Be vigilant and keep an eye out for unicorns, you're more likely to see that happen than any of these.

As for hospital red tape, could you possibly be echoing the thoughts of the moron who's now running the Medicare system? I know you like to get balanced information, consider what's said in the attached article about Seema Verma

Seema Verma, CMS chief

What dawn said X 1000.

It's often the same people who think grousing about lost manufacturing jobs is "patriotic" , who go running off to Walmart and other stores and make buying decisions based on price. Cause and effect as with most things.

Amen, Dawn & Elmer

More stringent vaccination policies.

Junkmart - never, ever won't even set foot in that dirty place. All of the clothes I've bought this year were marked "made in the USA", can't absolutely be sure it's true but it's the best I can do.

We also said that we could never be independent from Saudi oil, now we have been for years. So, yes we need to break our dependence on China. Economists have been expecting manufacturing to return as the cost of manufacturing is rising in Asia to levels that make it cheaper to return to "made in the USA".

Good for you, Raye, for buying American made clothing; many people don't.

Now, something I wonder about, is why, with all of our technology and brain power, we can't come up with reusable gloves and masks. Not only would it make sense if it could be done, but it would eliminate all that medical waste going into our landfills or being incinerated. If those items could be sterilized and used over again, we wouldn't find ourselves in a situation where home seamstresses are making masks our their fabric scraps and vacuum cleaner bags to donate to medical facilities.

I am in no way denigrating those who are sewing masks; I think it's a wonderful thing to do. I just wonder why more medical supplies aren't made to be re-used instead of thrown away after the first use.

What am I looking forward to when all this is done? Going to Sunday brunch. With people. And jazz music.

I'm with Dawn and Elmer. I'll add, I would think what the world is learning from this is, we NEED each other (not isolation) to get through this very difficult time.

I loved it when the Germans sang for the Italians, for instance. Aid sent from all over

Yes, Rob we need contact so much. I can remember back when I worked in the hospitals having older patients that were desperate for someone to just hold their hand. My boss wouldn't have liked it but I would stop and just hold their hand for a minute and they appreciated so much, some of them cried.

I don't want much. Just to hug my granddaughters again. Hubby hasn't been feeling well (sinus inf.) On Tuesday he finally got to the doctors and got antibiotics. So my daughter will be up next week with her two girls. My son's girls, not for awhile. One is only 1 month old and babies don't develop a immune system till 2-3 months.

The reason why no reusable gloves is that it takes human beings to collect them, wash, dry and repackage them. It's cheaper to do disposable.

I saw this mess coming way back in 1998 when the company I worked for started testing foreign markets to do the work that our division was doing. First they started sending part of to China. I think it was a little more difficult than what they thought it would be due to language and alphabet barriers. Then they went to India. It took awhile but the complete transition was within about 5 years. That's when they closed our facility and I lost my job of 12 1/2 years. The bottom line won out. I don't hold malice for the company or feel like they owed me anything, they were only doing what so many others were doing to go on the cheap. This wasn't the kind of company that ever really treated the ones in the trenches doing the dirty work that great anyway. I know that the quality of the product pretty much went out the window though. And they were so particular and demanding when we were doing it - funny. I do shop at Walmart. I'm old and pretty much don't go anywhere that demands nice clothes. When I want something special I go somewhere special for it but it's not often. I've given up looking for made in the U.S. - I've not seen it anywhere. But I do wish there were more products made here available. I'll just be grateful to be able to come and go anywhere I want without hesitation and being able to buy what I want when I want.

Oil is a commodity product with a world market, differing only by transportation costs. If world supply is constant but a country decides to buy less from A and buy it from B instead, it all evens out because B's customers will buy from A (and others shuffle around in a zero sum game) and ultimately it makes no difference at all.

"Economists have been expecting manufacturing to return as the cost of manufacturing is rising in Asia to levels that make it cheaper to return to "made in the USA""

Really? Name anyone who has said anything like this. I haven't heard this sentiment at all. When economic production shifts from one location to another, the theory is, that the losing location will find things they can have an "absolute advantage" for (instead of "comparative advantage" activities that go to lowest cost when a commodity good or service is involved). All the stuff that has shifted out of the US to other locations are things for which the other locations have a comparative advantage. These are terms of Economics, the definitions are easily found.

For the US, one activity of absolute advantage, not held exclusively but held with more than a head start, are goods and services in the Technology sector. People are successful who develop skills for jobs in demand. People who think they can have a career installing dashboards, sewing clothing, or snapping together toy trucks will find themselves unemployed because their skills are unsalable.

Raye, upon reading my last comment, I see how it could come across as snarky. I promise you it wasn't meant that way. I really do applaud you for buying and wearing American made clothing. Not only is it more expensive, it is hard to find. Every now and then, I come across a "made in the USA" label, but not very often.

When I say, "good for you", I really do sincerely mean it. :-)

I agree about American made goods. I buy as often as possible, except for my German made cars. I am lucky to be able to afford paying a little extra for US made goods, so I do, if there is a choice. I am stunned by the amount of cheap crap coming from China through our homes via the dollar stores, Michaels, and others like them, including walmart, then straight into the landfills (or the oceans, or poor countries, etc).

I worry most about all the prescription drugs (and other drugs) all being manufactured overseas. Then you get the WH insulting China where so many essential things (like medical masks and medicines) are made, it doesn't take a genius (stable or otherwise) to figure out that we can cut off our nose to spite our face and leave our citizens without items we really need. If we could get a govt run healthcare system here and take over the pharmaceutical industry so it's not for profit, we could manufacture those items in the USA and make them affordable. Put people to work at decent paying jobs.

I don't know if this will be a wake up call for more Americans to demand goods made in usa, or reduce our ridiculous consumerism of cheap crap, but if it doesn't, nothing will, I'm afraid. I suppose many won't see the connection of their buying habits on the supply chain.

Oh, and stores are not now prohibited from putting limits on items they sell. They just need to start doing it when hoarding rears its head.

I'm looking forward to when lives can get back to normal. Part of that will be an inauguration of a brighter, more capable and less narcissistic person to live in the White House. The political party of said winner doesn't matter to me as much as their ability to take advice from experts and not treat every matter as being about them personally.

Dawn, I didn't see it as snarky at all. :)

Looking forward to watching news that isn't all about virus. I know it's important to stay informed but I've begun to watch old reruns instead. Lol been watching Adam-12.

Also....Just going to a sit down restaurant and getting back to a routine. I'm getting spoiled with my afternoon naps.

Regarding shopping...well being on a budget I shop at dollar store before Wal-Mart.

SamKaren Your resident dj

I agree with SamKaren, I'm pretty sick of this coronavirus news. I know it's important to be informed but it's actually exhausting hearing the same news over and over again. I fear the audience will eventually just tune out. I'm watching Grand Torino with Clint Eastwood ... forgot how much I enjoyed it the first time around. I'm thankful for the brief respite from the news.

I currently do not know anyone in the garment industry but did before they mostly went overseas. The employees did piecework in most companies. A very few companies had a base rate that the piecework was added to. It was not a nice industry then and I do not expect it to be if it returns to the US.

I want to go and have actual ice cream then sit and watch people talking to each other. Hopefully even laughing.

Hug my kids, that's all I want. I just want to sink into a hug from my 6'4", 30-something sons.

When you are able once more to visit that restaurant with friends for an enjoyable social evening with pals ...

... will you be leaving the phones/laptops at home?

o j

I want to be with my grand kids. Take them for ice cream and to swimming and to the parks etc. I want to get back to my riding lessons, set new goals and work at them. I want to go to the movies late at night when it's mostly empty so I can hear. I want to to go back to being to shop every few days instead of having to get food and essentials when I see them and looking like I'm shopping for twelve so I don't have to venture out exposing myself to crowds again for a few more days or stand in line with strangers .

I want to be able to visit my best friend in the care center while she recovers for several months from her revision after a botched knee replacement surgery.

I would love to see more manufacturing back in the US. But I am also realistic enough to understand how difficult it would be. We simply have a shortage of skilled workforce. We may be able to build the factories but they will still be filled with imported workers. Our blue collar support system has died off and new ones are not learning. Modern generations have grown up seeing labor being something to be outsourced to the immigrant gardener or housekeeper. People don;t know how to work with their hands like past generations did. Computerized machinery can only do so much. Skill, craftsmanship, and old fashioned know how for problem solving in manufacturing are a thing of the past.

If you have money left after the crisis, you can still buy your Ultimate Driving Experience made in USA. BMW X3 - X7 SUV models.

I live alone.

While I'm an introvert, that doesn't mean I don't want to get out with other folks and perhaps even hug them once in a while. Hugging the two cats, plus the one chicken I have here that likes being held - that only goes so far.

So, I'm looking forward to that.

Regards manufacturing and where people buy things: I was pleased to replace my "mutantware" flatware with a set made in the US a couple years ago (was pointed to them by folks in the Conversations forum). However last November I found a Wayfair price I couldn't resist so I could replace my rapidly-becoming-mutantware dishes. They arrived, "made in China" stamped on the bottom.

But I did just order some complementary-to-my-dish-set serving bowls from a potter friend up in Maine - both because he does a stunning job and because his livelihood is taking a hit right now. Yes, they cost more than the equivalent from China - but where I can I want to help our economy, as limited as such help can now be.

When things return to normal, or relative normal: I expect there will be more interest in American made goods, but with the financial hit all over the place, Chinese-made goods are still going to be major marketplace drivers.

Oh, "mutantware" - it's the stuff you accumulate while losing other pieces over the years, of silverware/flatware, etc. that doesn't match. Handy to save for camping trips (which for now will only occur in my back yard...)

I am looking forward to getting together with a few friends in Houston, going out to eat with them, and visiting a particular nursery that has some roses I want to buy.

Other than a few things like that, I will be back to life here in the country, doing the things I enjoy, that I am still doing every day anyway.

Marilyn, would that be the Antique Rose Emporium? Sure hope they are able to survive that economic meltdown.

I want to go home and hug the only sibling I have left. And, most of all,

I want to stop 24-hour worrying about all my friends and family...and sincerely,

want all of you to be able to soon be back to your wishes, wants and dreams

coming true. "What The World Needs Now is Love", isn't all fiction.

Hugs.

Not answsering, just responding: Oh, LET some other country make *everything*! If only wish they could keep all the pollutants that result right there! How 'bout we stop buying so much carp in the first place? Stop salivating like Pavlov's dogs over endless, mindless Advertising.

Raye, no it is Arbor Gate. They have a few introductions that no one else has right now. I do go to Antique Rose Emporium tho. They are near Brenham. I bought 18 roses from them last fall. I hope they do well, too. I think as soon as people can travel freely, they will have plenty of business. People will be anxious to get out and about. I will be one of those people visiting ARE. There are some roses they have that I want too. Plus, they usually have a couple of functions every year. I hope they will be able to have their fall one.

I was looking forward to a cutting swap by the Texas Rose Rustlers, but they had to cancel the spring swap. Hope they can still do the one in fall.

Unfortunately I am yet to figure out how to keep the deer off my property so I can have a rose garden. But friends have ordered roses from ARE and they are very happy with them.

"I know you like to get balanced information, consider what's said in the attached article about Seema Verma"

considering the source of that 'info', it's been trashed.

What a ridiculous comment. Medical professionals have been aghast at many of the things she's tried to do. Including trying to dismantle Medicaid. I wonder if you yourself or people you know have ever had to rely upon Medicaid? What happens if it's not available for people who need it?

She made the news awhile back when she requested an outrageous amount of reimbursement from the government for stolen property. Here's a quick summary from Wikipedia. :

"On August 20, 2018, Verma filed a claim requesting that taxpayers reimburse her for jewelry that was allegedly stolen on a work-related trip to San Francisco. Although she requested $47,000, including a $325 claim for moisturizer and a $5,900 Ivanka Trump-brand pendant, she ultimately received $2,852.40 in reimbursement."

It's reminiscent of several of the long departed Trump appointees who were drummed out of office in shame because of trying to benefit personally from misuse of government funds.

Anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, no matter what their persuasion. If you think this description is inaccurate or colored in some way, feel free to change it.

Umm, we tried an ersatz Sunday brunch. One place was closed. One place had a limited menu. One place that had a menu, ordered it, arrived, everything was cold. Even today's music sucks. And we own the music. The WORST Sunday brunch ever.

SIGH!!!!!!

SUCKS!!!!!

If we were smart, we would burn the other country's oil as long as we can afford it (and its cheap right now). Oil is a finite resource. When an oil well is pumped out, it is finished. No new hole will be drilled nearby. The typical life of an oilwell in the central US is 20 years; Its best production years are no more than 10. To win the oil game, pump the other guy's oil when affordable. The last man standing with a productive well wins the oil game.

Oil of a given type from one geographic source costs exactly the same as oil from another source. There's no such thing as "pump the other guy's oil when affordable".

Depending on the use oil from one field can not be used interchangeably with oil from another. It may look the same and smell the same but each has it's own mineral composition. Some are more easily broken down than others. an example from the Market Realist. "production in Gulf Coast states is mostly of light, sweet crude oils, which don’t match with the refineries in the region, as they are designed mainly to process heavy sour crude oils."

I was careful to say of a given type. Crude oil is a global commodity. Of a given type, a barrel is a barrel is a barrel.

As I understand it, yields and refining costs from one kind to another differ but within one kind, are similar.

I never had much luck hugging a chicken.

For my future list - it's all personal. What I miss most is some interaction - not only with people I know - just anyone. So I'm going to visit the local art gallery and not waiting for a show that necessarily appeals. Three floors of displays all provided by local artisans. Also, looking forward to going to the movies; something I've always enjoyed. There are a couple of pubstyle restaurants here, a few of which I've never been to. I'm going to participate in more Library programs - there are plenty of interesting ones. I may volunteer to put together a schedule of speakers on various topics and I already have a list. This is just a sample of my plans - nothing earth shattering but it doesn't need to be.

Looking forward to visiting with friends and family, face to face. Going to a nice rest restaurant. Improvement is the US preparedness, for the next medical crisis.