TBT…

Sorry about that- Scheduler didn’t schedule… sigh

Abbott and Costello are famous for ‘Who’s on First’, and some wag ‘updated’ it for explaining unemployment numbers…

Understanding Democrat’s Economics by Abbott and Costello (Who’s on First fame)…
COSTELLO :  I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.
ABBOTT : Good Subject.  Terrible Times.  It’s 5.6%.
COSTELLO :  That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT : No, that’s 23%.
COSTELLO : You just said 5.6%.
ABBOTT :  5.6% Unemployed.
COSTELLO :  Right 5.6% out of work.
ABBOTT : No, that’s 23%.
COSTELLO : Okay, so it’s  23% unemployed.
ABBOTT : No, that’s 5.6%.
COSTELLO :  WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 5.6% or 23%?
ABBOTT : 5.6% are unemployed.  23% are out of work.
COSTELLO : If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTT :  No, Obama said you can’t count the “Out of Work” as the unemployed.  You have to look for work to be unemployed.
COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
ABBOTT : No, you miss his point.
COSTELLO :  What point?
ABBOTT :  Someone who doesn’t look for work can’t be counted with those who look for work.  It wouldn’t be fair.
COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT : The unemployed.
COSTELLO : But ALL of them are out of work.
ABBOTT : No, the unemployed are actively looking for work.  Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you’re off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT : Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLO : The unemployment just goes down because you don’t look for work?
ABBOTT : Absolutely it goes  down. That’s how it gets to 5.6%. Otherwise it would be 23%.
COSTELLO : Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT : Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO : Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT : Correct.
COSTELLO : And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT : Bingo.
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like a Democrat.
COSTELLO:  I don’t even know what the hell I just said!
ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like Biden.
And here is the original… Lou Costello’s expressions are hilarious! 🙂

Comments

TBT… — 10 Comments

  1. In the late 80’s I was the scheduling petty officer for the VX-1 Operations department. I scheduled all the flight crews for the next days flights. Once I had all the flights set up on a magnetic board, our trusty yeoman would take down the names and type up the schedule to be be printed. One day, after I finished the flight schedule, the yeoman asked me “Who’s on first?”. I couldn’t resist such a sweet opening and I segued right into the Abbot and Costello routine. The yeoman, being a young lad, had never heard this golden bit of comedy and played right into my hand like a good straight man. I kept him going for a good 5 minutes. The Ops Chief was sitting at his desk trying very, very hard not to laugh and ruin the moment, but he was losing it quickly (as evidenced by the tears running down his face). Young yeoman was getting very red in the face and angry, so we finally clued him in. A great way to break up the monotony of the day. I was a bad, bad sailor that day.

  2. Ray: I had a craptacular day. You just saved it. Bravo Zulu, sailor. At times, I almost miss when I was in…

  3. We live in Clownland, and it’s not getting any better. Is South Africa a harbinger? Or perhaps an executive outcome?