Economics and Investing:

Dan in Kentucky recommended this BBC news video segment: Greek town develops bartering system without euro. [JWR Adds a word of warning: To avoid charges of fraud or counterfeiting, never use the term “Dollar” or use a Dollar Sign ($) when setting up an alternative currency, or make any implication that the currency units in any way reflects or is tied to the Dollar as a currency unit. (The creators of the Liberty Dollar learned this the hard way.) Instead, the barter currency unit should be denominated in hours of labor, or 1/10th Troy ounces of silver, with no mention of Dollars, whatsoever.]

Gary Shilling: Recession Is Coming, And It’s All Due To The Consumer

Reader Bram in Holland wrote to comment about Tax Freedom Day falling on April 17th this year in the United States. He noted: “Well, I live in Holland (184 days) and elsewhere in socialist Europe it is much worse! For example France 207 days and Hungary 218 days. In the old times this was called slavery.”

Fed Chatter Sends Gold Prices $20 Higher, Silver Outperforms Everything. (Thanks to R.C. for the link.)

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Shovel Ready in San Fran: $205,075 to ‘Translocate’ One Shrub from Path of Stimulus Project

Wall Street Ends Worst Two Weeks Since November

 

Items from The Economatrix:

Confiscation of Gold and Silver Coins Will Not Happen

The Shocking Truth About Unemployment in America in One Chart

Fed Says Economy Grew at “Modest to Moderate” Pace

Greece in Receivership–Planned Financial Crash Date From Bank Insider