If wishes were fishes

Sometimes I wonder whether I should have established a Tanigaki Sadakazu investment fund. The fund's secret strategy: tracking the Finance Minister's every utterance and then betting on the exact opposite economic policy outcome.

Deflation expected to end this year, Tanigaki says
Kyodo

NEW YORK --Japan may be able to move out of deflation within this year, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Monday.

Tanigaki, who is visiting the United States, made the comment at a lecture at the Japan Society in New York.

"The government compiled an economic forecast last year based on the assumption that Japan will overcome deflation this year," Tanigaki said. "Overcoming deflation has been our aim for a long time. I think everyone has the feeling that Japan will overcome deflation within this year, although my saying so may have attracted attention."

Call it a coincidence, but I have been following a similar strategy of getting myself in the news...

Pulitzer Prize expected this year, MTC says
Kyodon't

Minato-ku --MTC may be able to win a Pulitzer Prize this year, semi-literate blogger MTC said Tuesday.

MTC, who is seated upon his ample behind, made the comment at random passersby at around 5 p.m. in Tokyo.

"I compiled my datebook last year based on the assumption that I will win a Pulitzer Prize this year," MTC said. "Overcoming invisibility has been my aim for a long time. I think everyone has the feeling that I will overcome my invisibility within this year, although my saying so may have attracted attention."

What is it they say, "Hope is not a plan"?

If we are to believe the newspapers, the powers in Washington are already hedging their bets in the post-Koizumi sweepstakes by giving Tanigaki "the full Chalabi"--slipping him into meetings with the soon-to-be-defunct Alan Greenspan, the unprintable John Snow, Richard Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.

If we are to believe the newspapers...