Originally Posted by Gherick

While this was directed at lassie, I have to ask if this is your measure of where we are in our Economy on a personal basis? Because I would like to answer this accurately, and for the record, don't ever assume what a person will or will not do or think about. When you assume, you can very easilly make an ass out of u and me at the same time.



Since this is your so called idea of how to measure the economy, I'd like to reply to this.

Last October, three out of three adults in my house were employed full time. As of january we are down to 1 full time and one part time. No benefits anymore for two of the adults, and the three children lost their coverage too. The other full time job does not provide healthcare benefits and is at minimum wage.

Harsh? You have no idea what people around here are going through. Starvation? That is much closer now than ever before. Right now, with a houshold of 6, the fridge is 1/3 full only. No soda, no chips or things considered luxery foods. All that ended on New Years and never was possible again.

But that isn't my measure of if we're sliding into a serious Depression. My measure is when my wife went to the food bank three weeks ago, the first time we ever considered using one because we are eating 1 course meals so we have food three times a day. She couldn't get any food, not even a can of tuna, because they only had enough to give to their current, existing list of folks and they are turning away new applicants.

We were refered to a larger city which has a food bank that is 110 miles away. Too far gas wise, but my Wife did call them on our pre-paid cell phone. It's the only phone we got now. They informed her that they are considering turning away people too, so good thing we didn't drive up and commit fuel to the trip. So the food bank is out of range and running out of food themselves. Today for dinner we had spaghetti. No sauce. No meatballs. No parmasean cheese. No garlic bread, like we used to. Just the pasta and a dollop of butter so it won't glue together on the plate.

Our main land line is turned off. Our Cable TV is turned off. I just spent the last 8 hours listening to my neighbor from two houses up crying her eyes out because they shut off her power today, and she didn't know what to do. She has been out of a job for a month now, used to work as an assistant manager for Winn Dixie. Used to.

The local paper has two jobs in the want ads section. One is to call an 800 number and listen to a sales pitch for investing into a new business. The second one is for the US Army. All the adults in my house including me are too old for them anyways.

All we got left to communicate with the outside world is our one pre-paid cell phone that gives 500 minutes for 29.99 and this 2 year old computer on a 21.95 lowest bandwidth ever sold dsl connection. That is our monthly entertainment budget. The closest theater around here is a 1 hour drive. even if they were a two minute walk, we wouldn't go. My wife and I used to go see 1 movie a month together. Our time to get out and hold hands and have some fun. In 2007, we saw 12 movies in the box office. In 2008, the count is 0.

So yeah, personally and for this rural part of America, I know what the hell I'm talking about. I measure the effects on the people now, as we're not the only parts of rural America effected like this. It's bad and getting worse. Whatever forumla you're using, you might want to revise it. At least I'm not going to assume you won't think it over. That type of stance is unintelligent to say the least.

You go off and mention the word perspective. Pick anybody you like in Central Florida, Nothern Georgia, Western Texas or anywhere in Pennsylvania that isn't considered city and live in their shoes and on their modified diets and budgets. I know these areas because that is where I have family and friends, and they aren't much better off than I am. True perspective comes when You along with Family and Friends mostly go from upper middle class to below the poverty line in 6 months. Believe me, we've gotten the friggin message. There is a recession on, and it's going to catch up with a lot more people than my family and friends before it starts getting better. Far more.