13 Reasons Why Gold Still Has Further to Go

Financial history teaches that market prices are not just subject to cyclical fluctuations — mainly following the business cycle. They are also liable to much longer lasting secular trends, often spanning 15 years, 20 years or longer. These secular cycles are visible in stocks, commodities, bonds and precious metals.

Take gold as an example … Gold experienced a secular bull market starting in the late 1960s and culminating in a spectacular high in 1980. What followed was a severe secular bear market lasting roughly 20 years. Then, around the turn of the millennium, another secular bull market got going.

Read: http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/my-13-reasons-why-gold-still-has-further-to-go-42483

The downsizing of America – Oil production off 1980s peak and manufactures learn creative methods of repackaging inflation.

There is a slow burn going on and it is happening in your wallet and also in the gas tank of your car. The US Treasury and Federal Reserve have made it their mission to slowly cut the value of each one of those green dollars you have. Since many Americans are struggling to make the monthly bills, many producers realize that they cannot up the price on regularly bought consumption products. Places like Target have long learned to add a large section of produce and perishables in their stores since people have shifted from buying wants (HDTVs) to needs (bread and butter). What is interesting though is how the big jump in commodity prices was hidden for consumer goods. You may have noticed this merely by your own observation but creative packaging has hidden a large part of this inflation.

http://www.mybudget360.com/downsizing-of-america-oil-production-off-1980s-peak-repackaging-inflation-decline-us-dollar-purchasing-power/

The American Energy Spectrum

Interactive transparency: America's Energy, Where it's from & How it's used. 

With the full picture, the problems (wasted energy) & the potential solutions (more renewable energy) become more clear.  

http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1101/good-energy/interactive.html

Dr Doom's gloomy predictions: "The End Game has Begun"

Marc Faber's nickname is Dr Doom, and his investment letter is called the Gloom Boom Doom report. He sells advice about where to invest to wealthy people, companies and institutions. He is, in the lingo of the financial zoo, a bear. He's bearish about Europe and bearish about China, and he thinks that gold is one of the safest places to put your money. His latest report is titled "The End Game has Begun."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12267742

US- Failed Bank List (7 so far in 2011)

4 Banks failed this weekend on 21st Jan 2011..

Bank Closing Information - January 21, 2011  These links contain useful information for the customers and vendors of these closed banks.    United Western Bank, Denver, CO   The Bank of Asheville, Asheville, NC   CommunitySouth Bank & Trust, Easley, SC   Enterprise Banking Company, McDonough, GA

For complete list (since 1st October 2000)
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html

Nomura's Bob Janjuah on Bloomberg Television

Bob Janjuah was interviewed by Bloomberg TV's Erik Schatzker: Among the three key themes underlying his skeptical views are the following:
i) Asia slow down (hard or soft) which will have implications on US markets;
ii) Is Europe closer to the endgame; and
iii) the US recovery

Janjuah believes that a reallocation out of Emerging Markets and into Developed Markets makes sense (time for reverse reverse decoupling already?). "I think we are going to have a deeper and harder slowdown in Asia, I think the European situation is closer to the endgame, my biggest doubt is on the US recovery...I think in Q2 and Q3 the grow slowly weakens, and much like last year we are going to be looking for QE3, and my concern is that the hurdle rate for further policy, fiscal and monetary, is much much higher."

"The Euro will either be the next reserve currency... or it won't." His personal view: "I am more optimistic today than I was two months ago."

Everyone seems to have awoken and realized that the only reason the stock market is where it is is due to the Fed's intervention in capital markets, Bob says that absent QE2, the S&P would have ended 2010 "closer to 1,000 than 1,200." 

In terms of biggest risks, Janjuah says the 

i) "melt up" is the biggest risk, becase "we are building a bubble"; 

ii) jobs in the US are number two (one more month... just one more month we promise and we will have jobs growth... ignore all the other 18 consecutive months this has been said before), and 

iii) is the bond bull market over - when do rising bond yields negate and reverse the "Tepper" trade?

Much more in the full interview.

David Morgan Interviews Eric Sprott