Economics and Investing:

B.B. suggested this: Chart of the Day: Silver Coin Mania. Clearly, more folks are now distrusting the U.S. Dollar and hedging into tangible silver.

We’ve Become a Nation of Takers, Not Makers–More Americans work for the government than in manufacturing, farming, fishing, forestry, mining and utilities combined.

D.I.W. suggested this over at the Secular Trends blog: Current Real Unemployment is 16%

Foreign Banks Tapped Fed’s Secret Lifeline Most at Crisis Peak. Is this supposed to give me a warm, fuzzy feeling?

Items from The Economatrix:

Massive Capital Wave Approaches Gold

MyBudget360:  Federal Reserve Silently Grows Balance Sheet to Approximately $2.75 Trillion 

Buying Silver and Avoiding the Sharks

San Francisco Mint to Strike Silver Bullion  

Oil Nears $105 As Libyan Army Retakes Oil Port