While we have said all along that the foundation for the U.S. expansion is dodgy, as long as it is what it is, we expect to see the dollar and Treasury yields - and fed funds - move up.

We wanted a sense of how much expansion was going on out of the dense areas that had been hard hit by eradication. We felt it would be good to cast a wider eye.

NAMIC strongly supports the expansion of Section 831(b)(2). The modification of this section is very important to the communities that depend on small property/casualty insurance companies to provide them with affordable property insurance. Many small companies are approaching the current $1.2 million limit and both they and their customers will be adversely impacted if it is not raised. With the increased election level, tied to an annual adjustment in the cost-of-living, these insurance companies can continue to keep premiums low in rural areas where larger insurers either do not write coverage or charge higher premiums than consumers can afford.

Japan increasingly needs a weaker yen to counter falling foreign demand and increased competitive pressures.

No more turning away from the weak and the weary. No more turning away from the coldness inside. Just a world that we all must share. It's not enough just to stand and stare. Is it only a dream that there'll be no more turning away.

All this smacks of amateurism,