Yesterday was another exciting day on Wall Street. The Dow rose 131 points…and gold shot up $25 to a new record, $1043.

Personal spending soared 1.3% in August, the biggest monthly leap since 2001, the Commerce Department announced today. Of course, this $129 billion jump in consumption “shows strength in August, indicating some economic improvement,” as CNN writes. A quick look at the chart reveals that the once sober American consumer is starting to fall off the wagon yet again.

There has not been much good news coming from Detroit or the nation’s auto industry over the past year. Is the industry finally out of the woods?

Amazing. A few weeks of “Cash for Clunkers”…700,000 new cars off the lot…et voila: Retail sales jumped in August by the most in three years! Wee-hoo!

Currencies trade in a tight range… Again! Continuing Claims rise…Bank of England adds to QE! UGH! Swiss franc posts 5 weeks of gains…And Now… Today’s Pfennig!