I didn't get the impression that Leanan recieved any pix of Audacious lighting displays, either. Though I'm sure they are out there. The wind has gone out of a lot of sails, right now.

We have a real tree from the woods, not purchased, and it's kind of a Charlie Brown tree. I'm fairly sure that the ornaments weigh more than the wood.

Maybe I'm in a pollyana phase, but I think people are going to be in a state of rediscovering the essentials in events like Christmas, paring away all sorts of extras.

On our freecycle list this year, a lot of people were shedding off their oversized Artificial Xmas trees.

Best hopes for a real Rebirth,
and Happy New Year!

Bob

Airdale - Here in the land of the Xmas tree I have talked to several tree farmers I know and they all said that demand was way down. They then smile and say all that means is they will have more inventory of BIGGER trees for next year so the will really cash in then. Yee Haw!

I walk around the neighborhood and see very few houses done up with lights and all. The houses with lights usually have overflowing garbage cans with packaging and wrappers, houses without lights do not.

We noticed that trees seemed a lot more expensive this year, so we bought a smaller one. We put up the same number of lights, I guess - my wife seems to have collected light strings before we were married (usually bought them on deep discount in Jan), and we really only used half of what we could have put up.

My wife and I asked my mother to give a donation to a food pantry instead of buying us some stuff that we don't really need.

Happy New Year Airdale...

I noticed a couple of days ago that the comments rating system was gone so I decided to log in. The system was FUBAR from day one, as I pointed out numerous times, but it was like attempting to talk to government bureaucrats.

Congatulations to whoever had enough sense to rid this board of that idiocy.

The new year has indeed arrived and the prediction that I made long ago, that the presidential election would be about the economy, has indeed come to pass. Of course that prediction was thourghly downrated. :)

I also predicted that in the coming environment of frugality that the technogeeks would play hell finding funding for their crude oil replacements. Also downrated but right again. :)

I said that oil at $146 was a bubble and promptly shorted it and made a bundle. Downrated but right again. :)

I could continue but will leave you with this thought...Rarely have I made money taking my own financial advice. :)

I hope you have all made appropriate preparations for the new year because 2009 is going to make 2008 look like a walk in the park.