noise to signal

Shenanigans and joy

OK, first, a beautifully understated line in our broker's quarterly letter to investors. After listing all the reasons there's a shortage of oil on the market right now -- leading to high oil prices -- he lays this one on us:

The last joker in the deck is the President ordered the Department of Energy to fill up the salt domes containing the country's Strategic Reserves. Perhaps that was a good idea, but the timing seems problematic..."

Yeah, I'll say. Oil's at a historic high, and Shrub takes the opportunity to line the pockets of his buddies in the oil industry by buying high. Nice one.

In more hopeful news, Pat pointed me to this post in Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo:

This was one of the most moving, meaningful days of my life.

My job is to get people to the polls and, more importantly, to keep them there. Because they’re crazily jammed. Crazily. No one expected this turnout. For me, it’s been a deeply humbling, deeply gratifying experience. At today’s early vote in the College Hill district of East Tampa -- a heavily democratic, 90% African American community — we had 879 voters wait an average of five hours to cast their vote. People were there until four hours after they closed (as long as they’re in line by 5, they can vote)

Here’s what was so moving ...

Yes, I'm going to make you go read it for yourself.