We don't like to be pessimistic, but it's been pointed out the Year of the Snake is not an overly optimistic cycle. Past Years of the Snake have included 1929, the start of The Great Depression, and 2001, when the US stock market fell 12% in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The good news, however, is that the leading economists don't put much store in Chinese astrology, and many are tipping economic recovery in the months ahead. Indeed, the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook is tipping growth in the year ahead. The IMF is not ruling out a snake bite, but it sees positives on all continents.