SAR #13135

Wall Street is more interested in success than achievement.

Yes, But: Barack Obama, he who the Republicans chastise for ever bigger government and uncontrolled spending, is actually the smallest government spender since Eisenhower. But isn't giving him credit for that sort of rather like praising Baradley Manning for sticking to his schedule?
Speed Kills: During the last 65 million years, atmospheric CO2 levels changed at the rate of 100 ppm per million years. We are doing it about 25,000 times faster. We have no idea where we're going, but we're getting there a lot faster than most folks suspect.
Average Averages: About 70% of Americans agree on almost every topic: Social Security, gun control, immigration reform, abortion, progressive taxation, public support for the disadvantaged, protecting the environment, and so on. The problem is that on any specific issue, the 70% is made up of a minority of one party and a majority of the other, leading to 'us vs. them' political divides. There doesn't seem to be much that a majority of both parties agree on, except that the other side is usually wrong.
Explicable: Research indicates that women who watch more TV have fewer babies. They're obviously not watching the right programs.
Antigonish: Over the past two or three years one of the biggest financial stories has been a very important non-event: Runaway inflation has not engulfed us. Inflation has not gotten out of hand. Inflation did not, in fact, even show up. Despite all the doomsayers, inflation is falling. To the puzzlement of many economists and even more politicians, over the last 20 years growth in the monetary base has not correlated very well with inflation. Bummer.
Sweet Revenge: Funny how those conservatives who don't want the government telling them what to do insist that the government tell the poor what they can spend their pittance on.
Garbage In, Garbage Out: The next time you rely on some official statistics, give a brief thought to this: about a third off all death certificates cite incorrect causes of death. Not though malice, but though a variety of bureaucratic and human-nature misadventures. And apply this lesson a bit beyond just 'the leading cause of death' discussion, too. Much of our beloved data is wrong and then, a la R&R, is anaylized by another set of fallible humans. We do not know near as much as we have the data to support our beliefs.
Cart, Horse: The answer is “austerity and tight money.” Now, what was the question?
G'way, yer bother'n me: Investors who were duped and/or conned out of their money by Barclay's participation in rigging Libor rates have been told they cannot sue the bank because they should have known the bank would lie, cheat and steal. The judge told the plaintiffs to go away and not come back.
To Whom It May Concern: SAR is on a brief bit of recreational absence & will be back full strength come Monday next. Or Or Tuesday.
The Parting Shot:

Jacks in the pulpit.  Or Jack in the pulpits.