Then again, maybe it won't, especially not if another major financial institution collapses. And if the economy does rebound, the recovery will be mild. USA Today sums up the clear-as-mud results of its economic outlook index, which factor in things like the stock market's current bull market status. Another predictor says that home prices are expected to continue to drop for some time to come. So who knows what in the world is going to happen. One thing seems fairly certain: It won't be easy to get a job anytime soon, so perhaps there's something to these job-hunter's attention-getting gimmicks, including washing cars in a company's parking lot and sending a cake with your picture and business card info on it. Some poor punster even sent a company a shoe as a way to "get his foot in the door."

"Have you ever tried buying lots of stuff?"
(The question is asked by a concerned-looking therapist, addressing a patient lying on a couch.)

Round trip flights to Sydney cost $458 from Los Angeles or San Francisco, $578 from New York, via Qantas. Book by Tuesday, June 16.

My wife and I are long-time fans of IKEA. We have bookshelves, dressers, and toys from IKEA, and though I've been burned a few times—holes that don't line up with the right bolts, that sort of thing—my overall impression is that you get what you pay for. Actually, at IKEA, you get more than what you pay for, compared to other places. With the recession hitting, it's no surprise to me that IKEA's numbers are up. I'm not talking about sales, but about parents dropping off their kids at Smaland, IKEA's free childcare center. Smaland's numbers are up 20 percent this year, according to the Times, and apparently lots of moms and dads are using the place as a free babysitter. (more...)

President Obama will be in Green Bay, Wisconsin, today, apparently to talk about how super awesome Brett Favre is, before begging him not to retire. Oh wait, no. Obama is instead presenting Green Bay as an efficient healthcare model the rest of the country should emulate. Green Bay supposedly does healthcare right, offering excellent care at reasonable expense. Makes no sense to me that healthcare is so different from place to place—which is one of the many reasons why the system needs fixing. (more...)

President Obama is expected to address the American Medical Association next week in Chicago, but before he has a chance to, the powerful doctors' lobbyist group with some 250,000 members already came out and said it opposes a government-funded healthcare plan. Why? They say they're worried about you, the taxpayer. (more...)

A Fortune story gives hope to those yearning to one day retire in peace and comfort. Apparently, it's still possible. Saving—saving A LOT—helps your cause. One interesting fact: Much has been made about the fact that people are actually saving nowadays. The savings rate is now at about 4 percent, compared to zilch in the not-so-distant past. Still, we've got a long way to go. In 1984, the savings rate was 11 percent.

The Today Show did a segment this morning on the best commercials of 2008, as awarded last night by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The commercials were fun to watch—some dazzling special effects that made kids' eyebrows dance in hilarious fashion, a display of iconic images from the past juxtaposed to similar visuals of today. What were these commercials advertising? I have no clue. But apparently they make people want to buy stuff. (more...)

Girls bikinis, normally $36, are selling for $9 via Garnet Hill's Sale of the Day.

Kathleen D. Vohs, associate professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, is an expert in self-regulation, problems with spending, and the psychology of money. Among other things, her work reveals how people feel when they're reminded of money they've spent (not so good), and how you can practice better self-control (think Al Franken's Stuart Smalley character's daily affirmations). (more...)