Survival and Emergency Preparedness

Most here lived through the 70/80s and know what to expect.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Internationa ... y-84714350

https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/fear ... 43737a4a0d

Thank goodness Gates invested so heavily into baby food right before the alleged shortage.

I thought the promised global economy was the best thing since slice bread. All nations would benefit and there would be less waste.

Yet, once again we are starting to see the reality that you must look out for yourself.

First of all - I could care less of what ABC and .AU news reports. I have to assume it is all lies and BS designed to incite fear, or is only 10% of the story at best. Whatever.

That said - resiliance is a good thing. When you have outgrown your food supply, or outsourced, YOU have a problem that YOU created. Oh well. Welcome to reality.

China would lock down a city just to mess with us. But hey - let's give away food to Ukraine, because, well, just because...

Bob wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 1:25 pm First of all - I could care less of what ABC and .AU news reports. I have to assume it is all lies and BS designed to incite fear, or is only 10% of the story at best.

Bingo!

And don't forget propaganda machine.

Shortage re home heating oil... last full year @ 3.54 for about 3k total costs

Had to redo my 1 yr contract with oil company.
Choices;
1) float price @ 6.57 ( yesterday, changes with market )
2) lock price @ 6.08 ( if it drops below, you get reduction )
3) lock in fixed @ 5.56 ( no matter what oil does )

What do you pick ?? will be interesting to see.

That is a hard choice, none of those prices are great when compared to last year.

Ended up with number 3... don't think it will go down within 6+ months , will cost 2k over last year

When you have outgrown your food supply, or outsourced, YOU have a problem that YOU created. Oh well. Welcome to reality.

Yes. I wrote on another website this a.m that a person has a choice about his source of information.

Choice No. One (most people)- headline news, breaking news, expose magazines, conspiracy websites, listening breathlessly to political speeches, watching The View on television.

Choice No. Two: the Wall Street Journal, trade magazines, The Economist, Wired (entrepreneurial. developments)

When you select Choice No. Two, you have months in advance better information and a better idea of the future than if you sit on your butt and wait until you are hit with the evening news.

I raise soybeans. So maybe, let's assume you are retired law enforcement. I have to know the world supplies and conditions of the different grains and what impacts fuel prices. In the trade publications, three months ago, there were extensive discussions of the impact of the Ukraine War on commodities. There weren't headline or breaking news stories. If months ago, you had a choice of buying a season fuel contract on the east coast as contrasted to simply paying whatever the spot price was for fuel and you had the information, you would have bought a contract.

In Communist China, there is (or are) no social security, no unemployment benefits, no general funds, no subsidized housing. The government effectively pays only about 10% of the medical costs. The personal savings rate is about 35% because either you are on your own or your family takes care of you. You must have a residence permit. 200,000,000 people live on the streets or in hovels as day workers and do not have residence permits. Now, in November 2021, the President of China said that the people of China should stock up on food for the winter. What does that tell you as a US investor or consumer?

It did not make headline news. It was in the trade publications. It meant that things were going to hell. It meant workers were being laid off and sent to the countryside in the middle of the winter to fend for themselves. It meant a shortage of food in 2022. It meant problems in the economy - don;t invest in CHINA! So, I spent the stimulus money on buying 2022 nonperishable foodstuffs and oils.

It will be interesting to see how the food supplies go this fall.

Our area is still struggling to get crops in due to all the rain. Out west, they are struggling due to no rain. Both have the same effect, less food.