Headlines...The New Bubble

There is a bubble in headlines. Headlines are the newest commodity. It’s not anyone’s fault. It is technology at work and our hunger for speed and thirst for knowledge.

Tipping Points, Bubbles, New Media, Old Media, Web 2.0….on and on an on.

The only thing you can count on in the world today is noise and the algorithmic growth of it.

This blog is about trends and you have to be blind not to see this one. In fact, if you are reading this blog you are a victim of it (a victim with insanely great taste).

To catch the big trends you need to harness the momentum and energy of the trend and invest with it. You need to manage the noise. But, when a trend ends you need to take your lumps and move on.

Headlines are the ‘New New’ thing. We can all write them and we can all shout them out. We can all make the decision not to listen to them or to read the meat behind the fluff.

Let’s take America for example. Here is the standard headline:

‘America is busted’

In 40 years you will look back and say damn, that crack in 2008 was the freaking shizzle. Why did I not take my lumps? Why did I not change my habits?

But, it is still just a headline. Here is the meat .

Renting, saving and building should be America’s new mantra. You can do all three. You have the choice. It’s not going to come from the top, but the bell did get rung.

Our government and leaders our caught up in the ‘own, spend and buy’ trend that has ended. They are using the crack of our generation…’the headluines’ to sell it. They know you are hooked and they are giving you your daily fix of it. Mortgage rates at all-time lows so you better buy now. Flatscreen TV’s at Best Buy $bby, buy 6 get one free for your bathtub (good for Best Buy, bad for you). Don’t build a business, give your product away for free and flip it to Goldman or Google.

It’s great to own your own home, but it’s not the end of the world if you can’t. It’s ok to have a High definition, 68 inch plasma, but it’s ok not to have 10. It’s ok to buy some speed and sell your business early, but it’s ok to find a niche, build and charge along the way.

I know from listening that it’s brutal out there. I know from listening that no matter what the headlines say, they are full of misdirection.

I also know from recent experience I can’t figure out how to safely save more than $250,000 and not have to worry about it being pissed away by a drunk banker.

Rent or Own?…Save or Spend?…Build or Buy? The headlines will wear you out.

I say…live within your means.