The price of oil is still falling, I have been expecting a dead cat bounce but not yet.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/news/oil-price-plunge-war-saudi-arabia-russia-output-coronavirus-reaction-2020-3-1029010123

Heads up

A federal government employee who works in public relations
Friend has notified me the government is looking at mandatory isolation for all.

You can still go to the grocery store but you will be fined if you do anyting not needed.
Tracking your cell phone via an app.

Take it with a grain of salt as they are just talkin about it.

Heads up

A federal government employee who works in public relations
Friend has notified me the government is looking at mandatory isolation for all.

You can still go to the grocery store but you will be fined if you do anyting not needed.
Tracking your cell phone via an app.

Take it with a grain of salt as they are just talkin about it.

Threestorms, makes sense they will attempt this.sadly, the same for tracking people! Leave the phone home, some people are getting rid of smart phones and going basic and where power can be easily removed. They need to close all retail shopping, fiddling with restaurents yet allowing people to shop in crowded spaces and touching things, makes zero sense. Logic says if they are quarantined, they won’t be shopping in the first place, so then just close shop and then folks have nothing to do, but stay home/ no need to monitor peoples activity!

Heads up

A federal government employee who works in public relations
Friend has notified me the government is looking at mandatory isolation for all.

You can still go to the grocery store but you will be fined if you do anyting not needed.
Tracking your cell phone via an app.

Take it with a grain of salt as they are just talkin about it.

Threestorms, makes sense they will attempt this.sadly, the same for tracking people! Leave the phone home, some people are getting rid of smart phones and going basic and where power can be easily removed. They need to close all retail shopping, fiddling with restaurents yet allowing people to shop in crowded spaces and touching things, makes zero sense. Logic says if they are quarantined, they won’t be shopping in the first place, so then just close shop and then folks have nothing to do, but stay home/ no need to monitor peoples activity!

As this may drag on for a few months (let that reality set in... not weeks, but months...) there has got to be a modicum of services open. If groceries are closed, we will start having massive health issues over malnutrition, increased crime, etc. Stores like Canadian Tire / Home Hardware should also be open. People need to have ways to repair their house, repair their car or buy gardening stuff. Adjust how many people can come in at a given time if needs be, tape “Xs” on the floor where people should stand waiting at the tills, etc.

It’s not normal life, but it’s not like nukes have fallen all over the world.

It’s not normal life, but it’s not like nukes have fallen all over the world.

Yes, its not normal life but so far its not really a big deal. Had to go to a pharmacy and was talking with the pharmacist, I guess it has been a very rough 7-10 days for them. She was telling me she was just about in tears from how some of the people were behaving. She gave me examples but I will spare you the details. Confirmed case near me now so its spreading rurally.

Was also out to the pharmacy/grocery store today (very early soon as it opened). There was very little meat available. A few packages of minced turkey and chicken, a few pkgs of very expensive beef (like a $60. tomahawk steak!)

Shelves looked pretty empty too. Limit 2 on many items. It seems to me that the supply chain isn’t working half as well as we are being told it is. And now some grocery stores (like Loblaws) are cutting hours so staff “can clean and rest”. People will panic even more, I’m sure.

On the good side, people seemed like they were trying hard to practice social distancing from what I saw, and were being extra careful about using plastic bags to touch things.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Some nations doing better than others.. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51961624 Supply chains under pressure in Britain. I would not want to be on a island like Britain during a situation like this. They import a lot of food ( relatively ).

Here is what Alberta is doing to help people out. https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=698455D70096B-DF57-A62A-778266237F3241C8&fbclid=IwAR1gfxT-RBadzrj5-3-56KzyAEyGVn8hFED_bhgwiGcZrbG1I-hKtNfIaPs#toc-0

I can summarise, not much of anything by the fine print, big announcements but the details exclude any real help. When this is over, or I should say, more managed a lot of people are going to be finding themselves carrying a lot more dept. Returning to a growing economy isn't going to be in the cards for a long time (or again? ).
On a positive note oil today made a bounce up from a new low of 20.00 dollars (wti), up to 25.00 dollars so we have found a new trading range for the short to medium term 20 to 25 dollars. It sure isn't the 50+ of a month ago!

Threestorms, makes sense they will attempt this.sadly, the same for tracking people! Leave the phone home, some people are getting rid of smart phones and going basic and where power can be easily removed. They need to close all retail shopping, fiddling with restaurents yet allowing people to shop in crowded spaces and touching things, makes zero sense. Logic says if they are quarantined, they won’t be shopping in the first place, so then just close shop and then folks have nothing to do, but stay home/ no need to monitor peoples activity!

As this may drag on for a few months (let that reality set in... not weeks, but months...) there has got to be a modicum of services open. If groceries are closed, we will start having massive health issues over malnutrition, increased crime, etc. Stores like Canadian Tire / Home Hardware should also be open. People need to have ways to repair their house, repair their car or buy gardening stuff. Adjust how many people can come in at a given time if needs be, tape “Xs” on the floor where people should stand waiting at the tills, etc.

It’s not normal life, but it’s not like nukes have fallen all over the world.

agree with home depot and china tire type stores, same for plumbing shops.. just not the "shopping malls" no one really needs worry about a new dress, pair pf pants or another set of high heels and a 8th purse

"Civilization is only “nine meals away from anarchy,” said the head of the UK’s Countryside Agency, Lord Cameron of Dillington (in 2000).

He was observing a run on supermarkets, which only stocked three days worth of goods.

Just guessing, but I feel the vegetable garden supply stores will do good business this spring. My tomatoes are already 9 inches tall and repotted, ready for day one of outdoor planting in May.

For some people, maybe some here, expect house prices to fall, maybe like the price of oil? I suspect more and more people are going to find themselves underwater mortgage wise. Just my happy thought for the day. Call me Mr. Cheery.
I have worked hard to largely remove myself from the world of casino capitalism and fiat currency so I kind of feel like a observer watching it all fall down. Neither happy or sad just curious and somewhat amused.

Peppercorn, I will totally agree with you on this one.. yes, many people are going to find themselves underwater.. The question for me is how many jingle keys will we see.. how many will lose their homes..

I am really hoping that many are able to keep their homes.. I am worried for many on what is coming in that regards.. far to many are living very close to the edge.. yes I know lots made choices that put them there.. I get that

But others have worked hard and still on the edge and this is where my extra support will go ..

A example of what could be coming here. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/germany-bans-meetings-of-more-than-two-people-in-public/articleshow/74763921.cms

On a positive note out here in the country I have the roads mostly all to myself when I go cycling. I must say I do like it. End of the month is coming up, this is where a lot of people could start falling behind on bills. It may not be too bad this end of month but I suspect its going to get real ugly by the end of April if real monetary help is not provided.

Yes indeed, homes will be in danger and for honest hard working people not going for mega home, they will need help.
I really can’t see pogey coming anywhere near making ends meet for mid income family of four. There needs to be a full suspension on mortgage payments, same for credit card debts.
Given what I see, I would not be surprised if we see 40-50% unemployment ( includes welfare and others who are capable of working but have dropped off both stats) by end of April.
It’s impossible for companies to keep paying people to stay home, be unable to sell much of anything... government workers will likely be semi safe for a number of months but even that bastion of “guaranteed” income may either lose it or be put on some reduced pay.

Governments are already massively in debt and are simply printing money. Will inflation for staple go up? Agree with those who believe we will see serious financial hit and it’s like nothing even this old fart has seen. It’s way beyond governments past counter measures, way beyond happy talk. You see the markets disregard interest cuts and other games. They know it’s a disaster, but you see tiny rallies as people pump it up and then try and make some money before it slides back down again. A little gradual pump and dump scenario seems to be occurring or a gradual but still rapid sell off.

You’ll note that the word “months” is popping up a bit more! I think people will wise up to the two week fairy tale by end of this week.

The other thing that is getting a tiny bit of press is that this China virus may, like Spanish flu hit us in three waves, with second and third wave being worse then first. Try and imagine that one!

By the end of this week, I believe we will see a very serious change in people’s fear factor and the financial markets continue to plunge. Just a guess but emergency measures act may hit not this week but week after

The price of oil is still falling, I have been expecting a dead cat bounce but not yet.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/news/oil-price-plunge-war-saudi-arabia-russia-output-coronavirus-reaction-2020-3-1029010123

The day after I posted that, it bounced back by 25 %, I was looking for a 20% bounce, 25 is even better. I will stick my neck out and say the free fall is over. Look for trading in the 20 to 26 dollar range. It can trend out of that range but based on my experience I think even in these uncertain times this price range will have some support. I think the dive is over. https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts Of course the damage from the dive is still radiating outward. Also consider this, the U.S dollar is absolutely a petro dollar, The dollars backing has just fallen of a cliff, I, you and no one outside the halls of the owners of the U.S.A. know what is going on behind the scenes to give support to the price of oil, but I bet the phone lines to Riyadh are burning up with reminders that the Saudi rulers are only in power because of the U.S military!

I cant remember the year exactly, I think it was 85 and I was working at a gas plant at the time. The price of oil was falling and I remember that effected housing prices, Guys from the plant were calling appraisers to get a evaluation done on their homes as some were considering walking away from them at the time. Of course back then interest rates were something like 18% so it was smart to hand the keys back and walk away.
I have seen some of this before, but sure as hell not this fast!

Was out for another long ride on my bike (35km) this evening, no traffic at all, wonderfully quiet, a clear night where I could see all the stars and I suspect not a plane in the sky. Enjoy this pandemic were you can, you may not get another.

Its Wednesday evening, I am looking at the numbers and as you can see the U.S. is at 68 000 cases ( more but that's what they admit to) and is in third place. If I have crunched the numbers right, over night they should be in second place, then by this time Thursday they will have more (admitted) cases than anywhere else. By Friday they will be well over 100 000 cases Looking at the time lag between cases and the deaths that follow. By this time next week, admittedly I am only guessing, but I would think 4000-5000 dead and climbing.
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6