"Bill, COMEX announced the removal of price movement limits starting this Monday. Could you talk about what this means they are trying to do? Is it to allow for greater manipulation of the price downwards, which seems to happen a lot, or is it clearing the way for them to start manipulating it upwards in giant leaps, now that the large commercial entitites are shifting to the long side? I'm new to financial markets and this move isn't quite clear to me, though it seems very, very important. Something is going on. Thanks, Mike NYC"

I then asked a pro trader who is, let's say, involved, as to his thoughts on the matter.

"Bill, My intial thought (although late to you, sorry) was that that the smart / important money that has been accumulating gold (since the infamous BOE sale at the lows a few years ago) is ready for the mark up period to begin in earnest. But I think that is just my creative side looking for an edge. As a trader, I think it means nothing other than the COMEX says it does. Limits never meant much to me, other than gave me time to make sure my clerk had my position numbers correct. So, I don't think it means anything. --$$Anon"

I'd like to hear from other pro traders on this point because, truly, I don't know why NYMEX did this at this time.

But, just like Bernanke didn't want to be saddled with M3, I know there is a reason. I have come to understand that decisions like this didn't just fall out of the sky, and that the hidden vested interests will never explain their reasons.

So we deal with it. Just like some days the card deck in their casino has 47 cards and other times it has extras (the jokers). It is what it is, which is to say that it is never transparent.