Not surprisingly, investors reacted primarily to the headline, which does indeed suggest that things are getting better.

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Associated says that things are getting better: Occupancy is up, for instance, from 90% in March 2003 to 94% by September.

FORBES: The Worst REIT

Despite this, Brancatelli says he doesn't enjoy eating in airports--"airports by definition aren't great places to eat"--but admits that things are getting better.

FORBES

Because in October 1998 we saw a sharp rally for most markets, people had the perception that things are getting better and that the worst is over.

CNN: IS ASIA BOTTOMING OUT?

Sageworks CEO Brian Hamilton has said that the U.S. economy tends to keep moving in the same direction once it gets going, giving him hope that things are getting better.

FORBES: Glacier-like -- but not frozen -- U.S. economy

Thanks to the work of the global community, including members of CGI, there is compelling evidence everywhere we turn that things are getting better for girls and women around the world.

FORBES: To Move Women Forward, Recognize That Things are Looking Up

One point made at the Roving Bandit is that there are actually 18 different measurements that are used to try and test whether things are getting better.

FORBES: Jeff Sach's Lancet Paper on Millennium Villages: Actual Scientists Seriously Unimpressed

Dads on TV today are presented in so many different ways that it's impossible to say things are getting better or worse, he says.

CNN: June 15, 2012 -- Updated 1120 GMT (1920 HKT)

Despite the rare and tragic cases that rightly command our attention and outrage, the data show that things are, in fact, getting better for kids.

WSJ: The Panic Over Bullies

Others detect in his commitment to causes such as international development a belief that global bodies are better at getting things done than regional ones.

ECONOMIST: Pressure grows for a plebiscite on Europe