After a relatively boring start to the year, we finally saw some volatility return this week. Spikes and tumbles hit a number of markets – some of them were in line with longer-term trends, like the Yen’s precipitous fall or the huge spike in natural gas prices that closed the week. Others were reversals, like the big recovery in gold. But we’ll see if these bigger moves persist, and more importantly (from our perspective) if they provide the kind of bigger market swings that can help managed futures thrive. Here’s hoping, and in the meantime, here’s what we’re reading headed into the weekend:

• Even more proof that “Mom and Pop” investors have terrible timing (Marketwatch)
• Abenomics will put the Keynesian’s ideas on monetary policy to the test (Noahpinion)
• The scene in Jurassic Park that makes paleontologists flinch isn’t what you’d expect (Slate)
• Roger Ebert: “I do not fear death” (Salon)

And just for fun…

• The best April Fool’s jokes on the web this year (Buzzfeed)