Neal Shaffer

Hoover/Lincoln “Two Headed Coin” split 7-inch. True hidden/forgotten gem and an absolute classic. Perhaps not to everyone’s taste but brilliant nonetheless.

Disagreement is inevitable. You’re going to do things that, for whatever reason, cause friction. That’s absolute. Can’t be avoided and, truthfully, probably shouldn’t be avoided. 

When it happens, the first question to ask is: was I wrong?

Be honest. And if the answer is “yes” – as it sometimes will be – then there’s only one way to go:

Own up to the mistake, make no excuses, and try to make it right.

This is a hard thing but it is also without exception the right thing. And in a happy coincidence, it also ends up in the long term being the smart thing.

Rare is the case where cheaper = better. More often than not, up-front investment in quality pays a long-term (and valuable) dividend. This is true for both consumption and production. 

Which means there’s an opportunity out there from which all of us can benefit if we commit to both understanding this fact and acting on it. This goes for everything from buying habits to business practices to friendships. And it’s not as hard as it might seem.

Give it a shot and I can damn near guarantee you won’t be disappointed with where you end up as a result.

“The meat department of the main Company store at Sparrows Point. The picture shows Marie Keppard and Mr. Willis, manager of the meat department on the right, and J.B. Koons, one of the two on the left, who drove the wagon from which meat was sold. The Happy New Year sign above the employees’ heads was made from red apples.”

(via)

There’s so much going on in this photo. Love it.

A short while ago I mentioned on Twitter that I was considering an experiment for 2012 where I would try to go Made in USA for at least 50% of my consumer goods purchases. It spurred some nice conversation, including a note from Jonathan Julian wherein he inquired as to the “why” and also linked out to a counter-argument.

Twitter is far too limited a format to fully address the issue. The discussion, however, got me thinking that it’s past time to explain myself. 

The top level answer is actually very simple: I live here. This is my economy and I want it to grow. When the United States does well that means increased economic opportunity for me and the people around me. I want America to make things because making things leads to employment and trade. Employment and trade contribute to prosperity. One need only look to the abandoned factory towns of the midwest (and elsewhere) to see the devastating effects of outsourced production.

I’m aware that the issue is complex. I’m aware that we have a need for a service sector in our economy and that the service sector includes employers who work in industries like importing and logistics. I’m furthermore aware that the global economy is reality and that blind provincialism is no solution. “Buy American” is not a panacea and I’d never suggest that it is. Anyone who does is shortsighted.

Luckily, there’s no need to think of it as an either/or issue. Suggesting that it’s a good idea to buy US-made goods when you can is not the same thing as suggesting that we should reject the global economy. For me, it’s simply a matter of supporting small-scale and/or domestic production whenever and wherever we can because doing so helps strengthen our grassroots. 

Companies that today employ one or two or ten people are the companies that, with support, could in a few years employ twenty or thirty people. Down the road they might employ a hundred or a thousand. Indeed, I fully believe — though I’m admittedly no economist — that we need this kind of growth to fix our economy in the long term. This is precisely what I aim to support when I buy American and ask others to do the same.

Beyond this, I also like to buy American for reasons of quality. I’ve found that for the most part I’m getting more value for my dollar with US-made goods. I suspect — though I don’t have data to back it up — that this has something to do with survival of the fittest. To manufacture in America now generally means you have to charge a premium, and you simply won’t survive the marketplace for very long if you charge that premium for inferior goods.

Finally, there is the less concrete but no less significant matter of provenance. 

Earlier this year I bought a bag from Duluth Pack. While not nearly as expensive as “premium” or “luxury” brands, a Duluth bag is pricey enough that I consider it an investment. When it arrived I was pleased to find that it not only met my expectations but exceeded them. The craftsmanship is outstanding and I doubt I’ll ever need the lifetime guarantee (though it is a nice touch).

I noted as much on Twitter. The folks behind the @DuluthPack account replied and said that I could check under the bag’s “Made in USA” tag and find the name of the person who sewed it. Sure enough, I looked under the tag and there was “Diane,” handwritten in ballpoint pen.

I like that. I like the idea of buying something from a factory I could tour if I found myself in the neighborhood. I like knowing that my purchase helps Diane and her coworkers keep their jobs, which in turn helps keep their communities alive. 

Parse this out far enough and what I’m really advocating is a considered approach to what’s bought, why, and where the money is going. I’ve only got so much to spend and I suspect the same is true for you. So when I have a choice, I think it’s better spent a little closer to home. Your mileage may vary but one thing I know for sure is that approaching one’s buying decisions this way certainly can’t do much harm. And, in the long run, it might very well make a difference.

For the most part, browsing the internet is a large experience. You’re in a big room with a lot of people but, more often than not, you’re alone in a crowd. Everyone is. Now and then, though, it’s possible to find a better, smaller experience. Less like a warehouse and more like a corner store. Something where the lack of options is both a feature and a benefit. Where you trust the goods on hand because you trust the shopkeep.

Tonight I was browsing the “Silver and Gold” page over at Jay Carroll’s One Trip Pass (some mildly nsfw stuff there) and I came upon the image you see above. Something about the tattoo typography and unexpected wordplay seduced me. Partially because of just what it is, but also partially because I admire Carroll’s eye. I knew he had a reason for putting it there and I wanted to know more.

Turns out, an “Old Salt” is a teller of sea stories. A keeper of naval history and traditions who passes them on via storytelling. A “seen it all” type who might, just might, exaggerate on occasion. Right up my alley and the kind of thing I kind of can’t believe I hadn’t known about before now.

Here’s to the Jay Carrolls of the world who tend their internet gardens the right way. Good taste and a keen eye win every time.

Happy Halloween, folks.

Thanks for dropping by my new home. One of them, anyway. There’s also this.

Explanation here. More to come soon…

(ps — this design is temporary)

I was talking to a friend of mine abut Outlet the other day and he couldn’t quite wrap his head around why he would want to go.

“It’s just a meetup, right?”

Yeah. Exactly.

“Our purpose is that we have no purpose,” I said. The whole point of Outlet is that the world doesn’t need another event that comes with a long list of demands and expectations. It needs the opposite.

In fact, our expectations are easy:

• Have fun.
• Enjoy the people you’re with.
• Keep your phone in your pocket.

We’re not here to make you feel better (or worse) about your business. It doesn’t matter how many email addresses or business cards you collect. Outlet is not about forced networking, sharing Google+ strategies, or finding new LinkedIn connections. 

You can do all of those things and more if you want to, of course, but the point is it’s not the point. This is about setting aside some time to do things the way our grandparents did them. Face to face with a handshake. Ink on paper. Make a memory. Laugh. 

From there, who knows what might happen?

Even though Outlet exists on its own, we’re quite pleased to be a part of Betascape for our official relaunch. There are a lot of reasons for that but one of the biggest is the number of cool speakers/talks/conversations they’ve lined up. Don’t believe us? Click here for the full lineup.

Full disclosure: I (Neal) am one of those presenters. But don’t hold that against the Betascape folks — they compensate for it with an otherwise great lineup.

Also, check out Literature Party: Baltimore, another event that’s piggybacking on the Betascape energy. Looks pretty cool, no?

We’ve been excited all along to bring this event back. Today that excitement gets bumped up a notch as we announce that Outlet will return on Friday, September 23rd as part of Betascape 2011. We’ll be at the Windup Space from 6-8 pm.

The chance to partner up with Betascape is one of the coolest things that could have happened to this new-and-improved version of Outlet. Their audience and ours are quite similar, and we fully support the Betascape mission of bringing art and technology together to spur growth. Indeed, that notion has been a core part of the Outlet ideology from day one.

So, mark your calendars. More info on drink specials and (maybe) door prizes coming soon. 

And if you haven’t yet, make sure to click here and find out what Outlet is all about.

See you soon.

Greetings and welcome to the new page for Outlet Baltimore. You may remember us from our first incarnation back in 2009. When we put things on hold in June of that year we said we’d be back “in September.” Turns out that was true, even if we didn’t know then that it would take an extra two years.

More info is coming soon on the when, where, and how of Outlet’s rebirth. Stay tuned.