I've noticed several positive reports lately referring to a recovering US economy, which is refreshing in this sea of of negative most everything (see AP piece below). Not that I see any improvement here in Florida. In fact the situation here is bad and getting worse, but most people I know don't read Schiff, Willie, Faber and the rest of the doom and gloomers, so perhaps this sort of news will cheer some people up.

Which reminds me. I'm still waiting for an update from Jim Sinclair on his warning back in April, I think it was, that in a certain number of days something dire was in store for us. Several days ago he wrote, "the US dollar is on the skids. There are 34 days left." Left? Good grief! Must be getting close. Then what?

A lot of guys here are getting some sort of message as there is a continuing and worsening shortage of ammunition for guns, especially handguns. Every time I visit some of the indoor shooting ranges in the counties around here, the places are full with everyone blasting away. It's deafening even with those ear caps. What a circus. Strange though. I haven't seen any gals plugging the targets. Only the guys. And no suits either. Caps, work boots and working clothes, sometimes camouflage outfits head to toe. Scary stuff. Sure glad for the time I spent in the military.

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By MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer – Mon Oct 12, 10:30 am ET

NEW YORK – More than 80 percent of economists believe the recession is over and an expansion has begun, but they expect the recovery will be slow as worries over unemployment and high federal debt persist.

That consensus comes from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics released Monday.

"The survey found that the vast majority of business economists believe that the recession has ended but that the economic recovery is likely to be more moderate than those typically experienced following steep declines," said NABE President-elect Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University.

The forecasters upgraded the economic outlook for the next several quarters, but cautioned that unemployment rates and the federal deficit are expected to remain high through the next year. Forecasters now expect the economy, as measured by gross domestic product, to advance at a 2.9 percent pace in the second half of the year, after falling for four straight quarters for the first time on records dating to 1947. They expect a 3 percent gain in 2010.

The rest at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091012/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economic_recovery