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I’ve got a song in my heart and a smile on my face today, and not just because it’s the end of the week in the middle of summer and all the big cheeses are melting at the beach.

I looked at the news line-up this morning and saw a trend I had not noticed in quite some time. Did you spot it, too? Happiness is busting out all over, surprising the guys who make gloom for a living.

… stocks were up at the opening of the market… well, that’s nice…

… new home sales were stronger than anticipated… of course they were. People are expecting nothing but downers right now. In spite of how much we read or download or link to, we’re always surprised because what we believe will happen next is always in line with what’s going on right now… and that’s not a fair assumption at all… so we’re always surprised, both on the downside, when it arrives and then by the upside, when it inevitably comes creeping in.

… hm… durable goods orders also are up, shocking those experts whose job it is, really, not to be shocked. Are we paying them to be shocked?

Oil prices declining! Gas prices slipping back to ONLY $4 bucks a gallon! Gas up the car, mom! 

There’s more! Cleaner, greener diesel?video and Honda (HMC) reporting record profits, which means it still may be possible to be a car company if you know how to do things right?

And I don’t know about you, folks, but there’s part of me that just plain enjoys seeing guys whose business it is shorting stocks taking it in the, well, the shorts, you know? Bet against us, will ya?! Well, eat the hose, shorty!

See? Nothing but good stuff, all the time. Things are looking up. The sand is hot. The breeze is cool. The banks have hit bottom and are screaming back up the ramp. Our own auto makers are retooling their plants, getting ready to sell us a whole new generation of tin cans that get 30 mpg and better, and to sell those they’ll need to advertise, bringing up the whole media sector. And there’s a new iPhone, too! And a HUGE line around the block not far from here, loaded with happy consumers who can’t wait to ignore all the party poopers raining on the new gizmo. Go, Apple (AAPL)! Spread that sunshine, right? Sure!

Could it get any better? Well, okay, it could, I’ll grant you that. But I’ll take what we’ve got for now.

Monday will come soon enough.




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You cheered me up. Keep up the good work.
Thank you
F.n,Ghadially MD Phd

Posted By Feroze Ottawa Nepean Canada : July 25, 2008 11:38 am

Where are the Gladiators when the street people and animals start fighting back?

Posted By Anonymous : July 25, 2008 11:54 am

well, now i know what you’re smoking… it probably goes well with a tall cool glass of bath water.

Posted By nonya business, seattle, wa : July 25, 2008 11:56 am

You know, it’s a funny coincidence, but there are less people driving and everyone’s driving slower. And magically, the gas price drops! Could that have something to do with (gasp!) supply and demand?

Meanwhile, as Apple stock drops people keep lining up to get a new iPhone – like one of those movies the critics all pan but people just love anyway.

You’re right; it doesn’t get any better than this!

Posted By Sacto Joe, Sacramento, CA : July 25, 2008 11:59 am

$4.00 is still expensive. Don’t kid yourself! It’s a good start, but I won’t be happy until it’s back to $3.00 and that’s being very compromising.

Posted By David : July 25, 2008 12:02 pm

Nice cheerful report! So nice to see someone looking at the bright side for a change!

Posted By Jake, Holland, Michigan : July 25, 2008 12:09 pm

Stach – nice column. i too am tired of all the doom and gloomers. its a beautiful sunny summer day, light out till 9, lets fire up the grill and worry about monday on monday.

Posted By Andy, the bay of green, wi : July 25, 2008 12:50 pm
Posted By Rebecca, Philadelphia, PA : July 25, 2008 1:06 pm

Hopefully, gasoline prices will continue to fall; putting more money in consumers’ pockets every month. Since it occurs every month, it will amount to much more than the Fed’s stimulus plan did. Note to Americans: as the price of gasoline falls, do NOT buy more gasoline! Continue to try and buy less and less … and spend your money on other things … durable goods!

Posted By Gary Rybold, Irvine, California : July 25, 2008 1:35 pm

Great article, thanks for the sunshine. We need more of it. I am always disappointed in the negative news. Like Jack said where are the stories about noodle salad, happy stories, there are lots of them out there you just have to search for them.

http://strategiesforlife.blogspot.com

Posted By Bob, St. Clair, MI : July 26, 2008 8:37 am

Hate to rain on your parade, but 2.2 million houses up for sale more to come, car sales and production in the toilet, Banks in recievership,unemployment rising everyday, a sick dollar and many other things equally bad cannot be ignored. WAKE UP BUBBA this thing isn’t over, you are just standing in the eye of the hurricane.

So much for your ‘Happy Day”.

Posted By Jack Hammond Canada : July 26, 2008 12:22 pm

A glimpse of sunshine can create a rainbow, but the rain doesn’t necessarily stop.

Gasoline can be a dollar a gallon, but if you work for minimum wage that’s a lot.

If you’re in the Alternative Minimum Tax bracket and you’re in foreclosure, bankruptcy legislation recently passed by the Bush Administration will probably hold you hostage for life.

Fire up the grill and dress in shorts and tank top and pop a tab to cook in the ultraviolet rays of the sun with no ozone layer to filter them out.

They say the Army travels on it’s stomach; then what do the others travel on, solar power from sunshine??

Election years are notorious for baiting voters with empty promises that they can’t deliver.

America’s balance sheet is tipping over to assets equal liabilities with negative equity.

Our manufacturing base keeps dwindling only to be replaced with electronic toys used to create euphoric mania.

Billions of people in the world facing hunger are concerned about eating today, not concerned about their 401K, IRA, golden parachute, retiring 30 years down the road, or keeping tabs on their possible inheritence.

Yogi Bear’s lament: “IT’S NOT OVER TILL IT’S OVER.”

The “THINKER” symbolizes an instinctive plan for survival in this goofy world.

Sunshine and roses for all the thinkers out there.

Posted By Bob Shelby Twp. Mi. : July 26, 2008 7:07 pm

The only people who get mad after watching the news are losers.

I have been making a killing off of speculation, gloom-and-doom reports, pessimism, and fear. These people out here are uninformed sheep that let wolves like me sell lies of the Apocalype to them for “cheap”. But cheap ($10) to one sheep times 5,000 equals an easy $50,000 for me this month.

August is looking even brighter because the heat causes people to surrender their minds for even more “news” about how to beat the market. They never realize that I am the market.

Keep up the good work. I need to get this money so I can buy a few more houses on the cheap. I will make about 5 million dollars in a few years when things pick up. Retirement is not too far away. I am KING!

Posted By Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX : July 27, 2008 2:05 am

I see, Jack, that it is always Monday in your heart. The glass may not be either half empty or half full. It just might be both at once. At least we have a glass.

Posted By Bing : July 27, 2008 11:54 am

Well Bing I guess TODAY just took the air out of your tire.

Posted By Josh, Tucson, Az : July 28, 2008 5:08 pm

Yeah. Monday was pretty much of a bummer. But you know what? If you don’t get insanely, inappropriately gleeful at the good days, what’s it all about? I mean, it may not in the end be ABOUT anything, but having fun while the sun is shining, if only briefly, is what it’s all about! If it’s about anything, I mean.

Posted By Bing : July 28, 2008 6:06 pm

Well Bing, i just think everyone needs to just take a break. The overactivity in our country is making the country look like a wore out corvette stingray with 500,000 miles on it. Maybe America should become more like a honda hybrid.

Posted By Josh, Tucson, Az : July 28, 2008 7:56 pm

Sounds like Honda’s still in good shape. BTW, I’m in the middle or re-working a Honda website and would love to get some feedback. http://www.hondaexplosion.com

Posted By John,Atascadero,CA : December 23, 2008 2:42 am

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Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing is a Fortune columnist and best-selling author of business books noted for their wisdom as well as their sharp, slightly acrid sense of humor. He is also the only writer on business and the workplace who still puts on a suit and tie and goes to do battle with the dragons that breathe fire at corporate America every day. This blog captures what remains of his brain after it has exploded in all other directions.
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