patrick.net

Back in 2004 I once criticized Patrick for a biased selection of news articles (cherry picking) but realized then that this was the purpose of his page.

I was a bit critical of the recent thread, How Many Foreclosures in Palo Alto, 1 or 74? because I thought it improperly framed the "distressed property" data. Well, guess what, it was picked up by a local paper (see article Subprime Crisis Hits Berkeley, Exact Dimensions in Dispute). Unfortunately, stuff like this hurts the credibility of the blog.

Other sites, considered less authoritative, list different numbers. Patrick.net, a site that tracks the housing bubble, cites a report that 61 percent of Berkeley homes for sale—156 out of 255—are foreclosures, with the comparable figures for Oakland as high as 73 percent, compared to 59 percent in Los Angeles, and 57 percent in San Diego and 30 percent in San Francisco. Bargain.com claims 91 homes are in pre-foreclosure status, with 44 in foreclosure, while AOL’s real estate pages cite 131 foreclosures.

“I haven’t heard of many,” said Capitelli.

@Peter P,

Yup, largely thanks to a certain campaign and spiritual "advisor" that cannot keep himself from making inflammatory anti-American comments (and Obama's decision not to distance himself further), I would say the Bitch is most definitely back.

NVR,

the news about Costco running out of rice that you posted got into Chinese news all over the world as if we were already in famine. The Chinese over there are intentionally looking for negative coverage of our food situation, so this provides quite a boost.

Honestly I am not worried a bit about our food situation, particularly because I am sitting in California. If I were to choose anywhere to live in a worldwide food shortage situation, I could do a lot worse in most other countries.

I am actually looking into buying share at local CSA (community supported agriculture) because they use heirloom seeds and grow seasonal food locally. It is also a way for me to secure my local food source. I am wondering if anyone here has participated in such a program before and what the experience is like?

So.... can we still vote for Ron Paul as a write-in?

OK, in 5 years I will volunteer myself to be a troll at pt's site.

@OO,

Why wait?

I am actually looking into buying share at local CSA (community supported agriculture) because they use heirloom seeds and grow seasonal food locally. It is also a way for me to secure my local food source. I am wondering if anyone here has participated in such a program before and what the experience is like?

A CSA's drop-off site is very close to our house, so being a good Bay Aryan we signed up and have been quite pleased. We had done a different CSA the year before and suffered a bit during the winter of our discontent (too much kale and cauliflower). Our current CSA had good variety this past winter. They let you pre-buy either quarterly or up to a year in advance (with a small discount). Maybe I should check to see if they have a 5-year pre-buy plan -- or if they will let you squat on their land to provide "food source protection" when things get really rough. :-) What I have enjoyed most is the variety of vegetables and fruit that you have in your veggie box. Gets you to try different things and experiment with new recipes.

EBGuy,

thanks for sharing the experience. Do you find the price of these veggie comparable to that of Whole Foods? I know they come in boxes each week, but I have no idea how large the "standard" box is.

I think prepayment is definitely a good idea :-)

OK, in 5 years I will volunteer myself to be a troll at pt’s site.

As Marina Subprime?

@OO,

FWIW, I split 1 share of a CSA with a friend; a whole share turned out to be too much because I only feed 2 people regularly. If you're okay with down-season produce (I had squash coming out of my ears last yr, being in new england), the tomato season is totally worth it. Whenever I had a lot of something I didn't know what to do with, I improv'd soup or did an ingredient search on allrecipes. Plus you get that warm fuzzy feeling meeting the farmer etc etc.

too much kale and cauliflower

My suggestion:

1. Caldo Verde
2. Baked Cauliflower

Both are my favorites.

Do you find the price of these veggie comparable to that of Whole Foods?
I hope so... I really can't comprehend how anything could be more expensive than that! The prices are probably on par with what you can get a farmer's market (which means I close my eyes, write the check, and try not to think about it...)
1. Caldo Verde
We tried that this year. So good and fairly simple. Hmmm.... I'm getting hungry.

The CSA concept is growing around Boise too.

www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/357739.html

It's really hard though to make the system work for a single guy like me.

I don't think Patrick.net "broke" the Costco story. The Seattle paper is all over it and I'm sure they've been working on this story for a few days.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/360096_foodshortage23.html

We are fine because we are not tied to a particular kind of carb. We have choices:

1. Rice
2. Wheat (pasta, bread)
3. Potato
4. Atkins

Don't forget the corn tortillas.

I prefer corn bread.

Slow day. How about this for news. From the Berkeley Daily Planet article:
One industry official said Berkeley remains something of an island in a troubled market. “People are always going to want to live here,” he said.
Yes, they will -- but at what price?

1731 6TH St is a 3bed/2bath home with 2158sq.ft. near vaunted Fourth Street shopping.
Now on the MLS for $457,000 .
Sold on 1/26/2006 for $900,000.
Foreclosed on 12/12/2007 for $770,106, by wait, guess ... yes, Countrywide. Yikes, this one actually sent chills down my spine.

Then there's always couscous and falafel.

Couscous?

Somehow I immediately associated it with slow-cooked short ribs. Am I weird?

Thanks Chillie. It turns out most of the CSAs are full, so I have to sign up on the waiting list.

Local food security, people, local food security...

I always associate it with a Berber dinner of couscous and lamb shanks.

Yes, lamb shanks too!

But I prefer leg of lamb and lamb chops. Mint jelly is essential!

EBGuy
do you mind naming the CSA you use? Since you've had a good experience, I'd like to look them up and maybe try the out, see how they compare to my current one.

I've used numerous CSA's, they are great. Nearly all full in Northern Virginia area also, all waiting lists.

I dumped them due to heavy travel schedule and "inconsistent" cooking companions. Gardening is fabulous therapy, though I'm mostly just feeding the deer these days. They are like rats in these parts, and the only fencing that works is the pricey electric 9 footer type that the vineyards all use. With global heating, look for a movement towards gardening and a rejection of grass lawns and associated lawn mowing.

NVR
are you saying you habitually electrocute Bambi?

The NY Sun and reporter there broke the story on Costco, which has been picked up now in headlines globally. It is leading the local network news here in DC currently.

I'll say this though, it wouldn't suprise me to much if my posting it here was an early contribution to the fire rapidly spreading. It would have done so anyway, but....some patrick reader forwards it to someone, who sends it to 50 friends, and we've got conflageration.

I'd also bet Patrick readers comprised the largest group of early readers aware.

Of course the government controlled media in China are front paging it, they need to counter their restless population who are not very pleased with local food inflation there.

It is a non story in many ways. "Rationing" is such a hot word, brilliant attention getter if not a bit inflamatory.

No, not electrocuting any deer...at least yet. Fence is outrageously expensive and I don't have one. The fence just sends a strong message to them I suspect, though I wouldn't want to touch one myself. (note to cityfolk on this list, it is not wise to urinate on an electric fence)

If you were referring to the ex-girlfriend dining companions, I generally just show them the door without any electrocution involved. :-)

There are 20-30 deer in my yard every morning and evening, and on a typical nighttime ride to civilization, it is not unusual to count over 100 on a 20 minute ride.

Now I heard that the rice shortage story even got on CNBC.

I hate to say this, this is more likely than not caused by a bunch of rice-staple immigrants reading about shortage back home and reacting in the similar fashion at Costco. Most Americans don't even eat rice, if anything, the most common rice type should be superfino, not the Kokuho rice at Costco.

However, a much more likely scenario is personal entrepreneurship. When I read about the rice shortage and riots, the first thing that crossed my mind was, hmm, maybe I can ship some California rice there to make a profit. I bet someone already took action.

The NY Sun and reporter there broke the story on Costco, which has been picked up now in headlines globally.

Another first, the great Internet Rice Panic of 2008. I swear when we were sitting around the dinner table last night and I searched rice rationing at Google news the only stories in the US that came up were NVRs Sun article and the local newscast from CBS5 (both with April 21 datelines) that I had mentioned in my "Great Depression" post (on this thread). It is rather humorous. I mean, you think Costco might have had the sense to ration rice at say, all its Midwestern outlets, instead of in the heart of the freakin' Silicon Valley where it is a staple. Heck it is a staple at my home and I'm not Asian. And then all the $200k earning couples get on the internet and tell folks back home there are food shortages.

Whoops, see that OO and I are thinkin' alike again...

However, a much more likely scenario is personal entrepreneurship. When I read about the rice shortage and riots, the first thing that crossed my mind was, hmm, maybe I can ship some California rice there to make a profit. I bet someone already took action.

Yep. A true capitalist will see any crisis as an opportunity. It is not wrong to exploit because Free market will ultimately deliver the greatest good for all.

the most common rice type should be superfino, not the Kokuho rice at Costco.

More likely Uncle Ben's, I'd guess.

OK, now this rice hoarding thing is spreading to Walmart and Sam's Club.

I think someone ought to be camping out at LAX ports checking on outgoing cargo ship. This is definitely not a food shortage news in the US, this is a rice shortage story fueled by pricing arbitrage, from West to East. If Americans are truly hoarding for the fear of running out of food, why the heck are these white guys dipping their hands into our staple food? Hey, get back to your pasta please.

I think food speculation is a good thing. At least, it provides trading opportunities. At best, Free Market will have a chance to regulate over-population.

Besides, higher prices must be good right? :)

Ok, I need to "hoard" some rice now. When prices are good, can I just sell rice on craigslist? What should be the exit strategy?

Ok, now this is really getting outta control.

The Chinese yahoo equivalents are now putting Food rationing in America on their headlines. One of the articles says, "even rich areas like the Silicon Valley has to go under rice rationing".

How did a Costco outta-rice story in Mountain View (at least 30% Asian population) morph into a pan-American food rationing news headline?

How did a Costco outta-rice story in Mountain View (at least 30% Asian population) morph into a pan-American food rationing news headline?

LOL! This is becoming funnier and funnier.

Costco should have implemented rice auctioning instead of rationing. It should display the greatness of capitalism.

The best defense against food shortage is an efficient market.

Wow, it is absolutely nuts. The great rice panic. To think we here might have played a small early part.

It is only going to feed on itself. I have a friend who told me he picked up a couple big "bags" this afternoon even though he doesn't eat the stuff.

My local grocery 12 midnight EST was fully stocked, all types. I wonder what their rice shelf looks like right now. Sheeple see that on the news and feel compelled to get theirs before it is all gone.

LMAO

:-)