Forums | MacLife

ScifiterX wrote:

True but usually median, mean, and average are relatively close to each other.

Median and mean are usually pretty close. But a change in the median implies a change in "most" of the data points. A change in the mean does not.

And "average" is a pretty vague term, usually taken to mean "mean," but it can mean another measure of central tendency.

More like geek mode. Fun, huh?

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Hank Rearden wrote:

Median and mean are usually pretty close. But a change in the median implies a change in "most" of the data points. A change in the mean does not.

And "average" is a pretty vague term, usually taken to mean "mean," but it can mean another measure of central tendency.

SEMANTICS MODE: ENGAGED

No, engage your math mode because he's correct.

Correct in missing the entire point of the thread?

So, back to what began this mathematical yapping... are most Americans actually worse off? And, by what measure(s)?

By some measures, I'd suspect that this is the case.

However, I would bet that, even worse off, the vast majority of Americans are still much better off than 95% of the rest of the world.

Discussions of recessions in the West - in terms of what they do to our ability to buy a new iPod or whatever - are extremely parochial. The big problem with a recession in the West is that we tend to get insular and don't buy as much of what the rest of the world is offering, which does filter down to those that have no idea what an iPod is and who couldn't even afford a Shuffle if they did.

I would say most American with some measures would be a fair appraisal. I would suspect many with a number of measures. My mother makes a a fair amount of money at $45K /year. Her retirement took a significant hit. She's having to spend more and more on gas and food leaving her less for things like glasses.

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Hank Rearden wrote:

However, I would bet that, even worse off, the vast majority of Americans are still much better off than 95% of the rest of the world.

Discussions of recessions in the West - in terms of what they do to our ability to buy a new iPod or whatever - are extremely parochial. The big problem with a recession in the West is that we tend to get insular and don't buy as much of what the rest of the world is offering, which does filter down to those that have no idea what an iPod is and who couldn't even afford a Shuffle if they did.

Aha, so it's the freecat arguent ... "you're not living in Haiti so shut your whine-hole."

Well, I just don't by that "reasoning."

With a world economy you had better start because that is reality.

Would that be real reality or anecdotal reality?

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Aha, so it's the freecat arguent ... "you're not living in Haiti so shut your whine-hole."

Well, I just don't by that "reasoning."

With a world economy you had better start because that is reality.

Would that be real reality or anecdotal reality?

It's the reality in which Haiti is the acceptable minimal standard of living in the world.

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Hank Rearden wrote:

However, I would bet that, even worse off, the vast majority of Americans are still much better off than 95% of the rest of the world.

Discussions of recessions in the West - in terms of what they do to our ability to buy a new iPod or whatever - are extremely parochial. The big problem with a recession in the West is that we tend to get insular and don't buy as much of what the rest of the world is offering, which does filter down to those that have no idea what an iPod is and who couldn't even afford a Shuffle if they did.

Aha, so it's the freecat arguent ... "you're not living in Haiti so shut your whine-hole."

Well, I just don't by that "reasoning."

With a world economy you had better start because that is reality.

No it's not. That's just a rationalization to excuse the failure of the policies these last 8 years. Typical of the rights thinking tho.

Farmerkev wrote:

matt wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Would that be real reality or anecdotal reality?

It's the reality in which Haiti is the acceptable minimal standard of living in the world.

You two done with your wiseass dog and pony show or care to make fools of yourselves some more?

I prefer to think of it as calling you on your bullsmurf.

Also I picture freecat reading this and tearing his hair out.

Farmerkev wrote:

Pariah wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

With a world economy you had better start because that is reality.

No it's not. That's just a rationalization to excuse the failure of the policies these last 8 years. Typical of the rights thinking tho.

This started in the 70's.
You know this as well as I do.
It isn't about right versus left and never was.

It may have started in the 70s but all but those most stubbornly committed to ignoring what's going on see that things have gotten far worse under the current Bush administration than it's gotten under the Nixon to Clinton administrations combined.

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

I prefer to think of it as calling you on your bullsmurf.

Also I picture freecat reading this and tearing his hair out.

You're that childish.

Oh come on, lighten up.

Seriously, though, what is the deal with Haiti? Should us developed-world folks stop whining and be grateful we're not in Port-au-Prince? Does the fact that we're not in Haiti mean no one has the right to complain about the economy?

Because by that logic no one has the right to complain about anything, anywhere, at any time because there's always someone worse off. Is that your thinking here?

No but it does get old hearing people trying to equate the sniffles with N stage cancer.

Farmerkev wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

You're that childish.

Oh come on, lighten up.

Seriously, though, what is the deal with Haiti? Should us developed-world folks stop whining and be grateful we're not in Port-au-Prince? Does the fact that we're not in Haiti mean no one has the right to complain about the economy?

Because by that logic no one has the right to complain about anything, anywhere, at any time because there's always someone worse off. Is that your thinking here?

No but it does get old hearing people trying to equate the sniffles with N stage cancer.

Am I crazy or did you essentially just say "no" and then "yes?"

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Hank Rearden wrote:

However, I would bet that, even worse off, the vast majority of Americans are still much better off than 95% of the rest of the world.

Discussions of recessions in the West - in terms of what they do to our ability to buy a new iPod or whatever - are extremely parochial. The big problem with a recession in the West is that we tend to get insular and don't buy as much of what the rest of the world is offering, which does filter down to those that have no idea what an iPod is and who couldn't even afford a Shuffle if they did.

Aha, so it's the freecat arguent ... "you're not living in Haiti so shut your whine-hole."

Well, I just don't by that "reasoning."

I don't know if I'd phrase it exactly that way. But yes. Why not?

Yes, we're likely in a downturn of some sort (I can leave it to the economists to argue about whether it's a recession or not, etc.).  But, unless things get 30's-level bad, you're not going to be standing in a bread line anytime soon.

But, people in - Haiti, for instance - aren't even going to have the luxury of bread lines if things get worse. Heck, they don't have that "luxury" now. They definitely won't if things go south.