Toyota's top hybrid engineers say they are all for plug-ins, but they don't think the lithium-ion batteries they depend on will be ready to meet their stringent quality standards for several years. (They cannot resist a polite titter about spontaneously combusting laptop batteries.) Toyota is therefore likely to stick with the heavy and range-limited nickel-metal hydride battery for the third-generation Prius, due in 2009.

ECONOMIST: Hybrid cars: Beyond the Prius | The

And the Dodgers have increased their Titter follower from 70, 000 to less than 30, 000 a year ago.

FORBES: Dodgers Discover They Still Have Global Fan Base With Social Media Drive

So your comparison of Mr Obama to Vladimir Putin, though worthy of a titter, doesn't hold up.

ECONOMIST: Letters