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Met Winter 2021 - 2022 Banter

HoarfrostHubb

By HoarfrostHubb,
in New England

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Baroclinic Zone
Baroclinic Zone

So it's been a stressful 10 days.  Our dog (toy poodle) was not feeling well Sunday, a week ago, so we brought him to emergency vet care and it was determined that he had a mass on his spleen.  Their

WxWatcher007
WxWatcher007

My father passed away a few hours ago. Thank you all for your kind words and support the last few weeks.

RUNNAWAYICEBERG
RUNNAWAYICEBERG

We get better cell phone reception though.

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SnoSki14

SnoSki14

Posted
Posted
On 3/4/2022 at 3:13 PM, Hoth said:

Yep, they have a curious infatuation with strong-man leaders, even when those leaders have historically gotten them slaughtered by the millions. 

People also get drawn to those people when everything around them is crumbling. 

The strong-man leaders exploit those weaknesses and often succeed.

Even now our own wannabe dictator still has a massive following (cult-like) and would probably get re-elected if he ran again. 

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PhineasC

PhineasC

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, SnoSki14 said:

People also get drawn to those people when everything around them is crumbling. 

The strong-man leaders exploit those weaknesses and often succeed.

Even now our own wannabe dictator still has a massive following (cult-like) and would probably get re-elected if he ran again. 

People should just stick with the alternative choice, which is clearly going very well. 

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Typhoon Tip

Typhoon Tip

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Hoth said:

It has been a popular western delusion for a century that if we only figure out what's bothering some dictator or other, we can mollify them and there will be peace. The most notable analog would be Hitler. With the idea of renewed war anathema after WWI, Britain and France were perfectly willing to supplicate and appease the Germans. First, they let him ignore Versailles and rearm, then they let him militarize the Rhineland. Then, thinking that once he had reunited German-speaking peoples he would settle down, they looked the other way as he took the Sudetenland and moved on Czechoslovakia and Austria. It took Poland to be the final line in the sand that drew them in.

Russia and the U.S. were pretty natural adversaries after the Bolsheviks took power. You could not have two more polar systems. Ours, based on guaranteed individual liberties, popular government, private property and a free market economy, clashes intensely with the Soviet communist model, little individual liberty, collectivization, no private property, total subservience to the State. Make no mistake that the USSR was every bit the Evil Empire, menacing not only the West, but also tens of millions of its own people. It's funny that you mention Putin being upset with us for not recognizing Russia's sacrifice in the war. I'm sure in Russian schools they neglect to mention that initially the USSR and the Nazis entered a non-aggression pact and agreed to divvy up eastern Europe between them, that is until Hitler unleashed his surprise eastern offensive. And staying in eastern Europe after the war ended certainly did nothing to soften western feelings, especially since the USSR's stated goal was to make the whole world communist.

Ever since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has had but a shadow of its former influence or economic might. Its GDP is roughly half that of the state of California. It is quite important in a few areas, petroleum products, wheat, potash, ammonium nitrate, rare earth metals etc., but it is hardly an economic power of the first rank. Moreover, the wealth generated by these industries is in many cases controlled by a small number of individuals who fought and bribed and outright stole control of these industries after the USSR fell. Russia gets more respect than is owing chiefly due to its legacy nuclear arsenal, which it waves carelessly about like a kid that's found his dad's gun. That arsenal is serving as an umbrella to let Putin get away with things that might've otherwise brought about direct intervention. He has this perverse 19th century empire-building, or rebuilding, mindset and seems intent on reuniting all former Russian territories under his banner. This is wholly contrary to the international order presided over by the U.S. after WWII ended and a massive threat to peace globally.

Putin is not rational and likely will only respect force, just like Hitler (who was frustrated that France and England weren't keen to fight at first). Hopefully intense sanctions will strangle his economy so much that some civic-minded Russian will pop him and earn the world's undying gratitude, but I wouldn't bet on it. I myself am preparing for the likelihood of considerable turmoil later in the year. Even if we somehow dodge a direct war with Russia, food prices will likely continue to skyrocket, crop yields may drop due to the loss of imported fertilizer supplies from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and Phosphorus supplies get swallowed up by the Chinese. I wouldn't be surprised by a reprise of the Arab Spring, and considerable upheaval caused by inflation even in wealthy western nations. There was that joke circulating about 2022 being "2020 Too", and I can't thinking that may be apropos at this moment. Instead of pestilence, it may be war, financial upheaval, inflation and famine instead.

The oligarchs will have covert ops involved at some point.   Bank on it -

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IowaStorm05

IowaStorm05

Posted
Posted

I am working on stocking up with food and things like that. 

A question about the situation is how likely will we always have electricity. 

If we have electricity, then Rice and Breed are a thing. You simply need salt, sugar, yeast and flour. How much does it cost to use electricity to bake said bread? Because if you don't count the cost of the energy to bake bread, you are talking about 45 cents for the ingredients. Then there is baking a few loaves of bread at once. That helps. 

Otherwise, we just filled our tanks with gas and we have begun stocking up on canned food of varying types and saltine crackers. 

I don't have the following ability because of my living arrangements but if I did, I would probably have a few 55 gallon drums of gas stowed someplace TBH, but stowed safely so to not be a fire risk?

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Cold Miser

Cold Miser

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, IowaStorm05 said:

I am working on stocking up with food and things like that. 

A question about the situation is how likely will we always have electricity. 

If we have electricity, then Rice and Breed are a thing. You simply need salt, sugar, yeast and flour. How much does it cost to use electricity to bake said bread? Because if you don't count the cost of the energy to bake bread, you are talking about 45 cents for the ingredients. Then there is baking a few loaves of bread at once. That helps. 

Otherwise, we just filled our tanks with gas and we have begun stocking up on canned food of varying types and saltine crackers. 

I don't have the following ability because of my living arrangements but if I did, I would probably have a few 55 gallon drums of gas stowed someplace TBH, but stowed safely so to not be a fire risk?

Not just the fire risk that you need to worry about. You need to be concerned with the MZB's. (Mutant Zombie Biker Gangs) coming to steal your sh.it.

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Typhoon Tip

Typhoon Tip

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, IowaStorm05 said:

I am working on stocking up with food and things like that. 

A question about the situation is how likely will we always have electricity. 

If we have electricity, then Rice and Breed are a thing. You simply need salt, sugar, yeast and flour. How much does it cost to use electricity to bake said bread? Because if you don't count the cost of the energy to bake bread, you are talking about 45 cents for the ingredients. Then there is baking a few loaves of bread at once. That helps. 

Otherwise, we just filled our tanks with gas and we have begun stocking up on canned food of varying types and saltine crackers. 

I don't have the following ability because of my living arrangements but if I did, I would probably have a few 55 gallon drums of gas stowed someplace TBH, but stowed safely so to not be a fire risk?

Gas doesn't have a very good shelf life.  The volatile BTEX compounds the make up gas are weakly bonded - one of the reasons why it is so useful in combustion. Combustion is just a sped up oxidation process where H --> is added the reaction  ... gas + H + 02 -->  C02 and H2O, and any impurities ..etc... blah blah.  But the weak bonds mean it will tend to separate, on its own, without heat.

Anyway, one would have to be careful and rather technical in how gasoline is stored for it loses its potency.  55 gallons filling a drum is a lot of a mass, and by virtue of weight and density, it would have a longer "half life" .. The storage facility would have to be properly engineered and subsequently maintained, or eventually .. you may end up with 55 gallon drums of a carcinogenic sludge

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ORH_wxman

ORH_wxman

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

I gassed up in the middle of the week at $3.59 for reg, went by last night its up to $4.39, this is just 3 days later.

Yep. I filled up last week for 3.40ish and yesterday the same place was almost a dollar more. 4.28. 

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Spanks45

Spanks45

Posted
Posted
Just now, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

That’s what I’m leaning into as well. Eventually the loss of billions overpowers the love for him.

The only reason they loved him was he made them rich....now his decision to invade Ukraine has led to their financial collapse. They will turn on him pretty quick, their children already have. China expected a quick affair with a few sanctions tossed around, 2014 all over again. Clearly that hasn't happened, the last thing China wants is a long drawn out battle with the risk of nuclear weapons. They may end up being the ones that help put an end to this situation.. 

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TauntonBlizzard2013

TauntonBlizzard2013

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, NorEastermass128 said:

Same up here. Still a few holdouts at $3.99. The place I got gas on Friday at $3.85 is now $4.09. Highest is $4.29 in Gloucester. 

Absolutely outrageous… never seen anything like it. Gas can go years without moving 30 cents and it moved that in 24 hours…. It will be $5 a gallon next weekend 

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NorEastermass128

NorEastermass128

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

Absolutely outrageous… never seen anything like it. Gas can go years without moving 30 cents and it moved that in 24 hours…. It will be $5 a gallon next weekend 

GL to companies trying to get its employees that can WFH to come back to the office. My commute is 45 miles one way, but thankfully only needed to make it once a week pre-COVID. 

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wxeyeNH

wxeyeNH

Posted
Posted

I'm getting my Mustang Mache in 2 weeks.  With an electric vehicle I get the $7500 fed tax credit, $1000 cash from my electric provider and for $3 per month my 240v outlet will have its own meter at .11 kwh.  So I should be able to drive about 100 miles for $3.50   The downside is there are not many NH superchargers other than Teslas.   We also have our new Ford Maverick hybrid truck which gets almost 40mpg.

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SnoSki14

SnoSki14

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

I’ve read once it hits 4.50 or higher; people will start to alter plans and travel, which would hopefully drive down prices some. Less demand 

2008 was still far worse of course when you factor inflation. 4.50 is definitely a trigger point though with over 5 being major start of reductions.

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TauntonBlizzard2013

TauntonBlizzard2013

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, SnoSki14 said:

2008 was still far worse of course when you factor inflation. 4.50 is definitely a trigger point though with over 5 being major start of reductions.

Yes…. $5 a gallon and people will start limiting travel to the bare minimum. Fuel prices are the driver of just about everything, so expect a stark jump in food and other goods as well, as if the last year wasn’t bad enough 

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tamarack

tamarack

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, wxeyeNH said:

I'm getting my Mustang Mache in 2 weeks.  With an electric vehicle I get the $7500 fed tax credit, $1000 cash from my electric provider and for $3 per month my 240v outlet will have its own meter at .11 kwh.  So I should be able to drive about 100 miles for $3.50   The downside is there are not many NH superchargers other than Teslas.   We also have our new Ford Maverick hybrid truck which gets almost 40mpg.

How do you like the Maverick?  It looks like it's closer in size to the old Ranger than to the new.  Having driven Rangers/Mazdas since 1994, I've been disappointed at the lack of non-monster pickups.

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NorEastermass128

NorEastermass128

Posted
Posted

We all know interest rates are going up, but my realtor just told me that her friend in the business thinks we may be seeing mortgage interest rates approaching 5-7% within the next year. That seems ludicrous. Something that sells for 500k today may be worth 350k in five years. Lots of folks will go underwater. I say this as I’m putting in an offer for over asking for a property in Gloucester…

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