SP 500 and NDX Futures Daily Charts - The Eternal Footman Snickers

Stocks were weak today, with a decided lack of new economic news, based I think on 'jitters' with stock valuations at these lofty levels, and yet so many hedge funds underperforming the indices.

Oil took a 4 percent hit, and concern is growing that this is a sign of slackness in aggregate demand, and not a over production move by the US and some of its allies to punish Russia, or the Saudis to give the shale oil crowd a stiff gut check on their long term viability.

But all in all, today was just a pullback. Let's see if we get any follow through anywhere in this market.

There is a surprising lack of liquidity in the market, despite the massive printing that has been done by the Fed.

If the markets get in trouble, it could develop into a blood bath. But that is a big *could*.

Have a pleasant evening.

NAV Premiums of Certain Precious Metal Trusts and Funds - Another Sprott Gold Redemption

There has been another redemption of bullion from the Sprott Physical Gold Trust.

Someone has redeemed units in the Trust to obtain 36,915 ounces of gold bullion.

Physical gold is not plentiful in the West at these prices.

The premium on the Sprott Physical Silver Trust has moderated significantly from its recent levels.

Given the cash on hand for the Trust, it would not be unreasonable to expect a secondary offering for the Trust to raise some cash by sometime early next year.

How Andrew Jackson Killed the Second Bank of the United States

Jeremy Scahill: Inside America's Secret Wars

"You're ceding your conscience to a political figure. That's what a lot of liberals have done. They've ceded their conscience to Obama because they trust him. What better person for the Empire to have sell this to liberals than a Constitutional law expert, Nobel Peace Prize-winning, first African-American President. I mean, it's incredible.

Somewhere Cheney is sitting at that ranch, or fly fishing somewhere and at the back of his head he has to be thinking, "Thank God that Obama is president," 'cause the next time a Republican comes in, and they want to do all these things, liberals aren't going to have much of a leg to stand on in saying "We're against this," because they're going to have to admit, 'Well, we're only in favor of it when our guy is in office,' and that's a pretty shameful way to dictate your conscience."

Jeremy Scahill