"The High-End Girlfriend Index": A new economic indicator?

Updated

When I first began getting interested in the economy, the country was going through a little downward trend. As the television commentators screamed, foamed at the mouth, and declared that the four horsemen of the apocalypse were saddling up their ponies, my friend Linda clued me into her favorite economic indicator.

Taking me out for a ride on Interstate 81, she pointed out the considerable number of trucks that were clogging the highway. When I asked her why this was relevant, she noted that trucks carried goods and goods went to stores. A lot of trucks translated into a lot of purchasing and thus a strong economy. Sure enough, a few days later, the talking heads were already bloviating about the economy's impressive recovery.

There's much to be said for Linda's truck index, but I've since learned to look at other indicators. While the price of gold or the popularity of T-bills are great indications of the power of the economy, they aren't all that much fun.

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