Jack and Suzy Welch said this today:

To say times feel tough doesn't cover it. They feel unprecedented, even for the ones of us who managed through the recessions of 1973-75, '80-'82, and '90-'91. In each of those downturns, on any given February day, even as the ­economy sputtered, you could still predict your April sales to within a couple of percentage points. Today it's as if a blanket of fog has dropped over commerce; visibility is near zero.

Mr. & Mrs. Welch tried not to make the rest of their post quite so depressing, but they failed. They start the piece with the question "Is the economy beyond saving." Their answer: of course not. But after that one bright spot they go on to explain all that's wrong with the stimulus package. I didn't feel very edified…

The truth, though, is dark. And it's illustrated by this chart released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Can You Predict Your April Sales This Year? (I Think Not...)