The question of the relation between short skirts and recessions prompts me to ask if anyone can comment or refer me to a discussion of 'dialectical' econometrics, e.g. that takes seriously the notion of interdependent wholes. When I ask my less econometrically challenged friends about this they mumble about Bayesian techniques. BTW, when I did an econometrics course, the example was interest rates in London England and the number of prostitutes arrested in Melbourn (sp?) Australia. We were given the data from a published paper (I remember the R squared was about .72), though I don't know from where (or if our leg was being pulled). ------------------------------------------------------------ Bill Burgess ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Department of Geography, Tel: (604) 822-2663 University of British Columbia, B.C. Fax: (604) 822-6150