What do the economy, garbage and elections have in common? Besides running in the same low circles, they're all part of our "flASHback" on the week's news that amused and confused:

• Despite another downward forecast by the Council on Revenues, a new state economic projection says 2009 won't be as bad as previously thought. Does that mean we can cancel building the ark?

• Gov. Linda Lingle said people must reduce their expectations of government in the face of shrinking revenues. I hope she has a Plan B. I don't think it's possible for our expectations of local government to sink any lower.

• Honolulu is among the nation's best cities in which to find a job, a study found. Lucky thing, since so many of us need two of them to survive.

• Like state Sen. Michelle Kidani, whose $50,000 second job with the city Neighborhood Commission violates no laws, says the attorney general. Legislators have every right to supplement their 36 percent pay raises.

• The City Council gave an initial OK to a bill that would bar motorists from coming within three feet of bicycles, and also make it illegal for drivers to throw things at bicyclists. It would be hard to hit them from farther away, anyway.

• Mayor Mufi Hannemann assured citizens that the city maintains flow control under a deal to ship 100,000 tons of trash a year to the Mainland. Nobody ever doubted that the mayor controls the flow of garbage in this town.

• Retiring Honolulu police chief Boisse Correa said he's leaving behind a city so safe he wouldn't be afraid to walk alone anywhere on O'ahu at 2:30 a.m. Easy to say when you're 6-foot-6 and have a service revolver.

• The cash-strapped Office of Elections has enough to pay its electric bill, but can't afford to hire key people to plan for smooth voting in 2010. Sounds like the typical Hawai'i election — plenty of light for non-voters to ignore confusing ballots.

• The Hawaii Publishers Association is holding a Print Media Expo at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite dinosaur.

And the quote of the week ... from U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye after his hearing on how Hawai'i is spending federal stimulus money: "I leave this place 'up.' I feel good." The man can still handle a James Brown tune, can't he?