.. Can we talk? iii Joseph Fasciani Jun 2, 2003 I am astounded at the power of this website. I am sixty years of age, and have never met one relative -- not one -- in our family that was not introduced to me in the flesh. Until 321gold.com, that is. My relative, Rocco Fasciani, emailed me upon his reading my last essay. I was truly astonished at his finding me, as I'd long ago given up on meeting anymore relatives. Our name is very circumscribed, located in Abruzzi province of Italy, centered in the village of Raiano. Abruzzi is not a name you'd know, unless you studied history. Out of the 44,000 men that comprised Garibaldi's "Army of Liberty," more than half came from this one province, located in the mountains 2000 meters above Roma, in the spine of Italy. Perhaps this heritage led me to study economics and history, to free myself from the self-imposed chains of our daily life. And isn't that why you, dear reader, are interested in gold and silver, as they may offer you the means to freedom? I'm a contrarian only to the extent that experience has confirmed my suspicions. I also prefer to be left standing alone while the rest of the herd goes thundering off the cliff of debt. My daughter hasn't quite grasped this yet, probably thinks Dad just doesn't get the idea how useful credit (and ergo, debt), can be. My instincts, coupled with the wisdom of the people whom I've read over the last forty-plus years, tell me we are in the beginning of a truly momentous era for us mere mortals. Rocco knows this too, for he has long been invested in gold and silver shares. As for myself, I hope only to minimise the difficulties of my declining physical abilities. I regret that my children face a far more stringent, demanding world of resources and expectations than I did. Mind you, I'm not complaining: in fact, perhaps the best eight years of my life were spent homesteading in British Columbia: no running water (unless I ran for it!), no electricity (remember kerosene?), and a fire every day of the year in our wood/coal burning cookstove. And please don't start on my environmental ignorance re carbon, etc., etc. I'm a long-time horticulturalist and all too damn aware of the carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles, and how much better life would be if others were also, including our massively ignorant residents in DC! Any of you who think you're going to get rich in fuel cells and the hydrogen economy need to take Chemistry 101 and Biology 101 A.S.A.P. These have been promoted as The Next Big Thing, but the only aspect of them that is large is how much wealth they'll take from you! WE ARE IN THE ONSET OF THE GREATEST BULL MARKET THAT PRECIOUS METALS HAVE EVER SEEN. I quote long-dead people in these essays, and for good reason. We have their writings/comments because they've lasted longer than the Great Wisdom of their age. One of my favourites is Heraklitus, c. 550 b.c., an aristocrat who was reknowned for his trenchant, pithy remarks. What we have of him comes from the 115 sentences left on parchment at the temple of Zeus in Athens; the best translation is that of P. Wheelwright. In any event, all you need to know about trading, investing, and speculation can be found here. It was he who first said that "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the water is flowing ceaselessly, on and on." I quoted him earlier in his zen statement that "The way up and the way down are one and the same." This is the essence of all trading, and if you don't understand it, stand aside! In the coming months before the next attempt at an election in the US, the economy is going to perform an amazing series of gyrations, destined to drive you mad as an investor. The way ahead is clear... Point by point:- Get out of debt, unless that debt is earning you income at three times its cost; Load up on both physical precious metal and mining shares. Because I'm conservative (as opposed to reactionary), I recommend my clients put 5% of their net worth into physical and 5% into shares; Relax and enjoy the deflation/depression! Joseph Fasciani Jun 1, 2003 Also by Joseph Fasciani Can we talk? II May 24, 2003 Can we talk? Apr 21, 2003 ________________ 321gold Inc Miami USA