The photos below are from the roof of the Athens hotel in which I am holed up after a day of travel hell which I discuss and offer a warning to the trio of bearcast listeners coming to join me for the olive harvest shortly. In the bearcast I look at Inspirit (INSP), 13 Energy (E3E), Eurasia Mining (EUA) which is run by a top banana bt has a joke valuation and FinnCap (FCAP) which has a joke valuation in light of today's interims and is run by a top er... it is run by Sam Smith.

Commenting on an agreement last week which Live Company Group (LVCG) argued “transformational for the group and the BRICKLIVE brand” but I questioning this as it was also stated only “gives the board further confidence in the current market expectations for 2020, which remain unchanged”, I also noted in October it having stated it “continues to be in advanced discussions with the vendors of Bright Bricks Holdings Limited regarding the settlement of the deferred consideration of, in aggregate, £0.833 million, due today, through the issue of new ordinary shares. Further announcements will be made as appropriate”. Now an announcement; “Deferred Consideration and Issue of Fee Shares”…

The middle class have been decommissioned. Its members are surplus to requirements in globalisation...

“Corero Network Security plc (AIM: CNS), the network security company, is pleased to announce a conditional placing and subscription to raise up to £3.25 million”. Hmmm…

It has been very busy over the last few weeks but I really appreciate it when readers comment on my articles, even if they have a different perspective or conclusion. After all, this is what makes a market – so keep them coming. So playing a little bit of catch-up with some of the comments that have been posted on my articles...

This morning AIM-listed Inspirit (INSP) offered up a cheerful RNS stating that £804,000 worth of convertible loan notes were being converted at 0.07p (the minimum price possible) and that thus the Company has substantially reduced its debt close to zero and we hope that this reduction in debt will provide the right base from which the business can now grow. The implication is that all is well…..until you look at its last stated results, the interims to way back last December. "Growth" my foot!...

A couple of conversations last week make me convinced that the day when the SFO brings the Quindell (QPP) fraudsters to book for what was a £3 billion con is not that long away. We know that the fraudster in chief, Rob Terry, emerged terrified from his second interview with the SFO in July, as I revealed HERE, and that the SFO has been on the case for almost six years. I believe the wheels of justice are finally starting to turn and in that vein bring you a reminder of our 50 most read articles and listened to podcasts on AIM's biggest ever fraud. I should also say that new documents have fallen into my possession that the authorities do not yet have. They will get them this week AFTER I publish them here as they are explosive. Meanwhile back to the top 50. Enjoy!

Hello Share Mashers. Please pity poor analysts like me in these peculiar times. I spend more time looking for firms which have exciting potential than actually writing about one each day. I plough through lots of material and nearly always reject a number of companies before choosing one to bring to your attention. So currently finding few new possibilities, allow me to revisit a few shares which I have chosen recently...

Those suckered into putting their hard earned into Appbox Media have been promised a £150 million takeover but, er…no cash for three years. For reasons explained HERE last week, I, increasingly, think this is part of a complex £15 million boiler room scam in the heart of the City of London and have asked the FCA to investigate as a matter of urgency. Perhaps it might start with the recent attempt to wind Appbox up.

On my last bearcast before I flee to the Greek Hovel (cue calls from Bulletin Board Morons that I live in a hovel as I am a peasant and that I am evading justice for some crime or another), I discuss today's chapter of retail-aggedon (Clarkes), the Neil Woodford Rutherford International (RUTH) £32.5 million black hole and why Amigo (AMGO) is almost certainly not on a PE of 3 and almost certainly not cheap.

If you want to periodically (or even frequently) look like a fool...then I would heartily suggest you engage with the financial markets.  As I have discussed on these pages before, a really good batting record is getting seven out of ten calls correct...with the other three losers being curtailed before they get anywhere near joining the fifty percent or worse down club.  Anyone who claims a record better than this should either be on the front page of Businessweek or is the next Bernie Madoff.  

This has nothing to do with shares or investing or anything. It's the end of the weekend and we've organised a quick pub quiz. Grab your own beer, there are no prizes, and for Pete's sake, no Googling! Only I get to do that. If you are so inclined, please enter your score in the comments. The highest score still won't get a prize.

Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.  

This column is mostly about the most read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week.  But I have a question for you unrelated to that today: do you think that the governments of the world—especially the UK—have abandoned Hong Kong?

News last week that digital marketing company, Mporium Group (MPM), had gone into administration shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise as it has been on a steep downwards trajectory for a number of years, but things did come to an end far more suddenly than anyone could have predicted.

Ariana Resources (AAU) “is pleased to announce” operating results for the quarter ended 30^th September for its 50% owned Kiziltepe mine, stating the results see it “on track to achieve annual production guidance of 25,000 ounces of gold”…

I am still playing a bit of catch up post a bout of international business travel but I see on Wednesday, the B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher (KGF) puckered up a trading update.  Now I have talked about the stock (positively) before, noting  that despite its bizarre obsession with French CEOs, the company offered share appreciation potential 'if management sees the light and breaks the company up'.  Judging by the realities expressed in the trading update, this remains the only sensible course of action for any shareholder value creation. 

Or maybe I am just misreading the data?

Manufacturer and brand owner in the beauty, wellbeing and lifestyle sectors, Creightons (CRL) has announced results for its half year ended 30^th September 2019 and that it believes it is “in an excellent position to take advantage of any opportunities”…

I start with another moral question from the General Election - as I have already noted HERE - Labour thinks that our record number of abortions ( 206,000 last year) is not high enough, we must murder more babies. I then turn to the issue of lying asking if society now thinks it is just acceptable.  That brings me neatly onto Iconic (ICON) and UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) both of which I discuss in detail.