Why Rich People Avoid Consumerism [Darius Foroux] – “In the inflationary world of 2021, some new cars are sold ten to thirty percent over their asking price. This is the primary example most media outlets use when they cover inflation. It’s so telling of the time we’re living in. People would rather pay more for a new car than drive their existing one for another year. Consumerism at its height.” The opening story doesn’t quite match the title but the main point of the article is good – “there’s no rush.”
The $5 billion hoard of metal the world wants but can’t have [Mining.com] – “On an industrial park about an hour’s drive toward the South China Sea coast from Ho Chi Minh City sit giant mounds of raw metal shrouded in black tarpaulin. Stretching a kilometer in length, the much-coveted hoard could be worth about $5 billion at current prices.” A fascinating little story about an aluminum stockpile.
Let’s Talk about Ghastly Dishwashers [American Institute for Economic Research] – “Dishwashers used to wash all the dishes in under one hour. Now they take two hours, three hours, and four hours, and still don’t get the dishes clean. So much for saving on energy. Less water, sure, but more electricity — and what does it mean to save resources when the thing doesn’t work?” Ours works fine but it does take flipping forever. Even the hilariously named “Speed 60” setting takes 70 minutes.