Finding More Promising Signs of a Turnaround

As the final month of 2008 begins, let’s look back at November–a month that featured a number of promising signs that a market recovery could be drawing nearer.

Clinton, Guistra, and the drying up of mining charity & corporate social responsibility

 
Frank Guistra is that smart fellow in Vancouver who managed to get Bill Clinton to secure for him all the mining rights in one of those “X-Stan” countries where the processes are not transparent.   Now I suppose he can add Hillary to the list of people who will help him get preferential mining rights in other [...]

Make tough mining decisions by watching grand opera, Don Carlo incarnate

   
Don Carlo is the grandest of grand opera.  You are hit in the guts by the power of the music.  You are assailed by the story:  the horrors of theocracy and the glories of friendship and love.  You shudder at parental deceit and despair at the folly of youth.  You grow angry at the logic [...]

Weekend reading on uranium mining and groundwater

The December issue of  Soutwest Hydrology deals with groundwater and uranium.  Here is how they introduce the subject:
Groundwater was involved in the formation of many large uranium ore deposits, and increasingly groundwater (fortified with other compounds) is being used to mine them using in-situ leaching methods. Uranium mining in the 20th century left a legacy [...]

The trouble with Teck

Thursday, November 27 — I think Teck Cominco Ltd. is going to either get a lot bigger or a lot smaller in the coming months. This poses a dilemma for the investor. Namely, which will it be? The trouble with Teck is its debt …  some $9 billion and change … most of it short-term [...]

The Needys

 
I took my uncle to dinner the other night. He moved to Denver with one of his brothers and a little dog from Butte, Montana 7 years ago after their mother died. We are Ojibwe on my father’s side of the family and my “Indian” relatives (as they refer to themselves) always stop me in [...]