If there was any doubt that the U.S. economy is hurting, taking a gander at today’s financial news should sober you up quickly: Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, and Bank of America is bailing out foundering Merrill Lynch. If you are not an investor, you might ask why you should care and what does this have to do with technology. The state of the economy is as much a reflection on actual financial circumstances as it is a perception of today’s and tomorrow’s financials. This means that what people and companies