During the Cuban missile crisis, a bear snuffling around the perimeter fence of a Minnesota airbase led to aircraft carrying primed nuclear weapons rolling down the runways ready for take off in neighbouring Wisconsin.

ECONOMIST: The ostrich��s view of the world

Other conditions for early take-off include the ready availability of the right kind of software, computing platforms and systems-integration expertise.

ECONOMIST: Business and the Internet

The Dow, looking like it was ready to take a running jump off a cliff Wednesday morning when manufacturing data for New York state and its surrounding areas came in a far cry below the expectations, is taking the disheartening news in stride.

FORBES: Weakening Consumer And Manufacturing In U.S. Dishearten Markets