Recession over? Not by a long shot.

Don't believe the hype. A slight upturn in GDP. So what. The "cash for clunkers" plan accomplished that. Housing value up slightly. For the homeless, renters, room mates, and terrorists on the run, who cares? Walk into any mall. See anybody? Stroll into the SBARROS there at lunch time. See all the empty tables. Oh, and SBARROS is pronounced "sparrows" for those of you with bad eye/mouth coordination. Take a trip down to your local LOWES at 9:00 a.m. See any Contractors? No? You know why? Because they're all at home with a noose tied around their necks. Of course the other end is tied to the ceiling fan and we all know how sturdy they are. See all the cars and trucks for sale? See any "want ads?" No? You know why? Because there are no jobs!! See all those half-finished homes and commercial buildings? All those empty store fronts that used to house thriving businesses? Are these signs of a recovery? See gas prices rising again? Are you going to spend ANY money on anything if you think gas is going to go through the roof again? No, you won't. Are we screwed? You bet. How do we get out of this? The easy way out is a loaded gun in your throat. Of course, that option contains pain and a lot of blood. That route only creates a job for the mortician. See, a bright spot! Seriously, the only way out of this is to 1) Downsize. Dump the gym membership. Let's face it, you haven't dragged your lazy ass there in months. Cablevision. Do you really need 6,000 channels? It's all mindless drivel anyway. Cancel it. Spend more time reading, talking to your kids, and jogging. You'll have to now that you cancelled the gym. Eating out. This is a no-brainer. With the money you save you'll be able to buy groceries for the week. Read a cookbook. You have the time now that you've cancelled cable. Cut up your credit cards. The bank is going to cancel them anyway. Fire the house keeper. Clean your house yourself. You can, thanks to being in great shape from the jogging. See a pattern here? Sell that S.U.V.! A station wagon can fit anything you want. It will cost you less at the pump. And you can all fit into it now that you've all stopped watching T.V., eating out, and started cleaning the house together. The jogging hasn't hurt either.