Relaxed On "Economy"

I've made a few posts over the last few years highlighting Google's cool "Trends" technology.  They provide the ability to chart the volume of searches and news items relating to a search word or phrase.  The chart provides a great insight into what is on the minds of the "masses".  The chart below on the word "economy" presents a few interesting conclusions.  First, it appears that we've greatly relaxed with regards to the economy.  The searches are must lower than they have been over the past few years.  The second insight is that no matter what the economy is, we care less about it during the summer.  Lulls consistently show up during the summer months. The third observation is that in most years, the economy is on our minds more in the early part of the year than the end.  A final observation is on the lower half of the chart where the news reference volume appears.  Note that at the beginning of 2008, there was a significant increase in news stories that ultimately preceeded the great contraction in the fall of that same year. 

So, does our relaxed attitude bode anything about the future??

Google Trends Search on "economy"

You Yell Barracuda

When I watch the pundits and politicians on tv at night, I can't help but think of the mayor in the movie "Jaws".

Selfish Manipulation

"The album is a snapshot of the era in which we live as we question and try to make sense of the selfish manipulation going on around us, whether it be the government, religion, media or frankly any form of authority.”
Billie Joe Armstrong - Green Day

Life At An Inflection Point

I believe that 8 years into this “change in trend”, the masses are finally mentally and emotionally engaged in the situation. Even politicians other than Ron Paul are talking about the subject!

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”
Mahatma Ghandi

“Didn’t anyone know that this was coming?” Glenn Beck 9-24-08

Many intelligent people have been forecasting these exact financial events for a long long time. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. The media reports on what “has occurred” and they spend little time presenting the perspectives of intelligent people with regards to what they think “might be coming”. The internet provides a source of extensive content that we all should spend time sorting through and sharing. My personal interest has never really been the financial markets themselves, but more importantly the associated events and changes that will greatly impact our lives, our children’s lives, and our grandchildren’s lives. As I’ve stated before, my 9/11 impact was “is our generation prepared for the challenges ahead because we’ve had it so good for our entire adult lifetime”. We’ve been lulled to sleep by 26 years of comfort and good times. I believe that it’s very important to read and to locate material from a diverse range of sources. CNN probably isn’t the best place. My wife told me last week to “stop reading those books”, but I believe that one should have a perspective on all possible outcomes and have a plan for each. Reading history might be the best place to start because we always seem doomed to repeat it. I’m currently reading “Tradegy and Hope” a documentation of world history from 1880 to WWII.

“George, this one’s a pickle. It’s a pickle. Potter’s paying ten cents on the dollar.” Uncle Billy