The Economy??!!

Apparently there is a recession starting. There just seems to be so much doom and gloom. One can't help but want to tighten up the spending. I have to say we have noticed a slow down at work. People holding onto there money and teeth. We are able to pay the bills, (for now) and with refinancing we should be OK unless something major happens. We have a 10 year mortgage at 5.5% pre approved through ING and should start Dec 1, 2008. We need this refinance sooooooo bad and sooooo much is riding on it that I can hardly contain myself. I am on edge and until the cheque is written I don't think I can focus on anything else. 1 more month, just one more month.
Housing is supposed to fall until 2010? Who comes up with this stuff?> Does someone just make a statement and the world just goes along? Dude says "housing is going to drop till 2010" Who the hell is this dude, and what the hell does he know that the rest of us don't? I heard from another dude that housing was going to climb steady because of the Olympics. Which dude is the 'DUDE'. Have these dudes talked to each other. How would that go.....Dude 1"dude you don't know shit" dude 2" No dude, you don't know shit". Is it possible that neither of these economist 'dudes' really knows anything past what is actually happening in front of their eyes.
We're just along for the ride.