Apparently we're all being far more negative than we need to be, and thus not spending adequately. And here I thought I wasn't spending as much money because the my income dropped precipitously once the economic crisis kicked in. Silly me. Gail Collins in the NYT has some suggestions for how we might all put on a happy face the next time we hear bad news:
Every time you hear a depressing piece of news, come back with something cheerful.
For instance, the weather has been absolutely horrendous. We’ve had everything this summer but locusts. However, on the plus-side, Fox News has reported that the earthquake in the Washington area caused Robert Valderzak, a 75-year-old patient at a Veterans Affairs Hospital, to regain his hearing.
The price of gas is approaching $4 a gallon in some places. On the other hand, Beyoncé is pregnant.
Some viewers of this week’s Republican debate found it depressing that Rick Perry, who has referred to evolution as “a theory that’s out there” also did not seem to believe in climate change, and appeared to be under the impression that Galileo was persecuted for his belief in the earth revolving around the sun by his fellow scientists, rather than the religious establishment.
However, it did give us a welcome chance for a national discussion about Galileo, who does not get mentioned nearly enough.
