Yesterday was the 79th anniversary of Black Tuesday - one of the first worst days on Wall Street that saw stock prices plummeting in 1929 amid the crash that preceeded the Great Depression.

Lots of people are making lots of parallels with that time and this. Sadly, many people have lost their jobs and still more have lost their homes. But before we all succomb to the-sky-is-falling-hysteria, it's worth remembering that we enjoy a far more comfortable standard of living than did our grandparents and great grandparents. I hope I am never proven wrong, but I seriously doubt we will see a return to long lines outside of soup kitchens as the citizens of America and other countries line up for their daily free meal.

We take our level of comfort for granted and consider it a hardship if we cannot upgrade immediately to the latest flat-screen TV. We may well have to tighten our belts but let's try and keep some perspective.