OTCLINE

Is it Time to Buy eBay Options?

Publication: Business Week
Publication title: "eBay's Rhine Gold"
Publication date: 3/27/2006

Brief Summary:

This article takes a bullish look at on-line auction giant eBay (EBAY: sentiment, chart, options) and its success in . The sub-title really sums up the article "Thousands of German startups are using the auction site to sell goods". Germans bought over $6 billion in merchandise on EBAY in 2004 and over 64,000 sellers earn at least 25 percent of their total income via the auction site by selling anything they can. Add it up and is eBay's second largest market behind the . The success in could lead to similar numbers in , , and elsewhere throughout Europe . The Government in is helping matters also, making it very easy for anyone with broadband and shipping software to begin selling, as the German post office is now offering services tailored to small e-commerce operations.

Contrarian Takeaway:

This article definitely paints a bullish picture for EBAY as and other European countries represent a huge opportunity for continued growth. The only problem I see is that we have a pretty optimistic article, yet EBAY has been a serious laggard so far this year. In fact, the shares are down over nine-percent year-to-date, while other top-rated stocks have been breaking out to new highs along with the market. Obviously this optimism towards underperformance isn't a good sign, and it could signal more underperformance to come. Looking at the quantitative sentiment reveals some more optimism. First off, the firm's SOIR checks in at only 0.47, higher than only four percent of the readings over the past year. This shows us that short-term option players continue to remain bullish even as the shares lag. Next, it would take fewer than four days for all of the shorts to cover their bearish bets - not a huge number, but also not enough to get me overly concerned about a massive short-covering rally on any potential good news. Finally, analysts are more neutral if not a little bearish, as according to Zacks there are eight "buys", eight "holds," and two "sells." Add it up and eBay sports a Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard reading of 3.0 out of 10.0 suggesting the path of least resistance is probably lower. If you're looking for an internet name to play long I'd recommend something like F5 Networks (FFIV: sentiment, chart, options) which better fits our methodology - skepticism towards a fundamental and technical leader.

GOLD WILL WIN

GOLD WILL WIN "EURO vs DOLLAR" WAR

Alex Wallenwein

The "Euro vs Dollar" war is the most recent - and most defining - chapter in gold's 5,000 year history.

As a seasoned gold investor, you may already be aware of the euro's currency attack on the US dollar. Even though the issue is ignored into oblivion, particularly by American news media, gold investors are usually Internet savvy enough to have come across the subject online - especially readers of GOLD-EAGLE.com.

Nevertheless, few realize how profoundly this conflict will soon impact their lives and their future investment outcomes.

The "Euro War" Drives Future Gold Valuation

While the war in blazes across our TV screens, occupying the forefront of people's minds al over the world, the Euro vs Dollar war is the most far reaching conflict in today's world. Its origins and certain consequences go far deeper than anyone today imagines.

One could make a valid case that the Euro vs Dollar war is the real reason behind the ' invasion of .

If that sounds like a ridiculous exaggeration, just realize that in November of 2002, Saddam Hussein has opted to settle all Iraqi oil sales under the UN's "oil for food" program in euro rather than US dollars.

Whether Saddam did this just to "get back" at President Bush for insisting that he disarm, or whether he felt that his financial goals were better served that way, is ultimately irrelevant.

The undeniable fact is that the , as the issuer of the world's sole reserve currency, cannot afford to have other OPEC nations follow 's example. For, if that happens, the dollar's reserve currency status with all of its benefits to the is - well - over!

And when it's "over" too suddenly, the economic consequences to the will be catastrophic.

Currently, over half of the world's central bank currency reserves are held in dollars. US dollars have historically been the exclusive medium of settlement for international oil transactions.

More than half of the world's remaining international trade transactions are settled in dollars as well, and even private individuals, especially in developing countries or former east bloc states, hold dollars as a hedge against collapse of their home currency's value.

Once even a small number of OPEC member countries begin to shun the dollar and transact their business in euro, the already existing process toward the "euro-isation" of the world monetary system will become an unstoppable avalanche that could bury the United States under mountains of its own currency - just like a hapless ski vacationer under a cascading wall of snow and ice.

And that means hyper-inflation of a magnitude even post WWI Germany has not seen.

No doubt, the need to stem the tide of WMD proliferation and Saddam's passion of supporting anti-US terrorism constitute an important part of George W.'s reasons for removing him. But to deny the fact that the ongoing euro vs dollar war has had an enormous bearing on his decision to invade would be foolish, to say the least.

Money rules the world. And the dollar has been the world's trade money and sole reserve currency for the past 58 years. 's superpower days would be over in a jiffy if the euro were to take the world by storm.

The euro vs dollar war also explains very eloquently the reasons why and have broken ranks with their liberator and former ally, and are trying to go it alone these days. These two countries consider themselves to be the driving force of Europe , and they understand very well the role of their new currency.

In the same vein, the euro vs dollar war also explains their obvious, some might say shameless, courting of terrorist-supporting OPEC nations. The French and Germans WANT oil producing countries to switch to euros for oil, because they know that this will immensely accelerate the advance of the new currency to world-wide reserve status, which will make Europe , and thereby them they hope, the next "superpower."

Gold is Europe 's "Secret Weapon" ...

The euro's creators also know that the is dead-set against a rising gold price, as such would undermine Americans' and the world's confidence in the dollar. They know that the economic and political leadership is forced to expend enormous capital to keep the price of gold under control.

So they cleverly set the euro up to not just peacefully coexist but actually benefit from a rising gold price.

During the Clinton administration the US has walked so far down the slippery slope of covert gold price suppression (with a little help from Bill's friends in the upper echelons of the US bullion bank industry) that it cannot suddenly change course and allow the price to rise.

... while being the ' Achilles' Heel

If the did allow the price to rise according to market forces, the bullion banks' massive gold short-sales exposure would cause them to implode, setting off a chain-reaction that could devastate US and world financial markets.

This is the ' Achilles' heel, and the euro countries are aiming at it with all barrels blazing.

None of this has been breathed to the American public, even by the non-mainstream media. Americans are frightfully unaware of this enormous threat.

Decades of official, media, and financial "expert" conditioning have made the American public immune to even the slightest suggestion that gold might be a prudent investment, but the recent run-up in gold prices has begun to open at least a few eyes.

The sad result is that the now owns far less gold than official figures pretend. The official sector has covertly frittered its gold reserves away in illegal price suppression schemes, while the private sector has frittered its paper-dollars away by chasing illusory stock-market gains. And despite the recently commenced (and still unbroken) secular bull market in gold, few Americans give the shiny metal its due regard.

But without gold, the cannot even stand up - much less fight back - in a world where the US dollar becomes worthless while its enemies (declared and undeclared) make out like bandits. If the must first exchange fast depreciating dollars to euros before settling oil transactions, it will soon be unable to pay its debts - and we are the world's largest debtor nation.

For this reason, it is imperative that Americans realize the importance of gold - even if their government will not.

Europeans realize it. They already value their gold reserves according to market price, which boosts the euro's value as a reserve currency.

Muslims realize it. They are about to launch their own 100% gold bullion currency called the "gold dinar."

Asians realize it. Asians and Indian private gold demand in the form of jewelry and ingots is legend.

Even Communist China has recently liberated its gold market, allowing the private trading and ownership of gold to take advantage of this crucial trend!

Only the government ostrich has buried its head deep in a pile of paper dollars and gold derivatives.

Can Escape the Looming Disaster?

That must change, or this country, with all its military might and its powerful economic engine, will be history.

The antidote to this may be painful, but it is not nearly as painful as the hyper-inflation that will hit this country when all those international reserve and trade dollar chickens will come home to roost.

Call me a dreamer, but the question simply boils down to this:

The government can either

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Continue to covertly support the bullion banks' leasing/short-selling price-rigging game under the conventional notion that they MUST be supported because they are "too big to fail" - and as a result suffer total economic breakdown from a hyper-inflation that will make that of post-WWI Germany pale in comparison, or

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Cut its losses and abandon its failed, decades-old anti-gold policies by

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dumping the bullion banks, (sorry, Friends of Bill)

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valuing it gold reserves at market price (instead of the silly "official gold price" of $42.00 per ounce), and

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Buying gold in the open market to replenish the official reserves frittered away in decades of surreptitious gold leasing, swapping, and shady ESF deals that were designed to prop up the failing dollar by "managing" the price of gold into oblivion.

If US leaders should find the courage to do this, the formerly feared explosion in gold prices set off by the official purchases (and by the powerful signal this policy change will send) will actually give the dollar's value an enormous boost, since the reserves will then be "marked to market." Marking to market simply means that the US has dropped its "raise the dollar at the expense of gold" idiocy and now allows the gold price to soar freely.

If this is done, it will utterly fend off any euro-attacks and put the dollar on a par with its currency foe, vastly decreasing any OPEC countries' temptations to dump the petro-dollar for "petro-euros." Never mind that the Euro Zone has more gold in its collective central bank vaults. Once the currency playing field is leveled, the US will outperform them any day.

President Bush has already proven that he has the guts and the foresight to ditch stupid policies - like propping up various repressive dictatorships such as the Saudis (and formerly even Saddam) in the hopes of hemming in other, more dangerous regimes (like Iran). He has proven beyond doubt that he has the moral courage to dare bring even a chance of freedom to a region that was previously considered lost to repression and violence.

Sure, the jury is still out as to the after-effect of the Iraq attack, but it is undeniable that his war plan was an unmitigated success. Even his expectations of popular support and uprisings against Saddam's forces are beginning to manifest themselves in a way no media critic has previously thought possible.

The very same courage and foresight is now needed to protect the United States from the otherwise inevitable result of the euro's takeover of world reserve currency status. For, if the President does not follow this new course of action, the terrorist-supporting oil countries (and their French and German buddies) will be the ones who laugh last, crushing the US in the dust of economic -and eventual even military - humiliation after all, never mind this stunning victory.

But, however this may be, whether the Euro wins or whether America wins this currency war, the gold eagle will soar to heights never before imagined, no matter what. Gold WILL be freed from its fiat dollar/paper-gold shackles, and it WILL become the number one measure of true wealth again. That monetary tsunami has already been set in motion by sea-bottom seismic events, and has begun its inevitable path to landfall. It will not be stopped before running its course.

The only question is: will America as a nation of free and prosperous people be there to ride out the coming ascent on the gold eagle's back - or die squirming in its talons?

Diamonds May Be Found In Other Canadian Prov.

Feb 2006

A small diamond discovered in Northern British Columbia , , has opened up speculation over whether mining is possible there.

already produces about 14 per cent of the world's diamonds but, until now, prospectors have focused all of their attention on other provinces and territoriesâ��mainly the Northwest Territories .

However, a new government report says that Northeast British Columbia has the indicator minerals that are present in kimberlite, the rocks that yield diamonds.

Experts were not surprised about the possibility â�� noting that indicator minerals were also being found in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan .

But diamonds may not be the only gemstone found there: Minister of State for Mining Bill Bennett has released a report suggesting emeralds may also be found there.

Cosmonaut tees up for 2 billion mile golf shot

(3/06/06 - FREDERICK, MD) - It's not exactly the hallowed grass of Scotland's St. Andrews golf course. Temperatures will range from minus 150 degrees to 150 degrees in just 90 minutes, and there won't be a fairway in sight.

On July 31, cosmonaut Panel Vinogradov will play golf during a six-hour spacewalk on the International Space Station.

How do you hit a golf ball in zero gravity? Vinogradov will start by attaching a platform to the International Space Station. It has a tee shaped like an ice cream cone that will cradle the ball. He will then use a 6-iron to gently hit a gold-plated golf ball into orbit. It will be the longest drive ever hit, because this ball is expected to travel 2.1 billion miles before it plunges into the Earth's orbit and burns up in three years or four years.

It's a publicity stunt for golf-club manufacturer Element 21 and it's timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the first golf shot in space. Element 21 is paying the Russian Space Agency to have its cosmonaut hit the ball, but spokesmen for Element 21 and the Russian Space Agency declined to say how much money the stunt cost.

The Russian Space Agency has long been strapped for cash so it regularly sells seats -- or advertising -- on the Soyuz to anyone with a few million dollars to spare.

NASA administrator Mike Griffin bristled when reporters questioned the safety of playing golf for commercial reasons on the International Space Station.

"The space station partners have the right to propose and to conduct commercial activities on the station, provided that all appropriate safety considerations have been dealt with," Griffin said. "We are not at the end of that particular road as yet, but we will pursue it."

Golf in space isn't a done deal yet. Flight directors at the Johnson Space Center are still analyzing the golf proposal to make sure it will not jeopardize the International Space Station. Once a golf ball launches off the space station into orbit, it becomes space debris. Engineers are constantly watching the space station, and flight directors in Mission Control will change its orbit to dodge debris that could smash into it. Element 21, a Toronto-based golf-club manufacturer, developed the golf club that will be used during the spacewalk. It is made of an alloy called scandium used to build Russian MiGs and Russian segments of the International Space Station. The company's president and CEO, Nataliya Hearn, said scandium was lighter and stronger than titanium and graphite.

The golf clubs her company has developed have recently been approved for use by the USGA for use on the PGA Golf Tour. The club that Vinogradov will use is a gold-plated 6-iron -- and the golf balls he will hit are gold plated as well.

The golf club and balls were brought to the space station in September 2005 on one of the Russian supply ships that service it. The gold-plated golf club will be brought back to Earth either on a return trip by the space shuttle or on one of the Soyuz trips. Hearn said the club would be auctioned off to raise money for charity.

The golf ball can be tracked from Earth -- much like the SuitSat experiment that NASA launched from the space station last month. The batteries inside SuitSat -- a spacesuit converted into a temporary radio satellite -- failed, so SuitSat fizzled just a few hours after it was launched. This golf ball can be tracked by laser, thanks to its gold plating.

Hearn said training a cosmonaut to play golf wasn't easy -- they're more used to playing hockey, she noted. The company worked with cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev when he was on the space station to figure out how this golf shot would be choreographed.

Golf in space isn't new. Thirty-five years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard Jr. became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon -- a golf ball that is still sitting there. Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Ed Mitchell spent 33Â½ hours on the moon, nine hours and 23 minutes trudging on the lunar surface, exploring and sifting lunar dust. It was hard work.

When the work was finished, Shepard pulled out two golf balls and unfolded a collapsible golf club specially made for the occasion. He became the first ever to hit golf shots on the moon, despite thick gloves and a cumbersome spacesuit that forced him to swing the club with only one hand.

The golf club used by Shepard is now on display at the USGA Golf House in Far Hills, N.J.

A golf shot heard around the universe?

By UPI
Mar 9, 2006, 19:00 GMT

TORONTO, ON, (UPI) -- Perhaps the most controversial chip shot in history -- but definitely the longest -- will take place this summer outside the International Space Station.

Plans call for a Russian cosmonaut to hit a gold-plated golf ball, using a gold-plated club, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. The ball would travel 2.1 billion miles before coming to a fiery end in the Earth`s atmosphere.

Opponents fear the publicity stunt might cause damage to the $53 billion space station that`s under construction and they also question the event`s propriety.

The event is the inspiration of University of Windsor Engineering Professor Nataliya Hearn , who is also president and chief executive of the Toronto-based Element 21 Golf Co.

The company is developing a line of clubs made of a very lightweight and strong alloy of scandium, the 21st element in the periodic table.

Hearn declined to say how much the company is paying the Russians, but sometime this summer, Cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov will hit the shot during a spacewalk.

It`s estimated the golf ball will remain in orbit for two to four years before falling into Earth`s atmosphere and burn.

ASE APPROVES DEMUTUALIZATION COURSE

New York, March 23,2006Â -Â The American Stock Exchange (Amex) announced today that the Amex Board of Governors approved a course of action that would begin the process to convert the Exchange from a not-for-profit corporation into a for-profit corporation. This is the initial step in the process of demutualization to position the Amex for future investment opportunities. Amex seat owners will have the opportunity to vote on the demutualization plan, which would convert their seats into shares.

IAMGOLD Announces Positive 2005 Results

March 9,2006

IAMGOLD announced its 2005 year-end results, with significant improvements over year-ago numbers.

QRC survey confirms resources sector growth

Queensland Resources Council survey results have confirmed substantial growth in the stateâ��s resources sector last financial year.

E21- introducing new material to golf equipment

Canadian company introducing new material to golf equipment We may be on the verge of a materials breakthrough, arguably the first significant one in the golf industry in more than a decade. And brace yourself: it comes courtesy of a Canadian company. At the risk of offending several companies' research and development teams, let's be completely honest about today's drivers: they're pretty generic.

Golf or Science: NASA's Plan for the Space Station

Golf or Science: What is NASA's Plan for the Space Station? Keith Cowing Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Earlier this month, Element 21 Golf Company, a Canadian golf club manufacturer, revealed publicly that it had an arrangement with Russia whereby a cosmonaut would perform an EVA and hit an instrumented golf ball off of the space station into its own orbit.