Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

From the AP: Home prices post 6.3 pct annual decline in January.

A government report says U.S. home prices fell 6.3 percent in January from the same month last year.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency says prices, on a seasonally adjusted basis, rose 1.7 percent from December to January.

Home sales included in January's data were weighted toward areas that haven't borne as much of the brunt of the housing recession, the agency says.

Oh good! We thought you might be trying to manipulate the data or something. But nooooooooooo!!! You just weighted the data towards areas that didn't fall as much. Of course, that would make the data particularly useful.

FAIL!!!