Economic fairy tales.

I normally don't post anything on the economy for some very good reasons:

A) Beyond balancing my checkbook successfully (before the wife took over the finances) I've no real experience with economics. A man has got to know his limitations.

B) There are more pressing concerns IMO. No matter what the economy at large is doing, if the poor in this nation are suffering an "obesity epidemic" then things aren't too far out of kilter. Get back to me when many people are actually missing enough meals to slim down.

C) A lot of it seems to be smoke and mirrors utilized by both sides of the political aisle to make arcane but important sounding points. I took a course in Business followed by one in Economics while whiling away the unemployed hours of my life back in 94-96. The first was taught by a proud capitalist who shamelessly plugged his book every chance he got. The second was taught by an onfire liberal who bragged of how she spent her spare time freeing lobsters from the lobster pots aboard local craft tied up in Rhode Island ( literally taking away the means of hardworking folk to feed their families. But she felt good about doing it, guess that was the important part.) Talk to one and times were booming, listen to the other and we were on the path of economic Hell. Both used some of the same statistics. Point made, case closed.

But the other day I heard some wonk from CNN say something that made my jaw slam into the steering wheel (a hazard of listening to the radio while driving).

According to him, our unemployment rate has risen because of the increase in new jobs. Supposedly the availability of work has encouraged the hardcore unemployed to become more active in job seeking so they've emerged from the shadows of the economy, are now counted amongst those looking for work and thus the unemployment rate goes up.

Pardon me all over the place but that proves when the man shovels it he uses both hands. In other words, "BULLSHIT"!!

Like I said, I know zippo about economics. But don't piss down my back and try telling me it's just rain.