Real gross domestic product (GDP), which is the inflation-adjusted final value of all goods and services produced in the United States, declined by 0.9% in the second quarter after declining by 1.6% in the first. Two consecutive quarters of GDP decline is the definition of a recession found in any “introductory economics” textbook, despite the attempts by some to redefine the term. Since the end of World War II, a recession has been called by the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating Committee every time the economy has contracted for two consecutive quarters. Consistent with the traditional definition of a recession and past practice, the economy is in a recession.
It’s never too early to start thinking about fall fashion, which is arguably the best time of the year for dressing. It’s cold enough to wear all of your fave pieces at the same time (helloooo, layers!), but warm enough to actually go out and about to show off your fit. Exciting, right? So, why wait?! Plus, with so many clutch deals and stylish finds available in stores, now’s the time to get a head start on fall clothing and accessory shopping.
In my July column, I mentioned that when I was a kid, I saw Creedence Clearwater Revival at a campground bandshell, long before anyone ever heard of them. That was just one of my early musical experiences.
For 15 years, Steve Wood displayed his exceptional, detailed portraits at Art at the Market. “I was a vendor and artist there since 2006,” he remembers. “In 2009, I became board president and I continued in that position until April of 2021.” His dedication to the gallery was appreciated by his fellow artists. Recently, he left the gallery and his position due to new family and work obligations; but there was one more thing he wanted to do. “I’ve been painting murals for nearly 25 years and when the gallery moved to its new location in the Flint Farmers’ Market, an opportunity presented itself.” A new room for the gallery was built, complete with a blank wall – or to an artist, a canvas. “It was a giant space and I felt it would be a sin to leave it empty,” he explains.
Until the previous year, the concept of economic inflation was nothing more than a good story the older generation would hold over everyone else’s head. Back in the early ‘80s, it wasn’t inflation that made people very uncomfortable with managing their finances, it was the Fed’s policies to combat inflation that forever changed an entire generation’s view of debt. Those people in America who held mortgages or loans during the early ‘80s are not nearly as comfortable with holding debt as most of the generations that have come after them. We cannot blame them for being so averse to holding loans unless completely necessary; mortgage rates topped out at 18.63% in October of 1981 but stayed at almost 10% through the end of 1989.
Going to Parris Island, SC to watch my grandson Mack graduate from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp is a memory I will always cherish. On August 5, he officially became a U.S. Marine with the 1st Battalion Charlie Co. PLT 1054 after successfully completing The Crucible, a grueling and intense 54-hour event that tests recruits physically and psychologically on limited sleep, the final challenge of their training.
I’ve never known heat like a Texas summer. Humid, blistering, melt-like-Velveeta-in-the-microwave heat. It’s a heat that makes everyone irritable. Tempers flare, words come out harsher than intended, calm somehow deserts everyone. Babies cry, toddlers tantrum and teenagers’ eyes nearly roll out of their heads. It’s a friction-causing heat.
Just one month ago, I was suffering a bit of anxiety about my pending summer vacation. While deciding what to pack for a trip to Yellowstone National Park, I stumbled across a few suggested packing lists on the internet. Not terribly exciting as far as packing lists go, until I got to “bear spray.” That one item showed up on every list I found. I grew terrified that I needed to pack this item because it wasn’t a matter of “if” but when I would encounter a bear in the park.
When I was growing up, “breakfast for dinner” was a staple meal. Sometimes when we can’t figure out anything to have for dinner at my house, apple pancakes are a real crowd pleaser. With this recipe, I may have made them a little healthier than what I remember eating as a kid. My grandmother made the original version sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and the pancakes had chunks of apple in them (which you can still do!) This healthier version cooks up a little quicker and can be made gluten-free by simply using gluten free oats. For breakfast, you could also add a tablespoon of protein powder to the batter for an extra morning “punch” to get you through until the next meal.
In August of 1969, over 450,000 people from all walks of life met at a small dairy farm in Bethel, New York for a music festival billed as “three days of peace and music.” No one who attended – not the audience, promoters or musicians – could have anticipated it becoming a defining moment in the history of a generation. The festival was besotted with problems, from traffic jams to tumultuous rainstorms and shoddy equipment; but that never dampened the spirit of peace, love and harmony radiated by the audience. In a time of political and social strife, Woodstock was an example of unity and hope.
If you have paid any attention to the media these last few months, there’s an inevitable event headed our way that they say could be detrimental. Everyone is happy to give their opinion and predictions about it and since so many people say it is coming, it must be true. That nasty little word is: recession. A recession has threatened to overtake our economy for a long time, probably even before the pandemic. I think we must figure out what exactly a recession is and how that affects our lives – especially our investment portfolios.
Remakes are everywhere right now – from TV shows to movies to music – even history tends to repeat itself. And fashion is no different. Styles have a tendency to show up again every few decades. As teens of the ‘90s, some of us wish we had held on to our clothing from that decade. Let’s take a look at what’s as trendy now as it was years ago.
