Community Chat

[hckynutjohn]

@icezeus 

 Are you familiar with Mike Rowe? Unlike most parents "save for their kids college", he points out Trades and other Skills the world will always need. Heard him say not long ago that there are over 2,000,000 job openings in Trades right now. Many of which are 6 figure jobs.

I raced cars so am somewhat familiar with how they operate. One good friend of mine is a Mechanic(Service Technician) that works for a dealership. He is the only one that works on our vehicles. He has to go to get recertified every 6 months to keep his license. Some of his co-workers decided to opt out and stay home. Why?

Just like other non-college degree jobs! Right now over 80,000 truck drivers, if experienced and licensed, could be hired immediately. Where are they?  In college/trade school/apprenticing for a trade?  

Heard on the news that in the last quarter 4,000,000 workers left the work force. Why?

hckynut 🏒

[1Snickers]

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@icezeus wrote:

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@1Snickers wrote:

  I  was disappointed at the commissary today. In addition to having had a power outage in some sections many shelves were thinly stocked and not much variety, 

  They didn't have fresh potatoes,looked old. 
   At least they had toilet paper! 
   AND prices were up! 
    No shopping carts, guess they were outside and people were looking for them. 
    We got over one snowstorm and more bad weather due tomorrow. Guess people are stocking up! 
   😀🧻!  😟🥔🥬🫐$$$

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@1Snickers 

I have not been to the commissary since mid November.  When I was last there I noticed skimpy aisles although I was able to pick up what I needed. 

I thought about going this Saturday, but decided against it. I hate to go during the early days of each month. 

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         @icezeus   The vegetables and fruit at the commissary are always more expensive than Aldi or Wall Mart. I don't go on weekends and try to avoid first of the month. I had to with snow expected. 
     There are many more generic brands now and I noticed fewer regular brands. Seems like all stores do this now.

     I wanted smaller bags of frozen foods and mostly large were there. Today the smaller Wall mart had them. Even gas cost more there! But I save in class 6!

              🍌🍓🍞🥚= $

[just bee]

@hckynutjohn 

Why is something we're not hearing as often as we should.

I'm sure you've heard of the Great Nursing Shortage that's been going on for decades.  Yet diploma nurses have been eliminated, LPNs have been kicked out of most hospitals and there are threats to discontinue community college nursing programs.

Suddenly an associate degree isn't enough.  And nurses are told they have to earn additional degrees and move towards administration -- as far from patients as they can get.

In the meantime, our hospital can't find people to fill positions yet they will pay travel nurses thousands of dollars per week.

We went seven, eight years without a raise, if memory serves...

[icezeus]

@hckynutjohn 

Why Is a very good question and I definitely do not have the answers. I have read numerous news articles, with numerous people  spouting their own opinions. I don't know about you but I am sort of over the hundreds of opinions that are floating around out there. The basic question as you so eloquently put it would be Why.

[50Mickey]

My cat lover friends will identify with this. My cats only eat Fancy Feast, canned cat food. They refuse to eat the pate type. None of the grocery store near me have the kind that my cats eat. So I went to PetSmart today and they have plent of the Fancy Feast that my cats eat.

So while I was in the area I went to Whole Foods. Absolutey no shortage of anything there, fully stocked aisles.  So it's not just a supply chain issue. 

[ZoetheCat]

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@Ladyrain wrote:

We live in MA but shop at Market Basket ini NH, a family owned chain.   Last Tuesday all the shelves were fully stocked, as was the produce and meat and dairy sections.  If you live near one, it's worth a try.  Their prices are incredibly good, and during the Great TP Shortage at the beginning of the pandemic, we couldn't fine any toilet paper at three local grocery stores here.  None at Walmart across the line in NH eitiher.   Tried Market Basket (for the first time) in NH and their TP aisle was stocked to the brim.   We've been loyal customers ever snce!

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I also shop at Market Basket.  Though their prices have definitely risen, they are still the cheapest around.  The only thing they seem to consistently be short of is cat food.  It's been going on for months.  Not really sure what the problem is but my cat (Zoe, of course) would appreciate it if they could stock the shelves 😀

The other thing I really like about Market Basket is the way they treat their employees.  For many years they have offered all employees profit sharing, year end bonuses (even for part time workers ) and are great about promoting from within.  My husband went to school with someone who started there as a bagger and now works in upper management making a great salary.  

[Cakers3]

We shop at 3 different markets.

Trader Joe's is fully stocked, although yesterday I could only get the quart size half and half.  Plenty of plant milk half and half in the smaller size but nobody was buying.

Whole Foods is also fully stocked-plenty of fruits and veggies. 

The local chain does have some empty shelves in the frozen food sections but we seldom buy frozen dinners anyway.  No problem with food or house supplies such as TP.

It must be regional because we have had no problems.

[JustJazzmom]

Not seeing any bare shelves here on LI, NY.

Things missing since pandemic -- in one store ShopRite, 230 Ct. Scotties, Regina White wine Vinegar, Buittoni Pesto Sauce. In liquor stores -- no Marie Brizard dark cocoa liqueur. 

Currently in short or no supply: Store brand light cream, Temptee whipped cream cheese & Pellegrino Ginger Beer, Schweppes tonic water.

I wonder if it's local pipeline issues -- lack of truckers to transport to local supermarkets in specific areas of the US.

[Vivian]

I've been ordering groceries online for two years, mostly at Aldi's. Pre-pandemic, I got what I ordered. Now I have to remain at my phone to await texts from the shopper, who invariably tells me that many of my choices, and the substitutions I indicated for each item, are not available. So, last week I decided to try a different supermarket. The prices were literally twice as much as the already-raised prices at Aldi's. I put a few items in my cart and hit over $100 without buying half of what I needed and wanted. I canceled the order.

[PilatesLover]

We had a snowstorm yesterday, so Thursday evening I went to Stop & Shop to make sure we had enough for the weekend.

I couldn't believe the empty shelving.  No chicken at all and minimal meat.  They filled the empty meat cases with Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat products, but the poultry coolers were entirely empty.  

There was no organic milk, no eggs, no juice, and no salad greens.  No cream cheese or shredded cheese and as usual, hoarders had come through and taken all the frozen gluten free bread items.  No frozen vegetables and a lot of empty shelves in the rice, soup, pasta and bean areas.

It was scary!  Shoppers were walking around in a daze like "wha? wha happened?" I was happy they had TP.  I like to plan our meals based on the sales but it looks like I'll have to just take what I can get and make do with it and be grateful for it.