The stage is set for an exciting finale

With the end of the year rapidly approaching and nearly every asset class now sporting double-digit declines in 2008, the dollar vs. gold competition is heating up with the latter clearly having the momentum (via the Wall Street Journal).
Note that the 27 percent decline for crude oil indicated above includes data for the January futures contract that expired at about $33 a barrel last week (you can't give the stuff away these days). The new front month contract for February delivery goes for about $9 a barrel more, so there will likely be an equally misleading increase next week.