Scenes From Black Friday: The 2012 Edition

"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need."

~Vernon Howard

Oh well, another Black Friday has come and gone. I love Black Friday, it's been a big deal to Alan and I since before we were a couple... yes... that long ago... when we realized one day that we both like to watch people be people. But what's so special about people being people? Glad you asked. People, being for the most part creatures of habit, are also individual in their their daily goings on and pursuits. Well, DUH you say... and you would be right. It is an obvious thing for me to say, but you see, we enjoy seeing all those different individual styles and actions, and customs and attitudes come together in large groups.

Yesterday, we saw families, friends, friends of families. Loners. Friends and family of loners. Business folk, casual folk, stylish folk, generous folk. Happy people. Sad people. Bored people. Conservatives. Democrats. Those who want peace in the Middle East. Those who would rather have war. Homeless. Those who want to share the "good news." Those who don't watch the news. Those who would rather not see anyone, at anytime, wear fur. There were people protesting the support of some guy named Donald Trump... whoever HE is. Moms. Dads. Sons. Daughters. Grannies and Grandpas. Ladies who lunch... and shop till they drop. Tourists. The list of who one could encounter on Black Friday is endless... but it's never boring! And neither is the general scene that is there every year, and that can be counted on like a dear old friend.

Here... Take A Look..

Union Square, San Francisco November 23rd 2012

"Victory" at the top of the 97ft statue dedicated to Admiral Dewey

 

Saks And Tiffanys

 

Union Square Christmas Tree



Our Favorite Union Square Cafe



MMmmm... Hot Chocolate w/Cinnamon



The Amazing Neiman Marcus Christmas Tree



Shoppers



San Francisco's Finest




 Swarovski Crysral



"Budget: A mathematical confirmation of your suspicions."

~ A.A. Latimer

It would seem that consumer spending is up this year. That means confidence is up as well! That is a very good sign. Dare I say it? THINGS MIGHT JUST BE GETTING BETTER! America is finally healing! That is a really good feeling, being able to say it out loud and fully mean it! Yesterday was a lovely day, and there is still a lot of things to photograph on another occasion. I will be visiting the square again before the holidays are over. I want to do some night photography in and around Union Square, as well as other areas of the city, during the holiday season. It's a gorgeous city any day of the year, but it is especially lovely this time of year!

Am I in love with San Francisco?

You bet!

:)

~Me :)

Question Mark Butterfly

"There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."

-Johnny Depp, as Dob Juan DeMarco

Being able to visit the butterfly exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers, has been so good for my frazzled nerves. Elvis has regained some strength, and the wheezing coming from his nose is a lot better, and overall things are a lot less turbulent then they have been in months, but I am still a little on edge, and a lot tired. With the rising gas prices, I don't know if we will be able to go across the bay to see the exhibit all summer. It costs $4 to cross the bridge, on top of the cost in gas.

I have to put Elvis's medical bills, and our own basic living costs, first, then if there is anything reasonable left over we can think about recreation. Sigh. These are sad times in our country, but I will save my frustrations over that for another entry. Right now, I am focusing on how happy these little spirits make me. How when I visit the exhibit, I am actually stepping into another world... a world of sanctuary and peace. Aren't they lovely? Little question marks floating on the wind. I could watch them all day. Some questions are easy to answer... Are these butterflies beautiful? The answer is... Yes!

-OndineMonet
"Question Mark Butterfly"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
April, 2008
Afternoon

Cold Financial Roads

"If you lend someone $20.00, and you never see them again, it was probably worth it."

-Unknown

Well, congress and the White House, have reached an agreement regarding the proposed stimulus package. Will it help boost consumer confidence? Does it make you feel better about the future of the American economy? Will it help hold off a recession or is it too little too late? What about the world markets, will this attempt by the government bring about a long-range fix or a temporary stabilization which can't possibly be sustained? And while we are on the subject, just what exactly got us into this mess in the first place? Are we Americans dropping the ball and not doing our part?

I have been reading as much as I can since early January about the state of the economy. I want to understand what's going on, why are the mortgage companies dropping like flies? What part does the decline play in the overall economy? Well, if you read about the decline in the housing market, you will more then likely find yourself shaking your head in disbelief. You find housing loans being issued to folks who want nothing more then to provide for their families. Folks who want a roof over their heads, being taken in by the greed of the mortgage companies. But wait, didn't these people who purchased the loans know what they were doing? Didn't they know they would eventually have to face the pinch of the variable rate?

Of course they did. So why did they take the bait? There are a lot factors to be considered when seeking an answer to that question. I expect that there isn't a simple answer. For some it was the drive to take care of their families, while others took these loans as an investment in the short term. Either way, the bubble has burst, and the economy will be affected by it for years to come. So, what now? How do we turn things around? I personally don't think this rebate will even come close to fixing the problems, because we aren't addressing the other issues contributing to the overall economic downfall. Higher gas prices at the pump, drives the price up for everything. It is a simple fact. It's shocking to me that with America in as serious economic state as it finds itself in now, oil companies are still reporting record gains.

I don't think you can blame the housing market for the state of the economy, and yet when the fingers start pointing to the cause, this is the first thing you hear about. Yes, it is significant, but I don't think we can necessarily ignore the other things that contribute to why folks choose not to spend. Let's face it, other than making your mortgage payment, what do you put your money toward next? Getting to and from work. And to do that, we have to fill our tanks. After housing costs and the need for gas, what comes next? Well, we have to have some energy to keep us warm, then we need to put food on the table, next comes the clothes on our backs and then what comes next? Entertainment? Recreation?

I remember, back in the mid to late 80's there was a housing boom in the Bay Area. Housing costs and property taxes were high, in San Francisco, and in the closer urban areas, so developers started looking out toward western San Joaquin County. Suddenly there was housing popping up in small towns such as, Tracy, California, priced in the affordable low $100,00's, to the mid-$200.00's. Those houses were snatched up, and the great commute across the Altamont Pass began.

But there was also a stability in prices, and even with rumors of instability in growth and economics, a pattern of stability remained. Things seemed to be working and Bay Area economy maintained a level of stability. Folks were willing to pay the prices at the pump, to live in the newer communities where housing was affordable, and commute to the larger cities where the pay was greater. Trickle down economics didn't work, but what did work was the fact that America didn't just put a band-aid on it's problems and call it healed, no, we fixed the problems to the point that it sometimes hurt.

I fear that this stimulus package is simply putting a band-aide on the injured economy, rather then addressing the cancer plaguing it. The war is an economy issue, so is gas prices, which cause the inflation of everything we spend money on across the board. We should not be kindly asking that the price of gas and oil be lowered by the countries supplying it, we should be demanding it, and I am not sure why we aren't. We consumers have been very complacent about the price of things. Why is that? I am no economics wizard, but even I know to have growth you have to have more coming in then going out. Sigh. Ok, I admit it, having that little check coming from the government in a few months will be nice, but I don't have plans to take it back out and spend it in a shopping frenzy. Even folks like Alan and I, who have no children, or a mortgage to think about, have other financial concerns, like the future of our retirement, which is coming up in about 15 years.

The future will never be 100 percent certain, and as I grow older I do read more and more about the economy and what causes the occasional flux to occur. How about you? Have you found yourself reading about things more often lately? Do you believe this stimulus package will be the shot in the arm the economy needs to bounce back? Will you be spending the rebate or will you more then likely put it away for a rainy day? What is your overall opinion of the situation with the economy? Tell me what's on your mind. How would you pursue fixing the economy in the long run? Opinions, opinions.

"How Recessions Work" from the website, How Stuff Works.

-OndineMonet
"Cold Financial Roads"
Woodside, California
January 22, 2008
Afternoon