A KMart tv ad reflects current economic problems:

I saw a KMart ad earlier today that was quite good, and a reflection of what is happening in our economy.

The ad has the father of a young family announcing that today is Beach Day. He has purchased water toys, a medium size pool for the kids, new lounge chairs, beach towels, patio food and drinks for an outing to the back yard where the kids are in their swimsuits playing in water sprinklers, the pool, a slip-n-slide, etc.

The mom is relaxing in a lounge chair. When a child remarks that they are having a ton of fun, and asks if they can do it again, the mom comments that they can do it any time they want to and they never have to leave home. Home is where the fun is.

I'm a homebody as it is, but that really made an impression on me. And I think alot of people will buy into the idea that they don't have to travel and spend money on fuel to have a vacation day.

You are right. There are a lot of Americans that even if they are lucky enough to have paid time off, they don't dare even use more than one day at a time. A week off might be job suicide.

driving or flying to a beach. Local is going to be the way to go for many American families, I suspect.

But you are entirely correct: asking for time off isn't possible for alot of people. my husband has the vacation time racked up, but he is so busy, that he will probably take alot of his vacation a day at a time.

...and watch it on their excessively over-sized HD-TVs :rofl:

to fill time called Sunrise Earth. It is usually just live shots of sunrise from different parts of the world. Sometimes there are people in them in the background. Once they had a public square where people go to do tai chi at dawn. There is another channel with some very beautiful travel tours by helpcopter, like of the coastal castles of England. For alot of us, it is taking the place of travelling, unfortunately.

This is the new reality. Looking at the recent weekend papers with ads for places that have never advertised before, is just as interesting. Dollar General is placing color inserts, Family Dollar as well, even see an ad insert for Hooters Restaurant. This is about to be very interesting (and I suspect not very pleasant for many of us).

I love gardening, so I'm spending money making my backyard more enjoyable. And since utility bills are soaring, I'm making a little space outside into a little outdoor room for me. And my hubby is getting a new gas grill for Father's Day, which means less heat in the kitchen. :)

I'm hanging more stuff out on some clotheslines I set up, including sheets, towels, bluejeans, and yes, underwear. I'm not hanging out the colorful stuff because of fading. Not running the dryer means a cooler house. I may have to get my hubby a propane grill as well.

We are also making home "The place to be". YEah, we have a big tv, but we are just a bike ride away from a wonderful movie rental store. We are getting some extra sports channels on cable so we won't be driving out of town for a game or buying tickets. I'll still take the kids to some of the new movies, but only for matinees, and they are getting fed before we go.

I've never been good with plants, but I'd like a small garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and herbs. I could do alot with that. Hubby may be able to help me alot with it. BTW, I am very allergic to anything resembling a weed or ivy.

This year I'm growing several herbs - especially the ones I use more frequently - like parsley, dill, and basil. I'm already saving money there! Next year, I plan on growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, as well. I've already planted lemon and orange trees, and I hope to have a potager garden next year. I really like the mixture of flowers and vegetables. Feeds my tummy and my soul at at the same time. :)

ETA - The gas grill is wonderful. We had one for fifteen years, but it was literally falling apart. This new grill has a burner on the side, so if and when the electricity goes out, I can still finish cooking whatever I was cooking inside. And if a hurricane comes and knocks out the electricity for a few days, we'll have a way to cook.

I'm content to stay home and play video games in what passes for free time. I don't get enough time off for a real vacation and couldn't afford one if I did.

She's got the stay-at-home idea down pat. She asked me if I could get her a copy of The Anarchist's Cookbook so she could get a recipe for nerve gas.

"I want to bury nerve gas canisters in our lawn," she explained, "and set them to go off with a switch in the house. That way, when the n*****s riot and try to kill all of us, I can stop them with a flick of a switch."

She also said that her son, my nephew, has a rifle and several boxes of ammo hidden in the wall, and if anyone survives the nerve gas, he has instructions to start to shoot.

Yes, staying at home is a hobby a lot of Americans are happy to do these days.

maybe she should get out more (to see a dr or something)

And yes, I was creeped out by this. Not as creeped out as when I discovered my older brother (now dead) patronized prostitutes, but creeped out nevertheless.