Hard times

I really need to reiterate how lucky I am to not have to pay rent. I can't even imagine what my mental state would be if I had that extra ~$1,000 a month on top of all of my student loan payments *and* watch my retirement portfolio dwindles down to nothing. It's so depressing and infuriating to be an American right now. I thought learning as much as I could about the financial meltdown would make me feel better, that I could combat my fears with information. But, I have to say, it's only made me more worried. I feel like we're falling into a black hole, screaming and flailing our bodies in vain, with no bottom in sight. :\