deficit. Has been for years. We also know that the

deficit. Has been for years. We also know that the U.S. imports a lot of oil, the price of which has been going up staggeringly fast lately. But how much of a factor is oil in the trade deficit?
A really big factor, it turns out. Oil imports now account for most of the U.S. trade deficit, which was running at an annualized pace of $717 billion, or 5.05% of GDP, in the first quarter of 2008. Imports of petroleum and products accounted for $449 billion of that. Meanwhile, as the chart below shows, the rest of the U.S. trade picture has improved sharply:
Graphic by Feilding Cage/Time.com

What does this mean? Well, first, that the U.S. economy remains globally competitive and may even be headed for a trade surplus ex-oil within the next few years, barring another investment bubble like houses or tech stocks. And second, that our addiction to oil is costing us big-time. Whether that cost is something we really ought to worry about depends on whether the current high oil price is the artifact of an investment bubble or a sign of things to come. Toyota Intelligent Tester 2 v2011 Which is an entirely different topic.




It’s a Deal: Southwest Airlines $40 40

To celebrate 40 years in business, Southwest Airlines is discounting flights all over the country, with one-way fares of $40, $80, and $120. The $40 flights are shorter-haul routes SKS-3055B ECU signal generator -English such as Boston-Baltimore and Denver-Salt Lake City, while mid-range flights like Nashville-Austin and San Diego-Seattle are $80, and the longest journeys (Albany-Las Vegas, Newark-Los Angeles, Philadelphia-Phoenix) cost $120. Tickets must be purchased by June 23, for travel all days except Friday and Sunday from August 23 to November 16. A few blackout dates apply.




Tim Newcomb

An airport baggage handler allegedly pilfered a small fraction in the $96 million cargo of cash getting hauled to New Jersey, however it was not tough to see that $20,000 was lacking in the meticulously-controlled transportation.
The $200 in Walter Samasko Jr.s banking account was simply to throw absolutely