So if our economy is really so terrible ----

[bbach]

Why do 13 different football stadiums pack in about 60,000 people every Sunday, who spend umteens of $$$ for tickets, beer, parking, tailgaiting, hookers (err, that's what I hear)?

 

Let's not even begin to talk about all the other sporting events like college ball, hockey, etc. Apparantly we Americans are only broke when it comes to our house payments.

[Chippy]

> 99% of the people in those stadiums are employed & have little reason to be concerned with housing. 60,000 people is a very small percentage of almost 3 million.

[Ernest Buckley]

Yeah, I agree with Chippy.

 

Also, last time I went to a major league game, it was hard to sit there and enjoy the game knowing I payed $500 for 4 people to see 9 innings of a baseball game. Of course the seats were about $90/ea. but the dogs, beer and parking were astronomical.

[Music Calgary]

There's a valid point being made here -- Americans have poor prioritizing skills when it comes to finances. That's partly what got you where you are.

 

That said it's only marginally less so elsewhere. It seems to be part of the human condition, i.e. you're too tired to paint the garage but have plenty of energy to go golfing, etc.

 

That said and said, just wait. Pro sports is in for a financial nosedive which will make their heads spin like Linda Blair. It's-a-coming the same way it came for all these other bloated so-called "entertainment" companies.

 

Hopefully increased support for local and minor league sports will be the result.

[Wide]

I'm too cheap to go to games plus in San Diego you have to be able to sit in the blazing sun (yes, even in the winter) for 3 or 4 hours. I burn easy.

 

Oh well, I have High Definition at home

[amplayer]

I'm too cheap to go to games plus in San Diego you have to be able to sit in the blazing sun (yes, even in the winter) for 3 or 4 hours. I burn easy. Oh well, I have High Definition at home

 

I'm originally from San Diego. Let me tell you. You don't know how lucky you are WRT pro sports, especially Baseball.

 

I live in New England. We have the Red Sox. The Red Sox have the highest priced tickets in all of MLB. Besides that, they're all sold out anyways, so you can't get them unless you're willing to pay even bigger bucks from a scalper or from stubhub.

At the beginning of the season this year, a local radio station had a big contest. The grand prize was the right to buy a set number of tickets to some Red Sox games at face value! A friend of ours won, and couldn't afford to buy all the tickets allotted, so she offered to let us buy some. Well, I did. I bought 4 tickets to a May game. My seats were in Right Field. I paid $50 per seat for them.

 

I was in San Diego for a few days this past summer. I decided to see if I could get tickets to a Padres game (against LA) the day before the game. Well, not only did I find tickets (on stubhub), but I found 2 seats behind home plate at Field level for $35 a piece! We sat closer to home plate than the pitcher!

This is simply not possible in Boston.

[UstadKhanAli]

There's an article in the Friday LA Times telling about how many of the restaurants are experiencing large drop-offs in the amount of customers, and how many of the chain restaurants' stocks have dropped by 1/3. The effects of the economy are definitely felt by them!

 

As far as the sport thing goes, there's already some good answers here. For some of us, luckily, the economy doesn't affect us quite as badly. I'm a teacher, for instance, so I'm not affected as much as someone in a service industry or someone working for Godiva or a chiropractic office, where people choose to go or not go. I'm saving money, just like anyone else, but I've been able to purchase a new mattress and several other items lately. I'm certainly not rich, but no matter - I'm extremely grateful that my job is stable and don't ever take it for granted.

[slight-return]

NPr had a little article on this issue maybe 2-3 weeks back - wish I could remember where, but a little search might find it archived

[TimOBrien]

Why do 13 different football stadiums pack in about 60,000 people every Sunday, who spend umteens of $$$ for tickets, beer, parking, tailgaiting, hookers (err, that's what I hear)? Let's not even begin to talk about all the other sporting events like college ball, hockey, etc. Apparantly we Americans are only broke when it comes to our house payments.

 

 

You forgot another one: When gas prices doubled this last year and people were waiting in gas lines (or unable to get gas in the SouthEast after Hurricane Ike), NASCAR racing events continued on as if nothing happened.

 

In fact, one Georgia lawmaker cried on CNN that special fuel deliveries should be shipped into Georgia so sporting events could continue.....

 

[Music Calgary]

NASCAR racing events continued on as if nothing happened.

 

Oh really?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmifVOnM3zI

 

[SteinbergerHack]

You forgot another one: When gas prices doubled this last year and people were waiting in gas lines (or unable to get gas in the SouthEast after Hurricane Ike), NASCAR racing events continued on as if nothing happened.

 

Race cars don't really use much in the way of gas. There is FAR less gas consumed by the race cars at a NASCAR or IRL event then the fossil fuels consumed to power the lights at a night baseball game, and I won't even go into the gas consumed by the people driving to the stadium. Do the math - 40 cars at 500 miles = 20,000 miles. At 5 MPG, that's about 4000 gallons. Now, for a stadium that has 20,000 people in it, averaging a 40-mile round trip to the park, that's 800,000 miles. At 20 MPG, that's 40,000 gallons - ten times what is consumed by the racecars.

[the stranger]

Come up where I'm at and you can see the reality of it. Recent studies show that Ohio has lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs.

 

And in my case, I got replaced by somebody for $3 less an hour.

 

Now, I don't have a job. There isn't any jobs in this area. I can't pay my bills. I can't even afford to put food on my table. I will soon be gone from cyberspace for some indefinite period of time, because groceries are more important than this. Once the current billing cycle ends, bye bye stranger.

 

So, from where I'm sitting, the whole mess is going right down the toilet.

[audioicon]

Why do 13 different football stadiums pack in about 60,000 people every Sunday, who spend umteens of $$$ for tickets, beer, parking, tailgaiting, hookers (err, that's what I hear)? Let's not even begin to talk about all the other sporting events like college ball, hockey, etc. Apparantly we Americans are only broke when it comes to our house payments.

 

One of the reason is: People are more likely to spend money when they have very little income.

Think of all the people taking these houses they couldn't afford.

Think of all these people signing up for credit cards they cannot pay off.

 

Psychologically - Most people are more likely to spend when they feel depressed.

 

AI

[the stranger]

 

If he would have offered me that opportunity, considering I was fully aware of his financial situation*, I would have taken it. So yes, I would have taken a $3 an hour pay cut. At least I would have still had a job. And I'm a loyal employee. I go above and beyond the call of duty to the people who sign my check.

 

He claimed it wasn't about the money, which is a bald-faced lie. He and his wife (the general manager of this screwed up franchise) tried to make it out like I wasn't doing my job. All I have to say about that is, what did my numbers say? And then again, he says, "Oh it's not just about the money...".

 

That's not what they told me when they asked to to take the job. I was hired to do something about the money, which I did. And I got shafted for it. Talking about it now makes it all clear. They used me until they got what they needed and then they canned me.

 

I really do hope it goes back to {censored}.

 

*(I was fully aware of his business and his personal financial

situations...and he shared this info with me...it wasn't a through the grapevine thing...)

 

So, it involved a lot of other issues, as I have shared...

 

...but the pressure of the economy on this business weighed on everything in the place. I have never worked in a more stressful environment in my whole life. I still loved my job. I'd probably go back if they offered, but it would be on my terms. In writing this time. No more gentleman's agreements for this guy.

 

And really I'm just dumping this here because I'm real stressed out adn really don't have anybody to talk to about this {censored}. Sorry to be so down, it is way out of character for the stranger.

 

You guys wish me luck/prayers/mind-over-matter, I need a whole bunch of it.

 

[the stranger]

What would the other people in the company say?

 

They wouldn't say anything but shake their heads and say sorry, you are the latest victim of these loony people! We tried to tell you not to take the job!

 

Yeah.

 

So, honestly I'm thrilled to be out of there. Of course, I need a job.

 

Here's the rub, I just can't take anymore of this type mentality that is so prevalent in the workplace. These backstabber, two faced, it's not about how you do your job type people. I've had my fill, let me tell you.

 

I know that half the problem is me, but I refuse to play these games and/or sit back and watch all this lunacy going on without getting involved. I'm Mr. Justice and I will not stand by and watch an act of injustice without saying my piece.

 

That's what gets me in trouble every time.

 

So, I need to start doing some freelance something or other, because I'm straight burned out on the workplace.

[bbach]

There's a valid point being made here -- Americans have poor prioritizing skills when it comes to finances. That's partly what got you where you are.

 

Yup, that is my point indeed.

[bbach]

Come up where I'm at and you can see the reality of it. Recent studies show that Ohio has lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs. And in my case, I got replaced by somebody for $3 less an hour. Now, I don't have a job. There isn't any jobs in this area. I can't pay my bills. I can't even afford to put food on my table. I will soon be gone from cyberspace for some indefinite period of time, because groceries are more important than this. Once the current billing cycle ends, bye bye stranger. So, from where I'm sitting, the whole mess is going right down the toilet.

 

 

See now, that is part of my observation. Certain segments of our country are strongly affected and others are not as much or not at all. Our economy in ND (including housing) has remained fairly strong. Our state has some incredible surplus and measures are on the ballot to lower our taxes because of the huge surplus.

Sorry to hear you are going through that Stranger! Wow.

[Johnny-Boy]

People often turn more to entertainment when the going gets tough. It's a universal remedy that reduces anxiety & depression.

 

Dr. Johnny-Boy

[amplayer]

People often turn more to entertainment when the going gets tough. It's a universal remedy that reduces anxiety & depression. Dr. Johnny-Boy

 

In that case, since most of us here are involved in the music industry somehow, then we should all do our part to make sure the economy gets much worse.

[MichaelSaulnier]

Come up where I'm at and you can see the reality of it. Recent studies show that Ohio has lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs. And in my case, I got replaced by somebody for $3 less an hour. Now, I don't have a job. There isn't any jobs in this area. I can't pay my bills. I can't even afford to put food on my table. I will soon be gone from cyberspace for some indefinite period of time, because groceries are more important than this. Once the current billing cycle ends, bye bye stranger. So, from where I'm sitting, the whole mess is going right down the toilet.

 

I work in the staffing business...

 

Here's a few tips that can help in your search.

 

- Don't be shy about your search. Let everyone you know, know what you do, and that you're looking... about 45% of new jobs come from people referring other people.

 

- If you have a problem with your former boss, get someone else, even a co-worker to write a recommendation for you. You do the writing, truthfully telling what you brought to the job, and have the other person sign it... preferably on letterhead, but if not... ok.

 

- Be positive about your previous job in interviews. In this economy it's no sin to be laid off. But in interviews, don't say ANYTHING negative about your former employer. Try to think of the positive things you learned or did during the job, and talk about those with any interviewer. Few people want to hear interviewees complain... it's easy to assume they will complain about that job too.

 

- If you get an interview, do some homework. Find reasons WHY you're attracted to that job... not "I need a job". People like people who are excited about working there... but only if they have a "good" reason. The more you know and can talk about why you're excited to be there... the more likely it is that they will like you.

 

- Attitude is EVERYTHING. It's easy to get down when you're out of work, but accept that you DO have a job... it's GETTING A NEW JOB. Treat it that way. Get started early each day, have a plan, work hard at it, don't give up.

 

- If you have to take a job for less than you like, keep looking. Don't just settle into a bad job, but do what you have to for yourself and your family.

 

- Use on-line resources. There's a great website... www.indeed.com. This site consolidates all the major job boards and craigslist in one place. So you can search all the jobs, everyday, easily. It even lets you set up a profile, so new jobs come to you. Don't forget to look back a few weeks, if companies hired someone who didn't work out, they may still be looking.

 

- Talk to recruiters. Depending what you do, there are probably recruiters who specialize in it. Find them, and see if they have something you may be qualified for. But remember, recruiters help jobs find people, not the other way around... so don't expect them to "market" you much... on the other hand, if they know you're looking, and a job surfaces... you may get a call.

 

Good luck with your search. Let me know if you have questions about any of this.

 

M

[the stranger]

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it.

[pink floyd cramer]

I lost my crappy job in July. The company declared bankruptcy and stiffed their former employees out of the last 2 weeks of pay. Shortly after that, I lacerated the tendon of my right index finger and had to cancel all my gigs for 6 weeks. Now I am back to gigging, and having to rely on that alone for income- which is the very definition of Hell itself (which I used to define as being cooped up in an office all day). I have figured out that cocktail piano is not a growth industry. So I am very much in the job hunt. Michael's advice is very much appreciated and I'm pretty sure I would present a challenge for his skills.

[Beck]

Of course the seats were about $90/ea. but the dog's beer and parking were astronomical.

 

Your dog shouldn

[Dean Roddey]

One thing to remember is that a 'recession' doesn't mean we are all going to be eating out of garbage cans. It means some number of consequetive quarters of negative growth, no matter how small that negative growth is. When people hear there's going to be a recession, they really act as if it's going to be a depression, because I'm not sure a lot of people really understand the difference.

 

Obviously you can have a really bad recession as well, and at some fuzzy point it can become a depression. But our whole way of life is so dependent upon continuous growth of the economy, that just not growing is considered a pretty bad thing. Even slight negative growth gets people freaked out it seems.

 

I think what worries some folks is that, in this case, the recession is fairly broadly based. There's always someone having a recession, but as long as other economies are grinding away, that takes some of the pressure off and gives them a better chance of quicker recovery. When lots of countries get whacked at at once, that's less the case.

 

But still, we aren't talking about the collapse of civilization, but a period of some time where we won't be growing and will retract some amount. But the vast majority of people will still have jobs and still need to buy stuff and all that. If you are in the banking sector probably things are probably not so good I guess.

 

To such a large degree it's an issue of perception. We believe there will be a recession, so we all do things that absolutely guarantee that there will be a recession, so therefore there will be a recession. Clearly some folks who were overextended in the financial area have to call in their bucks to pay their debts, and that's understandable. But for most of us, the very fear of a recession is what's going to make sure we have one, because we'll all hunker down and spend less.

 

It's not a bad thing to spend less of course, but the point at which we should do that is not now. It's when we AREN'T in a recession that we should spend less and save more, then there very likely wouldn't be a next one. Or if there was, it would be much shorter and much less worse since we could all draw on money saved when times were up. We always do the wrong thing at the wrong time. People are selling stocks at the lowest point they are likely to ever get and completely screwing themselves, when it's one of the fundamental rules of stocks that you shouldn't, and that causes more stock panic which lowers the price even more and more people bail out and on and on.

 

It's really kind of a wierd view of herd mentality that's pretty instructive. A person is smart, but people are stupid.

[Ernest Buckley]

It's not a bad thing to spend less of course, but the point at which we should do that is not now. It's when we AREN'T in a recession that we should spend less and save more, then there very likely wouldn't be a next one. Or if there was, it would be much shorter and much less worse since we could all draw on money saved when times were up. We always do the wrong thing at the wrong time. People are selling stocks at the lowest point they are likely to ever get and completely screwing themselves, when it's one of the fundamental rules of stocks that you shouldn't, and that causes more stock panic which lowers the price even more and more people bail out and on and on. It's really kind of a wierd view of herd mentality that's pretty instructive. A person is smart, but people are stupid.

 

 

Yes, agree with everything. Funny too because the stock market is built entirely on faith. We have this system set up where everyone is borrowing money from each other and paying it back on interest. The entire market is built on the idea of popeye. If you give me a dollar today, I`ll give you a dollar and a dime on Tuesday.

 

However, to take this one step further, we have borrowed more than the system can comfortably allow and the system is starting to crack. So at this point, its not about faith anymore, its about being practical.

 

If your output exceeds your input, then your upkeep will be your downfall.