Mortimer Zuckerman, co-founder of Boston Properties Inc., the largest U.S. office real estate investment trust, said the U.S. economy is in a recession and there’s no sign of a recovery.

I’m bullish on agriculture.

I first turned bullish in 2005 when I realized the ethanol boom would consume a third of the U.S. annual corn crop. As I investigated this story, I realized global population growth, rising prosperity in Asia and around the world, shortages of arable land and clean water… and a bull market in commodities… would send agriculture prices through the roof.

The names and faces of some of the financial world’s biggest rogue traders have been all over the news lately. Jamie Ellis takes a look at three unique cases and ponders what drove these men to do the things they did. Money? Fame? The answers can be surprising.

There is no set of qualities that defines a rogue trader. There is no profile, no red flags to search for.

Over the last 12 months, the biggest bull market in commodities has NOT been in gold, platinum or tin. Instead, the grains – or more specifically, wheat – have dominated the raw materials complex since late 2006.

Indeed, spring wheat has been the commodity king over the last year, during the lowest stockpiles of wheat in 60 years.

On February 25th, the price of top-quality spring wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange surged more than 25% in one day.

Both of the key precious metals have mounted a grand assault on significant numbers this week.

On one level, you could call the recent market action boring.The Wall Street Journal recently declared stocks to be in a “volatile and trendless market.” They added that “observers expect lots of back and forth in the weeks ahead but little substantial movement.”

To which we at Taipan Daily respond, “Oh, really?”