Going on a Power Trip
by Jeff Clark
October 19, 2006
What do Genghis Khan, Mao Tse Tung, and Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor have in common?
They all have an insatiable thirst for power.
I joined that unique trio three months ago when I was locked out of my house for three days.
No, it wasn’t a domestic dispute that temporarily evicted me from my home. In fact, my wife and kids were locked out as well. It was a power outage.
You see, I don’t carry keys to my front door. My sole means of entrance is through an electrically powered garage door. No electricity? No entrance.
It’s happened before. And usually, after searching the property for an unlocked window or door – or a crack in the wall big enough for my four year old to fit through - and finding none, the power comes right back on. And once again, all is right with the world.
But this time was different. The power didn’t come on.
Keep in mind, this was during the hottest day of the summer… the power grid simply couldn’t handle the demands of all those air conditioners running full blast at the same time. A phone call to the power company yielded no real information – only a recorded voice saying, “We appreciate your understanding of this challenging situation.”
The real challenge was trying to appease my wife and two young sons who were sweltering in the 107 degree heat.
So we drove over to the next city, reserved a nice hotel room, ordered room service and waited for the “all clear” phone call from my neighbors telling me the power was back on.
One day passed. Then two. Finally, after three days and several hundred dollars in hotel charges, we got the call.
While the whole ordeal started out as a bit of an inconvenience, it turned out quite differently.
My kids loved the adventure. My wife enjoyed the mini-vacation so much, I often catch her fiddling with the fuse box – trying to create the illusion of another power outage.
I, however, received the biggest benefit from our three-day lockout… a brainstorm of investment ideas on companies involved in repairing the nation’s power grid. I’ll be writing more about them over the coming weeks and months.
Next Tuesday, I’m e-mailing my number one investment recommendation in this sector to subscribers of The Big Trend Report.
That is – as long as the power stays on.
Best Regards & Good Trading,
Jeff Clark
