patrick.net

Automan Empire says

Now I'm seeing 20yo quarter million mile trucks with disclosed rust damage and salvage/lemon law buyback titles in Philadelphia getting nationwide bids well into 5 figures.

There are no cars. We are now in the market again. Hopefully with $30k extra cash, but I'm not sure WTF we're going to get. Never thought we'd buy new, but it might be the only option. We can get what the dealer paid for it from the manufacturer (Toyota) with some sales commission in there, but I've never liked the idea of buying new. I do know it would be nice to have all the bells and whistles though. We're in the car a lot.

Automan Empire says

zzyzzx says

Not as bad as the one above, but still:
(image of RIP OFF invoice)

Man I hope everyone who saw that WALKED straight off that dealer's lot obviously in response to reading it, then never returned no matter what. The vehicle market IS crazy, but those who can hold out for a year or two won't face this bullshit.

I've been looking at Suburbans to upgrade my dead 99 for heavy towing. 2 years ago when my budget was tighter, people were GIVING the damn things away. Now I'm seeing 20yo quarter million mile trucks with disclosed rust damage and salvage/lemon law buyback titles in Philadelphia getting nationwide bids well into 5 figures.

I'm automatically tracking KBB value of my jalopies in a financial planning app I use. Mostly for shits and giggles since I don't consider them "assets". And giggles I got plenty: over the last two years they APPRECIATED between 50% and 100%. =)) My son who was planning to buy one of them from me is sad though because it's the hooptie he wants to buy that went up 100%. Ironicallly, it's the one with the most miles on the clock (but not the oldest one).

https://notthebee.com/article/um-is-anyone-at-all-concerned-that-grocery-stores-around-the-country-seem-to-be-running-out-of-food-at-an-alarming-rate?source=patrick.net

Patrick says

https://notthebee.com/article/um-is-anyone-at-all-concerned-that-grocery-stores-around-the-country-seem-to-be-running-out-of-food-at-an-alarming-rate?source=patrick.net

As fat as we are (collectively) I doubt starvation would be an effective means of wiping out significant numbers of Americans.

Part shortages on the rise, what was once overnight is now pushing 2-3months for industrial equipment I work on. Around here stores seem stocked but prices are up, maybe inventory is moving from poorer cities to wealthier ones for maximized profit.

https://notthebee.com/article/heres-your-bidens-america-photo-of-the-day?source=patrick.net

That's one way to overcome #EmptyshelvesBiden's economy.

Yes, that is one entire produce section of a grocery store containing nothing but heads of iceberg lettuce, all spread out.

Let's zoom in a bit on that.

Patrick says

https://notthebee.com/article/heres-your-bidens-america-photo-of-the-day?source=patrick.net

That's one way to overcome #EmptyshelvesBiden's economy.

Yes, that is one entire produce section of a grocery store containing nothing but heads of iceberg lettuce, all spread out.

Let's zoom in a bit on that.

This is what they used to do in the USSR: spread some goods which were in low demand* over many surfaces to create an illusion that the store is not empty.


*) Some really weird stuff, like "birch juice" or canned seaweed.

Tampons:
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-and-other-online-stores-have-run-out-of-tampons-2020-3?source=patrick.net

Given the high inflation rate and possibility of shortages, I've been buying durable goods in bulk. I'm now the go-to person for toilet paper. 😳

US warns that chip shortage could shut down factories
Companies that use semiconductors are down to less than five days of inventory — a sharp drop from 40 days in 2019, according to a department survey of 150 companies. The chips used in the production of automobiles and medical devices are especially scarce.
We're starting to cannibalize old assemblies for chips that are no longer available. Not a good sign...

https://patriotpost.us/articles/85760?source=patrick.net

JANUARY 25, 2022
The Price-Jabbing International Trucking Vax Mandate
Team Biden’s latest diktat will only make the current supply chain crisis worse.

The nation’s supply troubles might have just gotten worse following the Department of Homeland Security issuing yet another COVID vaccine mandate. A new U.S. port regulation recently went into effect mandating that noncitizens may not enter the U.S. through ports of entry unless they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. While the new mandate does not apply to American truck drivers, it does apply to all Canadian and Mexican drivers. Furthermore, both Canada and Mexico have implemented similar rules, effectively preventing U.S. truck drivers from hauling cargo internationally if they have not been vaccinated.

EBGuy says

US warns that chip shortage could shut down factories
Companies that use semiconductors are down to less than five days of inventory — a sharp drop from 40 days in 2019, according to a department survey of 150 companies. The chips used in the production of automobiles and medical devices are especially scarce.
We're starting to cannibalize old assemblies for chips that are no longer available. Not a good sign...

Its really is getting bad, but this is what happens when you outsource everything to slavers to save a few bucks. Outsourcing to China has been hiding true inflation.

RC2006 says

US warns that chip shortage could shut down factories

Remember how Trump wanted to bring back chip production to the US?

I've noticed a shortage of customer service.

It's all small stuff so far.

Here is an example: for the first time ever, after decades, I did not receive a "courtesy call" from the service advisor to tell me my car would be ready for pickup.

I had to call the shop to inquire.

B.A.C.A.H. says

I had to call the shop to inquire.

That's normal and has been the case my entire adult life.

zzyzzx says

That's normal and has been the case my entire adult life.

Yes, I know.

I don't think of myself as an Entitled Princess, nor was I complaining that I didn't get such a phone call. It's just a first time that I didn't receive such a call after using the local Toyota (and Honda and Subaru) dealers for so many services for two decades. Just an observation. Here's another one, again, small sh*t but it may portend of macro economic trends: fewer and fewer tellers at the banks. Yes, I know, automation and cost reduction and all that. Also, less service.

B.A.C.A.H. says

Yes, I know, automation and cost reduction and all that. Also, less service.

Has anyone been to a sit down restaurant where you order from a tablet mounted to the table, and an R2D2 robot brings the food, or something similar?

No, but I don't think I'd like that.

HeadSet says

Has anyone been to a sit down restaurant where you order from a tablet mounted to the table, and an R2D2 robot brings the food, or something similar?

No robot delivering the food. Dealt with plenty of restaurants with the QR codes and ordering on the phone though. Love hate relationship with that process. If a server is busy and takes my order, but doesn't put it in, I'm waiting and pissed. Using the phone you at least know someone got the order either bartender or cook and the potential weak link, server, is taken out of the equation if the place has people running drinks/food to tables and not taking orders.

Geezers are the problem with this system being widely implemented in a meaningful way that would work for 95% of customers. As an introvert I'll do just about anything to not have to deal with a random human. Mind you I'm super social with people I know and trust, but I just can't stand random interactions. It's like nails on a chalkboard sometimes. Like a gas station cashier trying to shoot the shit with you who is clearly a moron, but you have to be polite. It's awkward as fuck. Golfing it is super annoying when the starter/ranger tries to be your buddy at the nicer courses. Or they're complete ass holes telling you to keep pace of play when the fucks in front of you suck at golf.

Honda Civic with outrageous dealer markup:

Hard to read the itemized pricing. Is it the "MVA" line that looks to be $10900?

45k honda civic maybe should go into clown world thread. Devaluing dollar acceleration.

From what I've heard they are having a heck of a time getting soybeans shipped to China.

Karloff says

Hard to read the itemized pricing. Is it the "MVA" line that looks to be $10900?

Market Vehicle Adjustment. Yeah that's dealer add on and only a moron pays it.

Misc says

From what I've heard they are having a heck of a time getting soybeans shipped to China.

Heard the same, and add walnuts, almonds, etc ag crops that used to take a trip across the pacific when the cargo ships would return to asia. Apparently the ships make it back quicker without a return load in order to pick up more shit to bring over here and dump. They’re making more money to have one way trade.

Karloff says

Hard to read the itemized pricing. Is it the "MVA" line that looks to be $10900?

That’s correct. That civic is for sale in Montclair CA, if you look at the sticker. My sister confirmed that all new cars (of the ones she is looking at as she is trying to find a replacement for hers) she has found in the LA are have a $10,000 to $16,000 MVA on them regardless of brand/model. And people are still buying them, it’s absolutely clown world out there.

Electricity:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/02/08/national-grid-pays-households-ration-power-use/?source=patrick.net

Demand for electricity is set to soar in coming decades as millions of people ditch their petrol and diesel cars for electric models and swap gas-fired boilers for electric heat pumps or hydrogen made from renewable electricity, as part of the Government’s push to cut carbon emissions.

This will happen at the same time as coal and gas-fired power stations make way for more and more wind and solar power, which are intermittent, requiring greater management of the grid to make sure demand always matches supply to prevent possible blackouts.

This doesn't help... lol. Sorry Lambo buyers. https://www.autonews.com/retail/burnt-out-ship-carrying-4000-vws-porsches-audis-bentleys-and-lamborghinis-sinks-rough-seas?source=patrick.net

So Mazda sent my daughter a $5000 incentive to turn in her CX30 lease early. If anything it should have been a key swap affair, her keys for the new ones.
The payments should have stayed the same. We called up the salesman that I have leased all 10 of my Mazda's from over the years. After going over the available stock and crunching the numbers, the best he could do, was $365 a month. She's paying $187 now.

So I told Andrew as we were walking out empty handed...

You know when She(my daughter) was a baby, She never learned to talk. We took her to every specialist we could find, they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her either.
It broke our hearts that our baby girl was going to grow up a mute, and never say a word. Then one day when she was about seven, my daughter made her some toast and she looked at it and said... 'HEY this toast is BURNT!" The wife looked at it and said ah, you're right let me make you anoth... Oh my god you talked, overcame with Joy the wife was screaming ecstatically doing backflips and summersaults of joy. Finally she looked at our daughter and said. 'Why did you wait so long to say your first word?' to which she replied.

"Until Now Everything was OK!"

He laughed and said that was good, then caught the subtle intent of my joke.
I said as I walked out the door. Fix this by time her lease is up, or we'll start looking at other brands.

This is why I bought Tesla stock. Dealers are screwing themselves out of existence long term. Tesla’s way of selling cars is the future … no haggle or markups and we deliver it to your door is making everyone buy one. I see neighbors who never would have considered a Tesla a few years ago with them in their driveways.

People will remember the dealer that marked up their vehicle $10k. Supply and demand be damned. I know they hiked prices this year… but the correlation to the trade in value you get for your existing car is similar atleast. But I like the transparent price hike vs dealer bullshit add ons.

WookieMan says

This doesn't help... lol. Sorry Lambo buyers. https://www.autonews.com/retail/burnt-out-ship-carrying-4000-vws-porsches-audis-bentleys-and-lamborghinis-sinks-rough-seas?source=patrick.net

Rumor is the fire was caused by a car battery cook-off. Several johnny-come-lately battery carmakers have had severe issues with this problem. (Chevy Volt, anyone?) This never happened to Tesla, though there were a few fires after crashes in the early days.

I'm not surprised the limited crew of a freighter didn't know what to do and lost the ship. We used to carry sonobuoys with Lithium Batteries on P-3s to hunt subs. The solution for cookoff was to put on your special Kevlar Gloves, open the main cabin door, and toss the damn thing into the sea. Fuckers would burn right through the side of the aircraft.

rocketjoe79 says

We used to carry sonobuoys with Lithium Batteries on P-3s to hunt subs.

Ever based out of Azores?

Ammo prices going right up. I stocked on another 1000 rounds and it is up 20-30% relative to a week ago.

Bd6r says

Ammo prices going right up. I stocked on another 1000 rounds and it is up 20-30% relative to a week ago.

Guess the Russians found a use for the ammo they were exporting to the States before Joe's import restriction.