The Associated Press has some good--albeit highly anecdotal--news on the unemployment front:

When laid-off toy company executive Paul Nawrocki hit the streets of Manhattan wearing a sandwich board and handing out his resume, he became the face of the recession.

At the end of 2008, with the giants of Wall Street collapsing and bank accounts dwindling, this lone, mustachioed job hunter with the sign proclaiming he was "almost homeless" seemed like a mirror of a slumping nation's fears and troubles. . . .

Well, if Paul Nawrocki is a sign of the times, then times are looking up.

Because last month, after collecting 99 weeks of unemployment, Nawrocki finally found a job.

Ninety-nine weeks, eh? Want to see an amazing coincide? This is from the Web site of the New York State Department of Labor:

New York State now provides 73 additional weeks of unemployment benefits, as well as the usual 26 weeks of regular benefits.

Get a calculator, and punch in "73+26=." Spooky, isn't it?