lt cap,

Thanks for sharing your research on company valuations. I find it hard to get a clear picture of where we are and where we're going with this economy, given that, I'd think, some of the biggest losers in those S and P companies are commodity related (and particualrly oil companies), not an intrinsic measure of our economic health but a Saudi manipulation; and some of the biggest winners are beneficiaries of the Fed manipulation of the market, and its hard to tell their intrinsic worth without Fed support. For every positive stat that indicates economic health (e.g., jobs, wages) there's an alternate example for a dimmer economic picture (demand for the basic 'stuff' that builds economies is terrible (CAT is down from about 110 to 66.) So, my great insight in that is - I don't know, lol. We'll perhaps 'bump along' fine as long as we're a better comparison to other world economies.

I think you are right about paying attention to making sure our kids get the education and/or training they need to compete for the jobs out there. There are some cogent arguments made that, in terms of lifetime earning power, the steep investment in a college education is not more economically favorable than training ('appreticeship' the Barron's article you cited spoke of) in a specific skill that is all but certain to be in demand.