Feeling Bear-ish

So, I'll admit it. I have little to no understanding of economics and finance. I am the girl that can't bring herself to open her statements from her deceased father and great-grandmother's assets because I don't understand what I'm looking at and it makes me feel like a five-year old lost at the mall. How can someone with a degree actually be this stupid?

So, there's no time like a terrifying economic collapse to try to educate one's self about what the hell is happening and what might happen as we trudge forward. I'm starting with NPR's Planet Money, which was an offshoot of a This American Life episode about the credit crisis. It deals very plainly with up to date interesting info about the current craziness and finance in general.
HIGHLY Recommended.

I came across this highly interesting article from Harvard economist Jeff Frankel dealing with the fuzziest of statistics that try to reconfigure that fact that the economy does better under Democratic presidents that it does under Republican presidents. It's called: What Does it Take to Define Away the Statistics Showing Economic Performance Under Democratic Presidents Superior to That Under Republicans?

Click the money shirt to read it!

As I am an independent (you might find that surprising, since I'm so Obamaed up), I'm not like YES! DEMZ RULE!!1!!. I just find it interesting that the most successful presidents and the least successful in terms of the economy have acted against the basic platform of their party. Very, very interesting stuff and I like his argument.