Budman,

Get the dates correct. The bubble really didn't burst until after GWB took office. The company that I was consulting for (a $20b a year company) pretty much imploded.

GWB may not have been entirely responsible for the ride down, but he did ride it all the way down as Commander-in-Chief.

I live in that 'evil' place called California, and life hasn't been so good for us working stiffs. Another year or so, I might be back to where I was before 'the shrub' took office.

You mean the TWIG :)

I was referring to Martha Ivins' book called 'The Shrub'. She wrote the book before the election in 2000 was 'final'.

Interesting look at the 'shrub' and Texas politics in general. Apparently the Governor of Texas is the 5th most powerful elected offical in Texas.

"All opinions are not the responsibility of Fodor's, nor its affilates, rather those of the authors themselves."

and I was refrring to those that called him the shrub when I consider him lesser and first to name him the TWIG.:)

American voters, as you head to the polls in November '08, please consider: There has been a Bush or a Clinton in the White House as president or vice president for the past 28 years.

cigalechanta, bad girl!

Nixon was bad enough to kill my first name (Richard), and now we're going to kill the name George.

I'm still off to France, regardless.

I used to vacation every other year in St. Barths. When the exchange rate got to be less than 5 francs to the dollar, the bank tellers would commisurate with me, as the dollar was their prime source of foreign income.

Budman, you can take a snapshot of economic data but that alone doesn't tell you which direction the economy is headed. But slowing growth and rising inflation bring fears of that 70s beast stagflation (that by no small coincidence came on the heels of the VietNam war). Except for now inflation is lower and just last week an article in the Wall Street Journal said maybe we need a new term, "Slowflation".

Judging from your name here might it be more appropriate that you have some chips with your beer?

Somebody tell RASTA-MAN to look at some facts. Such as date of beginning of stock market slide (March 10, 2000). OK, so George had what, 49 days to mess it up? They probably hadn't even purchased new W's for the keyboards by then. Such as the mini-economic slowdown in 2000Q2. Like one man can affect a $10 trillion economy?

So, RASTA, how long did you think the Y2K bubble would last beyond 1.1.00? You mean you thought people were spending money fixing old computers and old systems, AND were also buying new computers and new systems? You didn't see some chance that the replacement demand would die quickly once the magic date passed? If so, perhaps another line of work is in order.

kerbouchard, thank you for bringing up the 70's. Oh, how I long for the gas lines and high interest rates of the Carter Administration. :-)

Don't judge people by their screen name. I'm a Wine-O by trade. I prefer brie and crackers. :-) ((b))

Anselm and Tedgale: It's one of the great delights of the Fodor's board that a thread on the weak US dollar can be briefly hijacked for a discussion of the electoral situation in Central Nova!

How about another brief diversion on the departure from politics of Peter's erstwhile lover, the lovely and talented Belinda?

Rasta: When I'm bad- I'm good ...lol
Budman's homemade wine IS very good!!