The week ahead...MR. Doom and Gloom reporting in.

[GordonJ]

I just posted my forecast for the coming week, the TURNING POINT week, and we'll just sit back and see. I could be way off. Hope that I am.

But this week ahead is going to reveal some REAL state-of-our-world sort of stuff. The blog is at www.incomeandhappiness.com/blog

As I wrote over there, we've dodged ONE bullet with Hurricane Bertha going harmlessly up our eastern shore. Whew. Bet it won't be the last hurricane of the season, wanna bet?

This week we get the FIRST HALF report card, and it isn't going to be good. Keep your eyes peeled for YOUR sneaky AZZ electric company to be holding meetings in out of the way places at inconvenient times to "publicly" discuss the need for rate hikes.

EXcuse me, it's a done deal. We, the public, no longer have a say in our utililities, not since deregulation. You free market types must be thrilled, your stocks will go up if you're holding OIL, Electric, Natural Gas, even Water. UP, UP and away.

Anyhow, so as not to set off too many rants here, this is a very CRITICAL week in our economy...and even if it is only in our heads...as some are arguing, some say it is just "psychology" and not reality that is making us nervous and tenuous about the economy...it still hurts the average middle class American right in the bread basket.

I do want to note that those people saying it is "psychological" are tenured professors hauling down at least 6 figures a year and probably over 7 if you add in their consulting and, uh, pandering fees.

Gordon Jay Alexander

PS. The blog is at www.incomeandhappiness.com/blog