This area is also important in understanding jokes.

So they go into a meeting room, they get together, and they talk about stuff that doesn't really matter usually.

So what is likely to be on Obama s mind when he meets his Indian counterpart again, and what does he think can be done to cement bilateral ties? Three issues stand out beginning with trade, which is as important politically as it is economically.

If advanced economies are to prosper, it is necessary (though not sufficient) that the corporate sector s willingness to invest match its considerable wallet. Six factors appear to pose particularly important constraints.

In the few short months since the peace deal was reached, Filipino and foreign investment has been flowing into the island. With nearly half of Mindanao s population living below the poverty line, these funds could not be more critical.

Compounding the problem, no one truly understands the precise connections among Russian and European institutions and markets. The collapse of LTCM in 1998 was completely unexpected.