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It's a backstage pass to info on jobs and life at 50+. Gen Plus, headed by Janet Wendy Spiegel, is dedicated to baby boomers and the plus generation of age 50 and older. Read up and speak out on issues affecting your future: jobs, income, life and respect.

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Northridge, California, United States
Successful businesswoman, consultant, entrepreneur. I operate two businesses -- social media consulting, AND premium pet care services in the West San Fernando Valley. Love what I do, love life.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Who Cares What it is Called? Recession or Not...$4 a gallon?

Just a few short years ago, $40 would fill my tank and get me a cuppa coffee. $100 would buy me so many bags of groceries that I would need to get the bags into my car. A soya chai latte...well...I didn't buy any of those back then.

My day ended yesterday listening to former President Jimmy Carter talk absolute drivel to Charlie Rose (who was getting a little irritated himself, I might add) on theoretical nonsense about how the next president could change the world perception of the US by a 10 minute inauguration speech. Today my day started by listening to George Bush talk absolute drivel for ten minutes on how good people were finding it tough to make ends meet. Yes. George. Thanks for overstating the obvious. Two polar opposites as presidents and enough drivel to fertilize my lawn for a decade.

Then I went to Trader Joe's, where I used to buy $50 - $60 and fill my house with food for a week. Today I spent over $100 to feed our family of three (and a dog) and I'll be lucky to make it to Friday. And then, I filled my car with gas...or let's just say I put in $40 to fill my tank less than 1/2 way. I came home and started going through my bills, deciding in what order I should drain my bank account. Now I'm going to sleep. Got some food in the house, some gas in the car, less money in the bank and I'm pretty sure we're in a recession.

I'm not listening to Charlie Rose tonight, as I need to wait for my drivel bucket levels to go down. At least I'll save $0.25 on the electricity.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least you lasted 10 min. listening to George Bush, I lasted maybe five minutes before I turned it off.

Janet Spiegel said...

Very funny. Kaizen you just gave me my good chuckle for the morning. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I heard Jimmy and Charles chat, too. His view of that theoretical inaugural speech was alarmingly naive, true, but he made an interesting point, I think.

The new president can start to repair this country and our standing on the world stage by reclaiming for all Americans our humanity and moral conscience. It's not gonna take ten minutes, though. Ten years might not be enough, but it's a start.

What captured my imagination is how influential two has-beens- Carter and Gore- have become, and what might have been if either had been given the chance to truly lead our nation.

Ok, I was raised never to talk about politics, religion or sex in public so I'm expecting a call from my mama right about now....

Janet Spiegel said...

Hi Dina,
Jimmy Carter's comments may have seemed naive, but it has been rather strongly suggested that his allegiances to Arab money (see the links below) color his view and give him a strong anti-Israel bias. He was not being a straight shooter on Charlie Rose and I could not, in any fairness, put him into the same category of someone like Al Gore, who is a man of fair action. Also, (not to start a wholesale political discussion, but...) it should be mentioned that Carter DID have a chance to lead our nation as President. I'm not convinced that history will record him as a successful one. Here are a couple of links:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/04/27/2008-04-27_to_see_jimmy_carters_true_allegiances_ju.html

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=252633226827963

My mom is calling me, too. Oops. Gotta go. I appreciate your fine upbringing and your great comments! (And please say hello to your Mom for me.)

Janet Wendy