America is a Great Place. (If you like lines…)
Most of us don’t do “waiting” well. My career “waiting” began sometime in mid 1948. It wasn’t until 1949 that I could stop waiting and get on with life; because that’s when I was born after a 9-month wait.
The main feature of growing up, after grade school, was catching the bus. Again, waiting. After patiently explaining to my parents that “waiting” in pouring down rain verged on child abuse, parents overruled, and I was subjected to an inadequate education.
In class, I waited for the “good stuff.” Which there was scant little of in those days. But, counting my blessings, we could still look at both sides of the Civil War and not file lawsuits.
Three quarters of a century later, I’m still waiting.
Except for Housing Starts
Thank God – at least something has happened in economic news. Not terribly exciting, but any press release on a slow day. And they were hotter than expected. Way hotter:
Housing Starts
Privately?owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,560,000. This is 14.8 percent (±14.0 percent) above the revised October estimate of 1,359,000 and is 9.3 percent (±14.6 percent)* above the November 2022 rate of 1,427,000. Single?family housing starts in November were at a rate of 1,143,000; this is 18.0 percent (±12.9 percent) above the revised October figure of 969,000. The November rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 404,000.
Since this is hotter, we need to ask why? I think with no evidence at all, that with inflation back front-of-mind, buying a home is one of the few assets regular people can build and make money (using inflation) over time. Maybe that’s it?
With the early Futures pricing today, we’re waiting to see when the mania will break (and down will come baby, cradle and all).
That said, markets never crash from highs – and we’re putting in a new top for Wave 2 – so we will have to see how the wars and disasters around the world bend-up the future into something that will have a hard time equaling yesterday in its grandeur.
Put another way, we’re back to waiting.
Wars While Waiting
Ukraine is still at war: High-powered strike: Soviet FAB-1500M54 bomb dropped on Ukrainian positions – “Carpet bombing” by Su-34 on Kherson-Liman-Kupiansk. Which means (guess what?) more waiting until enough dead or one side (Ukraine) runs out of ammo and/or money and starts talking about where to draw the new border between people. Which is what this comes down to. Well, maybe a pinch of illicit everything clearing through Ukraine, even Biden money, but there’s a potential forever wait for all the facts on that ever coming out. You guessed it: just keep waiting.
War in/on Gaza continues, as well. While waiting for that to end, we see how Israeli strikes hit Rafah houses, at least 20 killed – Gaza health ministry. While we wait, little sign of the mainstream talking about the end of the Two-State solution. But our money is on Israel taking most (the northern half) of Gaza. Ostensibly to slow the launch of missiles. But, more realistically, to finish River to Sea and swipe the offshore gas deposits off Gaza. West Bank to become West Beach.
It would be so refreshing in the world is we could just skip to the conclusion of things. Because the waiting in wars is filled-in with killing people. Most of whom don’t benefit much one way, or the other, from whatever the outcome is. They just die; end, finished.
While the World waits: I told you last week that as soon as elections were finished and president Sisi won his third term as president of Egypt, that we would likely see a hardening of position on Israel’s landlord tenant dispute in Gaza. Quite predictably, as soon as the vote was in: Sisi reaffirms Egypt’s unshakeable stance in support of Palestinian cause-SIS.
All that remains is to see how far his pivot harder will go. (Yes, more waiting).
Know who else is waiting? The UN. UN Security Council delays Gaza ceasefire vote amid US Veto concerns – Doha News | Qatar
Turkey’s Erdogan is a masterful “waiter.” Because while he’s calling out Israel’s takeover of Gaza, he’s “playing the waiting game” to snag some American-made F-16s for his (nominally, for now), NATO air force. Erdogan says signals from U.S., Canada could help Turkey move on Sweden NATO bid. To us, this has the look and feel of robbing people who are standing in line (for wars to end) but not to be too judgy.
Finland isn’t waiting. They are jumping in bed with NATO which, frankly, pisses off the Russians. Putin threatening Finland and preparing for potential war with Nato, warns think tank. What no one seems to count on is Finland may be a red line, which once past, will bring on preemptive war by Russia. Which will have a much higher survival rate than America because they still have viable Civil Defense plans. We would encourage you to study Search Unavailable – CIA.
Which – right in tune with how the day is rolling – involves waiting for the document to reappear. If it doesn’t, there’s probably something int he CIA’s “COMPARISON OF US AND USSR CIVIL DEFENSE” they don’t want us thinking about.
We’ll wait.
OK, we couldn’t: Comparison of US and USSR Civil Defense Programs – DocumentCloud. Point is?
Not Everything is Waiting
For example: Ma Nature in Iceland. Iceland volcano eruption in ‘state of equilibrium’ as scientists assess overnight activity. Lava, no waiting.
Or, in China which was rocking and rolling: Over 120 killed in northwest China earthquake. Quakes, no waiting.
Moving at double-time is U.S. Warplomatic efforts to increase pressure on Yemen: US Announces 10-Nation Coalition to Combat Houthi Attacks in Red Sea. The word “coalition” is almost as suspect around here as “waiting” but maybe war marketing neocon (lying to anyone dumb enough to still listen to them) really works only with a Coalition of the [name to be plugged in as the marketing campaign rolls out].
Marketing monikers aside, the first sale has been made: France joins 10-nation coalition against Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. Gets us to wondering if there’s there a government office that invents “coalitions” for all occasions?
Courts aren’t waiting on several fronts. Among them:
- Google to pay $700 million to U.S. consumers, states in antitrust settlement – Raw Story
- And while the judge has denied another Trump appeal, no waiting for the Orange Man: Trump’s campaign expects to clinch 2024 nomination by mid-March -senior official.
Didn’t Dickens write a book with that title?
News, Santa, Returns
While waiting for Elaine to wake-up, I couldn’t help but notice the Christmas (waiting in line for) returns stories are beginning to rumble.
Decades ago, as something of a newsroom joke, I wrote a memo on “Fill in the Blank News.”
_____people were ____ today when their _____, _____with a _____at_____.
This News Template often appears in local press reports like:
3 people were injured today when their Red Flyer Wagon, collided with a parked car at Elm St. and Main.
Secrets of the Templates are out. But let’s just say an old-school news exec loves this time of the year for “evergreen templates.” Two of which include the “tree stories” and the “returns” stories.
We can see these just beginning to wiggle the “news meter” today, but it will be a flood in a week, or two. Some “conditioning” stories may spoil the (mock) surprise when they appear, but we like the spoiler role.
- Surging ecommerce sales? That’s good. But $82.1 billion in returns? That’s a headache for retailers – REJournals
- Tips for navigating post-holiday gift returns | KOMO (komonews.com) (Spoiler – there’s a waiting angle to this returns game)
- Also notice how marketing departments use this annual “returns” story to tout their publication. As in Consumer Reports: What to know about holiday returns (kcra.com).
Predictable Christmas tree stories are another highly templatized annual filler.
- New Tree angles are common so we have two examples of that template: Fungus becomes Scrooge of Fraser firs; Georgia researchers to create resilient Christmas tree. And a long-ago “new (artificial) tree angle in “Humblest Christmas tree in the world” sells for more than $4,000 at auction.
- This year’s first of 37,327 expected “tree disposal stories” has arrived in Evergreen no more? Here’s how to dispose of your Christmas tree after the holidays.
All that’s missing is the (also highly templatized news form):
____people were____ when their Christmas tree caught fire at the family home in____.
I always hated covering those kinds of stories’ as they may have contributed to my taste for strong scotch. Sticking a microphone (this was radio news, right?) in someone’s face and asking “So, how do you feel now that your Christmas tree has burned down your house and destroyed your future?”
Yeah, there’s a reason I got out of news and into management.
At least there, I could spend a lot more time.
Waiting.
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
Cheer up Yanks, Ure waiting is almost over!
https://www.theinteldrop.org/2023/12/18/game-over-joe-russia-unleashes-secret-massive-weapon-in-unexpected-place-caught-on-camera/
Thats right you miserable LGBT loving commie progressives (demoncrats/rhinos/pedocons) – It dont matta where you live in CONUS.
– We (Russia) be bringing the “light” to Ure rock.
“Oh my look up in the sky ! Is that comet, a meteor, shooting star ? NERP!
From Russia with LOVE..
Your link reports “inspector is disabled” on an otherwise blank screen, darn it!
Game Over Joe: Russia Unleashes Secret Massive Weapon in Unexpected Place – Caught on Camera
Emerging from the unyielding cold Arctic, a new Russian weapon is revealed: the Burevestnik, a global-range nuclear-powered cruise missile with a theoretical range of up to 14,000 miles. As the missile soars into the icy sky, its engines roaring against the backdrop of endless snow, it’s clear this is no ordinary weapon.
Equipped with a compact nuclear reactor and designed to fly at low altitudes to evade radar, the Burevestnik is Russia’s audacious answer to modern missile defense systems. President Vladimir Putin has confirmed its successful testing, but the missile’s full capabilities—like its ability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads—remain a closely guarded secret. Satellite images have managed to capture only fleeting glimpses of its test flights, fueling speculation and concern across the globe.
https://www.theinteldrop.org/syltyrse/2023/12/ScreenHunter-43742.jpg
Original video may be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7gC2_rCbOc
The Iceland volcano eruption could cascade into Northern Hemisphere crop failures. A ‘Little Ice Age’ if you will. How lucky could we get buying futures? We wait for the volcano to develop.
Laki, Iceland – 1783
“The Laki eruption lasted eight months during which time about 14 cubic km of basaltic lava and some tephra were erupted. ”
“The climatic effects of the Laki eruption are impressive. In the eastern United States, the winter average temperature was 4.8 degrees C below the 225 year average. ”
https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/laki-iceland-1783
Little Ice Age
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
On WPLG tv the morning news announced the volcanic eruption in Ireland. It was both in the broadcast news and in the crawler on the bottom of the screen. And who says journalism is dead ;-).
At least they have something they can competently cover because they fail widely as most else.
With reference to Bill’s comment yesterday, a Temporary Restraining Order was issued on the Arlington monument destruction.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/12/18/judge-halts-dismantling-of-confederate-memorial-arlington-just-removal-work-begins.html
Also, yesterday a few people offered objections at the hearing for burning tires to mine bitcoin. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/burning-tires-for-bitcoins-carbon-residents-voice-concerns-at-dep-hearing/article_ceaed488-9e0f-11ee-9dda-0b0a740181bb.html
I’m sure glad you gave an update on the civil war memorial situation. History, as I’ve been repeatedly been told, is to learn from, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Erasing it is no solution.
I read the headlines about the Confederate Monument but, I’m not interested in reading the articles … just more woke BS.
If they do remove the monument, I wonder if they’ll want the Confederate Soldier’s remains removed too.
My opinion … just leave things alone.
The commie bastards should want all of Arlington National removed. After all, it WAS Robert E Lee’s estate…
Met his great grandson in the CIC onboard the USS Forrestfire while she was in Philly drydoc 80’s under SLEP. I had gotent TADed to homeport drydock for a “cool off period”.
Capt. Lee was awaiting reassignment to DC/Pentagon, after he and another officer went on a UA joyride in a F-14 .. This was famous ship with a big ass dent in stern from F-14 undershot landing, as well as being site of Mcstains treachery leading up to big fire during SE Asia police action in 60’s.
Capt Lee was cool dude, unbuttoned shirt, unlaced boots, leather bombardier jacket..never forget that encounter.
The last I’ve seen this morning said that the judge removed the injunction and they’re going ahead with removal. I’ve heard that they were going to reconstruct it somewhere else, though. Don’t have time to dig that article up.
My REAL fear is the treasonous dolts in CONgress are going to go after Mt. Rushmore. If they do that I guarantee shots will be fired there and other places. The Left does this to run it in the face of Conservatives because they know how to push our buttons. The more extreme they get, however, the fewer people they have to push their agenda because not everyone is willing to go that far … so far. Give it time, though.
Are the housing starts increasing because the builders are required to do something with the land and assets they have otherwise they’ll lose them? Can they hold on to their new constructions until interest rates go down or would that make them upside down?
Let me ask several FORMER multi millionaire developers I know who went bankrupt in the 2009-2012 range.
Developers are like farmers and ranchers that live on the loans from their bankers. My daughter works in an Ag lending agency and had to deal with a poor guy that has a dairy (probably for not much longer) who came in begging for money – daughter in tow. It upset her that she had to deal with it because the boss was out but it ought to show her why we still have a ranch to pass on when so many other will have one for only a single generation. You never make money on a banker’s schedule of payments. It happens when it happens and not before.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/turley-says-biden-may-have-just-given-house-impeachment-probe-a-new-lead/ar-AA1lHCab?
Seriously… did they really think he would show up.. or any of them would show up…LOL LOL LOL LOL.. they have way more evidence of so many crimes that is is amazing that no one will do anything.. LOL LOL LOL..
Hunter knows that if he is put in that hot seat.. and he lies.. which he can do not under oath.. and they have evidence.. then it is just one more crime that the old man will have to administrationally pardon LOL LOL can he pardon himself.. that is a good question..
the bad part for the alphabets is no one knows where the laptop is. my guesstimate is that it was accidentally destroyed… what no one was considering is that there were multiple copies of it cloned.. I believe that is what is keeping the woman alive in the Epstein case….
its what helped the DC madam.. I can about guess who all was on that list.. LOL..
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3430414/Former-lawyer-DC-Madam-wants-release-black-book-containing-details-800-clients-claims-impact-election.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/29/ghislaine-maxwell-trial-ends-jeffrey-epstein-sex-crime-case.html
“Waiting?”
I think people like to wait. I notice most people need to arrive at the red light up ahead as fast as possible.
I call it “hurry up and wait” syndrome.
King Crimson – “Waiting Man”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RwQXZvPcCx0
Marine Corp/Marines have perfected the art of Waiting.
..”oh look a line, I think I will go stand in it” -said every Marine to ever serve his country.
Yes, they also like to “eat” all the “shit paper” that can be found in latrines around every command in the World. Q -“hey where did all the TP go ? A -must have been some Marines thru recently..”
Semper 2Ply!
I thoroughly enjoy seeing people go around me to pass even though I’m doing the speed limit only for me to wander up behind them at the next light. I need to see if I can find some of the old smiley faces to put on my fog lights in the brush guard. I haven’t seen those in a while.
Yeah, burn that fuel, and consume the brake pads, all in the false belief of arriving sooner at destination.
Hurry up and wait…
Hurry up and wait…
Don’t you love it when traveling on ice/snow covered roads when somebody wizzes past you going 15+ mph faster than everybody in the slow lane … and then 3 to 5 miles down the road you cruise on by while they are now standing in some ditch calling on their cell phone? (often with sides of their car or front bumper banged in)
Being prepared for traveling in snow/ice conditions in the winter REQUIRES me to carry extra coffee so I can relax and enjoy the longer slower trip (I always keep lots of snacks in car in the winter so I can munch down too :-). What’s the rush?
I grew up in Wisconsin. I know winter driving you describe. The first snowfall of the season was always ‘bonus time’ for the auto body shops when folks were relearning their winter driving skills forgotten from last winter. And yes, one always keeps survival supplies in the car.
I hate to admit it, but “yes.”
Stupid is as stupid does, and you can’t fix it in anybody else, so sometimes you have to let it run its course and hope the person being dealt the life-lesson actually learns it…
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/in-a-180-degree-turnaround-democrat-governor-sends-national-guard-to-border/ar-AA1lHBIH?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=cd52b079e4d043aa92db226536aeaa9b&ei=11
Absolutely a political stunt.. if it wasn’t and there was serious concern someone would have made a move three years ago when the open borders was started.. the other thing they could do that is a political stunt and would show that they are sincere.. is send them to beverly hills , marthas vineyard, the hamptons .. and the state of delaware.. you do realize that delaware has a very low population there.. and the pres is right there to make sure they take good care of them.. heck put a camp on the beach LOL LOL LOL
You do realize those places you mention are where all the nogoodniks, (BiCoastal libs/demonrats&pedocons) actually Live .
Think brother Loob, there are very good reasons some of us live behind gates and fences…In my own case – those are TWO WAY Fences..
All a big show – The Grand Illusion..https://youtu.be/7U2E-In0DDg?si=vAyvn_iq24gnbxHa
Bright and Happy Loob – Bright and Happy!
LOL LOL Loved the song..and he is absolutely right.. its all a grand illusion.. the boys at the capital shows how congress is in session LOL LOL..
At Least they can’t blame Donald Trump for this LOL
https://youtu.be/eKCvV8WZMgk?si=a2yUidGPljDiroRK
https://youtu.be/C1UNvbtTvlI?si=B3btqyUrwFHHoeJS
Or maybe they will .. LOL LOL
We have become what Russia was in the late 50’s and 60’s from an economic data point of view – believe NO numbers manufactured by these clowns.
Housing starts … “14.8 percent (±14.0 percent) above the revised October estimate”
Someone brought this up not even a week ago.. why are they building so much.. well let me see.. the apartments.. the houses.. and banks giving eighty and hundred year loans.. one the owner of the home is only renting.. at a hundred years for a house the bank owns it.. they can keep the cost down so a regular executive can say lookie see what I have.. just like the fancy quarter and half million dollar cars.. seriously.. that is a see me moment LOL LOL LOL…
the apartments.. well housing has to be available.. again you own nothing and are dependent on the landlords.. our home taxes are almost a quarter of what we get a year for an income.. any wrong move and we will be out of it.. which brings me up to my phone…. I dropped it.. and a car ran over it.. so it has to be repaired.. but now think about this..cell phones.. twenty five years ago no one had them except for the extremely wealthy.. today the average household spends about three thousand a year for the privilage of a saleman bothering you with sales calls..
the same thing with internet and cable television.. I started to stream so I could cut the five hundred a month costs down to about a hundred and thirty.. ish.. it was a huge jump then.. but now I am wondering.. we are looking at two to three grand a year just for that privilage to watch some infomercial.. so six grand a year easy.. can be taken off the list .. for years we only had a pager.. that had a hi I am sorry I cannot come to the phone right now.. leave a message.. and if it was important enough there was a pay phone a block away that gave you a minute for a quarter.. we did that for the longest time..
Home security system.. another three grand a year.. twelve thousand taken off of the expense list instantly.. I haven’t started this next years budget quite yet.. but I am looking at it.. we got a head a little bit because the wife can now get medicare.. where before we were spending all but ten bucks a week of her income on health insurance.. but then she is semi retired.. she works a couple days a week for spending money to hobby lobby and the fabric store..which I tell her honey it is your retirement if that is what you want to do.. then do it..
News templates.. hmm.. is there really a news template that is used.. or is it choreographed to say what the man behind the curtain is wanting them to say..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFsDnn9FjOQ
https://youtu.be/TM8L7bdwVaA?si=tq1qxqd2rnQz8iLr
https://youtu.be/u41bQG_Ll7E?si=gWvxv6spbkGXqukE
https://youtu.be/hKziIEXT6MU?si=Utjn1ugFY3vmABic
“this annual “returns” story ”
Is the garbage mans dreams come true… LOL all those returns.. a person thinks.. oh they put them back on the shelf or hang them on the clothing racks.. but nope.. out they go to the dump.. televisions hell my snow blower came from the dump.. the one I gave the kids anyway.. nice it was missing one bolt.. I used it for years before giving it to one of the kids and buying one..
My radial arm saw and some of my nailers.. all in the dump.. one year the department store tossed out their whole xmas eves sales cash.. LOL the whole store was out searching for it..
Recently the grade school was tossing AED’s.. I grabbed one could have gotten a half dozen of them..never been used.. all it needed was a battery and a set of pads.. the one tool you hope and pray you never have to use it.. 12volts at 3/4 amp ..powerful unit.. great to have on hand.I gifted it to a dear friend…all in the trash. one year my bank sold their buildings to another bank..they had just bought new computer systems for all their branches these went with the buildings..out the door went all of them..
last year they sold the bank next door..they had new desks a new copy fax machine ( nice unit) and new chairs well I am sitting on one of the chairs.. no room for the copy machine and I wished I had grabbed one of the monitors..now I have to buy one..
Morning, folks.
The Icelandic eruption is business as usual. Iceland IS a volcano and part of the Atlantic mid-oceanic ridge. That portion just happens to be above sea-level. Much like the weather you can’t do much about volcanism except stay out of its way.
Regarding Russia, I’m not usually a ‘told-you-so’ kind of guy, but I told you so. Do not believe a single thing that the West or its puppet media has to say. The Neocons are psychotic morons and everything they touch turns to shit. Like I told everyone before that this is NOT the 1990s. That world does not exist. NATO cannot and never could defeat Russia in Ukraine. Ukraine is defeated. It’s over with. The only thing still undecided is what the terms of surrender will be, but make no mistake, the terms will be dictated by Russia. From Russia’s standpoint there is no agreement that can be had with NATO than can be trusted. It’s pointless to go through all of this and then leave Ukraine under the control of the West just so it can be re-armed. Ukraine will have to surrender unconditionally, the current government removed, and at a minimum be made a neutral buffer state.
In regards to the current Israeli/Hamas thing, there are way too many interested parties and wild cards either in play or potentially in play to guess that one. In this case, I prefer to consult the seers. Stu was right about his Nostradamus prophecy interpretation with Russia and NATO and I’m very confident that he’s right about Israel. Unfortunately for them or us that ain’t good.
When psychotic morons are in charge of the failing empire, what can you do? I suggest enjoy it while it lasts.
“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.”
? Joseph Heller, Catch-22
call The Hun hisself – Atila
Our Christmas letter to all my friends and family… god bless each and every one of you..
Another year is once again upon us and I find myself reflecting on what is important in our lives and what direction we all should take.
As we approach the Christmas season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the positive aspects of our faith. One of the most beautiful things about Christianity is the idea that Jesus Christ is the light of the world in youth Sunday school there is a song that even now stands out for me.. this little light of mine.. I want to let it shine… He is the one who guides us through the darkness and leads us to a brighter future of hope and a future with him in heaven.
In the Bible, we read that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). This means that when we follow God’s plan for us, we are walking in the light of his love and wisdom. We are able to see the world more clearly and understand our place in it.
Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). When we follow Jesus, we are able to live a life filled with hope, joy, and peace.
This Christmas, let us remember the light that Jesus brings into our lives the strength of his loving hands. Let us strive to be a light to those around us, spreading positivity and love wherever we go. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us also celebrate the light that he brings into our lives.
Merry Christmas! Be the light of our heavenly father to everyone you meet along the way..
May all of you be blessed this coming year..
And when all seems lost…
“You know what?”
“What?”
“The wooden soldiers.”
https://youtu.be/2IN5YJGyY6o?si=1zz3UWwsYB9UL6Iy
Amen.
Thank you, LOOB, Amen.
Merry Christmas, one and all.
Here’s a thumbs up for you LOOB!
After your sincere words LOOB I’ve wondered if you knew of this hymn – “I want to walk as a child of the light” which is a fairly new hymn in numerous hymnals. You wrote as if you knew the hymn. Many examples, texts and music, on YouTube; here is one from UT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e270sTTbPVA
I hadn’t heard of that one. I came across an old old old hymm once it was so inspiring simple ..tried to get the church to play it..I never could inspire them to play it.. I have to get it out .. Jesus stand with me guide my hands guide my spirit to reflect your love..
Santa has some GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS for the observant this time of year.
This is the season to STOCK UP your feezers with all the Christmas Meat Specials at the grocery stores!!
Locally:
Spiral Sliced Honey Baked Hams … $.79/lb
Butterball Turkeys (frozen) … $.79/lb
Hamburger (80/20) … $1.99/lb
Various Beef Cuts 30% to 40%+ off normal sales prices
Pork Loin 70% off normal sales prices (almost give away pricing imo)
Also: (almost as cheap as off brands)
Del Monte Vegetables $.88/can
Campbell Soups $.88/can
(last year AFTER Christmas Wal-Mart was selling boneless hams for $.99/lb and I think their turkeys hit $.49/lb??)
I tend to fill my freezer space with meats during the 3 times of year that they put it on deep deep sale: Christmas/New Years; Easter; Thanksgiving. Sometimes 4th of July Sales are almost as good, particularly for chicken (boneless skinless chicken breasts for $.99/lb this past 4th, didn’t see it that cheap any other time of the year)
Put the sale meats on your Christmas Shopping List in case you forgot!
(friend’s dad who ran a very successful diner type restaurant would get much of his meats during those sales times … was MUCH cheaper than he could get from his meat supplier, and would totally fill their huge walk in freezer with thousands of pounds – of course he could only buy so much per each trip to the grocery stores so he was hitting the various stores multiple times of day so they wouldn’t catch on with what he was doing)
“Del Monte Vegetables $.88/can
Campbell Soups $.88/can”
Just say “NO!”
Canned veggies are mostly water, and possess virtually no food value because the canning process destroys ~98% of all the vitamins & minerals. Campbells (and Progresso) soups went genetically-modified in 2020. Pacific and Annie’s are the only mainstream safe-bets. (I don’t love either one, but I’m also not fond of G-M foods, and my lower GI does not know how to digest them.) Best choices for both are fresh-frozen or freeze-dried.
Definite “YES” on the meat, though…
The Del Monte cans I bought had “NON GMO” prominently on their label … though not sure if that means anything.
Prefer frozen veggies … but alas there is that issue that if the power fails what do you have? Fertilizer for your FRESH vegetable garden! … once you can harvest it that is. (reason I also keep canned meats around)
“there is that issue that if the power fails what do you have?”
That’s one reason I tolerate living in snow country — makes that a potential issue, 7 months of the year instead of 11 or 12…
BTW, I got me a Spam sampler last month, tried all the flavors and STILL don’t like it. I also don’t understand why someone would buy it when they could latch onto a Plumrose or DAK canned (real) ham (or six, like I did) for under 3 bucks a pound. FYI, DAK=Plumrose now.* DAK hams sold in NA are no longer piece of crap Danish piggie. They’re carved, seasoned, smoked, and canned by Plumrose, in Illinois…
*My bad, they were before. DAK owned Plumrose. They’ve both now been acquired by JBS…
our local chain all vegitables are canned in a 400 mile area..more veggies than water..
I have an overgrown tangerine tree that produces bushels and bushels of fruit. Yesterday I was making the rounds of friends and family delivering bags of tangerines. One nephew and his son were busy in the garage cutting up 300 lbs of that cheap pork from the warehouse store to make smoked meat. Many locals have a ‘smoke shack’ out back that they use periodically. Mango, lychee, or other tree fruit wood is preferred for the smokers. And they make a decent profit selling smoke meat to friends and family. Of course I ordered a couple pounds. It will be ready this weekend. Tasty treat for local style cuisine.
apple wood or cherry
Cocoplum & Craboo in Bayleaze(Belize)
Apple and Cherry dont do well at all in tropics.
here in my corner of Pennsyltucky…Apple wood is relatively plentiful, Cherry not so much, less you gotz one on Ure own property. We got the tarts for Pie making, and the blacks for raw dogging and Back Cherry Wishniack Pop/Soda (Franks) Yum! with a philly cheesesteak..dbl Yum…nope make that atripleyum!
Both also are considered primo Firewood – due dense BTU action.
G- You missed quoting the most famous pitch man of all…
“But Wait! There’s more…”
Waiting
“He serves who also stands and waits”. Milton
32 year Wall Street Economist – yesterday
“I think 2024 is going to be the biggest single crash year we’ll see in our lifetimes.”
The impending “everything bubble” will burst in the coming year.
A soft landing [ no recession ] is highly unlikely when examining the Federal Reserve, consumer debt, deficit, debt interest, federal debt, unemployment.
Predicting an 86% crash in the S&P, a 92% crash in NASDAQ, and a 50% decrease in real estate values.,Bitcoin down 96%., with ongoing disinflation will evolve into deflation, marking the first time since the 1930s.
Recommends – withdraw from the market while you are at the top, anticipating severe deflation and a deep depression lasting 12 to 14 years. [ wow – that’s a long time ! ] It will all be obvious by early May.
.
In contrast/opposition. Morgan Stanley this morning stated that we will have a ‘soft landing’, and is predicting the S&P500 to hit a record high of 5,100 next year.
Back in the late 90’s Chris Carolan (guy who took Puetz ‘s work to the next level) wrote on a small internet posting forum that the next 1929/1987 type crash based upon the moon/saros data was to occur in 2024.
I printed out his posting where he talked about the details (he never put it on his website or in his follow up public writings that I could determine), stuck it inside his book, but alas just before my last move I pulled it out to reread it, didn’t get it back in the book, and now it is lost. Since it is so long ago I don’t recall if it was for a Spring Crash or a Fall Crash … but just a “heads up” … an upcoming “Crash” is foretold by the Heavens (per his work), if we don’t kill ourselves off by other things first that is.
The high interest rates and housing hyperinflation are starting to stress families with wage earners making a decent living. I figured it was just a matter of time before the balloon loans started drawing blood.
Restaurants here appear very slow on weekdays, not that I eat out much on weekdays myself. It looks like food service jobs are contracting.
Rumors of people out of work and in trouble, and people selling assets are surfacing.
I’m looking for 2024 to be trying. The signs are there, if you look and listen.
there is a reason the top 12 banks kicked the credit card companies to the curb last thursday.
as was mentioned on here a while back? Watch those sub prime credit card debt, the CDOs and the Synthetic CDOs on credit cards..
ya see the sub prime mortgages was the powder keg in 2008, the CDO’s the Fusd and the Syngthetic CDO’s the blow torch.
look how fast that interest rate has gone up? how do you think that effects in a large wave sub prime credit card debt. especially when all them sub prime credit cards were greatly aquired and used durring the pandemic when the interest rates were low.
to my understanding,
that is why the top 12 banks last thusday said thamks Master card and Visa, we wont be needing your services anymore. and ended their agreements with the credit card companies.
Sounds like a lead-in to higher credit card interest rates. I normally only use the cards for mail-order transactions, and pay them off every week or two. They do come in handy for travel and emergencies. The people most affected by card interest are the ones with the worst financial problems, and employers who are forced to do cash purchases.
“Thank God – at least something has happened in economic news. Not terribly exciting, but any press release on a slow day. And they were hotter than expected. Way hotter
Since this is hotter, we need to ask why? I think with no evidence at all, that with inflation back front-of-mind, buying a home is one of the few assets regular people can build and make money (using inflation) over time. Maybe that’s it?”
Blackrock is the largest owner of single-family housing in the United States. Maybe they are controlling this indicator?
Is there an indicator which delineates single family housing purchases between individuals and institutions, or at least purchases by mortgage and purchases outright…?
“War in/on Gaza continues, as well. …While we wait, little sign of the mainstream talking about the end of the Two-State solution. But our money is on Israel taking most (the northern half) of Gaza.”
You understand all of the Gaza Strip is only m/l 6 miles wide and 25 miles long?
The entire Gaza Strip is the same size as greater Terre Haute, Indiana or Erie, Pennsylvania, and has a population of about 2.37 million, about 1.9 million of whom are either Hamas or active Hamas supporters.
Were I Israel, I’d take it all, but then, I would not even consider leaving myself open to simultaneous attacks from two directions. The Hezbollah/Hamas thing really makes no sense to me. It is tactical stupidity…
“Finland may be a red line, which once past, will bring on preemptive war by Russia. Which will have a much higher survival rate than America because they still have viable Civil Defense plans.”
Published in 1969…
Since this was published, we have eliminated ALL public Civil Defense shelters and facilities inside the continental United States, disposed of all stores and supplies maintained in these facilities (free cheese and cheap SX-117s anyone?), and built “enhanced shelters” for ONLY our political and military elite. Post-Soviet Russia has built and stocked new facilities capable of housing 20% more than their entire population.
“This year’s first of 37,327 expected “tree disposal stories” has arrived in Evergreen no more? Here’s how to dispose of your Christmas tree after the holidays.”
I always disposed of ours by tossing it in the ditch, to provide da bunnies and squirrels a place to hang out for the winter. When the snow went away, the tree’d be dry enough to use the branches as firestarters, so I’d move it to the area where my burn pile is (but not close to it — SPF needles and pitch are as flammable as kerosene, and a lot easier to ignite…)
Youse can toss those badboys in the lake as well, or pond, for da Fishies..they provide excellent cover for panfish like Crappie and Bluegills. Mark the spot and keep coming back to it year after year..Ure own personal fishing hole..