America's stock market is about 15 percent below its October 2007 peak, suggesting that investors are currently expecting a mild U.S. recession. More ominously, however, credit markets have largely ceased to function, save for the highest quality loans, suggesting that a sharp reduction in the quantity of credit available at market-clearing interest rates is threatening to curtail real economic activity by more than the seemingly benign level of market interest rates would suggest.

The United States is experiencing an intensifying lack of credit availability that is causing a sharp economic slowdown--until recently unforeseen by most economists, including those at the Federal Reserve. This is understandable--though not comforting--because most economic models capture the link between financial markets and the real economy with movements in the level of interest rates.

Software Mac OS X Hits Record Marketshare, Continues to Chip at ...

I don't need menu/program items buried under a single cool looking icon for the sake of the way the OS looks.Same reason why I can't stand iPods. 1 F'ing button that does 10 different things and that you have to "slide accross" 12 times to get to where you want to go. Really? Can that actually be classified as a button anyway? Sounds more like a touch-sensitive dimmer control to me. No thanks I'll take something that has actual buttonsCome on now, that's one of the reasons XP is still more popular than Vista. Vista is too close to OSX in eyecandy, and too far away from XP in quickness and easy of use. Am I wrong here? I mean I've "downgraded" 6 Vista machines to XP for side clients in last 2 weeks...Sorry for the rant, but I'm just tired of people sacrificing ease of use (somtimes drastically) for the sake of design.

Amberjac Projects Battery Systems Help JCB Streamliner to 350mph

(CSRwire) Amberjac Projects Limited, a company in the United Kingdom, wish to congratulate Andy Green and the JCB Dieselmax team on their momentous 350mph world landspeed record attempt success. Amberjac Projects developed and built the battery systems and chargers for the JCB Streamliner. The team decided not to use an alternator to provide electrical power due to the reduction in engine power caused by an alternator under high load. The electrical systems, fuel pump, turbo waste, and ancillary equipment demand a very high current draw from the battery system for a sustained period over the speed runs. The environment that the battery system had to survive would be considered an abuse condition for many battery systems and the safety problems associated with traditional Lithium Ion batteries precluded their use.

Gangs all over Snohomish County, survey finds

Gangs are here.

Gangsters are believed to be behind gunfire at an Everett park last spring that sent a Little League team scrambling for cover. They've spray-painted graffiti from Lynnwood to Index.

Some gang members in Snohomish County suburbs have started putting up Web pages advertising their presence. An all-white chapter of the Black Gangster Disciples is working the Bothell area.

Police aren't laughing.

Bona fide gangsters are settling in, and there are enough young people emulating thugs to spark a surge in gang-related violence, drug trafficking and other problems, a countywide gang assessment found.

"It's all building together to make the issue happen," Snohomish County sheriff's detective Steve Haley said.

"It's from one end of the county to the other," he said.

NASCAR's real chase

When Tony Stewart checked his rearview mirror in the final laps of the Budweiser Shootout last weekend, he knew he was in trouble.

Hendrick boasts two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon. Throw in Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and team owner Rick Hendrick's talent pool is starting to draw comparisons to some of the most recognized dynasties in professional sports history.