Economics and Investing:

The mainstream media finally raises serious alarm about derivatives: Big Risk: $1.2 Quadrillion Derivatives Market Dwarfs World GDP.(Thanks to JDD for the link.) FWIW, I’ve been warning about this since 2006.

Fannie-Freddie Fix at $160 Billion With $1 Trillion Worst Case. (Thanks to Brian B. for the link.)

Scott S. call this article at Zero Hedge a “must read”: Extend And Pretend – A Guide To The Road Ahead

Reader P.D. spotted this: 20 More Signs of a Full-On Economic Collapse

SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate, “George Gordon” sent us this: Number of the Week: Default, Not Thrift, Pares U.S. Debt

A Daily Bell Interview: Doug Casey Revisits the Greater Depression and Explains the Realities of Investing in the 21st Century

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold Going to Parabolic Top of $10,000 by 2012 for Good Reasons

Ponzi Finance Recipe for Economic Catastrophe, Gold Not a Bubble

Why is China Promoting Gold Investments if the Yuan is Going to Appreciate?

Central Bank Hid Housing Market Crash Forecast

PR Push Against Strategic Defaulters Underway (Is There a Debtor’s Prison In Your Future?)