For the jobless: Benefits on a red map, claims fall, and bac

For those Pink Slippers who can grasp much better when faced with graphic representations than with words, we offer this handy device from our friends at CNNMoney.com. Just scroll over the state where you live to find out the maximum number of weeks of unemployment benefits you can possibly collect. (However, we all know those checks will barely keep you in bacon products for the month, let alone cover the rent.)

Your other treat for the day is the news that initial jobless claims for the week fell by 47,000 to 522,000. That's a huge number, but the lowest such figure since the first week of 2009. Stay tuned to see if that's the beginning of a trend, or just a summer hiccup.