- As you know, the Fed is out there chatterin' more than teenage girls with unlimited cell minutes. I can't remember a time where they've been this vocal. Bernanke seemed to indicate yesterday that higher energy prices haven't been passed along to the retail level. But now today, St. Louis President William Poole warned Friday that rising gasoline and oil prices may be adding to inflation pressures in a way not detected by current data. Flip-floppers! So I wonder if this is a concerted effort at jawboning more than a real concern over inflation?
- Has Jim Cramer jumped the shark? CNBC's Jim Cramer has finally crossed the line from harmless entertainer to public embarrassment. This is a good column from Jon Friedman.
- Microsoft is ready to launch an iPod rival. So, do we care? I know everyone has an iPod. But doesn't the technology change every 5 minutes in such a way that folks always neeed a new one? I think the challenge will be overcoming Apple's base. I'm not sure how portable music is with the digital rights management.
- I missed the Mad Money where Jim Cramer was talking about Ben Bernanke and waiving around a box of Uncle Ben's rice. I searched Yahoo's image search for Uncle Ben's rice, and liked the "Uncle Ben's Express" the best. That describes Bernanke pretty good. I also got pics of "Uncle Dubya's Condoleza Rice," a box of "Uncle Bin Laden's Rice," and one with NBA Clippers player Glen Rice.
- Don't forget to set your DVR! Tonight on the Disney Channel is Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior. Sounds like a Disney version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Starring Brenda Song in her latest Disney role, that of Wendy Wu, a sharp, down-to-earth California teenager whose pursuit of her school's homecoming crown is upended by a mysterious visit from a Chinese monk. The monk implores Wendy to assume an identity from a long-past life, that of a warrior who was expert in the martial arts and whose services are needed again, to save the world.
- The market is selling off a bit today. I was going to poke some fun at Bob Pisani the last few days, as he seems to have delved into the market technician role on CNBC. But I like Bob, and think he makes it interesting. Not as interesting as Melissa Lee, but she could be up there reading a meatloaf recipe and I'd watch. "Hmm, coarsely crushed soda crackers eh?"
- Speaking of heat, the Miami Heat crushed the Dallas Mavericks last night. I'm glad we're back to even. Nobody has lost a home game, yet. But you have to wonder how Dallas is feeling after letting Game 3 slip through their fingers. Instead of 3-0 and cruising, now we're knotted up. Good!
- Heck, more Fed chatter: Globalization has had a "gradual and limited" effect on U.S. inflation in recent years, Federal Reserve Governor Donald Kohn said Friday, cautioning that any disinflationary effect could reverse over time. Somebody put some rules on their cell phone usage...
