fitkid

I would'nt bet my stash on any political puppet show.People need to start looking behind that charade if they want to really understand whats going on. A small example:- How Gordon Brown paid West Wing Writers $40,000 for 'tailoring' speechCompany headed by former speechwriters to Clinton, vice-president Joe Biden and other leading Democrats helped pitch speeches to US audience Daniel Nasaw The Guardian, Wednesday 4 November 2009 Article history Gordon Brown addresses a Joint Meeting of Congress. Photograph: Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA Gordon Brown's speech to the US Congress in March earned no fewer than 19 standing ovations, a congratulatory call from President Obama and plaudits for its command of global economics and rousing call to action. What American politicians did not know at the time was that at least some of it was the work of a Washington-based speechwriting company called West Wing Writers – which charged the prime minister $7,000 (£4,300) for its services. Today it emerged that Brown has paid more than $40,000 to the company to help him tailor speeches to US audiences while chancellor of the exchequer and prime minister. Staffed by former aides to Bill Clinton, West Wing Writers will doubtless have sounded reassuring to New Labour aficionados of Aaron Sorkin's rendering of life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Daniel Nasaw talks about the team of Americans hired by Brown Link to this audio The cash may not have paid for the real-life Toby Ziegler or Sam Seaborn, but it may have helped Brown counter his hard-earned reputation in the UK for being dour and stern. Details of the payments have emerged from documents West Wing Writers filed with the US justice department, required because the company was working on behalf of an agent of a foreign government – Brown. The most recent payment disclosed was $7,085, which, it states, was paid by the prime minister on 4 March 2009 "for editing communication material". According to a filing, West Wing Writers provided suggestions for edits to the speech he made on Capitol Hill. The documents do not reveal which sections the writers tweaked, but in several instances the remarks betray subtle sensitivity to United States political sentiment. For instance, they include references both to presidents John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and to "the bravery and valour of the Americans who gave that last full measure of devotion" – to many Americans an instantly recognisable reference to Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Gettysburg Address. In March 2008 West Wing Writers received $9,810.50 from Brown for editing one speech. Three weeks later Brown gave an address at the John F Kennedy memorial library in Boston urging the US and Europe to join forces against global terrorism. In addition to those speeches, when Brown was chancellor West Wing Writers edited speeches to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, a comment piece published in the Washington Post, and other works, documents show. Though his name is against many of the payments, it is thought the bills were paid by the offices of the chancellor and the prime minister, rather than by Brown himself. West Wing Writers prides itself on guaranteeing the confidentiality of its clients, and declined to comment on the work it had carried out for Brown – which is thought to be the first time in many years that a senior British politician has engaged US speechwriters. "If we put their names here, you would know them all," the company writes on its website. "But if West Wing Writers' clients have one thing in common, its that they expect confidentiality." In addition to Brown, West Wing Writers also help with speeches and communications material for the Jordanian court, including Queen Rania, and assist the Norwegian foreign ministry. Downing street did not return a call asking for a comment. West Wing Writers is headed by former speechwriters to Clinton, vice-president Joe Biden and other leading Democratic party figures. The team of writers include Vinca LaFleur, who helped Clinton pen a speech given in Northern Ireland in 1995; Jeff Nussbaum, who wrote speeches for Biden during last year's presidential campaign; Paul Orzulak, a Clinton White House aide; and Jeff Shesol, also a former speechwriter to Clinton. The payments came during a turbulent period for his Downing street public relations team, which has suffered several overhauls since he became prime minister two years ago

Gold heads to $1,100; hits fresh record Gold futures surged to record highs above $1,090 an ounce Wednesday as the dollar sold off and buyers piled onto the precious metal's recent rise amid bets the Federal Reserve would maintain its ultraloose monetary policy. After settling with modest gains, gold futures perked up in electronic trade after the Fed released its statement, repeating that economic conditions "are likely to warrant exceptional low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period." It kept rates near zero percent. Gold broke atop key technical levels on Tuesday, gaining after the International Monetary Fund said it sold 200 metric tons of gold to the Reserve Bank of India, part of a total of 403.3 metric tons of gold approved for sale in September. See Tuesday's Metals Stocks. Tom Pawlicki, analyst at MF Global, said he expects "gold prices to make further upside progress over the near term." "Support will come from IMF sales to India, planned dehedging by Barrick, hedge-fund purchases, and technical factors," Pawlicki wrote in a note to clients. Earlier this week, Barrick Gold Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!abx/quotes/nls/abx (ABX 40.36, +0.08, +0.20%) /quotes/comstock/11t!abx (CA:ABX 42.94, +0.97, +2.31%) said it reduced its hedge book by 1 million ounces of gold in October. In other metals action, December silver rose 1.3% to $17.405 an ounce during the floor session. January platinum gained 1% to $1,369.30 an ounce, as December palladium added 0.3% to $328.80 an ounce. Bucking the trend, December copper slid 1.3% to $2.993 a pound. In economic news Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management index showed business conditions improved in October across a narrower group of companies in the U.S. nonmanufacturing sectors. The ISM nonmanufacturing index fell to 50.6% from 50.9% in September, short of economist estimates. See full story. Also, payrolls provider ADP said private-sector firms in the U.S. cut 203,000 jobs in October, the fewest jobs lost since July 2008. See Economic Report. Barrick reduces gold hedges Toronto-based Barrick plans to eliminate its remaining 1.9 million ounces in gold hedges by September 2010 because it wants to gain full leverage to the price of gold on all future production based on what's perceived to be an increasingly positive outlook for the metal. Gold hedges are contracts where Barrick has sold ounces of gold forward and will receive a fixed price upon delivering into these contracts. With these hedges, Barrick doesn't stand to benefit from any increase in the price of gold. Some hedge funds are also actively buying gold. Gold may be "competing with T-bills as a place to park excess cash," Pawlicki said. "Gold sometimes has the appearance and reputation of being a 'risk-free' asset." Gold has historically been seen as a safe-haven asset. Investors tend to buy the metal as a hedge against economic and financial turmoil. "Central banks portray a long-term picture of things to come," said Chintan Karnani, an analyst at Insignia Consultants in New Delhi. "If central banks are buying gold, why should retail investors be left behind?" The rise in gold prices was also partly due to the "massive short covering and option-related buying," he said, characterizing the Tuesday rally in gold and other commodities as "too much money chasing too few goods." At the same time, scrap-gold sales have ended, and Karnani expects to see greater jewelry demand at prices below the $1,050 level. On a technical level, $1,125.40 is key resistance, he said. That level needs to be breached for gold to see further gains. And if gold's rally continues into next week, Karnani predicts gold prices could reach $1,200 this month. Moming Zhou is a MarketWatch reporter based in New York. Polya Lesova is reporter for MarketWatch, based in Frankfurt. Laura Mandaro in San Francisco and Myra P. Saefong in Tokyo December gold, the most active contract, rose to $1,092.1 an ounce, up from a floor settlement of $1,087.3 an ounce, as the U.S. dollar sold off further. "The Fed reiterated the fact that they'll keep interest rates low to stimulate growth, which will ultimately lead to a weaker dollar and higher inflation," said David Beahm, vice president in economic research at Blanchard & Co. in New Orleans. Combined with demand from central banks, the continued drop in the U.S. dollar "is a great recipe for gold," he said. New records After trading followed an active session that drove prices to new records near $1,100 an ounce. During the regular session, gold for November delivery rose to $1,094 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest level for a Comex front-month contract. The thinly traded contract ended up 0.2% at $1,086.70 an ounce. Gold for December delivery, the most actively traded contract, also ended up 0.2% on the session, at $1,087.30 an ounce, after setting an intraday high of $1,096.50 an ounce. Central banks in China, Russia and other major emerging markets have indicated "interest in building their holdings of gold as part of their diversification away from the U.S. dollar," said Nicholas Brooks, head of Research and Investment Strategy at ETF Securities. "This appears to be a structural change that may support the gold price on a medium- to longer-term basis," he said. News Hub: Previewing the FedThe News Hub panel discusses what big moves at the Federal Reserve may augur. The dollar extended its decline after the Fed statement. Gold prices tend to rise when the dollar falls, because the currency's deterioration makes hard assets more valuable. The dollar index /quotes/comstock/11j!i:dxy0 (DXY 75.70, -0.69, -0.90%) , which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, fell 0.6% to 75.82. See Currencies. Investors' interest also returned in gold exchange-traded funds. Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust /quotes/comstock/13*!gld/quotes/nls/gld (GLD 107.12, +0.02, +0.02%) , the biggest gold ETF, rose to 1,108.40 metric tons as of Tuesday, up nearly 5 metric tons from the prior day. /quotes/comstock/13*!gld/quotes/nls/gld GLD 107.12, +0.02, +0.02% /quotes/comstock/11j!i:dxy0 DXY 75.70, -0.69, -0.90% 60%40%20%0%-20%N09FMAMJJASO"Inflows into physically backed gold ETFs indicate the move into gold has been gathering pace over the past year," said Brooks.

6. Soon the emails will start. They will want to get in on gold. Questions like, "what's happening, gold looks pretty good, right, Stewart?" Where were these people at 680? At 905? Others that sold out will ask, "But why is gold rising, I don't understand?" 7. This is the gold rapture. No prisoners will be taken. If you are a long term investor, the strategy now is to sit there in the corner and wait. Wait for much higher prices before selling anything. You need to decide who you are, where you sit on the investor-trader scale. Investors want to become traders on severe price weakness, and traders want to become investors into great strength like we have now. If you are a trader, selling now is as hard as buying at 905 and 680 was. It has to be done if you want to act professionally. You are selling into a price strength surge that feels like it will never end.

2. Do you really think people so focused on gold's decline really owned gold themselves? No. They blew out their core positions to play 'gold hamburger flipper.' The burger landed on the floor and the banksters just stomped on it. The flippers are dead

Gold Sweeps to Record High Above $1, 080 By REUTERS Published: November 3, 2009 Filed at 2:49 p.m. ET Skip to next paragraph NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Gold swept to a record high above $1,080 an ounce on Tuesday, defying dollar strength as the International Monetary Fund's 200 tonne sale of gold to India's central bank boosted sentiment towards the metal. The purchase by the Reserve Bank of India underscored gold's increasing status as an official reserve. Gold's rally in the face of a stronger dollar also signalled the metal could rise further, dealers said. Spot gold was at $1,087.25 per ounce at 2:20 p.m. EST (7:20 p.m. British time), up 2.6 percent from $1,059.15 quoted late in New York on Monday. Earlier, gold hit an all-time high of $1,087.45. U.S. December gold futures settled up $30.90, or 2.9 percent, at $1,084.90 an ounce on the COMEX division of NYMEX. The IMF said on Monday it had sold 200 tonnes of gold to India for $6.7 billion. The sale lifted some uncertainty from the market by helping soak up potential supply. "It all generates from the fact that the IMF sold 200 tonnes to the Reserve Bank of India. That is very bullish as it takes 200 tonnes away from the direct market," said Bill O'Neill, partner at New Jersey-based LOGIC Advisors. "That shows that future IMF sale will be conducted in a similar manner," O'Neill said. The IMF sale, part of an agreement to sell about an eighth of the Fund's stock, fuelled speculation that other governments -- including Beijing -- may be ready to diversify their reserves even at near record prices. Some traders noted that selling pressure was limited during Tuesday's sudden rally as major dealers were away from the trading desks attending the London Bullion Market Association's annual conference in Edinburgh. NEXT STOP, $1,100? The dollar hit a one-month high against a basket of currencies on Tuesday as investors retreated from risk assets, before paring those gains. The greenback later pared gains. A strong dollar makes gold and other commodities priced in the U.S. unit less attractive for non-U.S. investors. Gold's sharp rally in spite of a dollar rise showed that strong demand will continue support the metal. "Gold is rallying regardless of currency actions," said Adam Klopfenstein, senior market strategist at futures broker Lind-Waldock. Stephen Briggs, commodity strategist at RBS, said gold has clearly broken away from the relationship with the dollar. "We wouldn't be surprised to see $1,100. It's gone up $25 in the space of half an hour, so how can one say?" U.S. traders also said the gold market was finding support from potential for accelerated producer buybacks in as miners are keen to back gold they had previously sold forward. Miners Anglogold Ashanti <ANGJ.J> and Barrick gold <ABX.TO> both told Reuters on Monday that closure of their hedgebooks might happen ahead of schedule. Looking ahead, the U.S. Federal Reserve begins a two-day policy-setting meeting later this session. While the bank is expected to keep benchmark interest rates unchanged near zero, there is speculation it might alter its pledge to keep rates low for an "extended period." Other precious metals rallied in gold's wake, with silver adding 5.2 percent to $17.28 an ounce, against $16.43 an ounce late on Monday. Less-liquid silver tends to be more volatile and often outperforms gold in a metals rally. Platinum rose to $1,356 an ounce compared with $1,334.00, while palladium was at $324.00 against its previous session late quote of $321.50. (Additional reporting by Michael Taylor and Maytaal Angel in London)

How much more ???? How much more ????

Look even GoM is smiling.!!!!

I would rather have one of these full than a rocket any day.!!!!

Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys From IMF Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | A A A By Claudia Carpenter and Pham-Duy Nguyen Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Gold jumped to a record after India’s central bank bought 200 metric tons of the metal from the International Monetary Fund, heightening speculation that there may be more official purchases. Gold futures for December delivery rose to a record $1,081.70 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex unit and traded at $1,080 at 12:10 p.m., up $26, or 2.5 percent. The previous record was $1,072 an ounce, on Oct. 14. “This will encourage other countries and other investors, especially Indians, who are big buyers anyway, to jump into the market,” said Leonard Kaplan, the president of Prospector Asset Management in Evanston, Illinois. The Reserve Bank of India bought the bullion, for $6.7 billion, from Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. It was “the biggest single central-bank purchase that we know about for at least 30 years in such a short period,” said Timothy Green, the author of “The Ages of Gold.” “The only comparable event was the U.S.’s steady purchases in the 1930s and 1940s.” Prices also rose to an all-time high in gold traded in Indian rupees. Central banks, the biggest holders of gold, may diversify out of the dollar and buy bullion as ballooning U.S. debt and low interest rates weaken the greenback. “It is but a matter of time until China and the IMF announce much of the same,” said Dennis Gartman, an economist and the editor of the Gartman Letter in Suffolk, Virginia. Rising on Dollar Before today, gold gained 19 percent this year as the U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the greenback’s performance against six major currencies, slid 6.2 percent. The index rose to a four-week high today. “The fall in the U.S. dollar seems to be pushing all the central banks to strengthen their portfolios with gold,” said N.R. Bhanumurthy, a professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in New Delhi. “Gold is a safe store of value compared to the U.S. dollar.” India’s purchase buoyed gold as industrial metals slumped on concern that governments will remove economic-stimulus measures, crimping demand for raw materials. Copper and lead both fell as much as 2.8 percent on the London Metal Exchange. India held 350 tons of gold at the end of 2008, making it the 12th-largest government owner, according to the GFMS Ltd. 2009 Gold Survey. The additional 200 tons propels the country past Russia into ninth place, according to GFMS figures. India is the largest buyer of gold for jewelry and investment. Unusual Move “You usually associate Indian consumers buying gold more than you do the central bank,” said Mario Innecco, an MF Global Ltd. broker in London. Gold averaged about $1,049 in the two weeks when the IMF gold sale occurred. Prices may rise to $1,125 by year-end, Innecco said. The IMF’s executive board on Sept. 18 approved the sale of 403.3 tons of the metal, pledging to avoid disrupting the market. The board sought to use the sales of about an eighth of the organization’s total stockpile to help shore up its finances. China has increased its gold reserves by 76 percent since 2003, to 1,054 tons, the official Xinhua News Agency reported in April. Gold holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest exchange- traded fund backed by bullion, have risen 41 percent this year. President Barack Obama has increased the nation’s marketable debt to an unprecedented $7 trillion as the government borrows to revive economic growth. The Federal Reserve has kept the benchmark U.S. interest rate between zero and 0.25 percent since December. Gold may average $1,125 in 2010, “with strong investment demand anchored by a negative real-interest rate environment and probable central bank purchases,” analysts at Toronto-based Desjardins Securities Inc. said in a report. Among other precious metals, silver futures for December delivery rose 46 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $16.90 an ounce on the Comex. Before today, the most-active contract climbed 46 percent this year. To contact the reporters on this story: Claudia Carpenter in London at ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net; Pham-Duy Nguyen in Seattle at pnguyen@bloomberg.net. Last Updated: November 3, 2009 12:12 EST

Excellent post!!

I sense the kraken has been awoken be careful!!

Halcyon (pronounced /ˈhælsiən/), a term that originates from the Greek myth of Alcyone, is used most often to mean golden or marked by peace and prosperity. WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO KID GOLDEN BOY

My bet is David Einhorn of Greenlight. They have had a strong Gold ETF position, but have transferred that to physical gold due to efficiency. They also have largish (4%) position on Gold miners ETF. Einhorn's position on gold in his VIC 09 speech. In short, he believes gold is a good hedge against bad monetary/fiscal policies and will probably do well in future, esp. if there is a sovereign default. Better than holding cash - both at zero interest currently. If sound policies are reinstated, he will exit gold. I wonder how much his renumeration is for that.TALK ABOUT DEGREES IN THE BLEEDIN OBVIOUS.!!!I dont think anyone is buying holding gold for any other reason other than the OBVIOUSLY STATED ABOVE.I for one will be heading for the exit sharpish when i see the final play out on the horizon.The 22 million dollar i mean GOLD question is how it is going to play out i have no doubt that the ptb already know the final strategy and the endgame but we cant be 100% sure what that is at the momment. But sitting on gold certainly looks alot brighter than anything else and the 2 questions i am seeking the answers for is how much of a role will AU have in the future world currency basket ?will it be a return to 100 %gold backed toilet paper and "HONEST MONEY". IF ANYONE KNOWS PM ME I PROMISE I CAN KEEP IT A SECRET

Errol i totally agree the only caveat i would raise is that anyone trading should only sell to me at 50% discount off spot.

SECONDED (MOTION CARRIED?) Goldfinger is probably the most clued up guy on gold on the forum he is a true gentleman and he is F***ING GOLDFINGER. If thats your name and avatar you better know your stuff.

+1 keep'em coming

AHA that would take the thinking of a cool,calm collected physical gold investor.A rare commodity it would seem.

100 % agreed how many posters have made it known how they feel about the thread title and nothing has been done about a simple typing exercise.Come on you ban swamp but cant appease the requests for the appropriate requested thread title,same difference posters are complaining.

You will have to change your AVATAR now "HAPPY OLD MAN" sounds more like it.Anyone with physical gold couldnt possibly be 'GRUMPY'

THAT IS RIDICULOUS !!!HE BROUGHT ALOT MORE TO THE TABLE THAN MOST. Where are the posts relating to him being booted to be found??

Absolutely spot on "HONEST MONEY"

Absolutely Indoctrination reinforced into their professional training that creates an arrogance, that is needed to be seen to be believed,this is across all professional disciplines that the system so conveniently creates.I have very rarely been fortunate enough to meet FREE THINKING ,OPEN MINDED people from these areas. "YOUR MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE IT IS ONLY OF ANY USE IF IT IS OPEN" Anthony J. D΄Angelo

Have i missed something has someone been shown the exit?