So Many Lies

Do you ever feel like you are being lied to/betrayed/ manipulated every time you read the paper or watch the news?
I do.
So many lies. Where to begin?
Let's start locally.
Virginia's unemployment rate is up slightly. This is attributed to college students and recent graduates.
Bullshit.
a) Unemployment figures are based on the percentage of eligible workers currently receiving unemployment checks.
b) You need to have a fairly steady work history and a no-fault reason for losing your job in order to qualify for benefits.
c) How many college students lose their full-time jobs when school lets out? Some , such as those who work for the school, but not enough to be statistically significant. It also seems likely that many persons with full-time , sans summer , University employment would either go on vacation or have lined up some interim work.
d) Although it's easy to associate unemployment with recent graduation, the vast majority of the graduates (see c above) are unlikely to be eligible for Unemployment.

Well, OK, but who cares about Va. Unemployment anyway?

Bigger things:

"I think it's also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn." -- Killer Monkey, 6/3/99, criticizing Clinton for not setting a timetable in Kosovo, Attribution

"It doesn't make any sense to have a timetable. If you give a timetable, you're conceding too much to the enemy." --Killer Monkey, 6/24/05, with another flip-flop the media won't publish, Attribution
( thanks to bart )

I mean, gosh, but isn't the world a better place now? It's been two years and Iraqis still don't have reliable potable water, safe streets, electricity or anything resembling a functional government. Car bombings are the new NASCAR.
Golly, it's remarkable how much progress we've made.
It's won America widespread international accolades with our "friends and allies." They love us.
Our fearless AWOL-in-chief is adored and revered by the citizens of every free nation.
Bullshit.

There's enough smoldering international resentment to be responsible for some serious global warming. Oh, yeah, I forgot. There is no "Greenhouse Effect." Exxon said so.
Or something.

Back to local. I was told by Bank of Generica that I was eligble for awards based on my volunteer work.
Bullshit.
I'm a temp, so I deserve no recognition for my community based work.
What a morale builder.