...also go to talk with my older sister in japan tonight. since i don't actually pay for internet at my apartment (yes, i pirate a signal every now and again) we don't get to skype as often as i would like. 'm also bad at setting aside time at work or on the weekends to email her so it was fun. she and my brother in law are coming for christmas which will be sweet. i asked her if they are experiencing any effects of the global economic crisis and her response was that she can no longer buy fruits/veggies for under $2. while that's a relatively small thing, i think it's a sign of minor effects in their small town. earlier tonight, my dad and i chatted about how the NW is lucky to have not been hit as hard as other states. while we will likely see unemployment rise above the current 7.3%, our city is not yet at risk or becoming paralyzed by catastrophic cuts to one certain industry.
this has become so fascinating to me over the past few days. as a poli sci major, i detested my econ classes but the nerd in me has come creeping out lately trying to see all angles of the crises we're experiencing now. i had the conversation with my co-workers today about my dilemma to buy local and support small business or simply buy american and buy local food when possible. i heard some commentary on npr recently that encouraged portlanders to buy 10% of their holiday budget on local goods and it would boost our local economy. well i happen to work with steve novick, who ran for senate earlier this year, and he had a different take on this. steve basically said that it's not always a great idea to only buy local b/c supporting small business in this economy isn't enough. it's better to buy american and support local business. what are your thoughts? i have never thought about where the things i buy come from so it should be interesting to try.
here are a few other things on my mind:
- got to reconnect with a friend from my program in DC, great to chat with him
- found a couple awesome records at my parents house
- have been rocking harry belafonte's blues record
- wonder if i'll ever sign-up for a dance class rather than just talk about it
- want to buy a goat for a village somewhere in the world this christmas
- excited for a weekend away with friends in sun river next weekend
2 comments:
Well from a sustainability point of view, being a "locavore" is better because it uses less fuel and many times less packaging than it would be from a far away place. But it is sometimes hard to tell where food is actually coming from. As for the dance class, I'll sign up with you if you want. I think it would be fun. Diane told me she took belly dancing and LOVED it. I don't know what kind of dancing you had in mind though... I'm doing the Heifer International thing for Kirk for Christmas this year for Advent Conspiracy. I got him two flocks of ducks (since he goes to UofO). Glad to see your back to blogging and seem happier!
I see what Jenna is saying, but if our country is in economic crisis, that will negatively impact our local economy. So, if Americans just focus on buying American products instead of foreign ones, that will help the nation the most overall.
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