Halloween

Climate Change

It seems that the credit crisis, bank meltdown, CEO lootings have diverted attention from the global warming crisis. Europe was the leader in carbon controls, but apparently is looking at other things right now. Alternative Energy is losing momentum as well.

I don't know whether this means we'll be dependent on gas forever or not; in my case, we're dependent on Canuckistani imports, rather than OPEC.

Credit Meltdown Creates Opportunities

The credit meltdown may have created opportunities for attorneys to keep on working. There are many more lawsuits being filed and our pal Andrew Cuomo is getting involved with the Feds.

I expect additional shareholder lawsuits, along with more attorneys general weighing in; after all, the people looting the companies were the upper echelon of management, therefore presumably breached their fiduciary duty to the company in question.

It seems reasonable to tie bonuses to actual performance, rather than looting the company for whatever they want.

Meanwhile, perhaps there'll be more document review projects in our future.

Thrift as a Way of Life

For those like me, whose grandparents lived through the Depression, stories of deprivation and thrift were part of our upbringing. As if the Depression wasn't enough, the economy was then fueled by war, which begat The War Effort, rationing and deprivation for another reason; helping the boys at war.

During the Depression, people just plain didn't have money and couldn't buy things. Not that there was the wide array of consumer goods that we have, I mean people put newspaper in the bottom of their shoes because they could neither afford new shoes nor repair the old shoes. Soup Kitchens and bread lines proliferated, feeding many who had no other source of sustenance.

With the tumbling stock market, credit crunch and daily announcements of layoffs, we'll be lucky not to need assistance from tax deductible charity organizations. In my area, there are several downtown agencies that assist; the House of Charity which provides a noon meal to anyone who shows up at the appropriate time, no questions asked, Sharing and Caring Hands and Dorothy Day. There are food shelves associated with Dorothy Day, as well as with many other organizations. In addition, a church near my home provides free food once a month. Many years ago, my grandma was in a USDA program for those with low incomes; they came to her building and handed out butter, cheese and honey.

I'm not suggesting that contract attorneys are in a position to need these services; however, at one point in my life I worked on a temporary project with a woman who had lived for a time at the Dorothy Day center when she first moved here. Her church subsequently assisted her in finding a roommate situation.

Because of the rampant spending the formerly credit-worthy countries of the world have engaged in, it's entirely possible that we might know someone who could benefit from a reminder that these sorts of services are out there. When I was in law school, someone told me to apply for government benefits, such as food stamps; while I was poor, I chose not to take advantage of the programs because it was my choice to go to school. It seemed silly as a single person to do so, though one of my college classmates used food stamps; she had a child, so under her circumstances it would have been foolish not to do so.

I'm fortunate in not being in a situation in which I need services, but due to the masses of debt that people have, I also believe that it's important not to be too proud to take services if you need them. Especially if you have a family.

Mixed-Up Holiday Shopping

I'm a firm believer in shopping for holidays year round; I've never been one to purchase generic gifts as some people do.

A friends brother bought his mom, sisters, sil's and nieces each a pearl bracelet for Christmas a few years ago. He had gone on a business trip to the Far East somewhere and brought back generic men's and women's gifts. It's a nice thought, but not terribly personalized, which is great if you're just bringing someone a souvenir from a trip. There seem to be many people who just pick a gift and buy the right number of the same thing.

I can't imagine doing that; I buy gifts when I find them, no matter the time of year. Then I just wrap it up and I'm ready. Some people are easier than others to find gifts for, and there are times that I visit gift shops not because I need a gift at that moment but because I want to see what interesting things they might have. If I see something interesting but think it'll be gone before I need it, I'll buy one on the spot. Other times, I just keep track of interesting items. Or go to that particular store if I need inspiration.

The above linked stores are all local but have a lot of interesting merchandise and I've never gone in looking for a gift and been unable to find something appropriate, though I prefer to encounter things in a more serendipitous manner.

Christmas items are out in full force and tonight I bought cards, at the thrift shop. I need another box or two, but the beauty of it is that I can more closely match the style of the card to the person.

Shopping in a Bad Economy

I haven't gone to the mall in ages. I sometimes go to TJ Maxx, Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack when I want something new; I'm more likely to go to a thrift store, Kohl's or a consignment shop.

I bought a couple of skirts at Nordstrom Rack a few weeks ago. I had a wedding to go to and nothing to wear. It was outside so I really didn't need anything too fancy and ended up pairing a long black skirt with a hot pink twinset. The skirt was about $40 but is quite versatile. I also bought a shorter black skirt in a similar style but different fabric. I'd like a couple more sweaters but that can wait a bit.

I really don't need anything, which is why I stay out of the mall; thrift stores are a different matter altogether. I'm a reader by nature so need to get a new supply of books and check out their offerings regularly. I usually find some other thing that I want but don't need and at thrift store prices am more likely to buy.

One of the stores I shop at has higher quality merchandise but corresponding higher prices, which is fine sometimes but not so much other times. The same store has a very nice book department and categorizes them by genre so for the most part you only have to look in the section that should have the type of books you want. They probably sell a lot more books because of it since people aren't always interested in looking through every book in the place.

What I find a bit frightening is the number of new stores and restaurants still opening. I realize the plans were begun a few years ago and it isn't always possible to put them on hold or cancel. We really don't need more stores.

Halloween Candy

Halloween is coming up next week but I don't know how prepared to be. I live in a suburban neighborhood and it seems lately there have been more children coming through. I did ask one family where they were from, but the kids had come to trick-or-treat in their grandparents neighborhood. They didn't live in that great an area. Makes sense both from bonding with grandparents and safety perspectives.

We tend to give more candy to kids we know, but I think that's universal. I have a friend in CA whose kids get much better stuff than the imported kids; she lives in a neighborhood that's quite nice but not gated so people drive truckloads of kids in because they get better candy. I was there last year for Halloween and there were cars parked all over both sides of the road. Tons of them.

In practice, her kids were either given a mammoth chocolate bar or a toy. The imported kids were given a couple of so-called fun-size candy bars and were quite happy with that. Her girls had magic wands and various toys that weren't cheap. Then again, her neighborhood is full of excesses anyway.

I buy several bags of candy at the grocery store, one of the big-box stores or at the drugstore. Drugstores aren't hit the way the other places are, so if you're a desperate procrastinator, you're likely to find a better selection at your local pharmacy.

I haven't tried Big Lots or the Dollar Store for halloween candy, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had good options.