OMG! Thank goodness for your post, Rip! For the longest time, I thought "PM" was the abbreviation for "Prime Minister," and I naturally assumed this AUM company had something to do with international politics. And I've owned this company, and one of its constitent predecessors for some time now.

Fully cognizant that I am not the intellectual equal of other posters on this board, I just thought I try to fit in somehow, and learn about how PM's rise and fall - I was a little disappointed, because most of the talk is about Canadian PM's, and I would like more emphasis on some of the better known PM's in Europe.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that PM's are so hot, that perhaps the United States will to to a PM standard and do away with the Presidency, at least that's what it appears the posters imply. Other times, people just get fed up with their PM's, and talk about how highly manipulated they are. Tell me about it!! Not only is the US President highly manipulated here, but those other minor politicians, who only dream in terms of becoming a PM, well, they're highly manipulated, too.

Well, I guess now I know what the "AU" in AUM is all about - au shucks, what a surprise!