Things are:

[leftofthedial]

[MNDemNY]

1. Other

"coming up roses."

[leftofthedial]

2. nothing but blue skies...

('cause I can't afford a roof anymore.)

[earth mom]

9. More like trying to make sh*t smell like a rose. nt

[roguevalley]

3. A guy who got laid off at our hospital here walked in just now and

shot his two supervisors. one died, the other is bad. he went out and shot it out with the cops, getting killed. I don't think its as good as they say. It has to be worse.

[musette_sf]

4. details here

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2008/11/26/D94MSRF80_hospital_shooting_alaska/index.html

[Hydra]

5. "Don't panic everyone!"

"It's just Bushco looting us! Nothing to be worried about!"

[leftofthedial]

6. the mind boggles

dunnit?

[baldguy]

7. Remember, these are the Bushies talking gloom & doom.

I'd wager it's better, but I'll wait for an honest evaluation from the Obama Administration.

[mdmc]

8. kick

[TexasObserver]

10. Things are never as good or as bad as represented.

Media and government both tend to grossly exaggerate.

We've been in a recession all year. Many of us knew this. Many of us expected the DOW to drop below 9000 all year. I have expected the DOW to bottom at 7500 all year, and it has.

We may see further losses, but I'm convinced this recession will bottom out by next summer, and we will recover to 10,000 on the DOW by early 2010. Then we'll begin a 2-4 year upward climb that will see us again exceed 14,000 on the DOW.

I am optimistic about the long term future, but accept that 2009 is going to have some real turbulence and disappointments.