So we stumbled across a notice at MacMinute yesterday informing us that Steve Jobs was slated to make a guest appearance on CNBC's Business Center show last night-- which is just about the only thing that'd ever get us to tune in to CNBC in the first place, because we're actually pretty allergic to that sort of all-financial and/or -news programming. It gives us a rash, in fact. And any more than about sixteen seconds' worth of exposure to C-SPAN sends us into anaphylactic shock. Still, a dose of Steve is a dose of Steve, so we figured we'd risk it, and thanks to the miracle of TiVo we were able to minimize our exposure to the non-Steve aspects of that accursed channel. (In fact, we watched Blue's Clues-- a classic Steve one, not one with that new Joe guy who just doesn't cut it with us-- while Business Center was recording. Much more our speed.)

If you missed it, Think Secret has a lovely summary of Steve's appearance, but trust us, you didn't miss all that much. Most of what he managed to squeeze into his four minutes on the air was just repeated from his keynote, e.g. his "Year of the Notebook" spiel, his "Retail's Kicking Butt" spiel, etc., and he did manage to show off a 17-inch PowerBook quickly without really having time to explain why it was so special. But there was definitely at least one moment worth catching, if only for its sheer "Uh-Oh" value.

Interviewer Sue Herera asked Steve whether he saw any evidence of a broader economic recovery, and his answer wasn't just blunt-- it was almost chilling in its delivery. Think Secret's quote doesn't quite do justice to the finality and the palpable sense of despair underlying his response. Here's how it went down: "[deep breath] Uh, you know, [heavy sigh, shaking head, throws hands up in resignation] our headlights don't go out that far, but right now I'd have to say no. [nodding grimly] We're not. We see businesses still, uh... still, uh... not buying much right now. And I think there's a lot of uncer-- a lot of uncertainty right now."

So there you have it, folks: Uncle Steve's bleak economic outlook, straight from the lips of Mercurial Man himself. Sort of. So stock up on generic canned soup, burn phone books for heat, and settle in for a long winter's recession. Needless to say, your survival hinges on your ability to pinch every penny, so save all your money for life's essentials: Tater Tots, cable, and maybe a 17-inch PowerBook or two...