Halloween in Madison: Scarier than the Dow an Hour before the Closing Bell

If you're like me, you're probably wondering how this recent turmoil in the financial market is going to affect your Halloween celebration this weekend. Based on a recent periodical I read, I can tell you exactly how the stock market will affect your Freakfest plans.

Directly.

How so? According to the article, pop culture and fashion coincide with the sentiment of the economic times. Namely, when things start looking grim, music lyrics get more depressing, movies become darker, and hem lines becomes longer. Basically, when you are gawking at the costumes on State Street, you're going to see less naughty nurses, promiscuous police officers and sexy Sarah Palins and more... um... I'm trying to think of some good conservative Halloween costumes here, but that's kind of an oxymoron. Anyway, you get the idea. If the article is true, Friday night could be a major bummer.

It shouldn't have to be this way. If you're reading this blog post, you are probably in Forté Madison's primary young professional demographic, meaning we have thirty or forty years for the market to bounce back. Your 401k is going to be fine. Trust me. I know we've spent most of waking lives in times of economic prosperity so this is kind of all new to us, but these hiccups happen and America always bounces back. Let's just try to spend a little less and save a little more going forward and we'll all be sound as a pound.

To better express my opinion on this matter, my costume this year is going to reflect the very embodiment of American optimism. The Statue of Liberty, you guess? Close. That bearded guy from the OxyClean infomercials? Getting warmer. Marty McFly from Back to the Future II? Yahtzee!

The producers of BTTF II would have you believe that 2015 is going to be great time for us all. Cars will run on old banana peels and Miller High Life, video games that involve using your hands will be considered childish, and hydrating a pizza will only take a few seconds. Of course the future won't turn out exactly how the director envisioned (I can almost guarantee I'll have my own hoverboard before the Cubs win the World Series). But the future is still going to be bright, so let's not let this current mess wreck our weekend.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Hopefully those hoverboards will be able to go over water, too. – Bojo, Hill Valley, CA (10-28-08)

"Your 401k is going to be fine" might be the most beautiful thing I've heard in awhile...thanks for this post. – Sarah Pare, Madison, WI (10-28-08)

Hoverboards don't go on water unless you've got power, Bojo! – Tom Jane, Madison (10-28-08)

But what will I drink if the cars are taking up all the High Life? – Joe, Madison (10-28-08)

I HATE manure. – Biff, Alternate 1985 Hill Valley, CA (10-28-08)

I think going as Billy Mays for halloween is a great idea! Thanks, Ben! – Mike Petrasek, Fond du Lac (10-30-08)