Today we reckon from the viceful and sinful city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is here that worldly temptation tugs from all sides. Devils perch on every shoulder and the most atrocious carnalities besiege the delicate senses.
How a man of virtue can escape the place's remorseless gravity we do not know.
We have observed repeated violations - at times egregious and unrepeatable violations - of Commandments one, three, four, seven, eight, nine and 10.
In one person alone we witnessed the bonfire of all commandments just cited, save perhaps one.
This witnessing so shocked our sensibilities we cannot in good conscience report the details. It is for the best - believe it.
The very hotel in which we lodge lands blows against Commandment seven and perhaps Commandments nine and 10:
Our immortal soul is nonetheless grateful that the same hotel dangling intimacy kits before us recalls us to Christian virtue... and provides us an anchor against the flesh’s temptations.
But we are not in Las Vegas to try our immortal soul or anyone else's.
We are here instead to attend theParadigm Shift Summit...
The room was packed to suffocation, and beyond.
Here our market crackerjacks set out not to preserve the assembled's heavenly souls - only their earthly dollars...
Not only to preserve these dollars, moreover... but to multiply them.
These fellows include James Altucher... Zach Scheidt... George Gilder... Alan Knuckman... Ray Blanco... Byron King... and of course Jim Rickards.
Each is offering attendees his highly educated market perspective. Each peers beyond the passing market transiences and trivialities.
The "bigger picture" is their concern - the glimpse of the far horizon.
Do they see easy waters ahead? Or heavy weather?
And does the conventional meteorology give a true forecast of approaching weather? Or is a new, deeper meteorology - new paradigms, that is - required to navigate today's treacherous ocean?
We concede the question is a leading question. Many of today's speakers believe new paradigms are indeed required.
Hence the title Paradigm Shift Summit.
The old rules have lost their luster, their majesty.
Inflation, for example, has made mockeries of them. How might you invest around it?
Our "gurus" give their take.
Yet today's topics of discussion ranged far beyond inflation.
In tomorrow's reckoning we will draw a comprehensive sketch of today's proceedings.
The Daily Reckoning