Hello from the airport in Cancun,
As you know from last week I was planning to be in Guatemala and Honduras by this time except I made one very critical error that I had not thought of. I rarely book a flight more than 24 hours ahead of time just for the simple reason that things in my life change rapidly. I often end up on the other side of the world with just a day or two's notice of an opportunity.
Like the time I was in Acapulco and got a call from an old, good friend who happened to be flying through on his jet on his way to Guyana to look at a gold mine. He had meetings set-up with the President and I recognized that both opportunities could be very interesting as he has a long track record of making tens of millions of dollars investing in these precise opportunities… plus I´d get a chance to sell the President on doing a citizenship by investment program and/or privatizing the country.
So, I ended up in Panama, Guyana and Aruba for a few days but while in Guyana I received calls from CNBC, Fox and Bloomberg all wanting to interview me on a Bitcoin ATM project I had got involved with and so I ended up in New York City that night. And, it was so rushed that I didn't have any business attire that would look normal on something like CNBC (I had just came from the jungle) and my interview was at 10am… so I had to find a business suit to purchase by, at latest 9am… and somehow I did it!
This, generally, is how the life of an entrepreneur can go… and so, I had booked a flight to Cancun but hadn't booked a ticket to Guatemala yet and what I discovered was that on New Year's Eve or the few days after New Year's, Cancun is an absolute madhouse. I really don't know why people would want to come here for New Year's… I suppose if you like big crowds and airports jammed full of people then I understand. I prefer to go when the crowds don't… and usually go to places the crowds don't (unless it is for business, in that case I like to get there before the crowd realizes they should be there). For travel, however, I especially prefer places with Travel Alerts from the US government to keep the general sheeple and scrabblemob out of my personal space.
So, I couldn't get out as I had hoped on the day of New Year's Eve…and in fact, there was no flights to anywhere in this region until today, the 4th… at 3:30am! So, here I sit at a much quieter airport and finally have a flight out and will be returning to Acapulco for might just be one day for a business meeting that just came up… and from there, we'll see. I still hope to get to Guatemala and Honduras on business but with me you never know where I'll be even two days from now so I'll do what I always do, keep it open.
I actually did end up having an enjoyable New Year's Eve though. We spent the day on my friend's catamaran and then I passed out at around 6pm and awoke right about at midnight, all alone on the boat – as my friend had gone out with his girlfriend. So, I awoke to some alone time on the boat and was very happy not to be out with the millions of others all celebrating some arbritrary calendar date… on the night that I call amateur night.
And, also happily, my wife appeared to have a great New Year's Eve and was incredibly happy not to be with me on that night… I am, without question, the grinch of New Year's Eve. She told me she had a wonderful night and I was so happy to hear that after ruining the last five for her.
I don't normally post photos of her here because I like to keep some privacy for my family but she is becoming more of a public figure now and may soon be doing her own version of Anarchast en Espanol, so if you don't know her you'll probably soon hear about her.
That photo was taken from our deck overlooking Acapulco Bay… on that note, Acapulco Bay is one of the coolest places to spend New Year's just because of the complete anarchy. There must be millions of dollars of fireworks lit off, all by private people… it almost feels like you are at Pearl Harbor but without the statist warring… just hundreds of thousands of happy, anarchic people firing off guns and fireworks.
On a quick side note, speaking of Anarchast,I had a great interview with Cody Wilson who created the first 3-D printable gun this week. Check that out here if interested.
Also, I have to point out, I didn't realize how bad the weather was or could be here in Cancun! I've been here twice before but nearly the entire time I've been here it has been cold and rainy! It really made me appreciate Acapulco, which has a 0% chance of rain between December and May. It is literally 85F and sunny every single day for 6 months straight… quite amazing.
I've also noticed the weather reports from up North! Record breaking cold weather everywhere… That whole global warming thing just isn't working out!
The funniest I heard today was that a group of global warming "scientists" (read: watermelons… green on outside, red in the middle and religious zealots of Marxism and statism) took a boat to Antarctica (where it is now summer time) to look at how all the ice had melted. But, it turns out, there is more sea ice at both poles now than at any time in the last few decades. I guess they don't really pay attention to "facts" and just assume their ridiculous models are correct… but they got stuck in the ice. Then they sent another boat to save them and it got trapped in the ice.
The irony was beautiful. I think I really would have been fine if they just left those buffoons out there to think a bit more about their ridiculous ideas.
By the way, here at TDV, I have spoken for years about the facts and data on "global warming" and have been a "denier" that entire time. And, in fact, TDV Managing Editor, Redmond Weissenberger, has been an ardant and vocal protestor of environmentalism for years… he even came to Cancun once to protest a global warming conference over a decade ago. A few years ago we got a lot of flack from people who just believed what they were seeing and hearing on mainstream media and the governments. Now? Not a peep. Perception has changed dramatically. In a recent poll of the "issues most important to you" asked by the United Nations, of people around the world, the last ranked issue they cared about was "global warming" or "climate change".
It looks like we are turning out to be right yet again. And the world is starting to understand what we've been talking about for years.
On another note, on misperceptions, I stated as early as 2008 that I was seeing a major shift in the direction of migration between Mexico and the US. I spoke about it and wrote about it often stating that there appears to be more Mexicans leaving the US than going there now… and, alternatively, more Americans going to Mexico than leaving Mexico.
This now is all but factual as this graphic at this link from The Atlantic points out.
I think if I can offer you something positive to your life it is that I am out here, around the world, doing things and also keeping my eyes open… and have a knack for noticing trends early in motion (ahem, bitcoin). I also can take a lot of the risks for you because, goddamnit, I just will not bow down to the government and hide… but I totally understand those who do want to keep their profile low in this environment. I think that has some real value for those who don't have the time, resources or distinct lack of a fear gene to do the same…. but you can tell me if you agree or not by subscribing to our newsletter…. or not… That is how we know if what we are doing is worthwhile or not. I am obviously biased but i think the TDV newsletter is one of a kind with news and views you just simply won't hear anywhere else and has people like Lew Rockwell and Doug Casey, just to name a few, who have both recommended it with great praise… which is very humbling because a lot of what I and all of us at TDV know came from them.
Of course, not everything we have said or done has been totally correct. That's pretty much impossible. Our biggest losing idea of the last 1-2 years has been gold and silver stocks. But I will be putting myself out on the line later this month and putting a significant amount of my own assets into the sector and you can follow along with me… or not. I will be writing more about this soon in the newsletter but I really think we are VERY close to a massive uptick in these stocks. If many of the better ones (which of course, Ed Bugos, finds for us) don't at least double or triple by April I will eat my mattress. I am just joking but I am always willing to put my bitcoin where my mouth is and so if I lose, you lose. But, I generally win more than I lose… and I think the world is going in such a direction that my/our advantage is increasing, not decreasing.
We all have to be careful though. This is the most dangerous time in human history for capital. On that, I am positive I am correct. I believe that neither you nor I will believe what transpires in 2014… and beyond. It can be the worst of times (if you aren't prepared) and the best of times (if you are). Everything changes soon. Too soon not to start moving on protecting yourself and your assets yesterday. For this we are having our urgent Crisis Conference in Panama next month. If you have some significant assets in the US or Canada and haven't gotten professional, world-class, proven advice on how to organize them then I highly suggest you come down and meet with us in Panama in February.
I really hate having to say "I told you so" to so many people over the years… so if you or anyone you know needs to get the kind of advice that people like George Soros and Bill Gates get on arranging their affairs internationally… but at a fraction of the cost (it actually pays for itself, sometimes ten times over… if done right it actually makes money and doesn't cost anything) then check out the Crisis Conference.
I'll have more to say on the value of it later this week but it is nearly sold out and tomorrow is our last day for a discounted fee… so if you have been thinking about it, just give the great people at TDV Wealth Management an email or a call (you can find both on our website) to see if it makes sense for you.
Other than that, I am incredibly happy to be heading home for at least one day. I gave my wife the gift of a New Year's without me and she sounds reinvigorated and ready for another fun and wild year. And, the two munchkins in our house sound happy and ready for another year of learning and having fun. And, I know for a fact, all five of my dogs miss me almost as much as I miss them.
If things go to plan in 7 hours, after a stopover in Mexico City I will be among almost all the things I love and met at the door with kisses by five dogs, two little anarchists and a beautiful, free wife. I hope you are or soon will be too with those you care about the most.
Life is too short not to. I wish you the best 2014 no matter where you are nor what you do.
