There is a way to see how the global economy is doing. It’s almost infallible and works in any economy that has a Yellow Pages type of book for their phone system.
So far, in the cities that I’ve visited on the trip I occasionally check the Escorts pages. Now, not because I want to book these professionals, but the number of pages of display ads tends to tell you about how the economy is running. If the whores are busy, then people have enough cash to buy some professional boot polishing. Which means the economy is doing OK.
When escort display advertising is down, then folks are hoarding their money and even promises of luscious things can’t convince them to part with the coinage. Ergo, the economy is in the shitter. It works in every city except known convention towns like Vegas and New Orleans, where there is always a market for trouser hoovers for salesmen from Dubuque, Iowa in town for the “Sheetmetal Screw 02” convention.
The next time you’re on the road, scope out the poontang pages and see the real economy in action. Greenspan would never testify to a Senate committee that this is the real measure of an economy.
RoadDave 