So far, 2012 has been punctuated by a distinct lack of market volatility. Just the opposite of 2011. Erik Ristuben, chief investment strategist at Russell Investments, says the ECB's long term refinancing operation allows banks to borrow directly from the eurozone's lender of last resort. According to Ristuben, "that's been the single biggest factor in reducing volatility." The Pulse is up sharply today on news that America is edging closer to energy independence. After 20 years of deepening reliance on foreign sources, domestic energy production has surged in just the last half decade to 81 percent of what we consume.