Financial Armageddon: In-Your-Face Influence Peddling
FT.com – Not all bubbles present a risk to the economy (Blinkered Fed thinking on asset bubbles. Reminiscent of the Greenspan era.)
Fitch Says U.K. Rating Most at Risk Among Top-Rated – Bloomberg.com
Japan faces risk of ratings downgrade over debt| Currencies| Reuters
Mishkin Defend Bubbles (and of Course, the [...]

I am feeling fairly ill so posting will be light today. Hopefully, I will back in shape tomorrow.

VIDEO: Former Brit Ambassador Craig Murray Says UK and USA Sent Prisoners to Uzbekistan for Torture Part 1 Patrick J. Buchanan
Chilling. Must-see video

Former UK Ambassador: CIA Sent People To Be ‘Raped With Broken Bottles’ « Patrick J. Buchanan [...]

FTD.de | Erinnerungen an den Mauerfall: Merkel hat nach der Sauna rübergemacht
Top brains shun Ireland as smart economy withers – Independent.ie  (Science funding is drying up)
Bank of Ireland set for state ownership – Independent.ie
Discrimination Takes Its Toll On Black Women
Nothing But Net: The Physics Of Basketball Free Throws (Two engineers have figured out [...]

Warren Buffett And The G20 – The Baseline Scenario
On dollars, commodities, China, imbalances and oligarchs

A close look at the new antitrust allegations against Intel – Ars Technica
Intel paid dell to limit AMD shipments.

G20 maintains $1trn stimulus as Brown calls for global bail-out fund
Interesting idea from Brown

Labored Conditions – Up and Down Wall Street – R. [...]

David Michael Green: Can You Hear Us Now?
We still want change. Hat tip Lavrenti.

Marc Faber has short term concerns about commodities, says gold may drop to US$800 – Business Intelligence Middle East
Is this rally over the top yet?

Insolvencies hit record high
Up 28% in Britain

RBS bank reports losses of £2.2bn
Britain’s bottomless pit. Much worse than Lloyds

Fannie [...]

Be sure to see William Shatner’s poetic reading of Levi Johnston’s tweets below. Pretty funny.
Buffett Revisits Hunting Ground for Survivors: Alice Schroeder – Bloomberg.com
"Buffett isn’t as bullish as he sounds."

Clever fools: Why a high IQ doesn’t mean you’re smart – New Scientist
I have always said George W. Bush is NOT dumb. He is just wilfully [...]

I was interviewed on the BBC last night about the GM/Opel/Vauxhall deal. I am waiting for video before posting any more about it.  My general feeling, however is GM’s backing out is being driven by reflation as GM no longer needs to sell Opel/Vauxhall in this economic environment. Quite frankly, I think it is a [...]

I will be on Canada’s BNN TV at noonish talking about finance: Banks and Buffett. It will be a casual discussion with the moderators Howard Green and Andrea Mandel-Campbell and one other guest, Brian Milner of the Globe & Mail.
Below are today’s links. Enjoy.

Hillary’s Ill Will Tour – Patrick J. Buchanan’s website
This is not the [...]

I will be out of pocket in the early morning. Back late morning for more news. I expect to update my thoughts on the UK TBTF situation.

Junk bond revival stokes credit bubble fears – Telegraph
I share these fears. (My post: http://bit.ly/4oK1wR)

Do Saudis have the clout to destroy NYMEX? – Telegraph
Still wondering why even after [...]

White House Will Not Be Told By The AP How Many Jobs The Stimulus Has Created – Dealbreaker
Funny.

Industrial output up 1.4% last month | The Japan Times Online
More bullish data in Japan.

What Exactly Is Going On In Finland? – Edward Hugh
As comprehensive a review as any out there.

Why three buses come at once, and how [...]