The economy is still ok

You hear stories about how people are cutting back on their non-critical purchases. It seems to be showing up in some of the market statistics, but I'm jut not buying it.

On election day Starbucks was offering a free tall cup of coffee to anyone who said they voted. (Tall, of course, is the smallest size.) I was at a store nearby so I went in for my cup. The place was busy. No surprise. The surprise came as I watched everyone get to the cashier and order the normal mix of $3-5 beverages.

Not only do we have people still lining up in the middle of the afternoon to pay $4 for a fluffy coffee, they will do it even when a normal coffee is free. The economy must not be too bad. Yet.