Holiday Shopping Is Here - But Who Are YOU Buying From?

www.madeinusaforever.com

Hey everyone

I know, right?  Two blog posts in two weeks?  I haven't blogged this much all year, it seems... but hey, I've got a couple of minutes before I have to be at my next appointment, and what am I going to do... eat lunch?  Ha!!

So, my dad occasionally forwards me emails.  Yeah... he's turned into that guy.  Now, don't get me wrong - I don't get 50 emails per day with cute photos of dogs and "funny" videos and such (well, not 50...) Honestly, he's pretty selective about what he forwards around.  He's been on the receiving end of those email barrages, and he doesn't want to clog anyone's inbox with things they don't care about. 

He sent one recently that I think all of us ought to care about, though.  I didn't write it, so don't ding me for the language or spelling errors... but the sentiment is right-on-target in my book.  Oh, I may have added a couple links of my own into the text...

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods  - merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.




My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet atyour hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in
your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,
and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Ok, so I don't know that this is a "NEW" American tradition... in point of fact, Trish and I have always tried to buy American (and buy LOCAL) when it comes time to give a gift.  It's not easy - go into any Target, Wal-Mart, or other "Big-Box" store and you'll spend an hour searching the shelves to find an American-Made product... and make no mistake, when you do find one it'll probably be a little more expensive.  That extra money you spend buying a Cuisinart instead of a Sunbeam, however, is going to factory workers in this country - not factory workers in places like China or Taiwan.

I was glad to see that the emailer suggested supporting your local arts groups when thinking about giving LOCAL gifts.  When he forwarded this message, Dad made sure to mention that giving the gift of locally-produced films is another good idea - and you know, I couldn't agree more.  There are over twenty Oregon-Produced films in my Oregon Film and TV Market Amazon store, and several more locally-produced films available through other retail outlets. Giving your friends and family members a DVD this Christmas puts money in the pockets of people working in Oregon's film and TV industry, and allows them to produce that next feature and hire even more of your friends and neighbors for it.

One last note - You can still buy American when you shop online.  www.MadeInUSAForever.com has over 29,000 American-made products (many produced by small businesses around the country) that are ready to ship out anywhere in the country. 

Look, guys, it's the "season of giving." We want to make the holiday season bright for our friends and family, but we also feel a little more prone to help those who haven't been as successful or fortunate this year.  In some cases that means bringing cans of food to the food bank or dropping a couple coins in the Bell Ringer's kettle... but this year, you have the chance to keep someone employed - and maybe even create a few more jobs once the receipts are tallied.  It's certainly worth taking a couple extra minutes to think about where the product you're purchasing was made, and checking to see if there's a domestically - or locally - produced alternative.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

12 Posts of Christmas: Support Your Local Filmmaker Edition

(Sorry, James - I did it to you again!)

So, as I said in my first post in this series, I'm not a big believer in the commercial aspects of the holiday season... the sense of anxiety people work themselves into about having enough money to spend to get the "right" gift for someone, the debt, and the commercial frenzy are actually, in my opinion, directly counter to the whole point of the season (well, ok, not just my opinion... Big-daddy Phillips put a comment about this on his blog the other day as well!)

That being said, gifts are a part of the season. Contrary to what the retail sector (and CNBC) would have you believe, however, the point of giving gifts isn't to load up on more material possessions, or to "win" by giving people the most expensive/ impressive/ quantity of gifts. The point is to give those you love a token to remind them that they have a spot in your hear and in your thoughts. The best holiday gift doesn't have to be big or expensive - it just has to be something that speaks to the person you give it to, or speaks to you about the person you're giving it to.

So, as we enter into the last week before Christmas (sorry Hanukkites - I didn't get this up in time for that holiday. My bad...), I've got a few suggestions for gifts for your loved ones before the online shipping deadlines hit. Now, you might remember the last time I defaced poor Mr. Garner's poster for Support Your Local Gunfighter... the holidays are a perfect time to support the actors and filmmakers in your area. Jon Reiss on Huffington Post had some great ideas for how to support independent film during the holiday season - I'd like to add a couple more Portland-based options to his list, if I might.

Now, of course, I'd love for you to visit the Store section on HaroldPhillips.net and consider sharing one of the films you find there... but there have been some great films produced in Portland that I haven't been in, and you or your loved ones might find them interesting.

First off, one of the most successful family-oriented films to come out of Portland in recent years is Phil Branson's popular movie Trainmaster. It's a great family film (featuring some fine local actors like Michael Biesanz, Jon Ashley Hall, and my good buddy Mercedes Rose )
about a group of kids who get trapped on a runaway train... it's thrilling AND inspiring! You can purchase it through Amazon, as well as other places.

Veterans, or those interested in World War II may want to take a look at Everyman's War, on sale through the film's web site through January 1 (at that point the national distributor takes over). The film has been hailed by almost everyone whose seen it since it won Best Picture at the GI Film Festival in Washington DC earlier this year.

Another film festival favorite, The Waiting List, (featuring my good friend Audrey Walker and, again, Mercedes Rose) is now available for order online at IndieFlix. Inspired by a true story, The Waiting List follows a group of parents (or, in one case, a potential future parent) confined for a night in a preschool where they vie for a spot on the attendance sheet for their child. The night takes a series of turns ranging from the uncomfortably crude to remarkably poignant and ultimately presents a riotous and genuine look at parenthood.

Finally, if you're into a wild adeline-filled ride, I'd highly recommend Todd Freeman's film Pray For Hell, which recently went on sale at Amazon and other retailers... this highly stylized and bloody vengeance tale isn't for the kids, but it's a thing of beauty.

Like I say, there's still time to order all these films and get them to you by Christmas Eve... consider giving the film-lover in your life something a little different (and giving your dollars to some local filmmakers!)

'Til next time...

-Harold