Have you noticed how the media spins bad economic news now?

"Good news! Car sales dropped 27% from a year ago! Results better than expected and better than last month's 30% drop!"

Wait a second. This isn't good news...car sales are still in the dumps and are still declining! The same reporting happens with housing numbers: Home prices declined by 18% in the past year, so they are getting better because last month they were down 19%! Um, how about an increase? Or at least a lack of a decrease? That to me would be the definition of getting better. And jobless numbers: Yay, 'only' 400,000 jobs lost this month! Much better than last month's 500,000 loss!   Huh?

Congressional subcommittee praises strategy of accelerating public works projects to moderate unemployment in business slowdown, emphasizes good psychological effect of doing this quickly.

Market observers see some hopeful signs: buying support is now coming out for stocks when they approach recent lows, and volume has been low in response to bear operations. Anticipate a possible quiet period rather than strong rally - this is typical of the end of bear markets.

Central Trust of Illinois says economy seems to be recently improving from end of 1929 and first months of 1930.

D.M. Marvin, economist for Royal Bank of Canada, says present depression caused by tight credit; points out that in spite of low rediscount rate many banks are not lending due to poor balance sheets; total credit extended by the Fed.

City Bank of NY criticizes blind optimism about an upturn earlier in the year, but also cautions against excessive pessimism. Based on history, depressions usually turn around sometime in the year following their start; consumption hasn't fallen as much as production, leading to eventual rebalancing.

Inventories at major corporations are low as they've been in years - this should lead to heavy buying when business turns up.

Labor Secretary Davis says business is definitely turning up in the East, predicts reasonable prosperity within the next year.


We've heard THAT before!

About how many Michael Jackson songs are in your itunes?

Is Richard Dawson alive or dead?

Orrin Hatch (R-Utah): "I will focus on determining whether Judge Sotomayor is committed to deciding cases based only on the law as made by the people and their elected representatives, not on personal feelings or politics."

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): "We will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences."

Charles Grassley (R-Iowa): "The Judiciary Committee should take time to ensure that the nominee will be true to the Constitution and apply the law, not personal politics, feelings or preferences."

John Cornyn (R-Tx.): "She must prove her commitment to impartially deciding cases based on the law, rather than based on her own personal politics, feelings, and preferences."



MEDIA REGURGITATION: "NOM NOM NOM SHE LEGISLATES FROM HER PERSONAL POLITICS PREFERENCES AND FEELINGS NOM NOM NOM"

How has your use of LiveJournal changed thus far in calendar year 2009?

Last Thursday after work I was running a few errands. Then I realized I had a dry cleaning ticket in my wallet that was like two weeks old, and I hadn't had time at all to go pick up the clothes in the days previous, even on weekends. I thought my dry cleaner was open until 7pm during the week, so when I walked through their propped-open door at about 6:35, I was glad I was getting this little errand done too.

The woman who works there appears and says in a heavy accent "oh, we're closed," and gestures to the clock.  I guess they close at 6:30? And her husband takes my dry cleaning ticket, and finds my clothes. And then I hand them $22.

And I can't forget about this.

Why was their door propped open?
Do they care if I ever go to their establishment again?
Don't they realize there are like 15 other dry cleaners within walking distance of theirs?

WHAT HAPPENED TO SERVICE?
Service is awful.   Everywhere.
Even in "this economy."