patrick.net

Pro Tip: Kinko's is now FedEx Office.

The food situation is becoming weird for shortages. Menu sizes are shrinking and we're routinely told at restaurants they don't have a certain app or dish. Crap food, I know, but we'll get Lunchables for the kids sometimes and those are hard to find around here right now.

Obviously still labor shortages in a lot of service industries. My kids school district cannot find bus drivers for a mindless job anyone can do for $25/hour. In a town of 2,000 most parents drive their kids. They literally could just drive the bus and make $100 a day or more if they take high schoolers to activities or field trips.

Not the best money, but might as well if you're doing it anyway. I'd honestly do it for some side gig money, but I have a lunch beer or two once in a while and I do not want to get a felony DUI with kids on a bus. Also don't know if it falls under CDL laws of .04 BAC for all driving like it does for semi drivers, even in your private vehicle. At least that's how it works here in IL.

Labor is the biggest issue as it trickles down into products. I know Amazon is shunned by a lot of people, but Prime has basically gone away as far as speed of delivery goes. I use it being out in hillbilly country for 2 day delivery, but that's not happening now. Usually 5 days and sometimes more. So we just do a bunch of driving to get shit. Planning better if we're going to be out and grab what we need/want.

WookieMan says

I have a lunch beer or two once in a while and I do not want to get a felony DUI with kids on a bus

Very wise.

Eric Holder says

You mean rent-free is not affordable enough? :)

Under Section 8 some people pay as little as 10%, but that seems too much to ask in a lot of cases.

Was shopping small sawmills. All the manufacturers show boilerplate on their website, "Now accepting orders for delivery in 2022 or 2023."

I dabble in Shou Sugi Ban (japanese burned/dyed wood technique) and the huge dye supplier is limiting quantities and out of numerous colors.

A year ago there were literally a million choices of 18650 lithium battery for sale on Ebay, now there are just 1 or 2 sketch looking sellers with inventory and many lithium sizes are low inventory or NA.

Dozens of Containerships sit offshore at the LA harbor waiting to be offloaded. Is this a transport/distribution problem?

rocketjoe79 says

Dozens of Containerships sit offshore at the LA harbor

You spelled HUNDREDS wrong! It appears one of said ships dropped anchor in a place ships normally never moor, and punctured an oil pipeline causing a 100,000+ gallon spill.

Automan Empire says

rocketjoe79 says

Dozens of Containerships sit offshore at the LA harbor

You spelled HUNDREDS wrong! It appears one of said ships dropped anchor in a place ships normally never moor, and punctured an oil pipeline causing a 100,000+ gallon spill.

... and now all the greenie fucks are bleating "oil drilling baaaad" while working hard to ignore offshoring and outsourcing.

Mexican place where we went to with @Patrick a while ago has increased their fajita prices by about 30%. And inflation is only 4-5%...or so I am told.

Right, inflation is clearly much more than we are being told.

Rugged cellphone cases. I can't get one for my phone. Going to get a generic nylon pouch instead now.

Excellent tequila from Jalisco can not be found anywhere.

Patrick says

Right, inflation is clearly much more than we are being told

But there's not a chance in HE double L that interest rates are going to be raised.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10094485/Biden-ridiculed-online-EmptyShelvesJoe-frustrated-shoppers-complain-shortages.html

Frustrated shoppers share photos of bare aisles in stores across the country and #EmptyShelvesJoe trends on Twitter as the Biden administration's response to the supply chain crisis is slammed as 'too little, too late'

His chief of staff, Ron Klain, angered some by saying that inflation and shortages were 'high class problems'

Where are these bare shelves I havent seen anything like that?

Bullets seem to be back although 30-40% higher price.

NDrLoR says

Patrick says

Right, inflation is clearly much more than we are being told

But there's not a chance in HE double L that interest rates are going to be raised.

Well, one might think of that as an opportunity to borrow at the permanently low interest rates, invest in something with a high nominal return, and then pay back the loan with devalued dollars, keeping the difference.

Normally all I invest in is stocks, but there is risk there. In theory, silver and gold should go up with inflation. But I'm not entirely sure about that either.

Patrick says

. In theory, silver and gold should go up with inflation. But I'm not entirely sure about that either.

Funny, I was looking at 100g gold bars (online) yesterday at Pacific Precious Metals. Has anyone ever done business with them (they're up in Marin)?
Not sure I want to go that route either...

Gold doesn't seem to be moving with inflation.

Theory and reality are often at odds.

"The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent" as they say.

Patrick says

Well, one might think of that as an opportunity to borrow at the permanently low interest rates,

I thought that margin rates were variable???

I just meant interest rates in general are being held artificially low for an indefinite period.

Patrick says

I just meant interest rates in general are being held artificially low for an indefinite period.

Then buy all the QQQ that you can on margin.

Two weeks ago when I went to take money out of my local credit union, the lady complained they would run out of cash by the weekend. The reason for that $600 spying by the IRS is directly related to the elevation of cash during scamdemic.

Patrick says

and then pay back the loan with devalued dollars, keeping the difference.

That became the philosophy towards the end of the 1970's hyperinflation when it was decided it was here to stay and became factored into every financial decision. It made all the sense in the world to buy on credit because inflation would bail you out. MasterCard came out in 1978. In Robt. J. Samuelson's book The Great Inflation and its Aftermath, he tells the tragic story of some farmers who owned huge ranches which had been in the family for decades. They took out huge second mortgages counting on inflation to save them. After all, gold was never going to be less than $800 an ounce, such was the belief of the times--$3,000 in today's money. When inflation was finally tamed by 1983 with double digit interest rates, they were wiped out and two or three of them committed suicide.

Yes, Biden et alia have declared sanctions and embargos on the American People. Why the fuck do we send those DC Fucks tax money again?

This article blames California emissions regulations:

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/10/14/the-california-version-of-the-green-new-deal-and-an-october-16-2020-epa-settlement-with-transportation-is-whats-creating-the-container-shipping-backlog-working-ca-ports-24-7-will-not-help-here/

RC2006 says

Gold doesn't seem to be moving with inflation.

Dont waste PRECIOUS time with gold. :)


gold's performance is pathetic

The Secretary of TRANSPORTATION decided to take and stay on MATERNITY LEAVE.
https://nypost.com/2021/10/15/secretary-buttigieg-stays-on-paternity-leave-amid-supply-chain-crisis/

Butt-egg has decided he's not needed during a Supply Chain crisis.

Patrick says

Have you noticed shortages?

Yes, it is extremely hard to find cars to replace the worn out taxis.

MisdemeanorRebellionNoCoupForYou says

The Secretary of TRANSPORTATION decided to take and stay on MATERNITY LEAVE.
https://nypost.com/2021/10/15/secretary-buttigieg-stays-on-paternity-leave-amid-supply-chain-crisis/

Butt-egg has decided he's not needed during a Supply Chain crisis.

He will only make sure that there are no shortages of assless chaps.

MisdemeanorRebellionNoCoupForYou says

Butt-egg has decided he's not needed during a Supply Chain crisis.

2 months of maternity leave? I wonder what all the actual women think about that. Of course, this is the same guy who did the phony bike ride to work.