Last night I did the celebrity market analyst thing, sorta American Idol for those of us who are stock market people. The scenario is that if you are a highly valued customer with a stock broker they want to keep your business. They do so by offering you access to information, market forecasts, and if possible star market analysts. So a couple of weeks ago I was invited to an event in Pinehurst at the County Club of North Carolina where Joe Battipaglia was going to speak. Now Mr. Battipaglia is a very well known stock market who appears at least weekly on CNBC and other financial shows. He knows his stuff and is a very good speaker. Now I am not a big celebrity person, believe it or not I have never watched American Idol, could care less about meeting movie stars or sport stars, and certainly do not consider knowing someone well known as a feather in my cap. Seems stupid to me to waste valuable time in life panting after such, and since I do not have an ego to massage that does not come into play either. Frankly I believe we in American have traded true heroes for celebrity, true honor for fame, and success and achievement for popularity. But with that said off I go to Pinehurst to spend time with such people I suppose.
Upon arriving at the Country Club of North Carolina I immediately realized this is how the other half lives as they say. Gated entrance, I mean a REAL gated entrance no name on list NO admittance. Of course the people I rode with had a name on the list so we go in. As we rode in I realized the houses here are a bit more than I could afford. Heck, I could not even pay the property tax, never mind the monthly payment. Anyway we park, go into the club, and here it is 70 degrees outside and they got the fireplace on, and I do mean ON, high flames and looking good. I suppose if you got money to burn, literally, why not enjoy the sight of a fireplace anytime. We go inside the big hall and I make a beeline for a back seat. Besides the fact the room is full with maybe a couple hundred people, I figure I can observe everyone else better from the back. I like to look at other people being themselves. Anyway I sit down and see that in this whole room of people I and maybe 15 others are the only ones under 65 years old. I suppose it helps to be over 65 to have lots of cash? The first speaker, I would assume you would call him the opening act, gets up and speaks. Seems to be nice gentleman who is smart and happens to be CEO of the whole stock broker company. He IS smart as his talk is short and he introduces the real act for the night, the stock market star. Mr. Joe, I will call him that since that last name is a real bitch to type, speaks for maybe an hour on a variety of topics. He covers stocks, bonds, commodities, inflation, and just about anything you would want to know about the market. You can tell why he is a star analyst, he knows how to speak to keep attention, he knows his subjects well, and most importantly he knows how to avoid any political angle. Do not want to piss off anyone here tonight and lose their business you know. After speaking he takes questions and they the range a variety of topics and Mr. Joe is johnny on the spot knowing answers or opinions on every topic. One question at the end bordered on what I wanted to ask, what is going to happen when the Federal Reserve quits printing money June 30. Mr. Joe, is real good here too, he answers the question so no one knows exactly what his answer was. Frankly Mr. Joe does not know either, but being a star analyst no way was he going to say "hell I do not have the foggiest idea what they will do".
Anyway the show, er speech is over, and everyone gets up oooing and aaaing about how smart our speaker was tonight. Besides it is time to hit the goodies, free liquor and finger food. Me, I make another beeline to Mr. Joe to ask him point blank my question. When I get up to him I realize he is 6 foot 7 inches tall and big as a mountain. Now I am no little fellow, but no way am I going to pick a fight with this dude. But I will ask my question. "Mr. Joe, ( I did use his real name here), could you fully explain just who is going to buy 125 billion dollars of government deficit debt when the Fed quits doing it in June?" The answer I get is basically someone will. I further ask him "you think the Chinese are actually stupid enough to quadruple there current purchasing and buy it?" The answer again is someone will. It is clear here he does not know either and just needs to give me an answer. I step away knowing he does not know and frankly no one else knows either.
Now it is time to participate in the great American liquor and finger food orgy for me too. I head to the nearest bar and order up a beer, A BEER!?, when there is so much high priced wine and liquor available. As I said I am not a celebrity type, I prefer a good beer. The finger food is real good, lots of meaty small pizza, some chicken wrap, a spinach wrap, and a buffet of meatballs, a really good spinach salad of some sort, cheese, veges, and desserts to die for. I wonder out onto the patio and I do mean a patio. Folks I used to work with lawyers and they know how to PARTY and do it in fine places, but this patio is something else. Big with nice tables, more food, more alcohol, made of brick not cement, and a gorgeous lake to see.
It now is time to leave being here about two hours. Now what I do not know is the night's adventure is just starting. On the way back the group of four I am riding with decide to take a quicker route through the back of Fort Bragg. About half way through, BOOM, our tire blows out. All of us get out preparing to change the tire, only to discover this make of car has NO spare! I will leave out the make here due to certain sales drop, but frankly guys not putting even one of those doughnut spares in a car is taking the cut expenses a bit too far don't you think. So we call the tow truck, we call someone to pick us up and we wait. Now this part of Fort Bragg is dark at night, no street lights, no one for miles, it gets REALLY DARK there at night. You could not see your own shadow as they say. BOOM, BOOM, what is that, they are shooting at us! No it is the soldiers setting off bombs or something in the distance. Trust me when it is this dark, you think strange things. We did have a good number of what appeared to be army people stop and ask to help. Just reminded me what a great group of people we have defending our little butts, so we can go party in Pinehurst. Anyway we finally get picked up and I get back to my car none the worse for wear.
Needless to say I enjoyed the experience, met some nice people including the retired doctor I rode with and will likely do it again next year if invited. This is a annual thing I found out later. I also appreciate the company I do business with inviting me I enjoyed the night and I would highly recommend them to anyone. I also left thinking it is clear to me anyone who wants to spend the time and do the research can be just as smart as any celebrity analyst. However I still not did get the question I came for answered and after my celebrity encounter still have no desire to watch American Idol.
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