Well, not the grave so to speak. Think of it as a sun-soaked hiatus punctuated by rejuvinating weather, a startlingly high population of bikinis, hijinks and topped off by a temporary headstone on the blog. What can I say? Spring break and limited internet access do have their appeal...

So what's topics have been absent from this bully pulpit? Well, there was Obama's lengthy press conference, which has since been condemned as overly boring and lengthy (the American people, we are to believe, deserve short, dumbed-down answers to serious questions accompanied by baton twirlers or something to attract their attention while that dude in the suit yammers on). But I looked outside and the only riots in the streets of Panama City accompanied beverage consumption, so I think it's safe to assume he didn't do anything terrible.

Something related that should be commented on is that proposed 90 percent tax bonuses to instututions supported by the bailout, which if applied to future exchanges of capital are fine, but if applied retroactively stomp all over the Constitution. I find it amusing and rather sad that the House stomped about, trying to capitalize on the justified populist rage swirling about the country, with something that they knew darn well could never come to fruition.

Let's say an alligator shows up in the backyard of my beach residence. Everyone's freaking out because, after all, it's an alligator. Now if I stand up and say that I have an incredible idea to solve this problem, and I go around the house promising to alleviate everyone's fear, then that's all well and good. Until my plan, which was to throw ping-pong balls at the gator in hopes of disuading it from eating us, fails and everyone's back at the starting line. So Rep. Pelosi, I'd like to extend my hand and congradulate you on your small, ineffective balls.

Hillary Clinton recently declared that the ongoing drug conflict in Mexico is due in part to the U.S.'s dependence upon drugs that run through the country, which would have been a fantastic realization if The Pendulum had not substantiated that claim weeks ago...Dan Rickershauser might just earn a place on the cabinet for that piece.

Timothy Geithner blurted out a consideration of China's push for a new global currency, and quickly retracted it, though I think this is an issue that will continue to gain more consideration as the world turns against the U.S. as the big dog on economic policy. I've written about my initial views of such a monetary change earlier, though I do admit to improperly citing the date of the G20 conference, which will be instead taking place on April 2.