Nearly all markets except the dollar reacted rather badly to Ben Bernanke's news conference – even though it actually contained no news - Treasury yields soared, stocks were whacked, and so was gold. While the charts certainly don't look good in the short term, though, it should be pointed out though that investors with a longer time horizon probably won't make a big mistake by buying on weakness. That being said, however, in the short term all the tentative evidence that a bottoming process may be under way has by now been eradicated. Below are a number of charts illustrating the situation.

The overreach of the "War on Terror" and heavy-handed copyright laws lend the cover for any US agency to monitor and control your Internet activity. These, and myriad other laws, mean that your personal/business website can be seized at the drop of a hat under the flimsiest of pretexts. Fortunately, it is relatively easy and cheap to move your digital presence across borders where it can dwell in friendlier jurisdictions.

Ever since the Federal Reserve embarked on its easy money campaign, everyone and their mother has been on a crusade for an alternative reserve currency. [The euro and China's yuan have been talked about - and dismissed - as realistic contenders and]...during the world's desperate search, the Federal Reserve has just continued printing more money. That has only intensified the desire for an alternative. Enter Bitcoin. Ultimately, however, it is all about greed - not a genuine interest in a fundamentally stronger alternative to the status quo - that's driving Bitcoin prices so forget Bitcoin being a contender as an alternative currency. At best, it's a speculative investment, and a very speculative one at that.

From discovery to commercialization, the drug development process takes many years. Different regulatory events and data from trials produces share price volatility. This creates an opportunity for investors. In this infographic, we outline all the regulatory events and what to watch for to make the most of biotech opportunities.

Right now gold has no friends. Even some of its biggest proponents are declaring the bull market to be over...Let’s kick around a ‘short list’ of potential reasons for what caused the latest bloodbath. Words: 1170

I have no problem with corrections in general, as they are a healthy part of any bull market and provide a platform from the which the next upleg can spring but something is not quite right about the recent price action in precious metals as the markets have become increasingly divorced from reality over the past few months. Let’s look at some of the glaring contradictions and then discuss the implications.

Bitcoin is the first peer-to-peer (P2P) digital currency and payment system to gain significant interest. This month its marketcap surpassed $1 billion. [Below is a description of what Bitcoin is, and isn't, and why it has caught on to the extent it has.]

It is possible that Bitcoins are starting to steal some of gold's historic role as a safe haven asset, and if that comes to pass it will be a headwind for the metal and the miners of it going forward....

What currency is feared by the European Central Bank as a threat to fiat monetary institutions? What currency is cash-like, but digitally transmittable allowing for ultimate anonymity and global mobility? What digital currency is up over 2,200% over the last year? The answer? Bitcoin.

I've become interested in this whole Bitcoin thing, the electronic currency first was issued about 3 years ago, and I think it is fascinating - and troubling. Here's why.