Arnheim's unofficial economic indicators: Play along with me!

[Jo March]

1. In the fountain outside my building, there are only pennies thrown in - no silver coins at all. The coins collected go to charity but it's slim pickings.

2. Ridership on the bus is up. Informal survey finds the cost of gas is the main factor.

3. Cost of milk and bread - up.

4. More and more people I meet are working 2+ jobs.

Now it's your turn. What are you seeing that leads you to know that the economy is not as rosy as our dear repub friends would like us to believe?

[Nickster]

1. Saw my very first ever "Will Work for Food" sign on the way home

from work on Friday. Sad, just sad.

[Jo March]

5. I'm seeing a lot more homeless on the streets

It breaks my heart. It truly does.

[BR_Parkway]

2. SUV's piling up on the used car lots, more 2nd cars & boats for

sale in people's front yards, more customer's asking about pricing before they talk about amenities or availability.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

4. Oh yeah

And the used-car lot section of so many supermarket parking lots!

[Jo March]

7. RW woman in my office just bought a used Tahoe

She got it for quite a deal, too. Of course, it will take about $60 to fill it up and her insurance will go up but she has a SUV so that's all that counts, right?

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

3. I live near a college campus

And suddenly petty theft is cool among frat boys. I'm serious. It's part of the "thug chic" thing that's been going on these last few years. I heard one bragging that he ran up on some hippies and stole their wheatgrass. (I was not talking to this person, I was, well, peeing on a fence at a party and eavesdropping on the party on the other side of the fence.)

When rich kids are copying a behavior of theft, not just drugs and physical violence, it means the poor are very, very poor.

[Jo March]

9. That is disgusting

Just disgusting. "Thug chic"?

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

10. Yeah

Suburban rich kids who get the message from gangsta rap and do random meaningless crimes. It's been around for years but it's getting more universal lately. I saw them fighting in the street over a stolen bike the other night. It's getting bad here, not just the usual puke and broken glass everywhere, but lots of confrontation.

[Jo March]

11. I just can't believe that they'd act that way

You know, at their age, I was in the Army. I had too much to do to go around acting like a thug.

[BR_Parkway]

12. I sure hope they weren't standing too close to the fence.

[Willy Lee]

6. I am seeing more people paying with cash...

[Jo March]

8. We've been paying with cash for a while now

The credit card companies are horrible. I want to start my own business so bad but refuse to go into debt for it. My boss says, "That's your children's future. You're a fool if you don't borrow the money for it."

Well, I'm a fool if I do because 1) hubby doesn't work and 2) I have no life insurance to cover my debts if I die.