I predicted that there would be an economic collapse two years ago. A lot of people told me that I was a Cassandra and that I was just plain depressing.

The fact is that this is not about collapse per se. It is about understanding what is happening around us so that we can plan for the future. That means getting the most out of life in every way. And you can only do that if you have some inkling of what trends are being indicated by the current data. It is always hard to get the timing right, but, back when I was in the music business, I used my ability to analyze markets to figure out what kind of bands to sign, and I had a much better track record than most of my peers in the business...

Here are some of the stories that I read today that I want to share with you.

This is the stuff that you should be reading if you want to be one jump ahead of the market. It is unfortunately not particularly pleasant reading at the moment, but you have to be across it:

From Der Spiegel: As the global economic crisis deepens, tempers around the world are getting shorter. French and British trade unions are organizing strikes, Putin is sending troops into the streets and Beijing is trying to buy itself calm.

From Hedge Week: The global financial crisis could be entering a "new and more treacherous phase", which could push international countries to the brink of failure and further hinder the global economic recovery.

And: Joe Biden Attacks Bush's Intelligence Policy.

From Reuter's: Greenspan Says Depression Will Be Worst Since The 30's

From New Scientist: Sun Powered Device Converts CO2 Into Fuel

From Charting Stocks: Citi and Bank of America won't survive until May