Here's some good news. The economy has slowed, but we are not in a recession (Q1 GDP grew slightly), unemployment is down slightly to 5%, and overall things may be taking a turn for the better.


http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/02/markets/thebuzz/index.htm?cnn=yes

So cheer the F^%^@ up already. The worst may be behind us.

I wouldn't be sounding the all clear any time soon. The weak dollar isn't going to repair itsself overnight, and high energy, manufacturing material and food costs look to be here to stay.

Hopefully it is looking like we can avoid a really bad stretch, but the next few years aren't looking to be all that rosy.

-spence

I will go by what the oracle of Omaha says and he says it ain't over yet.

I wouldn't be sounding the all clear any time soon. The weak dollar isn't going to repair itsself overnight, and high energy, manufacturing material and food costs look to be here to stay.

Hopefully it is looking like we can avoid a really bad stretch, but the next few years aren't looking to be all that rosy.

-spence


What he said,,,

Proff

I only wish I invested $10,000.00 with Warren when he was just getting started,,,,, Then again I might not have been born yet,,,,

I remember a couple years ago when he was Hedging heavily (billions) against the dollar and all the Wall St Guru's thought he was nuts,,,, Hmmmmm,,, now look who is the Richest man in the world again,,,,

I couldn't even afford 1 share of his stock. He knows his stuff though and would listen to him before I did to any politicians.

When gas is at least a full dollar cheaper I might start thinking things might be turning around.When its 2 bucks cheaper I'll believe.And I just fell off the turnip truck yesterday.

The tax checks can't hurt in the short term. I think things are a little better than they were a couple months ago. I don't think gas will ever go down much, but I think everyone who can will start driving cars that get better mileage. I know my next vehicle purchase will get good mileage.
The prize for someone who can make the use of an alternative energy source a widespread reality will continue to grow until the odds of someone developing the disruptive technology to do it becomes a certainty. A lot of the same people who were inovators in the technology field are now working on the energy question - something big with respect to energy is going to come down the pike. For example, there is an article in Wired magazine this month about a start-up that has come up with a way for people to manufacture their own ethanol for about $1 a gallon in the backyard. The guy who put up the money is a venture capitalist who financed the development of the Wii gaming control motion sensors. You put a big enough carrot out there, and somebody is going to find a way to get it.

What,no more commercials with guys with gravelly voices raving about torque?

For example, there is an article in Wired magazine this month about a start-up that has come up with a way for people to manufacture their own ethanol for about $1 a gallon in the backyard. The guy who put up the money is a venture capitalist who financed the development of the Wii gaming control motion sensors. You put a big enough carrot out there, and somebody is going to find a way to get it.


I take back what I said. Moonshining in Wired magazine is the fifth horsemen of the apocalypse. We're all screwed.

People will buy smaller cars, then the price of oil will go down, then people will forget and buy larger cars again. We've played this game before.

Maybe it's just my skewed perception, but it seems like this site is extremely negative - especially concerning any national issues. The health of the economy cannot be gauged by the price of gas. Gas is expensive - both because oil is priced in dollars, and because the continually lowering prime interest rate is causing foreigners to invest in oil futures instead of dollars. All bubbles burst.

We're still not paying as much for energy as people did in 1982.

People will buy smaller cars, then the price of oil will go down, then people will forget and buy larger cars again. We've played this game before.
Not really, before when there have been shortages there's always been production to get us out of the bad cycle. Even if you don't believe in peak oil theory most experts do seem to agree that there's not enough "easy oil" left to keep production up with rising demand. Add to that global instability and we have a real problem.

Maybe it's just my skewed perception, but it seems like this site is extremely negative - especially concerning any national issues. The health of the economy cannot be gauged by the price of gas. Gas is expensive - both because oil is priced in dollars, and because the continually lowering prime interest rate is causing foreigners to invest in oil futures instead of dollars. All bubbles burst.

We're still not paying as much for energy as people did in 1982.
I think people are just being realistic, rather than buy into the fake optimism you hear from Rush and his ilk. They seem to view pessimism as a liberal trait and avoid being seen with it at all costs, tossing realistic analysis aside.

While not in the gutter, our economy right now is not in a good way and there's potential for some serious problems over the next few years. It's not just about a "bubble", we're finally being forced to confront the realities of this centuries global economy and it would seem that many want to fight it all along the way. Simply insisting America is the best so don't worry is a foolish way to keep our leadership position in place.

-spence

Hillary is really the only viable option for our problems. :spin:

I think it's a good sign that some of the best minds in the world have turned their attention to developing alternative energy. There is an enormous prize for whomever can find a more economical way to power cars, I would not be surprised that someone has a breakthrough.

Maybe the health of an economy can't be based on the price of gas, but if affects the middle class so much, the true consumers in this country, that it definitely makes things a helleva lot worse. It seems to be that the vast majority on this site fit into some piece of the middle class, which seems to get hit the hardest in this type of economic climate, so of course we complain, with good reason, and this is a good place to do it by it's nature
Economists have been saying that you can send all the rebate checks you want, unless gas gets under control, it just ain't gonna help that much.