Relentless Price Hikes: Meat and Egg Prices Keep Rising

Supplies go down, prices go up.

Simple answers to what's occurring today on grocery shelves across the country.  But the small details are also compounding the problem, as highlighted in an article published in the Asheville Citizen Times this morning.

"The rising costs of fuel are also a factor," said one of the food consultants quoted in the story.  No kidding.

Supply chain, transportation, fuel costs.  It adds up.  11 percent higher than last year to be exact.

More from the same article:

"Retail beef and veal prices were up nearly 11 percent. The supply of beef is strained by historically low herd sizes. The rising cost of cattle feed is what's causing some farmers to sell off their cattle."

Don't look for relief anytime soon.  I only wish I could stockpile eggs.

How A Currency War Could Start Between The U.S. and China

Interesting video (below) from Jim Rickards on how a currency war could play out among many players including the United States, China, and brewing unrest in the middle east.

Very interesting perspective on how China may be playing the gold derivative market.





Only 8:18 long.

Wood Pile Stacking

I just bucked, split, and stacked a new pile of wood for next winter. More likely, I'll have it for winter 2012/2013, but having more in supply than I typically use lends me a quiet mind, at least temporarily. I've never placed a piece of green wood in my stove, never will.

I can heat my home without electricity.

Of course, I've read others who say, "What if the grid falls, supply chain disrupts, how will you buck your wood without your Stihl?" I think aloud, wondering why our comfortable lives have placed us into such short-sighted comfort. Bucking a felled tree with a crosscut saw isn't a physical exercise, it's about preparation and discipline. I sharpen each tooth of my one-man and two-man saw after every use, no exceptions. Cutting through a green tree with a sharp saw, couple wedges, and proper technique is like cutting through butter.

At least for someone who's done the reps... and continues to every season. I may not make the cut at an 1880's logging camp right now, but I wouldn't be sent home the first week.