This final note today, one last item on Japan. The research firm IHS Automotive Insight has put a number on how big a problem the earthquake and tsunami have been for the Japanese car industry. Domestic production’s off more than 65 percent.

Overseas it isn’t that bad, but only because the supply chain disruptions we’ve been telling you about haven’t really started to hit home yet. Once that happens, the report says production problems will increase exponentially.