It is disappointing in the wake of the huge rise in the Empire State survey -- the indexes are usually at similar levels,

There's no question that these numbers have been persistently disappointing in recent weeks, ... It's not that layoffs are accelerating again -- we think the underlying trend [of claims] is stable at about 390,000 -- it is that we expected clearer signs of an outright decline [in the number of claims].

These surveys give regional snapshots, and that's all they do. I'd never even heard of the Empire State survey until recently -- and I don't think you can build the case that Wall Street sits there panting, waiting for the results.

The gains were uneven, however, with small declines in clothing and electronics, a decent 0.7 percent rise for general merchandise and a huge leap for non-store retailers. Provided January holds up -- surveys suggest so far, so good -- the overall holiday season will have been pretty good.

All I do is wake up in the morning and usually just leave it the way it is. I use the natural grease. It's very easy.

I usually do that against Savannah State, too.