The Stock Market is a mirror of our national psyche. The debt ceiling debacle triggered this current Stock Market skid, but the economic problems in the Euro Zone also contributed. For the past five or six years, I’ve told my students in my INVESTMENTS class to buy gold and buy oil. Gold is at historic highs. Oil is down, but only because demand is low. Once the world economy starts to recover–and it will–demand for oil will go up and prices will rise. What should we do now? Do NOT panic. Don’t make any hasty financial decisions. The Markets are turbulent because there’s too much uncertainty in the economic system. Depending on your tolerance for risk, buying stocks at these depressed levels makes sense. Gold is expensive, but it’s going to continue to go up so that’s an option. I don’t think we’ll have a “double-dip” recession unless we get some more, major economic setbacks. This isn’t 2008 when the financial system almost melted down. But in crises, there’s opportunity. I’m buying General Electric (GE), Intel (INTC), and Qualcomm (QCOM).

When Diane and I arrived home from a rigorous physical therapy session, we found a huge box on our porch. We carried it into our house and opened it up. It was a giant fruit basket! The Faculty Federation of Erie Community College (my union) sent me this wonderful Get Well basket. The basket contained Large Navel Oranges, Gala apples, Crispin apples, red and green pears, mango, pineapple, lemon, lime, pomegranate, Wegmans berry pistachio blend, naturally aged Vermont Cheddar cheese, Summer Sausage, Wegmans water Crackers, Marzetti mini caramel dip and an appetizer plate. This was completely unexpected. You can be sure I’ll be thanking my fellow Faculty Federation members during Fall Registration in a couple of weeks.

Tonight at 9 P.M. EDT on the DISCOVERY Channel, the Second Season of Auction Kings returns with plenty of mind-boggling items to sell. Auction Kings shows how one of the country’s most famous auction houses, Gallery 63, and its owner Paul Brown operate. Paul likes to deal in the world of unique items — from Civil War memorabilia to vampire-hunting kits to Russian cosmonaut space suits to vintage posters. What makes Auction Kings different from the storage unit shows like Auction Hunters and Storage Wars is that Auction Kings shows how the items were acquired and what happens when they go on sale. The DISCOVERY Channel is also broadcasting episodes of Auction Kings from the First Season to get you up to speed. If you’re fascinated by the discovery and sale of bizarre items, this is the program for you!

I’m always on the lookout for low-carb food that tastes good. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across these Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars. The Fudge Bars are only 80 calories. They’re listed at 13 mg of carbohydrate but the Fudge Bar has 4 grams of fiber so the net carbs are only 9 mg! And these Fudge Bars have a rich, creamy flavor! Yum! There’s only l.5 mg of fat per bar! This is one time where the health choice is Healthy Choice!

With the stock market gyrating in 100+ point swings, it’s time for a little economic sanity. Eduardo Porter, who writes about economics for the New York Times, answers plenty of questions like “Are men naturally polygamous?” in The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do. The answer turns out to be: yes. Porter explores why housing bubbles form (and burst!), why people tend to become less religious as they become richer (and more religious as they become poorer), and why we probably won’t do anything major about global warming (its effects are in the future). Pricing has a psychological dimension and Porter demonstrates how prices change depending upon how we feel. I found the examples Porter provides compelling and his book fascinating. Highly recommended! GRADE: A

Rise of the Planet of the Apes answers the question left unanswered in 1968 when Planet of the Apes first made its debut: how did the apes take over? In this very entertaining prequel, we find out that a scientist (James Franco) thinks he has the cure for Alzheimer’s. Of course, he injects his miracle drug into a lab chimpanzee and the chimpanzee gets smarter and smarter. The genie is out of the bottle. The authorities try to lock the super-smart chimpanzee up, but he escapes and gets his revenge on humanity. The CGI graphics are astonishing. After the original Planet of the Apes the sequels got lamer and lamer (although I still harbor an affection for Beneath the Planet of the Apes). This prequel is just as good as the original movie. GRADE: A

The just published First Command is the second omnibus volume of A. Bertram Chandler’s classic John Grimes series. BAEN Books should be praised in bringing these adventures back into print. Grimes is a young commander in the Federation’s Survey Service. These novels capture the early career where Grimes takes risks and usually his luck is good. However, Grimes’ luck runs out in The Big Black Mark as he has to deal with a mutiny. Many critics have likened the John Grimes series to “Hornblower in Space.” If you enjoy adventure fiction, you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories. This omnibus volume includes The Far Traveler, Spartan Planet, The Inheritors, and The Big Black Mark,. With 724 pages, First Command delivers a great value for about $10!

My guilty pleasure this summer has been watching Storage Wars on A&E and Auction Hunters on SPIKE. Both programs have similar themes: storage units are auctioned off and then we get to see who finds treasure and who buys a load of crap. Of the two shows, I like Auction Hunters better. Allen Haff and Ton Jones travel around the country going to storage unit auctions. They seem to find an awful lot of guns. But they also find plenty of odd curios like rare coins, jewelry, and antique toys. Storage Wars follows four bidders who are in competition with one another. Many times, one of the bidders goes home buying nothing. I’m amazed at what these people find in these storage lockers. One of the bidders made $29,000 on a storage locker full of vending machines! Storage Wars is the top rated program on A&E right now. SPIKE has ordered 26 more episodes of Auction Hunters so clearly there’s an audience for this kind of reality show.

Eric Greitens’ story of how he became a Navy SEAL with tours in Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Kenya, and plenty of “hot spots” is enlightening and frightening. Greitens’ description of SEAL training and “Advanced Combat Training” was an eye-opener for me. If you’re interested in reading a thoughtful account of a citizen-soldier who has strong views on war and peace and the role of citizens in defending their country, The Heart and The Fist presents insights you’re not going to find elsewhere. GRADE: A

Nothing makes recovery from major surgery go faster than watching some Doctor Who episodes. I found this set at my local public library and enjoyed it immensely. David Tennett, the 10th Doctor, is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors. His blend of comedy and drama is impressive. These specials display some of the best of the Doctor Who series. The first, The Next Doctor, features the always treacherous Cybermen. The Waters of Mars serves up several surprises: the Doctor claiming inflated powers and a shocking ending. The End of Time (a 2-parter) gives David Tennett plenty to work with as the Time Lords are restored. Yes, you can make the case that these low-budge SF episodes are silly, but I’m captivated by the quality of the acting and the above average plotting. GRADE: A-