SAR #14307

I have no desire to tell people what to think. I do, however, think they should have.

 
Quoting Clinton: The 'experts' say that US shale oil has flooded the market causing enormous oversupply of petroleum, driving down the price. And while there is some truth to that, and while the Saudis are taking advantage of the situation to drive down prices even more in hopes of bankrupting the frackers, the unavoidable fact is that the world's economies are... less than robust. Yes, the world has far more $100 a barrel oil than it can afford – sort of like the Peak Oilers used to preach. Anyway, it's the economy, stupid!

Cat/Bag: New Zealand's Trade Minister admitted that TPP documents are kept secret in order to maintain the negotiations' low profile and to prevent public awareness and debate.

Second Thoughts: JPMorgan Chase, anticipating that even more of their crimes will be uncovered, has increased to nearly $6 billion its set-aside for fines and legal fees stemming from its part in a generation or two of manipulating foreign exchange rates . Citi and UBS are also in the dock. 
 
To Tell The Truth: Drinking alcohol in moderation is good for you; drinking a little more than 'in moderation' is better for you than not drinking at all.

Hard of Hearing: As the UN calls for the sharp reduction of fossil fuel burning, Australian PM Tony Abbott continues to claim that coal is the future. Who's right? Abbott, unfortunately.

A la Carte: If you're in the market, ISIS will let you have a slightly used Yazidi or Christian woman, aged 40 to 50 years, is for 50,000 dinars. Prices increase as age decreases. The cream of the crop, - girls 1–9 years old, barely used - go for $200,000 dinars. Tell me again about the cradle of civilization.

Finely Printed: GCHQ – Britain's electronic spy agency – says that “Privacy has never been an absolute right”. Yes, but invading it has generally been considered an absolute wrong.

Department of Duh: WHO maintains that a lack of paying customers is the main reason that a cure for Ebola has not been developed. I'm shocked that anyone is shocked that a for-profit industry did not spend millions developing a drug for which there was no market, unlike Viagra. 
 
Oyez, Oyez: Sears has announced that it will open at 6 PM on Thanksgiving. Announced, because otherwise no one would notice.

No Good Deed: A teacher at a Louisville, KY Catholic School was fired because on her return from Kenya she refused a 21-day quarantine. Never mind that Kenya is 3,500 miles away from the nearest Ebola outbreak. In Minnesota, two highschool girls were disqualified from the state's cross-country meet because they went back and helped an opponent who had fallen. In Fort Lauderdale, FL, a 90-year old man who was handing out food to the homeless – as he has done for a decade – was told “drop the plate” and arrested because the city fathers think that feeding the poor drives down property prices and discourages tourism and claim that "Whatever discourages feeding people on the streets is a positive thing." They did the same thing to him back in 1999 and he sued and won. Hope he does again. 
 
No Thought Zone: A middle school student in Amarillo was arrested after he refused to remove his rosary – the cop thought it was “gang-related” bling.

Porn O'Graph: Ye Olde Chicken/Egg