Yesterday was the second evening visit to Ann Arbor's art fairs and a very nice night around town. We took in much of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair and the South University Art Fair, both of which would be considerable shows by themselves. When we got back to #409B we checked the map, though, and figured that we've now seen between two thirds and one half of the total festival. Crazy.
Ultimately the biggest thing that happened yesterday was China's decoupling of the yuan from the dollar. Initially this will ease tension (according to the WSJ) but I think it signals the start of a scary time for the American economy. For the past 75 years or so the dollar has been the defining force in world currency, but now China seems poised to take over that spot. My fear is that trading between yuan and Euro will squeeze the United States out of its position of power, leaving the good old USD languishing in flux, a third-wheel currency from the mold of Great Britain's sterling.
A couple of programming notes: I'm going to start using paragraph instead of line breaks to keep this bad boy easier to read. Astute observers may also have noticed the appearance of a pop-up glossary under "Intranet Reference." If you have questions about terms I use alot, check there.
Friday, July 22, 2005