Jason just posted in our forums about a new site called SocialPicks (announcement) which allows users to rate and review stocks online in a Digg-like social fashion. This could be a really interesting experiment in social investing. Will it lead to finding more undiscovered stocks or will it be abused and go to prove that (more…)

What is it about investing that motivates so many thousands of investors? It is said that the two emotions of every trader is fear and greed. Maybe. But do boys want to grow up to be the Sheriff of Nottingham, stealing from the poor to line their on coffers? What every boy desires is an adventure and to be a hero. This is no clearer than to look at boys as they play, watching them defend their pillow castles, build their appliance box spaceships, and battle with stick swords.

In this emasculated world of dull grey desks, neon office lights, and flickering computer screens, where do boys go to feel alive? No boy says, “I want to be an office drone when I grow up!” The man’s heart desires to be put to the test so he can prove he has what it takes. So the city boy must grow up to find his place in a concrete jungle, and in what better place can a man prove himself than in the lurid and dangerous world of the market.

For the past couple weeks, Jim Cramer’s been talking up the stock of the Canadian mining company Crystallex International Corporation (AMEX:KRY) on his radio and TV shows. The thesis on this company is based around Las Cristinas, a gold mine in Venezuela owned but not yet mined by the company. But that situation should change soon as all but one of the Venezuelan government agencies required have granted permission for Crystallex to tap the mine.

The last of these permits is expected soon. An active gold mine would bring many jobs to the country, which is starving for employment.

Why should we care about Las Cristinas and Crystallex? Because the current evaluation does not price in the full potential of the mine, one of the largest untapped gold mines in the world. Gold demand and gold prices are rising steeply and if the Las Cristinas mine comes online for Crystallex, they stand to make a lot of money. Cramer’s estimation is that the stock’s price should be somewhere between $12-$15 assuming the mine works out.

As of Monday, April 10th, 2006, Phil Town will no longer be responding to direct emails from his Gmail account. Each Monday, Phil will answer a randomly selected homework or question submitted to his site RuleOneInvestor.com. I’ve much appreciated Phil’s help these last few months and wish him well in his endeavors.