What is up with this week?

Normally I'm in a pretty good mood.

But this week has been different.

I suppose that should come as no surprise when the Dow falls below 7,000 - the lowest point since 1997.

The job market in los angeles is pretty bad.

I know at least a half a dozen or dozen friends out of work and each week I hear of a new one.

The good news is that people are finding jobs. So all hope is not lost.

But I think that anyone who had a corporate job, especially a well-paying one, may find that those well paying, corporate jobs just simply don't exist anymore.

Time to read "Who Moved My Cheese" (even though I personally hated that book) and consider a new career altogether.

A friend of mine had a good story.

She had been trying to sell this fancy Kitchenaid mixer for a while. Finally, she sold it on Craigslist to someone who had been downsized i.e. fired from their job at Clear Channel and was using the mixer to start a catering business.

If that isn't a complete 180, I don't know what is!

Of course, that's easier said than done, right?

Not everyone can drop their corporate job and start catering.

Or can they?

I mean, if you have to do something, you might as well do something you love.

Anyhow, back to my original point.

I'm not sure what's in the water this week.

I had a good friend get mad at me for simply giving my ideas and opinion. Sure, no one likes criticism but you have to accept in life that people are going to give you feedback and not to take it personally, especially if the feedback is nothing about you.

Hey, I had a party a couple months ago and one of my friends complained that I needed more chairs so she didn't have to sit on the floor. Duly noted. It's not an attack on me but feedback that I can use for future parties. (Personally, I don't mind sitting on the floor, as long as it's clean and my back isn't bothering me).

Anyhow, I suppose I should expect a weird week when the Dow falls to a new low, friends are out of work, housing prices are still insanely high and it rained.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

The economy

It seems that everywhere you turn these days, it's all bad news about the economy. Every company is having massive layoffs and many companies here in LA aren't hiring at all.

Everyone says it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Yikes.

And as things get worse, people cut back on everything from netflix to cell phones to eating out. And the cycle gets worse as those cutbacks cause more businesses to slow down, and more layoffs ensue.

It is a scary time for many indeed.

However, I hope you all have your health and appreciate that at least we live in a country where we have enough food to eat. Many people do not. (Of course, many in the US do not - but we are not in that situation, right?)

I still cannot believe we got to this point.

Obama is not a magician. No matter what, the economy is @#$#'d and likely will be for some time. At least through 2009 and into 2010.

Some have said it might be 3-4 years before the economy stabilizes and recovers.

All I know is frickin' Bush. How anyone voted for that idiot is beyond me.

If you voted for you him you're to blame for the situation we're in.

I hope things get better.

Because right now, I am ok.

But many of my friends are not.

And it's hard to see your friend struggling and worrying about their rent and bills.

Again, though, we all have our health and enough food to eat.

Stay positive.

Things will get better.

It's a great time to be an entrepreneur.

And to learn to love ramen!!!