I would like to think that if it's coming to this, which it might be, they'd go the voluntary leave of absence route as opposed to furloughing. If they furloughed, they'd be cutting guys at the bottom of the payscale, but if they offer leaves of absence, maybe they'd save some money in the middle of the payscale.

I'd be all over that if they let me. Then I could keep my number, get a real job, and make real money.

And by the way, I don't think oil is going to stay this expensive for very long. Part of the reason it's so high is that it's one of few decent investment options. It may take a year, but at some point people are going to be speculating on things other than oil. Also, the weak dollar hasn't helped things too much, either. I think the whole world, save some tourists, is just about fed up with the weak dollar. I'd expect the slide to stop, if not reverse itself, in the near future. That ought to help oil prices come down some.

I guess my point is that it's rough out there, but the sky isn't falling just yet.