Why we should appreciate this lousy recession

Ever seen "American Psycho?" I think the one good thing about recessions is that the psychotic metrosexual serial killers no longer have reason to bash a corporate partner to death in the men's room because the font on his businesscard is nicer than their own.

Actually, there are lots of good things about recession. It evens the playing field a bit, returns us to an earlier American dream (fantasy?) of equality and brotherhood and all that. Misery loves company, and no matter how successfully you rose above the masses in your previous outfit, we're all one and the same when we're standing together in the bread line. Or drinking together at the bar ... before noon.

That's what inspired me to recall that scene in American Psycho. When too much money goes flying around, people get pretty annoying. The prissy Stepford wives of America with their botox lips and implant bosoms, the flashy mortgage brokers with their high-end import autos, the Ivy League hotshot who makes corporate vice president at age 24 ... suddenly, it's no longer cool to have too much. Showing off when the guy next to you is losing his house isn't so much fun anymore, I suspect. It's certainly a lot easier to resent. You just got a male pedicure? Not cool. Not cool at all, bro. Maybe it never was.

Okay, enough of that. Let's channel some positive energy now...

There are other things to appreciate about recession, beyond the equalizing lousiness of it. For instance, dirt-cheap home sales is one, bargain airplane tickets is another.

Don't forget vacation deals in exotic locales you couldn't afford before (three nights free at Disney World when you pay for four? Woo-hoo!), and also all those job opportunities in those odd industries and venues that are prospering even as the economy flails, like schools, biotech, environmental consulting, Internet search engine companies and companies that specialize in designing Internet advertisements, pawn shops, and accounting firms, to name a few.

Finally, enjoy the run on breakfast cereal (it's what's for dinner in many American families. I kid you not.)

Here's more ideas from:

Slate Magazine -- In terms of our economic competitiveness, the recession will make the U.S. a better international player in the long run.

Careerrealism.com -- A great opportunity to re-invent yourself professionally, rationalize and explain away why you were terminated, and stop judging others by job title.

And don't forget: Cheap stocks!

What would you add to this list? Hey, this couple thought it would be terrible after dad lost his job as a forklift operator. They hit the gym together everyday now and their health improved, and they spend more family time than ever before!