Deal Journal has been collecting various examples of Wall Street witticisms and holiday verse, so we give a tip of the hat to Cindy Shaw, a global investment strategist with based in San Francisco. Her well-metered take on Clement Clarke Moore’s “Night Before Christmas” is a reminder of what there is to be grateful for this year. Deal Journal reprints Ms. Shaw’s version to pay forward a little of her holiday spirit.
‘Twas the months before Christmas, when all through the land,
A financial crisis got way out of hand;
Bernanke and Paulson to the rescue did sail,
And yet nonetheless, Lehman Brothers did fail.
The fed-funds rate was quite aggressively cut,
Yet consumers’ pocketbooks still were snapped shut;
As Congress approved hundreds of billions for TARP,
The taxpayers did most vociferously carp;
Financial firm bail-outs happened throughout the land,
Auto CEOs, too, asked for a big helping hand;
But flying to D.C. in their corporate jets,
Was a gaffe with Congress, which soon caused regrets.
Helicopter Ben tried quantitative easing,
Yet credit markets remained quite close to freezing;
When, who to our wondering eyes should appear,
But Senator Obama, dispelling some fear,
On infrastructure and more, he said he would spend,
So the battered economy could start to mend.
The new president-elect swiftly took aim,
And Cabinet and staffers he began to name;
“Now, Summers! now, Geithner! now, Holder and Bob Gates!
On, Hillary Clinton, for Secretary of State!”
Though Obama’s announcements could make markets rally,
During George W.’s White House finale;
Fear and deleveraging caused investors to sell,
Prices of stocks and other risky assets fell;
And flights to safety made Treasury prices soar,
Sending T-bill and -bond yields down through the floor.
As is common in the bursting of bubbles,
What was hottest had the biggest troubles;
Politicians called for more stringent regulations,
And the FBI launched fraud investigations.
Helping out now are the prices of gas and food,
Which recently had consumers coming unglued;
Though as of late a respite in inflation,
Provides to consumers a bit of salvation;
Yet with the economy on a slippery slope,
We worry about the future, and how we’ll cope;
After more than a year of gloom, doom and fear,
It can be hard to feel any holiday cheer;
Stock prices ‘round the world went down by nigh half,
Leaving many frightened and unable to laugh;
And while your 401k may be in tatters,
For happiness, money is not what most matters;
For retailers, yes, this holiday will be tough,
But the holiday spirit is not about “stuff”;
Enjoying the company of loved ones and friends,
Is worth far more than a new Mercedes Benz.
Remember billions are hungry or at war,
To understand you’re the opposite of poor;
Try giving money or time to charity,
To gain perspective and priceless clarity;
In spite of this economy, which truly is dour,
Feeling holiday joy is within your power;
So then let us exclaim, “In this season delight,
Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night.”
Whatever the new administration does, we’re in for months, perhaps even a year, of economic hell. After that, things should get better, as President Obama’s stimulus plan — O.K., I’m told that the politically correct term is now “economic recovery plan” — begins to gain traction. Late next year the economy should begin to stabilize, and I’m fairly optimistic about 2010.
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無論歐巴馬團隊有何作為，我們還得在經濟深淵困上好幾個月，甚至一年。在此之後，由於歐巴馬的振興經濟方案（政治正確的說法是經濟復甦計畫）開始發揮作用，局面應該逐漸好轉。至明年底，經濟應該開始穩定，我對2010年相當樂觀。 |
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英研究：男性智商高 精子品質也較佳 【12/6 22:35】
