View Full Version : Your take on shortages/supply chain disruptions?
gimmethesimplelife
10-7-21, 5:00pm
Are any of you experiencing shortages, and if so, for what? I can tell you that pet food is short in Phoenix and beef and chicken are going up, up, up. I'm trying to see the silver lining in this - perhaps more people will adopt vegetarianism (is that a word?) I can tell you.also that our shipments of produce have been late the past three weeks - I'm told it's supply chain disruptions plus lack of workers on the US side.
I can also affirm that these issues go beyond US borders. Last week I had four days off - two of them were for Tucson and the Celebration of Life for my deceased friend. One was for Nogales, both sides. I dined one night in the restaurant of the Hotel Fray Marcos on the Mexican side and two chicken dishes I was interested in were not available due to the ingredients not being available.
I'm thinking we might wish to reconsider just in time inventory/production methods? Just in time does not seem to work well with supply chain disruptions. Rob
Are you just now noticing this? I’ve been dealing with it for more than a year on the job.
Yeah, that is a topic on another thread. Right now I'm not seeing any shortages of anything I want or need, but who knows.
Teacher Terry
10-7-21, 7:48pm
I haven’t experienced any problems. I ordered new appliances in April and they came on time. I just replaced my dishwasher and it did take Lowe’s a month to find a installer. Groceries have went up in price. I am going to replace my sliding glass door and windows and the delivery time has doubled from 8 to 16 weeks.
iris lilies
10-8-21, 1:44pm
I am getting ready to order my Italian stove. 25-35 weeks lead time. I may change to a United States company, I don’t know. At least in that case I don’t have to worry about things sitting on container ships in harbors.
I remember the last time I counted on the Italians for something critical was my dog’s medication, about year 2014.They were only distributing that medication to veterinary skin specialists, not general practitioners, because there was such a shortage. Fortunately, he was going to the local skin specialist but even then the supply was hit or miss. I had a bit of anxiety about it until bigger supplies kicked in. I could only envision the Italians in that Pharma company taking long wine infused lunch hours and kicking off work at 4 o’clock. Unkind and discriminatory, but that was my anxiety operating on my brain.
But this stove situation is not making me anxious, it’s just kind of funny.
Rob, I posted this is another thread but suggest you read this very excellent article.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/supply-chain-issues/?fbclid=IwAR12pzx0gjjQs84Jugu-AE4z0rmEhVjrBPf_wwziOM7yLg15xIVXkxNavdA
Rob, I posted this is another thread but suggest you read this very excellent article.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/supply-chain-issues/?fbclid=IwAR12pzx0gjjQs84Jugu-AE4z0rmEhVjrBPf_wwziOM7yLg15xIVXkxNavdA
It’s funny. Back in my ROTC days, taking War 101, these were the types of facilities you included in strategic bombing campaigns.
rosarugosa
10-8-21, 5:56pm
I believe LDAHL was responsible for a temporary shortage of chicken thighs.
Tradd: I couldn't read the article, hit a paywall.
My take is that it is ludicrous to be importing a majority of our goods from Asia in the first place. Did I really read close to eleven million containers in a year?
Pinkytoe, we, as in the US, gave up manufacturing decades ago when we converted to a more service economy. Entire factories were packed up and shipped overseas. All kinds of labor were and continue to be outsourced. Labor is so cheap and restrictions so few in other countries that higher profits can be earned even with shipment costs.
Even Xrays can be shipped digitally overseas to be interpreted by "cheaper" employees.
Look at what is happening to the auto industry with the recall of millions and millions of defective airbags produced overseas and the stagnation due to lack of computer chips. None of these issues can be fixed in any short period of time in an inexpensive manner.
It's ludicrous that our main motivator is the comfort of the shareholder, or stakeholder, or whatever they're calling them these days.
I believe LDAHL was responsible for a temporary shortage of chicken thighs.
Tradd: I couldn't read the article, hit a paywall.
Very odd. I have no issues. Try googling the exact headline. That might help
Some items I am after are hard to come by right now, allegedly because of production and shipping difficulties due to covid:
- telescopes
- astrophotography sensors
- advanced camera lenses that contain semiconductor chips
- high resolution laptop displays
The biggest day-to-day shortages here are at our local food markets. Due to covid issues with their shipping companies, food delivery trucks are not arriving on as regular a basis, and tend to have orders underfilled. In combination with our State ferry system running poorly (~1/2 the sailings this week were cancelled with near-zero notice) which further complicates transport of supplies, the markets' shelves are looking pretty bare, and the hardware store is quite low on goods.
We may have to postpone a substantial felony trial next week because the ferry system may make it impossible to get the jurors to/from the courthouse.
I finally decided to splurge on a couple of LL Bean tshirts since I usually buy used. Just got an email that they are backordered until late December. I canceled yhe order.
mschrisgo2
10-8-21, 9:47pm
pinkytoe, I just has the same experience, resolved it the same way.
I believe LDAHL was responsible for a temporary shortage of chicken thighs.
I was hungry. And we were out of pork rinds.
I think it would be great if manufacturing came back to the US. Personally I would much rather work on an assembly line in a free to breathe state than in a customer facing position for an employer who mandates their staff wear masks.
I think it would be great if manufacturing came back to the US. Personally I would much rather work on an assembly line in a free to breathe state than in a customer facing position for an employer who mandates their staff wear masks.
You could move to South Dakota and work in a meat packing plant. They are super pro covid in that state and that type of work environment.
You could move to South Dakota and work in a meat packing plant. They are super pro covid in that state and that type of work environment.
Not on keeping with my vegetarianism, but thank you anyways. Fun fact - I was actually conceived in South Dakota.
You could move to South Dakota and work in a meat packing plant. They are super pro covid in that state and that type of work environment.
May plagues and famine and supply chain disruptions afflict the heathenish red tribe!
May plagues and famine and supply chain disruptions afflict the heathenish red tribe!
I'm not wishing that on them. I'd actually rather they get vaccinated. But apparently they like the freedom to die of easily preventable illness and have a governor who is happy to oblige them.
But apparently they like the freedom to die of easily preventable illness and have a governor who is happy to oblige them.
I think that the sovereignty of the individual and the limits on government's ability to use its power to coerce them is one of the founding principles of this country. I think it's dangerous when we decide its ok to pick and choose when those principles are applied and when they are not. YMMV
I'm not wishing that on them. I'd actually rather they get vaccinated. But apparently they like the freedom to die of easily preventable illness and have a governor who is happy to oblige them.
Except most of them won't die. Covid-19's lethality rate is estimated at 1%.
Keep crying wolf over covid and when the "big one" that the Defense Department and others are preparing for - something like the Black Death with a 33% lethality rate - arrives no one will pay attention. Public health officials need to learn to pick their battles.
Covid killed 350,000 people last year despite all the lockdowns and restrictions. Do we really want an endemic disease that kills more than that year after year after year? Is that really y’all’s idea of freedom?
Covid killed 350,000 people last year despite all the lockdowns and restrictions. Do we really want an endemic disease that kills more than that year after year after year? Is that really y’all’s idea of freedom?
It won't. It's peaked. But to some people facts don't matter. They act based on fear, or use fear as a tool to increase their power.
Case in point - 70% vaccination was supposed to be the goal, then 80%. Now there are universities above 90% but the students all still have to wear masks (though the overpaid big shot administrators don't).
666,441 US deaths in combat from 1775-2019. Freedom!
666,441 US deaths in combat from 1775-2019. Freedom!
Freedom isn't free.
happystuff
10-10-21, 4:12pm
Freedom isn't free.
No it's not, but sometimes - instead of sacrificing/endangering the lives of others - it's easy to achieve by doing simple things that benefit ALL - like wearing a mask.
No it's not, but sometimes - instead of sacrificing/endangering the lives of others - it's easy to achieve by doing simple things that benefit ALL - like wearing a mask.
If we all walked everywhere no one would die in car accidents or people could just put on their damn seatbelts, some would still die, but most would live.
We could all wear masks forever or people could just get their damn vaccines, some would still die, but most would live.
And as a society we could say, Don't want to put on that seatbelt? Don't want that vaccine? Sucks to be you, but I'm living my life.
happystuff
10-10-21, 5:05pm
Sucks to be you, but I'm living my life.
No, actually it is sounding more like it sucks to be you. Again, hoping you can find some happiness.
Can’t reasonable people disagree about the degrees of risk and state coercion they’re willing to accept?
Can’t reasonable people disagree about the degrees of risk and state coercion they’re willing to accept?
Its one thing if its a risk that only impacts you, and the people you are immediately responsible for. Its different IMO if you're risk can impact me. Like smoking indoors. Like infectious diseases. Like drunk driving.
Its one thing if its a risk that only impacts you, and the people you are immediately responsible for. Its different IMO if you're risk can impact me. Like smoking indoors. Like infectious diseases. Like drunk driving.
What if the nervous nelly can modify his or her behavior? Select establishments with non-smoking rooms or sections (my parents always did this when we travelled as kids before the tobacco restricting laws), use curbside pickup, etc.
Why does our whole society have to revolve around the concerns of the most paranoid person out there? If even one person dies - even a person likely to die anyways of something else - the world must shut down. And if you disagree you're a psychopath.
Its one thing if its a risk that only impacts you, and the people you are immediately responsible for. Its different IMO if you're risk can impact me. Like smoking indoors. Like infectious diseases. Like drunk driving.
But there are plenty of things I do that directly or indirectly affect you. Any kind of driving. Burning electricity. Just taking up space in a hospital. I donÂ’t know if itÂ’s established with any accuracy to what extent a mask and vaccine scoffer actually creates risk for someone who takes those precautions, but it canÂ’t be very high.
I think masks and vaccines are a good idea. I also think private businesses and state/local government organizations have the right to make their own rules. But I donÂ’t think that a even a public health crisis is sufficient cause to simply hand arbitrary power to the federal government. And I think using a disease as a political or cultural signifier is petty and foolish.
JaneV2.0
10-11-21, 10:50am
I read there's a coming shortage of frozen pot pies (?) In case anyone wanted to stock up. >8)
My main grocery store was out of paper towels. The clerk said they had been hit and miss for keeping them supplied and that it was a supply chain issue. I didn't try the big supermarket near by. Everything else was well stocked, although I didn't check on the meat supplies. Our news is speculating a Halloween candy shortage. I'm thinking that's just a scare tactic.
A friend reports they're having to order cat food from Amazon, due to local shortages.
frugal-one
10-11-21, 4:01pm
But there are plenty of things I do that directly or indirectly affect you. Any kind of driving. Burning electricity. Just taking up space in a hospital. I donÂ’t know if itÂ’s established with any accuracy to what extent a mask and vaccine scoffer actually creates risk for someone who takes those precautions, but it canÂ’t be very high.
I think masks and vaccines are a good idea. I also think private businesses and state/local government organizations have the right to make their own rules. But I donÂ’t think that a even a public health crisis is sufficient cause to simply hand arbitrary power to the federal government. And I think using a disease as a political or cultural signifier is petty and foolish.
May be very high because the virus may morph into something our vaccine won't be able to handle because there are those still being infected. Also very high now because the unvaccinated are taking over hospitals whereby usual illnesses cannot be treated. IMO we should handle the situation like Portugal. If you are not vaccinated and get sick stay home and take care of yourself.... Also in times of a health crisis, hopefully, the government WILL step in so this is eradicated. Freedumb be damned.
frugal-one
10-11-21, 4:06pm
Leaving at month end for Texas. The landlord is putting in the freezer we requested. Hopefully, we will be able to fill it so we won't have to always go to the grocery store or out to eat. Think getting there sooner vs later will be good based on the shortages you'all are reporting??
Leaving at month end for Texas. The landlord is putting in the freezer we requested. Hopefully, we will be able to fill it so we won't have to always go to the grocery store or out to eat. Think getting there sooner vs later will be good based on the shortages you'all are reporting??
I have sort of given up on the normal commercial supply chain here, between general shortages and problems with shipping cargo to the island now. I have contracted with some local farmers for a beeve, a pig, some goats, some lambs, some chickens, and some rabbits to secure a source.
ApatheticNoMore
10-11-21, 4:16pm
The seat belt analogy is a pretty bad one, the risks there are pretty much born by the person not wearing a seatbelt. There may be societal costs but they are pretty diffuse, they aren't much like a pandemic at all.
The seat belt analogy is a pretty bad one, the risks there are pretty much born by the person not wearing a seatbelt. There may be societal costs but they are pretty diffuse, they aren't much like a pandemic at all.
Well, affirmative evasive maneuvers are hard to accomplish without a decent seatbelt and seat setup. If you are not wearing your belt properly, with your seat properly adjusted, you are in danger of losing control of your vehicle in circumstances that you would have little trouble with otherwise.
sweetana3
10-11-21, 4:25pm
Jane, we found that Chewy is, for us, a reliable source for cat food. Just got our shipment.
frugal-one
10-11-21, 4:41pm
I have sort of given up on the normal commercial supply chain here, between general shortages and problems with shipping cargo to the island now. I have contracted with some local farmers for a beeve, a pig, some goats, some lambs, some chickens, and some rabbits to secure a source.
We did that here too. Will not be in Texas for the majority of the year so will try to get enough to fill our small freezer for the time we are there. Costco, Sprouts and HEB will probably be our main suppliers??? I would much prefer local farmers but don't think we have enough room (or time to consume all) to go that route unfortunately.
Jane, we found that Chewy is, for us, a reliable source for cat food. Just got our shipment.
I mentioned that to my friend, who apparently didn't get her Amazon order in before the product disappeared. Word is Chewy is getting limited, too.
gimmethesimplelife
10-11-21, 5:23pm
A friend reports they're having to order cat food from Amazon, due to local shortages.Cat food has become hard to find in Phoenix. I stocked up on cat food recently in Tucson when I was down there for my deceased friend's Celebration of Life. Rob
Her cat, a ginger tom fondly known as The Prince, will be displeased if his preferred flavor of pate' becomes unavailable. >:(
Her cat, a ginger tom fondly known as The Prince, will be displeased if his preferred flavor of pate' becomes unavailable. >:(
Yes. Just try explaining supply chain problems to a cat! 😜
Yes. Just try explaining supply chain problems to a cat! ��
My cat only understands assigning blame, and wreaking vengeance.
May be very high because the virus may morph into something our vaccine won't be able to handle because there are those still being infected. Also very high now because the unvaccinated are taking over hospitals whereby usual illnesses cannot be treated. IMO we should handle the situation like Portugal. If you are not vaccinated and get sick stay home and take care of yourself.... Also in times of a health crisis, hopefully, the government WILL step in so this is eradicated. Freedumb be damned.
Sneer at freedom all you want. I kind of like it, and am not particularly interested in surrendering it over some small chance something bad might happen if people are allowed to do dumb things.
There are plenty of diseases that could become more lethal in the future, and even if we forced every American to be vaxxed and masked there is still the rest of the planet to consider as far as what might develop.
It's weird how vaccine mandates were never an issue before but for some reason now they suddenly are. But then I don't recall hearing of a political conference's attendees cheering for the failure of a vaccination campaign before either. It's almost like a certain segment of the political class has decided to weaponize a disease and allow their supporters to needlessly die from it for political gain.
It's weird how vaccine mandates were never an issue before but for some reason now they suddenly are. But then I don't recall hearing of a political conference's attendees cheering for the failure of a vaccination campaign before either. It's almost like a certain segment of the political class has decided to weaponize a disease and allow their supporters to needlessly die from it for political gain.
I have no idea why some people choose not to be vaccinated but do believe it has little to do with politics, although it did seem to start that way last year when certain segments of the population started lambasting the "Trump vaccine" before any of them were ready for prime time. I suspect the only lingering political backlash has more to do with governmental mandates than vaccine acceptance. It's possible that many people (for political purposes) confuse one for the other.
I talk regularly, including today, to vaccine hesitant people. There are a few categories:
1. People who have never wanted any vaccine and are into "natural living". One used to run a health food store. There is some overlap amongst these with #2.
2. Religious extremists who fear persecution and see the vaccine as the mark of the beast.
3. People, some mentally ill, who are very paranoid about the government and "deep state" or "one world order".
4. People who feel that the vaccine has not been around long enough. They have gotten other vaccines but do not want the covid vaccine yet.
So my Board of Health now has on the agenda for their next meeting mandating vaccines for schoolchildren. Keep in mind there is only an emergency use authorization for ages 12+ and not even that for under 12. This rush to mandate vaccines makes people even more suspicious of the process and more likely to resist mandates. Why not just wait until these vaccines receive regular approval before trying to mandate them?
It's crazy.
I have no idea why some people choose not to be vaccinated but do believe it has little to do with politics, although it did seem to start that way last year when certain segments of the population started lambasting the "Trump vaccine" before any of them were ready for prime time. I suspect the only lingering political backlash has more to do with governmental mandates than vaccine acceptance. It's possible that many people (for political purposes) confuse one for the other.
Then why did the cpac attendees cheer when it was announced that Biden's vaccine target wasn't met? That sure sounds like politics to me. It also sounds like a bunch of really shitty human beings cheering for unnecessary death instead of asking why the target wasn't met and what could be done to improve vaccine uptake.
Then why did the cpac attendees cheer when it was announced that Biden's vaccine target wasn't met?
I don't know and frankly I'm unfamiliar with that claim, perhaps something to do with context?
ApatheticNoMore
10-12-21, 5:28pm
I was more hesitant before I understood that we actually pretty much had a vaccine near the start of the pandemic and that everything else was proving it safe (not that you can absolutely prove 10 year safety before 10 years maybe, but vaccines don't tend to have that problem). But how hesitant is that? Oh a little worried about getting the injection, but still probably would have walked over a glass bridge to get the vax anyway as sick of covid limitations.
I don't know and frankly I'm unfamiliar with that claim, perhaps something to do with context?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQzBhOb6Os&t=25s
And there's now a 32 point gap in vax rates between democrats and republicans.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/10/01/for-covid-19-vaccinations-party-affiliation-matters-more-than-race-and-ethnicity/
Of Americans surveyed from Sept. 13-22, 72% of adults 18 and older had been vaccinated, including 71% of white Americans, 70% of Black Americans, and 73% of Hispanics. Contrast these converging figures with disparities based on politics: 90% of Democrats had been vaccinated, compared with 68% of Independents and just 58% of Republicans.
frugal-one
10-12-21, 8:02pm
Sneer at freedom all you want. I kind of like it, and am not particularly interested in surrendering it over some small chance something bad might happen if people are allowed to do dumb things.
There are plenty of diseases that could become more lethal in the future, and even if we forced every American to be vaxxed and masked there is still the rest of the planet to consider as far as what might develop.
Let's hope you don't have to go to the hospital anytime soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQzBhOb6Os&t=25s
And there's now a 32 point gap in vax rates between democrats and republicans.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/10/01/for-covid-19-vaccinations-party-affiliation-matters-more-than-race-and-ethnicity/
Of Americans surveyed from Sept. 13-22, 72% of adults 18 and older had been vaccinated, including 71% of white Americans, 70% of Black Americans, and 73% of Hispanics. Contrast these converging figures with disparities based on politics: 90% of Democrats had been vaccinated, compared with 68% of Independents and just 58% of Republicans.
If most Republicans are white, and most blacks are Democrats, why do whites have a higher vaccination rate than blacks?
Do you think you are oversimplifying?
Actually it's difficult to parse things further because the data doesn't seem to be out there as to whether the party affiliation vax rates are the same for all races. But since white people make up 76% of the population at large and are an even higher rate of the republican population that means that white democrats have to be vaxxed at a slightly higher rate than 90% to make up for the lower rate of black dems. And since black republicans are less than 2% of the overall population their effect on republican vax rates is virtually nonexistent regardless of what their vax rate is.
If we were talking a few percentage points difference between republicans and democrats one could quibble about oversimplifying. But with a more than 30% difference between republicans and democrats of all races and with white people representing more than 3/4 of the population the difference is stark. White republicans are by far the largest demographic group that hasn't been vaccinated in terms of numbers of people. They are the ones that are causing the unnecessary continuation of this pandemic. And oddly they are also the ones, at least in terms of raw numbers, who are being harmed by the ongoing epidemic. Supporting their desire to die for the cause seems an odd electoral strategy but that seems to be where the republican political class is at this point in time.
Supporting their desire to die for the cause seems an odd electoral strategy but that seems to be where the republican political class is at this point in time.
You keep saying goofy things like this, I think it's much more likely that some people are a little more independent minded than others, distrustful of authority figures and less likely to believe everything the media reports. Those people are also more likely to be Republicans.
You keep repeating that Republicans want people to die and inferring that Republican politicians are encouraging their base to take an anti-vax stance, which I think is nonsense. I have never heard a Republican politician of any influence suggest anything other than everyone should be vaccinated. I have heard some suggest that their followers shouldn't believe everything their Democratic counterparts say and questioning the wisdom of their insistence on proclaiming other medications or therapies are not useful, but that's a different thing entirely than what you infer.
So, in summation I guess what I'm trying to say is I think the disparity in vaccination rates is not political just because more Republicans are unvaccinated than Democrats, it's more that many of the unvaccinated and those who are not all gung ho about governmental mandates share the qualities I outlined earlier and that makes them more likely to be Republicans.
Abbott said people should get vaccinated but should not be forced to. This is also my position and I am not a Republican.
rosarugosa
10-13-21, 7:14am
You keep saying goofy things like this, I think it's much more likely that some people are a little more independent minded than others, distrustful of authority figures and less likely to believe everything the media reports. Those people are also more likely to be Republicans.
You keep repeating that Republicans want people to die and inferring that Republican politicians are encouraging their base to take an anti-vax stance, which I think is nonsense. I have never heard a Republican politician of any influence suggest anything other than everyone should be vaccinated. I have heard some suggest that their followers shouldn't believe everything their Democratic counterparts say and questioning the wisdom of their insistence on proclaiming other medications or therapies are not useful, but that's a different thing entirely than what you infer.
So, in summation I guess what I'm trying to say is I think the disparity in vaccination rates is not political just because more Republicans are unvaccinated than Democrats, it's more that many of the unvaccinated and those who are not all gung ho about governmental mandates share the qualities I outlined earlier and that makes them more likely to be Republicans.
On the other hand, most of the Republicans I know IRL also identify as having strong Christian beliefs. To me, that translates to having strong irrational beliefs and being guided by make-believe and fantasy in their world-views. So I think these are people who would believe in anything, and therefore more gullible rather than less.
(I realize that you don't fall into this category, Alan, and I also realize that this will be an unpopular view with many, but I also believe that it's true).
rosarugosa
10-13-21, 7:16am
Abbott said people should get vaccinated but should not be forced to. This is also my position and I am not a Republican.
I agree to the extent that nobody should be held down kicking and screaming while being forcibly vaccinated, but I think mandates are a good idea. People are free to choose but not free from the consequences of their choices.
Let's hope you don't have to go to the hospital anytime soon.
I would maintain that hope even in the absence of Covid.
I think vaccines are a good idea. But I think individual choice is also a good idea, even if some people make poor choices. I also think that where mandates are necessary they should be made at the lowest level possible. Not by presidents trying to revive faltering approval ratings.
I agree to the extent that nobody should be held down kicking and screaming while being forcibly vaccinated, but I think mandates are a good idea. People are free to choose but not free from the consequences of their choices.
Unfortunately children are forced to go to school (until age 16 in our state) and now forced to get a vaccine in order to go to school. If you don't go to school you can be deemed a child in need of services and removed from your home or even if some cases sent to a juvenile detention facility.
A juvenile can get an abortion, but can't decide whether to be vaccinated.
In my city I think if the vaccine mandate passes that families will send their children to other districts without the mandate under school choice, to charter schools, to private schools, and homeschool them. (When my son was school age everyone in our neighborhood used one of these options.) The public schools, already struggling, will have to spread fixed costs over smaller numbers of per pupil reimbursements in state moneys. It's not going to be pretty.
I think lots of officials are not looking at long-term consequences of their decisions, but with a very narrow focus. The decisions are being made by health officials who don't look at economic, fiscal, civil liberties, or other considerations, just their health numbers. They also have a negativity bias and refuse to recognize the great progress made in the state. At my last Board of Health meeting it was presented that deaths were 10 times lower than the same time frame one year before, yet it was all doom and gloom and let's put in restrictions not in place at the height of the pandemic. These public health officials are real zealots outside the public mainstream.
happystuff
10-13-21, 10:09am
I agree to the extent that nobody should be held down kicking and screaming while being forcibly vaccinated, but I think mandates are a good idea. People are free to choose but not free from the consequences of their choices.
I agree with this. I also think that if one wants their choices to be respected, they - in turn - have to respect the choices of others. But, inevitably there comes a time when, for example, my choice/freedom will clash/violate with the choice/freedom of another and the question becomes whose freedom comes out on top? (May have worded this poorly, but I think most folks get the gist of what I'm trying to say - lol)
I agree with this. I also think that if one wants their choices to be respected, they - in turn - have to respect the choices of others. But, inevitably there comes a time when, for example, my choice/freedom will clash/violate with the choice/freedom of another and the question becomes whose freedom comes out on top? (May have worded this poorly, but I think most folks get the gist of what I'm trying to say - lol)
Right now the freedom of the unvaccinated is coming out on top because we're still having to wear masks to protect them rather than them taking responsibility for their own health.
frugal-one
10-13-21, 2:01pm
I would maintain that hope even in the absence of Covid.
I think vaccines are a good idea. But I think individual choice is also a good idea, even if some people make poor choices. I also think that where mandates are necessary they should be made at the lowest level possible. Not by presidents trying to revive faltering approval ratings.
I stated my view earlier. If we are to get over this pandemic we need to have all on board. It has nothing to do with an approval rating by anyone. It is common sense. How do you propose to end this pandemic? The county I am in has a mask mandate and a high percentage of people vaccinated. The lower numbers are staggering versus in the rest of the state. It is not rocket science to figure out what to do. It is a matter of public health and should not even be equated with freedom. If freedom were the issue we wouldn't have laws for seat belts or other (not as important) issues (individuals vs global populations). Individual poor choice is not a good idea if it affects others adversely. It is ok to have a choice when it just affects you but not when it affects others in this magnitude.
The county I am in has a mask mandate and a high percentage of people vaccinated. The numbers are staggering in the difference in the rest of the state.
Let me guess. There is an invisible fence around your county, and all the people wear collars around their necks so they get zapped if they try to leave the county boundaries. That way you are safe from the contagious them.
rosarugosa
10-13-21, 2:06pm
Right now the freedom of the unvaccinated is coming out on top because we're still having to wear masks to protect them rather than them taking responsibility for their own health.
Jeppy: I don't wear masks to protect the unvaccinated. I do it in the hopes of limiting the ability of the virus to spread and mutate, so it's ultimately about my own self interest. I have a couple of very dear friends who are anti-vaxxers, but I don't spend too much mental energy worry about protecting them if they won't take the basic precautions to protect themselves.
Jeppy: I don't wear masks to protect the unvaccinated. I do it in the hopes of limiting the ability of the virus to spread and mutate, so it's ultimately about my own self interest. I have a couple of very dear friends who are anti-vaxxers, but I don't spend too much mental energy worry about protecting them if they won't take the basic precautions to protect themselves.
It's going to spread and mutate anyways because we allow international travel via air - and I heard on the news land travel from Canada and Mexico will now be allowed as well. Masks are not going to stop variants, vaccinating the rest of the world will - to a degree. But the virus will eventually figure out a way to evade that too, just as we have antibiotic resistant bacteria. You can try fighting nature but you're probably going to lose.
frugal-one
10-13-21, 2:13pm
I would maintain that hope even in the absence of Covid.
I think vaccines are a good idea. But I think individual choice is also a good idea, even if some people make poor choices. I also think that where mandates are necessary they should be made at the lowest level possible. Not by presidents trying to revive faltering approval ratings.
BUT Covid will make it so you may not even be able get into the hospital because all beds are already filled with unvaccinated people... as is happening all over the country.
BUT Covid will make it so you may not even be able get into the hospital because all beds are already filled with unvaccinated people... as is happening all over the country.
Fact check - the hospitals are full due to elective surgeries that people postponed due to the pandemic, and due to people getting caught up on screenings for things like cancer that necessitate surgeries, and due to loss of medical staff due to vaccine mandates.
This hospital in Maine has suspended pediatric and trauma admissions because so many nurses quit over vaccine mandates:
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/patient-flow/maine-hospital-suspends-pediatric-trauma-admissions.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=6833B6718401H6A
THE HOSPITALS ARE NOT FULL DUE TO COVID PATIENTS, UNVACCINATED OR OTHERWISE.
In Massachusetts the longest nurses strike in state history is also a factor, eliminating 111 beds from use.
Facts matter.
It's going to spread and mutate anyways because we allow international travel via air
You realize the US requires a negative covid test within 3 days of flight for incoming passengers?
You realize the US requires a negative covid test within 3 days of flight for incoming passengers?
Because those last two days you can't catch or spread any germs, so the third day before is fine. Especially since international flights depart from, have transfers through, and land in congested urban areas where there are lots of people. It's a recipe for success!
And tests are always accurate and perfect! Yay hip hip hooray!
Delta, Lambda, Mu and other variants didn't enter the US via airplanes. They swam across the ocean. Drain the oceans! Save the homeland!
I suppose if one considers that more than half of republicans in both congressional chambers refused to state publicly that they’d been vaccinated last spring, several have made false statements about vaccine safety, at least one Republican house member has compared the vaccine efforts to nazi germany, and multiple Republican congressional folks shrieked in horror at the idea of volunteers going door to door in an attempt to discuss why they are hesitant about vaccines and even more sober republicans like mitt Romney refused to call out the disinformation being spread by conservative media outlets then sure, republicans have been doing a great job at encouraging vaccination.
then sure, republicans have been doing a great job at encouraging vaccination.
My Republican governor forced everyone to sign up via a website that kept crashing and wouldn't let community organizations that had invested in special freezers for the vaccines have any. He forced everyone to go to intimidating for elderly mass vaccination sites like Fenway Park in downtown Boston. He put prison inmates ahead of people with type 1 diabetes.
Fortunately over time things got better no thanks to him. We are the second best in the nation after Vermont in having received a first dose no thanks to the dictator, but thanks to the persistence of ordinary people in seeking out shots.
But it's never good enough and we can't celebrate our successes. Instead we must be punished with masks by unelected fanatics on Boards of Health.
- Benadryl 50mg
- Haldol 5mg
- Ativan 2mg
Take IM as needed, sometimes works better than ice cream.
And our hero is now a doctor too!
Here’s some boots on the ground type info.
This is what I’m dealing with this week. Given my extensive transportation experience, besides being a customs broker, I’ve been asked to handle one customer we do clearances AND coordinate delivery for. Can do this in my sleep. One of the KC, MO rail yards is a massive cluster. One of the two container lifts is down. Trucker sent these photos. Trucker delivered one container in the local KC area this morning. Driver had been sitting in line since 10am to get the empty lifted off the chassis so they can get another loaded one. Took 3 hours. We have 10 containers for that particular customer. They’re handling deliveries for 4 containers for another customer of mine. Severe chassis shortage. Rail now only gives 24 hours free time. Used to give 48. Storage is $100/day per container.
4041
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JaneV2.0
10-13-21, 10:06pm
And to add to that, I understand there is a shortage of truck drivers because training was suspended at the height of the pandemic.
And to add to that, I understand there is a shortage of truck drivers because training was suspended at the height of the pandemic.
There has been a shortage of truck drivers in the US for upwards of 10 years. The plague exacerbated the shortage.
Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.
happystuff
10-14-21, 10:02am
Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.
I think this delves back into the "no employees" thread. Yes, there are a lot of jobs available right now - truck drivers, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, food service, etc - but would YOU want to do any of these back-breaking jobs? Especially with a starting salary of $15/hour, if you're lucky?
A couple of weeks ago, a guy I know in manufacturing told me he had trouble getting CDL drivers with no overnights at $70K. He’s having an even harder time getting assemblers and warehouse people who will show up and pass urine tests for $18/hour.
I have heard CDL drivers for some company (Walmart?) are starting at $80K now.
There are things that could be done:
1. Temporarily lift, as has been done in the past, part of the hours cap on drivers.
2. Have shipper and recipient unload the truck - this is the part of the job I could not do but I could drive if trained.
3. Change drug testing regulations so a positive for marijuana is not disqualifying.
4. Reduce or eliminate fees for CDL licenses.
5. Some companies will already pay for a person's truck school tuition if they agree to work for them for a number of years. If a living stipend were added for when the person is at trucking school, since the schools are often far from home, that would definitely entice more people to sign up.
Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.
There are still plenty of companies with company owned trucks. The Chicago area being the logistics hub of the Midwest, I’m constantly seeing billboards on the highways for driver jobs. Start at $75K with a $25K signing bonus. Company owned trucks. Some local routes, some OTR.
iris lilies
10-14-21, 1:16pm
Mexicans with green cards come in droves to work in the “green” industry seasonally.
But the problem with these guys DH worked with is that they don’t speak English. So, they cannot pass a CDL license test. Otherwise I can see those guys taking those $70,000 jobs, tag teaming it in some way and driving overnights straight through to get the product there in half of the time.
One of the green card Mexicans DH worked with learned English and he was afforded upper level jobs because of that.He could get a US drivers license and become a crew boss for the tree company. Driving and talking to customers was key, and that is language based.
ApatheticNoMore
10-14-21, 1:18pm
I think this delves back into the "no employees" thread. Yes, there are a lot of jobs available right now - truck drivers, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, food service, etc - but would YOU want to do any of these back-breaking jobs? Especially with a starting salary of $15/hour, if you're lucky?
that would depend entirely on my situation. Being that I'm usually able to get much better jobs, probably not very readily at all. If I was my sibling who has never worked in 40 years and I suppose expects me to support them after mom dies, then yes I think they should take a food service job, even a part time one. We have talked about better options though that may pay enough to live on. No interest.
My neighbor is a recent immigrant from Serbia. While he has a Master's in a medical profession, he also has a CDL and experience driving heavy trucks. He leveraged that into citizenship rather quickly.
He's on the road most of the time, working for a company, and gets great pay and benefits.
He's been encouraging me to get my CDL, as I've already had most of the training but currently drive such things using a CDL exemption, and team up with him now-and-then - apparently it's a great life for some, and the compensation he's dangling seem quite appealing. And his wife enjoys him being out of town most of the time, and is my go-to petsitter, so who knows, this could work out.
iris lilies
10-14-21, 1:49pm
And to add to that, I understand there is a shortage of truck drivers because training was suspended at the height of the pandemic.
Drug tests are a real problem for drivers and user of heavy equipment. So many Americans cannot pass them.
Drug tests are a real problem for drivers and user of heavy equipment. So many Americans cannot pass them.
I am subject to random drug testing for the equipment I operate, and in the event of *any* accident a drug/alcohol test is mandatory.
iris lilies
10-14-21, 2:09pm
I am subject to random drug testing for the equipment I operate, and in the event of *any* accident a drug/alcohol test is mandatory.
It was common for DH’s tree company to hire on several new employees and when the day came for them to start they took their drug test. The next day they didn’t show up because they knew the results.
There was one employee who swung through trees like a monkey, A very talented tree trimmer. He was hired and fired hired and fired hired and fired so many times I can’t keep track. Drug tests.
iris lilies
10-14-21, 2:24pm
that would depend entirely on my situation. Being that I'm usually able to get much better jobs, probably not very readily at all. If I was my sibling who has never worked in 40 years and I suppose expects me to support them after mom dies, then yes I think they should take a food service job, even a part time one. We have talked about better options though that may pay enough to live on. No interest.
ANM if you play the game of Victim in your relationship with your brother, that’s on you. And if your mother attempts to engage you in this codependent dance after she is dead by somehow making you the person who doles out money to him from her estate, do not take that role. Do not accept that responsibility.
You do not have to support your sibling. You not have to give your sibling any funds at all. It is entirely on you if you accept a role of provider. It is simple: don’t engage that way with your sibling.
Notice I said it is “simple “but that doesn’t mean the situation is easy to extricate from.
I haven't delved into it but wondering if exports are likewise stymied. While driving through the Texas panhandle, I noticed the endless cotton fields ready to harvest. I looked up the stats and something like 85% of TX grown cotton is shipped overseas...I presume to make our cotton items and then ship back to us.
I haven't delved into it but wondering if exports are likewise stymied. While driving through the Texas panhandle, I noticed the endless cotton fields ready to harvest. I looked up the stats and something like 85% of TX grown cotton is shipped overseas...I presume to make our cotton items and then ship back to us.
The ocean carriers are sending the empty containers back overseas as they make more off the shipping charges than waiting for the empties to be loaded with US agricultural exports. It’s been a problem for months.
gimmethesimplelife
10-15-21, 12:18am
Here is an everyday example of messed up supply chains - we have stopped using the dishwasher - finally had one installed at the house - because of worries of no parts available/not much labor available should it break down. I didn't bond with having a dushwasher anyway. Rob
frugal-one
10-15-21, 7:38am
Here is an everyday example of messed up supply chains - we have stopped using the dishwasher - finally had one installed at the house - because of worries of no parts available/not much labor available should it break down. I didn't bond with having a dushwasher anyway. Rob
Huh? Wait until it actually breaks down before you stop using it. A new dishwasher shouldn’t break down but if it does warranty should cover it. Not using something in case of….. especially a dishwasher seems overkill to me.
Steel scuba tanks used in North America come from Italy. The most popular sizes are constantly out of stock. Materials/manufacturing issues and shipping delays. The price on used steel tanks has gone though the roof.
I got lucky that my instructor in WI loaned me a pair of tanks for the winter so I don’t have to use the expensive Trimix (has helium) in two pairs of tanks from deep class days that didn’t happen this summer due to scheduling issues.
iris lilies
10-15-21, 9:58am
Here is an everyday example of messed up supply chains - we have stopped using the dishwasher - finally had one installed at the house - because of worries of no parts available/not much labor available should it break down. I didn't bond with having a dushwasher anyway. Rob
I can understand not needing or using a dishwasher.
But inserting the reason why you don’t use it as due to “worries” of no parts when it breaks down just seems…not realistic.
I can understand not needing or using a dishwasher.
But inserting the reason why you don’t use it as due to “worries” of no parts when it breaks down just seems…not realistic.
Unless you are planning to sell the house soon and want a functional dishwasher for the buyers.
Here is an everyday example of messed up supply chains - we have stopped using the dishwasher - finally had one installed at the house - because of worries of no parts available/not much labor available should it break down. I didn't bond with having a dushwasher anyway. Rob
That doesn't seem like an every day example to me. By that thinking, should you also stop watching your TV out of fear you may not be able to get replacement batteries for your remote?
happystuff
10-15-21, 10:15am
Here is an everyday example of messed up supply chains - we have stopped using the dishwasher - finally had one installed at the house - because of worries of no parts available/not much labor available should it break down. I didn't bond with having a dushwasher anyway. Rob
Actually, since it sounds like you don't like the dishwasher to begin with, any excuse would be good to not use it. I get that, as I am the same way with some things. ;)
catherine
10-15-21, 10:22am
I was just reading where some people are freaking out because all the Christmas gifts will be gone by November. What the heck?? I don't think I have ever worried that something I wanted to get someone for Christmas would be unavailable. I never do Black Friday, I've never stood in line for a store to open, and I've never disappointed my kids or anyone else for that matter on Christmas (far from it). I simply don't get that mindset. There's plenty of stuff out there, people!!
As for the dishwasher, I agree that in Rob's case, a dishwasher and a TV are two different things. Most people have a TV, but not everyone has or wants a dishwasher. My dishwasher has been broken for 2 years now, and I've been using the racks as drainboards when I hand wash them. DH and I are still debating: replace it, or just remove it and turn the space into more storage?
This whole topic still has me wracking my brain to figure out anything that I would really stress out about not being able to buy. Maybe I don't have a good enough imagination.
iris lilies
10-15-21, 10:37am
I was just reading where some people are freaking out because all the Christmas gifts will be gone by November. What the heck?? I don't think I have ever worried that something I wanted to get someone for Christmas would be unavailable. I never do Black Friday, I've never stood in line for a store to open, and I've never disappointed my kids or anyone else for that matter on Christmas (far from it). I simply don't get that mindset. There's plenty of stuff out there, people!!
As for the dishwasher, I agree that in Rob's case, a dishwasher and a TV are two different things. Most people have a TV, but not everyone has or wants a dishwasher. My dishwasher has been broken for 2 years now, and I've been using the racks as drainboards when I hand wash them. DH and I are still debating: replace it, or just remove it and turn the space into more storage?
This whole topic still has me wracking my brain to figure out anything that I would really stress out about not being able to buy. Maybe I don't have a good enough imagination.
Medications. Dog food.
catherine
10-15-21, 10:41am
Medications. Dog food.
I can definitely see medications, but it in many cases, especially for common conditions like hypertension, there are plenty of medication that can be substituted for another one. However, yes, if I were on a medication for a chronic condition that worked particularly well for me, I would not want a supply chain shortage of that for sure.
There's workarounds for dog food. You can make it yourself.
While I doubt it would have made much difference, I’m a little surprised that the world has taken little notice that the Secretary of Transportation has been away from the office on paternity leave for the last couple of months. You would think the press might have some questions for him during times like this.
ApatheticNoMore
10-15-21, 12:45pm
As for the dishwasher, I agree that in Rob's case, a dishwasher and a TV are two different things. Most people have a TV, but not everyone has or wants a dishwasher. My dishwasher has been broken for 2 years now, and I've been using the racks as drainboards when I hand wash them. DH and I are still debating: replace it, or just remove it and turn the space into more storage?
I have neither but I fantasize about a dish washer. Oh well that needs a whole plumbing setup right, ok I don't have that, I've always figured it probably isn't possible as it didn't come with the apartment. But I fantasize.. I do. So sick of doing dishes!
This whole topic still has me wracking my brain to figure out anything that I would really stress out about not being able to buy. Maybe I don't have a good enough imagination.
maybe not, I mean I needed a cot for my mom to sleep in here after surgery and failing to plan ahead for this I needed it in a few days. I mean the plan wasn't for her to live here for awhile really, it really wasn't, but then the reality hit and it was like ok this is the best plan and the one she wants (not an ideal plan because come on, it's cramped here etc.). But I was able to get one in a few days without any indication of supply chain issues (I ordered online but I even saw in store ones), I think my selection may have more been limited to like needing it in a few days more than anything. So ACTUAL obstacles due to supply chain issues, no, I just wish there were quarters. But theoretical one's, sure, if I could not have gotten a cot that would have sucked.
catherine
10-15-21, 12:58pm
Now that gas prices are going up, I wouldn't want to go back to my senior year in college when we had odd/even numbers for gas and long, long lines. I feel my needs for gas and the inconvenience of sitting in line would be relatively less than others because I do all of my work from home these days, and I rarely need to fill up my car--maybe once a month. But I would feel for all the others who would really suffer financially and from all the hassles that rationing gas brings.
Now that gas prices are going up, I wouldn't want to go back to my senior year in college when we had odd/even numbers for gas and long, long lines.
The fuel situation in the UK recently is/was just loony. A shortage of truck drivers, combined with an announcement by the government that "there is no fuel shortage, there's just a delivery problem, please don't panic and stockpile..." led to the predictable outcome.
Glad I have an electric vehicle or three :-)
iris lilies
10-15-21, 1:07pm
Now that gas prices are going up, I wouldn't want to go back to my senior year in college when we had odd/even numbers for gas and long, long lines. I feel my needs for gas and the inconvenience of sitting in line would be relatively less than others because I do all of my work from home these days, and I rarely need to fill up my car--maybe once a month. But I would feel for all the others who would really suffer financially and from all the hassles that rationing gas brings.
Supply line for wifi products. There’s your Achilles heel.
Which by the way I would like to know how is your electronic communications systems up there in Vermont? Did you have downtimes last winter?
happystuff
10-15-21, 1:12pm
I actually went looking for a pair of work shoes at our local Marshall's - nothing. However, I did end up getting Christmas gifts for the young kids next door. I usually don't shop this early, but since the items were there, and Marshall's is a "here today/gone tomorrow" type store, I just bought them. Not panicking, though!!!! Just trying to be pro-active. :D
catherine
10-15-21, 1:26pm
Supply line for wifi products. There’s your Achilles heel.
Which by the way I would like to know how is your electronic communications systems up there in Vermont? Did you have downtimes last winter?
Haha! That's true! We haven't had any issue with broadband/wifi up here. I have Comcast/Xfinity and it has worked well. I think it went down for a short time maybe twice in the 4 years we've been here. Our biggest problem is cell phone service. Very, very spotty. My mudroom is my phone booth. It's the only place in the house I can speak to people on my cell phone. They've just built a new cell phone tower on the island (and believe me, there were a lot of local protesters--NIMBY and also it's unsightly from all over the place). They haven't plugged it in yet, but that should solve the cell phone problem.
I don't know why they can't design attractive cell phone towers.
I don't know why they can't design attractive cell phone towers.
The fake pine trees don't appeal to you?
While I doubt it would have made much difference, I’m a little surprised that the world has taken little notice that the Secretary of Transportation has been away from the office on paternity leave for the last couple of months. You would think the press might have some questions for him during times like this.
I think the entire family is still hanging out in their hospital bed, recuperating from the rigors of childbirth.
https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.09/xxs/6133cfbd20302759975bc5cc.JPG
Haha! That's true! We haven't had any issue with broadband/wifi up here. I have Comcast/Xfinity and it has worked well. I think it went down for a short time maybe twice in the 4 years we've been here.
You're lucky you don't live in a technological backwater like we do. Our internet is terrible.
I think the entire family is still hanging out in their hospital bed, recuperating from the rigors of childbirth.
When my daughter was born, I took my family leave time. Apparently I was one of the first men in Silicon Valley in my sort of position to do so, and legal action had to be taken to make sure I could, and that I'd have my job when I returned. (Which was hilarious, as my wife was the company's general counsel at the time, placing us both in an interesting position...)
Anyways, I felt it was a crucial time to bond with the wee bairn, and think it was a wise move.
The fake pine trees don't appeal to you?
They would have to be fake firs around here, but I'd settle for a fake palm.
I think parental leave should be universal. I have a feeling Secretary Buttigieg is in contact with the White House.
Our biggest problem is cell phone service. Very, very spotty.
I'm boonies too. I use wifi calling inside the house, a lot more reliable than cell. I use Verizon and had to turn on one or two settings to use wifi calling IIRC.
I think the entire family is still hanging out in their hospital bed, recuperating from the rigors of childbirth.
https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.09/xxs/6133cfbd20302759975bc5cc.JPG
An interesting case at my workplace - you can spread out the parental leave over a year. So one of our guys who had a baby in February is still taking time off, but it's not to take the baby to well baby checks or anything. It's when he's had a baseball game the night before and wants to sleep in, or one time he was cleaning out his basement and bringing lots of trash to the company dumpster. Amazing how that bonding works.
frugal-one
10-15-21, 3:24pm
While I doubt it would have made much difference, I’m a little surprised that the world has taken little notice that the Secretary of Transportation has been away from the office on paternity leave for the last couple of months. You would think the press might have some questions for him during times like this.
You missed it... Mayor Pete was answering questions last week....
catherine
10-15-21, 3:32pm
I use wifi calling inside the house, a lot more reliable than cell.
I do have a landline, which works fine. I can hardly be without it in my line of work, but many calls are via Zoom/Microsoft Teams now.
And the world doesn't care, but the righties are bleating their usual paroxysms of faux concern.
I'm sure between the Secretary and his staff, the job is being done. This is a working White House, after all.
I’m on a frugality group on FB. The sheeple are panicking.
I’m on a frugality group on FB. The sheeple are panicking.
About what?
I just got back from the market in the village, and it seems a bit...bare. And prices on the remaining items seem considerably higher than they were a few weeks ago. It was a bit concerning.
There’s going to be a massive food shortage. Gotta stock up. Now.
They think our overlords are trying to starve us into submission.
Tin foil hats on way too tight.
I'm no survivalist, but I think everyone should have provisions in case of emergency--whatever that means to the individual.
I could use more potable water; otherwise, I think I'm good.
happystuff
10-15-21, 7:45pm
When my daughter was born, I took my family leave time. Apparently I was one of the first men in Silicon Valley in my sort of position to do so, and legal action had to be taken to make sure I could, and that I'd have my job when I returned. (Which was hilarious, as my wife was the company's general counsel at the time, placing us both in an interesting position...)
Anyways, I felt it was a crucial time to bond with the wee bairn, and think it was a wise move.
My dh did the same for each of our kids. Priceless.
JaneV2.0
10-15-21, 10:13pm
I saw Secretary Buttigieg interviewed today. He reports he's in daily contact with his staff, and he discussed supply-chain issues. So it seems he's really just working from home.
I do find it amusing that so many people who last month had not a clue where their food comes from are now supply-chain and logistics experts. Having now mastered virology and such.
This is truly a nation of talented and engaged citizens.
I do find it amusing that so many people who last month had not a clue where their food comes from are now supply-chain and logistics experts. Having now mastered virology and such.
This is truly a nation of talented and engaged citizens.
I deal with this stuff on the job daily and these people are trying to tell me what's going on. People have no clue how freight moves, most people.
Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.
Hear! Hear!
ApatheticNoMore
10-16-21, 1:20am
I've mostly ignored the issue as it doesn't directly affect me (nothing I've wanted I couldn't buy - well there is the annoying quarter shortage I guess) and I suspect will resolve itself in due time.
I guess I could get deep into trying to understand the cause, in a world that still largely impacted by covid, it doesn't seem that unusual that there should still be disruptions though.
gimmethesimplelife
10-16-21, 2:02am
The fake pine trees don't appeal to you?I'd take fake pine trees over the see how phony the fake palm trees look we have going in Phoenix. Rob
I do find it amusing that so many people who last month had not a clue where their food comes from are now supply-chain and logistics experts. Having now mastered virology and such.
This is truly a nation of talented and engaged citizens.
People are a lot smarter than you think they are.
For instance, people do well at evaluating risks to their health. That's why you saw huge lines of elderly in places trying to get vaccines when they first came out. By contrast you didn't see the twenty somethings queuing up when their turn came. Ordinary people know risk varies by age even if experts try to paper that over.
Although those under 12 are too young to be vaccinated not a single child that age has died of covid in my state this fall. The entire state has in person learning. Maybe the schools were all shuttered last year for nothing, because the children who did die were primarily those with severe underlying disabilities in hospitals or other care facilities.
But let's scare everyone. Then we can force people to do what we want with their bodies.
Any wonder there is vaccine hesitancy and lack of trust including among people of color, who have a long legacy in this country of elites controlling their bodies via slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration, etc?
For instance, people do well at evaluating risks to their health.
This is the funniest thing I’ve read all week.
happystuff
10-16-21, 8:54am
I do find it amusing that so many people who last month had not a clue where their food comes from are now supply-chain and logistics experts. Having now mastered virology and such.
This is truly a nation of talented and engaged citizens.
LOL. That's what you get in a country chock full of armchair experts. ;)
This is the funniest thing I’ve read all week.
I take it your view is that government knows best and ordinary people are all idiots. It's not like government has ever lied to us and misled us.
Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq anyone?
If you don't think the government has lied to us about covid watch this clip by comedian Jimmy Dore:
https://youtu.be/NUIXtfsQLCI
Fauci contradicts himself in the same interview.
ToomuchStuff
10-16-21, 10:38am
I saw Secretary Buttigieg interviewed today. He reports he's in daily contact with his staff, and he discussed supply-chain issues. So it seems he's really just working from home.
Of course, have to keep the diapers and baby food flowing. (bottle fed, I hope)
Talked to a friend who owns a produce company. He told me next week that tomato's and lettuce are going to double. Maybe I can get some taco's from taco bell with meat on them, then, LOL.
happystuff
10-16-21, 3:04pm
And then I have to wonder whether or not discussions like this are actually going to create more of a supply issue (i.e. run on _______ fill in the blank), than would normally exist? I mean, as an example, I'm still using tp that I stocked up on 1.5 years ago in prep for pandemic shortages.
I take it your view is that government knows best and ordinary people are all idiots. It's not like government has ever lied to us and misled us.
Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq anyone?
1500 unvaxxed people dying everyday of covid in the US. And you think people know best about their health. Sure. Whatever.
1500 unvaxxed people dying everyday of covid in the US. And you think people know best about their health. Sure. Whatever.
Some people are rolling the dice. Get vaxxed and avoid covid now? Or don't because the virus will evolve to evade the vaccine? We have seen antibiotic resistant superbugs evolve because antibiotics are overprescribed. Imagine a higher lethality supercovid, more like the Black Death that killed one in three people.
Absolutely the elderly and vulnerable should be vaccinated. For everyone else the case is not that clear.
Some people are rolling the dice. Get vaxxed and avoid covid now? Or don't because the virus will evolve to evade the vaccine? We have seen antibiotic resistant superbugs evolve because antibiotics are overprescribed. Imagine a higher lethality supercovid, more like the Black Death that killed one in three people.
Absolutely the elderly and vulnerable should be vaccinated. For everyone else the case is not that clear.
There's a difference between knowing what's best for one's health and choosing to gamble with one's health and then coming up snake eyes. If the gamblers had been good at assessing health risks/rewards they wouldn't have made the wrong decision.
And as for your stupid idea that we should encourage covid to run rampant as a way to prevent further mutations, I'd laugh if that weren't such a dangerous idea. Surely you aren't really that dumb are you? You're just playing your role of court jester for us.
There's a difference between knowing what's best for one's health and choosing to gamble with one's health and then coming up snake eyes. If the gamblers had been good at assessing health risks/rewards they wouldn't have made the wrong decision.
And as for your stupid idea that we should encourage covid to run rampant as a way to prevent further mutations, I'd laugh if that weren't such a dangerous idea. Surely you aren't really that dumb are you? You're just playing your role of court jester for us.
Covid will be with us forever. How much it mutates is in part up to us.
One factor is how widespread it is - the more covid around the world, the more chances for mutations. This is why America hogging vaccines for boosters is bad.
But the other factor is how scarce it becomes, and how threatened it feels, so that it mutates to survive.
You need a happy medium. If people get it and develop natural immunity as a result that is also a plus. It's one factor in herd immunity.
What we want is a manageable endemic disease rather than a pandemic.
You're just playing your role of court jester for us.
Russian troll. Useful idiot. Internet Edgelord. Many options really.
Russian troll. Useful idiot. Internet Edgelord. Many options really.
Foil to the self-appointed heroes.
Foil to the self-appointed heroes.
I recommend the study of Silver before taking up fencing... In particular, until you firmly understand the concept of "true time" in your bones and sinews, you have no business holding a weapon.
Of six chief causes, that many valiant men think themselves by their practices to be skillful in their weapons, are yet many times in their fights sore hurt, and many times slain by men of small skill or none at all.
The first and chief cause is, the lack of the four governors, without which it is impossible to fight safe, although a man should practice most painfully and most diligently all the days of his life.
The second cause is, the lack of the knowledge in due observance of the four actions, the which we shall call bent, spent, lying spent, and drawing back. These actions every man fights upon, whether they are skillful or unskillful, he that observes them is safe, he that observes them not, is in continual danger of every thrust that shall be strongly made against him.
The third cause is, they are unpracticed in the four true times, neither do they know the true times from the false, therefore the true choice of their times are most commonly taken by chance, and seldom otherwise.
The fourth cause is, they are unacquainted out of what fight, or in what manner they are to answer the variable fight, and therefore because the variable fight is the most easy fight of all others, most commonly do answer the variable fight with the variable fight, which ought never be but in the first distance, or with the short sword against the long, because if both or one of them shall happen to press, and that in due time of either side's fight be changed, the distance, by reason of the narrowness of space, is broken, the place is won and lost of both sides, then he that thrusts first, speedeth: if both happen to thrust together, they are both in danger. Therefore things sometimes by true times, by change of fights, by chance are avoided.
The fifth cause is, their weapons are most commonly too long to uncross without going back with the feet.
The sixth cause is, their weapons are most commonly too heavy both to defend and offend in due time, & by these two last causes many valiant men have lost their lives.
But the other factor is how scarce it becomes, and how threatened it feels, so that it mutates to survive.
.
LOL. Where on earth did you get this ridiculous notion?
flowerseverywhere
10-18-21, 5:54am
I do find it amusing that so many people who last month had not a clue where their food comes from are now supply-chain and logistics experts. Having now mastered virology and such.
This is truly a nation of talented and engaged citizens.
plus experts on the constitution
LOL. Where on earth did you get this ridiculous notion?
Antiobiotic resistant bacteria aka superbugs. Read up on them. They evolved to survive overuse of antibiotics including heavy dosing of animals in factory farms, given to keep them from succumbing to diseases as they are crammed together in cruel conditions that promote disease. Similarly covid will evolve to try to survive mass vaccination.
Antiobiotic resistant bacteria aka superbugs. Read up on them. They evolved to survive overuse of antibiotics including heavy dosing of animals in factory farms, given to keep them from succumbing to diseases as they are crammed together in cruel conditions that promote disease. Similarly covid will evolve to try to survive mass vaccination.
If you're such a medical expert I'm surprised you don't know the difference between viruses and bacteria.
If you're such a medical expert I'm surprised you don't know the difference between viruses and bacteria.
Both are living things that want to live. Plants evolve, animals evolve, fungi evolve, viruses evolve, bacteria evolve.
But some people don't evolve, they just stay stuck in the thinking the medical industrial complex indoctrinates them with.
Most scientists would say viruses are not a living thing. https://blogs.webmd.com/public-health/20200717/are-viruses-living-things
They do evolve variants even if they are not mobile. I would hate to think that mobility is the defining characteristic of life. Stephen Hawking was certainly alive.
Mobility was not mentioned in that article.
"In science, we generally define a “living thing” as an organism with a metabolism (chemical process that keep the organism alive) that can grow, reproduce, and respond when stimulated. Viruses do not have a metabolism and cannot grow or respond when stimulated."
Prions are cooler anyways.
iris lilies
10-18-21, 6:05pm
Most scientists would say viruses are not a living thing. https://blogs.webmd.com/public-health/20200717/are-viruses-living-things
Hunh, interesting. Ok, I accept that.
Mobility was not mentioned in that article.
The article mentioned traveling, crawling, flying and moving.
Good article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/22/business/shortages-supply-chain.html?referringSource=articleShare
catherine
10-22-21, 2:25pm
Good article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/22/business/shortages-supply-chain.html?referringSource=articleShare
That is very interesting. So, what is the verdict? Are shortages going to get worse? Because at the moment, I'm not experiencing any decrease in my quality of life because of shortages, but maybe it just hasn't hit Vermont, or maybe I just haven't encountered a need I can't fill.
I know international trade has been around since Marco Polo and beyond, but the complexities in the NYT article do speak to the value of local economies.
May go into 2023.
When you can’t get parts for your car or an appliance, that’s when it might start to bite.
gimmethesimplelife
10-27-21, 11:08am
Greets to all from Nogales, AZ. Something that has me creeped out is reading that medication shortages are coming. I'm so lucky to live in a border state as many medications are manufactured in Mexico and on this long weekend I crossed into Mexico and it seems that most meds are still available though I did have to go to several phamacies to find indomethacin. And there are still supply chain problems. Food is available though not all ingredients so eating out is a matter of what's available, not what you'd prefer to order. I did not see any bare shelves in Mexico as of yet, though. Rob
gimmethesimplelife
10-27-21, 11:09am
Alan, could you split my post into paragrahs? Sorry I didn't think to do so. Thank You. Rob
We have a broken dishwasher- new one was easy to purchase, unlike the refrigerator we needed this is a standard size.
Simplemind
10-29-21, 11:50pm
We just had to buy a new dishwasher because we couldn't get the parts for our old one. I much preferred what we had. We ended up with a cheapie that does the job but isn't anywhere near as nice as the old one.
happystuff
10-30-21, 10:52am
Apparently the paving stones for the new patio came in, but still waiting on the decking for the porches.
The dining room furniture I ordered May 30 is to be delivered Saturday. Fingers crossed it's not damaged or missing anything.
May go into 2023.
When you can’t get parts for your car or an appliance, that’s when it might start to bite.
Contemplate the Haber-Bosch process, and ask yourself where the fertilizer that mainstream US commercial agriculture relies upon comes from...
rosarugosa
11-10-21, 6:56pm
The dining room furniture I ordered May 30 is to be delivered Saturday. Fingers crossed it's not damaged or missing anything.
You must be excited after waiting for so long. Fingers crossed for you!
Teacher Terry
11-10-21, 10:44pm
Becky, hoping it’s perfect! That was a long wait.
I'm planning to go to costco tomorrow to get paper towels and toilet paper. We've got enough of each for maybe another 3-4 weeks. I assume it will be feast or famine.
ApatheticNoMore
11-11-21, 4:04am
I have not noticed a shortage of toilet paper or paper towels.
As noone knows all that is causing supply chain problems (well covid is probably part of it) but some say it's just people buying a record amount of stuff, people need to stop buying so much cr@p, or if they can't do that, at least spread the buying out over many months.
happystuff
11-11-21, 11:05am
Congrats, beckyliz!!!! Crossing fingers that it all arrives in perfect condition!
The decking for our porches has finally come in!! The guys have been working all week on the patio, side paving, and have started tearing out boards on the first porch. (They did leave the flooring right in front of the door, as there is no other access at the moment - lol)
I'm soooo excited! As I posted previously, this is the first major bit of work we have done on this house in decades! I don't remember where I posted the picture of the deck being removed, but I'll post a pic of the new patio in Housing - once it is complete. I'm thinking/hoping everything will be done in a week! :D
gimmethesimplelife
11-11-21, 1:11pm
You realize the US requires a negative covid test within 3 days of flight for incoming passengers?Interestingly enough there is no covid test required from US citizens/permanent residents when returning to the US as a pedestrian. Rob
Teacher Terry
11-11-21, 1:51pm
Happy, looking forward to seeing the finished deck. I am not stocking up because if everyone does that there will definitely be shortages.
gimmethesimplelife
11-11-21, 10:29pm
Medications. Dog food.Cat food, at least here in Phoenix. I did hear that cat food is available in Casa Grande, an hour away south on I-10 towards Tucson. Rob
gimmethesimplelife
11-11-21, 10:42pm
Forgot to add I did find cat food in Nogales, AZ during my recent visit. And I DID go a little overboard - but my cat is worth it. Sometimes I come home from a very long day and SO is still waiting tables and my cat will jump up into my lap and purr.
Like the old Mastercard commercial used to say - priceless. Rob
iris lilies
11-11-21, 10:42pm
Today I went to order a sofa for my condo. I’ve ordered three sofas from the same store and it took 6-8 weeks for custom fabric in the past.
Right now it’s taking six months for a custom order.
So, I did something I never do and that is buy some thing they have in stock. I will have to recover the bottom seat cover myself, but I consider that not a big deal, It will be a weekend job and shouldn’t cost more than $50.
I am trying to drive even more cautiously than I normally do. In the event of an accident it could be hard to get parts and my auto insurer sent out an email advising of this but stating they are not extending rental car coverage times. Sucks to be you was the main point as I read it.
happystuff
11-12-21, 10:43am
Now I think I need to go buy an extra bag of cat food!
Furniture delivered on time and in good shape! We're enjoying it and it will be nice to have for Thanksgiving.
GL from QC
11-18-21, 9:01pm
Is anyone else following the news from BC? https://ca.style.yahoo.com/british-columbia-rain-highway-coquihalla-floods-001232384.html
After recent floods and mudslides destroyed the highway, Vancouver is completely cut off from the rest of Canada. Now that will cause one big supply shortage. O_o
ApatheticNoMore
11-18-21, 9:04pm
Is anyone else following the news from BC? https://ca.style.yahoo.com/british-columbia-rain-highway-coquihalla-floods-001232384.html
After recent floods and mudslides destroyed the highway, Vancouver is completely cut off from the rest of Canada. Now that will cause one big supply shortage. O_o
Oh yea, the only routes in are from the U.S.. It seems massive.
Is anyone else following the news from BC?
Yes, it has been a bit nightmarish here.
We have one community on the island of 200 homes completely cut off when the road simply got washed away. Another of about 50 houses lost their only road in a mudslide.
Some of the mainland communities here on the US/Canada border got it even worse.
A small taste of our local issue:
https://lifeonorcasisland.com/flooding/
I'm impressed that the 200 home neighborhood got together and in an afternoon using the sawmill and machine shop over on their now-isolated region put together an impromptu bridge to at least get some foot traffic through, and organized a shuttle service on both sides.
We're still having mudslides. I had a large tree (big enough to flatten my home) simply slowly fall over this afternoon, luckily not doing anything more than blocking the road below me. The soil was so saturated the tree just...gave up.
I wonder what happens to the region when the Cascadia Fault quake hits?
catherine
11-18-21, 9:34pm
OMG! That's terrible! I didn't know. Reminds me of Irene when we were in VT on vacation and flooding made most roads impassable for weeks--the road near us looked like some of the pictures in the article. Terrible! I also feel sad for your tree :(
I hope the area dries out soon, and the damage doesn't take too long to recover from.
JaneV2.0
11-18-21, 10:38pm
Cascadia Fault Quake? I hope I'm long gone. :0!
What's happening north of me is eye-opening, that's for sure.
iris lilies
11-18-21, 10:51pm
The water will always win.
Stay safe you all up there in northwest land.
happystuff
11-18-21, 11:01pm
I had no idea this was happening or that it is so bad. Ditto IL - stay safe, everyone!
GL from QC
11-19-21, 1:02am
A small taste of our local issue:
https://lifeonorcasisland.com/flooding/
Those pictures are mindblowing... On some level, you always know that a newsworthy disaster was bad (quake, flood, fire, etc) but actually seeing the pictures and how everything got destroyed... O_o Ye gods. Stay safe, and please post more on the local situation if you can. I'm afraid what's happening in BC right now will become more commonplace in the coming years: the way the community bands together, and the authorities as well, will help prepare for more such disasters.
Those pictures are mindblowing... .
And it's much much much worse over on the mainland in the adjoining counties and BC.
Worse:
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/first-fires-now-floods-british-columbia-and-washington-reeling-from-atmospheric-river/
A feral cat colony I follow is based in a forest outside of Fort Langley, BC, and the founder is offering to board all the cats she can until they can be given back to the owners or rehomed. She hasn't said anything about a flooding disaster, so they're OK for now. If they hadn't been, she and her firefighter friends would have deployed their kayaks for sure.
If they hadn't been, she and her firefighter friends would have deployed their kayaks for sure.
My Oru folding kayaks have been proving quite handy!
All rail service out of the port of Vancouver has been cut off by the flooding. A lot of containers rail down to Chicago from Vancouver.
All rail service out of the port of Vancouver has been cut off by the flooding. A lot of containers rail down to Chicago from Vancouver.
I can see Tsawwassen out my window right now, where all the container ships come and go. Looks a bit problematic.
GL from QC
11-20-21, 2:36am
I used to work for Amazon... Their key warehouses are located in the delta, and one of the main ones (an Amazon Robotics building, YVR4) is in Tsawwassen. If all that is cut off with the rest of the country... I'm glad I don't work for them anymore, because they must be tearing their hair out right now: there will be no Black Friday in Canada, or folks will have to be okay with waiting weeks for their shopping to arrive.
DH and I went out to his favorite German restaurant for his birthday Thursday night. We had reservations for 5 p.m.
We had looked at the menu online and already decided what we wanted to order.
First up, I asked for the roast pork. Server: No, I'm sorry, we are out of that.
Me: Oh, ok, how about the cabbage roll? Server: Um, I'll check with the chef and see if we still have that.
DH: I'll have the Weiner Schnitzel. Server: Oh! I'm sorry, we are out of veal. We can't get it in right now.
DH: ok, I'll have the chicken schnitzel.
Server returns to table and tells me they don't have what they need for the cabbage rolls.
I just order a sausage and sauerkraut.
Sheesh! We go here a few times a year; they're a pretty big place in our town. We were really surprised, and felt badly for the server who kept having to tell us they were out of things. They still had German beer anyway!
happystuff
12-25-21, 2:22pm
Happy birthday to your dh! And them still having the German beer is a thumbs up!!! :)
sweetana3
12-25-21, 2:46pm
KayLR, that was India during the First Gulf War. We got a big menu of alcoholic beverages but after a long series of "No we dont have that" we finally figured out they only had Tiger Rum and Champagne. Had to laugh. Guess they were hoping we would choose the right thing.
happystuff
1-20-22, 8:28pm
Anyone know if there has been any forward movement in the supply chain disruptions? With some shortages on grocery shelves, I was just wondering if any of the lines of cargo ships, etc. have had any movement.
The dealership is no longer offering evening or weekend appointments. I guess I will get my oil changes elsewhere and hope it doesn't void the warranty. I am not going to waste four vacation days of my ten per year for this. If I want to waste them I'll go on a hunger strike.
Something must've moved. A local craft store a friend of mine works for is having major sales because their Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff finally came in last week!
An online big fabric store has said shipments are arriving fast and preorders are being shipped out. Not consistently since a few items are "missing".
Anyone know if there has been any forward movement in the supply chain disruptions? With some shortages on grocery shelves, I was just wondering if any of the lines of cargo ships, etc. have had any movement.
Most of our packaged food is produced domestically. So the port situation would have little impact on grocery store stocks.
But yes, somethings are moving better.
happystuff
1-21-22, 10:30am
I figured you would have "inside info", Tradd. Thanks. Since I generally don't shop much else besides groceries, I was curious. Good to hear some things are moving again.
I figured you would have "inside info", Tradd. Thanks. Since I generally don't shop much else besides groceries, I was curious. Good to hear some things are moving again.
I’m running into some really silly theories. Blaming businesses’ reduced hours on the supply chain mess, when it’s much more likely due to lack of employees - either can’t hire or workers out sick.
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