Mining weekend truths: metal prices tumble, jobs lost, and Mt Isa the ugly

Ride forty kilometers on Sunday along the mudflats and the world seems incredibly good.  The physical activity puts the adrenalin level high, and you are happy even though the mudflats stink and the beach is brown mud. 

You are happy even though the outside world is falling apart:

Metal prices are still tumbling –although some silly reports talk of a “stabilization” of price–whenever did the price of anything stabilize?

null

The mayor of Mount Isa is in trouble for inviting a particular class of “disadvantaged” to come mining–funny, whenever I put the keywords “pretty lady” or “ladies in hard hats” with a posting, the stats go through the roof.  

The mining Supercycle continues down:  as witness, InfoMine got a large number of responses to an advert for geological analysts—seems every geologist working for a junior mining company here in Vancouver reckons their job is at risk–seems the juniors are not getting the investment money as before. 

Mc Cain was apparently listening in while Obama answered Warren–I watched McCain and was surprised how he hardly waited for the question before giving the answer—in fact on our ride past the mudflats we agreed the guys must have had the questions in advance of their appearance.   Obama even said something like “I cheated and looked into that…” before answering the question about 140 million orphans.  Come on guys who is trying to fool whom?  I have worked with people who frequent Saddleback, and they see no harm in cheating as long as your pray for forgiveness.  How else to get rich in Orange County? 

No matter, that is politics and economics as usual:  the financial advisers continue to get it wrong and the politicians & priest !!!!.  And the ones that do not lie, get wrapped on the knuckles.  So if you are in mining, by way of shares or by way of a job, hold on tight.  I predict that we are in for a long, slow slide of metal prices and a long, slow evaporation of jobs in the mining industry.  And your only way out may be to come work for InfoMine or go to Mount Isa.  Or ride around the stinky mudflats of Tsawwassen on a cloudy Sunday. 

PS:  On the Tsawwassen site they write about the stinky mudflats “The sun, the wind, and the beautiful waters of Boundary Bay call the young at heart to experience the sheer exhilaration of Windsurfing.”   Come on guys, who is fooling whom?  Come on guys, this is a BC website, not an Orange County “Church.”

PS.  About six hours after posting the above, I read in The Caucus–The New York Times Political Blog that Warren gave both Obama and McCain some of the questions and probably most of the topics before-hand.  It was so damn obvious that Obama and McCain knew what was coming next.  There was nothing spontaneous about any of their answers.  There is a lot that is scary about their answers, but nothing spontaneous.  These were the replies of seasoned politicians well advised by their handlers.  Why surprised?  Saddleback is right next to Disneyland and that is what passes for reality in Orange County.  I mean do their buildings look like a church, a Disney HQ, or an office building?  I was quite surprised by the question: what do you think about me asking you these questions in a church?  I would have replied: This is a Church!?  And as the pre-arranged nature of the proceedings proves, it was not a church, but a bit of high entertainment in a comfortable setting attended by men in Tommy Bahama silk shirts and ladies in Macys’ dresses.  And to think most of them are poor by McCain’s definition.    How sad.