AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 05 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe Jake Indicator: Could be a good year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I did a lot of reading during final months two weeks of 2008 on what to expect in the New Year and based on what I read we might all be advised to dig a hole and jump in.
The markets are volatile, unemployment numbers are bouncing like an espresso-stoked bunny, consumer confidence is shaky, etc. I didn’t see any cock-eyed optimism out there so I thought I’d stick my neck out and predict 2009 is going to be a great year.
I’m not skilled at reading the various economic indicators, I have no inside information and I can barely build a spreadsheet. I’m basing my optimism on what I refer to as the Jake index, which is predicted on attitudinal reactions to various stimuli by our dog Jake.
And I saw a few things over the holiday that convinced me that times may not be as bad as we think. For example my trips to the membership warehouse stores did not yield the sparse shopping throng I was hoping for. To the contrary the aisles were packed with people buying flat-screen TVs, laptops, iPods and other big-ticket items.
I spent a lot of time in the company of wireless phone store personnel as our son needed to get his smart phone replaced. There were an awful lot of people lining up to get the new Blackberry and those don’t come cheap.
A handful of movies made a bunch of cash at the box office, meaning someone was out buying tickets. And the line at Starbuck’s is still there.
When I traveled during the break I filled up my tank in several different locations for less than $1.40 per gallon. Indeed, I was so spoiled that when I had to pay $1.45 on the way home I felt cheated. That is until I remembered last summer when we were all shelling out something north of four bucks and there were several places around town that had no gas to sell.
I realize none of the above guarantee an upswing. I guess I’m just tired of being told how rotten things are.
There is an old adage that asks how old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were, which brings me back to Jake. Because of factors outside our control we don’t know his exact age, but the best guess is around 13; old for a dog. He has arthritis in his hips, a bum left front leg, an ear damaged by a hematoma and he’s blind.
But every day he trots out to greet the world like a kid headed for Disney World. He doesn’t know from recessions, economics, stocks, politics, etc. He just knows that every day that begins above the grass has the potential to be a good day.
Maybe we could learn some new tricks from an old dog. Happy New Year. It looks to me like it’s going to be a good’n.
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By Katy Davis
January 5, 2009 8:50 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the refreshing dose of anti-pessimism. Here’s to The Year of the Jake!
By BigJake
January 6, 2009 8:20 PM | Link to this
Great way to start the year! Loved the upbeat outlook, thanks to Jake, for 2009. I have to remain positive, as my late Uncle Tom used to say, “I don’t know where to go to surrender”. My company laid off all of us in the division here in Atlanta that just started in September, three days before Christmas. At least we did get a nice sendoff the Friday before at a posh Buckhead club for our Holiday party.
BigJake Kennesaw, GA
By terry nelson
January 27, 2009 8:42 AM | Link to this
great article - my daughter lives in Kennesaw and has a dog named Jake - It is very appropriate -