Fairfield County Weekly: News - We're Screwed!

Fairfield County Weekly: News - We're Screwed!: "ShadowStats.com founder John Williams explains the risk of hyperinflation. Worst-case scenario? Rioting in the streets and devolution to a bartering system."

GOLD IS NOT GOING UP – PAPER MONEY IS GOING DOWN

GOLD IS NOT GOING UP – PAPER MONEY IS GOING DOWN: "This month we will discuss the illusion of gold going up. We will examine the destiny of the dollar and why it will reach its intrinsic value of zero. We will also demonstrate why money printing will accelerate rapidly in the next 12-24 months."

UN to produce bullion coins as world currency - Dprogram.net

UN to produce bullion coins as world currency - Dprogram.net: "The announcement by the United Nations this week that it will license the minting of silver and gold bullion coins bearing the UN logo may be the button that launches metal prices into orbit."

Regulators Shut Down Banks In 6 States - Detroit Local News Story - WDIV Detroit

Regulators Shut Down Banks In 6 States - Detroit Local News Story - WDIV Detroit: "WASHINGTON -- Regulators on Friday shut down two big California banks, as well as banks in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Illinois, bringing to 140 the number of U.S. banks brought down this year by the weak economy and mounting loan defaults."

Gold Buying by Central Banks Signals Sell as Past Haunts Future - Bloomberg.com

Gold Buying by Central Banks Signals Sell as Past Haunts Future - Bloomberg.com: "The banks will buy 13.8 million ounces (429 metric tons) this year, worth $15.5 billion, for the first net expansion in reserves since 1988, New York-based researcher CPM Group estimates."

Gold holds steady as inflation jumps, dollar rises - BusinessWeek

Gold holds steady as inflation jumps, dollar rises - BusinessWeek: "A jump in inflation is supporting gold prices, partly offsetting the negative impact of a stronger dollar."

Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer

Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer: "Drugs money worth billions of dollars kept the financial system afloat at the height of the global crisis, the United Nations' drugs and crime tsar has told the Observer."

Ex-Fed chief Paul Volcker's 'telling' words on derivatives industry - Telegraph

Ex-Fed chief Paul Volcker's 'telling' words on derivatives industry - Telegraph: "The former US Federal Reserve chairman told an audience that included some of the world's most senior financiers that their industry's 'single most important' contribution in the last 25 years has been automatic telling machines, which he said had at least proved 'useful'."

17 million Americans have no bank account - Dec. 2, 2009

17 million Americans have no bank account - Dec. 2, 2009: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- New York State is known as the nation's financial capital, yet nearly one in 10 of its residents do not have a checking or savings account.

And while Texas is densely populated with banks, nearly a quarter of households in the Dallas-Forth Worth area have gone to a pawn shop or check cashing company recently to carry out a simple financial transaction."

Nov 18, 2009 Gold is getting frothy Bob Moriarty 321gold ...s

Nov 18, 2009 Gold is getting frothy Bob Moriarty 321gold ...s: "OTC derivates were up to the incredible amount of $27 trillion. That number should have been alarming to anyone thinking about it. The GDP of the world was under $50 trillion. How could you have unregulated financial bets almost half of the value of the goods and services produced yearly in the world?"

China, gold, and the civilization shift – Telegraph Blogs

China, gold, and the civilization shift – Telegraph Blogs: "...the rising economic powers of Asia, the Middle East, and the commodity bloc are rejecting Western fiat currencies. China, India, and Russia have all been buying gold on a large scale over recent months."

Welcome to Stage Two of Gold's Bull Market

Welcome to Stage Two of Gold's Bull Market: "November 23, 2009 – Bull markets are marked by three distinct stages, and when gold climbed above $1,000, it only entered its second stage. In other words, gold has much further to climb in the months and years ahead."

Gold hits record above $1,150/oz as dollar falls | Reuters

Gold hits record above $1,150/oz as dollar falls | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - Gold rose to record highs above $1,150 an ounce on Wednesday as the dollar index languished, boosting interest in the metal as an alternative asset, after largely benign U.S. inflation data."

Mineweb - GOLD NEWS - SA gold miners on final deathwatch as scientist finds gold reserves more than 90% less than claimed

Mineweb - GOLD NEWS - SA gold miners on final deathwatch as scientist finds gold reserves more than 90% less than claimed: "The apparent bottom line in a paper published in the South African Journal of Science is that South Africa's gold industry is on final deathwatch, despite claims of massive existing below-ground reserves. Chris Hartnady, research and technical director of Cape Town earth sciences consultancy Umvoto Africa, has found that South Africa's Witwatersrand goldfields are around 95% exhausted, and anticipates that production rates should fall permanently below 100 tonnes a year within the coming decade."

Raw Story � Spitzer: Federal Reserve is ‘a Ponzi scheme, an inside job’

Spitzer: Federal Reserve is ‘a Ponzi scheme, an inside job’: "The Federal Reserve — the quasi-autonomous body that controls the US’s money supply — is a “Ponzi scheme” that created “bubble after bubble” in the US economy and needs to be held accountable for its actions, says Eliot Spitzer, the former governor and attorney-general of New York."

Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out - Telegraph

Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out - Telegraph: "Aaron Regent, president of the Canadian gold giant, said that global output has been falling by roughly 1m ounces a year since the start of the decade. Total mine supply has dropped by 10pc as ore quality erodes, implying that the roaring bull market of the last eight years may have further to run."

Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out - Telegraph

Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out - Telegraph: "Global gold production is in terminal decline despite record prices and Herculean efforts by mining companies to discover fresh sources of ore in remote spots, according to the world's top producer Barrick Gold."

Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower | Environment | The Guardian

Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower | Environment | The Guardian: "The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying."

Aletho News: Quotes from the great depression

Quotes from the great depression: "Quotes from the great depression"

Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys IMF Bullion - Bloomberg.com

Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys IMF Bullion - Bloomberg.com: "Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Gold jumped to a record after India’s central bank bought 200 metric tons of the metal from the International Monetary Fund, heightening speculation that there may be more official purchases."

Be Prepared for the Worst - Forbes.com

Be Prepared for the Worst - Forbes.com: "The large-scale government intervention in the economy is going to end badly."

Dollar Collapse Plunges S&P 500 Back To 1996

Dollar Collapse Plunges S&P 500 Back To 1996: "As we've noted often in recent days, since your government is quietly destroying the value of the dollar (ostensibly to save your ass), the actual dollar-adjusted value of the S&P 500 is back to 1996 levels. Even after the recent 60% recovery!"

Dollar Collapse Plunges S&P 500 Back To 1996

Dollar Collapse Plunges S&P 500 Back To 1996: "As we've noted often in recent days, since your government is quietly destroying the value of the dollar (ostensibly to save your ass), the actual dollar-adjusted value of the S&P 500 is back to 1996 levels"

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Staffordshire | Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Staffordshire | Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found: "The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried in a field in Staffordshire.

Experts say the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date to the 7th Century, is unparalleled in size and worth 'a seven-figure sum'."

Federal Reserve Admits Hiding Gold Swap Arrangements, GATA Says - Yahoo! Finance

Federal Reserve Admits Hiding Gold Swap Arrangements, GATA Says - Yahoo! Finance

Iran replaces Dollar with Euro in FX

Iran replaces Dollar with Euro in FX: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered the replacement of the US dollar by the euro in the country's foreign exchange accounts."

Teenager invents �23 solar panel that could be solution to developing world's energy needs..made from human hair | Mail Online

Teenager invents �23 solar panel that could be solution to developing world's energy needs..made from human hair | Mail Online: "A new type of solar panel using human hair could provide the world with cheap, green electricity, believes its teenage inventor.

Milan Karki, 18, who comes from a village in rural Nepal, believes he has found the solution to the developing world's energy needs.

The young inventor says hair is easy to use as a conductor in solar panels and could revolutionise renewable energy."

The Raw Story | China's top 500 firms outperform US rivals in 2008

The Raw Story | China's top 500 firms outperform US rivals in 2008: "China's top 500 companies outperformed their US counterparts for the first time last year, a survey conducted by a business group has revealed, as the financial crisis wreaked havoc in the United States."

Hong Kong recalls gold reserves from London - MarketWatch

Hong Kong recalls gold reserves from London - MarketWatch: "HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong is pulling all its physical gold holdings from depositories in London, transferring them to a high-security depository newly built at the city's airport, in a move that won praise from local traders Thursday."

Five more banks fail in first week of September - Sep. 4, 2009

Five more banks fail in first week of September - Sep. 4, 2009: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Five small regional banks were closed by regulators on Friday evening, pushing 2009's tally so far to 89 institutions."

World faces hi-tech crunch as China eyes ban on rare metal exports - Telegraph

World faces hi-tech crunch as China eyes ban on rare metal exports - Telegraph: "A draft report by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum will be restricted to a combined export quota of 35,000 tonnes a year, far below global needs.

China mines over 95pc of the world’s rare earth minerals, mostly in Inner Mongolia. The move to hoard reserves is the clearest sign to date that the global struggle for diminishing resources is shifting into a new phase. Countries may find it hard to obtain key materials at any price."

1,000 Banks to Fail In Next Two Years: Bank CEO - Private Equity and Hedge Funds * US * News * Story - CNBC.com

1,000 Banks to Fail In Next Two Years: Bank CEO - Private Equity and Hedge Funds * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "The US banking system will lose some 1,000 institutions over the next two years, said John Kanas, whose private equity firm bought BankUnited of Florida in May."

US May See 150-200 More Bank Failures: Bove - Financials * US * News * Story - CNBC.com

US May See 150-200 More Bank Failures: Bove - Financials * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "Bove said 'perhaps another 150 to 200 banks will fail,' on top of 81 so far in 2009, adding stress to the FDIC's deposit insurance fund."

Editorial - Debit Card Trap - NYTimes.com

Editorial - Debit Card Trap - NYTimes.com: "Moebs Services, a research company that has conducted studies for the government as well as some banks, reported recently that banks will earn more than $38 billion this year from overdraft and bounced-check fees. Moebs also estimates that 90 percent of that amount will be paid by the poorest 10 percent of the customer base."

Harry Markopolos: CDS Fraud Will Make Madoff Look "Small-Time"

Harry Markopolos: CDS Fraud Will Make Madoff Look "Small-Time": "Memo to regulators: be forewarned about frauds
in the credit-default swap market. They'll make Bernie Madoff's $65 billion fraud 'look like small-time.'

That's what Harry Markopolos -- Madoff's whistleblower ignored by federal investigators -- is saying, anyway."

321energy :: Equating Economics, Energy and Oil :: John Howe

321energy :: Equating Economics, Energy and Oil :: John Howe: "NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE MOVES OR GROWS WITHOUT ENERGY"

Bernanke explains crisis to 'average Americans' - MarketWatch

Bernanke explains crisis to 'average Americans' - MarketWatch: "WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke discussed the economy with average Americans on Sunday, saying the current financial crisis could be even more virulent than the Great Depression."

Jul 27, 2009 Fort Knox, Fort Hocks or Fort Shocks: Stewart Dougherty 321gold ...s

Jul 27, 2009 Fort Knox, Fort Hocks or Fort Shocks: Stewart Dougherty 321gold ...s

FT.com / Video & Audio / Interactive graphics - Gold: unstable metal

Interactive graphics - Gold: unstable metal: "Click on the timeline points below to see which economic and political events have driven the gold price from 1900 to present day, and expand the red shaded area for an in-depth look at gold trading during the recession."

Americans' wealth drops $1.3 trillion - Jun. 11, 2009

Americans' wealth drops $1.3 trillion - Jun. 11, 2009: "Fed report shows a decline of home values and the stock market cut the nation's wealth to $50.4 trillion."

Americans' wealth drops $1.3 trillion - Jun. 11, 2009

Americans' wealth drops $1.3 trillion - Jun. 11, 2009: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Americans saw $1.3 trillion of wealth vaporize in the first quarter of 2009, as the stock market and home values continued to decline, according to a government report released Thursday."

Bloomberg.com: News

Bloomberg.com: News: "June 1 (Bloomberg) -- Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., the third-largest U.S. life insurer by 2008 sales, has bought gold for the first time the company’s 152-year history to hedge against further asset declines.

“Gold just seems to make sense; it’s a store of value,” Chief Executive Officer Edward Zore said in an interview following his comments at a conference hosted by Standard & Poor’s in Brooklyn. “In the Depression, gold did very, very well.”"

Dubai to get back gold reserves from London banks | 26 May 2009 | www.commodityonline.com

Dubai to get back gold reserves from London banks | 26 May 2009 | www.commodityonline.com: "DUBAI: All the gold of Dubai that is held in the vaults of various banks in London is coming back to the City of Gold."

May 22, 2009 Where to Find the Best Deals in Physical Gold Casey 321gold ...s

May 22, 2009 Where to Find the Best Deals in Physical Gold Casey 321gold ...s: "When gold breached the $1,000/oz mark this February, the mass media were full of reports of unprecedented coin demand and long wait times for bullion buyers. You couldn't open the paper without seeing a piece about the gold rush.

Although the press has now set gold aside for hotter stories, I can tell you demand for gold coins continues at unprecedented levels worldwide, and production is still struggling to keep up."

BBC NEWS | Business | Is Islamic finance the answer?

BBC NEWS | Business | Is Islamic finance the answer?: "Experts in Islamic finance believe their way of doing business has shielded them from the global credit crisis."

Home sold off for $20,000 after credit card debt | The Courier-Mail

Home sold off for $20,000 after credit card debt | The Courier-Mail: "A BRISBANE couple lost their $315,000 home over a credit card debt of $8000, only finding out after the home was sold for $20,000 at a bailiff's auction.

The first they knew about it was when the new owner, who had to pay the couple's outstanding $220,000 mortgage, phoned them and said: 'Get out.'"

Global Crisis ‘Vastly Worse’ Than 1930s, Taleb Says (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Global Crisis ‘Vastly Worse’ Than 1930s, Taleb Says (Update1) - Bloomberg.com: "May 7 (Bloomberg) -- The current global crisis is “vastly worse” than the 1930s because financial systems and economies worldwide have become more interdependent, “Black Swan” author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said."

Insider Selling Jumps to Highest Level Since 2007 (Update2) - Bloomberg.com

Insider Selling Jumps to Highest Level Since 2007 (Update2) - Bloomberg.com: "Executives and insiders at U.S. companies are taking advantage of the steepest stock market gains since 1938 to unload shares at the fastest pace since the start of the bear market."

Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com

Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com: "A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money.

Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses."

The Fate of Paper Money by Mike Hewitt

The Fate of Paper Money by Mike Hewitt

S.F., U.S. home prices in free fall

S.F., U.S. home prices in free fall: "All 20 metropolitan regions tracked by the index showed price declines compared with January 2008, while 13 of them clocked record annual declines. Combined, the 20 regions had a one-year plunge of 19 percent in home values and a one-month decline of 2.8 percent from December to January.

The three worst-performing regions were Phoenix, down 35 percent compared with a year ago; Las Vegas, down 32.5 percent; and San Francisco, down 32.4 percent."

Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell by a Record 19% (Update2) - Bloomberg.com

Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell by a Record 19% (Update2) - Bloomberg.com: "March 31 (Bloomberg) -- Home prices in 20 U.S. cities fell 19 percent in January from a year earlier, the fastest drop on record, as demand plummeted and foreclosures rose."

Russia backs return to Gold Standard to solve financial crisis - Telegraph

Russia backs return to Gold Standard to solve financial crisis - Telegraph: "Russia has become the first major country to call for a partial restoration of the Gold Standard to uphold discipline in the world financial system."

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?: "What does one TRILLION dollars look like?"

FT.com / MARKETS / Commodities - Gold coin shortage as demand soars

FT.com / MARKETS / Commodities - Gold coin shortage as demand soars: "The rush by retail investors into bullion coins is creating shortages as mints across the world struggle to meet the surge in demand, dealers and mint officials say."

UPDATE 1-Islamic gold security expected in Dubai-sources

UPDATE 1-Islamic gold security expected in Dubai-sources: "By Simon Webb DUBAI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A sharia-compliant tradeable security backed by gold will be launched in Dubai next week, sources familiar with the plan said on Tuesday.
Investors have rushed into gold as a haven from the global economic storm and as insurance against potential future inflation. The price of gold rose above $1,000 an ounce for the first time in almost a year last week.

The Dubai gold security would comply with Islamic investment principles and offer regional investors a way to diversify into gold without actually buying the metal, sources said."

Stock Decline Hits Depression Levels - BusinessWeek

Stock Decline Hits Depression Levels - BusinessWeek: "Money invested 10 years ago in stocks have lost half their real value, matching the worst ten years of the Great Depression"

Failure to save East Europe will lead to worldwide meltdown - Telegraph

Failure to save East Europe will lead to worldwide meltdown - Telegraph: "The unfolding debt drama in Russia, Ukraine, and the EU states of Eastern Europe has reached acute danger point."

Madoff Witness Talks of Other Possible Schemes - NYTimes.com

Madoff Witness Talks of Other Possible Schemes - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — The private fraud investigator who tried for years to ignite a federal investigation of Bernard L. Madoff told lawmakers on Wednesday that he had discovered another possible fraud that he would report to regulators on Thursday.

Harry Markopolos testified before the House Committee on Financial Services in Washington on Wednesday.

Witness on Madoff Tells of Fear for Safety (February 4, 2009)
DealBook: $946 Million Recovered So Far From Madoff Firm (February 4, 2009)

The witness, Harry Markopolos of Boston, said at a House subcommittee hearing that he would alert the Securities and Exchange Commission to the fraud, a $1 billion Ponzi scheme he has uncovered."

Sewage yields more gold than top mines | Oddly Enough | Reuters

Sewage yields more gold than top mines | Oddly Enough | Reuters: "A sewage treatment facility in central Japan has recorded a higher gold yield from sludge than can be found at some of the world's best mines. An official in Nagano prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, said the high percentage of gold found at the Suwa facility was probably due to the large number of precision equipment manufacturers in the vicinity that use the yellow metal. The facility recently recorded finding 1,890 grammes of gold per tonne of ash from incinerated sludge."

Exxon Mobil sets record with $45.2 billion profit - Yahoo! Finance

Exxon Mobil sets record with $45.2 billion profit - Yahoo! Finance: "HOUSTON (AP) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a U.S. company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell 33 percent from a year ago."

Hybrid fusion-fission reactors to run on nuclear 'sludge' • The Register

Hybrid fusion-fission reactors to run on nuclear 'sludge' • The Register: "Texas-based boffins say they have figured out a cunning new method of dealing with America's nuclear waste, using fusion technology - which at the moment can't produce power - to turn 99 per cent of fission reactors' waste into useful energy."

U.N. crime chief says drug money flowed into banks - International Herald Tribune

U.N. crime chief says drug money flowed into banks - International Herald Tribune: "VIENNA: The United Nations' crime and drug watchdog has indications that money made in illicit drug trade has been used to keep banks afloat in the global financial crisis, its head was quoted as saying on Sunday."

Many home turbines fall short of claims, warns study | Technology | The Guardian

Many home turbines fall short of claims, warns study | Technology | The Guardian: "Home wind turbines are generating a fraction of the energy promised by manufacturers, and in some cases use more electricity than they make, a report warns today. The results of what is thought to be the most comprehensive study undertaken of the industry show the worst performers provided just 41 watt-hours a day - less than the energy needed for a conventional lightbulb for an hour, or even to power the turbine's own electronics."

Jim Rogers: 'Sell any sterling you might have. It's finished' - Business News, Business - The Independent

Jim Rogers: 'Sell any sterling you might have. It's finished' - Business News, Business - The Independent: "One of the world's leading investors voiced the markets' concerns. Jim Rogers, of the Singapore-based Rogers Holdings and co-founder of the Quantum fund with George Soros, told Bloomberg Television: 'I would urge you to sell any sterling you might have. It's finished. I hate to say it, but I would not put any money in the UK.'"

Now it's time to emigrate, says investment guru - Business News, Business - The Independent

Now it's time to emigrate, says investment guru - Business News, Business - The Independent: "When asked his advice for a young person growing up in Britain, Jim Rogers, former partner of George Soros and one of the world's most successful investors, is forthright. 'Move to China; learn Chinese.' In an interview with The Independent, Mr Rogers warns that Britain will go bankrupt if the Government continues to follow its present policy of attempting to save the banks through subsidy and nationalisation."

Merrill Lynch says rich turning to gold bars for safety - Telegraph

Merrill Lynch says rich turning to gold bars for safety - Telegraph: "Merrill Lynch has revealed that some of its richest clients are so alarmed by the state of the financial system and signs of political instability around the world that they are now insisting on the purchase of gold bars, shunning derivatives or 'paper' proxies."

Gold rush erupts over financial crisis | The Daily Telegraph

Gold rush erupts over financial crisis | The Daily Telegraph: "Worried investors seeking a safe home for their money are ploughing billions of dollars into the precious metal in a bid to preserve their wealth."