Hi Dennis

>For the record, the company I represent as an independent agent,
>posted a 8.7% increase in sales from 2000 to 2001.

You have some good information to predict what the next 5 years
will be like in a depression in your field. Go to your company and
request the sales% from 1929 to 1933. This will be a good indication
of what to expect in 2002 to 2006. If you do please post it here, it should
be interesting

Ø $3000+ drop has no direct impact in my net worth.

I got out of the stock market when it was 10,000 plus. I saw this coming.
So this part of my net-worth is safe. But . . . .

Everyone should evaluate their net-worth every year on all their
income producing finances and possessions. Your possessions value
should be figured on not what you paid for it, but it's market value now.

That car I just bought cost $22,000. I drove it 5 miles to my house,
now it worth $18,000. My net -worth just decreased.

Now the real estate bubble, when it busts my $200,000 home value
will be around $125,000. My net-worth just dropped again.

Net-worth should be figured on today's values not what you paid for it.

>The same media gave us the flip-flop reporting on FL for Gore, OOPS,
>we mean FL for Bush, ERR Correction it's too close to call.

I agree one should analyze the new. When I was a kid we had a saying
"Don't believe everything you hear, and only half of what you see".

The news media caught hell on this one, but I don't put the blame on them.
Two out of three voters that was polled after they voted said they voted for
Gore, or they thought they did. Between the chads and a terrible looking
ballet the pollsters got, I voted for Gore, but the voting machine said
otherwise.

It was not really the news media fault, they were just reporting the news
they were getting. I think they shouldn't report about the election till
all the polls close in all 50 states.

>I'll wait to see the results, rather than accepting the pre-digested events as
>they choose to relate them.

>Following like sheep to the slaughter is for people who can't use their own grey matter to make
>decisions on their own.

This is the same way I fell when I visit forums. There is always the same
three people that post "this is spam" . It's like the forum board owner
and people that read the messages "can't use their own grey matter to make
decisions on their own".

It's like if their names are not there as a stamp of approval then we can't
figure out it spam. By the way they are regulars at fib forum.

Regards,
D.R.(Don)Mcardle