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Our culture is shifting all around us. In Undercurrents, we present our observations and insights about where our society is heading.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'Economy'
Two Easy Steps to Win my Business
Image from BusinessWeek A colleague recently sent around a very interesting BusinessWeek piece about the efforts companies are making towards restoring public trust in their brands. It was, I thought, a great look at how McDonald’s, America...
Equitable Customer Service In The Social Media Age
A few months ago, I moved to a new apartment, and with new apartments come all sorts of fun stuff like turning on utilities, paying security deposits, and scheduling a time (always between 10 - 2 or some other ridiculous window) for the cable guy to...
Rethinking How We Eat: What Should We Do?
After my last post went up, I got a few e-mails from friends and family (yeah, I send people my blog posts) wondering how the government could possibly “do something” about the nation’s food problems without raising costs for Ameri...
So Much Is Changing
Image from http://www.burfield.com/ So much is changing as a result of this downturn in the economy. For one, living space seems to be getting smaller. People are renting out rooms in their homes and grown children are moving back in wit...
Recession Hits Home
A few weeks ago, I was talking to Dan McGinn about the recession and how it has been affecting society in general. He asked me, “What changes have you made in your life since the recession hit?” At first, I really couldn’t think o...
Best Of April On Undercurrents
Every month on Undercurrents, we reflect on the past month of posts. In April, the common thread was clearly the economy and its impact on our lives. We talked about Cheerios investing in its customers, which will help to retain them during tougher ...
Unexpected Bargain Hunting
I love a good bargain. There are few things in life that make me as happy as getting a great deal on something I know is worth more than I’m paying for it. Websites like Craigslist and eBay make this challenge a lot easier, and I try to find de...
Is Netflix Vital To Your Survival?
I’ve often heard that in tough economic times we shed from our lives those material goods and luxuries that we really don’t need to survive after all. My colleague and Lexulous player extraordinaire, Gayle Weiswasser, recently wrote a post about ...
Recession Successes
While the bad news about the economy is inescapable these days, I’ve actually been reading a fair amount lately about industries that are bucking the trend and faring better in the recession. I find these stories interesting - where do people t...
Gender Differences Of Today
Today, women far outnumber men in terms of college enrollment. It is estimated that by 2010 there will be 10.2 million women enrolled in college, compared to 6.9 million men. There is also a gender skew when it comes to job layoffs in these crazy eco...
She Did It All For The Cookies
Yesterday, Hoda & Kathie Lee, my favorite 10 AM morning show anchors, were discussing a “Today Show” story on Wild Freeborn, an Ashville, NC girl scout who decided to sell her cookies online instead of the traditional “door-to-...
When You’re Down - Help Out!
We are all suffering from “bad news” fatigue as a result of this calamitous economy. From the first click of my TV in the morning to my NPR drive-time analysis on the car ride home at night, I am inundated with solemn prognostications...
Craft Time
Is anyone else tired of hearing how bad the economy is getting? I’m fairly certain that just about everyone -whether they want to or not - is beginning to feel the effects of living within their means. So I, for one, have decided that if I ca...
Transparency And “Fish Passage Barriers”
Can too much transparency be a bad thing? Political debate this week here in Washington centered on an unprecedented effort to stimulate the flailing economy by passing approximately $800 billion worth of tax cuts and new government spending. Any gov...
Who’s Doing It Right?
Here at TMG we’re always looking for examples of companies that we think are doing a good job of listening to their consumers. These companies anticipate the ever-changing marketplace and, inevitably, set themselves apart as leaders in their indust...
Adding Transparency To Credit
The New York Times recently reported, “[m]ost retailers suffered double-digit declines in January” as it was one of the worst economic months in a decade. This has me wondering: Would transparency regarding credit on the part of the retailers h...
Catching Up
My Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday in quite thrilling fashion. While I usually split my time during the game evenly between nachos, beer, football, and advertisements, this year was special and I expended all my energy watching th...
Gen Y Discovers “Gigonomics”
It’s a topsy-turvy world out there, according to an interesting piece by Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post discussing the new face of unemployment: young people with higher levels of education. As Parker points out, a college degree no...
“Live Your Best Life”
America is the most powerful country in the world, yet the majority of Americans are weak with excuses when it comes to taking care of their health. In fact, this past year marked the first time ever that there were more obese Americans than merely o...
2008 Personalized Holiday Gift Guide
When purchasing those last minute gifts, consider the fact that consumers today expect products, messages, and even time itself to center around their unique desires and needs. An article in US News and World Report says purchasing personalized pro...
“The Forever Portfolio” by James Altucher
Warren Buffett once said, “My favorite holding period is forever.” Apparently, James Altucher, President and founder of Stockpickr, agrees with him. He wrote a book called “THE FOREVER PORTFOLIO: How To Pick Stocks That You Can Hold for t...
Back To Basics
I’ve always been fascinated by the habits of shoppers in the United States. What we buy, and how we buy, tells us a lot more than the latest fashion trends; it gives us a glimpse into what we value and how we prioritize. However, lately, i...
A Day Of Commitment, A Lifetime Of Buyer’s Remorse
Wedding planning – a topic that currently consumes my life. My fiancé, Chris, and I have been engaged for a few years but recently set a wedding date for next summer and have been devoted to wedding details ever since. I’m not the type...
Are Politics Risky For Your Health?
People seem to be most concerned about two things right now - the economy and the upcoming election. But what many don’t realize is that both could be risky to their health. For instance, did you know that there are more traffic-related death...
