KPSZ ‘Praise’ 940 am has a public service spot where they ask people to “take the buy local pledge”. I should have been in marketing I find business trends fascinating. 25 years ago when Best Buy sprung up they put a hurt on mom & pop appliance stores and smaller computer and electronic stores. Now they are on the ropes from online sales and big box stores like Lowes that have ate into their appliance share. Main street 50 years ago didn’t “buy local”. They went to China to flood their stores with crap. They didn’t give a rat’s ass whose goods they were stocking their shelves with. Now after all the jobs have left we’re supposed to care about them? Then main street got blown out of the water by K-Mart, Walmart, Target and the like. Karma’s a bitch ain’t it?

I was reading an investment book by Peter Lynch he wrote 30 years ago. its funny in hindsight to hear him talk about these stalwarts of business that you could tell he never envisioned dying a pitiful death. Sears, AOL, General Electric. The bigger they are the harder they fall. I wasted a day trying to buy local. Having some dull knives I had the crazy idea I’d be able to drive to Des Moines and buy an electric knife sharpener. Nope. Walmart is the only store in the tri-county area that sells a cheap model for twice what its worth (2 stage for $50). I went online to Walmart.com and ordered a 3-stage for $45, it will be here in 2 days.

I searched all over, thrift shop, Salvation Army, Target, Kohls, JC Penney, nobody had a knife sharpener! If I’d wanted to drive to hell and gone (Altoona or Jordan Creek), Bass Pro and Scheel’s had $50 dollar ones they were selling for $80. Every store had an extensive selection of new cutlery they’d sell you. Its almost like they want you just to buy new stuff rather then just sharpen the old. I noticed that when I had to buy a water heater recently. Oh no you can’t get a tankless! That would last forever and we wouldn’t be able to sell you another $1,000 one in 10 years!

I hate corporate America. What part of their business they couldn’t ship overseas, they brought in Indians and Mexicans to replace American workers at half the price! Which is a lie of course, we the taxpayers just pick up the wages they don’t pay through welfare and other social costs. You cannot beat the system.