Bronze Markers and Plaques

A couple of years ago a good friend of mine passed away and he was memorialized by the Golf Course that he worked by a beautiful bronze marker that was placed near a tree that was planted in his honor. The marker had a picture of him on it and was such a nice thoughtful way to remember him.

Valley Monuments is a 100 year old foundry that now has a website, BronzeMarkersAndPlaques.com, where you can buy all kinds of Bronze Markers and Plaques. This family owned company offers guaranteed foundry-direct pricing and "Old World"-style craftsmanship of their bronze memorial, recognition, dedication, garden, commemorative and award plaques and bronze grave markers.

For something as important as a memorial marker, you need to rely on a company that has proven experience because bronze is one of the world's most durable and timeless metals and will be seen for hundreds of years by future generations.


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Check the labels

Received this from a friend - I like this idea!

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA .

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here - from a company in Cleveland OH !

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets....yep you guessed it Bounce was more money and made in Canada, the Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

So my challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!

Besides, you might save a little green in the process.

Stop buying from China ..........

We should have awakened a decade ago......

lets get with the program.... help our fellow Americans keep their jobs ... and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

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Virtual Networking

Visit me at this new networking site called Acobay. Show your stuff, promote your blog, and get paid!

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Black Friday for Hunters

Black Friday may have come and gone but Cyber Monday is tomorrow and I just had to tell you about the great deal that is being offered by Nikon Sport Optics, NikonProGear and NikonHunting.com. The Nikon BDC Slam Hunter's Package contains all of the following including a $50.00 Nikon ProGear Gift Card.

-ProStaff 3-9x40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle
-ProStaff Laser Rangefinder
-Silent Technology Rangefinder Case
-Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD

This great package offers a saving of almost $145.00 on high quality hunting equipment for the hunters in your life.

A couple of other great offers in addition to this great package, are the high-quality, rugged binoculars from Nikon Sport Optics. For a limited time only, get an extra $20 off on Nikon Action Extreme ATB 10x50 Binoculars! Plus, just for this promotion, Nikon and NikonProGear.com are expanding the Gift Card Promotion ($25 and $50 value) to include all of the following products – Nikon Monarch Binoculars, Trailblazer Binoculars, Nikon Action 10x50 Binoculars and ANY Nikon ATB Binoculars. Plus you can get special holiday prices on ProStaff Riflescopes, Nikon Monarch Rifle Scopes, Buckmasters and Omega Riflescopes! Be sure to check this out for all the Hunters on your Christmas Shopping List.



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Space Vehicles Made In Florida

The Space Shuttle Endeavour landed safely this afternoon in California and in the nature of this blog, I wanted to focus on the future of space flight and the effect on our economy. Thousands of jobs in Brevard County Florida and Houston Texas rely on the future of space flight. While I don't necessarily believe in the idea of going to Mars, I do believe that space travel is a worthwhile endeavor and it does benefit several communities and the people in those communities.

Benefits of space travel include according to Nasa.gov:

*Satellite technology that has resulted in cell phone for people nationwide.
*Vital Sign monitoring systems that have helped to save the lives of countless individuals recovering from heart attacks and other serious illnesses.
*Space Based Beacon location service has created a satellite based search and rescue system that has saved almost 13,000 people as of January 2002.

There are many more benefits that could be named but I think you should check them out for yourself. Just go to NASA's website, to check out all the information on upcoming space flights and the history of NASA.

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State of the Economy and American Manufacturers

The state of the current economy and the financial worries with the "Big 3" Auto Makers got me to thinking. A couple of years ago I found myself in serious financial troubles and I knew that the situation that I had gotten myself into wasn't one that was going to be easy for me to get out of. I really only had a couple of options and the one that I chose luckily turned out to be the best for me. I had gotten myself into a high interest car loan, had thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt and had creditors calling on a daily basis. The only option for me was to voluntary give up my car which is the same thing as a repossession and then file for bankruptcy. The first six months were very tough, but with less money coming off of my bottom line I was able to finally start saving and then get myself into a nice used car at a "Buy Here Pay Here" lot. After a year or so of paying on that loan, I was able to qualify for a loan for another vehicle that was much more dependable. The bottom line of this story is that maybe the "Big 3" need to hit rock bottom before they can realize their mistakes and learn how to live wiser and more efficiently. In my opinion, I truly believe that Ford will be ok because they have 2 really popular vehicles which are the F150 and the Mustang. The one that I worry about the most is Chevrolet because they have gotten so far away from who they are, that they sort of lost their identity. I don't think that saving the auto makers is the answer. In this case the answer may be just to let them try to correct their own mistakes. Unfortunately, in the process hundreds of thousands of people may lose their jobs. I think that if the government does bail them out they will not truly learn what they have done wrong and things will not really get any better. What do you think? Do you think this is the fall of some of our corporate giants?

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Automated Solutions for American Manufacturing

For companies who are manufacturing Items Made In The USA, here is a company that might actually be able to help you. SetpointUSA is an American Owned and Operated company that develops custom automated solutions that are designed to improve quality and productivity in the workplace.

Setpoint, which was founded in 1992, has seen significant growth over the years. Setpoint was recognized in the 1999 issue of Inc Magazine's 500 fastest growing companies in America and also included in Utah's top 100 fastest growing privately held companies. With over 15 years of experience in industrial automation, Setpoint can successfully design and build automated machinery for a large number of businesses in a wide variety of industries.

Just an example of some of the services that they can provide:
* Fully Automated Systems
* Equipment Upgrades and Re-Tooling
* Custom Automated Solutions
* Non Destructive Testing & Non Destructive Inspection
* Energetic & Explosive Devices Automation
* Robotic System Integration
* Automated Packaging Solutions

Setpoint relies on non destructive inspection and technology that are available for a wide variety of industries and parts. Setpoint combines x-ray inspection with electrical testing to provide proper equipment and testing environment for parts, all in one compact machine.


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Buy American On This Black Friday

As you are out shopping on this beautiful Black Friday morning, I hope that you will take an extra moment to take a look at the packaging to find Items That Are Made In The USA. During these tough economic times, it is even more important to buy those items to keep the money here in our Country. If you have been shopping today, let us know what you found that was Made In The USA.


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Asstistance for getting your company off the ground

Wouldn't it be great if there was an online toolbox that you could use to help get your business off the ground? Something that could help you see bottom line results FAST... Lean Manufacturing is provided by the Hands On Group and they can help you focus your business on the direction that your business should take. That could be Focus on Quality, Drive down Cost, Improve Service, etc. For manufacturing companies, the Hands On Group understands the problems that you are faced with and with 18 years of experience they can offer you those improved bottom line results that you are looking for. Lean Production is something that is needed in this economy in order to slash time to market and reduce total inventory, while improving cost, quality and delivery performance.

Years ago, I worked for a Japanese Company that produced automotive components. They believed strongly in the 5s principles of Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The Hands On Group delivers these principles in their online toolkit.

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Did you hear that?

That was the sound of a pin dropping because everyone is being so Quiet. Anyone have something that is Made In The USA that I should list here? C'mon there's got to be someone. Ok, enough begging. I'll be back with new posts tomorrow.

What do you like best?

Of the products that I have posted so far, what did you like best? What would you like to see more of? Looking for any suggestions that you can give me on how to better this blog.