Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Quote of the Year...or,
Mr. Galbraith Gets the Last Laugh

Over lunch, I read the Quote of the Day to the Boy Wonder. He said, "I have something better. You gotta hear this one!"

He whipped out THE GREAT CRASH: 1929, by John Kenneth Galbraith, which the Ex sent him for Christmas. (BW is starting college on Jan. 20 as an economics major.)

From Galbraith's new introduction, written in 1997:
Always when markets are in trouble, the phrases are the same: "The economic situation is fundamentally sound" or simply "The fundamentals are good." All who hear these words should know that something is wrong.
Last night, BW, Darling Husband and I had dinner with Chris Matthews. (OK, we ate off trays while watching "Hardball," on DVR.) Yesterday's show listed the best and worst political moments of 2008. Guess what was #1 in "Biggest general election moments"?

Give up?
"The fundamentals of our economy are strong."
--John McCain

BONUS QUOTES:

"We all didn’t quite see what was happening.”
--Margaret Hedberg, director of the International Debutante Ball, per the NY Times.

She brushed off the $14,000 cost of a table — “Watches cost more.”
--Marie Antoinette. Oops! I mean Margaret Hedberg.

2 comments:

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

Bella, I read about the Debs on Gawker. You know, in all fairness, watches DO cost more than $14,000. When you're buying them for the entire state of Rhode Island.... Where's Miss Snark when you need her?

Happy New Year to you and yours. I will hire you this year. That is MY resolution.

KIM

Sustenance Scout said...

Great comment above! Go Kim!! Bella, BW is on the right track. We need more like him in the financial industry. Could he get on an accelerated track to graduate in six months or so? Fingers crossed for the success of this new administration; they are inheriting a heck of a mess. K.