From Wall Street to Main Street: The worst (trancession) is yet to come?

I am extra cautious to write these days. I feel that there are so many sad things going on in people’s lives with the present financial crisis. I refuse to cause more panic. If you say something these days, it’s either you get to be confused with economic skeptics or be tinged with politics.

Speaking of politics, we’ll have to go back to the issue of who shall claim the slogan “CHANGE”. I just don’t get it why people can’t think whatever they want to think and change their mind whenever they want. I said it before and I will say it again this time. I believe that people who change their minds (“flip-flops”) are the people who really use their minds. In short, thinkers do change their judgments to whatever they believe is right at a certain moment depending on the situation. To underscore my point, change works in the context of time. Yes, there is a degree of relevance when people deviate from the flow or from what they believe in. Change always depends on the call of the times.

Let’s move on. So what’s the real deal in the shifting from uncertain to dismal global economies? Are we ready for this?

Greed. Okay, let’s blame this insatiable vanity in human nature. Corruption. For God’s sake, when is enough enough? Poverty. Well, it’s easy to throw stones at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shame on interest rate parasites that exploit those who struggle to make ends meet. God bless America — the land where spending is “priceless”. To work hard is human and to have a high credit score is divine. To some people, sky is the limit for as long that wallet-size plastic cards are swipe-able. Don’t get me wrong; I am a fan of spending, too. This is the only way I know I could help boost the economy – to put my money back in the market. This is simple economics for everyone. This is the same reason why the government doled-out billions of “seed money” (a.k.a. , stimulus check) to taxpayers. The simple rule is to spend, squander, splurge or whatever way to condition people to be shopaholics.

It is very frightening when we start to engage ourselves with any monetary ventures or dealings where there is no certainty. It’s too risky to gamble on luck. It becomes more worrisome when we understand nothing or have very limited knowledge about the issue. Nobody knows the real reason behind all this gloomy economic disarray. I try to listen and read all over the place but I just can’t grasp the complicated functions of the market structures; gee, nobody knows or offers any solutions in terms and language I can understand! How could I be so brainless? And nobody seems to be accountable for all these troubles. Everyone is pointing at each other. The politicians, financiers and experts alike are making all efforts to present their own versions if-I-were-the-blah-blah-blah talking points. What about today? What happened yesterday?

When you see some simplified attempt to make a point, it all boils down to the fact that the ordinary people like you and me are the ones who pay the price. Why? Because we love this country so much that we are willing to sacrifice and suffer more for the sake of “economic corrections”. The government and economists make us believe that market fluctuations are normal adjustments in a transitory or transient recession , which I will originally coin as “trancession” (This term will soon be in the glossary of economics literatures. Again, remember that you read it here first!) There must be someone out there who can dissect this financial phenomenon. Do Bear, Fannie and Freddie, Merrill, Lehman, AIG and the other most-likely-to-collapse companies hire ghost or extra-terrestrial executives and accountants that they can no longer control their books? This is exactly the kind of corporate trickery that makes the poor poorer and the working class thrives in the dog eat dog cycle of survival. It is very depressing but we have to do something…anything. Nobody can salvage us from this financial pandemonium but ourselves. We may not control this economic crisis but we can take responsibility of our own personal financial actions.

Here are 8 simple “trancession” survival tips:
1. Stick with the classic “Live within your means!” Have some time to look at your present monetary standing. Learn to stop and reach for that pen, pad and calculator to see how much are you really worth. This is as simple as determining your spending power and be conscious of not going overboard. Then, make a rough 6-month budget before you start planning Friday drinks.
2. Save like ants but think like Bill Gates. You may be the richest man in the world with excessive surpluses but you may also think of the poorest and the under-privileged of the world. If you are Bill Gates, you are probably reminded every minute that there are millions and millions of people out there who are extremely desperate for a dollar just to survive for a day. Donate to charities and good causes if you get the chance in your own little ways. Trust me, it’s the real deal high. Some of us are fortunate that we don’t have to deal with hurricanes and other natural calamities.
3. Believe that some things are still FREE. Accept free lunch offers. Not all people are “friendly users”. Clip those discount coupons. Hunt for those freebies. Use it, share it and be proud of it! Just recently, I won a free coffee for a week (Customer of the Week) from Starbucks in Austin St., Forest Hills for responding to the trivia question of the week. (Thanks to Squidward! FYI, Squidward is the character that lives in the Moai head statue under the sea known as “Bikini Bottom” in Nickelodeon’s series SpongeBob SquarePants. Don’t ask me how I knew about squids and sponges but as bonus information, Squidward has 438 self-portrait frames hanging on the walls of his infamous residence.)
4. Take a walk and take a shower everyday. This is a very therapeutic activity to relax and rid yourself of the bad germs that are clinging on your skin while waiting for the opportunity to multiply and eat you alive. Remember that prevention is a step ahead than costly cure.
5. Spend some time to pray. When you pray, don’t think of religion but remind yourself that everything has an end. Nothing is permanent and nobody is immortal. This way you can pay more focus to family, good friends, constructive activities, true love, faith and hope, justice for all and world peace.
6. Read a good book that interests you. If you get hooked up to reading, you’ll be surprised that you’ll be smarter – as you divert those urges and energies from extravagant spending – instead of wasting your minutes on senseless calls or watching expensive cable networks.
7. Say “thank you” at all times. This simple gesture goes a long way. I hope that this reach the hearts and conscience of the greedy capitalists, opportunistic financiers and corrupt public servants who think that power and money can assure them of happiness ever after.
8. Last but not the least, be vigilant of whom to entrust your suffrage come November. Don’t be swayed by flowery words and sugar coatings. A lipstick on a pig or pit-bull is animal cruelty but a lipstick on a politician is still a lipstick. Cast your vote for the genuine guardian of the great American dream – a decent and comfortable life in peace and freedom. After all, it all boils down to the economy, smarty.

At this very moment, people are tightening their belts, shock-absorbing the ballooning mortgage payments and the soaring prices of gas and basic commodities and thinking of ways to endure this uncertain economic recession. Only one thing is for sure, Starbucks coffee costs and tastes the same from Wall Street to Main Street.