Looking down on the nearby Chrysler Building and the nose of the Flatiron Building was unreal, like Google Earth or tilt-shift photography jumping into reality.

BBC: At 80, the Empire State Building strikes back

The expectation is that the Fed, weary of jumping the gun on QE3, will instead shift the composition of its massive portfolio, keeping size constant.

FORBES: After ECB And G7 Commit To Intervene Markets, Will Bernanke Enact QE3?

Any minor shift in outlook -- including a little vicarious creek jumping -- can make a dismal picture less dispiriting.

CNN: What really makes people happy