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Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Empty Shelves?


As I mentioned before, we're experiencing a disruption of supply lines here in Indiana. We're still waiting for delivery of the aforementioned recliner. Warren ordered and paid for that recliner in July!

On our last trip to the grocery store a few days ago, we noticed a few shortages. The one that most impacts me at this point: almost no ginger ale on the shelf. I drink a bit of ginger ale every evening to settle my stomach. Otherwise, there is no shortage personally impacting us.  Yet, anyway.  We did notice that the price of beef is through the roof. But that's another story....

In the Washington, D.C., area, however, shoppers are experiencing at least some significant disruptions in supply lines. See this short video. Five to six months before things get back to normal? Sheesh!

So, are you noticing empty shelves or other related disruption where you are?

Note: Warren and I have been a bit absent from the blogosphere because we both got sick with either a common cold or Omicron.  We're over the worst of it, but the fatigue factor remains major for me.  I'm napping a lot!  Taking down the Christmas tree has to wait.

68 comments:

  1. Welcome to Hugo Chavez styled 21st century socialism. The Biden diet for all you obese Americans has just begun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joe,
      The Biden diet?

      I'm having trouble keeping weight on as it is! Since the fall of 2020, when normal caregiving became heavy caregiving. Destroyed my appetite!

      Delete
    2. That was a sarcastic reference to the "Maduro diet" that starved millions of Venezuelans and them losing an average of 10-20 pounds.

      Delete
  2. All the food stores in my area have some empty shelves, but nothing like it was during the Covid rush. Price of beef is definitely much higher now, and pork. Thank goodness there's no shortage of plastic ware, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mustang,
      The price of pork here isn't too bad. Local market, maybe.

      Plastic ware is definitely well stocked. Paper plates, too, here. That's good: our kitties eat their canned food from small paper plates.

      Delete
    2. ...it must save washing hundreds of cat dishes...the bane of our dishwasher... ;)

      Delete
    3. If the price of pork "isn't too bad," you must not live in California. We have, in our infinite kindness and wisdom, mandated that each pig raised for slaughter must live in its own cage, and that the cage must be big enough for it to turn around in. We have calculated how big that is, and it turns out four pigs could dance in it. Now we are complaining about the price of pork that has resulted from our vote.

      Delete
    4. Jayhawk,
      in California. We have, in our infinite kindness and wisdom, mandated that each pig raised for slaughter must live in its own cage, and that the cage must be big enough for it to turn around in.

      I read about that a while back. Such foolishness!

      Delete
    5. Joe,
      cat dishes...the bane of our dishwasher

      Also the bane of the drain pipes themselves when we rinse out those cat food cans. All that oily stuff builds up over time.

      For the record, the kitties here get their dry food from pottery or china bowls, and those bowls only rarely need washing.

      Delete
    6. Jayhawk,

      Gas / diesel prices make smuggling bacon out of Missouri to California unprofitable but we have plenty of pig. Beef is absurdly getting priced out of hand though.

      Delete
    7. AoW: foolishness? I eat meat but I think we owe our livestock a decent standard of life. I may have been reading about a different law, but as I understand it the regulation in Cali is for 24 sq ft per pregnant sow (not pigs raised for slaughter, but rather their mothers), so just under 5x5 ft. Previously, gestational crates were typically 7x2ft, which is not big enough to turn around in. If you were a farmer, would you be happy about keeping your pigs in those conditions?

      In my opinion it's worth paying extra for well-looked-after meat. There is a market that caters to my opinion, fine; but is there not also a place for minimum standards? There have always been corners that we don't allow farmers to cut in search of lower prices... that's a decent principle, isn't it?

      We try not to put too much oil down the sink. Have you read about fatbergs in the sewers? Fascinating (& disgusting) stuff!!

      Delete
    8. Jez,
      Have you ever visited a hog pen? Particularly at feeding time?

      I assure you that Babe and Charlotte's Web are cute stories, but they are not realistic.

      Delete
    9. yep, and understood that they're violent and ravenous. I'm not sure how that leads to the green light for confining pregnant sows to 2x7ft crates.

      Delete
    10. Sows will eat their babies at almost the least "provocation," most especially weaned shoats. It's best not to give hogs, sows and boars, much room.

      As for affordability of meat, many people cannot afford "humane meat." Just something to keep in mind.

      Delete
    11. I draw the opposite conclusion, because pigs kept in better conditions resort to cannnibalism far more rarely. Not that I'm an experienced pig farmer.

      There's a few ways to approach the affordability of food, eg. the proportion of household budgets spent on food has gone way down over the last few decades, why is that?

      However pigs behave, they're sentient and relatively intelligent (most intelligent farm species?) so while I'm no vegetarian, I do think they deserve respect and don't think they should be eaten flippantly. Do you think pork should be the cheapest dietary option for poor households?

      Delete
    12. My grandfather's hog was named E.D.

      As a child I took my life into my own hands feeding that bastard. The movie Hannibal comes to mind.

      Was finally glad to eat that beast. E.D. stood for "Easter Dinner."

      Delete
    13. I'd better go massage my Waygu now before slathering them in sake and beer... stress can be so distasteful.

      Delete
    14. It’s extremely important for wagyu to be in a stress-free environment. Otherwise, stress can increase adrenaline, which can lead to muscle tension. As a result, you get tough meat.

      Delete
    15. Yup. Engrained in my earliest memories: Don't fall down in the hog pen.

      Delete
    16. Why didn't you keep each hog in a coffin sized crate? Apparently that's the common sense approach here, which I'm an idiot for objecting to!

      Fj: waygu is a luxury product. Apparently there's a market for it, and in the absence of welfare or ecological concerns, they should knock themselves out.

      Delete
    17. Free range chickens and hogs aren't a "luxury product"? Who knew? Cultural capitalism takes another round...

      Delete
    18. Wouldn't it be nice to include a little sea turtle meat in every can of tuna?

      Delete
    19. @ Jez,
      I don't think anyone is calling you an idiot. At most I would describe you as ignorant of the situation -in the literal sense of the definition-.

      "Why didn't you keep each hog in a coffin sized crate? Apparently that's the common sense approach here, which I'm an idiot for objecting to!"

      The short answer is; Without exercise, the meat becomes spongy and unpalatable with too much fat to lean meat.

      I'm not a farm boy but I come from farming families on both sides and have worked on farms but not for pay.

      An anecdote.
      I used to hunt for deer with a friend of mine who worked for a farmer. So we could go hunting, I had to help him feed the animals and muck out the hog pens. Since this was a large operation, the pens were large with sloping concrete floors to aid in washing them out with a water hose. There were three hog pens with each holding up to twenty hogs, with plenty of room. They would go from their bedding huts, where the floors were covered with straw and wood chips, out to their pens where they were feed, and return in the evening when the sun started going down.
      Hogs can be sneaky and yes they can be shrewd. The breeding boars were kept separate from the sows and barrows -castrated male hogs-. As the boars are aggressive and can kill or grievously injure other hogs.
      When I would hose down the muck, my my friend would tell me which females to "watch out for" because they would take the opportunity to sneak behind you and attack you from the rear. I would hold the hose in one hand and a baseball bat in the other while the whole time trying to keeping an eye on all of them. If one of them would get behind me, I would stop and stare at them and they would trot down and mix with the other hogs. It's quite unnerving to see a full grown hog try to sneak behind you watching you out the corner of its eye to see if you notice.
      Hog bites are nothing to laugh at. Many people have died from them or been permanently disabled.


      Delete
    20. Bat? I used to carry a .410 gauge with me. If I were crossing a hog pen and the sows got too close, I'd fire off a round to scare them back.

      Delete
    21. I remember my Uncle Bob talking about his neighbors in Iowa. There were hog operations on 3 of his 4 neighbors properties. No matter which way the wind blew the smell was horrific. He said that it was getting so bad that they were beginning to raise hogs and chickens together... to save on chicken feed the hogs were penned "above" the chickens...

      I sympathize with your point Jez. I just don't totally agree with it. Let the consumers decide if they're will to pay "free range" chicken and pork prices. All you need to do is to "brand" it ala "dolphin safe". No legislation needed.

      Delete
    22. You ever try to shoot a shotgun while operating a hose just short of a fire hose? Then you have the problem of cleaning off hog crap splatters off your gun afterwords.
      A flame thrower would have worked better and then we could have had uncured bacon, sow belly, when we were done. -I like mine "hickory" smoked!- I did get the distinct impression that they were plotting an insurrection.
      And last of all, we were deer hunting with bows. ;)
      Although the crap splatter took care of the human scent thing.

      Delete
    23. Every fire hose I ever used required two hands... although I admit that I probably would have turned it on the hogs, too.

      Delete
    24. I'm not a farm boy either, but I think that there should be some minimum standards which include enough space to stretch and turn around. I don't consider that sentimental. Pigs are clever, but I'm not anthropogenicizing them. Ethical standards aren't free, but that's not a reason to do away with them.

      Delete
  3. Cincinnati, the only shortages I've noticed are TP (panic induced imo), and wet cat food - the stuff coming from China anyway. Otherwise plenty of all the other stuff.

    Prices on everything are up of course. Even without any other inducers, the price of fuel will knock the price of everything else up as it is a cost element of business.

    There is a blogger near Portland who posts pics of empty shelves but it makes me wonder if businesses in the democrat ran hellhole areas are going light inventory to help protect from looting. Just a thought.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob,
      Prices on everything are up of course. Even without any other inducers, the price of fuel will knock the price of everything else up as it is a cost element of business.

      Definitely!

      Delete
  4. Strange. I had the missing Ginger Ale problem here too in PA. Go figure that one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bunkerville,
      Do you still have a ginger ale shortage?

      Delete
    2. Have you seen the new Sprite soda with ginger? OMG it's good with whiskey. Er, um, by itself on ice too. I have trouble finding it, but assumed all the ginger America wants / needs is rotting on a cargo ship from China due the Trump-Biden tariffs and Covid sick-outs from America's dock workers and over the road truckers. I have read (but not confirmed) that around half of America's truckers have been either wildcat striking or cashing in their sick time.

      Delete
    3. AOW.. last week I looked and many more items this week.

      Delete

  5. On my last trip to the Super Market a few days ago, I couldn’t help but noticed a more than few shortages. The one that most impacted me at this point:was that there were no Strawberry’s, or Blueberries on the shelves. And as I looked around several more of the shelves that were usually filled with Fruit, and Vegetables were completely empty. When I asked the Man who was servicing that department why, he said, “we didn’t get a delivery in 2 days”.. And yet they are telling us, “ there is no shortage”! That’s what “Our President” has been telling us.
    However what I couldn’t help but notice that the price of almost everything was through the roof. But that's another story...

    So the Fact checkers are simply propaganda information for morons to believe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being Right,
      No shortage here in the fresh produce departments.

      Delete
    2. I'm not having trouble finding fruits and vegetables except for plums. Haven't seen fingerling potatoes for my homemade beef stew in a while though, but that's okay because beef stew cuts are overpriced anyway lol.

      Delete
  6. The ABC stores [alcohol] here in Virginia are experiencing some shortages for sure. That hurts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CI,
      I only rarely go to a liquor store here in Indiana. Booze of all kinds is sold in the grocery stores here. **smile**

      Delete
    2. State control of alcohol [big S and small s] is one of the many egregious affronts here.

      Delete
  7. I wonder....Are there any shortages in CVS and Walgreens?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shortages? In personnel, yes. Goods? Well, there's not an OTC Covid test to be found.

      I'm trying to figure out how as consumers we can get 8 Covid tests a month paid for, as per Biden's speech, but there are none available.

      I picked a few up last month that I'll be using the next week or so as I travel, but there are no more to be found.

      At least at our local Walgreen's or CVS here in Vegas.

      Delete
  8. My God it has been literal bedlam and mayhem since Biden took over. We won't last another three years with this administration. Where I am there is tissue paper like Kleenex, Puffs, et al shortages. It is sad that you cannot ever get some of your primary basic needs here fulfilled. The other day I went to Safeway to pick up some chicken and it looked repulsive to the point I asked the manager "how could he allow such awful and rancid looking poultry to the public?" His flippant answer was "people buy it." Well, sorry not me. We have been eating more vegan due to less chicken and a tad more beef than usual, but I sparse it out and spread it to minimums. Over doing anything is not good.

    Did you know that now in D.C. AOW people caught without an ID, their covid vacs card, and a mask will be jailed or fined? That mayor is insane. It is crazy here there are no home covid tests available anywhere, and testing is a sham, appointments 2-3 weeks out. My relative tested for covid, but the lab became infected, two weeks out she does not need the result now because she is fine. Crazy.

    Build back better what? More like teardown better! Honestly, I cannot stand this administration and what has happened in the U.S. is beyond sad, it is immoral!

    Just a friendly suggestion, if you cannot get Ginger Ale to settle your tummy try Ginger Tea or Peppermint Tea. Both works great for me when I need it. Also, boiling fresh ginger in plain water to make tea from scratch is great when you are sick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth,
      Thank you so much for your detailed comment!

      Let me comment on one point you made:

      Did you know that now in D.C. AOW people caught without an ID, their covid vacs card, and a mask will be jailed or fined?

      I knew about the strictness, but not about the penalties involved. How hideous!

      Delete
    2. Elizabeth,
      I just read this at WTOP:

      ...Some businesses have been ahead of the new requirement. Many entertainment venues, including the Kennedy Center, have asked for vaccination cards since last summer....

      I am at a loss for a printable comment about the above.

      Delete
    3. Respectfully Elizabeth, despite how much you desperately want it, this "mayhem" did not occur "since Biden took over" any more than we'll all be dead from his remaining 3 years.

      This isn't a result of some binary input that triggered inflation and shelf shortages but rather a product from many ingredients over the years and coming to a hard boil from COVID (assuming you accept the validity of the virus rather than it being a hoax or a Fauci scheme or such) all of which predates Biden taking office.

      Years of sending manufacturing to China, "just-in-time" delivery, worker revolt, a deregulation of monopolies, the top wealthy being anywhere from tax free to socialists getting my money in addition to their profits, stacked courts allowing monopolies to rob us blind, a Republican Party not only hell bent on obstruction to governance but admitting to having no governing agenda, and 764 billionaires who've doubled their money during COVID makes for a pretty toxic stew.

      AOW, furniture has been trying to go to an order only market in this area for some time. Few places in Owensboro want sell directly off the floor. I'm sure COVID plays a row in longer wait times but this market had shifted over the last few years.

      Delete
    4. There's a shortage of Chinese steel imports? Who knew?

      Delete
    5. ...I guess that they won't be able to complete the Keystone Pipeline now.

      Delete
  9. No consumer good shortage, but oh my have I had to play the waiting game for appliances! 5-8 weeks. Dishwasher and 2 refrigerators. We'll see when I go back to Costco for paper stuff. Price of food? ➕➕➕ A bunch of radishes that was $1.50 is now $2. That's a pretty big leap. Everything that depends on gasoline to grow, feed, mine, transport or store is going to be up with Biden's energy policies.

    After my mom died I went through a bunch of tapes she had. One of the recordings was a missed button. Instead of hearing whatever she intended to record, she recorded a phone conversation she had with a friend. A lot of it was about the price of food. I could only hear her side, but could fill in what the other lady must have been saying. Mom was a recent widow then, with reduced income and these increases were a hard hit. 1997

    Ginger tea is great!! Also, making your own ginger ale is fun too - when you have the energy. I do a few quarts of lacto-fermented ginger ale a year.

    BAYSIDER

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Baysider,
      The waiting game is one hallmark of a Banana Republic.

      BTW, we are also seeing signs of the waiting game for pet food. Sheesh.

      Delete
  10. As has become normal, things are called by a different name to make them seem less harmful. What we are experiencing is not a "disruption of supply lines," otherwise known as a shortage of trucks, what we are experiencing is a "production shortfall," meaning that we are unable to produce enough goods to fully supply our population.

    ReplyDelete
  11. No matter what these Progressive-Socialist-Democrats say, or tell us we must not forget the tragedy that our so called “Leader” was responsable for this year when 13 brave Marines were killed needlessly in Afghanistan this past August due to a Taliban attack as a consequence of Biden’s, INEPT, and DISASTROUS withdrawal from Afghanistan. caused Less than a year into his presidency. Yes, the Taliban is back in power and kicked our forces out and we gave them an entire arsenal of Billions of dollars in equipment, weapons, and vehicles..! So, who’s the adult back in charge now? The Delusional, Senile, walking Zombi Joe Biden, and his LOOSER side Kick who called him a “Racist” less than a year ago! The display of cowardice that he showed the waorld when he left hundreds of Americans behind, and tottaly abandoned all those American citizens in Taliban controlled Afghanistan while evacuating hundreds of Afghan “refugees” to resettle here, in your neighborhoods. In our country. Just the way he is RIGHT NOW allowing the Illegal Migrants sneak into the country and fly them to YOUR ciry in the middle of the night without ANY sort of Vetting, In fact knowing damn well that many of these people are CORVID POSITIVE.
    This is what you replace the Big, Bad, Orange Man with. The “Man” that Closed the Keystone Pipe Line, ONLY because it was a Trump Accomplishment. And now you and I are paying these HIGH prices for Gas, and Oil. The "Man" who is responsible for the EMPTY SHELVES IN YOUR SUPER MARKET!
    The ‘Man” who is destroying Our Country!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sad when one party hates a man/woman or TRUMP they will throw out the best of plans and best of accomplishments that help the American people. Just because the can thanks to this Banana Republic we now live in daily!

      Delete
    2. Frank, t's indeed unfortunate that Afghanistan was one of the many train wrecks left to clean up from the incompetence of Biden's corrupt predecessor but how that relates to empty shelves or how Keystone is the deterrent to high gas prices must only make sense in your head.

      Delete
    3. The Keystone pipeline was for Canadian tar sand oil to have a warm water port to China. Oh wait, Trump policy was to improve China...

      Delete
    4. We have the same environment as in the Trump years (the Keystone pipeline didn't exist then either)

      I just can't with goofy.

      Delete
    5. Good thing that "Build Back Chinese" bill passed.

      Delete
    6. "Hey Ronald J. Ward, I’m sorry"

      Indeed.

      Delete
  12. With falling Ratings and increasingly hostile voters from both parties, plus the fact that he can’t get a Single thing done or a single Bill Passed. Joey Bidumb is becoming angry.
    This is what happens to INEPT people with Dementia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, a "Joey Bidumb" zinger, "INEPT" in caps followed with "Dementia" along with an obvious need to Youtube that "I'm Only a Bill" ditty obviously clarifies the supply shortage, or, or, something.

      Delete
  13. Yep, it isn't cheap. Here in Florida it looks ok but did notice some things. I got half and half before Christmas for a party at our house. When I went to check out the person at the store said they had none for weeks! It just came in when I went shopping. I don't always buy it.

    ReplyDelete

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