I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl.

As much as this recession is doomy and gloomy, I am convinced that there are tiny shreds of silver lining in this storm cloud.

I'm not saying this recession is a good thing, but I thought it might be fun to come up with a list of some of the positive aspects of it.


This is what I've got so far:

• Lower interest rates (yay!)
  
  
• A service industry that actually provides service. This might only make sense to my Western-Canadian comrades.
  
  
• An end to the gouging and overpriced labour and supplies here. People will get paid what they're worth instead of what they want to be worth.
  
  
• Lower house prices. I might even be able to afford a house when things pick back up a bit!
  
  
• A shift to local/domestic instead of international travel. We're helping ourselves get back up.
  

.....

People may find other priorities than money.

People are driving and buying and polluting a bit less, which is good for the planet!

The local prostitutes have lowered their prices.

Starbucks will have a "value meal" (not that I ever frequent that place, but still)

I may finally have a use for all that old ammunition laying around the house.

The amount of junk mail offering me loans has plummeted.

Rich people gone poor...hopefully rich people caught in traps and eaten for their tender flesh.

Freelancers being in demand...

Or ridiculously overpriced electronics.

once my foreclosure is complete i can move my family under a nice scenic highway overpass.

i can eat exotic food from dumpsters

i can shower in a McDonalds bathroom

now if the state didnt take 10% of my pay, cut all overtime, and hacking my pention this wouldnt be a possibility, but it is. i dont live extravagantly, we almost never dine out, and the only "needless" expenditure is the boys preschool. but all preschools here cost money, we dont use it for daycare, but for school purposes. I'm middle class and have worked my ass off to get there. nothing good comes out of this Recession for us middle class. i get to look forward to less money, more bill and paying for the handouts to people too lazy to take responsibility for their own lives. this is merely an aspect of California, which is probably the worst hit in the US and probably the world by economic issues. we almost went a whole year without a state budget, laid off 20,000 workers in a first of many soon to be cutbacks. i understand making the best of a bad situation, but lets really look at how this happened. greed! i'm not greedy by any stretch, but i want my fair share. if my job warrants 39 bucks an hours i want 39 bucks. not 29 bucks. Us middle class blue collar workers are the ones gonna that the major hit out of this. i feel horrible as a parent bring my kids into this world now. they'll never get a fair shake, and they'll pay for the sins of their parents and grandparents their entire lives. and the current administration is okay with this. i hate typing this much, but i just dont want to forget what is really going on, and the fact its going to effect all of us. sorry for rambling.

Are you ok, or was that poetic exaggeration?

I don't know if Sean was being serious or sarcastic about the foreclosure, but my house was auctioned on Feb. 2nd. To top it off, my company just announced an 8.5% pay cut for everybody. Life is just great now!

naw.. i wish i was sarcastic, but thats about where me and the Family are standing right now. even more sad is the fact that the beliefs and traditions i defended in the Navy are long dead, giving way to greed and entitlement. so if i'm gonna have to effectively start over.. i'm looking to do so outside the US. Canada, UK, AU.. doesnt matter, but i'm fortunate enough to be in power generation, hydro/steam/nuclear, which i can pretty much move where ever i want cause i work in a field of a limited workforce.

TigerT i'm sorry about your situation, and i can truly sympathize with whats going on. Things will get better brother, just stay truthful with your family and you, your family, will endure. My Old Man was out of work for 7 months when i was a kid, i remember it very well. it was tough, but my brother and i stepped up at 13 and 15 years old to help out where we could. we endured, and things got much better for my Pops.

If you or any other Plimate need to chat, or get some things off your chests, please feel free to PM me. I will support any of you as best i can as our unique Plime friendships can allow.

Thanks Sean, I appreciate that. One thing that we lost along with the house was the payment that went with it. We downsized into a rental with half the cost. Even with the pay cut, we'll survive.

I am glad to find just a few people that see things on a positive note about how things are going on right now. I am the same way. I like to see things on positive note.

Me too. I'm positive you're a spammer

If there is something good about the economic recession, that would be people learning to put greater value to their money and blessings.

everythings on sale at the mall. pre-season sale, second pre-season, post season, etc etc... funny how they come up with all these new terms

Totally agree with you.

I'm using Ebay more--that means I'm saving some money! God So addicting!