I can see already that I’m going to have a problem with transitions today, because there’s no real thread running through these pages. So, randomly ...

This page from the Freep gives me a Very Bad Feeling. Perhaps that’s only because I’ve had bank failures on my mind this week (hey, my life is exciting), and the largest U.S. bank failure had its roots in oil and gas speculation during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It’s a great story to pursue; I hope they keep their eyes on what could happen if (when) the oil price bubble bursts.

This is just a really cool picture. How’d they do that?

Another arresting photo. And the quote is stunning: “I wanted to act ugly — ugly like Cleveland never saw before. I saw capable of doing it, but God said, ‘No. That’s not why I took your son.’” Wow. Bummer about that “pump a discount” distraction.

The Morning Call fires the first salvo in the “veepstakes” race. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of this in the coming month.

What struck me about today’s Times Picayune page was the “cheers!” skybar. A bar guide is a brilliant idea — useful, easy enough to assemble and, I bet, easy to sell to advertisers.

BATMAN RETURNS

Didn’t get enough yesterday, batfans? Today, the front pages turn their attention to midnight showings, something that’s altogether easier to do out west ....

... and the death of Heath Ledger. (USA Today had the Ledger post mortem on its front page today, too.)

AND FINALLY

Happy birthday, Intel. Makes me stop to think about how much the world has changed in 40 years. (Plus, Intel is a year younger than I am! The horror!)