Weird Indicators

Rising hemlines and length of beards, women's hairstyles are among strange economic indicators. Saw articles on a couple more in the NYT recently. The sale of lipstick and number of crime tipster calls. While the former may help the bottom lines of Sephora, Estee Lauder et al, the later is definitely far more helpful - the proverbial silver-lining to the clouds of hard times.

For the uninitiated, it might be a good time to start stockpiling canned food when they see a combinations of bad signs like empty Costco parking lots, few cars on the road during rush hour and too many women with short hairstyles. Seeing Porches on the Wal-Mark parking lots, coworkers taking "staycations" instead of vacations, not being able to find parking any time of day at the neighborhood Taco Bell, SUV drivers going at less than 50 miles per hour on the freeway seem to tell a similar story too.