This fear can often become a very debilitating disorder, causing cold sweats, quickened heartbeat and other generalized panic attack symptoms.

Speaking of panic…

Subject: The economy

Should one be alarmed? Hmmm…

Should one be concerned? Maybe…

Will it get worse?

That’s a good question. One I would like to expand on.

Today, I view the economy as a large floating ice berg. That’s right, an ice berg. Now, as one knows, only 10% of the ice berg shows above the surface of the water. That means there’s 90% of that same ice berg under the water. Right this instant we are only seeing the top 10% of the economic ice berg. And one must remember, we are talking about a very large ice berg.

Enough about ice.

I fear that topic “Numero Uno” for the next seven months will be about the collapse of the nations financial infrastructure. Many more large companies will declare bankruptcy. Unemployment will hit an all time record, and without unemployment funds to pay those out of work, many will be without assistance.

Stimulus packages will become the buzz word we will hear almost daily. Heck, even the porn industry is asking for federal funds. Sex needs a bailout!

The fluctuating price of oil will cause gasoline prices to work their way above 4.00 per gallon again. Only major metropolitan areas with populations above 200,000 residents will have auto dealerships. One small glimmer of light is that auto parts stores will do a brisk business. When one can’t afford a new horse, one has to keep the current nag healthy.

In the coming months, one major corporation (one that’s a bit larger than a clothing department store) will have to file Chapter 11 or move it’s entire infrastructure overseas. Over 12,000 employees will be laid off and the CEO’s and upper level managers will get their 2.4 million dollar severance package.

Indian casino’s and/or gambling establishments will make a killing. For whatever reason, as things get worse, people will flock to the tables hoping to keep their dreams alive by winning the big one.

The service industry will take a hit. Manufacturing is already on it’s heals. Crime against man and machine will reach double digit levels. Local government as well as state franchises will all see horrible times (bankrupt cities may become the norm in the not to distant future). The societal infrastructure as we know it today will spiral out of control.

Can any of this be fixed? Hmmm…

Is there anything anyone can do to keep us off this bailout band wagon? Hmmm…

Why bring all this pain and misery to the forefront? Why show us what’s going to be in our future?

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Wait… Hold on a sec…

You thought this was about our current situation right now, today?

All that doom and gloom stuff was from an excerpt in my new book. It’s a Sci-Fi thriller based on a parralell world that’s having a total economic melt down. It’s all fiction. None of it is really happening. It’s only a story. Just think of it as a dream sequence.

Now… Get a hold of yourself… Splash some cold water on your face and calm down. Here’s the real truth.

It’s going to get worse… Much worse… There really isn’t anything you and I can do about it right this instant. We, as a nation, need to work thru all of this as best we can. And we need to have faith in our families, our friends and our neighbors. Make up a game plan in the event that situations in your lives become unstable. Consider alternatives to all aspects of how you do things today. And above all, live each day in the positive present and prepare for the positive tomorrow. Don’t dwell on the past and don’t think of a negative future.

Much of what was said above is pure speculation. Some of it may never happen (and I hope that is the case). But it will get worse. And with time it will get better. It will take a strong people to make change happen. It will take a strong people to think rationally about the ways back to prosperity. it will take a strong people to raise loudly, concerns about what is right and what is wrong.

Remember this… An ice berg this large you cannot control. But, ice bergs melt. And eventually, ice bergs go the way of yesterday. They are gone, but not forgotten. Things will get better. The talking heads in your T. V. and the black and white bird cage liners you see on your doorstep everyday are there to provide you with all sorts of stimulus to panic about. And panic, about any situation, especially about a nation that you have no control over, does nothing more than exacerbate the problem.

Until next week…