After one of the worst weeks ever for stocks, hopes for a quick cconomic recovery are ading. what consumers do next could cause-or avert-a recession. Ralph caria sure knows how to ruin his lunch hour. There was nothing wrong with the Chinese food Caria, a 44-year-old HMO claims specialist, munched on at a suburban Boston shopping mall last week. But his mood soured when he checked in on the stock market before the meal. After losing $52,000 in Internet stocks last year, Caria has seen his portfolio shrink an additional 12 percent this year.
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