Weekend Freestuff Special

Over at Miguel Olivera's blog, Exabruptos, you can download the English language version of the bestseller Bad Money by Kevin Phillips.

As this NYT review notes, Phillips was calling the present situation pretty accurately when Bad Money first hit the shelves last year. The book doesn't stop at the present time though, as it makes its case for the future of the USA and the world...and it doesn't look good according to Phillips.

An excellent read for the weekend and a good way to sum up how we got to where we are. Thanks to Olivera it's also a totally free PDF download. When your over at Miguel Olivera's site click the link that says "les dejo para bajarse" to get the download. The other link gives you the front cover of the book (above).

Weekend Freestuff

Free free free, the price for me! Here we go with another round of boredom breakers and interest arousers. Take your pick from this little lot, sit back and read yourself into a stupor.


The Fraser Institute's 2009 World Mining Survey is out, so get your copy right here. You'll find the latest league tables, comments and all the usual stuff. It's one of those 'need to read' publications if you're into the industry, so read it.

Here's a good interview with Eric Coffin of HRA, as featured in yesterday's Late Edition with David Pescod. Late Edition has recently turned into a pumphouse for Canaccord approved stocks (or maybe it was always like that...I forget) but every so often it's well worth reading. This edition is the best of examples as we get to hear from one half of the Coffin Brothers team, best of breed in resource newsletters.

On the subject of good interviews, here's one that The Globe and Mail did with Don Coxe (of Basic Points and BMO fame). It was published on February 19th but somehow I missed it in the rush. Thank you B for passing it on.

Here's a great looking report about customer service practices. Called "Extraordinary Customer Service" it explores what customer contact people should do to win and keep clients. An important subject in these days of dwindling revenues and one that can give you the all-important edge over competitors.

Finally, read the 2009 edition of Warren Buffett's to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that was released today by clicking right here for the full 22 page PDF version.

Weekend Freestuff

A kind reader has sent along a no-fuss, direct link to that "Sales in Recession" note offered by Oracle that I highlighted yesterday, so you can now get your copy without all that form-filling. Here's the link.

Here's a short recent note from Brazilian broker Bradesco that shows some of the underlying reasons why your humble correspondent likes Cosan (CZZ) and the sugar sector in Brazil.

This is fresh off the the presses; the brand new corporate presentation for Fortuna Silver (FVI.v) that gives a nice overview of where the company stands right now.

Finally, here's the link to the transcript of a UBS conference call that happened early last week. The subject is the state of play in Emerging Markets and there's plenty to chew on for people interested in Brazilian stocks.

Weekend Freestuff

Mining professionals with LatAm exposure: Don't forget to sign up for this free live video webcast "Dealflow in Mining A Current Canadian Perspective" offered by the TSX and Fasken Martineau on January 15th. It runs from 2pm and it will be well worth your time. This link will tell you a lot more and show you the way to get in touch. You get to pick the best brains in the biz for free!! C'mon...get signed up, dudes.

A lot of institutional reports pass my desk and so only a few really grab me and make me say "Wow, that's GREAT info". Well this report on Brazil economics going forward entitled "Taxman (And You're Working for No One But Me)" is top class and explains the problems we can expect from Lula's new policy switch. I learned a lot by reading this excellent work and I hope you do too. Highly recommended. Click here to download.

As for e-books, here are the links to three of the most popular ever offered on this series.

• This link takes you to a free download of "Nostromo" by Conrad

• This link takes you to a free download of "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator" by Lefevre.

• This link takes you to a free download of "The Devil's Dictionary" by Bierce.

Three great reads. Help yourself

Weekend Freestuff

Free, gratis and for nothing, here we are again with the perfect solution to "Awwww...ahm bored an' ah got nothing ta read".

Click this link to directly download a free copy of Ambrose Bierce's famous 'Devil's Dictionary'. Yes, this wonderful and entertaining piece of literature that you've always liked but never owned can now be yours forever thanks to this PDF file. Included are such classics as:

INFANCY, n. The period of our lives when, according to Wordsworth, "Heaven lies
about us." The world begins lying about us pretty soon afterward.
LOVE, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage............

150 pages of fun. Get yours today.

Click this link to apply for your free subscription to Futures Magazine (and I hope you do, because you get the free sub and I get a buck fifty commish for this). Here's the blurb from the publishers that is designed to tempt you even further.

You'll increase your profit potential once you've gained the timely market insight that Futures Magazine magazine provides. Each issue is full of indispensable information including in-depth interviews with top traders about trading strategies and tactics, technical analysis, and money management best practices. Futures Magazine provides you with the essentials you need to make smart trading decisions.

Finally, click this link for your free direct download copy of Joseph Conrad's novel, 'Nostromo'. This book may have been written moons ago, but there really is no better way to understand the ways of Latin America and the mentalities of those that live here than to read this hugely intelligent and satisfying book (apart from live here, of course). This is a book I'm really pleased to be able to offer you and it's a totally free download, too. No ifs, buts or catches (just like the Devil's Dictionary).

A free white paper for these recessionary days

As we're closing in on Christmas here's a free present from IKN to you, dear reader. Check out the blurb underneath and get your copy of this totally free, gratis, for nothing white paper entitled "Talent Management in a Down Economy".

Free. A price that works for me. Here's the link to get your copy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Request Your Free White Paper:

"Talent Management in a Down Economy"

Learn how to fuel higher levels of business performance by developing, redeploying and retaining top talent.

This white paper explores the relationship between talent management strategies, processes and practices, and the advantages that can be gained by organizations coping with an economic downturn. Learn why talent management is the key issue for businesses worldwide and remains a central strategy in any economic season.

Geographic Eligibility: USA, Canada

Publisher: Taleo

Click here to apply

Free weekend reading stuff

Live Free Or Die! Yay, it's the freestuff post. Get yourself learned up on these free themes and memes, all of a business type this week:

UBS has published a macro outlook for 2009, what the financial crisis means to different sectors and how the recession might play out. Here's the link to the PDF download.

Here's an interview with highly respected stock analyst David Coffin, the subject being Canadian uranium junior Hathor (HAT.v). Not my metal and certainly not my geographical area, but as Mickey Fulp also likes this stock I thought I'd pass this one on. DYODD, dude. Here's the link.

Here's the link to a free report from Moody's, entitled "Into The Woods: Mortgage Credit Quality, Its Prospects and Implications." You need to fill out a form to get this, but it's still 100% free, gratis and for nothing. Here's the blurb and here's the link again, just in case:

This Moody's Economy.com special study utilizes unique data from Equifax and Moody's Investor Services to assess future levels of credit degradation and where the greatest challenges will be realized. The study evaluates the threat mortgage credit problems pose to the housing market and broader economy, and the scenarios under which these problems could result in an economic recession.

Otto's weekend freestuff

Free free free! We love free!!!!!! Here we go:

This one is free for you and it earns me a commission from the publishers, so get educated and help maintain this site at the same time. It's a quality White Paper report, too (I don't offer no trasho, y'know) published by Adobe and called "Rapid E-Learning: Maturing Technology Brings Balance and Possibilities". You learn why more skilled learning professionals use e-learning tools and you can get solutions to keep pace with your business demands. This offer is for USA and Canada residents only. Here's the link again, so there's no excuses.

Next freebie is this report on junior miners that screens hundreds of them for good cash-to-market-cap ratio. Excellent source material.

The final freebie today might surprise some regular readers. Antal E. Fekete is an economic theorist who is highly esteemed in the goldbug community. I was pointed to this report last night by Lucas over at Trend&Value, and after my "Aw gawd, not him!" complaint and his "just read the report, then moan" reply I downloaded this paper written by Fekete dated November 4th 2008 and entitled "Revisionist Theory of Depressions (can it happen again?)."

It's a very interesting and intelligent take on the current crisis, and although I don't agree with some of his argument, other parts are certainly two or three cuts above the normal tosh written by the goldbug community. So here's the link, and have a read yourself. Twelve pages of not-too dense script and perfectly accessible for the non-academic (e.g. me). Excellent food for thought and thank you for insisting, Lucas.

Otto's weekend freestuff

Here we are, back with the free weekend downloads and interesting stuff for nothing section. There's something for all (ok, most) tastes, so dig in dudettes and dudes.

Free E-Book; Reminiscences of a Stock Operator. I'm putting this link up again because if just one more person out there takes advantage, downloads and reads this it'll be well worth it. The best book on stock investment ever written.

Free White Paper Report; Engaging With The New E-Learning. Adobe (yep, the clever guys who do Acrobat) offers this white paper that gives 12 smart ideas on how to engage and retain learners online. As a secondary reason to get your copy, if you go for this one I get a small commission from the people out there. Help an Otto this weekend? (USA and Canada residents only on this one, I'm afraid).

Amnesty International's report on Colombia named "Leave Us In Peace". If you've ever wondered why people are continually up in arms about so-called human rights abuses in the land of Uribe, read this and you'll extract the "so-called" from that sentence.

Free report on the Commodities sector. Want to read the kind of stuff read by the industry? Here's a report dated 13th October from Macquarie that shows the state of play in the base metals sector, with plenty of data about supply, demand and all that wonky stuff people like me enjoy. At 13 pages it's not too heavy and it's full of useful charts, too.

Free NOBS report on Metanor. Yep, I'm still trying to drum up interest in my online analysis service, and here's the freebie access page again.

Free weekend reading stuff

Just look at all the goodies! All the following are yours for just a mouseclick;

Otto's free analysis report on Andina Minerals (ADM.v)

Don Coxe Basic Points

The Inca Pacific (IPR.v) brand new factsheet.

Free e-book "Vulnerability Management for Dummies"

So when you find yourself bored and stuck for something interesting to read this weekend, don't blame me, ok?