12/28/2007 - That's Zen-tertainment
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Don’t worry, Jim’s rip-roaring final installment of his Carbo-geddon series on America’s climate change policy is coming shortly. But first, he offers up his thoughts on one of the nation’s best-reviewed movies, Charlie Wilson’s War. Political animal that he is, Jim was one of the first in line for an opening-day matinee showing of the film. And as usual, his take on things is all his own. 12/27/2007 - An Imminent Collision
By Paul Tustain
Greg’s Note: Paul Tustain is back, and he’s giving us London’s view of the credit crisis that is stifling the British economy. The government in England has begun flooding the market with cash so that banks will be able to pay off the bonds they owe before the end of the year. It’s a difficult time for everybody, and people who chose to simply save their money are now looking for someone to save them. 12/26/2007 - Britney, Lindsay & Gold
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: The markets have been fluctuating and gyrating as wildly as some of our most lampooned celebrities. Adrian Ash compares their unpredictability with the inebriated girls gone wild that grace our favourite supermarket tabloids every week. Is this just a wild fit of partying right before the holidays or should we expect the unexpected from here on out? 12/21/2007 - Setting the Records Straight
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: Housing statistics in the first half of the decade were so great they were hard to believe. It turns out that we were just setting ourselves up for a large fall. Jamie Ellis compares this disaster to the one hitting the game of baseball right now. Our economy is hurting, and we certainly feel cheated. So who done us wrong? 12/20/2007 - While Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Fence
By Fred Sheehan
Greg’s Note: Former Fed chair Alan Greenspan can be seen everywhere you look. He’s been in the press more lately than the current chairman. Whiskey contributor Fred Sheehan is gobbling up all the Greenspan coverage he can get and has noticed how much credit this maestro deserves for the problems the economy has been through. It appears there is enough to fill a book. 12/19/2007 - India’s Biggest Problem
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: The economies of India and China are expanding at a rapid pace; everyone knows that. We also know that the only thing keeping up with this growth has been the rise in pollution we’ve seen from both of these Eastern juggernauts. Capital & Crisis’ Chris Mayer gives us a first-hand look at the problem and what can and should be done to fix it. 12/18/2007 - Investment Landfill
By Paul Tustain
Greg’s Note: With investment bank and fund managers panicking over all the lost money resulting from the subprime mortgage mess, someone is going to have to pick up all the pieces. The Bullion Vault’s Paul Tustain has joined us and explains why the people who deserve the blame are rarely the one’s picking up the tab. If you think you can outwit a fund manager when a fat bonus is on the line, think again. 12/17/2007 - We Can Rebuild It
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Everyone is talking about the financial companies that have gotten themselves into a lot of trouble over the subprime mortgage problem. Were they stupid? Maybe. Were they reckless? Definitely. Dan Amoss has decided to get off their back for one minute and offer some advice on how they could fix themselves and their businesses. There’s a lot of work to be done, and something better happen soon. 12/14/2007 - The Four Inconvenient Truths of the Global Warming "Debate"
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: As has happened before with Jim’s essays, feedback has changed their course a bit. This time, it spurred him to shoehorn this response/clarification edition into his latest series on U.S. energy policies. But don’t worry, you’ll get all the dirt he has promised on what’s driving (no pun intended) America’s energy plan in the final installment, due to run sometime before this month’s end. 12/13/2007 - The Battle Between Debt and Recession
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: In order to sufficiently navigate the troubled economic waters ahead, our captain will need a quick mind and a steady hand. Adrian Ash doesn’t seem to think that President Bush is employing either while he attempts to balance rising debt and a coming recession. Our president has shown a willingness to wage war in the past, this time he’s trying to fight both sides at the same time. 12/12/2007 - Balance Sheet Stress and Vulture Buyers
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: I called Mish today and asked “What do you make of these circling vultures?” Mish replied that although some vultures have landed it’s still far too early for any truly great deals. Mish went on to talk about the kinds of things that vultures were feeding on. So far most of it is convertible debt or convertible preferred. That is a sign the bottom is not in. Meanwhile, Mish says there is a huge disconnect between the credit markets and the equity market and a wave of bank failures is coming. 12/11/2007 - More Dollar Doom
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil expert, Byron King, has decided to grace us with his presence. Byron’s been a busy man lately, appearing in newspapers and radio shows all over the country. He’s learned a lot and would love to share it with you loyal Whiskey readers. The dollar’s been falling right along with the temperatures lately, and Byron thinks we could be in store for a pretty cold winter. 12/10/2007 - Gold’s Big Drunken Night Out
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: The weekend is over and now it’s time to get back to work. Adrian Ash relates a (fictional?) story about a drunken louse attempting to get home after a night of debauchery. He may stumble once or twice but eventually he’ll reach his destination. Is gold on the same uneven path? Should we expect our investments to sleep it off at some point? Is it too late to order pizza? 12/07/2007 - Mining Profits from the Gold Bull
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Many successful investors have made a big play in their career. Sometimes it’s luck, sometimes you can just see it coming. Mish is back and telling us how you can find yourself a potential goldmine and why the timing could now be perfect. No bull. Gold isn’t just for Mr. T. anymore and it would be real pity to miss out on something this big. 12/06/2007 - Fantasyland
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: The simple rules of investing are pretty much universally known. So why do people continue to make the same mistakes over and over again? Jamie Ellis has broken it down into terms anyone could understand and explains that investing isn’t the only forum where people need to stick to their game plans. Are the worlds of fantasy and reality really that alike? 12/05/2007 - Sea Change
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Just like fashion and music, the financial world runs in cycles. Areas that were in style last year may not be now, and a few blasts from the past may be on their way back. Capital & Crisis’ Chris Mayer looks at the historical data and has come up with a few ways that things are on their way back. While something like disco may never be back in style (fingers crossed), history repeats itself more than you may think. 12/04/2007 - The Chinese Diet and the (Horti) Cultural Revolution
By Mike Muehlesk
Greg’s Note: China is a subject that comes up frequently in Whiskey, and for good reason. Their economy if emerging and its effects are present in several segments of the market. We already know about their effect because of their factories, exports and work force. New Strategic Investment contributor Mike Muehlesk has thoughts on another way China is impacting the markets. There are a billion people over there, and someone’s going to have to feed them. 12/03/2007 - Two Shocks, One Solution
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: News flash of the day: Banks need money. Adrian Ash tells us that across the globe, they need money now more than ever. Credit troubles have some banks in hot water, but will an influx of cash do anything to help the economy? Probably not. Banks will be okay, but inflation could spiral out of control. Economic policymakers have their hands full and, for once, the U.S. isn’t alone on an issue. 11/30/2007 - Is America "Oiling" the Skids of Environmental Disaster?
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Hope you’re sitting down, because Jim’s back with an updated and high-octane redux of his unconventional, counterintuitive, yet difficult-to-refute analysis of the coming “petrocalypse.” In the kick-off installment of this series, he reminds us of why the solution to world environmental pollution may in fact be American consumption. 11/29/2007 - A Real Estate Bubble Where? It May Surprise You…
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: We’ve seen it happen a few times here in the last decade. When a market expands as rapidly as some do, they are bound to burst. We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes, and as Strategic Investment’s Dam Amoss tells us, the rest of the world doesn’t either. There are more real estate bubbles on the way, and plenty investors may soon fine themselves taking a bath. 11/28/2007 - Money Ain’t a Thang
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: Music videos have proven to be trendsetters for nearly three decades. Everything from sneakers to soda has been flaunted in music videos and an adoring public simply laps it up. Jamie Ellis tells us the story of a new example of product placement. Are rappers really interested in foreign exchange? Apparently they are, and maybe we should be listening. If you don’t want your investments making 50 Cent on the dollar, you may want to read this one. 11/27/2007 - Goldfinger? Bofinger!
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: The rapid depreciation of the dollar is a big problem for us in the States. Adrian Ash reports that it could be just as big a concern for our foreign friends around the globe. What are some other big economies supposed to do when they are owed money by a country whose money is worth less and less? Countries have long fought to keep up with the U.S. and now they may be following our trends once again. Can we expect foreign currencies to devalue as well? And what about China? 11/26/2007 - I Want My Buybacks Back
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish called me today and said, “It’s too late to rethink buybacks.”
“You are going to have to explain that,” I replied. And so he did. Over 400 corporations have been buying back stock at high prices and regretting it. Some now need to raise capital. But the worst part of it is that most of the shares that were “bought back” simply went to insider options. The percentage is staggering actually. What’s the percentage and who are the worst offenders? 11/23/2007 - Iraq Goes Green
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: The subject of alternative fuels is one that’s on everybody’s minds these days. Everybody is pushing for a major change, but things may still be too expensive for there to be real progress. Jamie Ellis describes how things may have to get worse before they get better. Is George W. Bush really doing something good for the environment? And how long will it be until real change can actually occur? 11/21/2007 - Betting the Farm
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Chris Mayer from Capital & Crisis is here to talk about opportunities below the equator. With agricultural prices rising across the globe, now may be the time to look at the farmland that’s producing these expensive products. Countries like Brazil and Argentina are rife with fertile farmland and are growing cash producing grains with demand at its highest levels. An investment in international agriculture doesn’t come without risks, but you could still wind up making a lot of bread (apologies for the pun). 11/20/2007 - A Crisis to Shatter the Whole World
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: As the dollar continues to lose its value, some countries are growing tired of our currency’s “intrinsic value.” Adrian Ash offers his take on the situation and compares what we’re going through now with some other pretty bleak times. Something’s got to be done, but will it happen in time? This one’s got it all: Peak Oil, gold, the falling dollar and an angry Frenchman. 11/19/2007 - Every Which Way But Me
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish is back and he’s talking more about Greenspan. The former Fed chairman is still on his media blitz and he’s deftly dodging criticism left and right. Who caused the housing bubbles and who deserves the blame for the bursting now? Greenspan isn’t looking in the mirror…he’s looking for scapegoats. The usual suspects are on his mind and like any American who lived between World War II and the 1990s, Greenspan has come up with an easy target. “It was the Russians!” 11/16/2007 - Books and Babes in Buenos Aires
By Fitzroy McLean
Greg’s Note: Today’s Whiskey is by a guest contributor from our friends at Casey Research. Co-Editor of Casey’s Without Borders, Fitzroy McLean, shares his recent experience while visiting Argentina. A new election that will bring consistent leadership has Argentina looking better every day. Locals are starting to care a lot more about investing, and people are getting the idea that they can succeed in business on their own, without help from their government. 11/15/2007 - Oil, Gold, Batman and Leo Tolstoy
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has been busy these days. He’s still working on his Outstanding Investments letter and has launched a brand new service, Energy and Scarcity Investor. Somehow he still finds the time to give something new to his favorite audience right here at Whiskey. Today, Byron’s pondering peak oil once again, and he’s also thinking about gold, the dollar, and Batman. Batman? 11/14/2007 - Beauty and the Beast? Gisele vs. Bette
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: While you may not know it to look at them, Gisele Bundchen and Bette Midler actually do have a lot in common. While both are untrusting of the U.S. dollar, their paranoia is reflected in different ways. Adrian Ash tells us which one of these bold beauties made the right choice, and how the rest of us can finally be like our favorite celebrities. 11/13/2007 - Double Standard Time
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish called me today and said “Congress is looking at speculation in Google.” “Really?” I replied. “That makes no sense.” It seems Mish was pulling my leg. Congress is actually looking into speculative oil trades. “That makes more sense,” I suggested. “Not really,” replied Mish. Confused? You won’t be for long. Mish plays a little game of “Mad Libs” to see if he can’t prove it. 11/12/2007 - Enough to Make an Oilman Jealous
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: As you read this, oil prices are skyrocketing to all-time highs. I wonder if the Peak Oil crisis could have anything to do with that? Loyal readers know that this is an important issue and that’s why we’ve decided to dig back into our greatest hits. Our Peak Oil expert, Byron King, wrote this for us a few months ago and guess what? It’s still true right now! There are some great alternative energies out there…you just need to know where to dig. 11/09/2007 - Fund-power, Reason and Rot
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Jim’s back, with some thoughts on libertarian/Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. He wonders: Is America really ready for a true small-government president? And despite what they say in election years, is less government, more personal freedom and responsibility, and the free market really still the GOP’s core philosophy? 11/08/2007 - With the Lights Out…
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Nobody would ever root for another major blackout like the one we got in 2003, but that doesn’t meant that you can’t benefit from such a thing. Capital & Crisis’ Chris Mayer points out that our electrical grids in this country are old and in need of upgrades. This means bad news for citizens, but could be great news for investors. 11/07/2007 - The Hot Stove League
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: Recent trouble in the credit market has brought a couple of major financial institutions to change their leadership at the top. Jamie Ellis gives us his thoughts on these recent changes and compares them to another famous institution. Where else can we find powerful men changing jobs that pay an obscene amount of money? It’s something that is purely American. 11/06/2007 - Poor Cousins
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: We’re all well aware of the rising debt of the average American household. Adrian Ash now tells us that a similar problem is brewing in the U.K. As our friends across the pond are becoming just as pound-foolish as we are, the price of gold lies in the balance. What money is worth is not a dilemma isolated to America, and gold could be growing rapidly even in the gray skies of London. 11/05/2007 - Everything and the Kitchen Sink
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Bank announcements have been grim, rate cuts have come, and we shouldn’t expect things to get better anytime soon. Dan Amoss dissects some of the misleading information we’ve received from investment banks and how it has turned out to be much worse than anticipated. Will the rate cuts help, or are we just in for more and more inflation? 11/02/2007 - Thanks, Global Warming!
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: We are constantly being reminded everyday about the horrors that come along with global warming. While the severity of the situation is still open to argument, Chris Mayer explains why there is also some good to be found. Global warming may be happening, but why does that have to be a bad thing? 11/01/2007 - A Prime Example
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: Subprime mortgages have definitely been a problem for the entire credit industry. Jamie Ellis explains that just when you thought the disease had been contained, certain prime mortgages are now also being infected. What happened, and how did this get so out of control? 10/31/2007 - Red-Hot Inflation Now Baked in the Crust
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: The already expensive price of food and other commodities is just going to get worse, you can bet on it. In fact, the Wall Street eggheads already are. As Adrian Ash tells us, they’re just making sure that inflation goes up while they try to recoup their losses in the housing game. They’ve left one sector of the market unlivable and what they’re doing now will definitely be hard to swallow. 10/30/2007 - Which Comes First: The Cart or the Horse?
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: If you have questions, Mish has answers. Today he’s telling us why we can’t expect any free handouts from the Fed, yet we can expect them to do everything they can to stimulate more borrowing. If you still don’t understand what’s causing inflation in this country, we’ve got you covered. Learn what’s going on and what can and will be done. 10/29/2007 - Beached Whales and Economic Omens
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Outstanding Investment’s Byron King has a whale of a story for you today. If you believe in omens you won’t want to miss this one. How does a beached whale affect oil and the dollar? How are we going to get ourselves out of these quagmires? And what’s that smell drifting in from the beach? 10/26/2007 - Out of Africa
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Today our own Chris Mayer outlines for us the immense natural resource opportunities that can be found all across Africa. Once known as the “Dark Continent,” Africa is now being harvested for the many natural treasures it holds. Politically, there is still a lot of work to be done, but there is also plenty of money to be made. 10/25/2007 - The China Syndrome
By Jamie Ellis
Greg’s Note: New Whiskey contributor, Jamie Ellis, gives us a look at some of the downsides of China’s emerging economy. There are serious issues at hand here involving trade practices and environmental legislation. Are we getting what Congress hopes for from our environmental policies? And, are we maybe giving up too much in our uneven trades with the Far East? 10/24/2007 - Gold and the End of History's Holiday
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: Those who are blind to history are doomed to repeat it. Yet even some top historians and experts are not invincible to history’s pendulum swing. Adrian Ash explains how so many of these so-called experts and pundits could have been so wrong about gold and the inevitable vulnerability of Western monetary and financial systems. 10/23/2007 - Chart Your Way to Profits
By Steve Sarnoff
Greg’s Note: Loyal Whiskey readers may remember Steve Sarnoff’s article from earlier this year. For those who missed it, and as a reminder to the one’s who didn’t, our resident options guru gives you his analysis on using support and resistance indicators in your options plays. 10/22/2007 - Lead, Luck and the Circle of Life
By Jim Amrhein
Greg's Note: Like with Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I expected feedback on the third installment - Jim's high-recoil blast back at his critics - to be sizeable, polarized and pretty evenly divided. But one can't underestimate our Freedoms Editor's powers of persuasion. At latest count, only nine of the 300 or so letters we got in response to that double-barreled dispatch were negative. The rest of you said: "Give us more of the bush, bullets, and blood!" So, by popular demand, I give you the much-anticipated conclusion to Jim's Africa Diaries series. 10/19/2007 - Sub Standards — A Metaphor for the U.S. Financial Market
By Thomas Au
Greg’s Note: Guest contributor Thomas Au, author of A Modern Approach to Graham and Dodd Investing, is nice enough to lay out the subprime mortgage fiasco for us, while explaining that it may just be the sign of a much bigger problem. Where did subprime mortgages come from? Why don’t they work? What happens next? It’s all here, and it doesn’t sound good. 10/18/2007 - Bernanke’s Choice
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Dan Amoss is here with another chilling tale from the Fed. The subprime mortgage villain is back, and he’s brought borrowed liquidity with him. These two working together could threaten to bring the entire banking system to its knees. Something has to be done, and only one man can do it. 10/17/2007 - The Dumb and the Restless
By Nick Jones
Greg’s Note: The kid is back! After leaving us with a serious Jones for his unique look at finance, Agora’s favorite son has blessed us with his presence once again. Once and future intern Nick “Child Prodigy” Jones is shedding some light on hot-blooded markets while giving us more to ponder about the credit crisis. He even finds time to put a few people in their place along the way. 10/16/2007 - Hologram Tam & the Great Global Banking Swindle
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: How do you define money? That question, debated by top economists, could have an answer that people don’t want to hear. Adrian Ash is here to shed some light on the similarities between a drunken Scottish ex-con, and the British banking system. He also explains why this problem may not be exclusive to our friends across the pond. 10/15/2007 - The Next Shoe to Drop?
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish is back and he’s got some scary news about the housing crisis. The dilapidated housing market has been a financial eyesore for months, but now the property values of the surrounding markets are starting to take a serious hit…taking other financial sectors down with it. Read on to find out why and how you can protect yourself. 10/12/2007 - Killer Reasoning of the Most Endangered Species
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Jim’s back with a double-barreled olive branch for his detractors and death-wishers (yes, there were several). But fair warning, critics: Read no further if you’re not ready to be pinioned by reason into a whole new way of looking at hunting, or if you’re afraid to be in the cross-hairs of some “killer” criticism yourself. And as always, don’t shoot the messenger. 10/11/2007 - Inflation Hedges
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Dan Amoss returns today with a shot of Whiskey for the bloated banks of America. He says that lenders everywhere are suffering from the housing bubble fallout, and they’ll be afraid to let anyone borrow from them in the near future. And any government bailout is sure to fail. But Dan also suggests a few things you can do to protect your assets. 10/10/2007 - Poole Party — No Housing Lessons Learned
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish called me today wanting to talk about Poole parties, lessons from the housing bubble, and onions. “That’s quite a combination,” I said. “Are you sure you can tie that all together?” Mish went on to talk about Federal Reserve President William Poole’s recent speech on housing and the U.S. economy. Poole stated there were “no new lessons.” Mish thinks the Fed does not even understand what the problem is and that’s why no lessons were learned. As for onions, they make me cry. I can hardly type now, so you will simply have to finish reading yourself to see how they fit into this story. 10/09/2007 - The Next Trillion Barrels
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Outstanding Investment’s Byron King returns to discuss an exciting nontraditional method for sucking oil out of the well: Extreme deepwater drilling techniques. Rapid expanses in drilling technology have permitted us to suck oil and gas out of the ocean floor at depths greater than 1,500 feet. Obviously, this potentially opens a good deal of new oil fields for exploitation. As you imagine, though, it’s extremely tough to go down and actually drill those holes and bring the oil to the surface. So you can bet that companies specializing in deepwater services and equipment stand to expand greatly as this new method of oil recovery spreads… 10/08/2007 - How Central Bankers Control the Gold Price
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: Today Adrian Ash explains how — and why — central bankers control the gold price. He discusses the covert action of “gold-lending” by central banks. And then there’s the more open actions of manipulating interest rates to alter the comparative opportunity cost of holding, say, dollars rather than gold. 10/05/2007 - Greenspan Was Never a Republican — He Was an Opportunist
By Fred Sheehan
Greg’s Note: Was Greenspan a Republican? Or did he lean to Democrat? Fred Sheehan scathes these two questions below. 10/04/2007 - Four Factors You Need to Know to Crush Market Mayhem
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Did you know our resident rock-thumping Peak Oil hound Byron King also provides specific investment recommendations in Outstanding Investments? Yep, and below he offers his four main factors in selecting stocks in this volatile market…and he tells you the one sector that makes the cut. 10/03/2007 - Buffett's Dictum & Your Margin of Safety
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: Do you understand where you put your money? Really understand? Do you know exactly how it’ll get used and your likelihood of getting it back? Adrian Ash poses this question in the context of the historic run on the U.K. bank Northern Rock. 10/02/2007 - Sinkholes and Sewage Spills Foretell a Major Crisis
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Whiskey shooter Chris Mayer sent me a little piece on sinkholes and sewage spills. Now, please don’t accuse us of refusing to cover any topic here at W&G HQ… Chris details how America’s underground water infrastructure literally crumbles beneath our feet. Despite massive sewage spills there ain’t much of a public uproar over these issues. But as an investor, that’s good for you — very few people understand the massive opportunity that water infrastructure investing presents. 10/01/2007 - Time to Aim High?
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: Mish called me today talking about the Fed, risk taking and advice from some columnists to “Aim high.” But the only way the Fed can avoid a recession is if more risk is taken by consumers and businesses alike. Risk taking has been rewarded for so long that everyone thinks it will continue to be rewarded. But just two years ago, everyone thought the same about housing. What this boils down to, then, is whether this is a midcycle correction or something more severe. Is the Fed back in control with that 50 basis point cut in rates? If so, is it time to aim high? 09/28/2007 - Death from the Dark Continent
By Jim Amrhein
Greg's Note: Whiskey's own Great White Hunter is back with the second installment of his true-life adventures of cape buffalo hunting - and amateur anthropology - in increasingly unstable Zimbabwe. Get ready for nail-biting danger, bone-jarring recoil, and fresh blood in the air. 09/27/2007 - The Future of Iraq’s Oil Production
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Strategic Investment’s Dan Amoss explores how government intervention in oil production has nasty effects. He starts out in Iraq and then casts his gaze to Venezuela, Nigeria and Kazakhstan affects the world’s oil supply. 09/26/2007 - “Don't Get Joe Mad”
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Byron’s back with a quick analysis of the possibilities for gold and silver — the metals themselves and the companies that suck them out of the rock. He then turns to cash — should you hold it? If you have some sitting around, what can it be used for? 09/25/2007 - New to the Gold Market?
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: Why buy gold now? Is it even a good idea, considering its six-year bull rampage? Adrian Ash gives you his opinion below…and please send your comments my way. 09/24/2007 - The Edible Portfolio
By Kevin Kerr
Greg’s Note: As a valued Whiskey shooter, you know quite a bit about Peak Oil. But have you ever heard of Peak Food? Resource Trader Alert’s Kevin Kerr is back to give you a picture of the near-future of the agricultural sector. Apparently it’s not looking too good — unless you’re prepared to speculate in the commodity markets, of course. 09/21/2007 - Maestro Memoirs
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: I called Mish today and asked about Greenspan’s hot new book, The Age of Turbulence. As expected, Mish suggests, “It’s primarily a whitewash of his years as Fed chairman. Greenspan has no regrets and admits no mistakes.” However, Mish went on to say that Greenspan’s promotion of his book is actually quite funny. Jon Stewart took him apart on Comedy Central, and we have a few clips, as well as a video link, for Whiskey readers to see. 09/20/2007 - Guiding the Dollar into the Abyss
By Nick Jones
Greg’s Note: How does the Fed’s recent 50-point cut affect the growth in the money supply? Nick “Child Prodigy” Jones returns today to give his take on the cut and its likely results on the quantity of and value of U.S. dollars. It seems that American can’t continue to export its inflation any longer. So what will happen once the Fed has to “monetize” the gov’t. debt? And what should you do to protect yourself if a hyperinflation erupts? 09/19/2007 - Tales from the Bush-Veldt
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Here’s Whiskey & Gunpowder’s “have gun, will travel” Freedoms Editor, with hair-raising accounts of his recent dangerous game safari in Zimbabwe. Hunter or not, I’m betting you’ll enjoy these photos and true stories of life, the stalk, and impending death from the long dry grass and thorny acacia trees of the African plains. 09/18/2007 - Fraud, Folly, and Central Banking
By Adrian Ash
Greg's Note: What's worse: Borrowing what you can't repay…or lending what you can't even hope to get back? Adrian Ash returns to ask those questions today. It could happen that credit extension slows down in the near future as the trust in lending institutions falters. And then what'll happen to the dear Consumer? Let's see. 09/17/2007 - Post-Primary Blues
By Samantha Buker
Greg’s Note: Is the U.S. stumbling toward oligarchy? Samantha Buker seems to think so, at least after her examination of the recent elections in good ole Baltimore. Why do voters select certain candidates — and does incumbency play a factor with winners? Read on and take note of Sam’s unique proposal at the end of the piece. 09/14/2007 - A Day at the Stock Market, A Night at the Opera
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: We hope that you have been enjoying the writing of our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King over the past few years. Byron is also the editor of another publication by Agora Financial, called Outstanding Investments, which focuses on energy and natural resource investment themes. If you follow Byron’s general theme in his work, you will know that this is right up his alley. Below is an excerpt from a recent weekly update for Outstanding Investments subscribers. 09/13/2007 - Indigestion on Wall Street
By Dan Amoss
Greg’s Note: Strategic Investment’s Dan Amoss returns to cast an analytic gaze at the overarching arm of credit creation. It seems that every possible stream of future cash flow has recently been spackled together in a securitization and then sold off to the highest bidder. This brings Dan to discuss an interesting idea from George Soros — now it seems that the financial markets have started to shape the real economy, rather than vice versa. That seems pretty darned odd — reminded me of that part of quantum physics where the act of observing something tiny fundamentally altered the tiny thing… 09/12/2007 - The Ghost of 1933 Lives
By Ed Bugos
Greg’s Note: Could the gov’t. ban ownership of gold today like it did in 1933? An inquiring reader asked Ed Bugos that question recently. And Ed thinks that course of action is unlikely though possible. 09/11/2007 - No, Greenspan, Conditions Are NOT Like 1998
By Mike Shedlock
Greg’s Note: I called Mish last week, asking if he believed credit conditions are "identical" to 1987 and 1998, as Greenspan said. Boy, did I get an earful (but an expected one), so I asked Mish to write it up for Whiskey readers. What follows is an interesting history of Greenspan being wrong at nearly every turn as Fed chair, as well as 10 major differences between what is happening now “condition-wise,” compared with 1987-1998. Some of those points will be real eye-openers for many of you, so please read on and find out. 09/10/2007 - There Is a Tsunami Coming
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Do you subscribe to Outstanding Investments? We ask because our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King is the editor of that publication. If you don’t subscribe, we think that you are missing some of Byron’s best writing. For example, take a look at what Byron wrote last month in Outstanding Investments, about the coming “bankruptcy tsunami.” 09/07/2007 - America's Credit and the New Bid for Gold
By Adrian Ash
Greg’s Note: Adrian Ash thinks that the U.S. government’s plan to bail out the subprime debt defaults looks the same as Depression-era banks putting all their cash in the front windows to “inspire” account holders not to withdraw all of their deposits in a mad bank run. Hmm…but what are the specific plans for this bailout? They seem pretty silly — or sad, or at least dumb — Washington wants to lend money to distressed debtors, the gov’t. will cut its own tax receipts and then they’ll underwrite the next two years of subprime refinancing. Huh? 09/06/2007 - Living in the Material-Energy World
By Byron King
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has been on the road all summer long, researching the themes that he explores so well. But wherever he may roam, Byron is still editing Outstanding Investments and looking for great investment opportunities in the energy and natural resource sectors. Here in Baltimore, we always look forward to the Wednesday updates that Byron submits for Outstanding Investments readers. 09/05/2007 - Currency Devaluation and House-Swapping: A Symphony in Two Movements
By Fred Sheehan
Greg’s Note: “An insidious contribution of currency devaluation is the destruction of work habits.” So starts Fred Sheehan in your Whiskey shot for today. Too much money tends to bring about general upheaval and a decrease in long-term capital investment. Too much money often enkindles shorter-term quick paper “profit” schemes. One such scheme that’s open to almost every adult American is “house-trading” or speculation in the real estate market. Fred presents a picture of the housing bubble of the early seventies and it seems eerily familiar to our present American Bubble. 09/04/2007 - A “Yellowcake” ETF
By Nick Jones
Greg’s Note: Nick “Child Prodigy” Jones returns to his commodity beat to shoot you a piece on the uranium supercycle. Does he think uranium can still go up even after it’s historically meteoric rise? Apparently so — he lays out the supply and demand sides of the picture for you and eventually mentions a specific play you can use to take advantage of this trend toward green nuclear power. 08/31/2007 - The High Noon of Empire
By Chris Mayer
Greg’s Note: Chris Mayer returns with a shot on the American Empire. He looks back to the “dawn” of the Empire — when America inherited Spain’s colonies after winning the Spanish American War. He then fast forwards to today’s state of the Empire and looks specifically at two factors that seem like imperial constants: The rise of finance at the expense of production and the addiction to certain fuel sources or other commodities. 08/30/2007 - U.S.D. R.I.P.
By Adrian Ash
Greg's Note: Today our London pal Adrian Ash returns with a discussion on inflation — and specifically inflation in the realm of food and drink. Put simply, he thinks that inflation is "less stuff per dollar." What can you do to combat the inevitable ravages of further inflation? Ade has a simple suggestion at the end of his piece. 08/29/2007 - The Myth of the Platform Company
By Robert Blumen
Greg’s Note: Today you have a new Whiskey contributor named Robert Blumen. He takes up the recently oft-quoted theory of GaveKal of the platform economy — where developed countries can make nothing real, maintain no capital and yet excel economically. His analysis comes from the standpoint of an Austrian economist. 08/28/2007 - Saturday Night's Alright for Collidin'
By Jim Amrhein
Greg’s Note: Early this summer Jim and I trucked on down to Southern Maryland to catch a demolition derby. I have only just healed from the bruises incurred when Jim repeatedly smacked me for failing to use family friendly language… In any case, that demo derby got Jim thinking about SUVs, trucks and his old favorite point that Americans ought not worry about how much fuel they burn. 08/27/2007 - What You Probably Didn’t Know About the U.S. Dollar and Gold
By Ed Bugos
Greg’s Note: Gold’s massive price moves occur when the dollar’s stable. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but that’s Ed Bugos’ historical argument in your Whiskey shot today. 08/24/2007 - Why the IMF Won’t Make Our Day
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