News Segue

Paul Harvey just reported in today's radio broadcast that more than a quarter million jobs were created in the United States last month, but that unemployment stayed at 5.2. He explained that since the working population is exploding, what with students getting out and looking for work, and immigrants, legal and otherwise, looking for work, that it is possible to add 274,000 jobs in one month without changing the unemployment rate.

He also mentioned that the average earnings for Americans is now something like $16 an hour. (Ed. note: Not around here, though. Shucks.) And, he added, the jobless figures for February and March now look better than originally reported.

Despite all this good news, he said, consumer confidence was down. Listening to headlines that concentrate on gas prices can do that to you, he said.

So, during the commercial break I went to the other end of the house to do some chores. I turned on the other radio. The other radio was set on NPR (National Public Radio). I kid you not, on NPR right then they were talking about (you guessed it!) high gas prices.

I changed from NPR to the local station for the rest of Paul Harvey.

By the way, if you miss Paul Harvey on the radio, or aren't sure of what you've heard, you can listen to his broadcasts at www.paulharvey.com. (Windows Media format only.)