Standard deviation

MBAs were all doing the same thing, all evaluating these [financial market] vehicles the same way. Partly as a result, we have a 25 sigma event -- which should happen only once every 10,000 years -- and now they had one every day for three days in a row. --CNBC guest, 3:52 PM 10/23/2007

Krauthammer's razor

I fall back on Krauthammer's razor (with apologies to Occam): In explaining any puzzling Washington phenomenon, always choose stupidity over conspiracy, incompetence over cunning. Anything else gives them too much credit. My opinion Charles Krauthammer: Pelosi should concentrate on modern-day genocide, azstarnet.com, Published: 10.20.2007

Nemesis

Chalmers Johnson has written a book: "Nemesis. The last days of the American Republic." In it he compares present day American Imperium with the Roman Empire. At the height of its power it had 38 military bases around the world. Today USA has 737. Military expenditure has cost America two thousand billion dollars and bankrupted the country. The only thing keeping the economy going is the investment money pouring in from Japan and China. If that dries up, total economic collapse. China is already starting to direct its money towards the Euro. I have heard mutterings lately that Saudi Arabia is wanting to price its oil in Euros. If that happens Chalmers predicts America will collapse within 24 hours. --john leleu, Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:58:53 +1000 (EST)

God said it, I believe it, and that ends it.

OK, if God said it I'd believe it too. But why do you believe the guy who told you God said it? --L. Reichard White