John Cohn

Everyone loves a discount.

Bargain shoppers will come from miles around to buy a rump roast or the latest high-tech gadget just because some store has it cheaper. Advertisers routinely promise they’ll pay the difference if you can find a better price.

Apparently, the Swedes have a wicked sense of humor.

Who would have thought that the country responsible for designing the Volvo and bringing sensibly priced furniture to world would be such practical jokers?

If you’re looking to get some, it’s fabulous. If you’ve already got it, you’re looking to cut a better deal. If you own some, you’re starting to sweat bullets. If you’re the Fed, you’re holding your breath.

Mark your calendars. The old dollar may be gone and the day of the new dollar may have just arrived. Today, as the U.S. dollar moved to a multi-week low against the Euro currency, gold hit a new all-time high over 1,043.00, breaking the previous record of $1,032.35 a troy ounce in March 2008.

It’s fizzy. It’s effervescent. It’s the stock market, and we may be on the cusp of a new bubble. In sharp contrast to the 12-year lows on March 9, the stock market has surged 51 percent. Traders and investors have been downright euphoric. Anemic portfolios are re-inflating. Trading fees are up. The appetite for debt issues seemingly has returned. For the millions who watched haplessly as their nest eggs shriveled, there’s been reason for cautious celebration.

Ken Lewis got tired of looking over his shoulder. Everywhere he went, there were assassins lurking in the shadows. At football games, when the players went into a huddle, he knew they were talking about him. He’s chief exec of Bank of America, the nation’s largest bank by assets, and the heat was too much. He had to get out of the kitchen.

It’s like a Hollywood script. Just when you think you’ve got the bad guys on the run, along comes another baddie. Only this one’s got attitude. It’s kind of like saving Tokyo from Godzilla only to find that the planet is being invaded by flesh- consuming aliens on the South Beach low-carb diet.

If you’re an aging Baby Boomer like me, you’ve probably got a couple. They’re confident, tech savvy, bore easily and know more at their age than any generation that’s gone before them. Gen Y’ers were born and grew up in the post-Cold War era. They were swaddled by the internet, weaned on MTV and coddled by their parents. By comparison to their predecessor generations, they’re demanding consumers. They've come to expect top-notch customer service such as free shipping and easy-to-navigate websites. They're drawn to lifestyle brands that help them define and project who they are.

We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs. The fable focuses on a trio of swine and their tragic plight at the hands of the Wolf. Universally, in the court of public opinion, it’s the Wolf who takes the rap. Everyone has sympathy for the two porkers that perished while applauding the little fellow who had the foresight to build his home from bricks. The Wolf was only doing what came naturally. How could anyone expect him to suppress his urges, especially when it came to ham steak?

It’s always tough to know when to say when. A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the worst economic crisis in 70 years, global leaders, including President Obama, are wrestling over the whether, and for how long, to maintain their massive governmental economic stimulus programs.