Notice? No Question mark... I think we're going to join the Preppers, based on the most recent news....
Here are some of the things I've been hearing (haven't done fact checks yet)...
Some true, some not so sure, but enough to make me think we're looking at an upcoming squeeze.
Food:
The Western Drought. Last night saw a TV piece interviewing a California Farmer working on 200,000 acre farm that wouldn't be planted. Also said that California supplies 1/2 of US fruits and vegetables.. (don't think that's right, but it's a lot.)
Cocoa Beans... coffee, chocolate... prices already going up. Forecast for a huge price increase in dark chocolate.
Shrimp... supply at an all time low... prices up well over 50% already. Salmon Prices also skyrocketing 25% since beginning of this year...
Beef, we've already heard about, beause of the loss of grazing land. Now Lamb prices are soaring.
So far, the midwest grains futures don't look too bad. Maybe a saving grace.
Energy: Of course Propane... up 50%, though that will probably not last. Gasoline prices (according to some sources MSNBC, FOX pundits mostly agree)... to soon go to over $4.00 Nationwide. (Our lowest here was about $3.15, a month ago.)
TV, Internet... Watched a CBS special this morning, that looked at the interaction of Comcast, Netflix, the coming FCC decision on the merger, the increasing mobility of TV... (watch anywhere, anytime... not waiting for latest episodes but just continuous binge watching... netflix Amazon, Hulu). The latest surge of content providers outside of the major networks.
Also... the social changes that are taking place within the marketplace... ie. Restaurants, where the clientele drops on days or nights when network TV has specials.
As Cable and Satellite TV providers lose customers, and with high speed internet access mostly directed to Cable... the general thinking seems to be that the current throttling of bandwidth will be allowed to increase so that access will become even more expensive. (the only small consolation here seems to be a gradual fall off of social networking).
For those of us who spend a lot of time watching TV... (you might join us geezers as you get really old)... the Prepper part may come from the gigantic 2, 3 and 4 terrabyte drives... My 3T is almost full already.
Some of our own major Prepping has come naturally, without even trying. Our car mileage has dropped from 15K miles, down to about 5 or 6. We have done some erstaz Prepping, by moving to a senior community... for while we rely on others for some aid, we're insulated from many outside bad things... not being isolated has some great benefits. Safety from crime is one, but having available assistance to avoid fraud, and to not be so exposed to unscrupulous service suppliers and vendors is also important.
So... for the short term, we've lowered our meat intake, are learning to lessen the urge for shrimp... (causes gout, dontcha know? and have determined to not develop a taste for hi-grade chocolate. We also are hoping for a good corn crop, and that the Florida Orange blight can be stopped.
We MAY, buy a few extra cans of coffee and bags of nuts
Things we will NOT do:
. enlarge the cave
. fill the second bathtub with water
. increase the ammunition supply... if we need more than the box of .22's that I bought 30 years ago, we'll just surrender.
.string barbed wire... HOA rules prohibit
That said... the extent of our long term plans...
Suggestions?
Here are some of the things I've been hearing (haven't done fact checks yet)...
Some true, some not so sure, but enough to make me think we're looking at an upcoming squeeze.
Food:
The Western Drought. Last night saw a TV piece interviewing a California Farmer working on 200,000 acre farm that wouldn't be planted. Also said that California supplies 1/2 of US fruits and vegetables.. (don't think that's right, but it's a lot.)
Cocoa Beans... coffee, chocolate... prices already going up. Forecast for a huge price increase in dark chocolate.
Shrimp... supply at an all time low... prices up well over 50% already. Salmon Prices also skyrocketing 25% since beginning of this year...
Beef, we've already heard about, beause of the loss of grazing land. Now Lamb prices are soaring.
So far, the midwest grains futures don't look too bad. Maybe a saving grace.
Energy: Of course Propane... up 50%, though that will probably not last. Gasoline prices (according to some sources MSNBC, FOX pundits mostly agree)... to soon go to over $4.00 Nationwide. (Our lowest here was about $3.15, a month ago.)
TV, Internet... Watched a CBS special this morning, that looked at the interaction of Comcast, Netflix, the coming FCC decision on the merger, the increasing mobility of TV... (watch anywhere, anytime... not waiting for latest episodes but just continuous binge watching... netflix Amazon, Hulu). The latest surge of content providers outside of the major networks.
Also... the social changes that are taking place within the marketplace... ie. Restaurants, where the clientele drops on days or nights when network TV has specials.
As Cable and Satellite TV providers lose customers, and with high speed internet access mostly directed to Cable... the general thinking seems to be that the current throttling of bandwidth will be allowed to increase so that access will become even more expensive. (the only small consolation here seems to be a gradual fall off of social networking).
For those of us who spend a lot of time watching TV... (you might join us geezers as you get really old)... the Prepper part may come from the gigantic 2, 3 and 4 terrabyte drives... My 3T is almost full already.
Some of our own major Prepping has come naturally, without even trying. Our car mileage has dropped from 15K miles, down to about 5 or 6. We have done some erstaz Prepping, by moving to a senior community... for while we rely on others for some aid, we're insulated from many outside bad things... not being isolated has some great benefits. Safety from crime is one, but having available assistance to avoid fraud, and to not be so exposed to unscrupulous service suppliers and vendors is also important.
So... for the short term, we've lowered our meat intake, are learning to lessen the urge for shrimp... (causes gout, dontcha know? and have determined to not develop a taste for hi-grade chocolate. We also are hoping for a good corn crop, and that the Florida Orange blight can be stopped.
We MAY, buy a few extra cans of coffee and bags of nuts
Things we will NOT do:
. enlarge the cave
. fill the second bathtub with water
. increase the ammunition supply... if we need more than the box of .22's that I bought 30 years ago, we'll just surrender.
.string barbed wire... HOA rules prohibit
That said... the extent of our long term plans...
Suggestions?
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