Recession is over - it's Champagne time for the IT industry at least

After just receiving my second invite to a Champagne-fueled IT launch for next week - is it safe to assume the recession is over?

Microsoft is promising champagne at lunchtime to mark the launch of Windows 7 next week, and if lunch-time boozing wasn't indulgent enough - Dell is hosting a champagne breakfast later in the week to launch something or other (lost interest after the mention of champagne)

Google claims the recession is over too this week and it's hiring again - and along with US banks making obscene profits once more - those nasty old-days of questioning the ethics of capitalism and progress may be safely behind us.