Economics and Investing:

CFPB’s data-mining on consumer credit cards challenged in heated House hearing Gainesville Coins has produced a handy infographic on how to spot circulating silver U.S. coins. (Statistically, your best bet is to search rolls of half dollars. Ask for a few rolls, the next time that you go to your bank.) Items from The Economatrix: US Income Gap Soars To Widest Since “Roaring 20s” August Jobs Report:  Hiring Continues As Unemployment Falls An Alarming Jump In “Job Losers”




How to Budget for TEOTWAWKI, by Louie in Ohio

Prepping is never far from my mind. A few months ago I was talking with a friend and the subject of TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We know It) came up. Tom (not his real name) said that he would like to prepare for upcoming emergencies but didn’t know where to start. The answer was simple; start where you are. Obviously most people cannot start with a full larder and weapons/ammunition cache. That is of course, unless you really do have all of that, in that case…well, that’s where you are. I asked Tom what scenarios he wanted …




Economics and Investing:

Reader Rick D. spotted this over at Zero Hedge: GLD ETF Investors Unable To Get Physical Gold. Here is a key quote: “[Hedge fund manager Grant] Williams warned that the massive and escalating paper claims on physical gold at COMEX warehouses will create an explosion in the price of gold. Paper claims on gold are now at 55 to 1 meaning that there are contracts worth 55 ounces for every one ounce of actual physical gold in the COMEX warehouses.” Singer Joni Mitchell foretells an economic collapse. (Skip forward to 4:20.) Items from The Economatrix: Employers Hoarding Labor: Here’s Why …




Economics and Investing:

Record $175 Billion Due Makes Banks Worst Losers Conservative poll: Internet tax bill unpopular Greek unemployment rises to record 27.9 percent in June Items from The Economatrix: US Fed Expected to Forge Ahead with Modest Cut to QE3 Alcoa, Bank of America, and Hewlett Packard To Be Dropped From The Dow Why The Dow Is Getting A Makevoer And What It Means For The Economy




Economics and Investing:

TANSTAAFL, Butter and Silver A new digital ecology is evolving, and humans are being left behind Items from The Economatrix: The Number Of Private Sector Jobs Fell By 278,000 Last Month But The Economy Is Getting Better? Jobs Figure:  Worse Than The Headline Number COMEX Default Risk As Gold Inventories Plummet 36%




Economics and Investing:

Tam linked to this interesting piece: The 1970s Cold War Era Home built 26 Feet Underground G.G. flagged this: Consumer agency threatens independence of bankruptcy office Also from G.G.: Is Trenton going the way of Detroit? Poverty in New Jersey reaches 52-year high, new report shows Items from The Economatrix: Real Unemployment Rate Rises To 11.4%, Difference Between Reported And Real Data Rises To Record Record 90.5 Million Out Of Labor Force As Half A Million Drop Out In One Month; Labor Force Participation Rate Plunges To 1978 Levels Guggenheim On The US Jobs Growth “Mirage”




Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. sent this “Economic Recovery” Update: Why Is One-Sixth of U.S. on Food Stamps? Another “Economic Recovery” Update: Almost Half of U.S. Births Covered by Medicaid (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Auto Sales Reveal a Recovery That’s Built to Last: AutoNation’s Jackson Jobs Report: The Trend Is More Important Than the Number, Says Saut Quality of August Jobs Added: Absolutely Abysmal




Economics and Investing:

Five hurdles the market must clear this fall From G.G.: Unemployment dips to 7.3 percent, but only 63% of working-age Americans are in labor force Tim J. sent this news from Florida: Three arrested, accused of stealing used cooking oil Items from The Economatrix: US Yields Retreat From 3% After Tame Jobs Data Jobs Market Bumping Along Bottom of Very Deep Hole: Economist Krugman Overboard! Says Economic Policy a ‘Horrifying Failure’




Economics and Investing:

Wall Street Week Ahead: Markets could turn choppy as Fed, Syria risks mount Economy Minister says Italy will dodge political crisis Items from The Economatrix: 169,000 New Jobs Created In August, Bad Downward Revisions; Labor Force Participation Rate Falls U.S. Economy Adds 169,000 Jobs As Unemployment Rate Falls Unemployment And Jobs Not Good Enough To Bring End To Quantitative Easing




Economics and Investing:

Ann Barnhardt talks Syria and economic collapse. Uh-Oh: Chinese Chicken Processors Are Cleared to Ship to U.S. Here is a key quote: “And because the poultry will be processed, it will not require country-of-origin labeling. Nor will consumers eating chicken noodle soup from a can or chicken nuggets in a fast-food restaurant know if the chicken came from Chinese processing plants.” (Thanks to F.G. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: U.S. Stocks Rise As Payrolls Data Revise Fed Views G20 Says Economy Recovering But No End To Crisis Yet Dollar Holds Near Recent Highs, Upbeat Jobs Data To Help




Economics and Investing:

More details on Mulligan Mint ‘s legal troubles with Republic Metals have emerged in a recent motion before the court, for a writ of attachment. Once again, I don’t recommend placing any orders with Mulligan Mint–at least not until they are free of these potentially show-stopping legal encumbrances. Reader Allen C. sent: Why Incomes Could Fall For the Next 30 Years. When is theft not considered theft? When a national government does it, on a grand scale: Poland reduces public debt through pension funds overhaul. (Thanks to John N. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: A new contagion is …




Economics and Investing:

Ol’ Remus of The Woodpile Report pointed me to this piece by Michael Pento: Will the Last Person to Leave the Treasury Market Please Turn Out the Lights? Pento’s piece begins: “Wall Street and Washington love to spread fables that facilitate feelings of bliss among the investing public. For example, recall in 2005 when they inculcated to consumers the notion that home prices have never, and will never, fall on a national basis. We all know how that story turned out. Along with their belief that real estate prices couldn’t fall, is one of their favorite conciliatory mantras that still …







Economics and Investing:

Jim Rogers – US & Syria War, Printing Money = Market Collapse. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) G.G. sent: Labor Participation Rate Hits 34 Year Low I noticed that spot silver was solidly over $24 per Troy ounce in London trading on Monday, and gold was bouncing around $1,390 per Troy ounce. If there is war in the Middle East, we can expect to see substantially higher metals prices. This might be a good time to further diversify out of Dollars and into physical silver. Items from The Economatrix: Syria Crisis Could Send Oil Toward ’08 Highs: Schoenberger The …




Economics and Investing:

Brandon Smith: What To Expect During The Next Stage Of Collapse Well-Known Stocks to Avoid as Mortgage Rates Rise James W. sent: Indian rupee resumes slide as fears grow for slowing economy Items from The Economatrix: First Signs of Hyperinflation Have Arrived: US National Debt Can Travel From the Earth to the Sun and Back a Stunning 83 Times! U.S. Government Prepares Mass Pension-Rape 33 Shocking Facts Which Show How Badly The Economy Has Tanked Under Obama