Fiscal Fact-finder Gifts

'Continuing to deficit spend during a budget crunch is what makes America great!'

Fear/Knowledge

My Bookshelf Before the Internet

Fiscal Compass for the Global Investor.

Reporter #6: television.

Useless information desk at trivia buff convention

Rumors, lies and innuendo.

We have a problem with your research. We're Encyclopedia Britannica and you're Wikipedia.

The Expert

"Perhaps there is such a thing as being too well-informed."

'Did you know there's a river in Brazil named after Amazon?'

"Is that you talking or Wikipedia?"

"Please, Lord, enough already."

Two computers, smaller one labeled DATA, the larger one, HYPE

'Don't panic, folks! It's red ink, not blood!

Sense of dread & foreboding Information blackout Illumination Facts known

"I see you've arranged your life and business so that you can deduct everything. Do you know the penalty for 'trying to beat the system'?"

"Apparently, over two-thirds of the Earth's surface is covered with water!"

'Can you get me in touch with people that own me money?'

'I feel I owe a lot to my country.' - 'So, you haven't paid your income tax again.'

Nearly a third of the earth's life-forms have gone extinct. Cut! Stop with all the facts. This is debate club! But we're using a cable tv talk show format! What should I say? Unsupported opinions

"I'm suffering the unbearable loneliness of being right on the internet."

I think I can...

'You're so illogical. I can never win an argument with you.'

'All this 'history' stuff you teach about - is it based on actual events?'

"So ants can lift twenty times their body weight. Big deal. Who can't?"

"We will demonstrate that climate change denial blogs cause further global warming."

Conspiracy theories

'Hey, that line's moving a lot faster!'

'We ran a full DNA test, STR and Mitochondrial analysis... and Bob here 'Googled' it just to make sure.'

"Nothing wrong with half-truths...you still have 50% to manipulate."

'Maybe we can rob Peter AND Paul.'

After income tax, pension and national insurance I end up owing £450.

"Do you have a few unsubstantiated claims I can borrow?"

Lemme ask you something: Do you care about the quality of information you get? How's you mean? You want professional journalists covering events? If so, you've got to pay them. Bloggers sitting in their jammies at home can't get you the facts from Istanbul. You look extremely bored. You've got a weird hangup with facts.