I think our easier access to news is sort of twisting our outlook in rather glum directions. Take yesterday, for instance... no major bad financial news, yet almost everything on the stock market bolted downwards for no reason (except Palm, which, contrary to expectations, rose. Go figger.) But I recall some books from years ago on HOW TO SURVIVE THE COMING GREAT DEPRESSION that sold a bazillion copies and must have worked because we didn't have a great depression. :)

I'd blame the current pessimism on the fact that the economy just didn't bounce back quickly from the dot-bombs. And now with Arthur Andersen and Enron and other once-greats on the skids, it's easy to stand up and shout WE'RE IN TROUBLE!!! and get people to pay to listen to that.

There's no doubt that the stock market is a difficult beastie these days. Give it eight years, Boyd, and we'll be back in the clover again. :)

(actually, I was reading somewhere that the tech sector would take about 8 years to recover from the crash of the 1990's... so we've got six years or so to go before that booms. Hmm. Maybe some bargain-basement chipmaker stocks?)


The Five Minute Mentor