Here's the quiz: if police attach a GPS device to your car and track you using that device, without having got a warrant to do so, is the Fourth Amendment violated?

And here's the issue: an Oregonian named Juan Pineda-Moreno had such a thing happen to him and was convicted of growing marijuana after police tracked his car to a suspected growing site. Pineda-Moreno appealed, citing the fact that on two occasions DEA agents placed tracking devices on his car while it was in his driveway – which he considered private, not public, property – and therefore breached his Fourth Amendment rights.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, ruling that Pineda-Moreno didn't have any signage or barriers around his property to clearly indicate that it was private property, and since "an individual going up to the house to deliver the newspaper or to visit someone would have to go through the driveway to get to the house," why couldn't the DEA? Further, the court ruled that the underside of his car isn't private because "[t]he undercarriage is part of the car's exterior, and as such, is not afforded a reasonable expectation of privacy."

Police not violating 4th Amendment by placing GPS on your car when it isn't in your garage?

What we are experiencing is a post-bubble bust, similar to what Japan has spent two decades suffering through in the wake of its own real-estate bubble. As I pointed out many, many times as ours took shape, there is a big difference in terms of consequences between a bubble that is focused on equity, like stock market/dot-com mania, and one that uses massive amounts of debt, as our real estate bubble did.

So while there is a great deal of focus on whether we are about to have a double-dip recession, I would say that there is nothing to double dip from. The economy overshot to the downside in 2009 and has snapped back. (While many debated whether our recovery would be V-, W-, L-, or U-shaped, I maintained that something like a square root sign was more likely.)

Cost of this time down: Stagflation

Read the 17 point investment plan.

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ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Yes, it's going to get worse, a whole lot worse ... Bill Gross warns this is the "New Normal. Forget 10% returns. Think 5%". ... Economist Larry Kotlikoff, author of The Coming Generational Storm, warns: "Let's get real. The U.S. is bankrupt. Neither spending nor taxing will help the country pay its bills" ... Economist Peter Morici warns: "Unemployment is stuck near 10%. Deflation coming. Stock market threatens collapse. The Federal Reserve and Barack Obama are out of bullets. Near zero federal funds rates, central bank purchases, a $1.6 trillion deficit have failed to revive the economy." ... Simon Johnson, co-author of 13 Bankers, warns: "We came close to another Great Depression, next time we may not be so lucky." Why? Because Wall Street's already well into the next bubble/bust cycle - the "doom cycle."

Warning: More bad news ahead. Welcome to a bleak second half 2010, worse for 2011.

Warning, bear market 2010: 11 'sells.' Only 6 'buys' - New Normal: Bankrupt nation. Deflation. Zeros. Junk. No jobs. Depression

It’s Friday the 13th and markets blogs are buzzing about a so-called Hindenburg Omen that popped up yesterday on the NYSE.

From Wikipedia: “A Hindenburg Omen occurred on August 12th, 2010, the first since the market lows of 2009. One nearly occurred on August 11th, failing only in that 67 stocks hit new lows, rather than the required 69.”

FT Alphaville and others have picked up on the Zero Hedge post that flagged the bearish pattern.

“Currently we are facing weakening growth expectations globally, a debased U.S. currency, simultaneous concerns about near term deflation and longer horizon inflation, sky-high unemployment and crushing debt,” said Andrew Barber, strategist at Waverly Advisors, in an email. “If people need spooky stories to make them fear a market collapse then they are missing the forest for the trees.”

Freaky Friday

(CNN) -- Swedish mountaineer and professional skier Fredrik Ericsson died Friday while trying to summit K2 in Pakistan, his friend David Schipper told CNN in a telephone interview.

The incident occurred between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. as Ericsson was attempting to become the first man to ski from the summit to base camp, said Schipper, who said he learned of the accident on the world's second-tallest peak in a satellite call from fellow climber Fabrizio Zangrilli.

Ericsson, in his mid-30s, was at a place called the bottleneck, at an altitude of around 8,300 meters (27,231 feet), between Camp 4 (8,000 meters) and the summit (8,611 meters), said Schipper, a Moab, Utah-based climber. He described the bottleneck as a "steep and narrow section with thousands of meters of exposure below."

Skier Fredrik Ericsson dies in accident on K2

Computerworld - NBC's fall season television lineup includes a new show called Outsourced, with a plot line aimed at the heart of workplace angst, the offshoring of jobs.

Outsourced sets its stage quickly. The main character, Todd, who is played by actor Ben Rappaport, has taken a job as a call center manager at Mid American Novelties but arrives, on his first day, to an empty office.

This isn't a Dateline special about outsourcing -- it's a comedy. Its workplace plot line may be familiar, particularly if you've seen the 2006 movie Outsourced, but it is nonetheless a show about outsourcing, and questions will abound.

Is America ready for NBC's Outsourced?

Whats People's Bank of China up to??

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The content of the managed floating exchange rate regime includes three aspects. First, the floating of exchange rate is based on market supply and demand so that the exchange rate plays a role as a price signal. Second, the range of floating adjustment is based on trade and current account balances to reflect the "managed floating" nature. Third, the exchange rate is determined with reference to a basket of currencies, rather than the bilateral exchange rate between RMB and any single currency.

I. A managed floating exchange rate regime based on market supply and demand is to achieve the general balance of the balance of payments account.

II. The Exchange rate floating is based on the current account, mainly the trade account balances

III. Measure the Exchange Rate with Reference to a Basket of Currencies

Three Characteristics of the Managed Floating Exchange Rate Regime at Peoples Bank of China

You are likely to be eaten by a grue...

Nerdcore Hiphop: MC Frontalot - Its Pitch Dark

Watch Bjork Perform 'Declare Independence'
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Bjork's music is complex, mysterious and full of unpredictable sonic textures. The brilliant performances on Voltaic make it clear that Bjork isn't just a visionary, but also an artist who inspires those around her to create equal parts music and magic, in an effort to bring her vision to life.

So whether you choose to get the version that contains this CD (along with the spectacular concert DVD), or the version with Volta remixes, or the one with other concert audio, or even the vinyl, it's a joy to see and hear what Bjork has been doing for the past few years — and to share her visionary work.

Exclusive First Listen: Bjork, 'Voltaic'

Hear The Entire Album: 'Dark Night Of The Soul'

I've listened to the record all the way through at least a dozen times, and can confirm that Dark Night of the Soul delivers in every way you'd hope for. It's beautiful but haunting, surreal and dark, but sometimes comical and affecting, with ear-popping, multilayered production work. It just gets more mesmerizing with every listen.

In addition to Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, other artists appearing on Dark Night of the Soul include James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbils.

Main Website: http://www.dnots.com/

Exclusive First Listen: Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse Team Up With David Lynch