Monthly Archives: February 2011

I was surprised to read in the Wall Street Journal that American manufacturing is just fine. In “The Truth About U.S. Manufacturing” (Feb 25, 2011) Mark J. Perry, professor of economics at the University of Michigan and visiting scholar at … Continue reading →

Lynn Deregowski (“The Cat’s Pajama’s“) sent me a heads-up about “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” a show currently playing at the Berkeley Rep. “Just thought you’d like to know,” she wrote in her email, “seeing it is … Continue reading →

Lawson Nickol is an American maverick. At a time when most American clothing is made offshore–including Levi Strauss & Co’s iconic jeans–Nickol’s All American Clothing Co lives up to its name. It’s absolutely, positively 100 percent Certified Made in the … Continue reading →

From U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: New unemployment insurance claims in January, 2011 (in a single month): 246,463 Total manufacturing jobs lost in January, 2011 (in a single month): 75,006 Total textile mills jobs lost in  January, 2011 (in a … Continue reading →

Weather reports say it may snow in San Francisco tomorrow. That hasn’t happened since 1976. We shall see. This morning the rooftops up and down the street were coated white with frost. The dog stayed curled up in its Michelle-purchased … Continue reading →

“No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar. ” ~Abraham Lincoln The rain has finally subsided. It’s a chilly, fog-shrouded Sunday morning. Snowed a couple of inches in the hills near Saratoga yesterday. For California, that’s newsworthy. … Continue reading →

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  –Charles Dickens * Oh let us love our occupations / Bless the squire and his relations, Live upon our daily rations / And always know our proper stations. … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, at the suggestion of my wise friend Anna, I sent a query off to the producers at ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. Since they had recently launched their “Made in America Challenge,” might they be … Continue reading →

How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin, How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in With gently smiling jaws!                          … Continue reading →

Don and I have never experienced a Valentine’s Day quite like this one. It’s certainly the first time we’ve ever discussed our country’s trade imbalance over dinner. I’ve never before brought findings by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic … Continue reading →