Various Items

--More signs of economic meltdown:

Almost everything seems to be going wrong for the American economy at once. People are buying less, but most things are costing more. Mortgage rates are rising, the dollar is falling and prices of key commodities like oil are leaping from one record high to the next.

On Thursday, the dollar plumbed new lows against the Japanese yen and several other major currencies; the price of an ounce of gold jumped above $1,000 for the first time; and lenders raised home loan rates once again. Government figures showed retail sales fell in February as consumers cut back on cars, furniture and electronics.

--More signs the military-industrial complex is freaking out of control: new jet fighter program to cost one trillion.

--A muslim friend of mine tells me that not only is Hussein a very muslim name, but Barack is as well-- Barack was the name of the horse the prophet Muhammed rode. Hussein was a key ancestor of Muhammed. Not that there is anything wrong with having a muslim name! But it is interesting that the likely Dem candidate has a totally muslim name.

--Reading hard-core right-wing blogs is very depressing. How can you possibly deal with people who (just to name a couple of things) are absolutely convinced the media has been insufficiently patriotic about the Iraq war, and people who think that Islam is an inherently evil religion?