Hal Stern's thoughts on the economy, software, services, technology, and snowmen. Hal Stern: The Morning Snowman

Friday Jan 21, 2005

It's been cold in the greater New York City area. Not just your usual January chill, but downright cold and windy. It's Winnie The Pooh's Blustery Day with 'roid rage. Today was so cold that none of the tabletop vendors were in Times Square. These portable shops, dotting the corners of Times Square, provide an instant visual reference on the relative health of our economy. Nobody needs giant crossword puzzle books, I (heart) NY t-shirts for $5, their name spelled out in giant animal letters, or a pair of Fakeleys (fake Oakleys, 2 for $30, wear'em until the paint rubs off on your nose), so if there are crowds near the tables, there's money flowing into the Big Apple. No crowds today. No tables for them to crowd around. Even if you wanted a toque with a mis-spelled slogan on it, you were out of luck. It's cold.

Tomorrow it's going to snow. First big snow of the year. Kind of like an IPO for snowmen. Sometimes cold is cool. I just have to find my Fakeleys so that my good sunglasses don't end up rolled into a snowman's gut.