banana peels and carrot peelings

According to Elaine's blog, the world's industrial powers are weakening their currencies relative to ours, so that we can afford to buy their goods.

This is similar to how Britain made cheap factory-made cotton cloth and sugar and sold it to Indians and Chinese in the time of Ghandi... which killed the domestic industrial base and jobs... causing riots and revolt against imperial Britain.

Sound familiar? Just like Japanese cars and Chinese walmart crap is destroying US industrial jobs... what value-added Things of lasting value do we make in this country now?

- lawyers?
- hedge funds?
- vinyl and plywood seas of housing?
- loans and securities made of bundled housing loans?
- fried chicken?
- starbucks and target every 2 miles?

Are these truly "assets"?

Have you bought an American-made anything lately?  T-shirts from Bangladesh and India, socks from Pakistan, polyester women's fashion shoes from China, Korean cars, Panasonic TVs, Samsung phones, Chinese "Haier" brand washer dryers... and what is America exporting besides jobs? Only commodities like coal and corn and beef. We do have to import that commodity called "oil".

We are becoming the 1930s India... the US is becoming a trade colony!

We are becoming what the Founding Fathers didn't wnat us to be... a colony of England and France... during the 1700s, during the 1900s...

On the other hand, you could say that food will become more valuable than cars and TVs in the long-run. However, we still need oil and gas and water to grow all our food, and the former is running out, which means...

As you may already know, bottled water sales are a huge scam. In the United States, we buy $15 Billion worth of Dasani, Aquafina, PureLife, etc every year, according to FastCompany's August 2007 issue. I intend to further highlight this issue, partially through the Think Outside the Bottle campaign.

The latest in diamond-encrusted-skullduggery is the $55 "Bling H20" water--now you too can drink the same water as Paris Hilton's dog does! Don't you feel lucky, to have this meaningful consumer "choice" in your life?

I told a guy in line at Safeway yesterday (he had a bottle of Aquafina from the checkout fridge) "did you know that's just tap water?"

He was surprised and said "no" so I let him know that Aquafina is just Bronx tap water--why pay for this when you get it for free from the tap? To which he replied, "Bronx tap water? No thanks." Just carry around a steel canteen, I said. I was empathetic, and let him know that I used to waste my money that way too. It is convenient, but what about public water fountains??! You shouldn't have to buy water from corporations--it's a human right. Isn't it? He felt stupid, but also better, realizing he'd save cash not buying more stupid bottled water.

Don't forget to pack your own water. Don't be a corporate dog.

Happy Friday!