'misery index' highest in 28 years

[Willie99]

not only did Jimmy Carter know how bad he was fucking himself when he coined that phrase, he probably never dreamed he would be fucking the next great libtard president 35 years later. The two of them sure do have a lot in common

------------------------
Misery Index that simply totals the unemployment and inflation rates, is at a 28-year high, reflective of how weak the economic recovery has been and how far there is to go........

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43441924

 

[billhill999]

Bush's fault

 

[festeringZit]

But yet according to the lib donks on here, Obama's actions have
been the

"epitome of perfection in handling a recession"

 

[akphidelt]

High misery index means high happiness index for the RX Forum!!!

 

[TonyMar]

obama's performance is just like jamarcus russell's NFL career,....

except for all the over eating

 

[TomGshotput]

Misery Index that simply totals the unemployment and inflation rates

That has to be the most backward and screwy was possible to measure misery. I have almost always been happier when I'm not at work than when I am at work. As for inflation, most of us can still get the same exact level of cell phone and internet service as we had in 1983 for the same exact price. Simply pay that amount and buying power will be higher(and obviously those technologies don't make us happier or else misery wouldn't be so high)

 

[bodyforlife]

That has to be the most backward and screwy was possible to measure misery. I have almost always been happier when I'm not at work than when I am at work. As for inflation, most of us can still get the same exact level of cell phone and internet service as we had in 1983 for the same exact price. Simply pay that amount and buying power will be higher(and obviously those technologies don't make us happier or else misery wouldn't be so high)

:monsters-

So cell phone and internet services are the the main gauge of whether prices have come up, huh?

hno: :WTF:

 

[TomGshotput]

Body,
inflation covers all consumer goods. Do you really think the goods that consumers buy aren't constantly changing? How much were you paying for your cell phone and internet in 1983? I'm pretty sure you could still get the same level of cell phone and internet service you had in the early 80s for the exact same price

If those things increase happiness, then it's pretty hard to believe the cnbc article has any truth to it. If those things don't increase happiness, then going back to early 80s technology shouldn't be a problem

Then with the money that people aren't spending on iphones and ipads and all that shit, most people could buy more of the same exact stuff that people were buying in 1983 for the same amount of work

 

[bodyforlife]

Tom,

I don't know about the "happiness" gauge, but if you honestly think that using cellphones and internet services as your main source for judging if we have inflation, I think you are sadly missing the boat.

 

[TomGshotput]

I don't know about the "happiness" gauge

I do know that increasing costs of consumer goods correlates with happiness and misery about as much as high college tuition correlates with how often I brush my teeth

As I already said, inflation covers all consumer goods. And again, consumer goods are constantly changing. What made people happy in 1983 is different from what makes people happy in 2011. That's why I mentioned cell phones and computers. If they didn't help with happiness, no one would buy them. Obviously most everyone knows inflation takes into account a little bit more than two single items, but those type of things show why using inflation as a way to measure levels of misery is completely backwards and screwy. Again, we are always free to buy things similarly to how people bought stuff in the early 80s and if we do that, for most of us, our money will actually go further

 

[fletchisrhsm]

Just a few years ago Willie, you posted a poll about 81% of people being happy in their lives. I dont know, seems your fanning partisan flames.

 

[superbeets]

IMF trims US growth forecasts

In an update today to April´s World Economic Outlook (WEO), released in Sao Paolo, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed its forecast for world GDP growth this year, by one tenth of a percentage point to 4.3%. The estimate for 2012 remains unchanged at 4.5%.

The largest downward revision has been implemented to its forecasts for US growth, which have been shaved by 0.3%, to 2.5%, for 2011 and by another 0.2% for 2012, to 2.7%.


LINK

 

[bodyforlife]

I do know that increasing costs of consumer goods correlates with happiness and misery about as much as high college tuition correlates with how often I brush my teeth

As I already said, inflation covers all consumer goods. And again, consumer goods are constantly changing. What made people happy in 1983 is different from what makes people happy in 2011. That's why I mentioned cell phones and computers. If they didn't help with happiness, no one would buy them. Obviously most everyone knows inflation takes into account a little bit more than two single items, but those type of things show why using inflation as a way to measure levels of misery is completely backwards and screwy. Again, we are always free to buy things similarly to how people bought stuff in the early 80s and if we do that, for most of us, our money will actually go further

Tom,

I really don't want to waste a lot of time on this because I think the comment is absurd. If you were happiest when you were out of work, then I'm guessing you were living at home with your parents or independently wealthy. I was out of work about 30 years ago for a 3 month period. I can't tell you how stressful it was as bills kept piling up. But if you think being out of work is a fun time, more power to ya. I didn't have a cellphone or internet in 1983 (didn't even know what they were), so clearly it had no impact whatsoever on my happiness. Rather than get into a long answer on this, i will just submit to you that using those two items as a way to judge inflation is pretty silly in my opinion. First off, technology prices usually come down so to say prices haven't changed is probably a bad thing. Look at digital watches, computers, and televisions. I can guarantee to you whatever the price was when a new item came out (like 3D television) is significantly less after a year or two. The other point is cellphones and Internet usage are not necessities (as much as some people would argue they are). If anyone becomes unemployed in my household, I can assure you, those two items will be the first to go. I will go out on a limb here and say putting food on a family's table, being able to put clothes on your back, and being able to fuel up a car at a reasonable cost are considerably higher up the list for most families (in addition to utilities). In other words, non-durable goods. But if you think the items you mentioned are up there on most people's priority list, feel free to argue that point. Sorry, but this topic isn't worth arguing about to me.

 

[TomGshotput]

If you were happiest when you were out of work, then I'm guessing you were living at home with your parents or independently wealthy. I was out of work about 30 years ago for a 3 month period. I can't tell you how stressful it was as bills kept piling up. But if you think being out of work is a fun time, more power to ya. I didn't have a cellphone or internet in 1983 (didn't even know what they were), so clearly it had no impact whatsoever on my happiness. Rather than get into a long answer on this, i will just submit to you that using those two items as a way to judge inflation is pretty silly in my opinion

Never once did I say to only use those two items to judge inflation. Rather, I used those as an example for why inflation is a meaningless way to judge happiness or misery. Which you seem to agree with, as you weren't paying for them 28 years ago, but I'm guessing you are willing to do so today

I agree completely that housing, heat, food and transportation should be priorities. What's really cool, though, is it doesn't require a lot to meet minimal amounts of those things. Those things probably cost around one-third the average income. Which means all those things could be paid for by someone who doesn't work at all for 10 to 20 years out of 30. It's almost always the other stuff that people buy that causes money stress to pile up

Last time I lived with my parents with no full time job was after being discharged from active duty in 2004. Moved out and was working within a couple of months. I was happy then, just as I am now, but if I didn't spend as much money in those years, I would have even more money and wouldn't feel like I might have to re-join the workforce in the near future

It does feel powerful to know I earned enough in previous years to pay my bills today without worries

 

[Willie99]

Just a few years ago Willie, you posted a poll about 81% of people being happy in their lives. I dont know, seems your fanning partisan flames.

you mean things are always the same?

damn, and all this time I thought things can and do change

given these two scenarios, how would you expect such polls to trend

1) 52 months of consecutive job growth, years of unemployment at historic lows, two+ years of increasing tax revenues and decreasing deficits

2) 2 years of unemployment near historic highs (save for the GD), extended periods of unemployment, soaring deficits, failed stimulus and the worst post recession recovery since the GD






I wish a new poll would be released, but the last one was by Gallup in Dec 2007
http://www.gallup.com/poll/103483/most-americans-very-satisfied-their-personal-lives.aspx

 

[Willie99]

Misery Index 2007 = 7.46

Misery Index 2010 = 11.29

is that spin?

http://www.miseryindex.us/customindexbyyear.asp

 

[Willie99]

Americans' confidence in the U.S. economy plummeted to an average of -35 during the week ending June 12 -- a decline of nine percentage points from two weeks ago, and six points worse than in the same week a year ago. Economic confidence is now approaching a 2011 weekly low, after surging in May.

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

all kinds of opinion goodies found on that link, just not getting any play

 

[bodyforlife]

I agree completely that housing, heat, food and transportation should be priorities. What's really cool, though, is it doesn't require a lot to meet minimal amounts of those things. Those things probably cost around one-third the average income.

I can not thing of a more appropriate reply than to quote Chris Rock when I say.......

Nigga Please!!!!

Dude must have extra sugah in his kool-aid!

 

[TomGshotput]

Rent: $600 is what I pay covering almost all housing costs
Food: $5 per day could easily cover sufficient nutrition with only minimal compromises (like not eating out)
Transportation: a $6 000 to $8 000 used car should come out to less than $4 000 per year for the cost of the vehicle, insurance, gas, maintenance, registration, et cetera, if you take care of the thing and don't drive like a fool

average per capita income: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104652.html

cut that income in half and basic needs are still easily met. It's the big houses and restaurant meals and new cars and computers and new clothes and cable TV and jewelry and everything else people buy that make them want (not need) to work every week of their life. Since that's what people do, it's obvious that's what makes them happy. And since people buy that stuff in such force, I refuse to believe misery is higher now than in the previous 28 years (For myself, that's not what makes me happy, so I do things differently)

Crystal light won't rot your teeth. But I stick with coffee and Diet Mt Dew. That stuff has caffeine

 

[bodyforlife]

Fantasy versus Reality

http://money.msn.com/business-news/...793997&topic=TOPIC_ECONOMIC_INDICATORS&isub=3