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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/8/2013 2:27 PM, Tom Hansen wrote:<br>
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cite="mid:757C768B-E50B-4F5D-B6AD-E4098431CC13@moscow.com"
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<div>Exactly, Joe.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Republicans have been looking for something . . .
ANYTHING . . . to blame on President Obama, especially the
economy.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Surprise! Surprise!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Blue-collars and no-collars are happier as jobs have been
increasing.</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Some housing prices have been on the increase, which represents a
form of wealth recovery for some, incentive for new construction for
others, and perhaps a bit of a challenge for first-time home buyers,
for whom loan qualification and down payment requirements are now
stricter than in not-so-long-ago years.<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:757C768B-E50B-4F5D-B6AD-E4098431CC13@moscow.com"
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<div>White-collars are happier as the Dow continues to set records
day after day.</div>
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<br>
Remember that automated trading tends to disassociate market
activities from economic activities.<br>
<br>
The post World War II financialization of the American economy is no
small part of our collective troubles.<br>
<br>
Factoid: During the week 25 Feb to 1 Mar, 2013, 30.5 percent of NYSE
average daily volume of 1,733.5 million shares, or 529.1 million
program shares traded per day, was accomplished by programmed
trading. To the extent that represents net profit-taking without
reinvestment, that's like a vacuum cleaner Hoovering resources out
of the economy.<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:757C768B-E50B-4F5D-B6AD-E4098431CC13@moscow.com"
type="cite">
<div>With November 2014 only 20 months away . . .</div>
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<br>
Interesting elections-related material for thought . . .<br>
<br>
Gerrymandering Explained<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11UJb9AY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11UJb9AY</a> <br>
<br>
The Shortest-Split-line Algorithm<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUS9uvYyn3A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUS9uvYyn3A</a> <br>
<br>
Multiple Party Gerrymandering<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR2DfpjIuXo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR2DfpjIuXo</a><br>
<br>
Mixed-member Proportional Representation Explained<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0I-sdoSXU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0I-sdoSXU</a> <br>
<br>
Our system of elections does not have to be as horrible as it is
currently. Examining alternatives is a prerequisite step to reforms
bettering our democratic franchise.<br>
<br>
<br>
Ken<br>
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