Happy Fun Headline Game for Rainy Days!

It’s a game I play and since we are in a debilitating rain-loop, thought I’d pass it on. Play it with your kids for hours of happy fun time! It’s easy! Let Grandma play too!

Simply pay attention to headlines and first lines of news stories about the economy (or the war, or anything!). It’s educational! Teach your children how to compare and contrast by studying how first lines can make economic news seem either positive or negative, for fun economic, polling and presidential impact!

Here’s one!

Headline: New jobless claims plunge, retail sales improve.
Sub-header: New jobless claims plunge unexpectedly to 610,000, while retail sales improve in April

New applications for jobless benefits plunged to the lowest level in 14 weeks, a possible sign that the massive wave of layoffs has peaked. Still, the number of unemployed workers getting benefits climbed to a new record.

First line: positive.

Now, let’s look at another news story, this time from 2005:

Headline:
There go 800,000 jobs out the door
Subheader:
UCLA: Housing slump to hit building and finance employment, slow the economy, but no recession seen.

The expected downturn in the housing market could end up costing 800,000 construction and finance jobs, putting a big dent in economic growth over the next two years, a report from UCLA said.

First line: Really, really negative. Incredibly negative. Terrifying.

Yes, that’s right, President Bush would have killed for a “first line positive” on economic stories while he was president; unemployment was 4.8% and tax-revenues were at all-time highs. Instead, during his presidency, we got, “Economists worry about possible downturns, despite 3 percent growth in this quarter.”

Think I’m kidding? Then read this and remember.

Remember this?

Our pals over in the MSM certainly do know how to confuse an issue. Check out these two headlines from the SAME news service, and the SAME writer, one day apart:

Greenspan Gets High Marks Despite Economy

U.S. economy grows at strong 3.8% rate in third quarter, despite hurricanes

That second headline, of course, is from the Canadian press who I suppose have less invested in trying to continually portray the economy as “troubling.”

Remember this and this, and this and this and this?

Remember when Durable goods were up 5.2%? It wasn’t that long ago, back when news was delivered with a poisoned rag.

So, there is a fun game for a rainy day. Read all the good news in 2009 and compare it to the terrible news of 2005!

I guess we should call this the “Remaking America Game!”

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts “free car” system is a “wash” because it cost $6,000 a family, but saves the government laying out $6,000 in cash to a family.

When does the actual budget cutting begin, anywhere? Is this really the government’s job? Free cars with free insurance and free maintenance? Hey, I’m starting to feel like a chump, over here. Stupid me, when I was a member of the working poor and couldn’t afford a car, I took public transportation.

Btw the way, Nancy got her millions. That sounds like a book or a play, doesn’t it?

More:
Sunbeams from Cucumbers!
Even George McGovern!: is against the egregiously-misnamed “Free Choice Act” aka Card Check aka “only Senators get secret ballots”
Lorie Byrd on the real deal on Jobs Now
Ed Morrissey: The Whims of Madmen
Lileks: Big Drop in Piano Prices!
Afghan Civilian Deaths: General says Don’t jump to conclusions.

WELCOME: HotAir/Greenroom/Slublog Readers! While you’re here, please look around. In the past day we’ve also linked to a heartbreaking amount of negative-leaning economic analysis, found a bunch of Great Summer Reading Lists, watched Boston Red Sox fans (!) help a handicapped kid sing the National Anthem and used a cartoon to explain the gist of Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical.