At this writing, I am still able to count the hours since I sat through “Joker.” The experience was somewhere between impressive and appalling. Both, really.
If you had the great fortune to grow up in Michigan, it is not unusual to take Mackinac Island for granted. For many families, the Island simply exists, “up north” as Michiganders are wont to say, (even if they are actually traveling east, west, or heck – south.) Even if your family didn’t frequently visit Mackinac, its existence doesn’t feel like anything out of the ordinary.
In a nation with so much excess, so much opportunity and so much wealth, we have much for which to be thankful. Our nation’s economy is, arguably, close to the strongest it has ever been. The unemployment rate has just printed 3.5%, and this was the 16th month in a row that it has been below 4%. If you add up all the months from 1969 to 2018 (49 years), there was a grand total of FIVE months, when it was below 4%.* We just lived through SIXTEEN months straight! The stock market is within a few percentage points from an all-time high** and wages throughout America are rising. We are a very blessed nation; but at the same time, we suffer from some of the highest levels of depression and anxiety when compared to the rest of the world.
In the fall, there are amazing squash varieties available – so many, it’s hard to know where to begin! I rediscovered spaghetti squash this fall; I had forgotten it has a subtle sweetness that is so delicious. Butternut, an all time favorite, is rich and “squashy” and makes great soup or really, the best pumpkin pie. If you didn’t already know, pumpkin is from the squash family and makes a flavorful substitution in pumpkin recipes. My favorite squash at the moment is the black futsu, with a chestnut flavor and a dark orange flesh – it’s not only beautiful, but really delicious. Try it in the recipe below or substitute with your favorite variety.
One of Genesee County’s most notable roads is Hammerberg, which runs from the iconic block on 12th to Miller (and from Neithercut Elementary to Lincoln Park). The road was named in the early 1950s in honor of Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg of Flint.
There is anxiety that a recession is around the corner. According to a recent ABC News poll, 60 percent of Americans expect a recession in 2020.
With crisp weather comes harvest-themed cooking. Most people don’t realize that mini pumpkins are more than just decoration, they are also edible. A relative of the acorn squash, when cooked they become single serving bowls! Filled with veggies and grains, they can be a perfect side dish for a fall dinner.
Halloween stuff starts showing up in stores before the back-to-school merchandise goes on clearance. If you haven’t been Halloween shopping, you are missing out, my friend.
Where do filmmakers get their story ideas? Sometimes, from places you might not know about.
As of July 2019, the national savings rate in the U.S. is approximately 7.7% of household income, down slightly from 8.0% in June.* The rate has been steadily increasing since hitting its all-time low of 2.2% in July 2005. I am excited to see that people are starting to make wiser decisions when it comes to their finances; but when we look at other developed countries, we start to see the greater picture of our spending relative to some of our global neighbors. The countrymen of Switzerland store away 13.5% of their monthly pay. The French manage to save 14.94%. Our Mexican neighbors sock away 21% of their earnings. When it comes to savings, though, Asian countries put the rest of us to shame. Japan saves 34%, South Korea comes in at 34.6% and China tops the list at 36.10% of monthly personal household income being saved.*
One truth I have learned through traveling is that a tourist’s impressions of a place are largely colored by the tourist, himself or herself. The same exact city through two different pairs of eyes can look unbelievably dissimilar.
