On My Mind

North Pole. This week Santa’s Elves voted to organize and form a union, reacting in part to concerns that “The Boss in Red” might decide to...

Every month our elementary school sends home a newsletter that gives updates on all the activities at the school (including a lot of long-te...

The Woolrich, Inc. website has an inspiring Flash history of the company, from its early days in the 1830’s as a supplier of rugged, warm w...

For those of you who have noticed my absence from the blogosphere, my excuse is that I have been hip-deep in economics papers. Today I emerg...

We survived, but we are not the same . . .

Outside the small town of Pinehurst, North Carolina, the family-owned Pumpkin Creek Clothing Company manufactures and sells knit clothing. I...

This is an excerpt from a letter written by my friend's son, who is stationed in Afghanistan... October 25, 2005 So now that the deploym...

It’s Friday, so I’ll keep my sentences short. American manufacturing is on its own today, cuz what I’m thinking about is: WHAT T...

[Read the update on USA WORKS , February 22, 2006 ] [ Update: December 7, 2005: As of this date, Sapko, makers of USA Works Jeans, has not ...

Lots of sociologists are already studying the formation of “virtual communities” on the world wide web, so I don’t wish to tread on anyone m...

I recently had a “financial physical” with my financial advisor, Bob Tresley, who is very strict with me regarding my wasteful expenditures....

I was taken aback by an email I received recently, in which the writer assumed that I hated foreigners, so let me clarify. Being a supporter...

In a serendipitous trip along the www this morning, I discovered a wonderful website. David Morgan ( Bothell , WA ) is a retailer of mensw...

Life is busy, but that’s no excuse not to say “thank you.” So I told my son this weekend after his birthday party. (And yes, we survived a s...

Nothing indicates momentum like a full-page advertisement in a major daily newspaper. Using that criterion, I conclude that U.S. automakers...

For some time, Wal-Mart has been trying to get into the banking business. If that scares you, tell the FDIC by signing this letter . As desc...

As a recovering marine biologist , I have a lot of repressed memories of field work in coastal marshes. Writing about Assateague Island br...

I’ve been very concerned about the state of U.S. auto manufacturers as they continue to lose dollars and market share, and shed jobs. The n...

Success at last! For weeks I have been looking for a quality journaling book made in USA . I struck out at a drug store, book store, arts a...

Because I buy American, I do a lot of shopping on-line and from catalogs. That means the UPS truck is at my house pretty often and I know my...

Like many Americans in the days after September 11, 2001 , I gave thought for the first time to emergency preparedness. I was not old enough...

The kids went off to school this morning and there's a cool feeling of fall in the air. Time to say farewell to summer. In many ways, it...

I don't pretend to be very knowledgeable about Labor history or the origins of Labor Day, but I plan to learn. The U.S. Dept. of Labor w...

Last week I visited Assateague Island , a barrier island off the coast of Maryland , to see the famous wild ponies and undeveloped beaches. ...

Thanks to Diane's comment and suggestion for temporary housing for families that have had lost everything from Hurricane Katrina. It tur...

The newspaper today is filled with stories about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The photographs online are perhaps the most helpful in ...

I promised some of my friends to start blogging so that I would stop filling their inboxes with news, so here goes. I was never very good ab...