Whiskey & Gunpowder
Truth, Consequences — and the Opportunities That Buzzing. That's really the only word that accurately describes the vibe right now in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver's magnificent Pacific Ballroom. And it isn't even because of the abundant alcohol… It's 7:00 P.M., and what looks like the entirety of the 2008 Agora Financial Investing Symposium's 900 attendees are feasting from vast platters of cheese, fruit, hors d'oeuvres, exquisite seafood centerpieces, mounds of pasta creations — or from the numerous stations carving and doling out generous, succulent slices of rare-ish, peppercorn encrusted beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce and spicy mustard… It's enough to make a corn-fed carnivore like me slap myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. Everywhere I look, folks are congregated around the white-clothed standing-tables, talking money. They're hobnobbing with their favorite speakers on the way to the shamrock-shaped serving stations for seconds of shrimp, pasta, cheese, or that glorious beef. They're comparing notes with each other as they spear and dip chunks of cake, pineapple, strawberry, and cherries under not one, but two chocolate fountains. They're good-naturedly debating trends on their way to the room's nine full-service bars… And all under the grandeur of ornate, painted plaster-relief, 25-foot ceilings with multiple car-sized chandeliers. The enormous, gold-themed room — complete with a curtained, full-sized performance stage — is flamboyant, yet tasteful. And Symposium guests are making the most of it right now. I float among them, observing, listening, getting a handle on what the hot topics are. Occasionally, I get stopped for a chat myself by a Whiskey & Gunpowder fan — a good feeling. The day's seminars are over, and the atmosphere is relaxed, yet there's definitely a sense of anticipation in the room. People are talking about what's coming next… That's because in just 15 minutes, Agora Financial will unveil — for the first time on any public screen, anywhere — the official cinema cut of I.O.U.S.A., its critically acclaimed, Cannes-screened feature-length documentary about the national debt and the looming fiscal malaise that faces a nearly clueless America… The lights dim, signaling that it'll soon be time for the movie to begin. At once, the murmur of conversation turns more urgent. I hear the clank of forks on plates, spearing that last delicious morsel — then the clatter of those same plates being roughly stacked on the rapidly filling trays that dot the room. Hundreds of folks begin ambling toward the nearest bar for a top-off of wine or a fresh beer they can sip during the flick… It's show time. Space doesn't permit me to talk too much about I.O.U.S.A. — you're reading this for investment news and views, not movie reviews. But I will say this much: If the tenor and intensity of the questions that followed the movie in a special Q & A session with Addison and former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker (who stars in the film) are any indication, this film has a tremendous impact on audiences… I predict, based on what I gathered from talking to dozens of people after the show — and what I heard following the three sold-out showings of a previous cut of this movie at the Maryland Film Festival this spring — I.O.U.S.A. is going to make a sizeable splash on the American scene when it's released in major metro-area markets in August. So it won't be long before you can see it for yourself. And you should. It's the most eye-opening, sobering true horror movie you'll ever see. Now, onward to some of Day 2's highlights… Why the Pundits Are Wrong — on Commodities, Speculators, Ethanol, and More One of today's first speakers was the velvet-voiced, camera-loving commodities master, Kevin Kerr — a staple of the Agora Financial stable for years. As you may well know, Kevin (aka: the Maniac Trader) has one of the most impressive commodities investing records to be found anywhere. And like Rick Rule did yesterday, Kevin tells us today exactly why the commodities boom is far from over, and what you should do to capitalize on it. Starting with an overview of the difference between trading and investing (invaluable for a neophyte like me), Kerr then explains why both bull and bear markets can be equally lucrative for commodities investors, and why a sound portfolio has both commodities options AND commodities-related stocks in it… Of course, I was furiously scribbling notes for this dispatch and didn't get down half of what he said — thankfully, I've got a copy of the 2008 Symposium's CD recordings on the way to remind me. (You can get it too, below — at as much as 33% off.) After that, Kevin really gets going. Scoffing at the mainstream's recent suggestion of a "commodities bubble" — and roundly rebuffing the oft-repeated notion that "speculators" are driving the increase in certain commodities prices — Kevin rattles off six key reasons why commodities of all types will continue to rise, using one of his favorite types as an example: Foods. Why does Kevin like food — er, food commodities — so much? Most people ignore them, he says. In this gem of a quote from Kerr: "As long as American Idol is on, and the ATM works, nobody really cares (about food commodities)." To buttress his point, Kevin presents us with seven reasons why the costs of farming are on the rise — with no end in sight. And not just in America, either. Of course, this translates into higher food-related commodities prices. But according to Kerr, playing this market for mega-gains isn't as easy as plunking down money on corn, wheat, and rice options, then buying a roomful of cash-counting machines. Making the most of the current food commodities situation can be tricky… In fact, there's one mainstream-darling demand source driving the increase in corn prices right now that Kevin thinks is going to go bust-o — and soon, perhaps starting by the end of this year: Ethanol. Yep, that's right. Kevin (and I) both think America's corn-based "deathanol" is a long-term loser. He reveals more details on how to play the bust he predicts — plus some other actionable commodities investment recommendations — in his specialized afternoon "break out" session… Now, I've got some good news and bad news about this: Unfortunately, I cannot reveal what Kevin specifically recommends in this special session (I'll explain exactly why in a minute). However, the good news is that these recommendations can be yours FREE. Don't worry — I'm going to tell you how to get them shortly. For now, though, take a look at this snippet from last year's Symposium — in which Kevin touches on a few of his core themes from this year's event… Naturally, Kevin's whole 50-minute presentation from today is included on both the CD and MP3 versions of the 2008 Symposium recordings — available right now for as much as one third off the retail price… Again, all the details are coming. Right now, however… Why Hell Is a Suburb What can I say about the always-controversial James Howard Kunstler? Since I'm supposed to be wearing my "objective reporter" hat during this gig, not my "commentator" or "politico" cap, I'll put it to you this way: Whether it's nods and grunts of agreement, nervous laughter, genuine guffaws, or murmurs of consternation, perennially high-ranked Symposium speaker Kunstler provokes reactions from his audience. And his appearance at this year's event was no exception. More an alarm-raiser and predictor of big-picture trends than a hardcore money advisor, Kunstler nevertheless always paints a picture of an American future (albeit it a much-changed one) that contains unmistakably invest-able angles… That is, if you believe that we're really headed the way he says. See, there I go. I'm starting to get my hats confused. Can you tell I'm chomping at the bit to editorialize here? I'll resist, though. For now… In his presentation, entitled The Fiasco of Suburbia, Its Implications, and Its Destiny, Kunstler lays out what's actually a quite fascinating and eye-opening timeline explaining how suburbs developed — and why. Blending an impressive knowledge of architecture and urban planning with industrial history, Kunstler shows us how our cities went from compact, clearly delineated entities to the sprawling, identity-less places he sees them to be today. In his animated and amusingly illustrated lecture, Kunstler gives a "suburban" context to such things as:
Beyond this, Kunstler also tells us why he believes modern American cities are destined for collapse, and what he believes is going to replace them. He also dishes on what he thinks is going to happen to the suburbs — what he calls: "A great network of tumors across America," and "cartoon houses in the cartoon country — in a cartoon country (nation)." Like I said, incendiary and thought-provoking stuff that positively begs for a response. At the very least, you should get the CD or MP3 recordings of this year's Symposium and hear what he has to say. Then you can make up your own mind about whether he's right, and talking straight about necessary changes we'll have to make to survive as a republic… Or whether he's an metro-elitist who hates cars, deifies dirt, maligns country-folk and the pioneering, expansive spirit that made this nation great, and cares not one lick for your freedom to live as you please. There, I've been 100% objective. But I guarantee you won't be when you listen to his speech. One way or another, you're going to react to it… But then, that's the beauty of the Agora Financial Investment Symposium — and for that matter, the whole Agora Financial universe: The free exchange of ideas. Lucrative "Conflicts" — and the "Stealth Bankruptcy" That's Stalking Us All Egad! Again, I find that there's way too much to report — and I've got nowhere near enough space or writing time to do it in… So let me try to speed things up a bit here. I can't even think about signing off until I've told you about Chuck Butler's talk on the dollar. Chuck's the President of EverBank World Markets, and his presentation, entitled Have We Lost Control? Is the U.S. Dollar on Pause or Still in Decline, gave me a real moment of pause — about everything I buy or invest in… In a nutshell, Chuck showed us with charts, graphs, historical data and hard numbers, how:
Most importantly, Chuck tells us exactly what we can do to freeze the erosion of our assets and investments we hold in U.S. dollars… And it doesn't sound all that hard to do. It's just not obvious to everyone. Again, I don't have the space or the expertise to relay this information to you reliably in this forum. In fact, I'm going to have to consult the recordings of this Symposium to get it right when I get home and decide to stop hemorrhaging my money away on a failing currency just because I recognize the faces on the bills… But make no mistake: Chuck's detailed 50-minute speech utterly convinced me that I've lost more money over the last few years (without even knowing it) on the modern dollar slide than I would from a foreclosure or bankruptcy! Believe me, it's worth the price of a few CDs or MP3 recordings many times over to find out his recommendations for yourself… Oh, and one last note: I couldn't let you go today without recapping some more of resource wizard Rick Rules worth-their-weight-in-gold recom— er, I mean, conflict of interest disclosures. Today, in not one, but two separate general sessions, Rick revealed in detail more than a dozen (more like 20) specific companies that he is personally invested in — and that you can, too. He also explains exactly why he thinks each of these is headed for the profit stratosphere… Don't know about you, but I'd pony up $149 bucks to discover 12 or more "pet stocks" of the multi-multi-millionaire that Bill Bonner claims: "…knows more about natural resource investing than anyone I know." But that's just me. And remember, these came out in the recorded GENERAL SESSIONS. Rule deals out even more actionable profit advi— uh, disclosures — in multiple "break-out" sessions he conducts in the afternoons here at the Symposium… A brief word on these in closing… Late, Late, for a Very Important Debate… I promised earlier to tell you exactly why I can't go into specific details about what's recommended in the more than 70 specialized "break out" sessions with all the key speakers that are part of the 2008 Symposium… And I will, tomorrow. Remember, though: Every one of the dozens — perhaps hundreds — of these specific, actionable investment tips, recommendations, and "disclosures" are yours FREE in a Special Report with the purchase of the 2008 Agora Financial Investment Symposium recordings in any format: CD, MP3, or both… Ordering links and details are below. But right now, I'm 600-odd words over-length here — and almost late for my own contribution to this year's Symposium: The no-holds-barred "Whiskey Bar" panel discussion (and whiskey-swill) I'm taking part in with Doug Casey, Byron King, Chris Mayer, Dan Amoss, Greg Grillot, and James Howard Kunstler himself. Could get ugly — but will most certainly be entertaining, if it goes anything like it did last year, where this special evening event drew more than 80% of the show's attendees… I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. If you don't hear from me, it means Casey or Kunstler beat me to death over a point of pride or principle. So before I go off to face my own mortality, I want to remind you how cheap and easy it is to hear everything I've been talking about for yourself — and from the horses' mouths at full length, not from a horse's you-know-what like me in a few paragraphs… Here's the deal: For the week of the 2008 Symposium (technically until Monday, 7/28, since these dispatches run next-day), the complete set of 2008's Symposium recordings are available for only $99 for MP3 files — and just $149 for the CDs… Or Both Formats in a "Dual-Media" Combo for Just $149 However you feel like listening — on the road, while doing housework, while you're at work, and during your work — we've got the medium to suit you… After the last dispatch from this year's conference hits your inbox (next Monday), the prices on these recordings — and the Special Report that comes with them — will go up to $149 for the MP3 version only and $199 for the CDs (or the dual-media package). So click here to order your advance copies now for an aggressive discount — as much as at 33% off! More to come from scenic Vancouver and the jam-packed 2008 Agora Financial Investment Symposium on the morrow. Right now, I've got to go do battle with some formidable thinkers… Wish me luck. Until then, |
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