Monthly Archives: October 2011

Euro Tidbit: The Lies of ‘Stress Tests’

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Euro Tidbit: The Lies of ‘Stress Tests’

Bailed-out Dexia, a major Belgian-French bank, is kaput again and will be broken up. Bondholders and counterparties will be bailed out. As usual, taxpayers will foot the bill. But remember the “stress tests” in July?

Greece ‘Finds’ Treasure, Stays Solvent For Another Month

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Greece ‘Finds’ Treasure, Stays Solvent For Another Month

None of the financial shenanigans that the Greek government engages in on a routine basis, as shocking as they used to be, surprise anyone anymore … until there’s something that surprises everyone.

The Ugly World Of Auto Sales

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Ugly World Of Auto Sales

The media giddily reported the September auto sales numbers—though there was little to be giddy about. They were still 20% lower than September 2006. Toyota and Honda got slammed, but don’t blame post-earthquake inventory shortages. They have been resolved. It’s a shift in the market.

Prying Into the Brain

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Prying Into the Brain

A dream—or nightmare—yields to scientific progress: quantitative models recreate thoughts, and brain signals control mechanical devices. Yet, the brain is an unreliable organ that makes up for shortcomings in data with profuse creativity. It’s going to be a wild ride. And Google and Facebook will have a field day.

Japan is Running Out Of Butter

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Japan is Running Out Of Butter

And now they blame it on the weather! Particularly the record heat that suffocated the country during the summer of 2010. Turns out, dairy cows are less fertile when it’s too hot, and that set in motion a chain reaction.

Deflation In Japan and its Chances in the US

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Deflation In Japan and its Chances in the US

Deflation phobia broke out again. Fed governor Bullard grumbled about inflation expectations being too low and threatened to print more money, while deflationistas paint the Japanese “deflation spiral” as sheer horror. So here is my experience with that horror.

Alas, in one category, deflation has hounded us for 10 years.