The sky is falling...

What a weird financial time it is. In less than 1 month, the easy money, easy credit, stock market always goes up times have come crashing down resulting in a hangover much worse than may of us have ever seen. I can't remember a time when the beginning of most conversations starts with how much our 401k/529 have gone down and how we are trying to be frugal. I can't believe a $700 billion bailout and counting has not worked. I can't believe I know so many folks who have lost their jobs, know someone who has lost their jobs, or are afraid of losing their jobs. I also have an eerie feeling that the system is going to convulse again and accounts will be frozen. The fact that i couldn't access our money in the money market account was enough of a warning to have more than $20 in my wallet-or at least build up a fair amount of cash in multiple accounts. So..I discovered that Sears has nice appliances and good quality kids' jackets, eating at home really does save a lot of money, and blockbuster is a great place to rent videogames. Some of you might be saying, congrats for joining the real world. Yea, I know.

But out of the darkness, I think good will come.

Maybe America will rediscover who we are-that we have a long tradition of being an innovative, resilient country. We can figure this out. We are the country that gave the world microsoft and apple, dell, and for heavens sake, GM and Ford. Perhaps it starts with having faith in this country and a shared vision of where we are going. Perhaps it is about sacrificing for the common good. Perhaps it is about saying "I'm as mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore". Whether it be pursuing energy independence so we stop sending our money to ppl who do not like us (or bastardizing our foreign policy so we can buy oil from the ppl who do not like us). Or something smaller like protesting $1.25/20 minutes parking rates in little Oak Park :)