[marstegreg]

The author takes care of that canard by including both figures (included and not included).

I’m sorry, I must of missed it... because it’s a load of crap! According the article, when food and gas are included the figure changes .13 percent (that’s right, 1/10th of a apercentage point)? Do you eat every day? Do you drive every day? Do an overwhelming percentage of americans buy food every day? Have you been to te grocery store lately? Meat is becoming a luxury item. Yet somehow, when including things all Americans buy daily like food(sometimes several times per day)it only changes the rate by .13, there is something seriously wrong with the numbers.

[1rudeboy]

I don't think you understand. The numbers bear-out my experience. That's not to say that you live in an area where the numbers are different . . . I just find it odd that, for example, people on the internet try to convince me that my energy prices are up, when they are down . . . and my food prices are up much more than they really are. It just doesn't make sense.