soon, soon, I feel it in my waters...

I was happy once again to veg out this weekend, and not do much, having managed to get through a number of errands that needed to be done. The list looks like, pick up the shirts from the drycleaners, check to make sure the ATO has the right details for the "stimulus" money, get contracts for second job and other associated tasks done [including staff card and library access],

Feeling somewhat anxious about upcoming things.

In my mind the count down for, fingers crossed, what is hopefully the finale that messy little incidenct at the beginning of the year has the music speeding up and getting more intense, and the lights flashing even more quickly. Yes it looks like the bureaucratic wheels are finally turning and will spit out the result. And it looks like it will happen soon.

I'm feeling a little bit angsty, and anxious just wanting the whole thing to be over, and being able to feel freer and move onto the next part of my life without this hanging over my head.

The anxiousness and angst felt melted somewhat for what was to be another weekend of a great surprise. I do quite like surprises, especially ones that bring a smile to my face.

I'm still smiling now - despite being very behind in preparing for work tomorrow.

Oh well...

w00t!

$900... the stimulus package passed the Senate!

the politics and economics of "economic downturns"

one thing that is certain about capitalism, is that there are cycles - one where things are great and one where things aren't so great...

it surprises me that the people that should know this (ie the econocrati) seem to be like the rabbit caught in the headlights - OMG why didn't we see this coming...

one article I read had a look at which of the econocrati (those from Australia) were able to better predict likely movements in the global and local economy. let's just say the results were not impressive... those who were more critical of orthodox economics seemed to fare better...

so the politics of this... analysts want to talk about interest rate movements, recession, unemployment rates, debt ratios, forgetting that there are people affected by what happens in that amorphous "global economy" and the "credit crunch"... whilst $950 may not seem like much to spend, but it is one way for people to spend/pay debts (and free up money for investment)... the contraction in the building/construction industry the schools funding is likely to decrease possible lay offs and possibly create jobs and not just in one geographical area...

I'm not a big fan of Keynesianism, but clearly the rational expectationists/general equilibrium theorists haven't got it right either... hell I'm not a big fan of capitalism either... but given the situation and not knowing how long the bumpy ride is likely to go on for, I'd like $950 to possibly buy something to cushion the impact...

this is really long hand for - pass the bloody stimulus package in the Senate!

Ps, I'm meeting a possible adoptee tomorrow, a male cat this time... I'm excited!

and now for something different - stimulus package and the politics of being without a microwave and dvd

I realise that a lot of this blog is about the emotional stuff that I seem to go through... I find it very strange to see a lot of what I have felt on the interwebs... especially when this is not me in real life...

there's been a couple of non-emotional things that have been floating around in my head the last couple of days, and they largely centre around the issue of the macroeconomy internationally and nationally (I hate the term "global credit crunch")...

there's been a lot of discussion around the $42 billion dollar stimulus plan that has been announced by the Rudd Labor Government... especially from the econocrati about if it will be effective...

in discussing this further, I first need to make one note about what I think of the econocrati more generally and it is embodied by the saying/joke - "if you brought the world's economists together to find a solution they agreed on, the room would split into 1.5 times the number of economists"...

the short answer is, no-one really knows how effective any economic policy will be - there are simply too many variables, and the data used to make future predictions are based on the past at a particular time, location and specific set of circumstances.

Given the the current global (for the most part) and Australia's national economy, is reliant on consumerism to enable growth, it would seem a one off payment and increasing government spending on public infrastructure is one way to boost people's capacity to consume (through giving the people cash and/or a job).

So for the time being, I wouldn't mind receiving $950... it is definately needed, because I would like to buy a microwave and a dvd player given that I no longer have either.