It would be nice if we could get some news when an exchange gets erratic or just drops off the map.

From the exchange themselves, or the map (ie, bitcoincharts)

Not the first time a +/-similar scenario like this plays out.

How are people so asleep at the wheel to not even notice &/or care?

I understand their volume isn't mtgox but no one wonders wtf when an exchange starts going bonkers?

Toward the end their data reflected ~4500 btc in (trades for the day) 5 diff currencies with (at best) strange trade behavior.