I don't sit back and wait for the tv anchors to tell me if it's raining or sunny, I venture out in it! My friendship base crosses many economic/business lines from government contract work to fast food ownership, and all things in between. I talk to the people. They tell me things. They tell me the truth. When a million dollar food franchise owner has to go out and get a regular job to make ends meet, that's a bad sign of the times. When I have to fight like an alley cat with much bigger landscape operators to assemble a decent portfolio of contract work for 2009/2010...it's bad out there. It's good to know what's make believe (Obama & Bush) and what's real (the economy). I do everything I can to stay on top of things and never get swept under...that's why I do what I do.

I doubt "Q" will go under at my son's Pac-10 campus but if it does, $20 giftcards here and there won't break me. I got him some Arby's, Subway, and Chipolte to fill out his wallet. Food giftcards are great stocking stuffers.

I agree, you never know when the next "Steve & Barry's" is going to fall next. I've got in on very good insider info (like yourself) that commercial credit, i.e. shopping centers, malls, strip centers, stand-alones, are the next crisis. We had a major development up the road from me who's anchor tenant was...hold on to your seat...CIRCUIT CITY! LOL. The owner of the development just missed a Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) payment to the city fathers and all building has ceased. Owner is nowhere to be found! I'd check a sandy beach in Puerta Vallarta, just a thought. We have a huge condo/retail developemnt going right now (about half a mile from me, walking distance) smack dab in the most expensive part of the city. Stopped in its tracks cold! Original builder didn't receive October payment from big Advertising Corporation financier and sent all workers off the jobsite. It now sits empty with no windows in the middle of record cold winter. A new builder has been hired to finish up but he won't even get up out of bed until the $10 million delinquent payment is made to the first builder and the mess is cleared AND he receives payment upfront. I am not kidding you folks one bit when I say..."keep everything you hold dear to you in cash reserves (money market ultra conservative for the time being)". This economy or market is not for the feint of heart. Watch your money markets like a hawk. Assume that everyone who wants to manage your money is on the brink of financial collapse themselves. Let me remind you guys and gals out there who think I'm brewing up a storm...I'm the guy who pulled all his cash to the side late 2007/early 2008 and have been enjoying 2-5% returns ever since. Everybody else I know has lost 37% minimum on their entire life's savings! Do not treat this lightly...