Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?

Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Wilfred Owen

Dow hovers around 8,000 points

The Dow seems to be remain rather steady at 8,000 points amidst fears of a swine flu worsening and the rumours of selected US Banks' need for further recapitalisation.

However there is some indication that investors are getting rather nervous pending the final results of the US Banks' stress test and on fears that the swine flu will become a full-blown world-side pandemic.

What's next? I don't think the world can handle a medical emergency. The Great Recession may just become the Great Depression.

Obsession or Necessity

Please try.....