How are you feeling? a friend asked me last night. I said okay. Just okay? he asked. Yeah, just okay. Which I thought was pretty good. I mean, okay is better than crappy. Maybe I forgot to smile again.

All weekend there wasn't much talk about anything else on the TV talk shows except this economy of ours. Not only was it the regular money heads talking about it, but even those yappers who rarely, if ever, get into discussions of interest rates, consumer spending and the stock market. It seemed pretty gloom and doom, which makes me think Monday won't be such a hot day on Wall Street.

There are no dominant college football teams this year. Everyone (except Hawaii--and trust me, no one thinks they're really dominant) has lost at least once. There have been more number one teams this year than I can remember from the recent past. And the last few weeks have been rather fluid. There should be a playoff because there isn't a good argument that two of these teams are more worthy than another ten or so. They'll make an argument, but it will seem rather hollow to everyone not rooting for the two teams ending up on top.

Of course, there will never be a playoff because everyone (especially the major conferences and that shadowy BCS organization) wants the pageantry and tradition of dozens of meaningless bowl games. What would we watch during the holidays if there wasn't a football game or two on every day?

Especially this year, since this writer's strike will keep going through the end of the year, if not months after. TV networks have to conserve their new shows as best they can. There won't be many left after February. Get ready for the National Thumb War Championships in March.

Fifty percent of likely primary and caucus voters are undecided. How did this happen? These guys (and girl) have been campaigning for more than a year (except for Fred Thompson who is said to be thinking about entering the race and actually campaigning sometime, unless he doesn't want to, then he'll just quit and blame everyone for the fact that he really doesn't seem to want to be bothered with any of this), how is it Americans haven't made up their mind yet?

And even the mighty (and dirty) New England Patriots are showing wear on their shiny armor. They haven't even lost yet and predictions of an undefeated season have fallen off like old shingles. Just a few weeks ago, after dismantling Indianapolis, everyone rushed to put crowns on their heads. It was all over, we should just stop caring because the Patriots will take it all (including pictures of defensive signs) in a cake walk.

Now, we don't know. They might lose one. What should I tell my bookie this week?

We don't seem to be sure about anything. I'd say the nation needs a couple Viagra, but then it would be pointed out (correctly) that we can't get it up without artificial stimulation.

What has bred this uncertainty? What has made us lose our sense of well being?

Why are we all hiding behind our hedges, looking suspiciously at that five-year-old sailing down the street on his scooter. Is it his fault? Is he stealing the lottery checks out of my mail? Is he causing my housing values to fall? The youth of the nation did this to me! I'd say we should run up the national debt for him to pay off if we hadn't already done that constantly over the last six years.

That little boy is reminding me that I'm getting old. And that there won't be any Social Security or Medicare for me when I'm really old. And he won't want to take care of me. He'll be a selfish shit just like me. Just like my old man. And if that's the way it's going to be, we're so screwed.

I'm not sure what people were thankful for from whoever they thank on Thanksgiving, but it certainly didn't made them feel any better about themselves or the country or their neighbors. When you can feel it in the air, a heaviness that reminds everyone of the 70s, then you know something's rotten. It's just really hard to pinpoint where that rotting is coming from.

I'd love to tell everyone that everything is going to be okay, but I don't think I'm qualified to do that. Unless you're talking about football, because, eventually, everything will be okay. Mostly because baseball season will be right around the corner.

Matt Worley thinks everything is up in the air right now.