A comment on CNN's retail review says that sales have gone up, just not much. It's the growth, the more-than-last -year numbers that keep retailers in business. Their costs go up, just like ours.

I went to the CNN link, but I'm having trouble with my webbrowser today, so I wasn't able to copy the addresses.

One story on CNN Money, said that FAO Inc is closing one quarter of their stores because the sales just haven't been there. Ouch.

Another said that mortgage rates are down to 5.16. Drats. I refinanced at 5.375. But, the site also said that even though rates are down, the number of mortgage applications hasn't gone up much. I guess everyone, like me, has already refinanced, figuring they couldn't possibly go lower.