Personal Income decreased in practically every state in the nation in 2009. For most states, such outright declines in personal income had not been seen since state income records began. Personal income fell nationally as well, for the first time in six decades.

If you grew up in Arizona you probably remember learning about the five C's, an easy way of remembering the major components of the state's economy at the time.

Although we have not yet seen sustained employment growth at the national level, labor markets in more and more states are showing improvement over the same period last year.

As the saying goes, "If you ask 20 economists about the economic outlook, you'll get 21 scenarios for what lies ahead." The point is that economists famously disagree.

Those who were not expecting consumers to play much of a role in the recovery have been pleasantly surprised by recent bullish reports from the stores and malls.

At mid-month, analysts had turned more pessimistic about the economy, as some of the promising "green shoots" of recovery appeared to have withered, writes Lee McPheters, editor of Economy@W. P. Carey.

Complex problems like global warming are difficult to solve because there are so many interests involved — most of them hidden agendas. Can we ever reasonably expect individuals and institutions to reconcile their self-interest with a widely acknowledged social or political objective?

What do you look for when you buy a pair of jeans? Color? Cut? Designer label? Price tag? One thing is certain: Even if you buy what you think is the same make/label/origin, year after year, it is an entirely different item with a brand-new geographic story.

What's the best way to convince a 40-year-old to stop smoking? Tell him that he'll get lung cancer and die? Not necessarily.

William Polk has an impressive resume as a historian, policy adviser and diplomat.