[Rick Lee]

So, no matter how good or bad the numbers are, in reality, they're always worse, right? Does that really sound like it makes sense to you?

FWIW, my folks are unemployed and don't need or want to work anymore. I think my mom collected unemployment after her layoff for as long as she could and then started her own business when that ran out. She just does part-time work to keep busy. When she booked $70k last year, she decided to get serious. But she was one of your poor, unemployed, off-the-books statistics for a few years.

My dad's job is ending this week, but he's getting 5 mos. severance and hasn't needed to work for many years. Yeah, he's another one of those poor unemployed folks.

I know you always want it to look bad, as that bolsters labor unions' political goals. But it's not all doom and gloom out there. Oh, and my wife landed a job in Phoenix three weeks to the day from moving here and is making more than me now. How does the world keep turning?