TBW Daily Diary

It is that time of year again when I begin to nag you about your bayberry candles for New Year's Eve. Don't be left out, buy now. $7 a pair . . . ABC TV is promoting a "buy American" effort this holiday season. Supposedly, we will spend $700 for gifts this year and if we spend just $64 for things made in America we will create at least 200,000 jobs. Perhaps The Bare Wall has an unfair advantage since we deal primarily in handcrafted gifts, but you certainly could find your quota of Made in America gifts here. Pottery, jewelry, candles, candies, bookends and soaps and lotions are just some of the items. Of course, we also have our share of foreign goods . . . Now that we are using those new bulbs, driving hybrid cars and so many businesses have cut back on manufacturing, etc., I am wondering just how much this activity has cut back on oil imports. Haven't seen any figures recently . . .