Food Prices, Shortages & Inflation - The Trash Index

[Bubblingbrooks]

This turned out to be much longer than I had imagined...Sorry

FWIW storing steak and hamburger "on the hoof" is one of the most efficient "SS" techniques I have found. I only have to feed them during the winter (which I will admit is quite long up here in the "frozen tundra of NE SDAK). The available protein content is unbeatable with the exception of Tilapia which provides the most protein for the amount of feed expended, however, a fish farm in these parts is rather impractical due to the weather.

As for Global Warming, it is true that Global Warming is happening BUT NOT for the reasons all the liberal wacko's are claiming (Just look at Al Gore's energy expenditure in the form of electric bills and jet fuel for his many travels). The earth is basically a gyroscope. It is turning on an axis which we all believe is functionally pointed toward the star we know as Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor. When one watches a gyroscope turn on it's axis, it does not stay perfectly straight but "wobbles" a bit. To add to this, the entire cosmos is not "sitting still" and is moving through space at a phenomenal speed...quite undetectable to us earthlings but moving none the less.

To this we must add the effect of the disparity between the earth as a mass of matter and the atmosphere which is also a mass of matter. The two masses are of different densities and move at different speeds. The earth is encased by the atmosphere and since the two move at different speeds the effects of the interaction between the two gives us what we commonly call "weather" which changes constantly.

This movement of the entire solar system and everything around it provides for interaction with numberless other cosmic energies and materials. Much of what we call "earth" or "dirt" is the result of cosmic dust that settles on the earth (in generally undetectable amounts) but over a period of time accumulates quite nicely.

With this accumulation of cosmic dust and the materials of which it is comprised, we also benefit by the accumulation of a variety of natural elements that are contained in that dust and this has provided (over the millenia) with a variety of layers on the surface of the earth and given us an interesting variety of reclaimable resources.

It is important to consider that any argument proffered by "scientists" will be tainted by the opinion of those particular "scientists" and more expecially by those folks who choose to use the argument of those scientists rather than others with whom their opinions diametrically oppose. To put it simply, they only listen to the ones who agree with their position.

While there is no argument that these things are indeed happening, they have been happening for millenia and will continue to happen despite man's effect on the environment. While I won't say that man has had NO effect on the environment and certainly won't say that all of man's effect on the environment has been either good or bad, the end result is that the earth is a living organism and takes care of itself, regardless of what we say or do. Noah and the Great Flood?
I don't think we can blame those things on SUV's now can we?Hello, can you say "Hurricane Katrina? "

As for "Alarm-ism" being the only way to get folks to do something one must ask "Why must WE get folks to do anything at all?" If they are not able to keep informed (and in this country that is difficult to imagine) they are liable to suffer the foibles of this world and the failings to which it is sujbected.

If one is as SS as possible, one is doing all they can to not be "alarmed". Who was it that said "To be forwarned is forearmed"? We here have no need to feel alarmed. We live in a state of "preparedness" where we don't notice that the rest of the country lives in huge apartment buildings and eek out a living from what they can purchase that is produced by the American Farmer. These apartment dwellers make obscene amounts of money doing their individual occupations such as stock broker, lawyers etc. Some work in factory's and some do other forms of jobs to support the huge corporations that are slowly but surely trying to take over our form of life and control it. These "WORKERS" can go on strike when they are unhappy about their wages or compensation or whatever but their existence continues to be assured by the fact that the American Farmer continues to work and produce food (including beef) for the consumption of the rest of the country.

But these "workers" who tend to think they are oppressed will find that money very undigestable in the event there is a strike by the American Farmer. They won't be able to burn their money in a furnace to keep warm.

SS folks don't have that problem. We think and act for our own support and existence. Everyone has choices. Some use those choices to be functional and some choose to depend on others for their survival. It has always been this way. We who choose to be SS, do not generally live in expensive homes with expensive furnishings and doormen or gated communities, etc. We live in austere environments where facing the -20F temperatures still has to be done in order to feed the calves and chickens who in turn feed us. This is NOT Alarm-ism. It IS CHOICE.

The majority of American citizens up until the end of the first 1/3 of the 20th century lived on farms and were effectively SS. Now they want to live in cities, have their nintendo, Wii and rapid mass transit AND their expensive sports car rather than invest in their assured self-determination. As a result, they have made their choices and now expect others to conform to their problems.

No thank you. I do go out in the cold and I do feed my animals and I do tend my garden and I do make my own electricity, etc. That is MY CHOICE.

Excellent!

 

[TanksHill]

 

[k0xxx]

From the FWIW Dept.

According to our "leaders", there is no inflation. In fact we are currently told that we are in a period of deflation. It is odd though that the cost of food and fuel is not included in their "figures".

Here are a couple of more samplings from the news today.

Supermarket surprise: smaller servings, same price

McDonald's likely to raise prices in 2011

I'm not a big fan of McD's so an increase in their prices won't affect me. However, the underlying reason for the increases will.

 

[Dunkopf]

From the FWIW Dept.

According to our "leaders", there is no inflation. In fact we are currently told that we are in a period of deflation. It is odd though that the cost of food and fuel is not included in their "figures".

Here are a couple of more samplings from the news today.

Supermarket surprise: smaller servings, same price

McDonald's likely to raise prices in 2011

I'm not a big fan of McD's so an increase in their prices won't affect me. However, the underlying reason for the increases will.

Yeah they need to have 2 price indexes to determine inflation. Consumer wants and consumer needs. That way they can't be criticized for trying to deceive us. It's real sad to say we don't have any inflation when food has gone up drastically for the last 5 years and gas has been going up steady for 2 years.

 

[BarredBuff]

I dont know if you remember me posting earlier about how I was gonna make the flock work for their stay here. Today I culled a hen she had never laid, was small, and wasnt hardy.......So Long Miz Chicken

 

[Wifezilla]

"The FAO Food Price Index, which measures the wholesale price of basic foods within a basket, averaged 231 points last month - its highest level since records began in 1990.

It was up 3.4% from December, the seventh monthly rise for the index.

"These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come," FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian said.

The index is now higher than June 2008 when the cost of food sparked violent protests in countries including Cameroon, Haiti and Egypt.

The individual group components of the index, apart from meat, all registered rises in January."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12354402

 

[Neko-chan]

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[Wannabefree]

It's gonna get a little tough down here in Oz. A ton of crops in Queensland were damaged/destroyed over the last couple of months, due to flooding, or bad weather, or Cyclone Yasi. Banana and sugar prices will probably go up. So will a lot of tropical fruit too, I imagine. I think Australia has lost most if not all of it's wheat crops too.

Tragic. I'm really going to have to find stuff to grow now.

Yep....it's going to effect everyone else too. Our sugar and wheat particularly is going to go up here in the U.S. too. glad I have a huge garden planned WITH wheat for the first time ever I hope it isn't too bad for you folks locally

 

[Neko-chan]

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[Wifezilla]

Neko, growing as much of your own as you can does make sense. What kind of climate are you having to deal with?