Category: Economics & Investing

The latest talk on Wall Street is that the Federal Reserve, in coordination with the U.S. Treasury plans to “taper off” from their Quantitative Easing MBS derivatives purchases. But this chart tells the real story.: St. Louis Adjusted Monetary Base (AMBNS) Chart. Do you want the truth? The Fed is about as likely to successfully “taper off” of QE about as well as your local junkie is to “taper off” of crack cocaine. David Roche: Another Crisis Coming, Worse Than the Last. (Thanks to M.E.W. for the link.) B.B. sent this predictable news: Square Drops All Firearm and Ammunition Retailers. …

IRS Admits, Apologizes For Targeting Conservatives During 2012 Election Spain is officially insolvent: get your money out while you still can Jeff H. sent: Not even good enough for dog food: Imported food from China loaded with chemicals, dyes, pesticides and fake ingredients Items from The Economatrix: Hoard Alternative Money & Reforming Banks They Are Murdering Small Business: The Percentage Of Self-Employed Americans Is At An All-Time Low Marc Faber On Gold, Terrorism & Democratic Wealth Confiscation

Bank of America to face $7 billion claim by AIG H.L. sent: Feds Charge Eight in $45 Million Cyber Crime Scheme. The article begins: “In one of the biggest ever bank heists, a global cyber crime ring stole $45 million from two Middle Eastern banks by hacking into their credit card processing firms and withdrawing money from ATMs in 27 countries…” The U.S. has Spent $8 Trillion Protecting the Straits of Hormuz No “Peak Natural Gas” Anytime Soon Jim W. sent a microcosm for the national mindset of borrowing money to pay for past promises as if there will be …

Reader B.B. sent: 10,962,532: U.S. Disability Beneficiaries Exceed Population of Greece Record Number of Americans (Including Hamid Karzai’s Brother) Renounce Their Citizenship Frequent content contributor Jim W. sent: Bix Weir – You Can’t Trust The Paper Price Of Silver and Time is Running Out To Get Physical Items from The Economatrix: Robert Shiller:  Home Prices To Remain Stagnant For The Next Ten Years Gary Shilling:  The Disconnect Between Weak Economies And Strong Markets Won’t Continue No Bank Deposits Will Be Spared Confiscation

Reader R.B.S. sent some more coin debasement news: Stivers proposes using steel for all U.S. coins – not just pennies and nickels. The compromise that the Congresscritters reach might be just dropping the penny and switching the nickel to stainless steel. The days of nickel made of copper and nickel are numbered, so stock up! Jim W. liked this: Gold – You Better Hold It Also from Jim: How Your Purchasing Power Was And Is Destroyed. “The fraud you’re being sold is exactly identical to going into a bakery and ordering a sheet cake.  The baker asks you how many pieces …

Jack Spirko (of The SurvivalPodcast) has produced a fascinating behind-the-scenes video tour: What’s Going on at Mulligan Mint? Jack Spirko and I agree that Mulligan Mint is reputable. By setting up redundant manufacturing processes, they have overcome their production bottlenecks. They’ve also cleared the backlog of SBSS orders and they are about to release Jack’s Sentinel coin. This is the same mint that is producing the American Redoubt silver coin. Items from The Economatrix: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever Hiding The Unemployed: Disability And The Politics Of Stats Gold & Silver — War Unofficially Declared on 12 April 2013

A revenue-versus-spending chart recently posted by the editors of Zero Hedge shows just how deep a hole our legislators have dug for successive generations. The U.S. Dollar is doomed, folks. It is wise to diversify into practical, durable, and barterable tangibles! At Zero Hedge: “The Captain” Says Goodbye: The Full Final Edition Of The Privateer. (Thanks to B.B. for the lnk.) Staples Starts Selling 3D Printers Items from The Economatrix: Overhyped Q1 GDP Grows By Only 2.5%, Biggest Miss To Expectations Since 9-1-1 Record 1 Out Of 5 American Households On Food Stamps Mints, Refineries, Brokerages Out Of Stock – …

“QE to Infinity, and Beyond!” Here are two interesting articles: Fed Keeps Interest Rates Low, Continues Bond Buying Program and How long will interest rates stay low? JWR’s Comments: The risk of rising interest rates represents a huge unknown. The Federal debt is now just barely manageable only because of artificially low interest rates. If interest rates begin to rise before the public debt is reduced to less than 60% of GDP, then the game is over. At that juncture the debt will be unserviceable and the only means of escape for our government and the Fed banking cartel will …

Larry Edelson: Why Gold’s Historic Collapse is Not Over G.G. suggested: this over at Zero Hedge: Treasury Issues Draft Floating Rate Note Term Sheet Incredible! Social Security comes after man for $895 overpayment they made to his mom, 42 Year Later. Items from The Economatrix: 12 Signs The Economy Is Weaker Than You Think US Business Cycle Index Plunges Most In 22 Months Falling Gas Prices Could Boost The Economy

Peter Schiff: A Collapse Happened In 2008, But The Real Collapse Is Still Ahead Andre D. sent: Gold buyers forced to go on waiting list Items from The Economatrix: We, As Americans, Are About To See A Major, Major Collapse In Our National Monetary System, And Our Normal Way Of Life Ron Paul On Bitcoin: If I Can’t Put It In My Pocket, I Have Reservations” ObamaCare Is A “Neutron Bomb” That Will “Decimate” Jobs In America

Sir, I often received assorted mail in flat rate VHS videotape-size USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes.  I found that these will hold 27 rolls of nickels. Not near as heavy as a .30 caliber ammo can when full. Folks (like me, over 60 and female) that find the .30 cal ammo cans a bit heavy might like to use these boxes.  I just use strapping tape and run a band around the box horizontally, fill it with the nickels and then run two bands of tape around it to seal it.  They stack nicely and I can move them …

The perception of currency inflation is derived through the contextual prism of our daily lives. For my neighbors who burn a lot of gasoline commuting more than 40 miles each way every work day, the perceived inflation rate is more than 30%, per annum. And for my #1 Daughter, who’s main commercial interaction involves .22 cartridges, the perceived inflation rate is more than 200%, per annum. And for almost everyone, the fact that 32GB iPods are deflating in price because of economies of scale is a meaningless abstraction, when groceries have risen around 20% since last year. We don’t buy …

One doesn’t have to look far in the news today to catch a conundrum in any article talking about precious metals. If you read the news shops you will have noticed articles crowing titles like “Silver and Gold Have Lost Their Shine!” and “The Precious Metals Market Tanks!”. The strange thing is if you are to walk into any coin or jewelry shop tomorrow and ask to buy a few coins, you will most likely be told the wait time is several weeks, and you’ll be paying prices above the current silver price. While the news outlets are singing the …

Check Out These Insane Levels of Youth Unemployment In Europe Fed Money Printing Games Out of Gas – Karl Denninger. (Thanks to Jim W. for the link.) Bob in Virginia recommended this by Bill Gross: Here Are The Four Big Ways That The Government Will Steal Money From Bondholders While the paper market is in the doldrums, the physical metals market is searing hot: U.S. Mint Sales of Gold Coins Jump to Highest in Three Years. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Internet Sales Tax: What You Need to Know Online Sales Tax Overwhelming Passes Cloture …