Now that Christmas 2008 is in the past, was your spending changed by how things have progressed this year with the economy?
We definitely scaled back in our family, which I don't think was a bad thing. Instead we focused more on enjoying our time together yesterday.
How about you?
We scaled bck some but not alot just decided to donate more to those less fortunate. Mostly organizations that help those in need and missions through our church.
Yes. And my job has been affected by the economy as well.
Affected by the economy or affected by the media portrayal of the economy?
"By July, we will come to feel that 2009 will be one of the most upbeat years in our history, as what used to be the news media begins to get behind America and report on all the mysteriously wonderful things that are suddenly taking place . . . 'Depression' will transmogrify into 'recession' which in turn by July will be a 'downturn' and by year next an 'upswing' on its way to boom times. Indeed, almost supernaturally crises will be solved with the departure of the hated Bush. . . . Static, same-old, same-old government policy will, of course, be said to have altered radically ('hoped and changed'), but it will also be refashioned in the media as 'sober' and 'judicious', as the administration moves 'in circumspect fashion' to probe and explore 'complex' and often 'paradoxical' matters of national security that 'indeed at the end of the day have no easy answers'" -- historian Victor Davis Hanson, writing at RealClearPolitics.com on the next phase of Obama cheerleading in the media.
I didn't know Hanson was into writing future-history these days. And here I thought his specialty was the ancient Mediterranean area. Quite a versatile fellow, evidently.
Do any reputable economists argue that this recession is media-caused?
So, Victor thinks that the near disintegration of the company I worked for is due to the media? So when the housing market burst and the banks bottomed out and stopped loaning money and everything began to unravel, it's because the media reported it? Because that's about the time the country stopped spending money, advertising dropped, sales dropped, customers dropped and my job went away along with thousands of others in the company nationwide.
I'm so glad Victor Davis Hanson still has his job. Perhaps someone ought to remind him he's media.
Perhaps The Fresno Bee would "transmogrify" into elevated "media" status without the column of Victor Davis Hanson; soothsayer; historien extraordinaire?
"transmogrify" (it's a mouthful!)