I've made a TV series, with help from the Open University, about three economic thinkers from the past who have something interesting to tell us about the financial crisis and how to get past it: Friedrich Hayek, Karl Marx and, tonight, Keynes.

BBC: Masters of money: John Maynard Keynes

Thus, the man who so nearly became his party's leader explains his decision to head stateside - a decision David Miliband only revealed to close allies in the past two days and didn't dare tell his young children about in case the news leaked out.

BBC: Is that it for David Miliband?

In this environment charts can tell you a lot of what you need to know about the past and the likely future.

FORBES: Europe's Moment Of Truth

Several of Xinran's interviewees tell her not just that the young do not know about the past, but they do not particularly want to know.

ECONOMIST: Oral history in China: Tales of old | The

On the other you have truly ambitious and truly risky attempts to tell complex, fascinating stories about people and events that make the TV of the past look shabby and pale in comparison.

FORBES: Is Television Too Ambitious?

One such tale is that of IGCP project 567 on ancient earthquakes, what they can tell us about our past, and how we can learn from them to prepare for the future.

UNESCO: Tales set in Stone: learning from ancient earthquakes

Other gay owners say they usually can tell if an applicant is going to be at ease working for them by inquiring about the person's past experiences with homosexual colleagues or clientele.

WSJ: Should Gay Business Owners Out Themselves to Job Candidates?

And I'm going to tell you straight out here that I have some concerns about it because we have not done well here in the past.

NPR: Is the Iraq Surge Strategy Working?

If the situation allows it, the first option, because it is the least costly and time-consuming, is to try to reason with your neighbors again. (Trust your judgment about whether this is viable given past exchanges.) Tell them that you are sorry that you got off on the wrong foot.

WSJ: How to Handle Messy Neighbors