Signs point to recovery

It's funny how the world works, with a natural order guiding things large and small. You put your socks on before your shoes, shower before you dress, turn the ignition before putting the car into gear. So it is with things economic as well. First comes an early sign of life from financial indicators, things like the slope of the yield curve and the money supply. They're the kind of leading indicators most analysts dismiss as too flaky to hang their hat on, which is why most of them show up at the party hat in hand, and late. Call these intangible indicators what you will, they work. Wh...