This chart might help explain some of my current optimism. I was
actually looking for something that goes back further--because I
remember the way Oregon used to be. Back when timber drove the economy, followed by the much smaller fishing and tourism economies, in that
order. If the economy went south it went south here in a big way because everyone stopped building stuff. Simple as that. These days our economy
is much more diverse and timber isn't such a big a deal any more.

I was there for all those recessions and after until almost 2000.
It was not fun.

Unemployment Rate in Oregon
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ORUR

I was in a nearby hunting and fishing store today buying some ice.
The guy in front of me had a few lures and other stuff that would easily
fit in a small shopping bag. It cost him almost 100 bucks. He was musing
out loud about what he spent there. He figured he probably didn't need
half those lures, if that, but he want them "just in case." BTDT many
times, including frequent trips to that store. His wife complained about
what he was spending. Mine doesn't, but then I'm probably spending a lot
less money on fish.

SOooooooo *NoW* when I see help wanted sighs all over the
place--and I mean just that. ALL over the PLACE, it freaks me out a bit.
I have never ever seen anything even close to that in my entire life. So
I feel entitled to being a bit freaked. It's very difficult to see how
we get from this to any sort of real hard times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZsO348BOW0

TB

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