“-The latest string of economic reports deserves a little cheer. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index jumped meaningfully from 67.4 to 73.4, though it remains below the long-term average of 86.
-Retail sales also surprised on the upside with a 1.3% year-over-year growth rate reported last week; twice what was expected.
-Household net worth is up 5% year over year and has increased by $4.7 trillion from its low.
-For inflation alarmists out there, take comfort in the index’s inflation expectations component, which showed a drop to a 2.1% expectation vs. 2.7% the month prior.
-Even the index’s longer-term inflation gauge improved: The five-year outlook showed a drop from a 3% expectation to only 2.6%.
-Retail sales also surprised on the upside with a 1.3% year-over-year growth rate reported last week; twice what was expected. Even excluding the most volatile components (autos, gasoline and building materials), sales were up 1.2%, and have jumped at a 5.6% annual pace during the past three months. ” 1

Long term inflation gauge? Year over year what? The consumer sentiment index? What does any of this mean? Chances are that it doesn’t mean much in the general scheme of things, it is interesting to learn about and knowing how to read the right statistics can help one to understand the bigger picture…but it doesn’t change the fact that in the end, people act in self interest; they are just people making decisions, trying to carve out a better life for themselves. A lot of people do not know how to do this, they aren’t equipped with the requisite tools for the job or maybe they haven’t been given the right opportunity to show their strengths and their ability to endure what others cannot. Chances are that none of it will matter if they are unable to change their minds.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. The small insight, a fact learned, a deeper understanding of a different perception, or a clearer understanding of where you stand. Many people are unable to change their minds the accept the fact that if you want to eat an elephant, there is no fast way, you’re gonna have to chow down one bite at a time.

You are not going to do that by changing the rules of the game, you’ll get there by understanding the rules and applying them towards strengthening what is important to you.

“-In November, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.4 million, and the
unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent, edged down. At the start of the recession
in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.5 million, and the
jobless rate was 4.9 percent.
-Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed tem-
porary jobs fell by 463,000 in November. The number of long-term unemployed
(those jobless for 27 weeks and over) rose by 293,000 to 5.9 million. The
percentage of unemployed persons jobless for 27 weeks or more increased by
2.7 percentage points to 38.3 percent. “2

Maybe they’ve got an excuse, maybe they’ve simply decided to stay in geographical areas that don’t have jobs and are too stubborn to realize that they gotta pack their bags and go where the jobs are…but what about the 90% of our citizens with jobs? The mere fact that one has obstacles to overcome is in their favor. All possibilities should be entertained just not readily accepted. Growth depends on being in motion one way or the other, the stock market can’t always continue to increase in value, neither can homes, and jobs will not always be easier to come by, but there is always a classification.

Thirty percent of our youth can’t even figure out that a high school degree will lead to a better life than not having a high school degree. 3 So 30 percent are destined to a ‘lower future’ right off the top, they made a bad decision, is it possible that you are making an equally ‘bad’ decision without knowing it? Only half of the students that attend a college in the United States graduate with a bachelors degree. 4 Half of our college students leave for various reasons, all likely having to do with the thought that ‘leaving college will somehow make my life better in the short/long term…’ They are making a decision that will likely harm them vs if they had chosen to do what was needed to do to graduate. Is it possible that we are making equally ‘bad’ decisions without even knowing it? These two ‘choices’ can be argued to be the most important in regards towards one’s long term earning and employment potential.

Given the fact that so many in our country of 300 million can make such ‘bad’ choices, how do we know what is right? Maybe these were good choices to them, maybe they would have been better choices for me, but I don’t believe that because of what I’ve seen and what I’ve experienced. Does someone or some entity have the right to choose what is right for us to do and what is wrong for us to do? Should they be able to force us to graduate high school? To graduate college? To obtain degrees in XYZ subject? To enter XYZ career at XYZ pay in XYZ location in XYZ type house eating XYZ food with an XYZ pet (or no pet) with an XYZ schedule in an XYZ office….with XYZ% of our salary directed towards XYZ healthcare?

Or does diversity enter the issue, does free choice promote diversity? Is diversity good for us? Do we as individuals have a better idea of what is best for us or does the thought process where the desire for maximum efficiency with as little marginal error as possible prevail? Maybe it is as simple as appreciating the moment.

Are we realists or possibilists? Is humanity the master of its own fate? Can we change direction without first questioning the assumptions underlying our philosophy? Assumptions. Bigger is better, progress cannot be stopped, no speed is too fast, globalization is good, yes we can, have it your way, the customer is always right. Evil to some is good to others. Can we even replace those assumptions are they hardwired into our thought process?

Back on track, coming out swinging.

Out.

Sources:
1 One Step Closer … to Job Growth by Liz Ann Sonders, Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Strategist, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
December 14, 2009
2 Employment Situation Summary : Friday, December 4, 2009
спални комплекти3 US high school graduation rate climbs to 69.2 percent
4 Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates