This month’s Argo focuses on cheap sources of entertainment you can enjoy during the recession.

While the word “recession” is in itself about as cheerful as a punch in the jeans, we all need to accept reality for what it is and admit that we currently are in a recession of biblical proportions.

it be the government bailing out the big businesses while the small businesses flounder, the stock market dropping like a chunky drunk or the folks next door taking out a $500,000 loan for a $50,000 house, the world economy has found itself in quite a pickle. While the temptation to point fingers is, in the words of Robert Palmer, “Simply Irresistible,” the only course of action the average citizen can take is to simply trudge on and make the best of a shoddy situation.

In this time of great turmoil, the entertainment industry is now perhaps more vital than ever. Sometimes a trip to the movies or a favorite song can be just what the doctor ordered to fight off the bits of frustration, disbelief and outright insanity that the greedy have created. A good play or art exhibit can make all the worries of the world fade away, and a bad one can make you too pissed to care about them.

In this issue of the Argo, you will find various ways to take advantage of the current economy climate, and perhaps even to thrive in it. Thrift stores, for instance, are built for this type of monetary hardship. Cheap diners and restaurants make big money when the middle class customers who once ate at fancier restaurants can no longer afford to go there.

It is my firm belief that everything happens for a reason. Maybe this recession is more than just a product of greed and corruption. Maybe it will bring families closer together, make people less worried about money and give them time to simply enjoy life. It’s hard to see so many people lose their jobs, and certainly Topeka is not immune.

Goodyear, one of the largest employers in Topeka, recently announced that 250 workers will be cut. The journalism industry also has taken several hits, including the closings of several major publications, one of the more recent and prominent being the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, just 55 days short of its 150th anniversary.

While this news is troubling, it also offers a dash of hope. The economy is not in a free fall yet, and while it’s lower than it has been in quite some time, we can still pull out of it before we crash and burn.

And if not, we can always go back to using rocks for money.