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Features of the week

It's been a week for wondering about the future of markets, speaking both in terms of future price direction and the very structure of our "free" capital markets in an age of increased bailouts and government intervention.

Let's review this week just ending and have a look at what may come in the weeks ahead. Please make yourself comfortable and enjoy our, "Features of the week".

1. Those curiously strong Transports. Setting up a coming buy signal?

2. Still trying to make sense of the Paulson plan? More thoughts on Fed oversight.

3. Should the Federal Reserve take on an increased role in our capital markets? Mish on the Fed Uncertainty Principle. Hat tip to Bear Mountain Bull.

4. "The Assault on Free Markets" - Peter Schiff.

5. Why the Fed can't do what it wants to do.

6. As cities revive, America's poor are forced to the periphery.

7. Mobile phones are "more harmful than smoking".

8. Housing slump comes to the Hamptons.

9. Gulf states should abandon dollar pegs, says Marc Faber.

And until they do, all other, "Gulf inflation plans 'doomed to fail'".

10. Hedge funds are making loans to small companies in Asia.

11. George Soros joins FT for its "View from the Markets" video series.

12. Food prices ring alarm for Asian nations.

13. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issues a Z$50 million note to deal with supposed "cash shortages" (see history of the Weimar Hyperinflation for parallels).

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe rulers announce an election runoff, as Mugabe looks to stay in power.

14. Thomas E. Woods has high praise for Ron Paul's new book.

15. Ron Paul on, "Money, Inflation and Government".

16. The current financial and political mess is a, "Multi-Party Affair".

17. Bill Fleckenstein joins Financial Sense Newshour to talk about his new book, "Greenspan's Bubbles".

Thanks for reading Finance Trends Matter. Enjoy your weekend!

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