Free Republic

Copper prices are currently at all-time highs. Copper prices have increased from US$0.63/lb Cu when Equinox acquired Lumwana, and averaged US$1.85/lb Cu in October-2005 when the Lumwana Difinitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) was completed. Copper prices are currently over US$2.30/lb (Feb 2006). Copper markets are cyclical, typically with periods of high copper prices that last for 4 to 7 years, followed by similar periods of low copper prices. The upswing in the current copper cycle commenced in late-2003 and continues strongly . The present cyclical uptrend can be attributed in large measure to the rapid industrial growth of China, India, Russia...

After 10 years of fighting the federal government to get to the bottom of the death of his brother, Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue does not consider a federal judge's ruling in a Freedom of Information fight a defeat. If anything, he says it's just the opposite after Judge Dale Kimball ruled last night the FBI in Okahoma City did not have to reveal the names of informants who had targeted Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh before he attacked the Murrah building in 1995 and killed 168 persons. "I think that's huge," said Trentadue in pointing out the judge...

Head's up -- just got off of the phone with a polling organization (missed some of CSI, too!!) regarding Wal-Mart, unionization and local/state legistation regarding requiring "big box stores" to provide a certain percentage of income to employee benefits. I must say the pollster was quite even-handed in presenting the questions. I couldn't tell by the nature of the questions who was paying for the poll - but I suspect it was probably Wal-Mart. I will be interested in hearing from fellow FReepers the "results" of this poll, or whether anyone else has been contacted.

KINGFISHER -- State and local officials are puzzled by a series of geysers that have erupted in recent days in Kingfisher County, spewing mud and gas into the air. The geysers have appeared throughout the countryside, with stretches of up to 12 miles between spots, and some as short as a quarter of a mile, Kingfisher Fire Chief John Crawford said. The threat of the gas igniting is "unlikely," Crawford said, but a bigger concern is the gas could begin coming up through water-well lines.

Just a heads-up's to FR geeks. The meteors have already started, but it looks as if this could be a real event.

Pretty amazing plant. I heard about this bloom on the local radio. Thought there might be a FReeper or two who would be interested. If you live in the OKC area, they are extending viewing hours - might want to bring a gas mask :).

California's "Happy Cows" ads might be fairly cheesy, but that doesn't mean the state can be sued over them. On Tuesday, San Francisco's 1st District Court of Appeal declared the California Milk Producers Advisory Board exempt from the state's false advertising laws, preventing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Inc. from suing the agency over its popular campaign showing blissful bovines in a pastoral paradise. PETA, based in Norfolk, Va., had claimed that the ads were "explicitly and implicitly untrue, deceptive and misleading" -- that California cows actually lead harsh lives in grubby fields before being slaughtered. In their...

Sorry for the vanity - but I wanted to alert MSN and Hotmail users to a spoofed email I received that was supposedly from "Hotmail Staff". (I have an MSN account.) The email said they were reviewing accounts and there was some problem that needed clarification on my account. I was supposed to click on the provided link. However the link in the email was different than the actual link which would have taken me to http://securetrade-eu.com/check.php. The email said if information wasn't provided within 48 hours, my account would be restricted. I spoke with Tech Support at MSN and...

Cox Cable Channel 16 will be showing "Stolen Honor" on Saturday at 8:00 pm CST.

The U.S. Army will dump powdered egg whites, grain alcohol and several other substances on the town of Goldsby as part of a mock bioterrorism attack, state officials confirmed Thursday. The Homeland Security Chemical/Biological Umbrella will be conducted by the Army and the Environmental Protection Agency. Residents of Goldsby, a town of about 800 in northern McClain County, started receiving letters explaining the procedure this week, state Environmental Quality Department spokeswoman Monty Elder said. The letter says the Army will conduct tests over "rural areas southwest of Oklahoma City." The letter says airplanes will release "small amounts of harmless materials"...

http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/rov/current_election/6362.htmEvidence that Berkeley is living in the past...Mayor Tom Hayden!!

The Horowitz event at UC Berkeley began with a well-behaved audience of about 300+ in attendence.