early spring

When people have nothing to talk about, they talk about the weather. Or about the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is like talking about nothing. Experience has taught me never to talk politics and religion with friends. Conversly, it's a very good idea to talk religion and politics with non-friends because at the end of the conversation, you'll dislike each other even more deliciously. Politics, just like religion, is irrational - though unlike religion, it seems rational and bears all the hallmarks of feasible logic...to start with! That's because it's only your own view that is rational, whereas the other person's view is total bullshit. And so, let's talk about weather.

A few years ago, I was in Prague in April and came back home in early May. Prague was sunny and green, the fragrance of lilac permeating old courtyards, chestnut trees in full glory, pigeons starting to fatten up. Conversly, the landing at Pearson was a shock. It was about 10 degrees, a cold drizzle and fog hugged the runways and when we reached home, nary a green leaflette was in sight. Only one scrawny bush in front of our house tried valiantly to sprout its yellow flowers. It took another two weeks (till mid-May) to catch up to where Prague had been a month before.

Well, this year, we went through a winter that must have been sent to us by some zealous demon. Or maybe Al Gore. Snow up the yin-yang and up to your eyeballs, right up till the end of March. And then suddenly BANG and spring gallops in. The last few days have been fantabulous and wonder of wonders: the trees in my street are beginning to sprout plumpy little buds and even the odd magnolia is starting to show its mettle. Only once before do I remember spring arriving this early (despite the dire predictions of "experts", btw....more below) I think that was in 1985. I recall taking my ex and two daughters to the airport and driving back, the nature all around me already in full dress and the date was May 1. And so, last night, we had our first deck BBQ with satay chicken, fried rice (my own secret recipe which involves oil and rice), veggies, Ceasar salad and a glass of chilled PG (fellow wine snobs will understand)

Now, the experts: I've been tracking "expert" financial/economic advice for the last few years and here's my conclusion. Do what George Costanza did on Seinfeld: THE OPPOSITE. I tells ya, you can't go wrong. When the "experts" predicted our dollar to fall below 50 c U.S., it began its meteoric rise. When they said there was no real estate bubble, house prices began to decline. When they said our economic indicators were strong, we began to tank. And when they said our decline would continue for at least another two years, the economy started firing on all cylinders. In short: economic "experts" are well paid dufuses ("dufi"?). They have well tailored suits and brains full of crapola. There's a reason for it: there is no such thing as an ECONOMY. There are millions of micro-economies in each country: families, individuals, villages, towns, clubs etc...Yes, there are broad trends but precise predictions are an idiot's game. So no prediction from me. I am no idiot. I'm a musician. So I must be a genius.