Summary: Gold recovered last week, rising almost 5% against the dollar, but it's still a long way off its peak of $1000 an ounce. The euro stabilized as well, gaining a bit against the dollar after losing ground over the last few weeks.

Movements in the price of gold have been hard to explain lately. Some of that is due to gold's dual role as both a commodity and a currency. There also seems to be a divergence between real gold and paper gold lately. As gold prices dipped below $800 an ounce, it suddenly became hard to find real gold coins at near that price.

So what exactly is going on here?

Summary: It was a dramatic week in the markets last week, with gold falling 6% against the dollar, oil falling almost 9%, and the dollar gaining 4% against the euro. The dollar's strength was attributed to the realization that the whole world will share in whatever downturn is facing the United States. As for the fall in the commodities like oil and gold, it could either be a correction from a commodities bubble, or a tip of the balance toward deflation and away from inflation. All of the above bodes well for U.S. corporate profits, so U.S. stocks were up sharply.

Then, with amazing timing, war broke out between Russia and Georgia...

Mainstream news pundits are calling the Obama/Biden ticket "the most liberal ever". Surprise, surprise, nothing could be further from the truth. If Cheney pulls Dubya's strings, then Biden will certainly pull Obama's, but who will be pulling Biden's?

Watch this short interview for a not-so-subtle hint.

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"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it." - John Lennon, before his murder by CIA mind-control subject Mark David Chapman

When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote, is misleading, assuming as it does that civilization is an unmitigated blessing.