News Just In!

MARKET DATA - 00:19 UK

FTSE 100
4912.40down
-113.20 -2.25%

Dow Jones
10609.66down
-449.36 -4.06%

Nasdaq
2098.85down
-109.05 -4.94%

Can anyone explain to me why news websites, TV news and radio news all give us these figures? I mean, do the newscasters think that on hearing it we are all scrambling around checking our shares kept neatly in filing cabinets? I would like to know the percentage of the population who take notice of any of these figures!

If the economy is good, why can't they just say, "Well, the economy is doing alright, so why not treat yourself to a nice dress or a good pair of slacks tomorrow," and give us a little wink. If the economy is bad, they could say, "Markets are a bit screwy at the moment, its what we call in the trading industry a funny turn." And then, if billions of dollars or pounds are being wiped off day by day and huge investment banks go under, depriving thousands of their livelihoods they could just say, "The economic outlook is shafted. We're all shafted. Repeat, shafted." Really would make economic outlook reporting much easier and more easy on the eyes and ears!

On BBC the numbers are red and have little arrows pointing down. All of the figures have this. This must be bad! Sometimes I think these red figures with down pointy arrows are just put on the BBC website to make us crap our pants for the sake of it. I feel sorry for the people who are going to take a hard fall from all this. As for me, I'm not in a position to lose much as I don't have much. I guess that's one of the perks of being a 30 year old waster.