Posted by
Doug Wolkon on June 13, 2009 at 1:43 pm
What causes the prices to go up and real value to go down? To understand what causes inflation, visualize using only one economic variable - LAND; because ALL material things we buy or use originate from the land.
The land may change form, but the wooden floor you stand on (trees), the fork you hold (metals), the road you drive on (asphalt, derived from oil), the T-shirt you wear (cotton plant), the boat you sail (fiberglass, from sand or silica), and the food you eat are all originally derived from the land.
Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on January 7, 2009 at 8:51 am
So what is an Economic Detox? Raw green vegetables consumed through a straw is the food equivalent. Think diarrhea. I know what you are thinking, “yuk”. But as Wall Street has learned the hard way, we have no choice in the matter. Our economy is detoxing whether we like it or not; dropping our excess weight in order to regain our balance; flushing our obese corporate and government costs down the toilet in support of the long-term prosperity of the quicker, lighter, faster and more profitable Mom and Pop entrepreneurs. Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on October 28, 2008 at 11:05 pm
The American Dream once strongly stood for ideal freedom. For as a child in America, we are so fortunately nagged about what we want to be when we grow up: a fireman? an astronaut? or how about an entrepreneur? The American Dream meant career choices for everyone in America!
But somehow our freedom of choice that once so clearly encompassed the American Dream changed. Not sure when or how, but it clearly changed. For as I grew older, the American Dream became all about owning a home. What house, in what neighborhood, with how many bedrooms was all that we seemed to dream about. But then suddenly, the dream became a nightmare. Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on October 16, 2008 at 1:14 am
Given the poor state of the economy, isn’t it inevitable that the system for trash removal commonly referred to as “Pay As You Throw” is soon coming to a theater near you? So what happens when our cities and towns charge us individually by weight and/or size for the trash we produce?
Think about how much trash is being imported into your city everyday, only to be removed and sent to never never land the next day. The inefficiency of such an economic system is soon to be confronted. We have no choice. Our cities and towns can no longer afford to just turn the cheek and waste all that energy. Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on October 2, 2008 at 6:32 am
My parents (Happy Birthday Mom!) used to always say it, “Money doesn’t solve anything”. But it never hit home more than this past week when our leaders proposed a strategy to solve this “Economic Crisis” with more borrowed money? As if borrowing $700B is the answer to all our economic problems. Print another…
Oh yes, and our leaders say it must be “invested” in reinvigorating the establishment of credit. The government itself to go on credit in order to provide the credit, so that it will eventually trickle (yes, trickle) down to provide credit for the “average” American to eat as well. What a lifestyle, with a time gun to our head saying “pay me or else” all the way through! I can’t wait to get that credit flowing again. Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on September 18, 2008 at 12:15 am
As the Fed continues to “print” more money what is the effect on the economy. Can they “print” their way out of this economic slide by lending more and more money to their friendly financial institutions? “Printing” more money against the same asset base is like an alcoholic having “just one more drink”. Such an attitude eventually leads to another and another…it is a bad idea and only works to “inflate” the existing problem. Continued »
Posted by
Doug Wolkon on September 10, 2008 at 7:48 pm
You must invest retirement savings in the businesses and real estate in your own State. The U.S. economy has changed. It has become more local and will continue to do so to fight off imported inflation. The dollar has inflated. It has dropped about 50% in value from its peak across all major trade currencies. As a result, we are experiencing a much higher cost to transport and import goods and services.
However, the reality is that it is the perfect investment opportunity to start working the local land again. Prices for local farmland is relatively low as it relates to higher prices from more demand and lower supply. Continued »
