Why do I blog? Well, it might have something with the use and abuse of statistics and numbers I see in the headlines each day. Journalists (God loves them) have a tendency to present numbers in a way that sells copy at the expense of objectivity and perspective.
But in this instance, I thought I’d curb my corrective tendencies and simply add something that’s missing from two headlines related to Alberta’s rising mortgage default rates on mortgages.
The CBC, for example, simply states:
Whereas Canada.com reiterates:
That’s fine, but compared to what? Numbers need to be anchored to something, so how about we compare Alberta with the rest of Canada?
I’ve grabbed the data available from the Canadian Banker’s Association to examine the broader trend.
Click the chart below to enlarge.
In short, Alberta is no worse than the rest of Canada, but it is trending towards the danger zone more aggresively. I’m not ready to press the panic button, as this is probably just speculators getting hammered for over-extending themselves.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
John Prince 10.02.08 at 11:57 am
… use and abuse of statistics and numbers
“Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions.”
Ivan prokopchuk 10.02.08 at 11:42 pm
Where would Sociology be without statistics?
That ‘the only thing that gives Sociology the appearance of legitimacy.
And yet we can obviously be misled.
Political Economy, I say like a good commie.
At least it studies root causes of econoic goings on at any particular time.
Doubting Thomas 10.03.08 at 9:18 pm
When I lived in the belly of the beast, (Toronto area, NEVER Toronto) I was taken aback by the polite Canadian’s venom hurled toward Americans and Albertans. Albertans were openly called “rednecks” in the Tranna Star…or was it the Red Star? I was just a poor dumb immigrant, a stranger in a strange land.
The curious and maddening thing is that we all pay taxes, part of which support the CBC, and the bloody CBC and all who sail in her, come up with sh*t like that. And employ shrews like Heather Mallick.
Tom
Ivan prokopchuk 10.04.08 at 4:03 am
People do get rich and famous on our forcibly extracted CBC and Provincial educational TV dime, don’t they?
I mean take your choice.
You get Jon Stewart for nothing. So why, say, pay a million with our taxes for Peter Mansbridge–obviously talented, but then along with him, come your shrews. I mean I wouldn’t throw Carol MacNeil out of bed, but Suhanna Merchant?