Top Picks ~ Week of December 31, 2007


Money & Markets

Venezuela Cuts Zeroes From Currency in Hope of Stalling Inflation
By Jorge Rueda – Associated Press (1 Jan 2008)

Cyprus and Malta Adopt the Euro
By Menelaos Hadijicostis – Associated Press (31 Dec 2007)

Santa Clause Comes for Failed Business Executives
By Dean Baker – The American Prospect (22 Dec 2007)

Predictions 2008: Doom, Gloom, and Silver Linings
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – London Telegraph (1 Jan 2008)

Banking on Misery: Citigroup, Wall Street, and the Fleecing of the South
A Series at The Institute for Southern Studies – Vol. 21, No. 2 (Summer 2003)

Four Important Charts by James Turk
GoldMoney.com

Adjusted Monetary Base Drops Again

Congress Should Reclaim Power From the Fed
By Chris Powell – The Providence Journal (27 Dec 2007)

Judge Hands IRS Victory in Tax Shelter
By Lynnley Browning – New York Times (27 Dec 2007)

Consumer Union’s Guide to Security Freeze Protection
FinancialPrivacyNow.org

Las Vegas Proves Immune to Jittery US Economy, But Not Casinos Elsewhere
By Gary Rivlin – International Herald Tribune (26 Dec 2007)

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Life

New Super-Cameras Mean No Hiding For Drivers Who Smoke, Eat or Use a Phone
By Ray Massey – The Daily Mail, UK (30 Dec 2007)

North America’s Largest Solari-Electric Plant Switched On
At Metaefficient – The Optimal Green Guide (28 Dec 2007)

Doing the Remarkable
By Jim Rohn – Success Information Network

The Music Man
By Lynn Hirschberg – New York Times (2 Sep 2007)

Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick
Compare your home’s energy efficiency to similar homes . . .

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Precious Metals

Chart from Kitco

Gold Closes Lower on Stronger Dollar; Ends Year up 31%
By Moming Zhou – MarketWatch (31 Dec 2007)

Almost Nothing is as Good as Gold
By Robin Bromby – Australian Business (1 Jan 2008)

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Food & Health

Acres

Tropical Fungus Sickens Dozens in Northwest
From the Associated Press (2 Jan 2008)

Worstpills.org ~ Your Expert, Independent Second Opinion for Prescription Drug Information

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Geopolitical

Mukasey Opens Criminal Probe Into Destruction of CIA Tapes [Must subscribe to view full article.]
By Evan Perez – Wall Street Journal (2 Jan 2008)

Paul Rivals Clinton, Raising Almost $20 Million For Campaign
By Kristin Jensen – Bloomberg.com (1 Jan 2008)

Germans File Mass Lawsuit Against Sweeping Data Retention Law
By Deutsche Welle Staff – DW-World.de (31 Dec 2007)

Tony Benn – From Wikipedia

The Amero – North American Currency
A YouTube Video – (22 Apr 2007)

Ron Paul Raises $19 Million in 4th Quarter – Will He Run as an Independent?
By Zac Bissonnette – BloggingStocks (31 Dec 2007)

Forget the Torture Tapes
By Michael Collins – Scoop Independent News (1 Jan 2008)

United Pilots Contradict Carrier on Cancellations
ConsumerAffairs.com (31 Dec 2007)

Oligarchical Decay
By Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com

 

Siegelman Speaks! Ex-Gov Calls ’02 Election "Stolen" by the White House
News from Undergrond – Mark Crispin Miller Blog (17 Dec 2007)

Broadside Books in Northampton, Massachusetts has a ticker tape that rolls through the casualties and costs of the Iraq war, including to Northampton. War costs were $50.8 million to Northampton when I drove through town. Imagine expanding that to bring home lots of the costs to ourselves and our communities of policies and behaviors.
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