Hi, Steve

re your questions:
1. Dave used the International Monetary Fund index of Primary Commodities:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/res/commod/index.asp
The year 2005 equals 100 for the index.

2. The marked dissociation occurs in the latter half of 2010 and only Jan in 2011. Dave and I both presume this is due in large part to climate issues: the ongoing drought in China's wheat-growing provinces and the drought in SE Asia's rice regions:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southea.../LG02Ae01.html
Also Russia's brutal summer:
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20100920/160654461.html

India in particular has seen severe food price increases, as have several Arab nations.

3. I think you confused the two lines: the black line is for food, which corresponds to the Index on the left. Dave correctly has oil at around $90, but when the stats for Feb are in, that line will continue its upward trend.

By the way, are you still in the Philippines? If so, can you please give us a brief update of things there re food & fuel, political stability, etc.