Comments on: Dealing with Uncertain Economic Times

By: A crise só te faz é bem at Aspirina B

A crise só te faz é bem at Aspirina B — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:22:33 +0000

[...] Alguns economistas encontram correspondência entre períodos de recessão e um conjunto de benefícios para as populações e indivíduos. Eles vão desde o aumento da sobrevivência, extensão do período de vida, ganhos em saúde, até às melhores relações comunitárias e familiares, melhor educação e melhorias ambientais. Não são exageros, antes realidades já constatáveis em Portugal. Por exemplo, a redução dos acidentes e mortes na estrada tem relação directa com a redução do tráfego automóvel por causa do aumento dos combustíveis e redução nos orçamentos. Elementar, meu caro. Mas há mais: Portugal tem tudo a ganhar com um abanão radical na secular imbecilidade colectiva para com as disciplinas económicas e financeiras. Pura e simplesmente, os nossos pais, avós e bisavós não souberam criar riqueza em Portugal. Esse é um dos mais trágicos legados do salazarismo, pois está directamente relacionado com a aversão colectiva ao conhecimento, à investigação e à reflexão. Este anti-intelectualismo endémico, por sua vez, esboroa as possibilidade da cidadania e da democracia. [...]

By: ozzieblackcat

ozzieblackcat — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:33:00 +0000

Yesterday on CNBC they showed a list of the stocks that did best during the depression and times of recession in our economy. Number one was tobacco, number two was alcohol and number three was food. I wonder if stress really did cause people to drink and smoke more during difficult times.

By: Laura Lee

Laura Lee — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:48:05 +0000

Your description of “melancholic amusment” inspired me to launch a contest on my blog dedicated to “schadenfreude.”

By: Dano MacNamarrah

Dano MacNamarrah — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:31:30 +0000

Where are you getting petrol for $3.60?!

I’m happily not part of this terrible down-turn in the markets. When I had to go on Social Security Disability for my mental health, they made sure that I’d run down any 401k’s that I had through my union. I’d also run out of Unemployment, as I hadn’t realized how truly sick I was.

I’d bought a “habitable shell” with a best friend of mine, before I became disabled. Comparable houses on the same block have been broken up into condos, the base price of which is around $275,000. The condos are around the same square footage, amounting to what would be five condos in our home. We bought it for $50,000.

Philadelphia, where I live, has not been as affected as many other areas in the country. In part because our realty has been behind the times, ergo avoiding false inflationary pricing. I think that the city has done well through this financial crisis, in part because it’s the “female” in a male dominated city country.

Bear with me here! Philadelphia has never aggressively pushed herself. We can see this in everything from being claimed “The Sixth Burrough of NYC”, to the fact that emergency plans focus on Washington, NYC, Baltimore, but not us.

No high falutin’ terrorist would even think to visit death and destruction here. As far as the North-east Corridor is concerned, Princeton Junction is a better stop than here.

We’re cheap, obnoxious, clannish, democratic, territorial and tough to love. That’s why I’ve made this place my home for almost twenty years. The summers are awful, the winters can be the same. But walking around on a spring or fall day, can make me remember what it is about this city that I love.