There was one time when I got stuck in an elevator with Michael Bolton and Richard Nixon. It was during the Annual Breast Cancer Benefit at the L.A. Hyatt. I was there escorting Sheena Easton. My agent had arranged for Sheena to sing a medley during the night’s show; he thought it would be nice if Sheena and I were photographed together.

We had arrived at the benefit at 8 p.m. During Bea Arthur’s keynote speech, I gave Sheena a quick kiss on the cheek and drifted downstairs to the Fairmont Room. I ordered a scotch-on-the-rocks and then strolled through the south wing, sipping my drink and studying some of the photographs on the Wall of Fame. Then I hopped into an elevator to return to the ballroom. When I stepped into the elevator, I noticed an older man, dressed in a charcoal suit, staring at the elevator wall and muttering to himself. Next to him stood a younger man in a navy blue suit. The door closed and the elevator started climbing.

At the next floor, Michael Bolton stepped into the elevator. I recognized his distinctive, shoulder-length blonde hair immediately. I jumped toward him, almost spilling my drink.

To read the rest of what happened, click here.

##

Executives of international companies assisting with China’s massive high-speed rail project say that they were forced to transfer their technology in order to gain access to the Chinese market, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Journal reporter Shai Oster writes that “Foreign executives and analysts have raised particular concerns about the technology transfers because they fear the transfers could help Chinese rivals develop as competitors.”

China’s Ministry of Railways conducted a rare press conference to deny the executives’ claims, but this is yet another case in which manufacturers have said China demanded they give up proprietary information in order to get contracts.

The Chinese government plans to invest $295 billion by 2020 in a project to build a high-speed rail network that will connect the country’s major cities.

He Huawu, chief engineer at the Ministry of Railways, acknowledged at the news conference that China’s trains are based on foreign technology, but he claimed they had been greatly modified by Chinese engineers. He said the technology transfer was not forced.

Peter Navarro, author of the book, “The Coming China Wars,” wrote about the methods China uses to force technology transfer in the book, “Manufacturing a Better Future for America,” which was published with the assistance of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM).

“One of the most potent weapons China has used to move up the value chain is forced technology transfer,” Navarro writes in the chapter, “Benchmarking Foreign Advantages.” “It is only through the acquisition (rather than internal development) of sophisticated technologies that Chinese companies have been able to rapidly enter and expand in sophisticated industries such as automobiles, aircraft, pharmaceuticals and other high-tech areas.”

For example, Navarro writes, “China has very effectively used import licensing restrictions as a ‘bargaining chip’ to affect technology transfer from companies like General Motors and Ford when they are setting up production facilities in China with the intention of selling into the Chinese market.”

##

This week’s Down and Out Index tracked 680 job layoffs in California, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Nebraska.

##

Hart Schaffner Marx, Chicago, Illinois

You can dress him up, AND take him out with the peace of mind that his menswear was made in the U.S.A.  Hart Schaffner Marx has a long-standing tradition of creating and manufacturing fine men’s clothing in America, inspired by the “All American Male.”

Since 1890 Hart Schaffner has been the American garment industry leader in suits, trousers, tuxedos and more.

President Obama wore a Hart Schaffner Marx tuxedo to the Youth Inagural Ball and owns several of their suits as well.

For HSM, it’s a matter of tradition. The company prides itself on having outlasted 2 world wars, outfitting the well-dressed man from the Industrial Revolution to the Information Age.

A true American clothier, Hart Schaffner Marx sets the standard for made in U.S.A. men’s clothing. Says “Professional Haberdasher” Jeff Collins of www.myhaberdasher.com:

“I have sold suits from Hart Schaffner Marx since 2001 through their Palm Beach collection. They do a good job and have some nice performance and comfort features. They have a program similar to made-to-measure which creates a customized fit.

“Combine this with custom fitted shirts and you’ll have a sleek, professional look which can give you an edge in business. If you want to get the job or get the new client you need to look the part. Don’t let your appearance be a reason for them to not do business with you. Get Dressed Well and Be Well Dressed.”

You can purchase Hart Schaffner Marx clothing online or at a number of retail locations.

##

San Diego, California: NASSCO-General Dynamics, the last major shipbuilder on the West Coast, has laid off 290 workers.

##

Big news: China is now the world’s second largest economy.

Obama talks trade in Michigan.

As U.S. unemployment rate remains high, Germany’s is nearing pre-recession levels.

Plus, Warren Buffet’s successor is an unlikely choice.

And its the U.S. v. China when it comes to paper.

##

A guest post by AAM intern Whitney Stack:

Supporters of America’s traditional economic engine, manufacturing, must learn to use new media like Twitter, Facebook and blogging, to spread their message, according to experts on “The Past, Present and Future of Progressive Media” panel at Netroots Nation 2010.

Changes in mediums of media have coincided with historical political transition, Matthew Kerbel author of “Netroots: Online Progressives and the Transformation of American Politics,” and a professor of Political Science at Villanova University, told the panel attendees.

Through the centuries, as new media emerged, the people who used those emerging technologies defined how they would be used, said Aaron Shaw, a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California at Berkley and a research fellow with the Cooperation Research Group at Berkman Center.

This suggests that if supporters of American manufacturing can master the new media now emerging from the Internet, they may be able to change the politics surrounding manufacturing because, as Mr. Kerbel said, the groups or individuals who figured out how to use the new media forms in the past have been able to define the subsequent political movements.

The Internet gives organizations their own “printing press,” their own media, said Tracy Van Slyke , Director of Media Contortion and co-author of ‘Beyond the Echo Chamber.’

But it’s not enough to simply use new media.  The communication forms must be mastered to effect change, David Karpf, of the Netactivism Project and co-author of Digital Activism Decoded said. “I don’t care how many Facebook friends you have; I do care what you can get them to do,” he said. “Cultivating a list of contacts is not as important as if you can move them to action.”

Internet-based new media is growing fast. Seven years ago, a “professional blogger” didn’t exist, Chris Bowers, Managing editor of “Open Left,” said. Now, every major news network uses their own blogging.

Effective use of new media – that is, Internet-based social media – will broaden support for American manufacturing and give the movement the power to ensure products will always be made in America.

##

The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) supports H.R. 5320, the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability (AQUA) Act of 2010.

As AAM Deputy Director Scott Boos explains in an open letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, the bill is of “great importance to American manufacturing companies and workers in communities across America”:

AAM strongly supports the “requirements for use of American materials” contained in Sec. 1452(a). This provision was added during committee markup with unanimous support and with bipartisan praise. Research shows that roughly 18,000 new jobs are created for every $1 billion in new infrastructure spending, and that manufacturing employment gains increase by 33 percent when domestic content is maximized. Meanwhile, public support for Buy America provisions is overwhelming and extends across party lines, demographic boundaries, and the economic spectrum.

Read the full letter.

##

Talk of a manufacturing agenda has been buzzing on Capitol Hill for weeks now and several representatives have issued press releases and statements indicating their support for “Make it in America.”

After highlighting the new manufacturing agenda at Netroots Nation 2010, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi jumpstarted a press movement covering a slew of manufacturing legislation that has been working its way, nearly effortlessly, through the House. 

Some have called this new initiative a last-ditch effort by Democrats in the face of the imminent November elections; an attempt to reclaim their chances at retaining the majority. However, many on the Hill seem truly invested in “Keeping it Made in America.”

And for good reason.

According to a poll released by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, Americans are disgruntled with the loss of manufacturing and the good, sustainable jobs that the sector brings with it. 

Among those who have issued statements of their support are Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-2),  Rep. Daniel Lipinski (IL-3),  Rep. Debbie Halvorson (IL-11), Rep. Phil Hare (IL-17), and Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN-8). 

##

Industrial China is growing quickly.  So quickly in fact, that it has not had the time to slow down and take into consideration safety precautions  and environmental standards that could help save the lives of many workers.

The Chinese government says that an average of 187 workers die each day in industrial mishaps.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

“Beijing’s decadeslong emphasis on economic growth has overshadowed efforts to ensure safe workplaces and a clean environment. The Communist Party’s singular role in setting policy leaves little room for counterweights, such as corporate gadflies or an activist press, that might alter the equation. Corruption and collusion between, for example, factory owners and local inspectors limit the likelihood that laws protecting workers and the environment will be enforced.

“The largest factor, perhaps, is that for many in the world’s largest population, even dangerous jobs are enticing.”

China’s carelessness and neglect due to rapid industrial growth also spills over from safety to environmental issues.  A heavy rainy season has worsened environmental issues due to the flushing of chemicals into the Songhua River.

A gas explosion and chemical leak that occurred on Wednesday were the cherry on top of China’s slew of environmental and life-threatening disasters. The Journal reports:

“The 66-building compound involved of the Nanjing No. 4 Plastics Factory, where Wednesday’s blast occurred, sits in an industrial-residential area, near a furniture shop and doctor’s office, not far from provincial government offices downtown and the city’s major park.

“The midmorning blast sent as many as 300 people to area hospitals and clinics, filling the emergency rooms of five major downtown hospitals, which were running short of blood, the Xinhua news agency said. The death count may rise. China Central Television put the toll at 12 and said dozens remained critically injured.”

Time for China to clean up its act.

Read more here.

##