Our ever-popular Periodic Table of Commodity Returns has been updated through 2012. It shows a decade of results across 14 different commodities, providing strikingly rich information in a very insightful format.

[While] I am not a prepper in the traditional sense of stockpiling food, guns and the like, I have always considered myself a financial prepper...For anyone not familiar with how dicey matters are becoming, [however,] I suggest they read the 50 questions below. Words: 1323

The U.S. debt situation when broken down to one of family statistics really seems absurd. Yet it's true. It's a slow motion train wreck that can be seen coming miles away but which, like deer paralyzed in the headlights, everyone is unwilling to face up to and to take any meaningful corrective action - and it will be the downfall of them all. Words: 550

We know that state-run central banks ALWAYS try to inflate their way out of debt [because, quite] simply, it's the easiest way to make debt go away....Ben Bernanke and Tim Geithner might call their inflationary measures by a different name - like quantitative easing - but the effect is the same [and,] make no mistake [about it,] these policies will destroy lives [on one hand, and make those in the know a small fortune on the other. This article explains the options].

After having compounded at over 19% p.a. over 11 years, gold certainly should be allowed to just gain 7% in 2012 without some people calling an end to the bull market. Those who believe the bull market is over are mainly the investors who have missed gold going up almost 7 times in since 1999. Let me be very clear, the real move in gold hasn’t started yet, it is still to come. Here are my reasons why. Words: 1000

[Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans] I would like to [take this opportunity to] inform you about the state of the union. Before I begin, however, I would ask that [the millions of Americans listening to me on T.V., on the internet and on the radio] take a moment to make sure the elderly, weak or infirm in your household are sitting down. In fact, just make sure everyone is sitting down and adequately restrained [because] what I'm going to tell you is the cold, hard, ugly truth... The state of your union is worse than it has been since 1861, and it's only going to get worse... much worse. Let me break down the situation for you in the simplest terms possible. Words: 1689

Whenever the BLS posts their monthly CPI there's always the same response from critics that the index is flawed. That's fine. I think a healthy dose of skepticism regarding government data is perfectly good. So let's take a look at some independent gauges to see where prices are.

The United States is not going to become energy independent because of tight oil. Period. Reports to the contrary are an illusion of U.S. energy independence based on unrealistic assumptions and projections about the long-term potential of oil production from tight formations like the Bakken Shale in North Dakota and the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas. There are several compelling reasons for this [as outlined below]. Words: 575

Silver has had double digit gains in 7 of the last 10 years. In this infographic, we look at the investment properties of silver as well as its chief differences with gold. Highlights include a study on silver correlation, volatility, performance against the US Dollar and money supply, and portfolio diversification.

We have been hearing a lot about escaping the fiscal cliff, but our problem isn’t solved. The fixes to date have been partial and temporary. There are many painful decisions ahead. Based on recent research and my analysis of the situation, civilization is in the early stage of the Crisis phase (state breakdown) and the U.S. will most likely enter a severe recession by the end of 2013. [Below is my rationale.] Words: 2979; Charts: 8