Civilization Death Sprial, AAAAAAACK!!!

We're all gonna die!!!

We're in a weird place in western culture where almost everything we can conceive of scientifically is pretty much attainable. Oh sure, not cold fusion, but pretty much everything. How long does it take you to get from one end of the continent to the next? Less than half a day? Food has never been cheaper or easier to get, (although obesity is an equal opportunity epidemic folks on the lower end of the income scale disproportionately suffer from it). Think of the term "climate control." When was the last time you weren't able to get away from the discomfort of an exceptionally hot or exceptionally cold day? Yep, when the AC wasn't working. Really, really big storms and weather events are a shock to our system because we can pretty much mitigate the impact of nature or control our surroundings on any given average day.

We tend to talk about financial systems as if they are forces of nature as well. Certainly, I think that meteorology is more attainable to the average American than the financial sciences. But markets are completely man made. I used to feel sort of embarrassed about the fact that I found markets and market speak so befuddling. I mean, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I'm not the dumbest. I can pick up a book and get the main ideas. Why is it that I read an article or a book on financial matters and afterwards I really can tell you nothing about what I read other than a few irrelevant facts. And yet, the financial celebrities all talk about what happens in their trade as if it is so clear and defined.