[Calvi]

Hi again Dave,

It is true that nowadays most of the Companies in Europe and the USA make their products in China due to the low cost of labourhand, extremely harsh working conditions for workers,very long working days, non existence of disturbing trade unions, not paid hollydays, low taxation to Companies by Chinese State, etc. but the fact is that the design and thecnology are still American or European. You cannot buy a home computer that doesn´t have an Intel or AMD processor, that is a fact. The bad thing about it is that the Chinese are learning fast copying our design and technology, just like the Japanese did first and the so called "Asiatic Tigers": South Korea, Taiwan, etc. did later. Though it has the good side that we will have available soon in our countries cheap products made by Chinese Brands with Chinese technology of the best quality.

If you lived in Spain you would not be surprised by the fact that I buy many small to medium size items in the USA. Spain is one of European countries in wich imported goods prices are higher due to high taxation by a Socialist Government. As I have told you I had to pay 380 Euros for an Airbrushing air compressor made in Germany. The price difference with an American compressor of the best quality in the USA was so high as that for all kind of imaginable goods. Belive me, it is worthy to buy in the States and pay for the shipping unless the item is too bulky and heavy. USPS International Airmail Parcel Post shipping is very cheap if compared to British Royal Mail or Spanish National Mail.

I have upgraded my computer several times in the later years. Most of inner parts of it were purchased in the USA and assembled by a friend of mine that is a Computer Engineer. The motherboard is an Asus. The hard disks are Maxtor. The Graphic Card an Ati Radeon, etc. and when I upgraded the processor short time ago I bought an AMD Athlon 64 in the USA too. I know it is almost impossible to belive, but the price of American imported goods in Europe is similar to that of European ones due to European Union taxation to non European goods. The price for the same trademark and model American good in Europe is much, much higher than that in the USA and the problem is that the price for a similar quality European made good is not cheaper. If you do not belive me about it is worthy to buy in the States for the otrageous price of goods in Europe just take a look, using Google, at the price of cars in the UK and compare the price for the same models in the USA. it will give you and idea of the atrocious situation here. Of course I do not mean that I will buy my next car in the USA, but you will find out for example that the price for a Volskwagen Golf is much higher in the UK than in the USA. that is because European makers have to compete with the low prices of American makers in US market. And the price of a Chevrolet Nubira in Spain is about 16.800 Euros, 16% European Union V.A.T. -Value Additional Tax- not included.

Sorry to hear about the high price you pay for your phone service. I thought communications sector prices in the USA were much lower and the relative of a Cubanamerican friend of mine that lives in Miami told me in a Skype webcam videoconference that he had a 10 Megas connection to Internet, I do not remember how much he mentioned he was paying for it but it seemed to me a cheap price if compared to what I pay for mine.

Your comment on what the French call bricolage is very witty. Of course it takes long years to learn all those skills necessary to accomplish such different tasks and normally we go to polytechnical schools since we are young in our time off at High School to adquire the necessary knowledge and experience, and the word Bricolage comprehend them all but we normally specialize in that or those activitie/s we like the more. As you already know I do not know a dammed thing about electricity. I liked more furniture making, though indeed at an amateur level, not using the heavy machinery and in no way achiving the quality of industrial made furniture. If I am going to try to learn machining I will have to go to a Polytechnical sooner or later. The sooner the best. The problem is I have too many hobbies though I have quite much time off on a dayly basis.

Now with the latest explanations you have given me and the details provided I have a more clear idea on what I have to ask at online shops if I want to buy an electrically operated machine of any kind, what I wrongly called an electric appliance, and what I have to do to make it work properly here.

Thanks again and cheers Dave.

Luis