Frowny Faced Economy

Recently, I’ve heard half scared/half defeated voices spout “economic collapse, eventual depression, credit crisis, and American dream turned nightmare.” This time they are not coming from my head; (I often try to harshly self-reference myself straight into a more frugal lifestyle.) This down turn is sadly universal and causing a scare in the financial world, especially with the recent Bear Stearns situation. According to the NY Times “the cash squeeze that brought Bear Stearns to its knees is fanning fears that other investment banks might be vulnerable to the crisis of confidence gripping Wall Street.”

My paranoia plans to pool what ever cash I have, go to home depot, buy out their lumber and garden department, build my own version of a log cabin* directly under the BQE, plant a garden, and live directly off the land, no matter how dirty and urine stained it may be. Whatever money I have left, I will carefully line my mattresses and pillows, batten down the hatches and wait it out in sweet subsistence living bliss. Fortunately, my paranoia is a push over and often loses in a fight with my sanity. I will remain in my apartment (directly under the BQE,) for now.

But, I am not here to deliver more bad news, turn your blues violet. I have heard the first positive news to come out of this whole thing, again from the NY Times. “The slowing economy, weighed down by a widening credit crisis, is likely to delay the signature office tower and three residential buildings at the heart of the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the developer said.” Ratner was not specific, but the delay could be a matter of years. This is good news for Brooklyn residents that have been fighting the good fight for sometime now. This is also good news for my little cabin under the BQE. Honestly, I am surprised that my harshly worded letter did not have the same results.

Well, if the whole thing (the economy) does go down, I promise I will share my coffee rations with you as we count cars from the front porch, which will look remarkably like a raft.

*I do have construction experience. One summer I partnered in the creation of an ill fated table that more closely resembled a raft. It ironically was taken down by strong rains and hurricane type winds. I take comfort in knowing that it may have saved a small animal float to safety during the great roof flood of 2005.