2008 Looking Good
So. 2008. A leap year. I don’t know about you, but I get three paydays in February this year, which can only happen in a leap year, when the 1st of the month is the right day of the week and the right week of the biweekly schedule falls on the first day of the month as well (so 1 in 4 times 1 in 7 times 1 in 2, means this is a 1 in 56 year occurrence).
Anyways, I’m not sure if it’s just a reflection of what I’m looking at/looking for or not, but there sure seems to be a lot of doom and gloom in the media this year (even more than the usual, that is). With oil up at $100 a barrel (in USD), the US Dollar dropping, the US Housing mortgage in freefall, the global financial industry (in particular the US) facing a severe credit crunch and capital shortages, the Central banks taking unprecedented measures to keep markets operating, a global economy filled with bubbles and economies overdue for a recession, thieves stealing wires for their copper and catalytic converters for their platinum, food prices rising rapidly, the continued unwillingness to fight climate change, the ever growing world population, the return of pestilence from ebola to bedbugs, continued trouble in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, etc. etc. etc., there’s certainly lots of choice in what to worry about - and whether George Bush leaving office will be enough to offset all that is an open question.
On the plus side, other than the fairly immediate financial problems, most of the rest are reflective of long term problems which won't really start to affect us until years from now, so things shouldn't be too bad this year.
Anyways, I’m not sure if it’s just a reflection of what I’m looking at/looking for or not, but there sure seems to be a lot of doom and gloom in the media this year (even more than the usual, that is). With oil up at $100 a barrel (in USD), the US Dollar dropping, the US Housing mortgage in freefall, the global financial industry (in particular the US) facing a severe credit crunch and capital shortages, the Central banks taking unprecedented measures to keep markets operating, a global economy filled with bubbles and economies overdue for a recession, thieves stealing wires for their copper and catalytic converters for their platinum, food prices rising rapidly, the continued unwillingness to fight climate change, the ever growing world population, the return of pestilence from ebola to bedbugs, continued trouble in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, etc. etc. etc., there’s certainly lots of choice in what to worry about - and whether George Bush leaving office will be enough to offset all that is an open question.
On the plus side, other than the fairly immediate financial problems, most of the rest are reflective of long term problems which won't really start to affect us until years from now, so things shouldn't be too bad this year.
posted by Declan at
Saturday, January 05, 2008
5 Comments:
I pay my mortgage biweekly and you've just reminded me that I have three mortgage payments in February. Thanks a bunch. ;-)
By
Anonymous, at 8:04 PM
Some people just have to see the glass half-empty side of things. Can't you see I am trying to start the year off on a positive note here??? :)
By
Declan, at 12:42 PM
Hello Declan
The Economist thinks rising food prices could be a good thing if rich countries no longer feel the need to subsidise their farmers and ones in poor countries get a break, and if the urban poor and landless labourers are compensated by income supplements that let them buy whatever food they like.
Best Wishes,
Alan
By
Anonymous, at 2:10 PM
Sounds like a lot of ifs...
By
Declan, at 12:09 AM
Iggy Watch endorses your optimistic note. Indeed, we in Canada have cause. Not least because we can relish the prospect of legal and democratic regime change. When The Iggy rises, Canadians will greet him with flowers and candy, as well as rare editions of Russian literary translations.
By
Iggy Watchers, at 12:23 AM
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