A totally trivial and probably accurate passing comment and the stupid meejah go on and on - we know that we in the meejah have had increasingly less and less responsibility and that all that matters is "a good story" but in 2009 we really do seem to have lost the plot totally.

I went shopping yesterday. Everywhere was packed. No recession that I could see in the sales.

By the way my "Cameron" kitchen wall clock was £99 in Habitat. No sale cut there!

I have no idea what 'green shoots' referes to. Have a missed another sensational story?

The more you say about the media just wanting a good story, the more I agree with you. When I go shopping, the shops are just as packed and busy as before.

Unfortunately the media wants to keep capitalising on the 'global recession' and every day posts gloomy outlooks and poor sales returns. Yet when they report on some companies posting good sales returns, it's put to the back-burner as it is not a good story.

The amount of different business analysts that come on and say the same line 'We are in the recession' just makes me wonder if they are manipulating the stock market, so they can buy shares cheap and make a healthy profit. Not that it's illegal, if the media want to keep on the doom and gloom of the recession then the more these guys will be asked for their opinion and will make money.

Yes it is a difficult time and I'm not for one minute trying to be trivial as they are businesses/people tha are struggling, but it is not all doom and gloom as the media paints it.

"No recession that I could see..."
But then again, JK, you haven't lost your fucking job, have you? The fact is that there are lots who have lost their jobs {3 of my wife's close professional colleagues for a start... all of whom will be, I'm sure, delighted that there's "no recession", even as far as you can see}. Apologies, this posting isn't nearly as bitter, personal or angry as it sounds. Just trying to make a point, or possibly even just an observation, probably a little too forcefully.

"No recession that I could see..."

It's a pretty accurate description to me as well. Although you have to take into account that we still have the Jan Sales and the effects of recessions won't be felt by many for a few months yet. I think though, if JK had gone to his local car dealership or estate agent, it would have been a totally different story. These are the first things to really go tits up.

The media are though really cooking this thing - much more than the last recession - because they have the internet this time and can pummle you with the latest news on closures, bank collapses and job losses every minute of every day. This just feeds underconfidence and is making things much worse than they probably are. And they think they're doing us a service?
I imagine if we had the technology and news capability during WW2 that we have today we would probably have surrendered such was the dreadful nature of the news which the govt would not have been able to suppress or postpone its release.

Talking of WW2, I saw a brilliant goverment poster used during the second world war. It was red with plain white wording and said 'Keep Calm and Carry On'. Simple words of encouragement during troubled times. Would this work in today's world?

Theres no doubt that there is a recession, tens of thousands have lost their jobs, I will probably join them quite soon as knowone is starting new projects in the current climate. Just because one shop is full (probably of tourists) doesn't mean there isn't a recession. Not only that but probably the worst recession in living memory. When was the last time such a big high street name like Woolworths folded.

I think the global economy is largely to blame. When jobs are outsourced it depresses wages and leads to job cuts thus people have leading spending power and the economy slows down. Personally I feel that companies that outsource work to Asia should be heavily taxed as it is very damaging to the economy and the only people that benefit are the fat cat bosses.

There is one small shop in my region which hasn't sold one item in the past two weeks. Managers of larger stores have reported that there are just as many people browsing, but fewer are actually buying. A large number of people in a store does not mean a large number of sales. Five stores have closed down in our High Street alone over the past few weeks.

I've not been living on credit, so I've not been effected as badly as some, but the signs are clear that the economy is going through a slump. I'm not sure that the government throwing billions at failing businesses is going to do anything other than increase national debt.