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“The financial markets continue to show extreme volatility as the various institutions and governments deal with the end of their respective roads....Governments, economies and societies are converging on a common dead end, and it is a dead end of historic proportions....There will come a moment when this dysfunctional system can be sustained no longer. It is not inevitable. There is still time for rational behavior and solutions, but that time is short."

Even as I write these words, the world's largest economy — the E.U. — is coming unglued at the seams, the world's second largest — the U.S. — is careening headlong toward a fiscal cliff that promises to gut its GDP, nearly all of Asia — including Japan, China and India — is slowing...and yet most investors still don't get the message. [Let me go on to explain just what that message is.] Words: 1357

LOOK! Everyone needs to see this. United States owes a lot of money. As of 2012, US debt is larger than the size of the economy. The debt ceiling is currently set at $16.394 Trillion, estimated to be hit around Sep 14, 2012. In the infographic below that enormous amount is illustrated in $100 bills. It's frightening! Words: 605

Martin Armstrong provides a remarkable explanation of what is going on right now with the U.S. dollar, bond yields and the current price of gold. It would be well worth your time to read and reflect on what he has to say. Words: 822

While the economy can certainly make job hunting frustrating for some recent grads, it's not all bad news. 59.3% of employers surveyed rated the current job market good to excellent, and 9.5% plan on increasing their number of hires this year. Learn more from the infographic below.

While juniors, mid-tiers and large producers will usually bottom around the same time, they each outperform at different times. In this missive we look at some charts to decipher when its time to buy [each category and when one or the other] should be avoided. Words: 470

China currently is a distant 5th behind the U.S. in the extent of gold reserves it currently owns but gives every indication that it is intent on adding more. How long might it take for China to be number one in gold reserves?

The Q Ratio is a popular method of estimating the fair value of the stock market developed by Nobel Laureate James Tobin. My latest estimates [suggest] that the broad stock market is about 33% above its arithmetic mean and 42% above its geometric mean......Periods of over- and under-valuation can last for many years at a time, however, so the Q Ratio is not a useful indicator for short-term investment timelines [and, as such,] is more appropriate for formulating expectations for long-term market performance. [Let me review the Q ratio with you, along with several graphs, so you can clearly understand what the Q ratio is, how it works and what it is currently conveying.] Words: 800

Goldman Sachs reports their Global Economic Indicators (GLI) show the world has re-entered a contraction and...is predicting a market crash worse than that of the early 90′s recession and one slightly less than the sell-off at the turn of the millennium. [Below are graphs to support their contentions.] Words: 250

PARIS (Reuters) - There are signs that the economies of two of the world's leading emerging powerhouses, India and China, are starting to falter, while Europe continues to be handicapped by its debt woes according to a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). [Here are some of the pertinent data.] Words: 250