it costs too much to make a penny - more than it's worth, and recently announced it will be getting ready of the penny.  We wonder if the United States will follow.  Canada will alllow the pennies ini circulation to keep circulating but prices will "round up."  As one of our friends said, "It should be round down."

ONE IN SEVEN AMERICANS USING GOVERNMENT HELP TO EAT ENOUGH FOOD!

Food coupons, stamps, EBT, or CALFRESH... no matter what you call it, ONE IN SEVEN AMERICANS QUALIFIES TO HAVE GOVERNMENT HELP TO BUY ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT!

Yes, you can qualify for this help even though you have a job. Considerations include the number of people in the family, how much you pay for rent, mortgage, utilities, and what assets you have. There's been a lot of advertising to make people aware that they are eligible. Some will not want to reveal their personal finances to a government agency and sign under penalties of perjury!

YOU MAY WANT TO GO TO A LOCAL FOODBANK RATHER THAN GET EBT. At some foodbanks a lot of questions will be asked of you during "intake" and information you give may still be reported to the government. Others only care that you're a human being and have need.

Meanwhile, we can't help but notice and be shocked by the higher prices of food, which might or might not be linked with the high price of gasoline and fuels for transporting produce and other food items.

We recently had to walk out of a chicken fast food place when we saw that the prices were up easily a dollar per menu item. We then went to a burger place where the burgers with the fries and drink were also all up by a buck. ate there.

1940 CENSUS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES TODAY! LINK THERE NOW!

We learn so much from census and this promo gives us such a sense of the past. Today the National Archives releases the images to us digitally on the Internet. Thousands of people will hit the site, which goes up at 9 AM Eastern Standard Time, today. Watching this video we see how economic issues were of great concern then as they are today...

WE THE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE CENSUS IN MORE WAY THAN ONE. OUR TAX MONEY PAYS FOR IT TO BE TAKEN AND OUR TAX MONEY HAS PAID FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION TO US TODAY.

Have a look!

The direct link to the images is at the title of this post! Click!

COMING UP : 1940 CENSUS!

No money to go out? Maybe it's time to gather the family together and do a family history project... With all the technology available, it's easy to share within the family precious photographs.

You can come up with some fun art projects for the children using color copies or print outs of those photos. This is the time to also look at the old home videos that you haven't seen in years.

Why not do that along with making up Easter baskets or Passover projects?

ABE LINCOLN MAZE

This maze is from Dover Publishing. Use of images for non-profit sites.

BUY AMERICAN : BUY TRUFFLES!

Susan Rice Alexander is the owner of Susan Rice Truffles in Vass, North Carolina. "After purchasing a 90-acre farm from an elderly woman eight years ago, Alexander knew she wanted to do something unique with the land. Over the course of a few years, she gradually expanded the farm to 200-acres and decided she wanted to grow truffles."

PARKING

Dover Free Use Images (for nonprofit sites only)

A DOLLAR A DAY SAVES THE USA :TAP

TAP NONPROFIT FOCUSES ON GETTING AMERICANS TO BUY AMERICAN!

Mark Bloome, a Seattle philanthropist, is head of a nonprofit organization called TAP America, which says it wants to strengthen the country by having consumers buy more American-made products. An article is linked from the LA Times... They have a certification process for products...

MADE IN CHINA AUTOS FOR THE CHINESE : CHINESE GOVERNMENT POLICY!

So, do you think China would want to buy some cars made in the United States for goverment use? Heck no!

Read the full article from Fox news at the link above!

And then go buy yourself a Made in the USA automobile...

We'll watch the price of gas go up up up in the mean time!

THE FOCUS OF THIS BLOG IS PERMANENT ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN THE UNITED STATES

This blog has a primary focus and that is the recovery of the United States Economy, and not just a temporary economy but a permanent one. It is neither a pro Republican party politics or Pro Democratic party politics blog. We put recovery in your pocket. You can do this by buying as much MADE IN THE USA product as you can afford to do.

This isn't easy for everyone. We know just from shopping labels about labels that can lie. Some manufacturers are so eager to fly the American flag on their products that they will print one and hope you don't look at the fine print.

Have you ever looked at the fine print and noticed a statement such as "Assembled in China with American parts?

Think about it!

HAPPY VALENTINES TO OUR ECONOMIC WARRIORS

Through the many wars the United States has entered into, beginning with the war for Independence from Britian, courageous men and women have fought for a cause. Today we salute them, and their loved ones- families and friends - who have stood in support of them. Will it always be that it takes war to keep a nation free?

This blog is about an economic war that we must fight to keep our families intact and our country true to the Founding Parent's ideals.