The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's index of manufacturing activity showed a bigger-than-expected contraction in August, one day after a New York reading showed a contraction for the first time this year.

WSJ: Stocks Approach Multiyear Highs

That would put the UK back into a recession - technically defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction - for the third time in about four years.

BBC: Budget 2013: Bank of England gets new orders

Work up to holding the contraction for 10 seconds at a time.

CNN: Cystocele

The contraction may well be a one-time occurrence, Smith added.

FORBES: Focus: Expectations For Continued Quantitative Easing Supportive For Gold After GDP, FOMC

Secondly, the ratio of Nasdaq to NYSE volume fell below 100% for the first time since 1998, indicating a contraction of speculative buying.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Although not widely followed amongst analysts, the RBC Canadian Manufacturing PMI (49.3) for last month fell under 50, proof of contraction for the Canadian economy for the first time in two years.

FORBES: EURO Treads Water Ahead Of Central Bank Decisions

Our economy is growing for the first time in a year, and the swing from contraction to expansion since the beginning of the year is the largest in nearly three decades.

WHITEHOUSE: Job Creation and Economic Growth

This ten year contraction has been forcing our highly skilled researchers to spend more time raising money than doing the research they spent decades training for, is encouraging established researchers to leave our shores in search of greater funding opportunities or to leave research altogether, and is discouraging the younger generation from embarking on a career in science.

FORBES: Legendary Drug Industry Executives Warn U.S. Science Cuts Endanger The Future