A Bitter Sweet Kick In The Pants ~ A WAS Made In America True Story

 

What Pennsylvania and the Nation used to Sing About...
Before you scroll down to my commentary about the way people reacted to Senator Obama's most recent echo of American sentiment, please take a stroll down memory lane. Just follow the trail to what made our country emotionally strong, financially independent and deeply proud...

...Manufactured Memories ~ LIFE IN AMERICA was MADE IN AMERICA

The '80s TV Theme SuperSite: Commercials - All your favorite themes PLUS rare game show, news, commercial, and promo music... also features 60's and 70's well known jingles

The creator of the commercial jingle website...Drop a line with any comments to 80stvthemes@gmail.com
Must Use RealPlayer to access site links to commercials

Pennsylvania Sings (1980), and a whole nation chimed in too...

Putting Pennsylvania On the Map...
Hershey's (1980, Video) "An eclectic group of people from across the country sing about The Great American Chocolate Bar."

The legacy of the '60s. Pitch In "Clean Up America ...If you don't pitch in to clean up America, it won't be America anymore..." AUDIO RealPlayer

COMMERCIALS - AUDIO RealPlayer (and video below)

Pillsbury (1988) "Yummy. Microwave side dishes."

General Tires "Sooner or later, you'll own Generals."

BELL - Reach out and Touch Someone [1984] "Bell System '70s/early '80s 'Reach out and touch someone' campaign."

Maxwell House "Late '70s, early '80s rendition of the Maxwell House percolating jingle.

Ford (1985) "Have you driven a Ford, Lately?"

Stove Top (1983) "Based on the tune, "Comedy Tonight"

Ford (1985) "The full 'Have you driven a Ford, Lately?"

Care Free (1985) "Feelin' good about yourself...feelin' Care Free!"

American Airlines (1982) "Pure '80s."

Kraft Cheese "A quick ID for Kraft...America spells cheese K-R-A-F-T."

Slice (1985) "The drink just left the shelves"

Yamaha Car Audio(1982) "A really nice song."

G.E. "Early '80s rendition of the entire 'We Bring Good Things to Life' campaign."

Right Guard "An instrumental bed for commercials."

Special K (1982) "Can't pinch an inch on you."

Wrangler (1984)

Wendy's (1986) "Kool and the Gang say we should "Choose Fresh...Choose Wendy's"
...word on the street as of recent McDonalds or Burger King going to Buy Wendy's...

Polaroid (1982) "Sentimental full-orchestral song for Polaroid."

COMMERCIALS - Video (and audio above)

Apple IIC (1985, Video) "Fed, Alan Greenspan appeared in this commercial for the Apple IIC."

Plymouth (1987, Video) "Born in America ...Again"

Bell System (1983, video) "Reach out and touch someone"

Sears (1984, video) "all centered around the "There's more for your life" campaign."

Gillette Good News (1983, video) "two blades are better than one blade."

Hallmark (1983, video) "sentimental, but addictive soundtrack."

Holiday Inn (1984, video) "Holiday Inn goes on a capital spending spree."

Lee Jeans (1983, video) "the brand that fits."

Miller Beer (1983, video) "I-Bankers in New York get ready for a Friday afternoon baseball game. It's Miller time!"

Modern Humorist, Inc.


Uh OH...Senator Obama, a truthful, kind and accomplished individual that doesn't talk like a politician, is on the hot seat for being a straight talker? Hmmm. Always wearing his badge of honor that reads "No more politics as usual." Hmmm! Is that why people are up in arms over his words? Change? Change how you think? Change how you feel? Change how you do? If you do this, then change can be a good thing when a concerted effort is made. Hasn't that been his message all along?

Senator Obama thought we were ready to hear his straight talk and unfortunately some of us are not. He must have thought we were smart enough and tough enough to handle it. Every small town and city that has been hit with plant closures and Wal-Mart brigades knows they are at risk of losing their roots. Many have already lost. It has happened to many towns across this amazing nation, factory closing after factory closing.

We were warned about what was to come way back in the early 1990's, when politicians started using the words of 'globalization' as a stumping speech for greater prosperity through 'in demand' products from you the US of A worker. Odd how we ate that up and elected those words thinking that we will save our jobs.

We believed what was said because we wanted to protect our legacy to our families by taking care of the business we worked for. A very important extension of our families was the company we worked hard for.

Workers rallied to get their coworkers pumped up for the coming of the global market. Even if we had been smart enough to know what really lay behind the mass slaughter of 'Made in America' type jobs, could we have stopped the killing of our manufacturing industry?

In the 1990's some companies sent many of their workers out of the United States to train the very people who would become the force behind that manufactured product we would eventually purchase.

In the 1990's some companies were sending their manufactured products back into the United States to be re-worked by the hands of the second tier Made in America work force.

In the 1990's some company managers instituted damaging production ideas at the orders of the higher ups. Even though the front line employees knew the ultimate cost to the company, they endured some of the most bazaar and idiotic management rules ever witnessed on the lines.

Some quit, while others walked out the door when the doors closed forever. The emotional baggage hit the roof because the front line employees knew their jobs were next when the working wheel was being broken on purpose.

If anger and fear get a hold of a person facing the loss of their legacy, they might not make it back to a civilized place in their mind.

So bitterness is the place that people wander in and out of. Picking and choosing who should bear the brunt of that ball of muck, is very destructive to the person and the people around them. By all rights when politician’s actions don't match their words they should always be held to task. Misdirected- out of control- anguish can be turned into self empowerment when it’s channeled into proactive actions for others. It does work. It does heal.

Politicians generally aren't useful when they are out of touch with the people that live on Main Street in main stream America. When that happens, the politician who holds a lot of power over the people while they're in office, he/she should be sent packing right out the door come election time.

Senator Barack Obama is a rare political force of nature...he can speak the truth because he knows what the truth looks like. He has a healer's way about him and his words always seem to be entertwined with a message of how hope can bring good change. This is what I like about him now, even more than before. He's a sincere person dealing with a complex issue 'other peoples attitudes.'

Is that why the democrats, real conservatives and other's are really offended?

People misinterpreted with knee jerk lightening speed to the words; as meaning to equate a long time neo-con republican tag line of 'Guns, Gays and God'?

The NeoCon's (not the real conservatives who happen to be the fiscally responsible people in the party) are looking for a fight anyway. So we can ignore that faction for the time being.

Senator Obama may have struck a nerve because there are liberal democrats who absolutely don't like what the Republicans stand for - lumping them all together and the Republicans who absolutely don't agree with Democratic party members, also lumping everyone together.

If you talk to some real hard core blue collar worker types 'the rich' are all the same and they have been the problem and are still the problem. Some of those 'rich' are democrats, but try telling that to your family member who is hot under the collar and hopping up and down on top of their made in America soap box.

Its the 'just ate a lemon' grimace. Sometimes not that much different then when NeoCons (Michele Bachmann comes to mind) say the word ' democrats' with so much distain you'd think their heads are about to spin around and fly off just from uttering the word 'democrat'.

There is a real divide between the classes today and most of it is because economic prosperity has been fading out for some time now. The middle range worker was the best social buffer between the working poor and the working rich.

The middle class looks to be the most important ingrediant that we had in society as a whole, in tamping down the heavy dust of decent and animosity from either side. The middle class 'had' built the best 'Made in America' community bridge. That's the bridge that used to lead right up to the greatest Dream in America....

CORRECTED: Minnesota cattle yard to close after 120 years By Alyce Hinton Reuters Tuesday April 8, 2008 Founded as the South St Paul Union Stockyards Co in 1886, the facility is located a few miles across the river from downtown St. Paul."

"As Packing Houses close down another American Worker tradition slowly disappears"

Study Discerns Disadvantage for Blacks in Home Mortgages By BILL DEDMAN The New York Times Published: November 14, 1999

Wells Fargo: Minnesota's No. 2 employer is No. 1 for targeting minorities with high-cost loans By Molly Priesmeyer, Minnesota Monitor April 06, 2008

Aloha worker pension plan faces shortfall By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer Maui News April 11, 2008 "Aloha Airlines employees who lost their jobs two weeks ago may be $50 million short in their pensions, according to testimony before a congressional committee Thursday." AND "The Bush administration representative, Michael Rey-nolds, was unsympathetic to suggestions from Hawaii airline executives and Inouye that deregulation had been bad for the interests of Hawaii consumers. Reynolds is acting assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs."

How Iraq's Government Foils Reconciliation While They Favor Party Officials and Supporters .Common Sense 04-13-08 "This is what we are protecting while our troops die and our economy goes down the drain?"

Truth Tellers ~ Senator Barack Obama & Congresswoman Jackie Speier Hit A Nerve With Thoughtful Prose ~ Saturday, April 12, 2008

Clinton to Hit Obama Over ‘Small Town’ Remarks By Julie Bosman The Caucus The NYT Political Blog April 12, 2008,

NEVER LET ANOTHER REPUBLICAN RUN THE COUNTRY - INTO THE GROUND!

Real Conservatives better take back the GOP or start a new party!

Republicans Quickly Pounce on Obama Remarks
UPDATE...By Chris Cillizza washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog April 11, 2008

I WAS YOUR NEIGHBOR...Foreclosures Saturday, February 16, 2008 "Clinton, Obama, McCain, and the Bankruptcy Bill"

OBAMA’08 Senator Obama has been able to develop innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results. Americans are tired of divisive ideological politics, which is why Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans to find areas of common ground.

HILLARY’08 Strengthening the Middle Class - America's middle class is under siege and ready for change. People are working harder and longer for less and less. For six long years, America's middle class and working families have been invisible to our president.