"I will continue to work to identify Missouri investors who suffered financial harm from the unlawful or improper activity by these firms," said Blunt.

United States District Judge William Pauley of the Southern District of New York approved the global analyst conflict settlements on October 31. Secretary Blunt has been reviewing information relating to the global investigation and will seek to identify harmed Missourians and to make a fair and meaningful distribution of funds. From a review of information compiled through the state and federal investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission has identified the following investments as those that may have been impacted by the conduct of the relevant firm:

Firm, Equity Securities in Question, and Relevant Period of Purchase

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Epicor Software Corp.1

October 22, 1999 – January 30, 2001

International Rectifier Corp.2

July 1, 1999 – November 1, 2000

Lehman Brothers Inc. Broadwing, Inc.

January 25, 2001 – April 25, 2001

Ddi Corp.

June 30, 2000 – September 28, 2000

Razorfish, Inc.

May 24, 1999 – August 22, 1999

Real Networks, Inc.

July 11, 2000 – October 17, 2000

RSL Communications

March 2, 2000 – September 6, 2000

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.

October 18, 2001 – June 28, 2002

Triton Network Systems, Inc.

March 30, 2001 – May 1, 2001

Just for Feet, Inc.

April 21, 1999 – July 20, 1999

JDS Uniphase Corp.

July 27, 1999 – October 25, 1999

Comverse Technology, Inc.

March 28, 2001 – June 26, 2001

Attorneys in Blunt’s office are reviewing this information.

Blunt said, "Missourians who purchased these securities during the relevant periods of time may receive some funds from this office. However, these funds are unlikely to fully restore investors for all losses that occurred in those investments during the bear market. Private action may be warranted if the losses are attributed to misleading analyst research."

The consent orders issued by Blunt in the three cases are now available on his website at www.sos.mo.gov/securities and may provide an outline of facts which would assist a Missouri investor pursuing private legal action.

In April, Blunt announced his preliminary approval of the settlement between securities regulators and Wall Street firms. The settlements result from allegations of conflicts of interest at brokerage houses where analysts recommended stocks due to improper influence from their investment banking co-workers.

In 2001 and early 2002, Congress and the SEC were examining the issue of analyst conflicts of interest. In April of 2002 The New York Attorney General’s office announced an enforcement action against Merrill Lynch based on internal emails it uncovered that showed analysts were pressured to issue bullish stock recommendations to please investment-banking clients. Soon afterwards, regulators from the states, industry self-regulatory organizations and the SEC formed a joint task force to investigate Wall Street’s leading investment banks. In December regulators announced an agreement in principle with the firms. Today’s announcement marks the finalization of that agreement with three of the brokerage firms.

I’ve heard that turkey has some chemical in it that makes ya sleepy. I suppose I’m not one to argue with experts, but I’ve never noticed it bein’ any different than a good helpin’ of roast beef. Eatin’ a good portion of anything seems ta make most folks wanna take a little nap.

Learned that in the first grade (they didn’t have kindergarten where I went to school). We all brought our nap mats and laid ‘em out on the floor. Mostly we just made faces at other kids under the desks, but on occasion I’d actually snooze a little.

It’s amazin’ how few first graders snore. Must be learned at a higher grade level.

They say us Americans don’t get enough sleep. Napin’ may be the answer.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a slow urinary flow and urinary retention that my doctor says are caused by an enlarged prostate gland. He suggests it can be treated with microwaves. I am not familiar with this, and you might be able to give me information that will help me reach a decision. — A.G.

ANSWER: For a gland whose normal size is about that of a peach pit, the prostate can cause big problems. Passing through the gland is the urethra, a tube that empties the bladder. An enlarged gland chokes the urethra, making it difficult to drain the bladder completely. As a result, a man with an enlarged gland has to visit the bathroom many times, both day and night.

The procedure called TURP — transurethral resection of the prostate — has been the standard way to pare away excessive gland growth. No incision is made. Instruments are passed through the urethra to the area of the gland, and then the doctor cuts away glandular tissue. Microwave treatment of an enlarged gland is relatively new. Microwaves directed to a particular area of the prostate heat the prostate tissue. The heat coagulates the tissue, and the gland shrinks as it does with a TURP. There are many variations in the way the microwaves are delivered. None involves cutting the skin. Some microwave procedures are done on an outpatient basis, so the man returns home the same day the procedure was done.