Unless the economy enjoys a remarkable growth spurt early next year, Democrats will run on a "recovery" that has failed to bring down unemployment dramatically or lift wages. The prospects for many in the rising American electorate will remain bleak.

e3300eb16b6f8e5bae9c229bc9332b8bAs with previous U.S. aviation disasters, there was never any doubt which federal agency would take the lead investigative role after Saturday's Asiana airliner crash in San Francisco. The National Transportation Safety Board took control and remains the unquestioned authority on what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent it from happening again.

"Talvez me matem e digam que cometi suicídio."

If we also assume, with equal roughness, that we can withdraw 5 percent from a portfolio each year, that means we need investments equal to the value of our house just to keep a roof over our heads.

They would also make regular trips out of the city, with all the family and their friends piling into a caravan of cars, heading for the countryside. Once there, the "Old Man" would spend hours searching for cactii or chatting to the Mexican peasants about their lives.