Monday, December 29, 2003

The Bright Side

Another storm passes through the Bay Area. Despite the inconvenience to commuters and the disruption to travelers’ plans, I think back to the drought years during the late 1980’s when we put bricks in toilet bowls (the bricks would crumble, causing all sorts of plumbing problems) and don’t mind so much. Let it rain, more precisely, let the snowpack build.

Going into the office during the week between Christmas and New Years Day is like going in on a weekend. If you’re able to take your mind off of all the fun that others are having this week, the atmosphere is very quiet and it’s a great time to clean up your workspace and organize files and calendars.

I’m sorry that one mad cow has snuffed billions of dollars of beef exports, but at least we’ll get some relief from the steep increase in beef prices. I used to get boneless rib-eye for $5 a pound but refuse to pay the $8 - $9 recently posted at Albertson’s, Safeway, and Costco. Time to clean out the freezer, as I anticipate some dramatic price reductions soon.

The dollar has weakened dramatically, damaging U.S. prestige and vacationers’ plans. But business has picked up a lot for my company because its fortunes are tied to export activity, which is beginning to boom because U.S. goods and services are more competitive. Just as they taught us in Macroeconomics 101.

© 2003 Stephen Yuen

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