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A well-known Russian journalist, head of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations  Oleg Panfilov in early November moved for permanent residency from Moscow to Tbilisi. In a conversation with journalists he explained that his decision was based on the fact that in Russia unknowns were constantly threatening him through the internet with physical lynching.

This news appeared on the internet on the 9th of November. To me this «news» was known two months ago: Oleg himself had told me about his desire to forsake Russia. In so doing no arguments in the form of threats did he name. I think

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Reports have emerged following yesterday's meeting between 'comfortable' duo Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Tymoshenko.  Bloomberg says Putin's announcement that Ukraine would not be penalized for consuming less gas than was contracted was warmly received by Tymoshenko, who pledged that payments would be made on time.  'It would be very good to meet the New Year without calamities,' Putin said, guaranteeing stable supplies (click here for some transit figures).  This exchange was overshadowed by Medvedev's advisor in Moscow, who reportedly complained about 'political blackmail' in light of Tymoshenko's decision to increase transit fees earlier this week. The Guardian points out that TNK-BP's new chief executive, the choice of its oligarch board, is 'inexperienced', but BP insists that it was not 'steamrollered' into accepting him.  Russia's stepped-up pledge for emissions reductions is drawing positive reports.  ...

Baltimore — (TFN): Some good friends of mine recently took their TV out to their front yard, put two high-brass shells in their 12 gauge and pulled the trigger.  They rendered the hunk of glass and plastic useless. Called it Alaskan waste disposal.

After last night, I’m ready to get out the 00 buckshot, myself.

I’ve got my eye out for good intentions, gone bad after spending the last three editions of Notes discussing the idea of financial regulatory reform.

During 52-mile commute home yesterday, they were all over the place, anything from idiotic signs to a couple of state cops setting a trap and writing tickets for not moving to the left lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.

The gung-ho troopers had rush-hour traffic slowed for over a mile.

But my mind really started spinning when I passed an out-of-state big rig. I could not help but notice the federal and state ID

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I was listening to our president and recalled Jerzy Lec:

"I am so full of optimism that I can't take any more of it."

What didn't Dmitry Medvedev promise us! "Intolerance toward corruption...improvement of housing conditions...nurturing of the personality already in school...normalisation of the situation in monocities..." And also about agriculture, modernisation of the economy, flights to other planets; reducing taxes; raising the quality of school education...

Of the new - a possible abolition of the switches from summer to winter and a reduction in the quantity of time zones. And - applause, applause, applause...in the spirit of the times of Brezhnev.

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Initial claims for unemployment insurance (or jobless claims) fell to 502,000 last week -- a drop of 12,000 from last week's revised level (and 10,000 from last week’s unrevised level). That brought the four-week moving average down to 519,750 -- a decline of 4,500 from last week, and of 139,000 from its mid-April peak. That was the lowest level of initial claims since the first week of January (when the numbers were distorted due to the New Years Holiday). As the chart below (from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/) shows, that was probably the high point for this cycle. The decline has been quite smooth and steady -- unlike the experience of the last two economic downturns, where after an initial decline, claims leveled off and remained high for an extended period of time. The fact that we are back to around the same levels we were in January points ...

Initial claims for unemployment insurance (or jobless claims) fell to 502,000 last week -- a drop of 12,000 from last week's revised level (and 10,000 from last week’s unrevised level). That brought the four-week moving average down to 519,750 -- a decline of 4,500 from last week, and of 139,000 from its mid-April peak. That was the lowest level of initial claims since the first week of January (when the numbers were distorted due to the New Years Holiday). As the chart below (from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/) shows, that was probably the high point for this cycle. The decline has been quite smooth and steady -- unlike the experience of the last two economic downturns, where after an initial decline, claims leveled off and remained high for an extended period of time. The fact that we are back to around the same levels we were in January points ...

This post provides links to a number of interesting articles I have read over the past few days that you may also enjoy.

• Andy Xie (Caijing.com.cn): Why one bubble burst deserves another, September 28, 2009. The financial crisis taught crucial lessons about the dangers of bubbles, loose regulation and debt. It’s a pity we didn’t learn.

• John Hussman (Hussman Funds): Zen lessons in market analysis, October 11, 2009. The best way of preparing for the future is to take good care of the present, because we know that if the present is made up of the past, then the future will be made up of the present.

• John Authers (Financial Times): Manufactured surprises will keep stocks rolling, October 10, 2009. A stronger recovery would help earnings but would also bring the risk of higher interest rates to

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LOS ANGELES, CA — (Marketwire) — 10/01/09 — Muscle Flex Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MFLI) announced today that it will produce and air a 2 minute direct response commercial for its Muscle Flex VATA Brasil(TM) Sports & Active Wear Collection (www.MuscleFlexVATA.com) ahead of its 30 minute TV program. Muscle Flex expects to launch the Muscle Flex VATA Brasil(TM) Collection in October 2009 and the Exclusive Muscle Flex Premiere(TM) Collection by VATA Brasil(TM) early in the New Year. The Muscle Flex VATA Brasil 2 minute commercial will be a “drive to the internet” strategy that is intended to initiate substantial ecommerce revenue as well as introduce the sassy, sexy and exciting styles of this one-of-a-kind active wear collection. The Muscle Flex VATA Brasil 2 minute commercial will be aired in cities where the BUDDY Tablet Caddy(TM) and the Beagle StepFit(TM) have already established significant Muscle Flex brand awareness and

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Two charts and three measures of gold’s “real” price today…

GOLD’S CURRENT price-tag of $1,000 an ounce suggests big doubts over the US Dollar, its domestic economy, and its status as the world’s No.1 reserve currency.

Or so we guess after 10 years of watching it quadruple from two-decade lows. But gold investors (old, new and everywhere) should note that this decade’s bull market in bullion is about much more than the greenback.

Here are three ways of judging what you might call the “real price of gold” instead.

#1. The Global Gold Index

Gold has risen against all world currencies since the start of 2001, very nearly tripling on average and hitting record highs against everything bar the Japanese Yen. (Tokyo gold buyers are still waiting for a near-double to the peak of Jan. 1980…)

Introduced in July 2008, Bullion Vault’s Global Gold Index is a

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The main purpose behind the FDIC is to insure bank deposits. To do so, it must have money available to pay off depositors. That pool of capital is rapidly draining away. The deposit insurance fund fell to $10.4 billion at the end of the second quarter from $13.0 billion at the end of the first quarter. As a percentage of insured deposits, that is down to 0.22% from 0.27% at the end of the first quarter and 1.01% a year ago. Normal is about 1.20% of deposits. (See graph below from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/). The decline came despite a special assessment on the banks that brought in $9.1 billion in the quarter. Why? It is because of all the Friday night pizza parties Sheila Bair (head of the FDIC) has been holding. During the quarter, 24 insured institutions with combined assets of $26.4 billion failed, at a net ...