It is difficult to find any part of the economic puzzle that would lead you to be less confident about the full-year 2006 outlook than you were six months ago.

Price rises are gradually feeding down the production chain. This is starting to affect consumer prices and would make the exit from deflation more solid.

It's a sign that the cycle is starting to turn. The job offer ratio improved for the second month, and that's usually a fairly reliable measure of market conditions.

If you look not just at the headline rate but also at the underlying rates, you are seeing a gradual climb away from zero and that has to be seen positively.

I'm confident in my pitchers. Between pitching, [pitch] location and defense, we have to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I told [all the players] if they don't believe in themselves it's going to be a long year.

Once I get on a puzzle, I can't get off.