Poll Results: The Year of the Financial Reckoning?

I have used a gambling theme to represent this month's poll since none of us can really be too sure of the future. In the background lies the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong. In the foreground lies the odds board of this poll. Each vote represents a $2 bet. I have adjusted the odds as a racetrack would and allowed the house to keep 15% of the betting pool. They also make their money on rounding though so that is and has been factored in. The house is the house after all and it absolutely loves to nickel and dime us for all it can (literally!).

So, without further adieu, the favorite by a wide margin is 2008, The Year of the Rat. He's looking pretty sharp. I can see why he might be favored.

2008, Year of the Rat: Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to turn make things advantageous for himself. Although few Rats suffer financially, the Chinese have a proverb: They who pile up grain hoards have much to lose.

I must say that does sound ominous. Saving money? Strapped times? Grain hoarding? Wow. No wonder he's the favorite!

However, one also has to look at the odds. Some of these other bets will pay off very handsomely should those who predicted them be correct.

Some years were not bet on at all though. For instance, I guess we better hope that the year of the financial reckoning doesn't happen in 2013, The Year of the Snake. If it does we are all losers. The house would keep the entire pool. Hahaha! What are the odds of that though? *cough* *choke* *gasp*

This would probably be a bad time to mention that Ben Bernanke was born in 1953, another Year of the Snake. I should probably also not mention that a Snake will often dive right into decisions without weighing the consequences, which can cause him financial ruin. We just had a rate cut with oil at $90+. Let's hope that's just a coincidence. It must be. I don't even believe in astrology!

A special thanks goes out to all who voted in the poll!

See Also:
Poll: The Year of the Financial Reckoning?