Today’s post introduces the fourth of country singer Merle Hazard’s Euro-shanties, this one taking off on the Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th. Merle (if not Beethoven) will do anything to educationally amuse. So will we. But given the gravity…

"The Fed chairman's message, though scholarly in tone, was unusually blunt," wrote the Wall Street Journal, "laying blame for inflationary pressures in emerging markets and for tensions over currencies on countries like China." The Financial Times underscored another…