Economies rely on a degree of overconfidence. There is a gap between present realities and future expectations without which there would be no enterprise, no investment, no credit, no commerce, and no currency. However, at a certain point, the disconnection between reality and expectation becomes too great, and there is a need for a readjustment. Recession is that readjustment.
Personally, I find nothing more enjoyable, after a hard day's work, then to sit down with a newspaper. The feel of real paper in my hands and the sound of pages turning, soothes me quickly. But of course, the words jumping off the page, espousing information, ideas, and viewpoints are what I'm really after. And the newspaper always delivers. I continue to seek out an assortment of them, so that I can devour them. I love holding a treasure-trove of words in my hands. I love tearing out pages that intrigue me, to store them in old files or folders for later use in my writing. I just love newspapers!
To "be a Brit different," travellers in the know are encouraged to experience the culture, diversity, food and drink, and fall in love with the Heart of England. Although the region is known worldwide for its famous literary genius, William Shakespeare, the area also has lesser known treasures such as a pub hop by canal boat, a local food and drink festival, a trip to a monkey forest, a fine china making workshop, among other experiences.
NO, I don’t want any fuss, it’s nothing special, let’s just treat it as a normal day. That was my firm assertion to my wife as my 60th birthday approached.
There’s so much to tempt holiday makers to pick Italy as their destination of choice. Not only does the country boast splendid culture, food, arts and architecture, but the climate makes it ideal for enjoying the glorious Italian beaches. Of course, with so many of Italy’s beaches being of a high standard, it’s a difficult task to separate the superior wheat from the good wheat. Fortunately, the good people at Legambiente publish an annual list of the cleanest and most attractive beaches. The 2008 list has just been published, and the top 5 should be on any beach lover’s check list when taking a family holiday in Italy, especially when the criteria for ranking takes over 130 factors into account, including clean waters, unpolluted sands, art and cuisine!
The last half of 2008, and now into 2009 has not proven very inspiring on the business, economic, and financial front. With a recession in full swing in numerous countries, government, corporate, and private concerns are looking for a way out of the downturn. A return to economic health will not occur overnight.
The problem is too deep and widespread. It will take a return to sound business fundamentals and doing away with wild and rampant speculation and get-rich-quick-schemes on the markets. If businesses do not get their financial houses in order investors can expect to see corporate bankruptcies increase this year. With unemployment increasing, it is going to be a tough year for many businesses to remain solvent as sales and profits wane.