(sign made by me - Diane - 8/4/08)I'm a keeper of magazines, newspapers, and trade-journals. While reviewing the May, 2000 issue of PROMO, I came across their published statistics on a few things that showed certain trends developing as of 8 years ago.
This one article, titled GREENING AMERICA, mentions that the U. S. diet is now moving toward a more vegetarian diet. In 2000, 2.5% of the United States consuming citizens were 100% vegetarian (as I am an have been for many years). The Asian's come in at 8.1% (no surprise to me).
It was noted women more often shun meat than men. The east coast and west coast have the greater number of vegetarians. The trend from 1997 to 2000 showed red meat having dropped .5% in consumption; poultry had DOUBLED in consumption (as did fish). Now I can see why the cost of chicken in our area has tripled these past 8 years and fish that we once bought for $2.97 a pound is topping out as high as $12.97 a pound. Ah, the 'supply and demand' and the capitalist just keeps it going..........
Noted: In 1999, the athletic shoe industry was $13.8 billion a year. The average woman's shoe nearly 10 years ago, was $43.88; the men's shoe was $50.84, and we still go to Big 5 shoe store, and get ours on sale for $19.95.
The other item that interested me was the increase in 'hot jobs' in the managerial and professional category. Nearly HALF OF THE TOTAL EMPLOYMENT in 1999, occurred in high-paying managerial and professional positions. Roughly 940,000 new jobs were added in 1999; school teachers, computer scientists, lawyers, and social workers showing the strongest employment gains.
Service occupations DROPPED 313,000 workers from their rolls from 1998 to 1999. The author of the entire article remarks: "Maybe that explains why customer service is so lousy these days."
My remark would be also that's probably why we're going through the credit crisis; gas hike and shortage, as well as foreclosures. All these 'professionals' had to have the big house; the big car - the big boat, and 6 credit cards to keep their ward-robes and home furnishings up to par with their associates. This type of demand certainly inflated the value of 'stuff', and the refusal to do a job that required physical labor or service, has required not only the lay-offs, but fueled the influx of citizens from other countries, to come to this country - willing to work for lower wages, and much like our early settlers, be willing to live a life-style that is modest - or even below the welfare level, just to become a part of a country they thought would give them that 'American Dream'.
I'm wondering what's going to happen when that middle income working group can no longer afford the delivery pizza; the deli meals - the Starbucks coffee, or the dinner and fine wine meals out 2 or 3 nights a week.
Those of us that are over 65, are still on fixed income - we can't increase our take-home pay, or get an increase in salary; not even a cost-of-living adjustment. Still most of us are resourceful and know how to make a meal of a sandwich; banana, and a few grapes with iced tea we made ourselves.
Many of us enjoy shopping those used clothing stores because what the younger generation call 'used', we call it 'washed once or twice'. We get out our needle and thread; stitch up that tiny seam that's come open, and don the blouse to our Senior Center's community dinner.
While the younger generation does the 'toss and trash' routine, we do the 'dumpster-dig and haul it home routine'. We do the 'cash and carry' - we carry no credit card balance, and we've already worked for food, so we don't stand by the side of the road with a sign complaining about, or begging for a thing.
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