Boats & Stocks (B&S)

[Claire]

Hi Francois.....

I was thinking about You this evening, my Mouette, and Gold....

August will be a consolidation month for gold, but with the new economic data and the talks of "second dip recession" that are going through right now, we can definitively think about the next rally some time around Sept/Oct. I am seing a nice overall market rally in Aug (we'll see if I am wrong..) followed by new lows.
The economic data right now doesn't let predict any kind of "recovery". Before changing my trading strategy, I am waiting for some significant information.....

I miss you Francois.... Where are you? You still have to drink a Mouette with me....

See you soon. I am not coming there very often, staying mainly on RB....
Claire (the happy trader of many unhedged goldies...)

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> SHORT: OMC audited by Arthur Andersen,...

has NEGATIVE $2 Billion Tangible Assets....

http://biz.yahoo.com/fin/l/o/omc_qb.html

http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/020627/29069.html

I bet Moody will downgrade OMC's Debt and general prospects, shortly... There is little doubt in my mind that OMC has misrepresented its financial picture to support its stock price and that we're just looking at the tip of the iceberg, at present...

In early June, KPMG replaced Arthur Andersen and we should soon hear about what bothers them in the accounts, such as a potential Seneca $280 million write-off and undisclosed acquisitions earn-out contingently worth $350 million, to be treated as business expenses, rather than acquisition related...

Also, it's likely that the SEC, will widen it's enquiry concerning the resignation of the Audit Committee Chairman on concerns of improper corporate governance... In the meantime, the Class Action Suits keep piling up nicely...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> GOLD FEVER justified by Main Stream Bankers....

Claire, do you have a List of unhedged Gold Producers???...

RBC manager endorses gold conspiracy theory
By ANDREW WILLIS AND CAROLINE ALPHONSO

Saturday, June 22, 2002 – Page B1


One of Canada's most successful money managers, Royal Bank of Canada's John
Embry, has become the poster boy for gold bugs after endorsing the concept
of a long-term central bank conspiracy to depress bullion prices.

In an eight-page report published on bank letterhead, and distributed
yesterday by U.S. conspiracy theorists, Mr. Embry set out the case of a
further rise in gold prices, a prediction made in part on "increasing
evidence of unsustainable gold price manipulation."

The successful gold fund manager said "statistics suggest that real
manipulation" of bullion prices began in 1995. Mr. Embry wrote: "Those with
a vested interest in containing the price of gold -- central banks, bullion
banks, heavily hedged gold companies -- will not die easily, but the tide is
moving strongly against them."

Like most central banks, the Bank of Canada has been a consistent seller of
gold in the past decade. Bank of Nova Scotia is among the world's largest
bullion banks, and Barrick Gold Corp. is the world's largest hedger.

Mark Arthur, head of Royal Bank Investment Management Inc., said Mr. Embry's
report was done for internal use and "in no way reflects the views of Royal
Bank."

Mr. Arthur described the paper as "a collection of various arguments for
gold stocks" that was part of a larger discussion on asset allocation at the
money manager.

Mr. Embry runs the Royal Precious Metals fund, which boasts $329-million in
assets and a stellar one-year return of 156 per cent, compared with a
90-per-cent average performance by its peers. He was not available
yesterday.

The eight-year RBC veteran also helps to manage four other large funds. And
as chairman of the bank's Canadian equity and stock selection committee, Mr.
Embry sets strategy for the $38-billion mutual fund family.

The theories endorsed by Mr. Embry have been pushed for years by groups such
as Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc. (GATA) of Dallas.

The premise is that central banks -- mainly the U.S. Federal Reserve Board
-- stamp out any surge in gold prices to preserve confidence in the U.S.
dollar. The idea is that rising gold prices mean a lack of confidence in the
greenback, which they believe is the engine of U.S. economic imperialism.

Yesterday, GATA members trumpeted Mr. Embry's report as validation of their
claims, and said it showed that mainstream organizations are starting to
acknowledge that central banks have rigged gold sales to depress the price
of bullion.

"The establishment in the gold world is coming around to our central
premise: That central banks and particularly the U.S. Treasury Department
have been colluding surreptitiously and desperately to suppress the gold
price and manipulate the gold market," Chris Powell, secretary and treasurer
of GATA, told his members yesterday.

"Royal Bank has written a report that COMPLETELY ENDORSES all the GOLD
PRICE-FIXING allegations of GATA," GATA member Ed Steers said in an e-mail.
"I cannot overemphasize how huge a story this is!!!!"

GATA chairman Bill Murphy said RBC used information that his organization
has been collecting for the past three years.

"As far as we're concerned, it's tremendous credibility," Mr. Murphy said in
an interview. "It's fabulous. It explains the gold industry in a way that
you don't hear from most established organizations."

When told that the views of Mr. Embry don't necessarily reflect that of RBC,
Mr. Murphy said: "When you have a report, you can be sure that the report
can't go out without the approval of Royal Bank itself. This is one of the
most important reports ever written on the gold market. They understand the
dynamics being played out."

Mr. Embry's report, he said, gives "credibility" to gold bugs like himself,
who believe the price of gold has been manipulated. Mr. Murphy added: "Most
of the gold world thought we were idiots. It turns out we're right."

Gold changed hands yesterday at $324.60 (U.S.) an ounce, up $1.40 cents on
the day.

The price has risen steadily from around $260 a year ago, after spending the
better part of four years below $300.

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Should Bush resign, Part II?...

34. August, 2001 - President Bush receives classified intelligence briefings at his Crawford, TX ranch indicating that Osama bin Laden might be planning to hijack commercial airliners. [CBS News, CNN - May 15, 2001]
35. August/September, 2001 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops nearly 900 points in the three weeks prior to the attack. A major stock market crash is imminent.

36. August/September, 2001 - According to a detailed 13-page memo written by Minneapolis FBI legal officer SA Colleen Rowley FBI headquarters ignores urgent direct warnings from French intelligence services about pending attacks. In addition, a single Supervisory Special Agent in Washington expends extra effort to thwart the field office’s investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui, in one case rewriting Rowley’s affidavit for a search warrant to search Moussaoui’s laptop. Rowley’s memo uses terms like "deliberately sabotage," "block," "integrity," "omitted," "downplayed," "glossed over," "mis-characterize," "improper political reasons, "deliberately thwarting," "deliberately further undercut," "suppressed," and "not completely honest." These are not terms describing negligent acts but rather, deliberate acts. FBI field agents desperately attempted to get action to no avail. One agent speculated that bin Laden might be planning to crash airliners into the World Trade Center while Rowley ironically noted that the SSA who had committed these deliberate actions had actually been promoted after September 11th. [The AP, May 21, 2002].

37. Sept. 3-10, 2001 - MS-NBC reports on September 16 that a caller to a Cayman Islands radio talk show gave several warnings of an imminent attack on the U.S. by bin Laden in the week prior to 9/11.

38. Early September, 2001 - An FBI internal document, based upon field notes from Minnesota field agents discloses that the agents had been investigating and had questioned the "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui. The field notes speculate that Moussaoui, who had been taking flight lessons, might crash an airliner into the WTC. Interestingly, the field agents’ requests to obtain a search warrant for his personal computer were denied. French intelligence confirms to the FBI that Moussaoui has ties to terrorist groups and may have traveled to Afghanistan. The agents also had no knowledge of the Phoenix memo (See Item #14). One news story states that agents were in "a frenzy," absolutely convinced that he was "going to do something with a plane." [Source NEWSWEEK, May 20, 2002 issue - story by Michael Isikoff].

39. September 1-10, 2001 - In an exercise, Operation "Swift Sword" planned for four years, 23, 000 British troops are steaming toward Oman. Although the 9/11 attacks caused a hiccup in the deployment the massive operation was implemented as planned. At the same time two U.S. carrier battle groups arrive on station in the Gulf of Arabia just off the Pakistani coast. Also at the same time, some 17,000 U.S. troops join more than 23,000 NATO troops in Egypt for Operation "Bright Star." All of these forces are in place before the first plane hits the World Trade Center. [Sources: The Guardian, CNN, FOX, The Observer, International Law Professor Francis Boyle, the University of Illinois.]

40. September 7, 2001 - Florida Governor Jeb Bush signs a two-year emergency executive order (01-261) making new provisions for the Florida National Guard to assist law enforcement and emergency-management personnel in the event of large civil disturbances, disaster or acts of terrorism. [Source: State of Florida web site listing of Governor’s Executive Orders.]

41. September 6-7, 2001 - 4,744 put options (a speculation that the stock will go down) are purchased on United Air Lines stock as opposed to only 396 call options (speculation that the stock will go up). This is a dramatic and abnormal increase in sales of put options. Many of the UAL puts are purchased through Deutschebank/AB Brown, a firm managed until 1998 by the current Executive Director of the CIA, A.B. "Buzzy" Krongard. [Source: The Herzliyya International Policy Institute for Counterterrorism, http://www.ict.org.il/, September 21; The New York Times; The Wall Street Journal.]

42. September 10, 2001 - 4,516 put options are purchased on American Airlines as compared to 748 call options. [Source: ICT - above]

43. September 6-11, 2001 - No other airlines show any similar trading patterns to those experienced by UAL and American. The put option purchases on both airlines were 600% above normal. This at a time when Reuters (September 10) issues a business report stating, "Airline stocks may be poised to take off."

44. September 6-10, 2001 - Highly abnormal levels of put options are purchased in Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, AXA Re(insurance) which owns 25% of American Airlines, and Munich Re. All of these companies are directly impacted by the September 11 attacks. [Source: ICT, above; FTW, Oct. 18, 2001, http://www.fromthewilderness.com/
free/ww3/oct152001.html. ]

45. It has been documented that the CIA, the Israeli Mossad and many other intelligence agencies monitor stock trading in real time using highly advanced programs reported to be descended from Promis software. This is to alert national intelligence services of just such kinds of attacks. Promis was reported, as recently as June, 2001 to be in Osama bin Laden’s possession and, as a result of recent stories by FOX, both the FBI and the Justice Department have confirmed its use for U.S. intelligence gathering through at least this summer. This would confirm that CIA had additional advance warning of imminent attacks. [Sources: The Washington Times, June 15, 2001; FOX News, October 16, 2001; FTW, October 26, 2001, - http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
ww3/magic_carpet.html; FTW, Vol. IV, No.6, Sept. 18, 2001 - http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
ww3/sept1801.html; FTW, Vol. 3, No 7, 9/30/00 - http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
pandora/052401_promis.html.

46. September 10, 2001 - Amr Elgindy, a longtime colleague of Iran-Contra figure Adnan Khasogghi and a notorious inside trader on the financial markets orders his broker to liquidate his children’s $300,000 trust account fearing a sudden crash in the market. Elgindy is arrested in San Diego May, 2002, along with FBI agents Jeffrey Royer and Lynn Wingate who have been using their FBI positions to feed him inside information on various corporations. Elgindy is currently being held without bail. [The Globe and Mail, May 25, 2002]

47. September 11, 2001 - United Air Lines flight 23, scheduled to fly from New York City to LA was delayed after four Muslim passengers began demanding that the plane take off immediately. This happened apparently after the first plane had hit the WTC. The passengers were thrown off the flight. [The Globe and Mail, June 13, 2002]

48. September 11, 2001 - Gen Mahmud of the ISI (see above), friend of Mohammed Atta, is visiting Washington on behalf of the Taliban. He is meeting with the Chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, Porter Goss (R), FL and Bob Graham (D), Fl [Sources: MS-NBC, Oct. 7, The New York Times, Feb. 17, 2002.]

49. September 11, 2001 - Employees of Odigo, Inc. in Israel, one of the world’s largest instant messaging companies, with offices in New York, receive threat warnings of an imminent attack on the WTC less than two hours before the first plane hits the WTC. Law enforcement authorities have gone silent about any investigation of this. The Odigo Research and Development offices in Israel are located in the city of Herzliyya, a ritzy suburb of Tel Aviv which is the same location as the Institute for Counter Terrorism which breaks early details of insider trading on 9-11. [Source: CNN’s Daniel Sieberg, 9/28/01; Newsbytes, Brian McWilliams, 9/27/01; Ha’aretz, 9/26/01.].

50. September 11, 2001, For 50 minutes, from 8:15 AM until 9:05 AM, with it widely known within the FAA and the military that four planes have been simultaneously hijacked and taken off course, no one notifies the President of the United States. It is not until 9:30 that any Air Force planes are scrambled to intercept, but by then it is too late. This means that the National Command Authority waited for 75 minutes before scrambling aircraft, even though it was known that four simultaneous hijackings had occurred - an event that has never happened in history. [Sources: CNN, ABC, MS-NBC, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times.]

51. September 13, 2001 - China is admitted to the World Trade Organization quickly, after years of unsuccessful attempts. [Source: The New York Times, Sept. 30, 2001.]

52. September 14, 2001 - Canadian jailers open the sealed envelope from Mike Vreeland in Toronto and see that is describes attacks against the WTC and Pentagon. The U.S. Navy subsequently states that Vreeland was discharged as a seaman in 1986 for unsatisfactory performance and has never worked in intelligence. [Source: The Toronto Star, Oct. 23, 2001; Toronto Superior Court records]

53. September 15, 2001 - The New York Times reports that Mayo Shattuck III has resigned, effective immediately, as head of the Alex (A.B) Brown unit of Deutschebank.

54. September 29, 2001 - The San Francisco Chronicle reports that $2.5 million in put options on American Airlines and United Airlines are unclaimed. This is likely the result of the suspension in trading on the NYSE after the attacks which gave the Securities and Exchange Commission time to be waiting when the owners showed up to redeem their put options.

55. October 10, 2001 - The Pakistani newspaper The Frontier Post reports that U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain has paid a call on the Pakistani oil minister. A previously abandoned Unocal pipeline from Turkmenistan, across Afghanistan, to the Pakistani coast, for the purpose of selling oil and gas to China, is now back on the table "in view of recent geopolitical developments."

56. October 11, 2001 - The Ashcroft Justice Department takes over all terrorist prosecutions from the U.S. Attorneys office in New York which has had a highly successful track record in prosecuting terrorist cases connected to Osama bin Laden. [Source: The New York Times, Oct. 11, 2002.]

57. Mid October, 2001 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average, after having suffered a precipitous drop has recovered most of its pre-attack losses. Although still weak, and vulnerable to negative earnings reports, a crash has been averted by a massive infusion of government spending on defense programs, subsidies for "affected" industries and planned tax cuts for corporations.

58. November 21, 2001 - The British paper The Independent runs a story headlined, "Opium Farmers Rejoice at the Defeat of the Taliban." The story reports that massive opium planting is underway all over the country.

59. November 25, 2001 - The Observer runs a story headlined "Victorious Warlords Set To Open the Opium Floodgates." It states that farmers are being encouraged by warlords allied with the victorious Americans are "being encouraged to plant "as much opium as possible."

60. December 4, 2001 - Convicted drug lord and opium kingpin Ayub Afridi is recruited by the US government to help establish control in Afghanistan by unifying various Pashtun warlords. The former opium smuggler who was one of the CIA’s leading assets in the war against the Russians is released from prison in order to do this. [Source: The Asia Times Online, 12/4/01].

61. December 25, 2001 - Newly appointed afghani Prime Minister Hamid Karzai is revealed as being a former paid consultant for Unocal. [Source: Le Monde.]

62. January 3, 2002 - President Bush appoints Zalamy Khalilzad as a special envoy to Afghanistan. Khalilzad, a former employee of Unocal, also wrote op-eds in the Washington Post in 1997 supporting the Taliban regime. [Source: Pravda, 1/9/02]

63. January 4, 2002 - Florida drug trafficking explodes after 9-11. In a surge of trafficking reminiscent of the 1980s the diversion of resources away from drug enforcement has opened the floodgates for a new surge of cocaine and heroin from South America. [The Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2002.

64. January 10, 2002 - In a call from a speaker phone in open court, attorneys for "Mike" Vreeland call the Pentagon’s switchboard operator who confirms that Vreeland is indeed a Naval Lieutenant on active duty. She provides an office number and a direct dial phone extension to his office in the Pentagon. [Source: Attorney Rocco Galati; court records Toronto Superior Court.]

65. January 10, 2002 - Attorney General John Ashcroft recuses himself from the Enron investigation because Enron had been a major campaign donor in his 2000 Senate race. He fails to recuse himself from involvement in two sitting Federal grand juries investigating bribery and corruption charges against ExxonMobil and BP-Amoco who have massive oil interests in Central Asia. Both were major Ashcroft donors in 2000. [Source: CNN, Jan. 10, 2002 - FTW original investigation, The Elephant in the Living Room, Part I, Apr 4, 2002.
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
ww3/032602_elephant.html ]

66. January 23, 2002 - Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is kidnapped in Pakistan. Pearl is reported dead on Feb. 21. Lead suspect Ahmad Umar Sheik, former colleague of Gen. Ahmad, arrested on Feb 12, is named as the lead suspect in the kidnapping and murder. Legal sources close to the Pakistani government tell FTW that Pearl was investigating the ISI. [Source: CNN.com]

67. February 9, 2002 - Pakistani leader General Musharraf and Afghan leader Hamid Karzai announce their agreement to "cooperate in all spheres of activity" including the proposed Central Asian pipeline. Pakistan will give $10 million to Afghanistan to help pay Afghani government workers. [Source: The Irish Times, 2/9/02]

68. February 18, 2002 - The Financial Times reports that the estimated opium harvest in Afghanistan in the late Spring of 2002 will reach a world record 4500 metric tons.

69. May 13, 2002 - The BBC reports that Afghanistan is about to close a deal for construction of the $2 billion gas pipeline to run from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India. The story states, "work on the project will start after an agreement is expected to be struck" at a summit scheduled for the end of the month. Unocal will build the pipeline. [Source: BBC, May 13, 2002]

70. May 16, 2002 - Press Secretary Ari Fleischer states unequivocally that while President Bush had been warned of possible hijackings, "The president did not -- not -- receive information about the use of airplanes as missiles by suicide bombers." [Source: CBS News, May 15, 2002]

71. May 19, 2002 - Former FBI Agent Tyrone Powers, now a professor at Anne Arundel Community College states on radio station KISS 98.7, states that he has credible evidence suggesting that the Bush administration did in fact allow the Sept. 11th attacks to further a hidden agenda. [http://www.indymedia.org - May 20, 2002]

72. May 31, 2002 - FBI Agent Robert Wright delivers a tearful press conference at the National Press Club describing his lawsuit against the FBI for deliberately curtailing investigations that might have prevented the 9/11 attacks. He uses words like "prevented," "thwarted," "obstructed," "threatened," "intimidated," and "retaliation" to describe the actions of his superiors in blocking his attempts to shut off money flows to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. These are not words of negligence. They are words describing deliberate and malicious actions. [Source: C-SPAN website]

73. June 4, 2002 - Air Force Lt. Colonel Steve Butler who had called President Bush a joke and accused him of allowing the September 11th attacks to happen is suspended from his post at the Defense Language School in Monterey and could face a court martial. [AP, June 4, 2002]

74. June 17, 2002 - Reuters reports that Butler’s case has been resolved without the necessity of a court martial. (I guess so. There’s enough material here to prove him right. - MR) [Reuters, June 17, 2002].

Now, let’s go back to the October 31 story by Le Figaro - the one that has Osama bin Laden meeting with a CIA officer in Dubai this June.

The story says that, "Throughout his stay in the hospital, Osama Bin Laden received visits from many family members [There goes the story that he’s a black sheep!] and Saudi Arabian Emirate personalities of status. During this time the local representative of the CIA was seen by many people taking the elevator and going to bin Laden’s room.

"Several days later the CIA officer bragged to his friends about having visited the Saudi millionaire. From authoritative sources, this CIA agent visited CIA headquarters on July 15th, the day after bin Laden’s departure for Quetta…

"According to various Arab diplomatic sources and French intelligence itself, precise information was communicated to the CIA concerning terrorist attacks aimed at American interests in the world, including its own territory."…

"Extremely bothered, they [American intelligence officers in a meeting with French intelligence officers] requested from their French peers exact details about the Algerian activists [connected to bin Laden through Dubai banking institutions], without explaining the exact nature of their inquiry. When asked the question, "What do you fear in the coming days?’ the Americans responded with incomprehensible silence."…

"On further investigation, the FBI discovered certain plans that had been put together between the CIA and its "Islamic friends" over the years. The meeting in Dubai is, so it would seem, consistent with 'a certain American policy.’"

Even though Le Figaro reported that it had confirmed with hospital staff that bin Laden had been there as reported, stories printed on November 1 contained quotes from hospital staff that these reports were untrue. On November 1, as reported by the Ananova press agency, the CIA flatly denied that any meeting between any CIA personnel and Osama bin Laden at any time.

Who do you believe?

WATCH THIS PAGE FOR CONTINUING ADDITIONS TO THIS TIMELINE

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Should Bush resign, Part I?...


http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/02_11_02_lucy.html
"Oh Lucy! - You Gotta Lotta 'Splainin To Do"

A TIMELINE SURROUNDING SEPTEMBER 11TH - IF CIA AND THE GOVERNMENT WEREN’T INVOLVED IN THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS WHAT WERE THEY DOING?

by Michael C. Ruppert

[© COPYRIGHT 2001, All Rights Reserved, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com. May be copied and distributed for non-profit purposes only.]

[Expanded and Revised June 19, 2002 - Evidence of Bush Administration Foreknowledge and complicity is now overwhelming. 16 New Items Since Our Last Revision!]

FTW, November 2, 2001 - 1200 PST -- On October 31, the French daily Le Figaro dropped a bombshell. While in a Dubai hospital receiving treatment for a chronic kidney infection last July, Osama bin Laden met with a top CIA official - presumably the Chief of Station. The meeting, held in bin Laden’s private suite, took place at the American hospital in Dubai at a time when he was a wanted fugitive for the bombings of two U.S. embassies and this year’s attack on the U.S.S. Cole. Bin Laden was eligible for execution according to a 2000 intelligence finding issued by President Bill Clinton before leaving office in January. Yet on July 14th he was allowed to leave Dubai on a private jet and there were no Navy fighters waiting to force him down.

In 1985 Oliver North - the only member of the Reagan-Bush years who doesn’t appear to have a hand in the current war - sent the Navy and commandos after terrorists on the cruise ship Achille Lauro. In his 1991 autobiography "Under Fire," while describing terrorist Abu Abbas, North wrote, "I used to wonder: how many dead Americans will it take before we do something?" One could look at the number of Americans Osama bin Laden is alleged to have killed before September 11 and ask the same question.

It gets worse, much worse. A more complete timeline listing crucial events both before and after the September 11th suicide attacks, which have been blamed on bin Laden, establishes CIA foreknowledge of them and strongly suggests that there was criminal complicity on the part of the U.S. government in their execution. It also makes clear that the events which have taken place since September 11th are based upon an agenda that has little to do with the attacks.

[June 19, 2002] -- As the revelations of Bush Administration foreknowledge have progressed from silence, to trickle, to cascade, the question has now changed from forcing the evidence into the open into one of forcing both the media and the people to avoid denying this information in the hopes that their desire for a sense of "normalcy" can be fulfilled. As many of us have known for years, normalcy went out the window forever when the first plane hit the tower. And what has been revealed will not be resolved with an expensive fact-finding commission, a few firing, or even an impeachment proceeding. What is needed in America - and in the global economic system - is an overhaul, not a tune up. -- MCR

1. 1991-1997 - Major U.S. oil companies including ExxonMobil, Texaco, Unocal, BP Amoco, Shell and Enron directly invest billions in cash bribing heads of state in Kazakhstan to secure equity rights in the huge oil reserves in these regions. The oil companies further commit to future direct investments in Kazakhstan of $35 billion. Not being willing to pay exorbitant prices to Russia to use Russian pipelines the major oil companies have no way to recoup their investments. ["The Price of Oil," by Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker, July 9, 2001 - The Asia Times, "The Roving Eye Part I Jan. 26, 2002.]

2. January, 1995 - Philippine police investigating a possible attack on the Pope uncover plans for Operation Bojinka, connected to WTC bomber Ramsi Youssef. Parts of the plan call for crashing hijacked airliners into civilian targets. Details of the plan are disclosed in Youssef’s 1997 trial for the 1993 WTC bombing. [Source: AFP, December 7, 2001]

3. December 4, 1997 - Representatives of the Taliban are invited guests to the Texas headquarters of Unocal to negotiate their support for the pipeline. Subsequent reports will indicate that the negotiations failed, allegedly because the Taliban wanted too much money. [Source: The BBC, Dec. 4, 1997]

4. February 12, 1998 - Unocal Vice President John J. Maresca - later to become a Special Ambassador to Afghanistan - testifies before the House that until a single, unified, friendly government is in place in Afghanistan the trans-Afghani pipeline needed to monetize the oil will not be built. [Source: Testimony before the House International Relations Committee.]

5. 1998 - The CIA ignores warnings from Case Officer Robert Baer that Saudi Arabia was harboring an al-Q’aeda cell led by two known terrorists. A more detailed list of known terrorists is offered to Saudi intelligence in August 2001 and refused. [Source: Financial Times 1/12/01; See No Evil by a book by Robert Baer (release date Feb. 2002)].

6. April, 1999 - Enron with a $3 billion investment to build an electrical generating plant at Dabhol India loses access to plentiful LNG supplies from Qatar to fuel the plant. Its only remaining option to make the investment profitable is a trans-Afghani gas pipeline to be built by Unocal from Turkmenistan that would terminate near the Indian border at the city of Multan. [Source: The Albion Monitor, Feb. 28, 2002.]

7. 1998 and 2000 - Former President George H.W. Bush travels to Saudi Arabia on behalf of the privately owned Carlyle Group, the 11th largest defense contractor in the U.S. While there he meets privately with the Saudi royal family and the bin Laden family. [Source: Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 2001. See also FTW, Vol. IV, No 7 - "The Best Enemies Money Can Buy," -
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/
free/ww3/carlyle.html. ]

8. March, 2000 - An FBI agent, reportedly angry over a glitch in Carnivore that has somehow mixed innocent non-targeted emails with those belonging to Al Q’aeda, destroys all of the FBI’s Denver-based intercepts of bin Laden’s colleagues in a terrorist investigation. [The Washington Post, May 29, 2002].

9. 2000 (est.) - The FBI refuses to disclose the date of an internal memo stating that a middle eastern nation had been trying to purchase a flight simulator. [The L.A. Times, May 30, 2002].

10. August, 2000 - Suspected Al Q’aeda operatives wiretapped by Italian police made apparent references to plans for major attacks involving airports, airplanes and the United States according to transcripts obtained by the L.A. Times. The LA Times suggests that the information might not have been passed to U.S. authorities (hard to believe) but it did report that Italian authorities would not comment on the report. The Times also noted that "Italian and US anti-terrorism experts cooperate closely." [ The Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2002].

11. October 24-6, 2000 - Pentagon officials carry out a "detailed" emergency drill based upon the crashing of a hijacked airliner into the Pentagon. [The Mirror, May 24, 2002]

12. January, 2001 - The Bush Administration orders the FBI and intelligence agencies to "back off" investigations involving the bin Laden family, including two of Osama bin Laden’s relatives (Abdullah and Omar) who were living in Falls Church, VA - right next to CIA headquarters. This followed previous orders dating back to 1996, frustrating efforts to investigate the bin Laden family. [Source: BBC Newsnight, Correspondent Gregg Palast - Nov 7, 2001].

13. Feb 13, 2001 - UPI Terrorism Correspondent Richard Sale - while covering a trial of bin Laden’s Al Q’aeda followers - reports that the National Security Agency has broken bin Laden’s encrypted communications. Even if this indicates that bin Laden changed systems in February it does not mesh with the fact that the government insists that the attacks had been planned for years.

14. May 2001 - Secretary of State Colin Powell gives $43 million in aid to the Taliban regime, purportedly to assist hungry farmers who are starving since the destruction of their opium crop in January on orders of the Taliban regime. [Source: The Los Angeles Times, May 22, 2001].

15. May, 2001 - Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, a career covert operative and former Navy Seal, travels to India on a publicized tour while CIA Director George Tenet makes a quiet visit to Pakistan to meet with Pakistani leader General Pervez Musharraf. Armitage has long and deep Pakistani intelligence connections.. It would be reasonable to assume that while in Islamabad, Tenet, in what was described as "an unusually long meeting," also met with his Pakistani counterpart, Lt. General Mahmud Ahmad, head of the ISI. [Source The Indian SAPRA news agency, May 22, 2001.]

16. June 2001 - German intelligence, the BND, warns the CIA and Israel that Middle Eastern terrorists are "planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack important symbols of American and Israeli culture." [Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, September 14, 2001.
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/
free/ww3/f_a_zeitung_story.html ]

17. July, 2001 - Three American officials: Tom Simmons (former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan), Karl Inderfurth (former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian affairs) and Lee Coldren (former State Department expert on South Asia), meet with Pakistani and Russian intelligence officers in Berlin and tell them that the U.S. is planning military strikes against Afghanistan in October. A French book released in November, "Bin Laden - La Verite´ Interdite," discloses that Taliban representatives often sat in on the meetings. British papers confirm that the Pakistani ISI relayed the threats to the Taliban. [Source: The Guardian, September 22, 2001; the BBC, September 18, 2001.The Inter Press Service, Nov 16, 2001]

18. July, 2001 - FBI agents in Arizona write a memorandum warning about suspicious activities involving a group of Middle Eastern men taking flight training lessons in Arizona. The memorandum specifically mentions Osama bin Laden and warns of connections to terrorist activities. [Source: The New York Times, May 14, 2002]

19. Summer, 2001 - The National Security Council convenes a Dabhol working group as revealed in a series of government e-mails obtained by The Washington Post and the New York Daily News. [Source: The Albion Monitor, Feb. 28, 2002]

20. Summer 2001 - According to a Sept. 26 story in Britain’s The Guardian, correspondent David Leigh reported that, "U.S. department of defense official, Dr. Jeffrey Starr, visited Tajikistan in January. The Guardian’s Felicity Lawrence established that US Rangers were also training special troops in Kyrgyzstan. There were unconfirmed reports that Tajik and Uzbek special troops were training in Alaska and Montana."

21. Summer 2001 (est.) - Pakistani ISI Chief General Ahmad (see above) orders an aide to wire transfer $100,000 to Mohammed Atta who was, according to the FBI, the lead terrorist in the suicide hijackings. Ahmad recently resigned after the transfer was disclosed in India and confirmed by the FBI. The individual who makes the wire transfer at Ahmad’s direction is Ahmad Umar Sheik, the lead suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. [Source: The Times of India, October 11, 2001.]

22. Summer 2001 - The online newswire online.ie reports on Sept. 14, 2001 that an Iranian man phones U.S. law enforcement to warn of an imminent attack on the World Trade Center in the week of September 9th. German police confirm the calls but state that the U.S. Secret Service would not reveal any further information. [Source:
http://www.online.ie/news/
viewer.adp?article=1512332.
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
ww3/online_ie_story.html ]

23. Summer, 2001 - Jordanian intelligence (the GID) makes a communications intercept deemed so important that King Abdullah’s men relay it to Washington, probably through the CIA station in Amman. To make doubly sure the message got through it was passed through an Arab intermediary to a German intelligence agent. The message: A major attack was planned inside the US and that aircraft would be used. The code name of the operation was The Big Wedding." - "When it became clear that the information was embarrassing to Bush Administration officials and congressmen who ate first denied that there had been any such warnings before Sept. 11, senior Jordanian officials backed away from their earlier confirmations." This case was authenticated by ABC reporter John K. Cooley. [The International Herald Tribune (IHT), May 21, 2002]

24. Summer, 2001 (est.) - The National Security Agency intercepts telephone conversations between bin Laden aide Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Mohammed Atta and does not share the information with any other agencies. [Jonathan Landay, Knight Ridder Newspapers, June 6, 2002].

25. June 26, 2001 - The magazine indiareacts.com states that "India and Iran will 'facilitate’ US and Russian plans for 'limited military action’ against the Taliban." The story indicates that the fighting will be done by US and Russian troops with the help of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. [Source: indiareacts.com, June 26, 2001.]

26. Summer 2001 - Russian intelligence notifies the CIA that 25 terrorist pilots have been specifically training for missions involving hijacked airliners. This is reported in the Russian press and news stories are translated for FTW by a retired CIA officer. (Note: The story currently on the Izvestia web site has been edited to delete a key paragraph.) [Izvestia, Sept. 12, 2002]
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/
ww3/izvestia_story_pic.html

27. July 4-14, 2001 - Osama bin Laden receives treatments for kidney disease at the American hospital in Dubai and meets with a CIA official who returns to CIA headquarters on July 15th. [Source: Le Figaro, October 31st, 2001.]

28. July, 2001 - The G8 summit at Genoa, Italy is surrounded by anti-aircraft guns and local airspace is closed off after Italian and Egyptian officials (including President Hosni Mubarak) warn American intelligence that airliners stuffed with explosives might be used to attack President Bush. US officials state that the warnings were "unsubstantiated." (But I wonder if they would have taken away the anti-aircraft artillery?) [The LA Times, Sept. 27, 2001].

29. July 26, 2001 - CBS News reports that John Ashcroft has stopped flying commercial airlines due a threat assessment. Ashcroft told the press that he didn’t know anything about what had caused it.

30. August 2001 - The FBI arrests an Islamic militant linked to bin Laden in Boston. French intelligence sources confirm that the man is a key member of bin Laden’s network and the FBI learns that he has been taking flying lessons. At the time of his arrest the man is in possession of technical information on Boeing aircraft and flight manuals. [Source: Reuters, September 13.]

31. August 11 or 12 - US Navy Lt. Delmart "Mike" Vreeland, jailed in Toronto on U.S. fraud charges and claiming to be an officer in U.S. Naval intelligence, writes details of the pending WTC attacks and seals them in an envelope which he gives to Canadian authorities. [Source: The Toronto Star, Oct. 23, 2001; Toronto Superior Court Records]

32. August, 2001 - As reported in the IHT both a French magazine (name not given) and a Moroccan newspaper simultaneously report that a Moroccan agent named Hassan Dabou had penetrated Al Q’aeda to the point of getting close to bin Laden who was "very disappointed" that the 1993 bombing had not toppled the WTC. Dabou was called to the US after reporting this which curtailed his ability to stay in touch with the organization and gather additional intelligence that might have prevented the attacks. Though not proved beyond a doubt these stories have been met with a wall of silence. [The IHT, May 21, 2002].

33. August 2001 - Russian President Vladimir Putin orders Russian intelligence to warn the U.S. government "in the strongest possible terms" of imminent attacks on airports and government buildings. [Source: MS-NBC interview with Putin, September 15.]

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Anyone wants to join the CIA?...

http://www.siliconinvestor.com/stocktalk/msg.gsp?msgid=17607495

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> INTANGIBLES and Market Melt-Down...

A couple questions about trading,....

+ Where can I find daily Put/Call Ratio Reports?...

+ Is there a way to scan stocks, using as principal Parameter, the Net Tangible Asset Value of a stock, and/or the difference between Tangible and Intangible Assets, expressed as a percentage...

Since 3/4 of my trades are on the short side, I find very informative that, for instance, CVC's Tangible Assets are worth a Negative $3.1 Billion, while some 25% of Assets are of the Intangible kind...

http://biz.yahoo.com/fin/l/c/cvc_qb.html

.... and that OMC - shorted @$62.25 yesterday and gained close to $10.00/share - has Negative $2 Billion in Net tangible Assets and 40% of Assets are Intangible...

http://biz.yahoo.com/fin/l/o/omc_qb.html

Could the letters "IN", that separate Tangible from IN-Tangible be a substantial contributor to the next Equity Markets Melt-Down?...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Joe, lacking overall perspective...

seems to be your problem and it's no crazier than your previous statement: "You do know by betting on gold, you are betting against the US economy, don't you?"...

As a US citizen, you labor under the impression that everything revolves around the United States of Mid-North America: well, it doesn't and its influence as a major player is slowly but surely diminishing...

One of the root cause: too much consumption (glutonery, you might call it) and not enough propension to save, all of which help drive the Current Account Deficit (Trades + Invisibles) further into the red... The trend is unsustainable and Foreign Dollar Investments are leaving in drove for greener pastures, driving the stock Market further down...

If you think I am pessimistic, then read this for comfort...

http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=ATEL&read=12069

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Joemoney]

Francois+Goelo: I think you have a loose screw.

Don't compare today's society with civilizations of 2 and 3 thousand years ago. It's not the same. History is no indication of the future.

You post reminded me of one of those doomsday posts I read the day after 9/11, when everyone was SURE that the end of the world is coming or a nuclear war would break out that would destroy the US.

Let's keep things in perspective, eh?

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Joe, The Rise and Fall of Empires,...

such as those of the Egyptians, Gengis Khan and the Incas, has taken place in cycles all over the World from time immemorial... The United States Empire of Mid-North America - since America, really is a continent - is waning and soon another civilization will dominate the World, whether you like it or not...

I am betting again the US Dollar and the US prospects in the World and view Gold as a currency substitute in between Empires - rather than an instrument of refuge in times of crisis - which should ensure sustained demand for it for a good while...

BTW, there is something out there, besides the US, even though the US Government would want you to believe that the US is the centre of the Universe... The Incas did the same...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Joemoney]

Francois+Goelo, You do know by betting on gold, you are betting against the US economy, don't you?

How can you expect the market to keep this unstability and bearishness when earnings are back on the rise, and it is even said that Greenspan is going to raise interest rates this coming fall?

$500.00 is my initial target, for Gold, a nice and round figure..

What is your time frame for this target. I know that gold prices move without hurry.

Joemoney

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Some Views on CLHB...

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=379551

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> If this happens, Precious Metals should explode...

India plans war within two weeks)
By Rahul Bedi in New Delhi
(Filed: 06/06/2002)
Source:Telegraph.co.uk

India's military is seeking final authorisation to invade the Pakistani side of divided Kashmir in the middle of this month to destroy the camps of Islamic militants.

An activist of the All-India Anti-terrorist Front brandishes his rifle as he denounces Pakistan
The planned campaign would be similar to the American attack in Afghanistan, in which air strikes would be followed by ground assaults by special forces transported by helicopter, military sources said yesterday.

Smart bombs and other advanced ordnance are reported to have been loaded on to French-made Mirage 2000H and Russian-built MiG-27 aircraft at bases in northern and western India.

As Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, strengthened his warning to Britons to leave the region, military planners in Delhi expressed confidence that a war would not boil over into a nuclear exchange.

A senior Indian official accused Britain, America and other western countries of "adding their weight to Pakistan's nuclear blackmail" by telling their citizens to leave.

"This is jumping the gun," he said. "Our intention is not to have an all-out war. It would be a limited action."

Most senior Indian officers expect that the conflict would last about a week before pressure from America and other powers forced a ceasefire.

One officer said he believed there was only the "slimmest chance" of nuclear weapons being used. "We will call Pakistan's nuclear bluff," he said. It [the nuclear factor] cannot deter us any more."

The Indians want to move before the arrival of heavy monsoon rains at the beginning of July make military operations impossible.

The tension was underlined by the Foreign Office's second warning to Britons to leave the region.

Last week Mr Straw said they should "consider" leaving. Yesterday he said they "should" do so amid evidence that the first advice had been widely ignored. Officials say there are some 20,000 Britons in India, but unofficial estimates are much higher.

As America issued equally robust advice to its 60,000 citizens, a senior Indian planning officer said that Washington and London knew that action was imminent.

"The US-led move out of Delhi indicates that Washington has been informed of India's intentions of hitting Pakistan and is taking them seriously," he said.

Japan's foreign minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, cancelled a trip to the region hours after speaking to Mr Straw. Tokyo refused to give a reason, saying only that "there were various considerations".

India's plan of attack is to seize and hold tracts of Pakistani Kashmir, providing the government with a much-needed military triumph and the military with improved defensive positions against Islamic militants.

Officers indicated that the air force was poised to execute a strategy developed over several years to strike at 50 to 75 militant bases and a handful of other targets in Kashmir.

The Indians would then send troops across the high mountain passes in helicopters. Planners expect major casualties as the helicopters cross four lines of Pakistani air defences equipped with advanced radar.

Targets will include a bridge across the Karakoram highway connecting China to the region and at least three others linking Pakistani Kashmir to the rest of the country.

Their destruction would prevent China from replenishing its ally Pakistan's weaponry. It would also cut off supply routes from Pakistan to front-line units.

India's broad strategy is to execute air strikes that will induce Pakistan into extending the conflict by opening a wider front.

President Bush telephoned both leaders to urge calm and the crisis dominated talks in London between Tony Blair and Donald Rumsfeld, the American defence secretary, who is on his way to India and Pakistan.

The two countries have massed more than a million men on their border since the crisis began with an attack by militants on the Indian parliament in December.

Relations worsened after another attack last month in which 22 wives and children of Indian army personnel were killed. In the latest diplomatic rebuff, Pakistan rejected an Indian offer to establish a joint border monitoring force to help halt incursions by Islamic militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir.

India's military believes that it now has political backing for war. An officer said the beleaguered ruling coalition was "fully aware" that backing down at this juncture would mean political suicide.

The Indian armed forces have been losing men for 13 years in fighting in Kashmir. By attacking soon, an officer said, they planned to set back Pakistan's military capability by at least 30 years, pushing it into the military "dark ages". India has assured Washington that its forces would give the American bases at Jacobabad, Pasni and Dalbandin close to the Afghan border a wide berth.

An army officer said: "Casualties in men and machines in such an operation will be high and the military has firmly told the politicians to prepare the nation for losses and delayed results, as fighting will be fierce."

Pakistan has concentrated the majority of its forces in Kashmir and would unleash its Scud-like Chinese M 9 and M 11 ballistic missile

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Claire, PAL has retraced and Palladium Spot...

has risen $7.50 today at $359.50... This might be the right time for an incursion into PAL...

Here is my preferred precious metals Link...

http://quotes.ino.com/exchanges/?c=metals

Regards, FG

[Capt_Nemo]

Wednesday June 5, 3:39 am Eastern Time
China's Shangdong Starts Building Oil Terminal In Penglai

SINGAPORE -(Dow Jones)- Local authorities have begun construction of an oil terminal in China 's Penglai county to facilitate increased production of heavy crude by China National Offshore Oil Corp., a local official told Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday.

He said the terminal will have the capacity to handle oil tankers as large as 20,000 metric tons each.

The cost of construction is estimated 210 million yuan (US$1=CNY8.28) and will involve building oil tanks with a total storage capacity of 200,000 tons as well as other offsite infrastructure. Construction is expected to be complete next year, the official said.

A larger plan calls for building a bitumen plant and a fuel oil blending plant, he said, without giving details of costs or an expected timetable for the two plants.

He said the terminal and the bitumen and blending plants will handle and process increased volume of heavy and bitumen-rich crude oil produced by CNOOC from the Bohai Sea in northern China .

Penglai is in the northeast of Shandong province.



-By Xu Yihe, Dow Jones Newswires; 65-6415-4068; [e-mail]
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020605/200206050339000153_1.html

Rick...

"Do not knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people could not start a conversation if it did not change once in a while."
-Kin Hubbard

[Capt_Nemo]

http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020605/200206050607000271_1.html

Wednesday June 5, 6:07 am Eastern Time
Ship To Load 2 Million Bbl Iraq Oil At Turkey's Ceyhan 1400 GMT

ISTANBUL -(Dow Jones)- The Olympic Breeze vessel is expected to berth at Turkey 's Ceyhan terminal at 1100 GMT Wednesday and is expected to start loading two million barrels of Iraqi crude at 1400 GMT , traders said.



-By Selim Atalay, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; selim.atalay@
dowjones.com



Rick...

"Do not knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people could not start a conversation if it did not change once in a while."
-Kin Hubbard

[Claire]

Thanks, Francois...
PAL looks definitively interesting.
Increase in Palladium price should increase their profits, while the decrease in the USD should have a negative impact.
I am going to follow the situation, and trying to find a good entry point...
Regards.

[Capt_Nemo]

SeaCat Celebrates a Decade of Service
LONDON, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Sir Reg Empey MLA, Minister for the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, today paid tribute to the tremendous contribution made by SeaCat to the economy of Northern Ireland.

Guests at a special luncheon in the Belfast Harbour Commissioners offices heard him congratulate the company, which is celebrating 10 years of fast ferry service between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

SeaCat, the pioneers of fast ferry travel on the Irish Sea, first sailed on June 1st, 1992 from Belfast to Stranraer. The introduction of the wave-piercing catamaran 'SeaCat Scotland' had a major impact on the ferry market, as the craft's high technology represented a breakthrough and for the first time day trips became a practical possibility.

The benefits, both economic and social of the SeaCat operations on the Irish Sea have been evident on both sides of the water, not only through direct employment but also through trade and tourism.

The Minister said: "Ease of access to Northern Ireland, is probably the most important factor in maximizing tourism potential."

"This year Northern Ireland is looking forward to a strong recovery in tourism and attracting our near neighbors as holiday visitors from Scotland, England and the Isle of Man, is key to our success.

"SeaCat has provided a massive contribution to the tourism and leisure industry and over the years has shown its confidence by working with, and encouraging, many tour operators to provide holiday packages to Northern Ireland."

The Minister continued: "Last year, despite travel restrictions as a result of Foot and Mouth, we saw growth in visitor numbers from Great Britain of 11% and from Scotland, of 16% and I believe that this provides a very sound springboard for further growth this year.

"With an increased marketing presence in key overseas markets through Tourism Ireland Ltd, I am also confident of significantly increasing visitor numbers from outside the UK and boosting the contribution that the tourist industry can make to the local economy."

Hamish Ross, Managing Director of Sea Containers' Irish Sea Operations explained: "We are proud to have served the communities of Northern Ireland and Scotland for the past decade and to have played a significant role in contributing to the success of the commercial and tourist industry. We look forward to continuing our high standard of service on all our seven routes in the Irish Sea."

In 1999, SeaCat took the decision to move its Scottish base 60 miles further up the Ayrshire coast to Troon, considerably shortening the traveling time from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"The decision to move to Troon has proved to be highly successful, in just three years we have already carried over one million passengers and a quarter of a million cars," Mr. Ross said.

This has also been a major benefit to a number of tour operators who work closely with SeaCat. As highlighted by Dermot Cairns, Marketing Manager of short break specialists Travelbreak, "Since SeaCat moved to Troon our short break business to Glasgow has trebled. The sailing time and short onward journey gives families and couples the chance to pack up their cars and be in Glasgow in a few short hours."

SeaCat also operates routes from Belfast to Heysham and the Isle of Man. It is part of the Sea Containers group of companies, which has worldwide passenger transport interests including the operation of a fast ferry fleet of 16 craft in 11 countries, Britain's fastest railway GNER which operates the UK's East Coast main line as well as marine cargo manufacture and leasing plus leisure based operations which include the world famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Visit the SeaCat web site at: http://www.seacontainers.com



Rick...

"He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak."
-Michel de Montaigne

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Claire, check PAL...

http://biz.yahoo.com/p/p/pal.html

Palladium is off its lows after a double bottom and is likely to benefit from the action on rare/precious metals...

http://quotes.ino.com/chart/?s=NYMEX_PAU2&v=d12

In addition, it produces Platinum and Gold and has better fundamentals than most mining stocks I know... Earnings from known Reserves are worth some $800 million, at a conservative net profit of $100.00 per ounce...

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020513/to162_1.html

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Claire]

Dear Francois,

Well, I found out that a nugget's best place is in the middle of its peers....

Happy you joined us, as it is again as in the old times....A Bull is born and I am in !

Of course if you decide to reinvest in Sevu, I am sure that you will get a good number of shares, now....And who knows? With Tony in prison and a new management in place, this stock is probably going to shoot.

I monitor very closely all the indicators which promote the rise in Gold, and I foresee a real Bull if the political and economical factors stay in this line.

And this year, I hope we will share this Mouette that should be a millesim by now....

Regards
Claire

[Francois+Goelo]

>>>> Dear Gold Bug Claire...

I have recently taken a renewed interest in my Portfolio of mostly Autralian Gold and Mineral Sands mining companies and lo and behold, I happen to own nearly 10,000 shares of Aurion Gold, the company being taken over by Placer Dome... Last time I looked, it was Delta Gold, then it merged...

Also got Iluka, Newcrest, Western Mining and a couple more... All in all a nice little portfolio worth just under $200K, which I hadn't bothered to look at for a couple years, or so...

It even yields over 5% in dividend and the Aussie Dollar is on the mend...

Perhaps, I should sell some and buy more SEVU shares?...

BTW, I have finally figured out the real reason for the rise in gold price: the $US Dollar is soon to lose much of its luster and alternatives, such as the Euro, Ruble or even Swiss Franc are not very appetizing...

What's left: precious and rare metals, since there is too much of a mark-up and artificial market on pebbles, such as diamonds...

$500.00 is my initial target, for Gold, a nice and round figure...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Claire]

Yep.....These look promising curves........if you took them at their beginning...Congrats, Francois....
Anyway, debt last Thursday 4 April was 5,949.975 B against 5,950B debt ceiling at only 25M behind .....
(http://www.fms.treas.gov/dts/02040400.txt)
Do you think US government, who is meanwhile raiding the G-funds of the federal employees retirement funds, can extend the deadline of raising the debt ceiling until summer?
Don't you think that kind of measure will create a suspicion about the dollar itself or the US investments for the foreigners holdings the US debt? I would say, without remembering the exact numbers, that foreigners control now more than 40% of the US debt.....Japan right now is rushing towards gold on any form, gold stocks just exploding, and me.....just buying some gold a day before.....
Instead of mining for it, (you were right, my back hurts, now....) I prefer invest a portion of my portfolio in it...
Well, I would need a good back massage...with a Mouette...and some gold sparklings around...and some fun with my stocks and the rest...
Good luck and good night...

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Dear Claire, nice to hear from you again...

I have little time to post these days, but I share your concerns about the irresponsible US Foreign Policies and Bush's knack to antagonize other Governments NEEDLESSLY...

I expect the general market to mostly trade sideways, because of interest rates increases in the offing, instability in the Middle-East and the overall cost of keeping terrorism at bay...

I trade only special situation stocks, such as MTEC, which I "discovered" at $13.00 and CLHB at $6.00, or so... Had lots of fun with AKSY, lately, too...

I don't forget the Mouette, either and think of you every time I drink some...

Regards, FG

[Claire]

Gold is up.....Debt is up....Earnings are down...What should be next? A secular bear or a slow recovery?
The US system has a lot of similarities with the Japan (before its fall) but that doesn't mean a lot. We still could have it both ways. However, I am more concerned about the US foreign policy and its consequences on the global economy.
Well,for now, I will not bet on something and hang on my money for better days. In the meantime, education, readings and thinking are always profitable....and thanks to you Francois, because without your B&S, I will not be here today ! (BTW I am still waiting patiently for my mouette...don't count on me to forget.)

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Prepare for Interest Rates going UP!!...

WEEKLY UPDATE FOR: March 23, 2002 by Bob Bose...

Prior Week in Review:

Financial Market Highlights:
============================

                        03/22/02     03/15/02     %Change 
  
 S&P 500                 1,148.70     1,166.16      -1.50% 
 Dow Jones              10,427.67    10,607.23      -1.69% 
 NASD Comp               1,851.39     1,868.30       -.91% 
 Russell 2000              502.39       499.12       +.66% 
 SOX Index                 590.42       594.19       -.63% 
 Value Line                376.34       376.52       -.05% 
 MS Growth                 598.91       600.44       -.26% 
 MS Cyclical               571.74       591.03      -3.26% 
 T - Bill                    1.80%        1.82%      -2 BP 
 Long Bond                   5.81%        5.78%      +3 BP 
 Gold - Oz-Near Month     $297.60      $290.10      +$7.50 
 Silver - Oz-Near Month     $4.54        $4.49       +$.05

Economic News:
==============

Another Week Of Data Supporting Our Forecast
Recovery Underway - But Likely Softens After Spurt
Outlook For Financial Assets Remains Positive


*Trade Deficit rose to $28.5 billion in January

*FOMC leaves rates unchanged - Removes bias

*February Housing Starts rose +2.8% to 1.769 million
Highest annualized rate since December 1998

*February Housing Permits rose +1.8% after Jan +4.1%

*Jobless Claims fell -12,000 to 371,000 - Four Week
Moving Average rose +2,500 to 379,000

*February Consumer Prices rose +.2% - Ex volatile
Food and Energy +.3%

*Leading Index in February unchanged - Coincident +.2%
Lagging -.3% - Coincident/Lagging Ratio Up - See below

*Philadelphia FRB Index somewhat soft


Most of last week's reports were fairly good, and
supportive of our outlook that it won't be a straight
line recovery. What appears to be increasingly
likely is a stronger initial surge than we had origianlly
expected, and then a slowing - which we had forecast.
As we have repeatedly stated, this is not a bad
outlook for financial assets.

To no one's surprise, the Federal Open Market Committee
(FOMC) left interest rates unchanged last week, and as
most of us expected, they removed their official
bias toward lower rates. In their official view, the
risks are now equal between recovery and a slip back
toward recession. Practically, though, the risk is to
the upside, but an institution like the FRB simply doesn't
do an abrupt "180".

In our view, the most likely scenario is a rate increase
at the May meeting, perhaps a half point. Or, alternatively,
a quarter point with an official risk assessment (bias) to
the upside. The "driver" for such a decision should be
fairly strong first quarter GDP. But, if we are right,
then the policy issues get more interesting.

If the leading indicators are right, then our "slowdown
after spurt" scenario should play out. If true, then
the FOMC will certainly not want to "reinforce" a slowdown
outlook by raising rates too aggressively. While they deny
it, they do take the financial markets into account, and
an agressive rate policy as the second quarter slows would
raise fears of a "double dip" back into recession. Clearly
there is a lot of time until the early May meeting, but
some increase at that meeting is virtually guaranteed -
in my opinion.

After that it depends upon the data. If the FOMC raises
rates a quarter point in May, they can just continue to do
so for a while, without, in my opinion, raising the risk of
a slip back into recession. The real problem will arise if
productivity data worsens, or price increases accelerate.
But for now the outlook remains positive.

Against this backdrop, it appears that the corporate
profit outlook is beginning to improve. While it is still
very, very early in the quarterly "pre-announcement"
period, for the most part no news is good news. Clearly
there will be exceptions, but if estimates in the
aggregate hold, or get marked up during the second quarter,
based upon good first quarter numbers, then the stock
market can do well even as interest rates move up.

Overall then, we continue to like both the economic outlook,
and the risk/reward ratio for the stock market. As we noted
last week, it won't be straight up. But it should be positive.


Current Weekly Calendar of Economic Data:
=========================================



Tuesday: Durable Goods Orders

Wednesday: New Home Sales

Thursday: Jobless Claims, 4th Qtr Final GDP,

Friday: GOOD FRIDAY - STOCK MARKET CLOSED

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> New OTC-BB Market a close reality...

SEC Reading Room reveals 'Enhanced Bulletin Board' is coming and about 1/2 the companies still on the OTC-BB will go to the Pinksheets.

http://www.investrend.com/FiX031402.htm
http://www.sec.gov/news/headlines/adv-marchround.htm

The much-maligned OTCBB has grown from a daily volume of 29m shares with $100m market volume since its introduction in 1990 to more than 400m shares and $400m market volume today. OTCBB data is now fed into more than 450,000 Level I terminals. Since 1993, all trades have been reported in real-time, and since January, 1999, every company trading on the OTCBB must be a reporting entity. On Feb. 8, 2001, the SEC approved a proposal prohibiting member firms from trading ahead of customer limit orders.

Today, some 3,800 companies are traded by nearly 300 marketmakers, quoting an average of 39,000 positions daily. All MMs subscribing to Nasdaq Level 3 service and in compliance with SEC Rule 15c2-11 are eligible to "voluntarily" participate in the OTCBB and may enter or exit at will. With 26m small businesses in the U.S., the number of companies choosing the liquidity of public equities is still miniscule.

A further breakdown shows 475 banks, 28 insurance companies and 3,265 companies trading, although 25% of the OTC companies have financial SIC codes. The largest company on the OTCBB was Publix Super Markets with a $9b market cap and $15b in revenues. Heroes, Inc., as of November, 2001, was the smallest, with a $302k market cap and revenues of $6.5m. Some 2,000 OTCBB companies have an average market cap of $1m or less. Some 42% of all trades are made in the top 100 OTCBB securities. The top 500 total 74% and the top 1,000 have 88% of the total. Likewise, 10 MMs handle 83.2% of the total trades.

In 1998, Investrend participated in and helped organize a "Bulletin Board" roundtable for the SEC Corporate Finance and Market Regulation staff and NASD, NASDR and the Nasdaq officers and capital market practitioners. Since that time, many of those participants have continued to work in an Advisory Committee to develop better practices. A meeting is scheduled this Friday in Austin, Texas.

Documents on file in the SEC Reading Room reveal that this committee has been quite busy. If all goes as planned, in January, 2003, a new "third-tier" -- or T3 -- issuer market operated by the NASD will begin, and by December, 2003, the OTCBB as we know it will be history. At that time, Nasdaq believes 2,000 qualifying OTCBB companies will be left, and the remainder will be relegated to the Pink Sheets.

As part of the transformation, qualifying small issuers will need to meet defined listing standards and pay listing fees. Minimal governance standards will require that companies must have at least 100 shareholders who own at least 100 shares each, and 200,000 shares in the public float. Also, the auditor must be subject to peer review, the company will need to issue an annual report, there will have to be an annual shareholder meeting with proxies and a quorum of at least 1/3rd of the shareholders present in person or by proxy.

Listed companies will need at least one independent director and there must be an independent audit committee with a majority of independent directors. Certain transactions will require shareholder approval, and rules will be in effect to prohibit voting restrictions.

Because Nasdaq has applied to the SEC to become an "exchange," some of the committee's ideas have already been vetted at the SEC and set aside as not acceptable. The major rejections had to do with trading on margin -- which will become a thing of the past in all Nasdaq markets if and when it becomes an exchange -- and the SEC is adamantly opposed to the elimination of the penny stock rules for the proposed T3 Exchange.

Although Nasdaq requires three independent directors on boards of its listed companies, due to the high cost of maintaining D&O insurance, T3 companies will be required to have only one independent director. Shareholder approval will be required for granting stock options to officers or directors, the issuance of large, below-market blocs of stock, and changes of control.

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Shares Buy-Back, the reality...

“Were Post 9/11 Share Buy-back programs an Buy Indicator?
A Recap”


When Growth Report launched in August 2001, we could never have expected the events of September and the crippling effect they had on the global stock markets. In light of the dramatic short-term damage on the U.S. markets, many companies announced plans to re-purchase shares as a result of what they considered to be an opportunity to highlight that the long-term prospects of the respective companies and the implied over-sold nature of their company’s stock. The SEC announced ‘emergency’ measures that allowed companies to enact share re-purchase plans that removed many of the restrictions placed on companies buy-back their own shares. These circumstances opened the floodgates to numerous companies that subsequently either initiated buy-backs under pre-existing authorizations or through new re-purchase filings. See Growth Report Vol. 1 Issue 4

At the time, we have to admit that we held a fair degree of cynicism that such announcements were tantamount to the cheapest promotion of a company’s stock that any company could enact. Furthermore, Growth Report considered the use of shareholders funds to re-purchase stock to be the sign of a company which in certain cases highlights the lack of anything better to do with shareholder funds. After all, as an investor, would any of us be happy with a company which considers the best use of its treasury to buy its own stock over investing in the business that we as investors are investing in?

The bull-market was fed by the constant need to demonstrate earnings ratios and growth rates that are better than the competition. By initiating stock buy-backs, companies are able to maintain earnings growth by reducing the number of shares in the company, but at what cost to the business itself? There are, of course, exceptions to this rule – one only needs to look at the likes of long-term buy-back programs such as General Electric [GE:NYSE] to realize that the benefits in the long-run make a great deal of sense when the capital from such a monstrous company cannot constantly be thrown back into corporate growth through any conventional means.

With the recent round up of fourth quarter financial results, Growth Report has revisited many of the companies which we first highlighted as initiating these programs as well as a number of other examples which grabbed the headlines in the early days when the markets reopened on September 17th. Although, we can draw no accurate conclusions to our thought process at the time, there remain lessons that can be learnt for anyone who believes that large share re-purchase announcements carry an opportunity to jump on the lead given by the company in question.

Most of the companies we mentioned at the time have had, on balance, a relatively stable five months and the bulk of the repurchases have been made at levels at or below current market levels. This could be considered as a shrewd move on behalf of management. However, the same management in many cases also made repurchases of stock at much higher levels during the bull-market and as such our opinion is mixed as to the overall benefits of such plans. For solid companies with excess capital that have been through traumatic times more than once in their history, the moves are earnings enhancing in the longer-term. Growth Report’s concerns at the time were less about these longer-term benefits and more to do with a previously mentioned cynicism toward the timing of the announcements and the actual reality of whether purchases would be made or not.

A study of recent fourth quarter financials offers a mixed approach of the companies that announced re-purchase programs – a lesson that may be of use in the future. Given that the bulk of the announcements carried with them the same old rhetoric that suggested the company considered itself undervalued and had faith in the economy proving its resilience to the effects of terrorism – one would have thought that the re-purchase programs would be mopping up all this ‘cheap’ stock?

Company    Re-purchase Plan   Amount Re-purchased  
   
 DIS        $7.5 billion       Minimal  
  
 CSCO       $3 billion         $350 million  
   
 YHOO       $500 million       $60 million  
   
 MWD        $1 billion         $300 million  
   
 FBF        $4 billion         $1 billion  
   
 ACI        6 million shares   357,000 shares  
  
 PEP        $2 billion         $1.7 billion

Plaudits should certainly go to the likes of General Electric, which re-purchased approximately $800 million of its stock in the days following 9/11 as part of an ongoing $22 billion program that began in December 1994. PepsiCo PEP:NYSE) can also be singled out as living up to its announcement with the aggressive re-purchase of its stock. However, Growth Report views many of the companies announcements as having little more than a cosmetic promotion of seemingly undervalued opportunities that when push came to shove could not be followed through by management – at least in the short-term. Wasn’t that short-term the same period that the companies were extolling the undervalued nature of their shares to you the investor?


Happy Investing,
Doug Ramshaw
Editor-In-Chief

http://www.growthreport.com/

[Gulfbreeze]

Yes Frank but is it close enough that I could check it out....
Yes I do live in the good Ole USA..And in good boat building Territory...
And a clue to that area is yes I did know Rich well...and my God is that stock getting cheap...

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Gulf, in the good old US of A...

where the biggest and wealthiest market is located...

US citizens would rather buy locally built products than those coming from countries with cheaper labour and potential problems to enforce the Warranty, even if it costs a little more....

Fortunately, there is nothing on the world market that compares and certainly nothing landed in the US from somewhere else, that competes on equal terms, at the moment...

I could explain why, but it would be a long post, outside the scope of this thread...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Gulfbreeze]

Frank where are you building these boats? just curious....

BTW ... I understand somewhat your response to the country thing... But in an open forum where their may be many Lurkers I am not sure you realize that by attacking one or two that way you may offend many... I understand why you live where you do... I would think one day I may do the same...

[Capt_Nemo]

Great FG, I look forward to the pics, and thanks for the clarification..........

Rick... ô¿ô

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Broderick, I do....

and will put them up as soon as practical... The Power Cat is scheduled to splash in about 6 weeks...

BTW, a "cat-boat" is NOT a catamaran, but a Monohull sail boat with only one main sail, the mast all the way forward and a huge rudder...

http://www.catboats.org/FAQ.htm

FG

[Capt_Nemo]

FG,,You have anymore update pics, of that cat-boat ??,,,,,,,,

Rick... ô¿ô

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Gulf, about your Country,...

the whole thing happened as a result of some posters trying to convince me that I would be better off living in the United States of Mid-North America...

I had to disagree with them and explain the reasons, because it's not obvious to most people, who are used to one type of Life and know little about certain alternatives that entail NO Income, Capital Gain, Property and Death Taxes...

The point about America being a Continent, rather than a country occupying a portion of that Continent made sense and I see that several posters are now using the term United States of Mid-North America to describe the US...

Another thing we seem to agree on: I don't think I am a Bad Guy, either...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Gulfbreeze]

Frank,
You may not be all that bad a guy after all, The only thing you do that really bothers me is Slam my country...As far as stocks go I really could care less what most others think I look at the facts and make up my own decisions. One of the other stocks you own SEVU for example I knew Rich Mcbride personally and liked him... But would not touch Sevu.. Good luck to those who did...As far as PWTC goes check it out again looks like it could break out real strong soon. They are coming out of development with several great inventions...

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Gulf, I knew we would finally agree...

on something, after my posting only 3282 Posts...

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/profile.asp?user=487

Boats are a lot less controversial than Stocks and I have also owned PWTC in the past... It may well have bottomed out, by the look of the Chart and the recent news...

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=pwtc.ob&d=c

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Capt_Nemo]

Vinylester is far better than polyester, and my understanding, Hand laid , means just that,They might use a spray gun for putting the resin to it ,but I don't think there is any chop envolved

Rick... ô¿ô

[Gulfbreeze]

Frank can not believe it but I agree with you on Bayliners they are a piece of Crap Anyone who has been around boats for a while can tell you that. Force Engines Any poor soul who buys one....I have a small wellcraft bought it in 85 with a Johnson 120 never have problems with it... Shamrock is a great boat also but expensive...

BTW that stock I was talkining about Had news today...

SOURCE: Power Technology, Inc.
Power Technology Begins Discussions With Major Middle East Gas Producer
Patented Pipelink Technology To Be Validated
LAS VEGAS, NV --(INTERNET WIRE)--Feb 11, 2002 -- Power Technology, Inc. (OTCBB:PWTC - news) has begun discussions with one of the Major Gas Producers in the Middle East ("the Client") concerning use of the Company's patented Magnetic Pulse Pipe Joining Technology ("Pipelink"). In response to Power Technology's press release of January 30, 2002, "Power Technology To Establish Pipelink Technology In China" (biz.yahoo.com/iw/020130/037400.html), the Company was contacted and a member of the Power Technology Marketing team met with the potential Client last week.

Discussions have begun with the Client and its contractor concerning the Pipelink technology and the licenses necessary to use it. Key to the inquiry is the substantial savings Pipelink brings into the pipe-laying arena. Verified savings in excess of 30% on the actual cost of each join, translate into a savings of approximately 10% on the cost of the entire project when compared with traditional welding technology. (Based upon North American costs).

"With both the Chinese and the potential Middle Eastern Client committed to budgets in excess of 5 billion US$ for early start pipe-laying programs, the reasons for the high level of interest are clear. Add to the cost benefits the very high safety factor of Pipelink and a dramatic reduction in ongoing pipeline maintenance costs, and it becomes even more obvious that Power Technology has a massive cash cow on its hands. From all the responses so far the message is clear -- Pipelink will not be seen as an option, but as a requirement for future pipe-laying tenders. The advantages of our technology cannot be ignored by either private or state owned Oil and Gas companies.

"'Is the technology proven?' is frequently the first question asked - the answer is a resounding YES. For many years now magnetic pulse technology has been used in the high volume Automotive industry for the joining of fuel and hydraulic lines, prop-shafts, and other metallic tubular components. For the Gas and Oil industries, the equipment is deliverable on truck or skid mounted packages and, as it can be used equally effectively on the seabed, the necessary generator and controls can be loaded on the deck of the pipe-laying vessel," stated Lee Balak, President and CEO of Power Technology.

Validation of the Pipelink technology is timed for May this year in China. Power Technology is aiming for a mid-year validation in the Middle East. Final design work is completed and an American company has been selected to build the equipment. Available to contractors on an equipment lease plus royalty payment per join basis, based upon current estimates in excess of 10,000 Kilometers of large diameter gas pipe, with a join every 86 feet, Power Technology is looking at a very long term, high income, return on its patents.

About Power Technology

Power Technology, Inc. is a Las Vegas, Nevada-based Development Company that holds several patents in the power generation and storage fields; and is working to provide innovative and practical technology solutions for commercial, governmental, and industrial applications worldwide.

URL: www.e-powertechnology.com

Research Report available at www.investorcommunications.net/reports/pwtc.

Certain statements in this news release may constitute ``forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements may involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Contact: Peter Holeczek
Voice: 800-632-6012
Email: http://bcb.intergate.ca

Title: : Financial Market Advisor
Voice: 631-728-4043

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Broderick, bigger Bayliners...

some construction Specs...

Modular construction
Meets or exceeds all applicable U.S. Coast Guard safety standards
Marine Core® hull construction
Insulation: thermal and acoustical
Hull: vinylester skin coat
Fiberglass: hand-laid
Electrical system: color coded
Decks: non-skid, toe rails and drainage
Carpeting, exterior: 100% polypropylene, solution dyed, stain and fade resistant
7-year structural hull limited warranty, transferable
Vinyls: expanded back, heavy-duty marine grade
NMMA certified

"Hand-laid" means that woven roving is used in addition to the matt, still probably delivered by Chopper Gun and that's OK... Vinylester skin-coat is also good to prevent osmosis...

Personally, I use mostly Unidirectional fibers and the only piece of matt is non-structural, as it goes against the gelcoat to minimize print-through... Then, I use ONLY vinylester resin, including in the deck, as it has far better properties than polyester and is much lighter, even though it costs twice as much...

I also use 3/4" Corecell, an expensive foam core for the topsides/deck and end-grain balsa core in the bridgedeck, because of its better properties in compression, bearing in mind that the Catamaran will have to be transported with the tunnel sitting on beams on a full size semi-trailer...

FG

[Capt_Nemo]

Does anyone still use the chopper gun???? I din't think they did. and you are right the bigger bayliners are the better ones, The biggest complaint I have on the 58' motoryacht, Is when you go below decks the dang doors below are all face framed, What a cheap shot that is,,I was slammed when I saw that on one I was looking at.....

Rick... ô¿ô

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Broderick, Bayliners...

from 15' to at least the mid 20's were - and I assume still are - made with a chopper gun ONLY that sprays a mixture of fibre and resin onto a mold. There is no woven cloth or unidirectional fibers used that would provide strength and a lot of poor quality plywood covered in cheap carpet is employed for the interior... That's why they're cheap, but you pay for what you get...

As a result of the construction method, they are quite easily damaged and have a poor reputation among professionals in the marine industry: ask any repair yard...

http://www.baylinerboats.com/Bayliner-Home.html

However, their Deep "V" design, lay-out and esthetics are fine and the larger boats I have seen, from 34' onwards seem well built...

JMHO, F. Goelo + + +

[Capt_Nemo]

FG,,,,,,Some used to be a poor car engine, but I see the nw ones as a 4 bolt main block heavy duty valve train, and everything beefy anymore......I do like the yanmar though, that put together some nice I/O packages, They can drop the M leg though, and go with the new sx/volvo leg. I have never had a prob with them, I have an old 1959 Bellboy with an old B-18 Volvo pushrod engine, and that thing just don't stop, The main bearings in that thing are twice what they need to be , but that is what I like about volvo, Beef,,,,,,,

Rick... ô¿ô

[Capt_Nemo]

Matt,,Me,I have never been an outboard man,If I can't work on it , I don't own it,,,And as far as sterndrives,,,,Volvo-Penta is the only choice,,,,,,Easy to work on , and pretty much bullet proof,,,,,,Their cone clutch shifting can't be beat,IMHO

Rick... ô¿ô

[Capt_Nemo]

FG,,,,Whats the matter with the new bayliner????? haaaaaaa, They are a very afforadable boat, As for the force engine, yes that is in need of some refinement, But the newer bayliners are a very sea-worthy vessel....And besides, they are made up here, where the weather can turn nasty in a heart beat.......

Rick... ô¿ô

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Matt, I stay away from inboard-outboards...

as they are usually poorly marinized car engines... Yanmar now markets a 250/300 HP diesel coupled to a large Mercruiser leg, which may be a good alternative... In 2-strokes, I prefer Yamaha and 4-strokes, either Yamaha or Honda... That's probably what you need: 3.35 liters for 225 HP at 5,500 RPM, should give you a very long lasting and reliable motor...

http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/news/2001-05-17/f225a-e.html

BTW, I sailed on a 52' catamaran from the Isle of Man that only had one 9 HP Yamaha outboard for auxillary power: the boat made about 5 or 6 knots under power, which was rather amazing...

FG

[Mattu]

How about motors.

You a fan of Mercruisers?

I've always been a big Yamaha or Johnson guy. Mostly outboards. But Mercruisers seem to dominate the mid/small-sized i/o motors.

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Matt, Wellcraft Yachts are well built...

and in fact, I used to own a sistership of this 43/44' Wellcraft Californian, with twin 325 Hp Caterpillar diesel engines...

http://www.yachtworld.com/listing/yw_listing_detail.jsp?checked_boats=878346¤cy=USD&un...

Never gave any problem but it was rather heavy and inefficient... I suggested the other models because they're much more economical to run, than the one you showed in the photos...

Whatever you do, just stay away from the Bayliners and the Force Outboards...

JMHO, FG

[Mattu]

How about Wellcraft boats?

I used to have a 22' Sportscraft and loved it. Sold it for some reason.

But I'm really liking something like this.

http://www.wellcraft.com/asp/Page21.asp?iBoatID=53

MB

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Matt, a diesel powered Shamrock,...

with "keel-drive" would be my first choice, as a conventional, seaworthy, efficient and reliable vessel, that can also be bought second hand, but ain't cheap...

http://www.shamrockboats.com/270mack.html

http://www.shamrockboats.com/keeldrive.html

A protected steering station has many benefits...

For a catamaran, I'd go with a Glacier Bay with twin Honda 4-stroke outboard motors in the 130Hp range...

http://www.glacierbaycats.com/home.htm

If you want the ability to cruise as well, then the PDQ twin diesels MV32 is about the best I have seen in that size range...

http://www.pdqyachts.com/

Did you inherit some Loot?...

FG

[Mattu]

Frank,

What would you recommend for about a 28-32' saltwater fishing boat?

Needs to have a cabin/cuddy cabin of some sort for those nice afternoon naps on the water.

MB