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05/16/2008 - Priceless Coins and a Lesson from My Father
Greg’s Note: Today we have a special treat for our Whiskey readers. Byron King shares us an intimate and touching memory of his father. In this account, Byron lets you in on a part of his life and a time in our history that has long since past. A time when the simplest things could bring us the greatest amount of joy. When family connections and bonds meant everything. And a time when even money had value. 05/05/2008 - The Have Mores
Greg’s Note: During our economic downtime, people are talking about how we’re going to survive on the margins. How are we going to pay for gas, clothes, food or even shelter? But there is another area of the economy that has gone largely unnoticed. What about the luxury goods? If we go into a recession, who’s going to be buying the Porches, Cristal and caviar? Why isn’t anyone worried about the rich people? They live in the same economy we do and face all the same problems. 04/23/2008 - Rising Coal Prices Are Helping Geothermal Producers
Greg’s Note: With Earth Day creating a lot of buzz about green energy and technology, people are desperately looking for a cheap and effective way to produce green energy. Byron King has a theory that the more expensive dirty energy resources get, the cheaper green energy will look by comparison. Check out Byron’s case. 04/18/2008 - Nikolai Baibakov (1911–2008)
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent and Outstanding Investments editor Byron King sent us an obituary of an old energy warrior. There are some things you just don’t know or suspect. The story of a Russian oilman named Nikolai Baibakov is filled with many such gems. As Byron notes, “This was a man who fueled the Soviet Union and — both directly and indirectly — shaped the modern world.” 04/15/2008 - The Automotive Energy Revolution
Greg’s Note: I’m sure you’ve got enough on your plate today, so we’re not going to overwhelm you with an article about taxes. Today, our Peak Oil expert, Byron King, is going to discuss the energy revolution taking place in the automobile industry. He’s got some interesting ways to think about the fuel and energy problems we’re experiencing. 04/08/2008 - Adios, First Quarter
Greg’s Note: In January, a new year began. The promise of a fresh start for so many aspects of life, the economy included. Boy did we get off to a rough start. Energy and Scarcity Investor’s Byron King is sure glad to see the first quarter of the year come to an end. I think we all share his feelings. 04/02/2008 - A Guy Walks Into a Bar…
Greg’s Note: If you’ve been having trouble lately locating some rare and critical metals, you’re not alone. Byron King explains why these metals are rare and how the scarcity adds to their investment potential. You don’t have to be a geologist to understand that these rare metals can be pretty valuable. 03/25/2008 - Beryllium and You
Greg’s Note: The U.S. strategic stockpile has dwindled. When the Cold War ended, we thought we wouldn’t need a lot of precious metals and resources. Byron King lets us know what we had, and what we’re trying to get back. There are major investment opportunities coming from this restoration. 03/12/2008 - A Car for the Great Multitude
Greg’s Note: A lot of us think that using our agricultural products as a mean to power our cars is a recent development. Peak Oil expert Byron King explains that not only has this been around for decades, the father of the American automobile himself was one of its first proponents. 02/22/2008 - Alaska: “The Most Important Strategic Place in the World,” Part III
Greg’s Note: This is another installment in a series about the strategic importance of Alaska. In Part I, our Peak Oil correspondent and Outstanding Investments editor, Byron King, discussed Billy Mitchell, an early thinker on the use of air power and the father of the U.S. Air Force. In Part II, Byron discussed strategy and strategic planning and applied those ideas to the geography and resource development in Alaska over the past half-century. In this article, Byron writes about Alaska in terms of strategy, resources, and modern air power. 02/14/2008 - Alaska: “The Most Important Strategic Place in the World,” Part II
Greg’s Note: This is the second installment of a series on the strategic importance of Alaska. In Part I, Outstanding Investments editor Byron King discussed the life of Billy Mitchell, the father of the U.S. Air Force. Mitchell had a lot to say about both air power and Alaska. In this article, Byron will discuss Billy Mitchell some more and focus on both the geology of Alaska and its place in military strategy. 02/08/2008 - Alaska: “The Most Important Strategic Place in the World”
Greg’s Note: What does the father of the U.S. Air Force have to do with Alaska? What does the world’s most advanced military aircraft have to do with the resource security of the United States? Byron King has some intriguing thoughts on these topics. Byron is the editor of Outstanding Investments and our Peak Oil correspondent. You have not seen this discussion before in any other Agora publication. 01/17/2008 - The Changing Face of Benjamin Franklin
Greg’s Note: With just over a month until the country celebrates Presidents’ Day, Byron King has offered a tribute to another great American. Benjamin Franklin’s words and ideas have shaped what our country is, and now the mere image of him is changing as well. Wait, Benjamin Franklin was president, wasn’t he? 01/07/2008 - 2008: A Year in Preview
Greg’s Note: Over the past month, we’ve been inundated with year-end reviews and countdowns on television and the Internet. We already know what happened in 2007, but what can we expect from 2008? Our Peak Oil expert Byron King shares his predictions with you on what should be a very interesting New Year. 12/11/2007 - More Dollar Doom
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. 11/15/2007 - Oil, Gold, Batman and Leo Tolstoy
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? 11/12/2007 - Enough to Make an Oilman Jealous
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. 10/29/2007 - Beached Whales and Economic Omens
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? 10/09/2007 - The Next Trillion Barrels
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… 10/04/2007 - Four Factors You Need to Know to Crush Market Mayhem
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. 09/26/2007 - “Don't Get Joe Mad”
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? 09/14/2007 - A Day at the Stock Market, A Night at the Opera
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. 09/10/2007 - There Is a Tsunami Coming
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.” 09/06/2007 - Living in the Material-Energy World
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. 08/14/2007 - Iranian Lightning, American Raptor
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent, Byron King, is something of an aviation buff, in addition to his long-standing expertise on things petroliferous. So when a news article crossed his screen concerning what are called “fifth generation” aircraft, Byron took notice. Here, Byron clarifies a few things for us ground pounders. 08/10/2007 - Russian Oil for the Welfare of Russia
Greg’s Note: What is going on within the oil sector of Russia? What is going on within the political struggle in Russia? Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King takes a look at the current travails of one large Russian independent oil company. Well, it will not be independent for long. 08/01/2007 - Sun Tzu and a Peerless Empire
Greg’s Note : Here at Agora Financial, we watch developments in China. The Chinese are known to have a strategic view of where the world is heading, and we want to know what directions they think things are taking. And knowing the Chinese, there is probably some money in it one way or the other. Recently, we were discussing what the Chinese might see when they look at the United States. Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King offered to review some Chinese history and commentary as it applies to U.S. history and destiny. 07/23/2007 - Freedom, Corrosion and Investment Opportunities
Greg's Note: Byron's back with a description of his time at Freedom Fest. He ties his thoughts on freedom to two of his favorite topics: Peak Oil and the new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft. 07/13/2007 - Chinese Running Man
Greg's Note: Leave it to our energy expert, resident geologist and Peak Oil correspondent Byron King to send us an article on the death penalty, Chinese style. Take a look at what Byron has to say on the subject. 07/09/2007 - Traveling Through Life
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has been on the move, and files this report from the wilds of Southern California. If you care to report back to our offices in the comparatively tame, historic district of Baltimore, please address your comments to the publisher... 07/04/2007 - Eugene B. Fluckey, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (1913-2007)
Greg’s Note: We wish our readers a safe and happy 4th of July. On this occasion our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has a special tribute to a recently deceased man of significant accomplishment. 07/03/2007 - Enough to Make an Oilman Jealous
Greg’s Note: Our resident energy dude, Byron King returns to present a little talked about electricity generation method: geothermal. Geothermal power simply takes heat from the earth, turns it into steam and uses that steam to spin a turbine. Elegance! Now, geothermal has some benefits over the more commonly talked about alternative energies such as solar, wind and biofuels. In fact, I have just returned from the most productive geothermal field in the world and what I saw there sure impressed me. 06/28/2007 - Letters to the Editor: Alaska
Greg’s Note: We received a lot of mail from readers concerning the recent articles by our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King and his description of his trip to the wilds of Alaska. Byron has prepared a sampling of letters and comments. 06/20/2007 - A Gold Nugget from Alaska
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has been regaling us with tales from the Yukon, all about his recent trip to Alaska. Here is one tale that is a nugget of a story. (Sorry, dear readers, I can’t help myself today.) 06/19/2007 - “Pretty High Land”
Greg’s Note: Byron’s back with an account of his recent trek across Alaska’s oil country. He’s astounded by the sheer majesty of the land. And he’s also quite stunned by the sheer force of human ingenuity and grit that allows development of oilfields in such craggy and bitterly inhospitable terrains. 06/12/2007 - There’s Money to Be Made in Alaska’s Resources
Greg’s Note: Byron’s back with another review of his recent Alaskan oil and gas “safari.” He explains how darned hard it is to find resources up there -- and if you do -- how darned hard it is to get them out after you find ‘em. This difficulty has stoked fear in the heart of Exxon’s CEO -- a proposed gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope down to the lower 48 could cost as much as $30 billion to build. 06/04/2007 - $7,200,000.00
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King reports more news from Alaska. This news, in particular, is 140 and more years old. But don’t wait that long to tell us what you think, dear readers. 05/31/2007 - Letter to the Editor: A Man in the Street
Greg’s Note: One of our Whiskey articles from last week, “A Man in the Street” by our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King, brought us a lot of e-mail. There was one letter in particular that caught Byron’s attention. Here it is. 05/25/2007 - "By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper"
IF EVER THERE were truth to the motto of a city, the motto of Vancouver fits the bill. What a great city! I have been traveling to and from Vancouver for well over 20 years, and I just love the place. 05/23/2007 - S.O.S. Cutty Sark
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King reports on a recent loss to British and American culture, and to the world’s maritime history. A fire severely damaged the 19th-century clipper ship Cutty Sark at the vessel's dry dock in Greenwich, East London. For the past six months, the ship has been undergoing reconstruction and refit, but now the task has expanded greatly. We at Whiskey & Gunpowder and Agora Financial have no relationship with the ship’s owner, the Cutty Sark Trust. 05/22/2007 - A Man in the Street
Greg’s Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent encountered another member of the Fourth Estate yesterday. From the sound of it, things could have gotten bloody. Here is Byron’s account. 05/09/2007 - "I Won't Rob You"
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has been following developments south of the U.S. border, in Venezuela. Recently, Venezuela was in the news for seizing the oil production assets of several Western oil companies. But there is more going on down there than just an energy play, and here is Byron's report. 05/03/2007 - Offshore Technology Conference Update
Greg's Note: Outstanding Investments and Whiskey & Gunpowder energy man Byron King returns with his account of the Offshore Technology Conference he attended recently in Houston. He details such varied themes as the stunning achievements in offshore drilling to the possibility of tapping undersea algae to produce biofuel. 04/24/2007 - Bakhtiari's Event of the Century
Greg's Note: In this article, our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King brings us up to date on the views of Ali Samsam Bakhtiari, a retired director of the National Iranian Oil Co. We at Agora Financial and Whiskey & Gunpowder are pleased to present this important perspective on the world's energy situation from one of the world's leading and most respected authorities. 04/18/2007 - Armies of Geologists
Greg's Note: How many geologists does it take to screw in a light bulb? Or a better question might be, how many geologists does it take to keep the light bulbs burning? Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King has some interesting news from the geology schoolhouse. And in this case, it is a very big geology schoolhouse. 04/13/2007 - Corridors of Power
Greg's Note: What happens "on the other side of the light switch?" Byron addresses that question today. Apparently, the electricity generation and transmission businesses have undergone extensive changes after deregulation and privatization. The free market has finally forced her way into the electricity sphere. Where exactly does the juice that powers your toaster come from? It may be generated somewhere extremely far from your kitchen... 04/12/2007 - Subprime Ground Zero, Part II
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King was in Long Beach, Calif., last week attending a conference on petroleum. We asked Byron to take a look at the California business climate. This is the second part of Byron's two-part article on the subject. 04/11/2007 - Subprime Ground Zero, Part I
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King was in Long Beach, Calif., last week attending a conference on petroleum. But we noticed that Southern California is also home to many of the players in the unfolding debacle of the subprime lending situation. We asked Byron to take a look at the California business climate, and this two-part article is what he reported back to us. 04/04/2007 - The Los Angeles Oil Patch
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King is spending the week in Long Beach, Calif., attending the annual convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). In the article, Byron discusses Los Angeles and its oil patch. We did not know that the Los Angeles area was one of the world's great oil provinces. 04/02/2007 - Stalin Lives!
Greg's Note: In this article, our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King takes a look at an intriguing news item from Russia. Our resident oilman describes a recent report on what Russians are watching on TV, and makes some points that cover topics ranging from Joseph Stalin to Russian resource nationalism and the state-controlled company Gazprom. 03/29/2007 - Happy Birthday, Col. Drake
Greg's Note: In this article our Peak Oil correspondent, Byron King revisits the memory of the man who started the Age of Oil, Col. Edwin Drake. And what better time or occasion on which to recall the great man than on his birthday? In the process we revisit a Whiskey & Gunpowder classic. 03/26/2007 - Do You Know the Way to Prudhoe Bay?
Greg's Note: We have a true Whiskey & Gunpowder opportunity for some of you. Do you want to go to Alaska for a geology field trip with our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King? Byron needs some interested people to sign up for what promises to be a truly unique travel adventure and educational opportunity. Please note that the sponsor of the trip, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), is not associated with Agora Financial, LLC, and Agora is not arranging or organizing the trip. But just as we did with the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASP) last fall, we think that great opportunities deserve to be promoted. 03/21/2007 - Energy and Private Equity, Part II
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent for Whiskey & Gunpowder, Byron King, has recently become the editor of a sister newsletter called Outstanding Investments. Outstanding Investments concentrates on investments in things like energy and other natural resources, and the issues that affect those investments. In the second half of this two-part article, Byron is looking at the role of private equity in the energy industry. 03/20/2007 - Energy and Private Equity, Part I
Greg's Note: You may have read that our Peak Oil correspondent for Whiskey & Gunpowder, Byron King, has recently become the editor of a companion newsletter called Outstanding Investments. Outstanding Investments concentrates on investments in things like energy and other natural resources, and the issues that affect those investments. 03/14/2007 - History of Financial Disasters 1763-1995 (Book Review)
Greg's Note: In this Whiskey classique, our favorite historian of the oil patch, Byron King, reviews a remarkable new study of the major financial disasters of the past 240 years. When we brought Byron onboard at Agora Financial a couple of years ago, we thought he was just your basic, run-of-the-mill lawyer, geologist, and Peak Oil guy. But take a look at Byron's discussion of financial disasters. He does not even mention Col. Drake or Titusville. 03/06/2007 - A Function of Price and Technology
Greg's Note: In this article, our Peak Oil correspondent discusses (what else?) Peak Oil, in particular a recent article on the topic in The New York Times. Are things really, as the title notes, just "a function of price and technology"? Our own resident oilman Byron picks up the ball, runs with it, and as he crosses the end zone, he ponders the subject. 02/23/2007 - The Shell Answer Man, Part II
Greg’s Note: In Part I of this two-part article, our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King described a recent visit by the president of Shell Oil Co. to Pittsburgh. In Part II, our own oilman Byron relates a few questions that he posed to the Shell chief executive. 02/22/2007 - The Shell Answer Man, Part I
Greg’s Note: The president of Shell Oil Co. paid a visit to Pittsburgh last week. And our Pittsburgh-based Peak Oil correspondent Byron King paid a visit to the president of Shell. Here is Part I of Byron’s account. 02/21/2007 - Worst Single Debris Event Ever
Greg’s Note: Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird. No, it’s a plane. Hey, it is debris from the recent Chinese anti-satellite test. Our roving Peak Oil correspondent and Naval War College man Byron King takes a look at what happened and ponders the meaning. 02/16/2007 - Peak Oil Shock
Greg's Note: In this article, our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King reviews a recent comment by the president of Shell Oil Co. on the subject of -- no kidding -- Peak Oil. 02/06/2007 - Who Directs the Storm?
Greg's Note: Our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King was recently a medical patient for a pretty serious procedure. We are happy to note that Byron is doing fine. In fact, Byron wants to discuss with our readers exactly what happened. So without further ado, here goes. 01/17/2007 - Letters to the Editor: Ethanol, Part II
Greg's Note: Last week, we published an article entitled "Reaping What You Sow" by our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King. Byron discussed the increasing use of corn to produce ethanol. There were so many interesting viewpoints that we decided to run a sampling of them in a two-part Letters to the Editor column. Also in this article, and in response to your letters, Byron comments on the Brazilian program to produce ethanol from sugar cane. 01/16/2007 - Letters to the Editor: Ethanol, Part I
Greg's Note: Last week, we published an article entitled "Reaping What You Sow" by our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King. Byron discussed the increasing use of corn to produce ethanol. We received a lot of e-mail in response to the article, and passed your comments over to Byron. 01/11/2007 - Reaping What You Sow
Greg's Note: In this article, our Peak Oil correspondent Byron King takes a rather critical look at the rapidly growing ethanol industry in the U.S. This may ruffle some feathers within the community that is promoting ethanol... 01/04/2007 - Apocalypt A Movie Review
Greg's Note: A new year dawns, and we at Agora Financial wish all of our dear readers the best of times and fortunes. In order to do that, however, it helps to understand the times, and to have a feel for some of the angles on the fortunes to be made out there. Our one and only Peak Oil correspondent, Byron King, is leading off on his third year at Whiskey & Gunpowder with a movie review. But as you will see, it is not just a movie review... | 
