Cash4Gold Will Save the Country (Video)

The geniuses who brought us the $2 trillion bailout have a new plan for raising cash. Check out the video after the jump.

How Hollywood Gets Hit By Recession

Remember the days when everyone in L.A. wanted to be a slasher? You know—actor/director, screenwriter/producer. With film budgets being but, some celebs will have to take on less glamorous roles…

10 Things That Are Not So Weird in Recession

We all have our oddities—ah, idiosyncrasies. Difficult times can often accentuate personality quirks and neuroses. Don’t be ashamed, but rather flaunt them! People are more forgiving of weirdness then ever in a bad economy, probably because each person has their own anxieties to deal with. Here are 10 things that are completely acceptable during the economic downturn.

1. Using the 2012 end of the Mayan calender/Armageddon to relieve anxiety about your current unemployment. Hey, the world will be ending soon anyway.

2. Turning down an evening out for “financial reasons,” when you really just want to stay in to watch the newest round of the Real Housewives series. Further justification—you could learn a lot from the ladies of the OC/New Jersey/Atlanta/NYC…

Video: Work the Way It Should Be

Working? Nope, we didn’t think so! Thankfully, College Humor’s Hardly Working series will help remind you of how it was back in, oh, 2006 or so. Remember? Go to job, turn on computer, fetch coffee, return to desk, look at computer, pick up coffee, head to co-worker office/cubicle, catch up, return to desk, click through emails, rinse and repeat. Pretty much like now, except you also collected a paycheck.

So you’ll love the guy who shows up in a camouflage shirt only to not be seen by his co-workers. Or the time the office’s favorite band stopped by. Or the discussion of the movie one of the employees saw the night before. Ah, life before the recession. These clips are new, but they sure are nostalgic…

Recession Briefing 8.5: The Downturn Helps Standup

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

The recession is sparking a new era in stand-up comedy. People still want to laugh. In fact, they need to laugh. They just can’t afford to go out and spend too much money. (The Atlantic)

The recession has made legal service a more daunting expense for many. That has created a surge of litigants who must navigate the often-bewildering justice system by themselves. (Chicago Tribune)

Fun-seekers venturing out to farm fairs, art festivals and other mainstays of the American summer are finding either crowds or cancellation notices this year. (Associated Press)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on. To receive Recession Briefing in your inbox, subscribe to our daily email.

Recession for Men (Video)

It’s not Monday—it’s Manday. There’s been a lot of very serious chatter about how much more men are suffering in the downturn. (See Recession Lexicon: Mancession.) But we’re all about bringing you the the lighter side, too. To appreciate this takeoff of the whispery, angst-ridden Calvin Klein fragrance ads, it helps to have been of television-watching age in the 80s. Thanks to Funny or Die!

White Collar Day Laborers (Video)

Remember the days when you practically had to fight off recruiters? The relentless calls, the wooing lunches, the promises of huge salary jumps?

These days white-collar jobs are a lot harder to come by. They’re so scarce, in fact, that some workers have taken to the streets.

It’s So Bad, We’re Cutting Commas (Video)

The worst of company reductions might be over, said the New York Times the other day—but only because there’s nothing left to slash. Obviously the firms surveyed aren’t being creative enough. You can always eliminate punctuation, which takes up costly time, ink, and pixels. (We use lots of it, so we know how expensive it can get.)

Out On the Street: The Equal Opportunity Recession

It had been a while since the He-Man had gotten together to sip lattes and catch up. As usual, the shop talk gave way to gossip and anecdotes. TJ was recounting a disagreement he had with his wife, Jenny.

“So I was on the computer late one evening. The kids were asleep and my wife was reading in bed. Or so I thought. Suddenly she walks in and says ‘What are you doing?’ I turn around and say ‘What does it look like I’m doing? I’m filling out my unemployment insurance application.’” Jenny was shocked.

“Christ, I don’t think she would have been half as mad if I was downloading porn,” TJ said…

Second Careers for Failed C.E.O.s

Everyone is slamming C.E.O.s for their incompetence and excessive spending (conveniently forgetting that two years ago we didn’t care as long as we were making money, too). These guys don’t need to be judged—they need sympathy, understanding, and most of all, job advice. So we thought we’d suggest second careers for some of the Recession’s fallen corporate heroes.

Read more…