Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

I just finished reading a lengthy article
about the advantages of Compact Flourescant Lamps.

Interesting tidbit;
The average American home has 30+ lightbulbs !
( I didn't believe.... count 'em )

Tho Americans are gradually switching over to CFL's,
Americans don't MAKE CFL's !... not a one !

If China stops shipping, we're out of luck !

There's an old Polish joke about "losing the recipe to make icecubes"
At times I fear Americans will be the modern joke about
losing the recipe to manufacture anything !.


rj

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

RJ wrote:

Interesting tidbit;
The average American home has 30+ lightbulbs !
( I didn't believe.... count 'em )

That actually seems low to me. In another month or so I'll have 20
fluorescent tubes in my garage/shop alone.

Chris

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

RJ wrote:
I just finished reading a lengthy article
about the advantages of Compact Flourescant Lamps.

Interesting tidbit;
The average American home has 30+ lightbulbs !
( I didn't believe.... count 'em )

Tho Americans are gradually switching over to CFL's,
Americans don't MAKE CFL's !... not a one !

If China stops shipping, we're out of luck !

Jeeze! Adam Smith settled this hash in the 1770's.

American SHOULDN'T make CFLs - not if someone can do it better for the same
price or cheaper for the same quality. We should do what we do best and let
other countries do what they do best.

Both countries will prosper.

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

"HeyBub" wrote:

We should do what we do best and let
other countries do what they do best.

so what DO we do bets in the US now days?

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

wrote in message
...
"HeyBub" wrote:

We should do what we do best and let
other countries do what they do best.

so what DO we do bets in the US now days?

Bets, it seems. While you made a typo, you really hit one of my pet peeves.
We are more concerned about opening more gambling places than keeping real
skilled jobs in manufacturing. Instead of $25 - $30 an hour in a factory,
we'll settle for $9 working at a casino taking money from retired people.

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:06:50 -0500, wrote:

"HeyBub" wrote:

We should do what we do best and let
other countries do what they do best.

so what DO we do bets in the US now days?

our core competency is outsourcing to other countries

dickm

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

Instead of $25 - $30 an hour in a factory,
we'll settle for $9 working at a casino taking money from retired people.

Sorry abt the typo

But that was my point...... we can only export so many
jobs before we are left with nothing but service jobs.

Can an economy really exist based on nothing but
service jobs?

I cant think of ANYTHING that one buys now days that is
still made in the US.... except maybe my medicines
where they will not LET me buy cheaper versions made
abroad.

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

In article , Chris Friesen wrote:
RJ wrote:

Interesting tidbit;
The average American home has 30+ lightbulbs !
( I didn't believe.... count 'em )

That actually seems low to me. In another month or so I'll have 20
fluorescent tubes in my garage/shop alone.

If they're 4-footers, they will probably be made in USA or Canada.

- Don Klipstein )

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

In , wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote:

We should do what we do best and let
other countries do what they do best.

so what DO we do bets in the US now days?

1. Probably "war on drugs" rather than have either of two other options:

a) Have drug laws like USA had in 1900, when cocaine, marijuana and
opiates were legal.
b) Have drug laws like what, according to my highschool German teacher
said in 1978, Germany had then: Get caught with half a joint, spend 2
years in the joint.

2. Bloated healthcare costs.

3. Bloated legal system, legal costs and insurance costs.

4. Spend trillions on overseas military adventures.

5. Pork government spending of many kinds.

6, 7, 8, 9...

I think manufactured goods made in countries with less of this will cost
less.

- Don Klipstein )

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

In , wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

Instead of $25 - $30 an hour in a factory,
we'll settle for $9 working at a casino taking money from retired people.

Sorry abt the typo

But that was my point...... we can only export so many
jobs before we are left with nothing but service jobs.

Can an economy really exist based on nothing but
service jobs?

I cant think of ANYTHING that one buys now days that is
still made in the US.... except maybe my medicines
where they will not LET me buy cheaper versions made
abroad.

Some cars, especially some Toyotas! Then again, I doubt many cars sold
in USA have assembly and parts origin all in the same country.

Some lightbulbs, as in most "A19" (40, 60, 75, 100 watt "regular size")
of "Big 3" brands, and most 2-foot and 4-foot fluorescents of "Big 3"
brands. (Many are made in Canada also, and I have seen a GE A19 from
China late last year.)

I think plenty of refrigerators sold in USA are still made in USA, maybe
some air conditioners. Shipping from overseas gets expensive for bigger
heavier items.

Many building materials, some paper goods, and if you want to call
processing and packaging of food manufacturing plenty of that is done in
USA.

Snapper lawnmowers and Harley Davidson motorcycles last time I paid
attention...

- Don Klipstein )

Rambling about CFL's and American Manufacturing
 

Leading American exports are aircraft and entertainment (music, TV,
films).

As someone else mentioned-- medical and scientific research leads to
products like pharmaceuticals. And then there's computers. I'm
pretty sure that while Intel may manufacture overseas much of its
research is done here. Microsoft is still located in the U.S. and
will probably remain here unless Bill Gates finds a country to buy and
moves everything there.

America's not going out of business just yet. We're simply
specializing in higher-value-added products and services, and leaving
the low-tech manufacturing to others.

One more thing-- I've found that many of the CFLs I've bought in
dollar stores don't seem to have anywhere near the light output they
claim. But the bulbs from stores like Home Depot work just fine.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)