We're living through tough economic times and this has lead a number of people to worry that we might be heading toward a "worst case scenario." We've seen the housing bubble burst and take with it the precariously balanced financial sector. So, are we headed for a depression? I don't think so. Here's why.
We've been hearing news reports about how unemployment is at its highest rate in twenty-five years and how the housing market is worse than it's been since the early '80s. But let's think about that. If conditions are at the level they were in the early '80s, they aren't THAT bad. We were going through a recession, that's true, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the early '30s. The energy crisis of the early '70s was worse than what we went through in 1981 and what we're going through today. So basically, we're not even close to the kind of economic downturn that lead us into the Great Depression.
But just because things aren't as bad as they were in the '30s doesn't mean we're not heading in that direction -- right? Well, let's see if there are any economic indicators that suggest that the recession might be finding its bottom.
New housing starts surged 22% in February. That figure hasn't risen for eight months. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/17/real_estate/housing_starts/index.htm?postve...
The Producer Price Index -- the measure of what domestic producers receive for their goods -- not counting the volatile food and energy sectors, rose .1% in February, up from .08% in January and higher than expected. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/17/news/economy/producer_prices.reut/index.htm::QM:...
Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase all reported profitability for January and February. Three institutions whose fear of failure brought on a large portion of the doom on Wall Street are already operating in the black. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/13/markets/thebuzz/index.htm
General Motors "discovered" that they have more cash on hand than they originally estimated and thus do not need the additional bailout funds they called for a couple of weeks ago. The restructuring they started to implement as a requisite for receiving their initial infusion of funds is starting to pay off. They are already on their way to profitability. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/12/news/companies/gm_cash/index.htm
Sure there are still signs that our economy is in the throes of recession. There are signs that we may not have hit bottom yet. We're still receiving news of further layoffs and of companies floundering and failing. But unlike two or three months ago, we're receiving positive economic news as well. We may still have some suffering ahead, but at least the recovery is in sight.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday Night Show
In short, the show went fabulous. All the actors were in character throughout the entire evening, even during the dinner portion, and the audience responded very, very well. The show started the second they walked in the door. Two greeters gave each guest a secret pass-phrase and showed them a secret handshake. They then walked down a hallway to two more greeters who were waiting to let them in. We weren't sticklers about knowing either the pass-phrase of the handshake, but it did give us some time to tease the guests and thus set the tone for the evening.
From 6:30 until 7:00, or so, we all circulated among the guests, joking with them, in character, and offering water and coffee. Since my character is a drunk, I especially had fun when it came to pouring their choice of beverage.
"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna hafta wait until your cup stops spinning before I can pour your coffee."
All of the guests played along wonderfully and made the show such an enjoyable experience.
Tomorrow is the final night. Saturday we had 58 guests and we're expected to have as many as 20 more than that tomorrow. Even though the other show went so well, I'm still a tad nervous -- mostly because this time, we both have to work all day and I'm worried that we might not have the energy level we had Saturday. Oh well, one way or another, in a mere 25 hours from right now, our 2009 St. Patrick's Day show will be history.
From 6:30 until 7:00, or so, we all circulated among the guests, joking with them, in character, and offering water and coffee. Since my character is a drunk, I especially had fun when it came to pouring their choice of beverage.
"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna hafta wait until your cup stops spinning before I can pour your coffee."
All of the guests played along wonderfully and made the show such an enjoyable experience.
Tomorrow is the final night. Saturday we had 58 guests and we're expected to have as many as 20 more than that tomorrow. Even though the other show went so well, I'm still a tad nervous -- mostly because this time, we both have to work all day and I'm worried that we might not have the energy level we had Saturday. Oh well, one way or another, in a mere 25 hours from right now, our 2009 St. Patrick's Day show will be history.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
My New Nickname
Susan and I like making up words to describe things. Sure, we have a lot of adjectives already, but there's always room for more. For instance, if something is big and ugly, it's bugly. If something is rough and yellow, it's rellow. Well, early this morning, Susan came up with a word for me. From here on out, I'm referred to by her as cevil (pronounced KEY-ville). It's a cross between cute and evil. Now mind you, I'm not the really bad evil that runs over dogs, beats up old ladies, or fails to put down the toilet seat cover. I'm the other kind of evil. The one that just can't seem to stop tickling the love of his life. Yep, Susan is intensely ticklish and even though I'm a generally decent person, I just can't get enough of tickling her. So, from here on out, I'm cevil.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tonight's The Night
My blog title reminds me of the Rod Stewart song...
Tonight's the night.
It's gonna be alright.
Cause I love you girl,
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now.
Tonight Susan and I will be taking part in our first play together. It's a rather small one. I only have five lines and Susan doesn't have any, but we do each have a vital part. Susan will be a "serving wench," actually helping to serve the dinner to the forty or so guests in attendance and I will be the town drunk.
I talked to Debi Neville, the organizer of this event, if we can film it and I have her approval. We're not going to be filming this evening, though, as she thinks we'll be more comfortable and give a better performance on our second night. We're going to be filming with my panasonic camcorder. It's a bit old, but it should be sufficient for this show. As soon as we get it streamed to YouTube, I'll post the link here.
The final dress rehearsal went well this afternoon. This is the first play for a couple of us and so there were some butterflies about, but all in all, we have a wonderful crew and I'm looking forward to a good show tonight.
The food that they're serving this evening is corned beef and cabbage, fresh loaves of bread, cheese blocks, and some kind of potato dish that I know they told me but for the life of me, I can't seem to remember now. Since it's a dinner theater and the premise of the show is a secret potato party during the Irish famine of the 1840's, we bar patrons are going to have our own table and get to share in the food. The serving wenches too. I don't know how much of it I'll be eating, though, as I can't stand cabbage and I'm thinking I might be too wired to eat while the show's going on.
At the very end of the play, after we thank the guests for coming, all of the cast is going to sing the first verse of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. Susan and I have been trying to get down the exact words all day and for some reason, we keep getting stuck on the final line. Hopefully we won't tonight.
When Irish eyes are smiling,
sure, tis like a morn in spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter,
you can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
all the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
sure they steal your heart away.
As I write this, we go live in an hour and a half. We've gone over the script, the Irish birthday blessing we'll be giving to one of the guests, and the song we'll be singing at the end. We're as ready as we're ever going to be. So, I hope that your thoughts will be with us as we break a leg or knock 'em dead or whatever we're supposed to do. And that brings me back to Rod Stewart's song, Tonight's the night...
Kick off your shoes and sit right down.
Loosen off that pretty French gown.
Let me pour you a good long drink.
Ooh baby don't you hesitate cause,
Tonight's the night.
It's gonna be alright.
Cause I love you girl,
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now
Yep, tonight's the night. Ain't nobody gonna stop us now!
Tonight's the night.
It's gonna be alright.
Cause I love you girl,
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now.
Tonight Susan and I will be taking part in our first play together. It's a rather small one. I only have five lines and Susan doesn't have any, but we do each have a vital part. Susan will be a "serving wench," actually helping to serve the dinner to the forty or so guests in attendance and I will be the town drunk.
I talked to Debi Neville, the organizer of this event, if we can film it and I have her approval. We're not going to be filming this evening, though, as she thinks we'll be more comfortable and give a better performance on our second night. We're going to be filming with my panasonic camcorder. It's a bit old, but it should be sufficient for this show. As soon as we get it streamed to YouTube, I'll post the link here.
The final dress rehearsal went well this afternoon. This is the first play for a couple of us and so there were some butterflies about, but all in all, we have a wonderful crew and I'm looking forward to a good show tonight.
The food that they're serving this evening is corned beef and cabbage, fresh loaves of bread, cheese blocks, and some kind of potato dish that I know they told me but for the life of me, I can't seem to remember now. Since it's a dinner theater and the premise of the show is a secret potato party during the Irish famine of the 1840's, we bar patrons are going to have our own table and get to share in the food. The serving wenches too. I don't know how much of it I'll be eating, though, as I can't stand cabbage and I'm thinking I might be too wired to eat while the show's going on.
At the very end of the play, after we thank the guests for coming, all of the cast is going to sing the first verse of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. Susan and I have been trying to get down the exact words all day and for some reason, we keep getting stuck on the final line. Hopefully we won't tonight.
When Irish eyes are smiling,
sure, tis like a morn in spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter,
you can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
all the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
sure they steal your heart away.
As I write this, we go live in an hour and a half. We've gone over the script, the Irish birthday blessing we'll be giving to one of the guests, and the song we'll be singing at the end. We're as ready as we're ever going to be. So, I hope that your thoughts will be with us as we break a leg or knock 'em dead or whatever we're supposed to do. And that brings me back to Rod Stewart's song, Tonight's the night...
Kick off your shoes and sit right down.
Loosen off that pretty French gown.
Let me pour you a good long drink.
Ooh baby don't you hesitate cause,
Tonight's the night.
It's gonna be alright.
Cause I love you girl,
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now
Yep, tonight's the night. Ain't nobody gonna stop us now!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Worth More than Any Computer
Something happened to our laptop computer yesterday. Susan thinks it may have had something to do with a spill she had near it, but honestly, I didn't see any sign that anything had gotten underneath the keys. And even if it was caused by her spill, the computer is almost three years old and is starting to act up.
Last night, when she told me about what happened, she was mad at herself and the look on her face made me want to cry. The only thing I could do was hug the hell out of her and make her understand that no matter what, she is worth more than any silly old computer.
When we went to bed last night, the U, I, and G keys were not working. Earlier the F key hadn't been working either, but it started responding after we had come back from dress rehearsal for that play we're doing for St. Patrick's Day. So, since the F key started working again, and if the keys not working were because of a spill, I thought there might be a chance of the other ones coming back as well.
I talked to Susan at lunch and she said that it's still not working right. We need a computer though. So at lunch, I went to Best Buy and bought a new one. Due to the economy, it wasn't the best one they have or as fast or powerful as I would have liked, but it is better than the one I bought three years ago and it will keep us computing for the time being.
Even if I couldn't have afforded to get a replacement, though, there is no way that a silly machine could ever be worth more than the wonderful woman named Susan who shares her life with me.
Last night, when she told me about what happened, she was mad at herself and the look on her face made me want to cry. The only thing I could do was hug the hell out of her and make her understand that no matter what, she is worth more than any silly old computer.
When we went to bed last night, the U, I, and G keys were not working. Earlier the F key hadn't been working either, but it started responding after we had come back from dress rehearsal for that play we're doing for St. Patrick's Day. So, since the F key started working again, and if the keys not working were because of a spill, I thought there might be a chance of the other ones coming back as well.
I talked to Susan at lunch and she said that it's still not working right. We need a computer though. So at lunch, I went to Best Buy and bought a new one. Due to the economy, it wasn't the best one they have or as fast or powerful as I would have liked, but it is better than the one I bought three years ago and it will keep us computing for the time being.
Even if I couldn't have afforded to get a replacement, though, there is no way that a silly machine could ever be worth more than the wonderful woman named Susan who shares her life with me.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When Fame Goes Too Far
Picture the scene: thousands of enthusiastic fans, chanting and waiving their arms, hollering, singing, and cheering as a group while their hero, YOU, walks out on stage and does whatever it is you do so well. Then, silence. Every eye is upon you. Every being in the packed venue waits at rapt attention while you pan the room, taking in the adulation.
Some would want the above and some would not, but lets face it, don't we all have a certain longing to be recognized as the best, or almost the best, at something? Isn't there some aspect of our lives, some feature of our dreams that wouldn't shine with some well-earned recognition? I think most, if not all, would answer with an honest yes -- as long as it didn't go too far.
What's too far?
If you and your significant other have a child and the wages that one picture of your newborn garners would elevate a McDonald's cashier up and out of President Obama's $250,000 tax break window, you're fame has gone too far.
If the only things on the planet too expensive for you to purchase come with a numbered seat at the United Nations General Assembly, a Capitol building, and a constitution your fame has gone too far.
If you give up a successful, award-winning career as a motion picture actor in exchange for jumping around on a stage, sputtering unintelligible phrases, and picking fights with drunk concert-goers, your fame has gone too far.
Joaquin Phoenix, dude, please, whatever it is you took, whatever it is you swallowed, no matter what the source was or how much you trusted the person who gave it to you, please, put down the pills, put down the needle, put down the bottle, put down whatever and GET HELP SOON!
Some would want the above and some would not, but lets face it, don't we all have a certain longing to be recognized as the best, or almost the best, at something? Isn't there some aspect of our lives, some feature of our dreams that wouldn't shine with some well-earned recognition? I think most, if not all, would answer with an honest yes -- as long as it didn't go too far.
What's too far?
If you and your significant other have a child and the wages that one picture of your newborn garners would elevate a McDonald's cashier up and out of President Obama's $250,000 tax break window, you're fame has gone too far.
If the only things on the planet too expensive for you to purchase come with a numbered seat at the United Nations General Assembly, a Capitol building, and a constitution your fame has gone too far.
If you give up a successful, award-winning career as a motion picture actor in exchange for jumping around on a stage, sputtering unintelligible phrases, and picking fights with drunk concert-goers, your fame has gone too far.
Joaquin Phoenix, dude, please, whatever it is you took, whatever it is you swallowed, no matter what the source was or how much you trusted the person who gave it to you, please, put down the pills, put down the needle, put down the bottle, put down whatever and GET HELP SOON!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
It Nearly Brought Me To Tears
Last night we attended the awards ceremony for the 2009 Chi-Shu Award Writing Contest. Helen Chen, the founder and organizer of the event, decorated the library's auditorium and brought cookies and coffee. She also brought her signature enthusiasm for writing and writing oriented events -- she's a fabulous hostess.
After warming up the audience with a short speech, sprinkled with humor and humanity, she introduced the three judges and directed them to introduce the four winners. First up was Faith Slater, winner of the honorable mention with her story, Lest Thieves Find a Way. She was introduced by judge, David Fingerman. He mentioned his love for horror stories and science fiction and compared her story to a coming of age Harry Potter. Helen handed her a manila envelope that held her certificate and shook her hand as she approached the podium to read her winning entry.
Afterward, Helen invited another of the judges, Penny Duffy, to introduce the third place winner -- ME! Her words for my story nearly brought tears to my eyes. Here they are, exactly as she said them:
WOW! I approached the podium, still awed at the wonderful introduction Penny had given me. Helen handed me my envelope with my prize money and certificate and then I read my story. I don't know how many things in life are more satisfying then sharing a creative piece of myself to an appreciative audience, but I'm sure that I could count them all on my hands and toes.
As I shared my story to the audience, which consisted of Susan and her daughters -- Rachael and Sarah -- my mom, members of the three writing groups I attend, and others who I'm sure will one day be friends, I felt so warm and at peace.
After I read my story, Helen once again called for David to come up and introduce the 2nd place winner. The third judge, Ryan Shriver, couldn't make the ceremony due to his wife having given birth to their third child a few days earlier.
Again reminding us of his love for horror stories, judge David told us why he had chosen Betty Benner's warm-hearted story, The Unexpected Gift, as one of the best of the contest. It touched him. Betty, with her warm, welcoming smile that reminds me of everything good about grandmas and chocolate chip cookies, made her way to the podium, accepted her prize envelope from Helen, and shared with us her touching story.
Then it was time for an intermission. There were plenty of cookies and plenty of coffee and plenty of people to mingle with while enjoying the goodies. The intermission lasted about fifteen minutes and then Helen called the meeting back to order. She invited Penny, once again, to introduce the first place winner, Kit Rohrbach, for her psychological thriller, The Red Hat. Penny did another marvelous job introducing her and Kit grabbed the hall's attention with the reading of her fast-moving, spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat-inviting masterpiece.
We congregated for a half hour or so after the ceremony to talk and then eight of us, the four winners included, made our way to Perkins for a celebratory late-night snack. The food was sumptious. The atmosphere was delightful. But most of all, being with friends, fellow creative souls, sharing jokes, and poems, and pieces of what makes us tick added the most delicious whipped cream topping to the chocolate sundae that was last night. And the cherry? The cherry of the evening was getting to go home afterward with Susan and fall asleep in her arms.
After warming up the audience with a short speech, sprinkled with humor and humanity, she introduced the three judges and directed them to introduce the four winners. First up was Faith Slater, winner of the honorable mention with her story, Lest Thieves Find a Way. She was introduced by judge, David Fingerman. He mentioned his love for horror stories and science fiction and compared her story to a coming of age Harry Potter. Helen handed her a manila envelope that held her certificate and shook her hand as she approached the podium to read her winning entry.
Afterward, Helen invited another of the judges, Penny Duffy, to introduce the third place winner -- ME! Her words for my story nearly brought tears to my eyes. Here they are, exactly as she said them:
Up a flight of steps to his destiny. This is the story of Pedro Jimenez. We are immersed in Pedro's desperation, longing, his fears, frustrations, and high and low expectations from the opening paragraphs -- every well-chosen image and detail adding to our sense of the man and his plight. Equally important, we are transported into his world view through the expert rendering of his narrative voice on the page. What drives a story? Is it plot or character? Well, it's both. We want to find out what happens to Pedro, yes, but we care what happens because from the start our heart goes out to him. When you care enough, the character's fate stays with you long after you reach the end of the narrative -- in this case, long after Pedro descends the stairway -- and that is the mark of a really good story. Let's listen as author Tom Harper starts Pedro on his journey in his well-crafted story, "The Red Stamp."
WOW! I approached the podium, still awed at the wonderful introduction Penny had given me. Helen handed me my envelope with my prize money and certificate and then I read my story. I don't know how many things in life are more satisfying then sharing a creative piece of myself to an appreciative audience, but I'm sure that I could count them all on my hands and toes.
As I shared my story to the audience, which consisted of Susan and her daughters -- Rachael and Sarah -- my mom, members of the three writing groups I attend, and others who I'm sure will one day be friends, I felt so warm and at peace.
After I read my story, Helen once again called for David to come up and introduce the 2nd place winner. The third judge, Ryan Shriver, couldn't make the ceremony due to his wife having given birth to their third child a few days earlier.
Again reminding us of his love for horror stories, judge David told us why he had chosen Betty Benner's warm-hearted story, The Unexpected Gift, as one of the best of the contest. It touched him. Betty, with her warm, welcoming smile that reminds me of everything good about grandmas and chocolate chip cookies, made her way to the podium, accepted her prize envelope from Helen, and shared with us her touching story.
Then it was time for an intermission. There were plenty of cookies and plenty of coffee and plenty of people to mingle with while enjoying the goodies. The intermission lasted about fifteen minutes and then Helen called the meeting back to order. She invited Penny, once again, to introduce the first place winner, Kit Rohrbach, for her psychological thriller, The Red Hat. Penny did another marvelous job introducing her and Kit grabbed the hall's attention with the reading of her fast-moving, spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat-inviting masterpiece.
We congregated for a half hour or so after the ceremony to talk and then eight of us, the four winners included, made our way to Perkins for a celebratory late-night snack. The food was sumptious. The atmosphere was delightful. But most of all, being with friends, fellow creative souls, sharing jokes, and poems, and pieces of what makes us tick added the most delicious whipped cream topping to the chocolate sundae that was last night. And the cherry? The cherry of the evening was getting to go home afterward with Susan and fall asleep in her arms.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
