The end of woodworking in America, does anyone care?

[ballvalve]

Actually, the World trade Org and the American version both filed huge fines on china and Vietnam for bedroom and living room furniture for dumping. Unfortunately, it took 6 or 7 years of government babble, by which time our industrialists gave up on the insults, retired and auctioned off their machines.

Canada makes great stuff, but face the same problems as us.

As to Africa, they take boatloads of our old motel and hotel furniture that get removed by "chain" hotel laws every 5 to 7 years, and since there are no more independants to take them, they go to the third world. We dump our good junk on them.

And the boats are lining up for containers, because all the chains have mandated FLAT SCREEN, thin tv's, which means MILLIONS of "entertainment centers" are to be trashed and all the 150 pound glass TV's with them. It's quite a big issue in the industry.

And a disaster for the enviroment.

[Ian Gills]

And a disaster for the enviroment.

Well, filthy Americans and their large cars have been heating up the Earth's atmosphere for decades. Americans are threatening the very existence of the polar bear and several small island states will drown.

A few old TVs in a landfill is nothing compared to that.

It's 34 degrees in DC today. And it's winter!

Canada makes great stuff, but face the same problems as us.

Good point, and just like I wouldn't buy an American car, I wouldn't buy a Canadian one either.

http://conquestvehicles.com/

[Cookie]

Now are we filthy Americans throwing out old tv's as in, old tubes with old capacitors? If so, some Diodes are collectables.

[ballvalve]

California tacks on 10 bucks to electronics for a fund and a factory to safely re-utilize the materials.

Most of it goes to China where kids beat them with hammers, get lead poisoning, make toys and beads out of the solder, and re-poison the American children. Great system.

'Filthy' America heated the atmosphere with the gunfire from carbines, torches that built the Liberty ships, and huge airships that torched the Germans intent on making England a past tense nation. A lot of that blood spilled by my great uncles in Normandy probably killed a few polar bears from the heat also.

We did only what Russia and China start to do now, and certainly would have done sooner given the chance, but on a much grander scale.

[Ian Gills]

Then please stop now and start doing something that you might be good at.

Services is one thing. Hairdressers and plumbers.

Then we can start with green jobs. Skilled manufacturing, building wind turbines and the such. To do that we need to tax dirty energy. That means $5/gallon gas. And I would be willing to pay that.

And we can also start start fixing America's crumbling infrastructure which, unlike British infrastructure, was never built to last because :a) you were too cheap; and, b) not clever enough to build it right. Here, the bridges, levees, roads, sewers and power grids were only built to last 50 years and they are all falling apart. It's a disgrace and fast becoming like living in the Third World. But "who pays?", I hear you all whine. WE DO. With higher taxes and a bigger Federal Government because the pesky States aren't man enough for the task.

So pay up, or shut up. We need a Federal solution to America's woes.

[ballvalve]

To solve the worlds woes, we need BIRTH CONTROL. Tax the third child like motorhomes and boats and yachts.

Put it in the water, mist it over India and Haiti and China, and magically in 80 years we will have a sustainable earth.

Without it, humans are certain to bring about their total destruction, no matter if I drive a stretch limo to the hardware store.

[Cookie]

You talk about being poor, do not go into the hairdressing field unless, you want to be. I was given numerous scholarships in high school, one was for hairdressing, I got my license before I was graduated from high school at age 16. I tried it since, it is a family trade, somewhat. This sustained me while in college, but, I wouldn't recommend it, lol. I lived on rice. Oh, I tried to explain this to my son's girlfriend, but she wouldn't listen, now she is in back in college. Oh, It tried... no money in that field my friend. Not a very good trade to learn, when times are bad, people just put that bowl on their head, Studying plumbing. Study electrical. Study computers.

By the way, if you are happily willing to pay 5 bucks a gallon, God bless you, because I am not. My sons applied for college near my home and couldn't get in because no seats was available. And, why weren't they available? Many kids came from other countries and filled them up. Not good. That was okay, but it cost me more to send them to another college, a missionary college, instead of state. Kids from other countries paid nothing there, lol. Meanwhile, I paid and paid and paid. We need less people from other countries here Ian, taking jobs, etc, just the way it is.

Then please stop now and start doing something that you might be good at.

Services is one thing. Hairdressers and plumbers.

Then we can start with green jobs. Skilled manufacturing, building wind turbines and the such. To do that we need to tax dirty energy. That means $5/gallon gas. And I would be willing to pay that.

And we can also start start fixing America's crumbling infrastructure which, unlike British infrastructure, was never built to last because :a) you were too cheap; and, b) not clever enough to build it right. Here, the bridges, levees, roads, sewers and power grids were only built to last 50 years and they are all falling apart. It's a disgrace and fast becoming like living in the Third World. But "who pays?", I hear you all whine. WE DO. With higher taxes and a bigger Federal Government because the pesky States aren't man enough for the task.

So pay up, or shut up. We need a Federal solution to America's woes.

[Ian Gills]

We can't tax birth because then only the rich could afford to have kids.

While that may fit neatly with American "values", just what will you do with those that can't pay? Fine them like the Chinese?

I say tax em, but just the Californians who seem unable to live within their means.

As far as kicking out the foreigners, America needs the cheap labor and the skills that foreign people bring. In fact, the country is too big for the meesly 300 million odd people that live here. We need more people living in America, to pay taxes and fix up the roads that continue to badly batter my truck.....in the Nation's Capital!

Bigger Government, more taxes, more immigrants, open the gates. That is what America needs.

And ban guns.

I could fix this country in a blink. But one or two Conservatives might get a bit itchy.

It all comes down to whether you value your values more than your pocket book.

I say the wallet beats the church, every time. If in doubt, ask a hungry man. You won't need to look too hard since at my last count the number of people on food stamps here was larger than the number in college!

I'm for freedom. Starting with allowing all gas stations to sell liqour, even on Sunday mornings.

[Cookie]

That is because all the seats are filled with others from other countries. Who can get an education unless, they were born not in the USA. Those students was supposed to get an education and then... go to their country to satisfy the needs there, but alas, they work at jobs here, in all walks of life, medical, education, etc. Which leads our unemployment rate skyrocketing for Americans and, putting a burden on our country in all shapes and forms. Those students eventually when making big bucks here, buy cars not made in the USA and drive on our roads & bridges which our taxes fix to your dissatifaction.

The key to birth control is simply, sex education in the schools since parents at home usually, cannot discuss the birds & the bees with them, until, they have already experimented. It is the same world wide. No matter where you go. Sadly, China, tries to control the birth population by seeking out a desired sex and doing away with the unwanted one.

We live in an imperfect world because humans will never be perfect and to warrant a perfect solution, a one-size fits all, is having your head in the clouds.

Doing what is right is a step in the right direction.

So far as selling booze everywhere, anywhere, any day of the week, is far from right. I was honest with both my sons about both sides of my family considering drinking; that the reason I am not invited to any family reunions is because they hold them at AA Meetings, and I don't drink and have no reason to be invited. I told them, that I hope they don't start for it is in the genes, just like any other disease. To sell booze everywhere, anywhere, any day of the week, would create hardships for even more trials & tribulations for those trying to get a handle on a problem which is misunderstood as only a character weakness. It is enough if you want a six-pack, a bottle of wine, or fire water, to be able to go get it widely enough as it is. It is insensitive and disrespectful to others who can live easier without it being pushed under their noses. Respect. The world needs more respect for others and their feelings.

I say the wallet beats the church, every time. If in doubt, ask a hungry man. You won't need to look too hard since at my last count the number of people on food stamps here was larger than the number in college!

I'm for freedom. Starting with allowing all gas stations to sell liqour, even on Sunday mornings.

[Ian Gills]

To sell booze everywhere, anywhere, any day of the week, would create hardships for even more trials & tribulations for those trying to get a handle on a problem which is misunderstood as only a character weakness.

Then, where is the freedom? And does limiting the sale help the problem you cite? Not really.

The education problem sounds more like one of funding. If only foreign students can afford to go to college here, then we really do have a problem.

Taxpayers should foot the bill for all American kids to go to college, regardless of their background. Kids from poorer parents should get more taxpayer support. Rich kids should get no taxpayer help.

Why should my opportunities in life depend on how well my parents have done?

And if I do well, then you do well when I pay more in taxes.

[Cookie]

You are confusing, good judgement with freedom. I guess according to the way you think, to that of, do you have a right to kill someone?

About education, their are many programs to fund it, to take loans and grants out, but the problem lies within, their being enough of room.

Who are those seats filled by?

I am curious, also, where exactly is the cut-off, which would imply when one is rich? Basicially, what you are describing involves stripping one of their rights to earn without being discriminated against. You are also, resting the ills and burden of society on those with wealth. Freedom is not freedom, if even, one person loses theirs in the process.

[ballvalve]

Come to California - Wine and beer all night and all week long. Right at the gas stations, like Europe.

I am not sure about hard liquor, perhaps until 2 am or so.

Several other states are in much deeper do-do than us. We have it all in ONE day - ski, swim, desert, waterfalls, forests, mushroom hunting, government lands by the size of virginia all around, marshes, rivers, and GOLD.

Actually I can do all that in a 3 hour radius. Try that in Wisconsin or Indiana. They'll come back.

And decent infrastructure, compared to Scotland, where 36,000 people are out of water for the next 2 weeks because of OLD PIPES. Looks like your European theories have a few holes, Ian.

[Ian Gills]

Well, those pipes are not buried that deep. And certainly not used to the climate change that is being felt as a result of American cars.

And at least the Government is fixing them now. Not just waiting for feepayers to foot the bill like here.

I do like California, and Californians. They are very friendly.

Nevertheless,

-- 30% of California’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
-- There are 687 high hazard dams in California.
-- 66% of California’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
-- California spends $2 billion less each year on highway maintenance and rehabilitation than is needed.

I say raise taxes and return California to its former splendor.

[Cookie]

Mothman maybe moved...
http://www.mothmanlives.com/

[Dunbar Plumbing]

You can get some SMOKIN' deals at IKEA on furniture. I don't care how many kids it took to build that entertainment center in china, or portugal. Hell who cares! I got it for $139.00 !!!