My thoughts in the Market Spiral

Food Market

Stage 1

People are buying at will and on average are almost spending more than they make. Americans spend every penny.

Any restaurant, convenience, or grocery store.

Stage 2
"Current Stage"

People are not planning for a depression, they are grudgingly spending every penny until they have no more pennies not realizing that things are not getting better.

Companies that profit:

Fast Food
Restaurants without waiters
Low Cost providers for grocery or closest grocery store
People drastically buy less at the convenience store.

These companies feel they are making a profit, but it will be short lived when all money stops coming in.

Stage 3

There is no credit and banks/credit card companies realize that the majority cannot pay so they stop spending. There is a great focus on survival and getting back to the essentials of life.

Companies that profit:

Owned Farms
People are walking. Lowest cost grocery store and seeking produce from their backyards.

I really think there will be a return to deep thought. When this is said and done there will be a less shallow generation; a greatful generation. People will know what they believe and why they believe. They will understand the value of life and the value of having very little. Some won't be able to withstand it. If I am stripped of everything I will have no choice but to look to God and focus on what he has for me to do.

Economics, twinkies, and hoho's

In Economics we are talking about twinkies and hoho's. If the price of twinkies goes up what does that do to the market for hoho's? Hoho's are cleary a substitute good and not a compliment. So if the price of twinkies goes up the demand for hoho's increases which then causes an increase the price and quantity of hoho's.

Let's suppose that the price of sugar increases. What does this do to the market for twinkies? Sugar is an input of twinkies since one cannot make twinkies without sugar and if they do they will probably see a downward trend in demand for their product. So since sugar is an input of twinkies it will effect the supply of twinkies. The supply of twinkies will decrease leading to an increase in price and a decrease in the quantity of twinkies produced.

What happens to the market for twinkies when the population income increases? This supposedly depends on whether you consider twinkies to be a normal or inferior good. Since twinkies are relatively cheap I think they are an inferior good. Since they are an inferior good and the general population income increases this would cause the demand for twinkies to decline. In so doing the price and quantity of twinkies decreases. This will cause a surplus in the twinkie market.

What happens to the market for twinkies if the price of twinkies goes up or down? Nothing happens. The price moves up and down the same demand curve.

These examples assume that all else is held constant.

Something's gotta give

I am overwhelmed. I feel like an insignificant speck in the vast sea of what is now my life. School is killing me. Taking Calculus, Statistics, Economics, Business Writing, and Marketing seems to be a horrible combination. Especially the Calculus, Statistics, and Economics part. I have been working on my house as little as one can work without being openly aware of it. I really want to work on it, but I have zero time to work and zero time to recruit. In this, I realize I have spent less time with my family and less time pursuing my relationship with God. I have been trying to help others and not helping myself or my family and I think I am worse off than if I wouldn't have helped anyone at all. Family should come before others. If it doesn't it should be a joint effort. I am working around 20 hours a week to try to keep finances afloat, but it has become increasingly impossible. The bills are barely getting paid, but I have no doubt in God's ability to see me through this. I don't blame him for not. I got myself here and I need to learn from this experience.

I truly hope all this work is of value to my family and anyone else I can help. I just keep remembering that it's not about me. I need give, give, give until there's nothing left. Ever since I heard that song by Reliant K it has completely changed my life. I don't know why. It just stuck with the very heart of me. That's what I have been doing, but something's gotta give back to me. So I will be reassessing my life in the near future and I will try to determine what has to give and how I can pursue the things that make life so special; the very basics of what makes me what I need to be for my family and future.

Back to School

"Back to school. Back to school. Try to prove to daddy that I'm not a fool." - James Madison a.k.a. Adam Sandler

Truer words were never spoken, but I feel more like...

"Back to endless hours at the library and bathrooms. Back to arguing with my wife and nervously induced bowel movements. Try to prove to future employers that I can survive."

This Old House

I really wish I had Bob Vila to come in and have the fancy introduction he could always give, but I don't. Everything has a beginning. Well...maybe everything. If you watch the video you'll see my house before I started work on it. I want to update it every once in a while. It's kind of neat to watch something transform. This is just the upstairs. I'll focus on the downstairs next. It's really a daunting task, and I don't wish this on anyone; not even contractors.

Hope for bungie jumpers?

Is there hope for bungie jumpers? I have to say there is no hope. Their going to bum a jump off of someone whether you want them to our note. They are people with no fear and they are a bit taller than the average beginner. They stretch over time or they get dislocated joints. I find that sometimes they bite their nails and often they do it while jumping. This would account for the abrasions to the face both in the cheeks and occasionally a torn nostril for the less decisive nose picker. I really think there is a cure. Eliminate bungie jumping. There is a new sport called wungie jumping, but it is too grusome to speak or write of in the English language and mandrin chinese is the only known translation for it's genre of sports. I do not speak chinese. Pray for these wungie or bungie jumpers and write your congressman.

That one time. . .

Do you remember that one time we did that one thing? That was sooo cool. I remember that day because you said hi or was it hey? It was an unforgettable high. Like eating Billy Graham crackers (the boxed kind, nothing racial). We talked for a while and you left in your mode of transporation. Before that, we had only talked a few times using a mode of communication. I don't mean to avoid specifics, but it was all a bit shady in the excitment. I forsee a hard day and a few incredible days ahead for you. Next time we'll laugh about this and probably that using a mode of communication verbal or nonverbal. I really do miss something about you. Drop me a call like the good ole' days.