Yep. In my engineering work about three years ago I had to calculate a life cycle cost analysis for a project, comparing two different designs. In order to do that you have to go get the official, federal inflation. Of course, that's normally lower than reality. But, this wasn't CPI (which is just a big lie, really). It was the official inflation rate for energy. At that time...over 39%. I sat at my desk and realized that my compounding equations had been rendered useless. Almost 40% annual inflation for energy...This was under Biden. Now...as this article points out, they are certainly targeting the food supply - especially beef. It's criminal, in my opinion.

Being close to leaving the working world I have been paying very close attention to my bills - utilities, food, taxes, insurance... It is not good. The middle class can't survive this much longer.

I remember that phrase, too. It sums them up. They really don’t care about people… just power.

On the Chinese companies: I read somewhere that every corporation in China is owned at least 51% by the CCP, which gives the Party a controlling interest in everything they do. Add to that - Bill Clinton gave China the "Most Favored Nation" status back in about 1995, putting China on an even legal footing with all of our actual allies - Japan, Germany, France, the UK...
This NEVER should have happened, and has led to the trade imbalances and Chinese monopolization of industries, ever since.
With those two issues, the US is screwed.
Maybe Trump can put us back on an even keel, but he's working against not individual companies, but the entire God-damned CCP.

Thinking about that pope has awakened a memory.
Way back during the Archie Bunker Sixties, people like his hole in the head holiness were called "bleeding heart liberals."

Is everyone clear on what "rare earth" means? Those elements are common but widely dispersed and are difficult to separate from each other.

According to Wikipedia, "The term "rare-earth" is a misnomer, because they are not actually scarce, but because they are found only in compounds, not as pure metals, and are difficult to isolate and purify."

I do, too… I buy the party size box. At least now I know that I can substitute wicker furniture for them if I run out.

At least you tried. This pope might not be as bad as the last one, but he has no business telling our country how to conduct immigration policy.

Exactly! Manufacturers might set up returns to their recycling centers so they can add to their profit.
I probably have a couple dozen old pc boards lying around here.

I tried. But I couldn't get over the Vatican Wall.
And they had Gates I couldn't get through.

Also, keep in mind. Most machines are 3-5 year lifespans. While you are setting this up, get some "Electronic Recycling" Process going. So that 50% of your supply comes from recycling recently departed equipment, and 50% from the backlog.

The question really becomes... How fast will we run out of the oldest stuff?

I am reminded that you can have a LOT of "garbage" of some type (Kudzu). But the minute someone figures out how to run a CAR on it. You will have shortages! LOL

I love Triscuts! Cracked black pepper is a fav.

Should help a lot! Saw this the other day, from Epoch I think.
Nitron magnetics is working pretty hard to make rare earths irrelevant in magnets. Their magnets are in production, but small. They have issues with size, and larger magents have to be bonded, losing a portion of their properties. We are working with them on proper motor/generator designs to leverage them.

Perhaps with the exception of Fetterman, at least 99% has TDS. 99.5? 99.9?

Sounds like a process very similar to oil refining.

Great group! I'm going to have to vote for the Triscuit one and the idolizing a politician one as the top two.

Probably wouldn't make any difference but at least he's not in our face spouting stupid shit and not a pedophile as far as we know.

Not to mention the 75% that don't, probably wouldn't get it anyway.

This is a well known paper from August 30, 2005.
It has not been refuted.

The scary thing is the word 'most'.
Not five percent, not twenty percent,
but 'most', presumably well over half.

And everyone else who thinks la la liby like Democrats with 25% needing to take mental malfunction meds.

Super bunch!
Someone should show the last one to the pope.

This is so well written! I’m having lunch reading it on my way home from an inspection on another rental property I’m purchasing. I realized recently that if I just work, earn a fat paycheck, and save - it’s not enough!!! Man, this one hits home. A couple years ago I came to the realization that the Feds’ approach to our massive debt would be to inflate our way out of it. Looks like I nailed it, huh? Problem is, in spite of being more politically expedient than self discipline or austerity, it won’t work. It’s like digging a hole deeper and deeper piling the dirt on top of your head. I just paid $25 for this burger and a beer… I’m dumping a lot of cash, exercising a little domestic austerity, and actively trading equities (no more HODL…too damn volatile, which is a symptom of the problem described in this article).

I really feel sorry for the kids these days. I detect grossly lower hope with them than what we had…

Saw this the other day - blew my mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihMb4...

California has a vast deposit of Lithium and it just needs to be filtered out of the brine that is already being used a geothermal energy.

" isn't that mountain scattered all over the land"
I agree that there would be a significant up front cost, but wouldn't that be considerably lower cost than mining half a mile or more below the surface in Yak-istan?
Adding 'computer' trash to recycling process now will give would result in a new surface 'mine' and constant stream for the future to feed this process.
How many million people have old non-working electronics in their closets today?

In the end, aren't all Chinese companies fronts for the CCP? No mystery that selling an American company to a Chinese company would mean eventually shipping it and it's technology to China. "Partnering" an American company to a Chinese company does the same thing except bleeding all the wealth out of the American side to the Chinese "partner" precedes the move. Trump is the first politician in my life time to say "No more!".

The article says America has a mountain of discarded electronics, but isn't that mountain scattered all over the land, which would add to the expense of recovering the metals?

Moondoggy is beautiful and so is her talent. May she stay safe and well and not become a target for painting her beliefs. Thanks, Carl, for sharing this artist with us.