In terms of teeming slithering creatures packing nasty bites, Wall Street could easily outdo Galveston after Hurricane Ike. But appreciate the avaricious atmosphere or not (I worked as a paper-pusher on the Street early in my career), the money in our pockets (or fading from our 401(k)s) has a clear trail through the land of platinum ...

Beware people who list themselves as ''futurists.'' They can be wickedly fun, insightful and terribly wordy. Case in point, Ian Morrison. I've heard him speak twice, and just finished reading a ridiculously long Power Point presentation he made at a California Association of Public Hospitals event (available at ...