In the grocery store today, waiting in line, I overheard a conversation between the couple in front of me:

“Why did you get that icecream? It’s so much more expensive than the other one, and not that much better.”

“Relax. I just heard that the recession ain’t that bad anymore, we can loosen up a little now.”

That’s the econoME for you.  I could virtually see his wallet expand more and more every minute he stood in line…

Beautiful.

A while back, I said that the economic cycle will turn around midsummer. I also said that’s safe to say, since no one will remember what I said, come midsummer. But I’ve heard from quite a few people who’ve taken notes to make sure to follow up on my forecast. So, I better start keeping track of this.

Since one major culprit in the recession is the econoME that drives people to believe that they must cut personal expenses even though they actually have more money in their wallets, people’s perceptions of the future of the economy become most relevant.

This week, the Swedish Economy Cycle Institute published a report, in which they show that in February, the Swedish population’s perceptions have shifted, for the first time since the downturn, more people now expect the economy to rise than fall during the year.

I am not surprised, with our new millennium impatience, few have the stamina to stay in the dark very long…

As readers of this blog know by now, this has become standard procedure:

Two weeks ahead of the scheduled release date, anyone in Australia could pick up a copy of Bruce Springsteen’s new album “Working on a Dream” (and of course, microseconds later, anyone, anywhere could follow suit).

Seems like Australians answered my question “can’t wait for bruce?” from a previous post with the most fierce “NO!” I thought Swedes were the most eager Bruce fans in the world. Then again, Swedes are supposed to be the people who stand in line with the greatest discipline. Wrestling their 2,920 times increased new-millennium impatience?

If you’re Swedish you know Saab as a national, car-making, icon. If you’re not Swedish, you know Saab either because you’re an engineer, an aerospace enthusiast on the verge of geekdom, or because you’ve seen the car in virtually every American movie made from the nineties until yesterday (without any statistical data, which makes the professor shutter, I dare say that it must be the most frequently featured car in modern American movie history).

At any rate, Saab’s owners GM and the Swedish state have now decided that the company will go through reconstruction (the pre-phase of bankruptcy), meaning that Saab won’t be the object of Swedish national pride, engineers’ and aerospace geeks’ wet dreams, or American movie goers’ fantasies much longer.  Unless…

You guessed it – unless Generation In-Charge steps in and saves the day.

No surprise, within hours after the news of GM:s and the Swedish state’s decision, Rescue-Saab.com was born – a site that on its fourth day gathers close to 10,000 members from 81 countries who join forces to buy Saab.

Saab drivers, Saab wannabe-drivers, Saab personnel, Saab dealers, people with all kinds of backgrounds and relations to Saab, unite and give contributions (anywhere between 50-500 Euros), certain that, together, they’re going to buy Saab. Geekdom apparently beats national pride, as Germans top the list of nationalities, followed by Swedes.

Get all the latest news and share your plans on how you’re gonna run the company on twitter.com/rescuesaab. Right now, it’s getting translated to Russian.

Hate to say I told you so. Well, actually I don’t – love to tell you.

Yesterday, as I predicted a few posts back, Heath Ledger received an Academy Award for his final, triumphant performance as the Joker.

Hollywood knows who’s in charge in the world of any. We’re the Academy now…

Here’s another one while I’m at it.

One major reason why the recession hit us so fast, so hard, is – of course! – the world of any. Anyone, anywhere found out about financial crisis in a few microseconds. And more importantly, anyone in the expectations society found out about the gloomy forecasts in the blink of an eye. And – Bam! – we went from top of the world to downer in record time.

With the world of any, the economy has evolved into an econoME.

1: For the first time ever, anyone, anywhere can be a crucial factor in the economy (which is a primary reason why I am sure that Generation In-Charge could save the economy).

2: In the new millennium, anyone, anywhere is informed about the economy to the degree that they take it personally. Resulting in the conclusion “The economy is in recession – I am in recession”. And – Bam! – everyone cuts down on expenses and cancels plans.

Ask anyone, anywhere about their economic situation and a majority will answer that they are worse off now than a half year ago.

Ask anyone, anywhere, how much money they actually have in their wallet, and a majority won’t be able to answer correctly.

Ask anyone who’s studied economics about real wages, and they will answer that the majority of people are actually better off now than a half year ago, with halting inflations, lowered interest rates, relieved taxes, and reduced prices.

The econoME could be, and I am sure will be, a wonderful thing. But right now it’s a pity.

Despite numerous requests, I haven’t written much about the economy and the recession. For one, everyone else does it, and second, it’s may be a bit too obvious that a business professor should discuss it. Then again, how long can a business professor not discuss the economic cycle?

For me, the answer is: Until now.

So, here goes. The key to quickly fighting economic downturn is Generation In-Charge, I’m sure. The problem would be that Generation Stress won’t let them.

This is not one of the solutions I’m thinking of, but a nice illustration of how Generation In-Charge works:

Sweden’s major newspaper reported on a survey the other day, where 42 percent of all people stated that they would be willing to lower their salaries to avoid lay-offs among their colleagues. A rather high number, don’t you think?

Breaking down the numbers, it turns out that the high number is derived completely from “young people” (who are heavily over-represented in Generation In-Charge), among which a staggering 79 percent were willing to lower their salaries!

That means that, compared to the older generations (that are heavily over-represented in Generation Stress), Generation In-Charge are 4-8 times more willing to work for the greater cause and help others.

This observation flies nicely in the face of those believing that a Generation In-Charge mentality would make people more selfish. Quite the opposite, aware of and expecting to be able to do and influence anything, they find it worth the while to help out, to right wrongs and reach out to others.

Old but never more current:

Nextopia has hit Harvard, hard.

Harvard student Gabriella wrote her thesis theorizing about the concept. The rest of the students lived it. In a recent article, the Harvard students were surveyed about their healthy lifestyles. Comparing their self-reported gym-going frequency in the previous year with their planned (expected) gym-going frequency this (coming) year, the latter outnumbered the former by 23 percent.

In nextopia, Harvard students will be so much more fit than they are today.

And there’s more: those students with higher expected training frequencies were found to be more inclined to eat unhealthy foods today.

In nextopia, Harvard students are already so fit that they can indulge in any junk they want, straight away. “My expected hamstrings are so great, hamburgers can’t hurt them”…

Did she go to Harvard?

I know this is not news to you. Anyone, anywhere found out about it microseconds after beat-up Rhianna informed the police. Chris Brown obviously knows how to produce smash hits in more than one sense of the word.

And now, there’s no need for any speculations anymore – they not only will break up, they have broken up already. Or rather, Chris has facebook-offed Rhianna. Two days ago he changed his facebook status to “single”, and immediately, it was in news all over the globe.

Anyone has also been able to read his not completely regretful statement that “the world will soon see her true colors.”

Or is it his statement? Following the Lindsay Lohan facebook confusion frenzy, the New York Post and Us Magazine are right now debating whether it’s the real, really, real Chris speaking…

 Where Rhianna’s at..?:

Academy award or not, Heath Ledger’s final performance certainly made a momentous impression. So much that Generation In-Charge members all over the world have decided that there can never be another Joker portrayer. Apparently, not even rumoured Johnny Depp is good enough.

Micke pointed  me to the site www.theultimatejoker.com, where thousands and thousands of people have signed a petition – decided, they’re no jokers - that there can never be another Joker in the Batman franchise. And the movie makers wouldn’t dare mess with those (Generation) in charge.

In the world of any, anyone can be a casting director. Mark my words, we haven’t seen the last of this… 

BTW, my money’s on Heath for the Oscar. The Academy, too, should know who’s in charge. 

Maybe last, but not first. There can be only…two..?