Hunting Happiness

It is hard to read or listen to any news without gloomy proclamations that prices are spiraling out of control on essential items like gas and groceries. Stories abound telling of families unable to buy sufficient groceries, or having to cut back hugely on driving.
Rather than look at prices for essentials, I […]

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CNN Money has a story about America and the potential recession we’re in. A recent poll shows 79% of Americans believe we’re in a recession now. It goes on to given the correct correct definition of recession as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) which I highlighted in my post […]

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There is a post over on CNN.com fretting over an extended recession.
This quotation just about sums it up:
“What happened in the short space of the last five years was pretty scary — household debt rose to about 125% of income. It hadn’t ever been 100% before that. It took consumers a long time […]

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CNNMoney is running a story headlining “Foreclosures jump 57% in March”.  The 57% jump is compared to last March.  Foreclosure rate versus Feb’08 is unchanged.
One interesting fact is that while the number of repossessed homes has gone up 129% versus last year, the number of foreclosed homes going to auction increased by only 32%.  RealtyTrac […]

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The current issue of The Economist has an interesting article about financial literacy, and the lack thereof. It starts off with a great quotation from John Bryant.
Everybody wants it. Nobody understands it. Money is the great taboo. People just won’t talk about it
He goes on to say that the subprime mortgage […]

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Has anyone noticed the ever-increasing trend of sensationalism in the media to attract eyeballs?  On the front page of CNN.com the other day a headline proclaimed “One in Three Children Abused in First Week of Life”.  Clicking on and reading the story indicates a stat that while still sad is a little less jaw-dropping and just completely […]

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