Recession Talk Necessary, If Ugly

If you've noticed, we've had several yearbook pictures front and center on the site this week. I hate them. The photos that is ... not the recession warning stories they go with. Those stories are necessary, even though some people claim such stories only make things worse.

Do you agree? (youropinion@cnbc.com)

The stories, and the photos, have to be there. It's the current recession obsession. When Fed folks like Janet Yellen and Jeffrey Lacker start laying odds on whether we are or aren't in a recession ... well, that's a lead story. And it's a lead story regardless of whether or not you agree with them, because the recession question is at the top of the market's mind right now. Certainly you'd want to know which way the folks who control the monetary levers are leaning.

That's a point some people writing in to us from time to time miss. If they don't agree with someone, they think their words shouldn't be seen or heard. At least not in our top spot. Indeed, some would argue we're just fanning the recessionary flames psychologically.

So the stories are necessary, folks. It's the pictures I hate. No, the officials aren't ugly. It's just the type of shot. It's not that energizing. But our lead stories need a picture to go with them. It's a web site design thing. But with a speech story, you're kind of stuck art-wise. Anybody got any ideas?

Oh yeah, and if you don't like my thinking, I don't mind hearing about that either.

Let me hear from you: youropinion@cnbc.com