[Madpaddy]

hope_full, Very interesting point about broccoli. My local store which is the Irish equivalent of Walmart has been out of bananas for the last few days. This would be unheard of normally. Also, I run my car off vegetable oil which has gone from €0.68 to €0.99 in the last month but now is just unavailable.

We should not be surprised though. We have been talking about and predicting this course of events on this website for years. Just a bit of a shock to see it all unfolding. Unfortunately, the more dire predictions of the doomers on this site will also probably unfold in the next few years.

[Serial_Worrier]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', 'I') posted this on another thread and then realized this was a better spot, but yeah, I'm seeing changes in my neighborhood.
1) This morning, went to a popular breakfast eatery with my husband. This place is in a real trendy area where the downtown professionals live and work. I've been there nine times in the last two years. Each time, the place is packed. - at breakfast!! The prices are steep and our basic breakfast for two was $26. Today, the restaurant was *empty*. Eventually two other diners (single people) entered. Several waitresses stood behind the counter looking bored.
2) After breakfast, I went to the local grocery store. They were out of broccoli - no fresh broccoli to be found. In the past, I've found organic broccoli, local broccoli, shrink-wrapped broccoli and rubber-band bound broccoli. It's popular around here. Today, no broccoli.
3) While the rest of the store looked well-stocked, the produce department had several empty bins. In the places that did have veggies, you could see the black bottom of the bins, because the bins were almost empty. There were only one or two handfuls of many items.
Truckers strikes haven't even started in this area, so I'm surprised to see them almost out of things. It's a puzzle.

[ShinyOldLady]

Nothing visible in Spokane, WA. Most folks are saying the "recession" will pass.

Spokaloo is a very typical small city and I think by the time we see any big differences here, EVERYONE else will have sped ahead of us in change. We have almost no public transportation, so I am surprised there's no noticeable change in traffic patterns.

[DomusAlbion]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ShinyOldLady', 'N')othing visible in Spokane, WA. Most folks are saying the "recession" will pass.
Spokaloo is a very typical small city and I think by the time we see any big differences here, EVERYONE else will have sped ahead of us in change. We have almost no public transportation, so I am surprised there's no noticeable change in traffic patterns.

[Serial_Worrier]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DomusAlbion', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ShinyOldLady', 'N')othing visible in Spokane, WA. Most folks are saying the "recession" will pass.
Spokaloo is a very typical small city and I think by the time we see any big differences here, EVERYONE else will have sped ahead of us in change. We have almost no public transportation, so I am surprised there's no noticeable change in traffic patterns.

[hope_full]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')elcome to the apocalypse. If you didn't get ready for it by preparing 6 months of food, then you shouldn't complain. Also did you drive there in your big-arse SUV?

[JJ]

went to wallyworld day before yesterday and got two (more) 25 pound sacks of jasmin rice (10.99). Wife came home with 50 dollars yesterday and said don't you think we ought to go buy some more food. Told her "no, we have so much and it needs to rotate out..." Her friend called last night from wallyworld and said the same bag of rice was now 16.99.

Frito Lay vendor said today that they are having a potatoe shortage.

Everything in produce went up this morning (15 pound bag russets 6.49 from 4.29, etc.) (Wed. is price change day in the grocery business)

[prairiedog]

SW New Mexico, small town. Bookmobile service stopped, one of two local gas stations is rumored to be closing. Many more motorcycles on the road..my son says he wants to trade his small pickup in for one. Large gardens this year...some community gardening going on. Conversations with folks indicate to me a general awareness that things are not going very well. I tell them about peak oil and most understand.

[biofuel13]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JJ', 'w')ent to wallyworld day before yesterday and got two (more) 25 pound sacks of jasmin rice (10.99). Wife came home with 50 dollars yesterday and said don't you think we ought to go buy some more food. Told her "no, we have so much and it needs to rotate out..." Her friend called last night from wallyworld and said the same bag of rice was now 16.99.
Frito Lay vendor said today that they are having a potato shortage.
Everything in produce went up this morning (15 pound bag russets 6.49 from 4.29, etc.) (Wed. is price change day in the grocery business)

[JJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('biofuel13', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JJ', 'w')ent to wallyworld day before yesterday and got two (more) 25 pound sacks of jasmin rice (10.99). Wife came home with 50 dollars yesterday and said don't you think we ought to go buy some more food. Told her "no, we have so much and it needs to rotate out..." Her friend called last night from wallyworld and said the same bag of rice was now 16.99.

Frito Lay vendor said today that they are having a potatoe shortage.

Everything in produce went up this morning (15 pound bag russets 6.49 from 4.29, etc.) (Wed. is price change day in the grocery business)

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Madpaddy', '
')Anyway, things are sinking quite quickly here in Ireland but of course we still have a long way to go before we are even as badly off as we were in the late 1980's.

[Madpaddy]

Funny thing Keith,

Ireland still has the public services and infrastructure of a third world country but the average industrial wage is about $48,000 US. Most people are doing quite well but woe betide you if you have to attend a hospital unless you are one of the filthy rich who can attend a private clinic. Also everything is much more and I mean much more expensive than the US. For example cars are approximately half the price in the US.

[Karlos4]

Well, here in Spain we are having a real taste of it. Maybe the SHTF has not happened yet, but I can already smell it. Shortages of food, no gas at gas stations... It's just a strike, but a Peak Oil strike. And more are to follow. There is another thread about it.

[Serial_Worrier]

Everything's normal here in the Seattle area. People still stuffing their pieholes with "All you can eat" buffets. Lots of obese waddlers to the Baskin Robbins. Hey 30+ flavors!

[patience]

I replied to an ad on Craigslist for a near perfect Sears "Progress" wood/coal cookstove for $300. I asked the guy to measure it to be sure it would fit. He called back, but said he'd had many calls for it, and when he went to where it was stored to measure it, some fellow handed him the money, so it's sold.

He told me all the callers were telling him they wanted it to USE, do to the rising cost of energy. Historically, these stoves have sold only as antiques. He was flabbergasted. We talked a while about PO. Although he had not heard the term, he had the idea. He expects major problems, especially for what he called "nickel millionaires", those who buy everything on credit.

He had to remove the ad quickly, because he was "Overrun with calls". Some of the sheeple are waking up.

[topcat]

Nothing hitting the fan here. Went for a haircut the other day, next to me at the light was a Hummer strech limo filled with women. It had to be 30' long.

Most of the vehicles driving past our place are either trucks or SUV's, and several are towing boats.

Of course, the poor folks just aren't driving I guess.

[Midessa]

No SHTF here either. In fact this area is booming due to the high price of oil. There is much more traffic on the roads than there was a few years ago. I see many more new luxury cars than before and the 1980's style big 4x4s with the lift kits and large tires seem to be popular again.

I have a lake property about 100 miles away and I go down there on weekends. The highway is not congested but has a steady flow. I still see many RVs, skiboats, and jet skis.

Locally, everthing is busy. There is a real problem with getting enough workers. Housing is a problem as well. We cannot build new houses and apartments fast enough to keep up with demand.

[UncoveringTruths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Midessa', 'N')o SHTF here either. In fact this area is booming due to the high price of oil. There is much more traffic on the roads than there was a few years ago. I see many more new luxury cars than before and the 1980's style big 4x4s with the lift kits and large tires seem to be popular again.

I have a lake property about 100 miles away and I go down there on weekends. The highway is not congested but has a steady flow. I still see many RVs, skiboats, and jet skis.

Locally, everthing is busy. There is a real problem with getting enough workers. Housing is a problem as well. We cannot build new houses and apartments fast enough to keep up with demand.

[Serial_Worrier]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('topcat', 'N')othing hitting the fan here. Went for a haircut the other day, next to me at the light was a Hummer strech limo filled with women. It had to be 30' long.

Most of the vehicles driving past our place are either trucks or SUV's, and several are towing boats.

Of course, the poor folks just aren't driving I guess.

[Serial_Worrier]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Midessa', 'N')o SHTF here either. In fact this area is booming due to the high price of oil. There is much more traffic on the roads than there was a few years ago. I see many more new luxury cars than before and the 1980's style big 4x4s with the lift kits and large tires seem to be popular again.

I have a lake property about 100 miles away and I go down there on weekends. The highway is not congested but has a steady flow. I still see many RVs, skiboats, and jet skis.

Locally, everthing is busy. There is a real problem with getting enough workers. Housing is a problem as well. We cannot build new houses and apartments fast enough to keep up with demand.