Gold

President Obama just finished addressing the twin crises in Ukraine and the Middle East in the White House press room. It's no wonder that gold and silver are up today on haven demand. Risk was off around the globe in equities.

No, that's not a typo, although it's understandable you might think we meant "physical."

The Congressional Budget Office said today that the U.S. economy will end up growing a paltry 1.5% for the year. Some ascribe most of that weakness to a particularly harsh winter in the United States.

It is ironic that on a day when Tsar Vladimir Putin is shaking hands with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, gold is deriving strength from the crisis atmosphere in the eastern section of Ukraine.

Of course it is no wonder that tensions are rising. U.S. officials close to the situation have said a few large mouthfuls:

As the United States developed, it blocked spawning by salmon, and other fish, who had to make their way upriver to complete their life cycles.

Gold is facing a number of dams as it makes its way upstream. Some are probably temporary, some are structural, perhaps permanently.

Let's start with the temporary.

Let's go directly to what the Chairwoman of the Fed said: