quick takes 9/7/04

   Interesting to receive an e-mail that begins, "It is a priviledge to hear from God..."
   Reported on the morning news: The more sexual content that kids see on TV, the more likely they are to engage in sexual activity. Really? I would have thought that was common sense.
   Bush says in a recent speech that unemployment is down to 5.4% which is lower than the average unemplyment rate in the 70s, 80s or 90s. True. But interestingly, Clinton brought unemployment down by 3.5% while under Bush it has gone up 1.6%. I'm not sure these statistics matter much. I look at average hourly earnings (in constant 1982 dollars) and under Clinton's term it went from $7.53 to $8.07. Just in Clinton's last 4 years it increased by $.29. Under Bush it has gone from $8.24 to $8.30. Who knows if these numbers really mean anything about the president himself or even his policies. But it's interesting... well, no, not really.
(source: U.S. Dept. of Labor)