"I'm not suggesting all is rosy but I don't believe the sky is falling either. What I do believe is that things go in cycles. Economies have boom and bust periods as do industries and individual businesses."

I've heard all the stories of cycles from my father and his father and their business dealings. I've been part of the regional business cycles directly since the early 70's along with the problems of oil then.

There is a difference between the oil problem then and now. My observation is, the oil then had a demand and short supply issue for US citizens. I sat in the lines for 2 or 3 bucks a gallon that eventually settled back. That is not the case this round, there is no real demand by US citizens, we're just paying the price for world demand as it now relates to our dollar.

As for cycles.....there was/is a national cycle. However, for the most part, individual states had their own cycles that you had to revolve and live within.

The cycles of the states are not as they use to be....everything is across the board nationally now and this has only started in the last 15 years. I'm originally from Mass and that state had cycles, believe you me. I now live in West FL. When I moved here in 79 it was like moving to a new country, easy street for me and stayed that way up until just recently.....4 or 5 years.

It's now evident to me that all states are flowing at the same frequency....we all boom at the same time and we all bust at the same time.

With that, I see problems, I don't know about you, but my rates of return have fizzled away in the last 7 years.....and that is what I'm gaging.

Digesting an all encompassing graph does not take into account all the variables and differences from decade to decade.

I PHYSICALLY FEEL THE PROBLEMS AT HAND....until that changes I'll have a very pessimistic view of our countries monetary system.

doni