All of this has observers wondering whether inflation might be about to take off again, as it did in early 2008.

ECONOMIST: Worries about renewed overheating

Again we had to take it easy on the Durabook, turning it completely off and pouring a small amount (100cc) of water onto the keyboard.

ENGADGET: Durable faceoff and torture test: Panasonic's Toughbook 30 vs. GammaTech's Durabook D15RP

But then I came off the screen and they sagged and I said I'm going to take it again, and that went in.

WSJ: No. 12 Louisville outlasts St. John's 72-58

But it turned down again in the last quarter of 2011, as domestic demand failed to take off and Europe's prospects worsened.

ECONOMIST: Britain��s stuttering economy

However, investors will draw little cheer from the fact that it would not take much of a shock, in its present weakened state, to knock the stockmarket off course again.

ECONOMIST: Jumping but jumpy | The