CLARKONOMICS: Back in late winter, Clark originally said that we were in a recession. He was stunned at the time because he was catching flak from listeners who felt his comments were politically motivated. They weren't.

Then in April, Clark participated in a debate with nationally syndicated talk show host Neal Boortz and WSB-AM radio personality Herman Cain. The penny-pincher felt it was self-evident that we were in a recession, primarily because he hears calls from you day in and day out. The 2 politicos, however, swore up and down that everything was great with the economy.

Now, The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has officially declared that we are in a recession and it began back in December 2007. Some predictions suggest that the recession will likely last through 2010. That news immediately caused the stock market to drop like a rock.

This will be the longest recession since World War II. Unemployment is still, by historical standards, favorable at 6.5%, though we could hit 9%.

So what actions should you be taking? Clark could trot out the usual platitudes -- start saving; don't buy on credit; and reduce debt -- but he'd rather illustrate it with the following example.

This is more than just flossing your teeth. The dentist tells you to do that everyday for optimal dental health. But until your teeth start falling out, you might not heed the advice. Well, Clark wants you to consider this a time of complete and utter tooth decay.