Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Christmas and a Hopeful 2009!

2008 has been fraught with changes on all levels -economic, financial, professional, family, and others.

Yes, the 401K has been hit hard by the stock market - but que sera sera, but I am confident it will recover - be it 5, 10, 15 + years it'll get there and more.

At the moment I am thankful not only for the continuing good health and good cheer of myself and my family. Health aside - I not only have a great paying job but thriving very well, thank you very much.

My family may be doing well but there are a lot of fellow Americans suffering and due to this I hope for a much better 2009. Americans may have had a reputation for consumerism but now that most Americans have held back on spending and saving more due to uncertain times, this same "new found" sense of thriftiness has global repercussions.

This one article [Trouble in Toyland: U.S. recession jolts China] reports on the number of Chinese factories shutting down and laying off Chinese workers by the thousands due to reduced American demand for consumer good it is an enlightening read.

I read a number of articles blaming the USA for the world's ill or at the least at the epicenter. I've wondered, a number of foreign financial centers have been negatively (an understatement?) affected by the economic downturn in the USA but when the going was good they didn't complain did they? They were making money hand over fists off the American economy and now that the tap has run dry - for now - the Americans are being blamed. But then again, am probably being illogical. Not.

Alright, I'm off my soap box. Back to consumerism... here's the loot for Christmas!

Panasonic 42" VIERA Plasma HDTV (Last year was the Sony 62" XBR LCD HDTV)

Archos 5 250GB Internet Media Tablet (this should work very well with the DirecTV DVR)

oh oh oh, let me not forget the girly gift Everybody Women's Tania Shootie

I've been buying the shoe brand Everybody this year - comfortable, nice looking, reasonable in price.

Cheers! Am off to Laguna Niguel in Southern Cal this weekend for an overnight stay with high-school classmates for a night of reunion!