This recession, which is real, will continue on thru 2010, when the public will have aclimated (slowly) to high gas prices, and will begin to venture out spending more on things that are not necessities.  But, the housing market, which generally will be slow thru the end of 2010, will wake up due to having to rebuild from natural disasters and flooding which will occure in the next 2 years.  In effect, having to rebuild so many destroyed homes is going to pull us out of the recession.