1. A sudden encounter with economic reality that dramatically changes one's perceptions, plans or outlook.
2. A rude awakening to the stark differences between fantasy and actual life.
3. The dramatic change process that began in September 2008 with the collapse of the U.S. financial system.
Jean was planning to buy a vacation home in Hawaii until she had a Rendezvous with Reality -- her retirement fund had declined 50% since last fall.
Buy a
Rendezvous with Reality
mug!
Many people have a stash of old keys in a drawer or cabinet for "future use." Some keys have been there so long that you no longer remember what they're for. A bike lock? An old car? A cabinet at work? These are Orphan Keys.
"Honey, can we get rid of those stupid Orphan Keys in the strong box?"
"Absolutely not! One of them might open that safe we buried in the back yard during the Nixon administration...if we can find it."
1. A person whose entire worldview is shaped by current events, stumbling along from one crisis to another.
2. Someone without a historical perspective or hope for the future.
3. The mindset that causes "knee-jerk" reactions to almost any kind of social or economic change.
4. A state of perpetual panic about "the world today."
Larry says the U.S. economy will never recover no matter what happens in Washington -- he's a typical Prisoner of the Present.
Buy a
Prisoner of the Present
mug!
1. A new name for the American middle class as people try to survive the current economic crisis by "muddling through" with less money and less security.
2. The growing spirit of economic fatalism in mainstream America.
Everyone on our street is struggling to pay the bills. We're the new Muddle Class!
1. The new era of "no retirement" for Baby Boomers who lost big on Wall Street; 2. The unpleasant choice between ceaseless work and late-life poverty.
After the market crashed in '08, Jane started planning for her notirement years.
1. A building or military installation that is never intended to be used, but which must be constructed anyway for political reasons.
2. A public space that planners know will never be occupied or properly used. It gets built anyway to satisfy a planning commission or zoning board.
3. The act of constructing something useless and pointless because it is demanded by an overall "plan."
"Did you hear about those Pre-Abandoned schools in Iraq? They built them out in the desert without any electricity or air conditioning. No one will ever use them, but at least they look good on paper."
1. The irrational fear of a new influenza virus, stoked by hysterical news reporting and inaccurate information. 2. A way to increase ad sales and viewership on 24-hour news channels.
Susan is suffering from a bad case of Flu Fright. She's cancelled all of her committee meetings and refuses to come to work.
