Some Good News: Yes, the economy is (slowly) getting better

Lest I be accused of being a perma-bear, I take note of some undeniably good news. There are growing signs that hiring is picking up. The official (as opposed to real) unemployment figures dropped below 9% today. Also there is strong evidence that economic growth is picking up steam. However rising inflation and the threat of a potentially severe oil shock coupled with a staggering level of debt could derail it all. We shall see. I am shifting into the cautiously optimistic column. But I would definitely hedge any bets on a sustained recovery. The real test will come when we see if/how Congress deals with the debt and if/when the FED decides to stop printing money like it's going out of style (which it might be).