TFN eNews 10/06/2009: This is big news, folks! It should be taken very seriously…
Published via e-mail broadcast on October 6, 2009
In today’s TFN eNews:
* Risk and freedom
* Nobel Prize and biotechs
* The anti-dollar conspiracy
Dear TFN eNews reader,
Have you heard?
Britain’s taking a bite out of crime. Especially Lord Baden-Powell’s Boy Scouts are hitting criminals where it hurts: British Boy Scouts are now no longer permitted to carry pocket knives on camping trips.
A self-inflicted rule, this is the inevitable outcome of a culture that emphasizes conformity and uses “safety” as the justification for complete disarmament of the individual citizen:
The hallmark of a society in which raising sheep of the two-legged variety has become the main objective.
Having spent one weekend every month in the company of two dozen blood-thirsty, knife-wielding American Boy Scouts for the last 6 years, I groan when I read this European politically correct nonsense. But Americans have little to chuckle about: I know plenty of lilly-white, arugula-ingesting suburban do-gooders and “progressives” who consider the very notion of boys being boys a threat to human evolution and progress.
It all boils down to the notion of acceptable risk.
In today’s western culture, a penknife with a toothpick and corkscrew symbolize unacceptable risk. Not risk of actual injury… but of furthering the creation of independent, self-reliant, non-communized individuals.
After all, self-reliant, responsible individuals don’t vote for government to take care of them.
We’re seeing a similar sentiment at work in the quavering calls for “regulation” of the supposedly unregulated financial markets.
In an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel, Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann reminded us of one core truth: “There would be no banking industry without risks, which is why it is so important, especially during boom periods, to maintain risk discipline.”
That applies to any aspect of the financial system. With out risk, there is no reward. Without taking calculated risks, there’s no investing. And without investment, there’s no growth and no progress.
Risk and reward are at the core of business. Without the prospect of making more than the yield of a T-Bill or a passport savings account, there’s no justification for risking capital!
*** TFN’s Laura Cadden took yesterday’s crop of Nobel Prize winners as the occasion to look at one of the most promising biotechnology sectors:
“The newest recipients of the Nobel Prize in Medicine are credited with the discovery of telomeres. This is one of the focuses of biotech research at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) that may well provide a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.
“Telomeres (from the Greek telos or ‘end’ and meros or ‘part’) are essentially DNA sequences that protect the double-strand breaks at the end of chromosomes. They are a like a ‘cap’ that secures the genetic information and makes it easier for cell division. If not for telomeres, the breaks would be repaired causing chromosome fusion and instability.
“As we age, the telomeres shorten. Eventually, when they’re too short and can no longer divide, cell death results. Telomeres are, in turn, controlled by an enzyme made of RNA subunits and protein called telomerase. Telomerase can, in fact, repair telomeres. In normal healthy cells, the telomerase is present but not expressed. But in 90% of cancer cells, telomerase is active and is associated with capability for unlimited proliferation… or “immortality”… of those malignant cells. If you can stop the telomerase from doing its job, you can, theoretically, stop the cancer from growing.
“The researchers at Geron Corporation have secured many patents related to this technology.
“Early indications from clinical trials of their telomerase inhibitors have been promising: Geron’s drug GRN163L seeks to inhibit telomerase activity, thereby destabilizing and causing the death of the cancer cells. Interim data presented in December of last year of a Phase I trial showed that GRN163L appears to inhibit telomerase in both the bulk myeloma fraction and the myeloma stem-cell-containing fraction in patients’ bone marrow. This was the first evidence of telomerase inhibition in humans by a telomerase-targeting drug.
“Then there are the cancer vaccines… The scientists at Geron created a telomerase cancer vaccine that seeks to instruct a patient’s immune system, via autologous dendritic cells, how to identify and attack cancer cells while sparing other, non-threatening cells. They achieve this by introducing telomerase characteristics specific to cancer cells. An immune response then occurs when cells are found with those telomerase characteristics.
“The company is currently conducting a Phase II trial for the treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia…”
What to do about it? I suggest you keep reading right here… http://www.todaysfinancialnews.com/us-stocks-and-markets/telomerase-technology-good-for-a-nobel…-and-for-geron-corporation-gern-10129.html
*** “The dollar is falling and commodities prices are soaring,” writes TFN’s market oracle Andrew Snyder today. “Two major events are making headlines, making this a big day for currency traders.
“First, Australia surprised the markets with a sudden interest rate hike. Then, word was spreading of a ’secret’ meeting by the world’s oil states working to rid their dependence on the American dollar and the growing level of risk that comes with it. (They confirmed by denying )
“The move with the most weight was made by Australia. By raising its key interest rate to 3.25%, the Reserve Bank of Australia signals that its economy is one of the strongest on the planet — all thanks to a conservative financial approach and a wealth of high-demand commodities.
“The unexpected news (most thought the hike would come later in the year) sent ripples throughout the markets. Here in the States, the dollar is down, commodities are soaring, and the equities market is surging ahead. Combine the news from Down Under with the secretive action from the world’s oil producers and you have a recipe for major currency disruptions.
“While the report is being denied by Arab states and Russia, rumors of recent meetings between Gulf Arabs, Russia, China, Japan and even, dare I say, France persist. The topic: Dumping the ever-risky American dollar in the face of Obama’s reckless borrowing and spending spree.
“This is big news, folks! It should be taken very seriously. Some key countries,, supported by the UN, want to rid their dependence on a weakening greenback and substitute the dollar’s dominance with a basket of currencies and hard assets, like gold.
“Gold soared on the news, striking a new high over $1,040 per ounce. Oil surged back over $71 per barrel. And the dollar weakened even further, threatening to punch through the $1.48 level versus the euro.
“What does it all mean for investors? To be certain, a weak dollar is good for the equities markets in the short term, especially as risk-averse investors flee the overweighted Treasury market. But the news is even better for commodities traders. The weaker the dollar gets, the higher the value of dollar-denominated commodities must rise to make up for the difference…”
Finish Andrew’s article right here:
*** The 3 Best Stocks under $3 to buy Now!
We expect these new recommendations to bring in gains of perhaps 145%… 55%… 67%. Better yet, I think we can take some of those gains before Christmas. But you have to act immediately!
*** Quote of the Day:
“The Obamas have fallen prey to a common problem among people who rocket to fame: They begin to believe their own press releases and press clippings.”
– John LeBoutillier, Newsmax.com
Recommended Reading:
Dollar for dollar, Australia’s better
Q4 Update: TFN Complete Guide to Stem Cell Stocks under $10
The 3 Best Stocks under $3 to Buy NOW!
Today’s Top 3 Financial News Stories:
UK.Biz.Yahoo.com – Oil states say no talks on replacing dlr “Big oil producing nations denied on Tuesday a newspaper report that Gulf Arab states were in secret talks with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies in trading oil.”
Bloomberg.com — Gold Jumps to Record as Inflation Outlook Fuels Investor Demand “Gold rose to a record on speculation that currencies will depreciate, spurring inflation and boosting the appeal of the precious metal for investors seeking to preserve their wealth.”
Businesweek.com — Retailers Forecast a Weak Holiday Season “With the unemployment rate close to 10% and home values still sharply depressed, the Oct. 6 forecast from the National Retail Federation that holiday shopping will decline 1% in 2009 compared with last year’s dismal showing was no surprise.”
Cordially yours,
J. Christoph Amberger
Executive Publisher, TodaysFinancialNews.com
P. S. ***Research your currency opportunities: EverBank provides you with the free tools . Visit their free Foreign Currency Resources today — http://www.everbank.com/002Currency.aspx?referid=12250
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