This financial crisis is a real bummer. It showed us that much of the world’s livelihood depends on Americans buying things they don’t need with money they don’t have. Nothing like a world built on solid foundations!

And our biggest hope is that we can return to that state as quickly as possible!

But perhaps the saddest thing is that, while the excesses will no doubt return, their glory looks to fade.

Here is the view of the future: cruising Route 66 in a Toyota Prius ….