|
 |
Inflation Remains a |
|
| Many Americans assume that inflation is rising. They fear that the recent increase in commodity prices will lead to higher finished goods producer prices and then higher consumer prices. This fear is intensified because people tend to notice when prices go up for products they buy most often.
As economist A. Gary Shilling points out in a recent commentary, such “widespread fears of inflation are understandable. Historically, inflation is a wartime phenomenon when government spending is huge, while deflation reigns in peacetime. Still, the nation suffered a uniquely long 60 years of war, which started with rearmament in the late 1930s, was followed by World War II, which promptly gave way to the Cold War that was augmented by the War on Poverty. So, most Americans have never experienced anything but inflation, which they believe is the way God made the world.” |
|
|
 |
Geothermal Energy Is |
|
| Speculation, economic growth, and global tensions recently drove oil prices to around $50 per barrel. In a world in which energy consumption is constantly rising, the potential to tap geothermal energy is stunning. |
|
|
 |
Business Dress Becom |
|
| During the Clinton administration, the White House was a business-casual environment, where people wore rolled-up shirtsleeves and jeans to pizza-fueled all-nighter work sessions. When George Bush entered the Oval Office, he made it clear that anybody who was summoned there had better be wearing a suit. |
|
|
 |
Biometrics Brings a |
|
| Every individual has a set of unique characteristics that can be used to confirm his identity. Fingerprints, the pattern of the iris, and DNA can all be captured, filed, and then compared at a later date. |
|
|
 |
The Radio Frequency |
|
| In the last few years, the electromagnetic spectrum has quietly become a critical part of contemporary life. It enables you to communicate with mobile phones, use remote controls, tune in TV stations, pop corn in the microwave, open your car door without a key, listen to radio stations, and surf the Internet when you’re sipping coffee at Starbucks. |
|
|