This stat should concern you

Report: 1 percent of U.S. adults behind bars

Using updated state-by-state data, the report said 2,319,258 adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 -- one out of every 99.1 adults, and more than any other country in the world.

Love the XF

Attended the sneak peak of the Jaguar XF tonight. Wow, it looks even better in person. I should probably sleep on it before declaring it the best looking sedan on sale Canada*. Ian has been great for Jaguar. I'm really feeling his Aston Martin vibe.

The XF seems to cover everything I don't like about the current 5 series inside and out, and for less money. I have to say, for my taste the XF interior is just about perfect. Too bad the car is too long for my side of the garage... and double what I should spend on any car. Perhaps like the S-Type it's replacing, the XF will become a relative bargain on the used market in a few years**.

On those lines, where will Jaguar be in a few years? I hope Tata continues Ford's good work on Jaguar's dependability and initial quality. Rumor is that Tata doesn't even want Jag, just Land Rover, but Ford is only selling them as a bundle. That's OK, others will be waiting to relieve the Indians of the unwanted cat.

* Yes, Luke, even counting the S8. Heresy, I know. I'm even counting the Quattroporte, I like the XF that much.

** Even then the XF is a dream car, not a practical consideration. It's not the price per se, it's that this car is all about sporty feel, speed, and status - three emotional things I see less value in now. And if I keep repeating that maybe I'll believe it.

The placebo effect

is real. More proof: Grape expectations, What wine can tell us about the nature of reality.

The subjects consistently reported that the more expensive wines tasted better, even when they were actually identical to cheaper wines.

The findings have been surprising - did you know that generic drugs can be less effective merely because they cost less?

Even though the cream had no analgesic properties - it was just a hand moisturizer - people given the pretend cream said the shocks were significantly less painful.

In other words,

Their predictions became self-fulfilling prophecies.

No Falcon For You

Ford continues to suffer massive losses yet has cars like this (and this and this) that it refuses to sell at home.