1.   Independent voters now constitute the largest bloc of the electorate, and their ranks continue to swell.

2.   The college ranks continue to grow with coaches who once played for or coached alongside Krzyzewski.

3.   The middle-income sector is shrinking, while the nether ranks continue to grow in number.

4.   They now predict that the blue-collar ranks will continue to grow next year and into the next decade.

5.   Well, no, Ratbert, but you may be getting more respect as the ranks of temps continue their extraordinary growth in the world of work.

6.   The ranks of players continued to thin on Tuesday with both matches and injuries taking their toll.

7.   Demonstrators, whose ranks continued to grow over the day, carried an effigy of Milosevic, dressed up as a prisoner wearing a striped uniform.