In a short time, we have grown accustomed to reading (and in my case, writing) articles and headlines filled with words like, decrease, “decline” and “fall.” That’s why when, as reported this month, housing starts saw a slight increase, and new orders for durable goods went up, the words “unexpectedly” and “surprising” started to appear. Confidence went up, at least a little – badly needed in our battered economy.
 
That said, as soon as the word “increase” and all its synonyms came back, however briefly, there were plenty of economists and analysts ready to moderate our excitement that things might finally be hitting rock bottom. “The modest signs of stability in the U.S. economy are …