Back to the "Deep South" in Duluth GA

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I get a kick out of hearing the term "Deep South" in 2026. It is a crazy incredibly outdated label. I think maybe I should start saying the "Deep Northeast". I am a Yankee. My family came over on the Mayflower and moved to Upstate NY via Connecticut. Terms used in the revolutionary and Civil war days are generally inappropriate. My family is all but totally out of NY State now. I find the term "deep south" to be of the same thinking that the movie "Heidi" is what contemporary Europe is like. Watching the fireworks in Rochester, NY from the back yard of a house in the city made it look like a real war zone. It is a long drive between Berkshire, NY and Duluth, GA. Most of the 35K miles on the truck were spent in between. I drove the truck about 3k miles in 2-1/2 weeks. It was great to spend time on the farm. It was good to make some progress on needed repairs and improvements. I also felt good about making some new friends up there. I will be...
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Manufacturing In New York Region Contracts In September.

Bloomberg News (9/18, Chandra) reports, "Manufacturing in the New York region contracted more than forecast in September as orders shrank, a sign the world's largest economy will get less support from the industry. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's general economic index dropped to minus 10.41, the lowest since April 2009, from minus 5.85 in August."

The Greater Binghamton (NY) Business Journal (9/18, Seltzer) reports, "It was the general business conditions index's second consecutive month below zero. That means more surveyed manufacturers reported worsening circumstances than said the business climate was improving." The Journal reports, "In September, 28.8 percent of manufacturers indicated business conditions eroded, while just 18.4 percent said conditions took a step in the right direction. The remaining 52.8 percent of respondents believed conditions stayed the same as last month."

The Buffalo (NY) Business First (9/18, Subscription Publication) reports, "New orders remained negative, down nine points to minus-14.0, its third straight negative reading. Employment also fell noticeably, the monthly report showed. Also, shipments were marginally, while the unfilled orders index slipped to minus-14.9. The delivery time index, however, rose more than nine points to 2.1 - its first positive reading since April."

Also covering the story were the Wall Street Journal (9/18, Madigan) "Real Time Economics" blog, Reuters (9/18), the UK's Financial Times (9/17, Raval, Subscription Publication), and other media sources.

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