Evidence of a conspiracy to suppress the price of gold sometime surfaces in ways that should give pause even to die-hard skeptics. Click here for Antal Fekete’s very interesting ruminations on “bad” gold supposedly on offer by the Bank of England, paper-shuffling to obscure the crime, and, get this now, the prospect of a global short-squeeze on physical.

Long-time subscribers may recall my occasional paeans to Howard Hill — the Mozart of fixed-income instruments, as far as I’m concerned. I used to quote Howard regularly on the site — until he took a 9-to-5 job with an investment firm that did not allow him to be quoted, at least not publically.  As a result of massive layoffs in his sector, however, Howard has returned to café society and the salons of cyberworld as a blogger.  I would encourage you to visit his site, Mind on Money, by clicking here, and to experience a dialogue that promises to be as high-minded and enlightening as any you will find on the Web.  He really knows his stuff.

Here’s something to buck up all you libertarians:  Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers’ opening statement on health care reform.  It’s heartening to know that there are still a few men of conviction on Capitol Hill.  Click here   for the YouTube segment.