The XX Factor

Budget weddings are in vogue this recession.  The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. was $19,212 in the first quarter, down from $21,814 last year and $26,450 in 2005.  ( Wall Street Journal )  Tips to recession-proof your wedding  here .

Evidently the recession means that  some semi-employed hipsters in their mid-20s can no longer rely on a monthly check from their parents.  ( New York Times )

"Motorists unable to afford payments on pricey cars and gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles in this recession are turning to a time-tested financing solution: matches. " ( Los Angeles Times )

The recession’s grip loosened slightly this spring  as seasonal hiring picked up and helped offset rising bankruptcies and foreclosures. But predictions on when the recession will end continue to vary. ( Associated Press ,  Recessionwire )

Studies show that would-be entrepreneurs have it tougher in this recession than in past downturns , largely because of a credit crisis that has made financing scarce. ( USA Today )

Tensions are simmering among President Obama’s economic advisers  as they take steps to deal with the effects of the recession. ( New York Times )

With tightened personal budgets,  more people are taking books out of libraries .( Associated Press )

In today’s jittery markets, good news on one front can have surprisingly bad effects elsewhere.  At stake is the fragile confidence that’s been restored in the financial system. ( Wall Street Journal )

More than Obama, more than Geithner, more than anyone, it is once-maligned Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke who has saved us from the second Great Depression,  writes Jim Cramer. ( New York  Magazine )

The recession is taking a bite out of auctions of wild horses  - leaving states like Colorado with more animals to care for and taxpayers with a bigger bill. ( Aspen Daily News )