Couched in the new terminology of decoupling versus recoupling whether the old aphorism “when the US sneezes, the world catches a cold” holds this time or not has been the subject of much debate. Growth in the rest of the world has so far seemed resilient in the face of the US credit crunch and economic slowdown but could it be that we are now at the tipping point where the US is beginning to share its pain with others? On a financial basis the US credit crunch is already well shared. The US economic expansion of this decade was supported by significant external borrowing so it was inevitable that foreign financial institutions would take some of the hit. Losses by European banks in fact equal those of their American counterparts. Of the $323 billion in losses incurred by global banks to date $152.2 billion of it has been borne by European banks and $152.5 billion by American banks. Asian banks have been relatively unscathed with just over $18 billion in losses (source: Bloomberg page WDCI).

1) 90% of people are poor minded. Poor mindedness is the default state. It’s the natural comfort zone. It’s the animal instinct to find comfort zone and avoid taking risks. That’s human nature. Being poor minded is fine, you simply are parts of the majority people. Don’t feel bad.

From Architectural Digest and Abrams comes Private Views: Inside the World’s Greatest Homes—a natural expression of AD’s role as the international magazine of design. Our field of focus in putting this volume together was nothing less than the entire world.

But how to choose from the best?

For Private Views, as with our magazine, it is a matter of a variety of tastes and locations, the element of discovery, the subtle and sometimes indefinable relationship a home has with its surroundings and, as always, style. The following pages offer you a brief glimpse of those qualities, exemplified by violinist Ole Bull’s Moorish summer villa in Norway, Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, Catherine the Great’s Chinese Palace in St. Petersburg, a couple’s eight-story tower set amid Kenya’s wildlife and even a yurt, a traditional house for the nomadic people of Inner Mongolia.

This list of area farmers markets, provided by the California Farmers’ Markets Association, is organized alphabetically, by county, then by city. For a list of markets covering more of Northern California, see www.cafarmersmarkets.com.Fremont/Centerville, Fremont Boulevard and Bonde Way. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.

Fremont/Irvington, Fremont Boulevard and Bay Street. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.

Fremont/Kaiser Hospital, 39400 Paseo Padre Parkway. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.

Fremont/NUMMI, 45500 Fremont Blvd. Fridays, 2-6 p.m., June 1-November.

Hayward, Main and B streets. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., year-round.

Hayward/Kaiser Hospital, 27400 Hesperian Blvd., Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round.