Litmocracy Forums

Ahem… Chokeflation

2012-05-17T14:30:01-05:00

Salve,

To all of our Italian friends out there. Or Ciao, I suppose, depending on where you are at in that great, storied nation. Hello to all the rest of you out there in Litmock land as well. Yesterday I had an opportunity for the first time in about 12 years, almost to the day, to buy baby formula. I bought it for my youngest son Liam. As luck would have it, Liam eats the exact same formula as his big brother Ray used to, who I bought that formula for 12 years ago. Sadly, the purchase price provided a startling contrast to what this formula cost me just over a decade ago. This got me to thinking about where my country is today and what this world we live in is headed towards in the future.

12 years ago a 23.2 ounce can of this Gerber formula cost me $10.99. Yesterday, the same Gerber formula cost me $24.99, before taxes, which are also higher than they were 12 years ago. Do they put gold in Gerber baby formula these days? Is gold even good for babies? If this is the case, I think I need to start mining in his diapers to cut some costs, but I do not think this is the case.

Speaking of gold, in April of 2000, gold was about $272 an ounce, way down from it’s $800 high in 1980. Today, gold is being traded at $1573 per ounce as I write this, also down from its high of nearly $2000 per ounce last year.

When I shopped for formula 12 years ago I filled my car up with gas, which cost me $1.35 per gallon. Today a gallon of gas costs $3.87 at the Rutters near my home. That day when I shopped I also bought milk and bread. The milk cost me $2.65 a gallon. A loaf of bread cost me .69. Yesterday I also bought milk and bread. I could not afford a gallon of milk at $4.19, so I bought a half gallon at $2.29. The bread cost me $1.49. In every instance, except for milk, prices have risen over 100% in 12 years. The cost of milk has risen well over 50%. Gold, a clear indicator of inflation, has risen over 500%. We’re talking since 2000, not since World War II or 1950.

Yet the government tells me inflation is holding at 2% or so. On what? By no math I’ve ever seen, can you get the prices we have today in 12 years at 2-3% inflation. Now I understand why they’re always teaching “new math” in government run schools. So that when the government tells you that 2+2=entitlements and a welfare state, it makes sense to you, and you say “uhmkay” as drivel drips down your chin while you stand in the bread line waiting for the bread to run out.

12 years ago I made approximately what I make now. A little more, actually. It’s no wonder I, and everyone else I know, am or are always broke. I don’t know anyone today who is better off, fiscally, than they were 4 years ago, let alone 12 years ago. And on top of this, The Fed, by their own admission, under government mandate, has printed at least $1.7 trillion dollars over the past few years with their Quantitative Easing campaigns such as operations Tarp and Twist. More paper in the market means MORE inflation, and who knows how much more, because no one really knows how much money The Fed actually printed. See, they won’t let anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances, look at their books. Ever. Not even Congress, and many, like Ron Paul, have asked to see those books on a number of occasions, but nope, we just have to take their word for it. Because, you know, governments, politicians and their agencies (even the “independent” ones that work at their behest) are always so honest.

NOT.

Anyway, how bad are things going to be 4 years from now? Or in 12 years if, God forbid, I have to buy formula again? The government says there is no inflation problem and we’re not in danger of stagflation. They’re right for once. We’re well past stagflation. We’re deep in chokeflation mode. The economic virus we have suffered from the past few years is now spreading around the Globe like a plague, and for some nations, like Greece, Ireland, Spain, Iceland, et al, this fiscal plague could be fatal. It’s a scary, scary thought, and we, as a people, need to do something about it. Not wait for governments to fix the problem. They’ve been “fixing” it for years. That’s why we’re where we are today. We started with a leaky faucet, the government tried to fix the plumbing, and now we have no water because our pipes are vomiting it all out into the streets. It’s time we start a forum on how to fix this mess before they blow up the house trying to plug in some power tools.

On a happy note, my Baltimore Orioles are in 1st place in May. 12 years ago they lost like 100 games. Got to keep a positive outlook, focus on the good things, you know. Anyway, food for thought.

Till later,

Sayonara.

The Artiste

2012-05-14T17:41:07-05:00

Did reading this remind you of someone?

(Click the post title to read the submission.)

Humbug Carol

2012-05-14T08:12:51-05:00

Could the author provide more “handrails” (is it difficult to follow)?

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Keep Dancing

2012-05-10T21:50:35-05:00

What was most memorable?

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Tools of the Trade

2012-05-10T21:48:44-05:00

What is the author’s aesthetic (what makes the piece attractive)?

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Once Upon A climb

2012-05-10T01:01:18-05:00

Could the author provide more “handrails” (is it difficult to follow)?

(Click the post title to read the submission.)

Ahem… E-schkabible…

2012-05-09T11:35:31-05:00

Shabe Yabebabe Yeshe,

To all our Chubby friends out there… What? No, I’m not saying they’re fat, not at all, get your mind out of the gutter. Chubby is Somalian and it’s spoken by almost 10 million people. Sheesh….

Anyway, hello to ALL out there in Litmock land. Hope all is well and you’re preparing for a great summer. Or winter. Depending on which alternate universe you might be in at any given time. I have to stop reading Einstein while drinking. Anyway, wanted to let you know that we’re alive and well here. Dave has released his excellent book Brain Juice on Kindle. So now you can purchase and read it on whatever device you like. It’s free, cheap and easy, just the way I like all of my, uhm, books.

What? You people and your gutter minds, I swear. I saw what you were thinking there.

So here’s a peek at Brain Juice:

“Your flushed face glows with a sheen of perspiration as you take another step up a dirt path. Up ahead is the top of a mountain and beyond its edge you see a blue cloudless sky. Reaching this peak, you notice the hot wind barely cooling your slowly drying skin. You approach the edge where the ground meets the sky, but stop short of a deep abyss. You look into it from thousands of feet up, seeing a solid dark green below. As you lean out to see the face of the cliff, trusting your toes to keep you from toppling, you are filled with an exhilarating sense of vertigo which grows stronger as you slide your eyes further and further down the cliff’s face. A sudden gust of wind plucks you from the edge and you are falling, too stunned to scream, fighting to suck in the hot air as it rushes upwards all around you. You watch the light brown wall race by, dotted here and there with a spot of green.”

I suggest you follow the link above and get yourself a copy, is a worthy read. I will be posting a version of Midnight In America there myself soon, as well as some other stuff, likely, if I can ever afford to buy enough of my own time to get all of that stuff done, so probably never, but it’s a nice thought!

Also, on the home front, we’re redesigning the site right now to make it far more user friendly. Should be done in a few weeks, so get ready for some changes. I know what you’re saying. I hate change, but this is good change, not the Obama kind of change. Though he did keep his promise, he promised there would be change if he was elected, now that’s all we Americans have left, a few coins. Personally, I’d like my dollars back.

Anyway, buck up, have fun, enjoy whatever season you are in, and prepare for change. Oh, and get your mind out of the gutter…. Cripes…

Aloha,

Don

Demons, Obliviously

2012-05-02T18:42:29-05:00

Is this depressing or uplifting? Does it ring true for anyone else out there?

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Why Things Matter

2012-05-04T15:34:11-05:00

Did reading this remind you of someone?

(Click the post title to read the submission.)

My Desk

2012-05-02T02:21:38-05:00

Was reading this more comforting or more exciting?

(Click the post title to read the submission.)