http://news.yahoo.com/s/ft/20070817/bs_ft/fto081720071734509584
Traders turn to black humour
By David Oakley Fri Aug 17, 5:15 PM ET
In one of the most turbulent weeks in the financial markets this year, there have been not only tears but also laughter as black humour have helped some of the world's biggest banks and institutions come to terms with the prospect of huge losses.
As the FTSE 100 shed 4.1 per cent on Thursday - the biggest daily loss in more than four years - traders let rip with expletives and gallows humour in equal proportions as they grappled with the unprecedented volatility.
[...]
One joke likened the crisis in subprime assets - responsible for triggering the implosion of some hedge funds as they totted up billions of dollars in losses - to the Titanic disaster: as with the Titanic, the downside was not immediately apparent and only a few wealthy people got out in time.
[...]
B. wrote:
"Question for econ folks on list: [...] Okay, so what are "the fundamentals," and when or why would they not be "sound"? Any examples of when the fundamentals weren't sound? What are they -- the fundamentals, that is?"