The lead story in THE WEEKEND STAR, though humorous in parts, is a very serious one.

The story, if nothing more, illustrated quite clearly how the poor economic conditions are affecting everyday people and the ingenious methods they invent to cope.

According to the story, shopkeepers have resorted to cutting some products in half and selling individually, those that were usually sold in bulk, in order to accommodate those who may not be able to afford the fully priced items. The story made mention of corned beef and soap being sold in half portions as well as sanitary napkins, which are usually sold in a pack, being sold individually for $12.

As we said before, this is a clear example of everyone trying to adjust to the current market conditions and trying to make the best of life, while hoping that things improve. It is clear that the shopkeepers and owners made this decision when they realised that perhaps their businesses were not doing as well as they used to. Like good business-minded persons, they decided to make changes to fix that situation.

It is good to see that even in these times, economic activities have not stalled, though they may have been scaled down. business owners are still making money and people are still able to purchase the items they need, though on a somewhat smaller scale.

While we read a story like this and laugh and marvel at the creativity of our people, we need to remember that desperate times call for desperate measures, and the times we are facing are, indeed, desperate.