Now for the really depressing part: The United States seems powerless to stop it.

CNN: Commentary: Who needs friends like Musharraf?

They're going to say something like dude, this new Thom Yorke record is really depressing.

NPR: Thom Yorke's 'Eraser' Prompts a Letter

"It's really sad and depressing that the school board is not ready to accept broad reforms that offer parents all parents a great alternative, " he said.

WSJ: Segregation Fear Sinks Charter School

Unfortunately, the depressing conclusion of the argument is that closing the achievement gap is going to be really hard.

FORBES: Human Capitalism

And don't forget some of those areas are not only seeing slackening demand, but this often happens when housing gets really hot - a lot of builders rushed in to take advantage, so now there's an oversupply depressing prices even further.

NPR: Marketplace Report: Housing Market Cooling Down