Care About Statistics That Matter

I scratch my head regularly if CNBC is droning on in the background when the chatter turns to the VIX. I suppose it is okay to track trends in market volatility, but evidently some people or machines, actually trade the index and care about it. Certainly the soothsayers of TV think it is important. I don't get it.

My eyes also glaze over when they talk about "fair value" in the early morning before the markets open. Supposedly the difference between fair value and the futures will tell where the markets will start the day. So what? It must have importance because a lot of time is devoted to discussing the subject.

While I'm on the topic of what I don't understand, I wish the television guys/gals and their gurus would learn that any single statistic or data point rarely has value. Trends are important, but a lonely piece of data is usually only a possible clue. But not on 24 hour television.

So, while it won't happen, I would like to hear more about balance sheets, income statements, costs, dividends, sales trends, and other actual business concepts that do affect actual values. Wouldn't that be nice?