It's now been a couple of weeks since the inaugural love-fest and time for an update on subjects I missed in my last post. These are loosely categorized and, more and more, as I ponder my predictions, I earnestly hope that I'm wrong.

• Cultural - In 2009, as even more desperate times ensue, the American public, especially the younger members, will continue their fixation with style over substance. Ridiculous "reality" shows like Top Chef, Top Model, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol  and other escapist drivel will continue to saturate the air-waves. Rather than provide some sort of programming that could be construed as even modestly thoughtful or intellectual, viewers will have to continue dreaming of becoming the "Top" this or that or magically achieving "stardom" as a result of these high-schoolesque popularity contests. Exploitation of the less fortunate masquerading as helpful giveaways like that shameful "Move that bus!" show will drag their victims and the viewers into the mire of feel-good TV that exploits the very people it purports to "help". Bitchy brides will continue to get their 15 minutes while other bimbos try to marry a millionaire or a has-been rock-star on TV. Hef's harem will continue to flit around the mansion and on and on it goes. Wow!! Pretty snarky. Oh, well. I'll just continue to watch re-runs of Hogans Heroes, possibly one of the most intellectual TV shows ever produced.

• Education - Now that No Child Left Behind has resulted in every child being left behind, the geniuses of education will continue to allow unions to protect unqualified teachers from losing their jobs. Good teachers will continue to be hamstrung by regulations and curriculum requirements, as well as low pay. Arts and music education will continue to be the first things cut from strained budgets in order to fully fund football, soccer and other sports teams. Colleges and universities will continue to lower their academic standards in order to have better sports teams and collect tuition from anybody with a bank account in order to shore up devastated endowments. The Federal and State governments will continue their state's rights vs. federal oversight battle for control over what, how, and in what fashion our children will be educated, mostly through unfunded mandates. As a result of all this and worst of all, kids that can't read will continue to graduate from high school and college with no prospect for meaningful employment.
  

What does any of this have to do with real estate, you might be asking yourself, right along now. Well - I might be reaching here, but it seems to me that the American economy is not the only thing that has gone off the rails in the last decade. Some other things that matter like integrity, honor, work ethic, and a plethora of other ethical considerations have disappeared right along with it. I think there could be a connection. Remember, the real estate market, like every other market is really about people; people buying and selling homes and businesses in a fair and honest fashion. Until some of that comes back, I'm afraid we might be flogging the same old economic horse and I believe that that methodology is now in the past. We best learn a new one and briskly.

BTW - please remember, I said I hope I'm wrong on all of this and I do hope that I am wrong. We'll see.