SAR #9002

This is not a test.

Y2K: A few years late, the computer/clock monster struck Microsoft's Zune media players on 12/31/08. Microsoft has assured the public that this is an unadvertised feature for which there is no charge. Fixing the feature depends on your use of Outlook Express, which has its own problems..

Epitaph: "I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror." Alberto Gonzales.

Civilization To Collapse! The global demand for oil will plummet - that's what the headlines read. The FT says it will "plummet" Nope. Nearly all the transport systems in the world run on petroleum. Nearly all the food in the world is dependent on petroleum both directly and indirectly. Global requirements for petroleum may decrease slightly, but cars, planes, and ships are not going to stop moving and people are quite fond of eating. Get a grip, the price of oil has fallen way too far and will return to at least cover the cost of finding and producing it - and that's more than today's 6 cents a cup.

Dead Doctrines: Anybody still believe in either the "economic man" or the "efficient market" theories? Why?

Peace In Our Time: The Good News is that the civilian body count in Iraq was down in 2008. The Bad News is that it was only down to 25 civilian deaths a day. The really bad news is that this got Petraeus good reviews.

London Calling: The US media is about as unthinkingly pro-Jerusalem as the Pentagon and State Department. Different perspectives exist, questioning the efficacy of keeping food and medicine from Gaza's children as a way to secure peace.

Past as Prologue: In a less than joyful report based on analysis of 800 years of data, economists Reinhart and Rogoff conclude, "the recent lull in sovereign defaults is likely to come to an end."

Serial Killer: In 2008 those on both sides of the subprime mortgage business got pretty well slaughtered. In 2009 regular folks with regular mortgages will be the targets. It doesn't get better, it doesn't get worse, it just keeps on keeping on.

Porn O'Graph: Employing the employment data.