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Post by blustnmtn on Aug 22, 2024 11:36:15 GMT
The best barometer I have is my own business as I have posted several times, and after an encouraging early summer, business has fallen off the cliff (again) now in late summer. Some of our more established customers seem to be having trouble paying their bills. People are getting testy. Truck brokers call all day long. We're definitely not out of the woods yet. Actually I have never seen it completely dead like this. Strange fast stops and starts. My subjective opinion is that this happened when Kamala came out with the full media support. The economy is absolutely terrified, they have heard her insane communist rantings, and people suspect another stolen election is in the works. FWIW, I ran a service station with an attached mechanical repair business for a long time. It was in a commercial/light industrial area only a few kilometers from the Brisbane CBD. We were very busy most of the time but the ' busy' was interspersed with ' what have we done wrong?/where have all the customers gone?' periods. Disclaimer: It's now thirty years on so my observations are likely irrelevant and we live in interesting times. That’s during the timeframe that I was in Brisbane. However, I did not drive while visiting OZ. |
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Post by ratty on Aug 22, 2024 12:09:26 GMT
FWIW, I ran a service station with an attached mechanical repair business for a long time. It was in a commercial/light industrial area only a few kilometers from the Brisbane CBD. We were very busy most of the time but the ' busy' was interspersed with ' what have we done wrong?/where have all the customers gone?' periods. Disclaimer: It's now thirty years on so my observations are likely irrelevant and we live in interesting times. That’s during the timeframe that I was in Brisbane. However, I did not drive while visiting OZ. The safest option ....  |
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Post by gridley on Aug 23, 2024 11:14:10 GMT
That’s during the timeframe that I was in Brisbane. However, I did not drive while visiting OZ. The safest option .... What, do the cars want to kill you too? ;-) |
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Post by walnut on Aug 23, 2024 14:01:36 GMT
The best barometer I have is my own business as I have posted several times, and after an encouraging early summer, business has fallen off the cliff (again) now in late summer. Some of our more established customers seem to be having trouble paying their bills. People are getting testy. Truck brokers call all day long. We're definitely not out of the woods yet. Actually I have never seen it completely dead like this. Strange fast stops and starts. My subjective opinion is that this happened when Kamala came out with the full media support. The economy is absolutely terrified, they have heard her insane communist rantings, and people suspect another stolen election is in the works. I use my business as a barometer as well. Seafood is a luxury and the first thing people cut out when times get tough. My markets are extremely slow and the orders are much smaller than they have been in previous years. Yes I'd guess that both our businesses get affected earlier than others. The gaslighting campaign has been powerful, the reality is this is the worst I have ever seen. Much worse than 2020, which was really nothing. Many are being forced out of business. My value is a mountain of "non-coal mineral" and I can wait as long as they'd like. But how long will thinking adults tolerate this? |
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Post by missouriboy on Aug 23, 2024 14:39:58 GMT
I use my business as a barometer as well. Seafood is a luxury and the first thing people cut out when times get tough. My markets are extremely slow and the orders are much smaller than they have been in previous years. Yes I'd guess that both our businesses get affected earlier than others. The gaslighting campaign has been powerful, the reality is this is the worst I have ever seen. Much worse than 2020, which was really nothing. Many are being forced out of business. My value is a mountain of "non-coal mineral" and I can wait as long as they'd like. But how long will thinking adults tolerate this? Good question. What are the odds that a "significant" portion of the American public starts to personally identify with something like this? And puts the impulse into action? We don't know what that will be. It could be something simple ... like Oklahoma seceding from the Union.  That would sure ring church bells in Boston! |
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Post by walnut on Aug 23, 2024 14:59:10 GMT
Yes I'd guess that both our businesses get affected earlier than others. The gaslighting campaign has been powerful, the reality is this is the worst I have ever seen. Much worse than 2020, which was really nothing. Many are being forced out of business. My value is a mountain of "non-coal mineral" and I can wait as long as they'd like. But how long will thinking adults tolerate this? Good question. What are the odds that a "significant" portion of the American public starts to personally identify with something like this? And puts the impulse into action? We don't know what that will be. It could be something simple ... like Oklahoma seceding from the Union. That would sure ring church bells in Boston! I'd be all for that, ASAP. But has to be with Texas. We can't be landlocked. I think we would have critical mass and could pull it off. Missouri would be welcome, in spite of what I have seen in KC and St Louis, I think that there is a band that runs down from Missouri down thru Texas where the people seem familiar to me. I think that the US is fatally flawed and we need to bail. |
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Post by missouriboy on Aug 23, 2024 15:16:54 GMT
Good question. What are the odds that a "significant" portion of the American public starts to personally identify with something like this? And puts the impulse into action? We don't know what that will be. It could be something simple ... like Oklahoma seceding from the Union. That would sure ring church bells in Boston! I'd be all for that, ASAP. But has to be with Texas. We can't be landlocked. I think we would have critical mass and could pull it off. Missouri would be welcome, in spite of what I have seen in KC and St Louis, I think that there is a band that runs down from Missouri down thru Texas where the people seem familiar to me. I think that the US is fatally flawed and we need to bail. Consider the following. Where will Venezuela North be? They will be wanting your mountain to pay for their upkeep.
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Post by walnut on Aug 23, 2024 15:23:21 GMT
I heard that they are going to establish a US consulate office in East Tulsa. I'll be checking in there as needed
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Post by walnut on Aug 26, 2024 14:27:06 GMT
You see, this is the type of thing we're seeing all over. A 25 year old business, they literally survived the 2008-2009 great recession. I'm telling you, the PTB are just lying to us. www.facebook.com/specialtystonesupply/Specialty Stone, GA After 24 3/4 years, Specialty Stone will no longer have a retail location on Hwy 124. We thank our customers for their patronage. The current state of the economy-interest rates, grocery prices, fuel costs and inflation in general, has significantly hindered our sector of the construction market and we had to make the hard decision to close. |
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Post by glennkoks on Aug 26, 2024 15:15:27 GMT
You see, this is the type of thing we're seeing all over. A 25 year old business, they literally survived the 2008-2009 great recession. I'm telling you, the PTB are just lying to us. www.facebook.com/specialtystonesupply/Specialty Stone, GA After 24 3/4 years, Specialty Stone will no longer have a retail location on Hwy 124. We thank our customers for their patronage. The current state of the economy-interest rates, grocery prices, fuel costs and inflation in general, has significantly hindered our sector of the construction market and we had to make the hard decision to close. There is a reason why Buffett reduced his position on Apple by 1/2 and is sitting on a record pile of cash. The current Buffett indicator is over two standard deviations above its historical average indicating the market is way over priced. If you subtract the market gains of the last two years or so the economy would look and feel much, much different. In my neck of the woods one of my markets reiterated that this was the slowest he has ever seen it and he did not know how he was going to make it. Sobering statement for a guy who buys about 50% of my catch. And then there is this guy in Louisiana who seems to indicate it's not just my business that is slow. He has made several videos on Facebook of him throwing his crab back in the water because he cannot sell them. www.facebook.com/share/r/mmW42xXSiuqc92ij/ |
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Post by missouriboy on Aug 26, 2024 16:29:57 GMT
SO ... the pricier parts of the American food chain are being abandoned by US consumers because they can't afford it? So ... potatoes and chicken it is. It would be interesting to look at the American household food market by item and cost over time. Crabs may be the canary in the coal mine. What did it look like in 2007-09? What is next ... beef? Where are these specifics being gathered/reported by the Federal government? Right now internet attention seems focused on the real estate for sale market ... which is a long ways up the economic food chain for most people. You see, this is the type of thing we're seeing all over. A 25 year old business, they literally survived the 2008-2009 great recession. I'm telling you, the PTB are just lying to us. www.facebook.com/specialtystonesupply/Specialty Stone, GA After 24 3/4 years, Specialty Stone will no longer have a retail location on Hwy 124. We thank our customers for their patronage. The current state of the economy-interest rates, grocery prices, fuel costs and inflation in general, has significantly hindered our sector of the construction market and we had to make the hard decision to close. There is a reason why Buffett reduced his position on Apple by 1/2 and is sitting on a record pile of cash. The current Buffett indicator is over two standard deviations above its historical average indicating the market is way over priced. If you subtract the market gains of the last two years or so the economy would look and feel much, much different. In my neck of the woods one of my markets reiterated that this was the slowest he has ever seen it and he did not know how he was going to make it. Sobering statement for a guy who buys about 50% of my catch. And then there is this guy in Louisiana who seems to indicate it's not just my business that is slow. He has made several videos on Facebook of him throwing his crab back in the water because he cannot sell them. www.facebook.com/share/r/mmW42xXSiuqc92ij/ |
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Post by glennkoks on Aug 26, 2024 17:47:02 GMT
SO ... the pricier parts of the American food chain are being abandoned by US consumers because they can't afford it? So ... potatoes and chicken it is. It would be interesting to look at the American household food market by item and cost over time. Crabs may be the canary in the coal mine. What did it look like in 2007-09? What is next ... beef? Where are these specifics being gathered/reported by the Federal government? Right now internet attention seems focused on the real estate for sale market ... which is a long ways up the economic food chain for most people. There is a reason why Buffett reduced his position on Apple by 1/2 and is sitting on a record pile of cash. The current Buffett indicator is over two standard deviations above its historical average indicating the market is way over priced. If you subtract the market gains of the last two years or so the economy would look and feel much, much different. In my neck of the woods one of my markets reiterated that this was the slowest he has ever seen it and he did not know how he was going to make it. Sobering statement for a guy who buys about 50% of my catch. And then there is this guy in Louisiana who seems to indicate it's not just my business that is slow. He has made several videos on Facebook of him throwing his crab back in the water because he cannot sell them. www.facebook.com/share/r/mmW42xXSiuqc92ij/Crabs, shrimp and oysters are certainly not staples and are a luxury for most people. So maybe it is a canary in the coal mine. With that being said beef is high dollar as well. At my local grocery market Ribeyes range from 15.00 to 20.00 lb currently. Throwing a decent steak on the pit this Labor Day weekend for a family of four is going to run be about 80.00 not counting the sides and a decent Oktoberfest beer from Germany! Easily a 100.00 meal eating at home on this holiday weekend. |
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Post by missouriboy on Aug 26, 2024 21:02:08 GMT
As gold heads north of $2500 (up $500+ since March and $1000 since Jan. 2020) and the dollar heads south towards  . All I can say is ,,, Good Job Democrats! |
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Post by nonentropic on Aug 27, 2024 2:48:56 GMT
I think it was Bill Clinton who said "its the economy stupid".
We in NZ are going through the excesses of the left wing fools you could be lucky enough to have significant declines prior to the election.
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Post by glennkoks on Aug 28, 2024 14:58:13 GMT
The stock market (especially the NASDAQ) is set to either skyrocket or tank later today because one company reports earnings. I can't remember another time in my life when the entire stock market hinges on a handful of stocks. We had the dot.com bubble pop in 2000 and now you have to feel the next bubble to burst is going to be the AI bubble. The problem is when it does burst there are not many other companies doing well enough to pick up the slack.
The end is near for this bubble.
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That would sure ring church bells in Boston!
. All I can say is ,,, Good Job Democrats!