Here are some of the pics from our recent conference in Cabo. I've been sick since returning and haven't had a lot of energy of late to get it all together.
People in the U.S. are ever so slowing beginning to see solar power as a viable source of power. Over the course of the year, we'll feature many people making use of the sun for their power needs. BTW: thars money in dem solar stocks!
I say in my book which is currently being written; not to believe most analysts. Now I'm also saying that we need to be careful about believing what the media tells us. Why you say? I think that much of the media is controlled by powers we are unwilling to admit does such things.
I warned you about being taken in by a lot of internet based promotional marketing hype that is designed to get you to buy after the promoters have their money in place. Then after enough subscriptions come in, they dump their stock, and take the profits leaving you to thank for you being a big sucker!
Now I've gone with nearly a week before the Cabo Future1investors Conference and till now by not watching CNBC. This is one of the main financial/stock market news channels and also the very one that Jim Cramer, king of his own Cramerica show is on as well. That one program alone has cost me profits by persuading me to buy things that I should have avoided. While I won't say that they are made up of folks that can profit from persuading us to buy something and dumping it a day or two later before we have a clue, I will say that I've profited from what they did not talk about on the show.
Analysts thrive on selling you on something that needs cash infusion, or a bit longer rally. Media is sponsored by companies and government individuals that need much of the same. It is bad enough that they plot behind your back to take advantage of us as consumers. Its worse when they do it to our face! You are being given a check (tax money that will have to be recollected from you in the future) and told by our country leader to go out and spend it as a consumer. Should people correctly be told rather, to use it to pay down their credit cards? Mortgage? College loan?
When it comes to money, morality gets tossed out the window. Morality becomes the new conspiracy word. We have war to put others into turmoil, increase immorality, use our own american men and women as test beds and pawns on the battle field, and make more money and give favors to certain others (see special facts below). The media is used to console us into believing non-truths, to raise more money, get your vote and backing for things their puppeteers will do behind your back. Television is one of the greatest inventions ever and also one of the best tools used by our leaders and others to heard us the way they need in order to make more money despite how it can negatively affect you. I've said before that we are sheep and they are the sheep herders.
Instead of blindly following, instead of believing everything that you hear on the TV, wake up and find out the truth before you leap at their request/suggestion. You may well find that you'll be a bit richer rather than poorer for doing so. But be warned that if you look for other perspectives, find truths, find data that is contrary to what we are told, you may be labeled or called something negative. If you are however, know that it probably means that you are onto something that is more truthful than what you are being told. Know that it could mean that you'll be saving money, making more profits, being happier with the decision that you will make.
Special War Facts:
- A contractor working in Iraq as a security guard gets about $400,000 a year, for example, as opposed to a soldier, who might get about $40,000.
- Military sign-up bonuses come with conditions: a soldier injured in the first month, for example, has to pay it back.
- Some families have had to buy their children body armor, saving the government costs in the short term; those too poor to afford it sustain injuries that the government then has to pay.
- It was not until 2006, when Robert Gates replaced Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, that the DOD agreed to replace Humvees with mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) armored vehicles, which are much more able to repel roadside bombs; until that time, IEDs killed 1,500 Americans.
- Many reconstruction jobs, in alignment with US procurement law, went to expensive American firms rather than cheaper Iraqi ones - a further waste of resources (one painting job, for example, cost $25m instead of $5m); these American firms, looking to keep their own costs down and profit margins high, imported cheap labor from such countries as Nepal - even though, at this point, one in two Iraqi men was out of work.
- When US military commanders wanted to re-employ Iraq's military to help secure the country, they were denied. This put 40-50% of the country's dependence on the military (families and solders) out of work and without any money, leaving them to go hungry and create an insurgency against the U.S. military that would have rather had their support and expert assistance. As a result, many more solders in the U.S. military died, tens of thousands more Iraqis were killed in response.
$16bn
The amount the US spends on the monthly running costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - on top of regular defense spending$138
The amount paid by every US household every month towards the current operating costs of the war$19.3bn
The amount Halliburton has received in single-source contracts for work in Iraq$25bn
The annual cost to the US of the rising price of oil, itself a consequence of the war$3 trillion
A conservative estimate of the true cost - to America alone - of Bush's Iraq adventure. The rest of the world, including Britain, will shoulder about the same amount again$5bn
Cost of 10 days' fighting in Iraq$1 trillion
The interest America will have paid by 2017 on the money borrowed to finance the war3%
The average drop in income of 13 African countries - a direct result of the rise in oil prices. This drop has more than offset the recent increase in foreign aid to Africa- For all this, companies prosper as do certain individuals while many suffer needlessly as a result. All because money, power, and political agenda are in control.
-Stiglitz, a Nobel prize-winner in economics, four years on Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers and another three as chief economist at the World Bank.
-Bilmes, an economic adviser under the Clinton administration.
An investment that so far hasn't stopped climbing is MasterCard (MA). Since May 2006 when the IPO began at about $40 the
So now lets look at the new IPO baby, Visa (V). YTD has achieved an impressive 56.6% so far! When I spoke with TDAmeritrade folks and mentioned that I was interested in Visa. I got what amounted to a trouncing both in stares and in muffled comments. So what is wrong with 56.6% I wonder? Thats money in da bank boys!
Though Visa is still a baby, this baby is on track to smash MasterCard's record performance. Even with more talk of a U.S. recession (Warren Buffet considers us already in recession) and the possible talk of a global recession (there will still be countries that are not as affected as the U.S. and the U.K.) people will still use credit cards for their transactions.
But why should they? Well, when I was in my old corporate job, I went out to lunch every day. Sometimes I brought others from my office. And inevitably time and time again, these folks would say the same thing: "Does this place take credit cards?" and then I'd say: 'I don't know...why?' and they'd respond: "I don't carry cash". So in this new age beyond the Baby Boomers, our kids don't carry cash. Perhaps they don't like bulking up their wallets with the greenbacks. Or perhaps it is some kind of statement of sorts that they are the new future?
I was on my way back from the Future1investors Conference in Cabo San Lucas and a young Cox Communications employee who had just finished getting a house built for he, his wife, and baby on-the-way said the same thing. "I only carry credit cards".
MONEY In da Bank!
I've just returned from the Future1investor Conference in Cabo. It was an insightful (sentiments from those participating) and mixed bag of thoughts from around the U.S. and Canada. One thing that ate at me personally was the food or rather waste of food by some people. While it is somewhat the norm to see a few people waste half a plate
I wish that the hotel would put nice but directed signage asking people to only take what they will eat or sample a small amount first rather rejecting large portion of food that could have gone to feeding the needy adults and children in town. Kudos because they did have like signage in the bathrooms of the guest rooms. It asked you to save the environment by reusing your linens more than once.
I felt obligated by morality to carefully choose my food and then eat everything on the plate. Also at the bar I was careful to choose a drink that I could fully finish before ordering another. And I was also aware that I could become sick if I consumed too much alcohol while in the hot sun. Too bad some of the hotel's other guests weren't adult enough to do the same. This was an all inclusive property however and I guess some folks just have some stupid idea that wasting is fashionable?? We just wondered/hoped if the left over, untouched food was somehow directed towards those who would benefit.
Anyway, back to the food issue. Before I left we had the rice situation and the over-all rise in food costs. Lets look at this a bit. Data that follows is approximate based on various sources:
Gone Up Gone Down
- Eggs 30% ?
- Milk 10%+
- Cereal 8%
- Bananas 10%+
- Rice 13%+
These may be much higher than my figures but the point is, while other foods are rising as expected at about 3-5% per year, others are rocketing higher and really putting the pinch on the pocketbook. I intentionally don't buy snacks when going to the grocery as a way to maintain some modicum of my health and hold down costs. It was evident at my last corporate job that they don't try to maintain at least cost of living wage increases. It is unfortunate for many that it actually costs them more money each year to stay at that job! And companies wonder why they loose some of their better people. Does your company help you stay above the cost of living increases each year?
So what is the way to invest when things are like this? Agricultural stocks obviously and companies that distribute the food to the consumer. When I was taking the shuttle to the hotel, I was happy to see that Walmart (WMT), Sams Club, and Costco (COST) where in Cabo. These are all companies that do well during hard times as they are able to price items into the range that people can afford.
I am working on a movie of the pictures that so many are looking for on here. Some Canadians made the suggestion that I name the movie Cabo Slut just as a way to easily find it. I thought this was both funny and searchably appropriate. Not appropriate as in content; there will be NO sexual scenes or any inappropriate content. It will just make it easy to find (fingers crossed) when I post it on YouTube later this week.
We're here and a few folks arrived yesterday as we did.
The Riu Sante' Fe is so incredible. Pictures to come next week.
Anyway we did already start some of our discussions yesterday while in the infinity pool overlooking the beach!
We have some great people from Boston, Mass. and from various places around British Columbia, Canada and of course Cincinnati, Ohio USA!
Just wanted to let you all know that you surely must join us next year for this conference!
We also are looking forward to having our first Bloggers Meetup also here at the Riu Sante Fe in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Today we're planning on lounging around the infinity pool then this afternoon we will be walking down the beach to the marina and into town for a little walkabout. Then we'll be taking the water taxi back to the hotel and going through the Cabo Arc.
Till next time!
Future1investor
I've been sending telepathic messages to Cabo telling the place and the people to prepare to make my arrival the best ever! The countdown has nearly expired and I'll soon be on the plane back to my warm sunny beach just as the weather here turns cold again. While I love to witness the change of seasons, I wish that winter was only two weeks worth of cold/chilly/grayness. I'm a beach boy by heart and some day I hope to have a place overlooking the water.
Whenever I start getting the slightest bit blue, I look at these pictures. I hope to make this a yearly ritual for both the Future1investor's Conference and for all my friends on Facebook, SocialSpark, Vox, E Blogger, and MeetUp (in order of most followers). In fact I'd like to see this place be our bloggers meet-up each year.
Last night I was up late not doing Friday night fun things but what I normally reserve for Sundays. That is, I was researching and picking stock for Monday's buy. Why? Cabo! I'm leaving here to go there early on Sunday and I just want everything in place and on autopilot as much as possible. Its no time to be out of the market and thanks to the internet we don't have to be.
So, I hope to see you this coming week in Cabo, or perhaps in the near future as we make Cabo our yearly investor's conference and blogger meet-up!
A Whale of a Time!
Best Beaches
Cabo Wabo
Then early this year, I remember talking to my group that I named The Cincinnati Pork Belly Traders for the lack of something better. While I could call our group Future1investors as a twist off of my email and online name, that might be too vain. But I do like that nevertheless. Anyhow, we talked earlier this year about how nothing made any sense in the market. When something should have been going down, it went up. When something should have been going up, it went down. One thing became clear. This was no longer the stock market many have grown up with. It is now a market of the people which is influenced by a select group of folks that we put way too much belief into for their supposed wisdom and guidance. Some of these people have been strategically placed within the media as either fixtures or as often guest appearances.
I am going to toot my horn for just a second before continuing here to say a few things.
- I look for the truth, the real truth in all people. In their words, and in their actions. In their hearts. I soak it in and I make internal judgments to decide how and if I will react and interact to those people in my future.
- I am a rather good though not great researcher. I can find relevant and solid information when needed for the purpose of further educating myself or for making a point or for proving something to the other sheep.
- I've said over two years ago, that we were headed towards a recession. This did not come from my own knowledge but rather from the knowledge of others that I, not the other sheep, found to be reliable sources of information, experience and truthfulness.
The market does not make sense because of these people. We are by and large just sheep that are guided by the sheep-herders of the world. We believe most of everything we are told through the media these days. The media is the
So back to: Truth is a bummer! Bad weather ahead!
The truth is, we are headed for an economic slow-down. A recession. History proves that we can not keep forging ahead. Just like stock sectors see necessary corrections, we too will see a major correction before we can resume again on the great road paved in gold.
Now everything we see in the media pretty much tells us to our face that a recession has yet to hit us, or that we are in a recession but it will be minor. We are also told that the bottoms have hit our feet and we shall fall no further. Everyone who isn't a proclaimed god, uses some references to substantiate their thoughts and actions. A while back, I went to an investor club meeting and we reviewed the book by John Mauldin. So powerful is this book that it changed the future outlook for many at this investor club meeting.
So then yesterday, as I was listening to Fast Money on CNBC while sitting on my deck overlooking the greening stands of trees in front of me and on the horizon, I remember how a few of these guys had me believe in them enough to buy this and that only to later be disappointed by the investment. From day one, I have told those around me not to listen to the media and to the so-called expert analysts. Nevertheless, I tested my own words by buying when they told me to buy and then got hit with the truth which was the opposite of what was being touted on TV. This led me to ponder another CNBC person who many put their faith into: Jim Cramer. Watch this recent video by Don Harrold.
Then I came across another person who goes against the norm (which automatically gives him credibility). He is from SmartKnowledgeU.
So in these three examples alone, I feel vindication of my thoughts and beliefs. And to those of you who have suggested, whatever the market does, do the opposite... You may not be all that crazy!
I thought that I would have to stop posting on one or more accounts because of a lack of productivity. Then I found that I can post to multiple locations in one multi-tasking application (Blog It). So I'm testing to see if this works from my FaceBook account.
We'll see if I can post to E-blogger, Vox, Twitter, and FaceBook all in one action....
It worked....SORTA
The application: Blog It is only good for a limited amount of text then it gets truncated on FaceBook. Also you can not add pics. So while short comments work fine, you can't truly blog from one application or platform. It does work as a way of quickly notifying those who follow you via FaceBook if that is where most of your so-called friends/contacts are.
See what I think of FaceBook at:
http://future1investor.vox.com/library/post/6a00f48cf076b8000300f48cf09fba0003.html
The banner ad below is only to assist in explaining this article. It is being used for the purposes of a Scam Alert!
Fair warning to you new investor/traders out there. You will see this banner ad everywhere you go. It IS a scam and they will take your money and laugh at you from the other side of cyberspace as their register goes "Cha Ching!"
Take it from me, I admit that I was lured by the claims..only to quickly realize its worthlessness. I attempted to email as well as communicate via input forms twenty times or more at every place that allowed me to type an online message. Not only did my messages go unanswered but my refund never came.
They even have a piece of software that they call Marl the stock trading robot. All my emails were ignored the moment I pointed out that there was no actual Internet connection to download the stocks in their so-called database. So yes they did actually respond to me at first but once I called their bluff, it was time for them to disappear! And then no further communications were returned to me to replace the software or help with a fix. They claim that they've sold Marl the stock trading robot for a license fee of $40,000 per user. If Marl was what they claimed, I'm sure we would have heard from those folks who supposedly paid $40K for the software. How would those people feel if they knew that myself and how many others only got taken to the cleaners for $199.00 usd not $40,000?
I also tried to contact a supposed impartial third party who advertises for them as well. My emails and attempts at communication with them also went unanswered. They have formed an effective barrier from ripped off customers like you and me.
Their original story tells of how they encourage you to come visit them and they show you a picture of their offices. Then other evidence points to that not being their actual address and that possibly they reside in the UK or even elsewhere.
I wish that everyone that has been duped by whomever claims to be Carl and Michael would comment here on this site and that federal inquiry would be done into their bogus product/service.
I have tried in vain to contact them and give them a chance to return my money before I published this post. It has been months no word from either of the two. So the real truth is: Stock Trading Robot is a SCAM! No matter what you read, who posts it, its all a scam. Be smart and don't fall for the hype like some of us did. Put your credit card back in your wallet and use the money you would have spent on this scam in your next stock pick instead. You'll get a whole lot more value than this frack'in piece of shite!
My Groups
-
voyages Updated: Yesterday
-
Girly Girls Updated: Yesterday
-
The Beautiful People Updated: Yesterday
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
