of Michael Jackson. The circumstances - an apparent overdose of a powerful sedative used in surgery - and his bizarre behaviour and questionable liaisons with young boys were quickly forgotten. Instead, the US chose to remember Jackson as the great entertainer and musical influence he was. His estate quickly organised a memorial concert and a film based on rehearsal footage of his coming London tour, turning his death into the financial triumph that had eluded Jackson in later life. For most Americans this year has been tough and scary. The crisis on Wall Street stabilised early on, as the $US787 billion troubled assets relief program was instigated. But the woes of many continued unabated. The economy contracted by 6.1 per cent annualised in the first quarter, nearly matching the 6.3 per cent decline in the fourth quarter of last year. Employers responded by jettisoning millions of workers. The rate of lay-offs shows signs of slowing as the year draws to a close, but economists warned that the US could expect the jobless rate to stay above 10 per cent for the first half of next year. Meanwhile, Barack Obama has had to deal with palpable anger on Main Street as Wall Street brazenly proceeded to pay multimillion-dollar bonuses despite the taxpayer bail-out. All this was bad news for Obama and good news for his opponents. The exhilaration the nation felt at the inauguration of the first African-American president in January has been replaced by surly disappointment. The Administration can boast