"Two weeks ago business went 'dead'."

[midnight rambler]

Just spoke with an associate who spends a lot of time talking to other businesspeople, particularly tradesmen and contractors. He told me what was notable is that they all used the very same term without any prompting from him. Every one of them, including the folks at the supply houses, used the term "dead" to describe the drop-off in business and phone calls starting about 2 weeks ago.

[chad]

sounds like my accounts receivable. all of my customers who owe me money have suddenly gone native.

[Horn]

I've noticed it for the last two months. A slow and steady grind to just bobbing above & below the water line.

Associate of mine in the conveyor business over the last 18 months went from new installation, to servicing existing, to tearing down & scrap selling old production plants in that short period.

[Ponce]

Is time to bunker down and count your (money) blessings........

[Horn]

Is time to bunker down and count your (money) blessings........


Coconuts, fish, dried fruit droppings and a crudely formed mound of sand as a pillow. :oo-->

[Ash_Williams]

I look at online classifieds a lot during the day (because as Ponce says, if you want to make money you have to find out what people want and give it to them). This week probably sets a record for ads of the sort "I'm a framer/drywaller/painter looking for work as business has died down." as well as people needing personal loans of $500 - $5000. Those personal loan ads basically didn't exist last year, now it's like 30% of the ads in one of the categories.

I'm pretty sure if you graphed the number of hooker ads on craiglist, you'd see a steady rise all year with a *huge* jump in the last three months.

[Horn]

I look at online classifieds a lot during the day (because as Ponce says, if you want to make money you have to find out what people want and give it to them). This week probably sets a record for ads of the sort

Noticed them too, I'm in a different field but yes people are bypassing the normal channels.

And they did just come down on the craig's hookers.

They're basically doing anything possible to create starvation.

[Ponce]

One way to get ready is to go to Wally's World and look at everything made in China, and elsewhere, and then compared it to what is being made in the US........and then, buy those items not made in the US that people uses the most and stock as much as you can.

The above is the reason that I have bought so much clothing from the "Senior Thrift Store", 85% of all our clothing are made overseas and 12% of those made in the US are made with material that comes from overseas.........for your own needs, even if we here in the US produce cotton I would recomend that you buy all the shorts, T shirts and sox that you might need for the long term.......from the time that I bought those three items the same have gone up 40% in price.

[Horn]

I bought a pair of shoes once from Walmart, Dr. Scholes I think?

They had support for approximately one week, the souls were filled down in the second week.

By the third week my feet hurt so much i discontinued use.

[Ponce]

Horn? interesting that you came up with this because that's my next target........shoes.

At my favorite store they sell used shoes and many of them are like new........price? 0.25 cents a pair, I bought a pair (that I can see) of very expensive boots....Wingate? or something like that, not only are they broken in but fit like velvet on my feet.

I am trying to make space for them.......one four car garage= full.......two storage sheds= full.......one chicken coop= full......one log cabin=almost full hummmmmmmm.

[chad]

you guys are too practical. i'm going with tupperware containers of old crow bourbon and cans of tobacco w/papers.

[Ponce]

Chad? that yould make you an open target............sell no weapons, ammo, wisky or tabacco.....those items will become like gold or like money in a bank.........people do steal from banks.

[JDRock]

im getting tired of telling people i know who are paper-rich, to DUMP property ( with significant debt) dump fiat, bonds, stocks, cash in your "retirement" and buy PM's i.e. gold , silver ...and LEAD ;)

[platinumdude]

Is time to bunker down and count your (money) blessings........


Yeah, time for me to build my underground bunker.

[madfranks]

Is time to bunker down and count your (money) blessings........


Yeah, time for me to build my underground bunker.


Are you really going to build one?

[BarneyFag]

2 weeks ago sounds about right, we were going full steam 6 guy's in the field. We have been down to 2 guy's for the last 2 weeks. The last 2 days spent replacing stolen wire, the same place has been hit 3 times in a month. I'm very thankful for copper thiefs.

Even though we have jobs coming up, my phone hasn't rung all week for new work.Except today I got a call to give a bid for a Casino addition, which these bozos never land the jobs anyway, so worthless.

[uranian]

U.K. Home Prices Plunged Record 3.6% in September (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-07/u-k-september-house-prices-plunge-3-6-on-month-halifax-says.html)


U.K. house prices plunged in September by the most since at least 1983, adding to evidence that the housing market faces a renewed slump as the government readies the biggest spending cuts since World War II.

what happened to the green shoots rhetoric? can't recall hearing the phrase for a while now.

[chad]

i went back and looked at my invoices. the unpaid ones are all from about 3 weeks back, and these are from people that usually would pay me within the week.

i'm also not getting anymore work orders at all. not sure if that's because people are too embarrassed to ask me to do more when they still owe me, of it's something more sinister...

[FunnyMoney]

2 weeks ago sounds about right, we were going full steam 6 guy's in the field. We have been down to 2 guy's for the last 2 weeks. The last 2 days spent replacing stolen wire, the same place has been hit 3 times in a month. I'm very thankful for copper thiefs.


A glimpse into the new economy.


Sorry, ^-^ just trying to keep the whole "green shoots" attitude alive. :o

[woodman]

I've had a very busy year. Just recently work has fallen off but this is usual for my work. The kids are back to school and using the floors that I install and maintain. My work has picked up this year but only because the school systems have been laying off staff because of declining enrollment in Michigan. Times are tough here. When staff get laid off, I get called to do the jobs they used to take care of. Privatization I guess you could call it. They don't have to keep me on as an employee, just pay me to clean and coat or maybe resand the gym and stage floors, then I am gone. A free range worker.

Has anyone noticed the high price of used autos and trucks lately. What is going on? Is it due to the cash for clunkers rebates, or what?

[Dogman]

I've had a very busy year. Just recently work has fallen off but this is usual for my work. The kids are back to school and using the floors that I install and maintain. My work has picked up this year but only because the school systems have been laying off staff because of declining enrollment in Michigan. Times are tough here. When staff get laid off, I get called to do the jobs they used to take care of. Privatization I guess you could call it. They don't have to keep me on as an employee, just pay me to clean and coat or maybe resand the gym and stage floors, then I am gone. A free range worker.

Has anyone noticed the high price of used autos and trucks lately. What is going on? Is it due to the cash for clunkers rebates, or what?


Maybe supply getting tight? New car sales not up to snuff?

[Horn]

Has anyone noticed the high price of used autos and trucks lately. What is going on? Is it due to the cash for clunkers rebates, or what?


Horse traders, undertakers, & the taxmen always get busy in dire times.

[osoab]

what happened to the green shoots rhetoric? can't recall hearing the phrase for a while now.


The Ministry of Truth is currently working on a new catch phrase/slogan.

Please Hold. ;D

[osoab]

About dead business.

Were I work, the first noticeable sign was January 2009. As soon as the holidays were over, the phone traffic about cut in half and pretty much stayed that way. I would say the call volume previously was 50-70 calls per day average. We only have 4 lines. Customer orders and other project matters. Really it was the drop in call in orders for steel.

In January of this year, cut in half again. The number really seemed to die off. I'm talking about 10 calls a day. Some days less. A couple of days the past few weeks we might have had 3 phone calls before noon.

If we have more projects going on, the volume picks up. On the overall, though, business is slow and slowing more.

This is the steel side of construction I am talking about.

The word from the boss is that it is going to be a cold winter. :(

I expected this sooner.

[Rebel Yarr]

I've had a very busy year. Just recently work has fallen off but this is usual for my work. The kids are back to school and using the floors that I install and maintain. My work has picked up this year but only because the school systems have been laying off staff because of declining enrollment in Michigan. Times are tough here. When staff get laid off, I get called to do the jobs they used to take care of. Privatization I guess you could call it. They don't have to keep me on as an employee, just pay me to clean and coat or maybe resand the gym and stage floors, then I am gone. A free range worker.

Has anyone noticed the high price of used autos and trucks lately. What is going on? Is it due to the cash for clunkers rebates, or what?


Maybe supply getting tight? New car sales not up to snuff?


That's it - used market is better than new.

[millwright]

I've noticed it for the last two months. A slow and steady grind to just bobbing above & below the water line.

Associate of mine in the conveyor business over the last 18 months went from new installation, to servicing existing, to tearing down & scrap selling old production plants in that short period.


No fu*king kidding . I have worked 7 months in the last two years. I have not worked for 11 months straight.

My friends in California are tearing down the stamping plant in Frmont that used to feed the NUMMI auto plant that was shut down earlier this year.

THIS WAS THE LAST REMAINING AUTO PLANT IN CALIFORNIA! Can you believe this sh*t ?
5,000 workers lost their jobs when NUMMI went down.


Now guess what they are going to do with the stamping plant,they are shipping it off to India because nobody wants it. This country is fininshed.

[Book]

...This country is finished.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Reagan_Cabinet_-_Class_Photo_1984.jpg

Just as they PLANNED it. They called it Free Trade...lol.

[RJB]

I went to see Primus in concert last night. The front man Les Claypool, who is usually pretty goofy, mentioned going into a local hardware store and seeing nothing but things made in China. He then said very seriously, "I hope you guys realize, we're fucked."

The crowd acknowledge it and the band started playing again.

I was an interesting moment.

[sirgonzo420]

I went to see Primus in concert last night. The front man Les Claypool, who is usually pretty goofy, mentioned going into a local hardware store and seeing nothing but things made in China. He then said very seriously, "I hope you guys realize, we're f*cked."

The crowd acknowledge it and the band started playing again.

I was an interesting moment.


For some reason I wouldn't have figured you the Primus type.

Anyway, the man spoke truth, and the people in the audience knew it. I wonder how many of them were unemployed...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XJN7qqFqPE

[Liquid]

Wow, I can't believe Primus is still around. I used to listen to them when I was in high school 20 years ago, always did want to see them in concert.

[mick silver]

seen on the local news the other night that people were lining up for winter free heat help . they were around a 1000 are more people in just the first hour ... times are about to go from worst to f...

[RJB]

For some reason I wouldn't have figured you the Primus type. I play the electric bass guitar. It's mandatory ;D

I was more into thrash metal as a kid. I like any music with a bit of talent behind it. I've calmed a bit in the last few years especially after having kids. I'm 39 now, but despite hitting a kava kava bar before the concert I spent the whole concert in the pit, moshing.

This is probably the last big venue I'll see. I committed to going BEFORE realizing the tickets were $47.50 and I heard that was actually low priced for most big acts ???

The arena was half full of people spending $47.50 with huge lines of people buying beer for $5 in ~10 oz cups, so I guess people don't realized how screwed we really are.

[RJB]

2 weeks ago sounds about right, we were going full steam 6 guy's in the field. We have been down to 2 guy's for the last 2 weeks. The last 2 days spent replacing stolen wire, the same place has been hit 3 times in a month. I'm very thankful for copper thiefs.


A glimpse into the new economy.


Sorry, ^-^ just trying to keep the whole "green shoots" attitude alive. :o
Was it Green Shoots or Ghetto Shoots?

[osoab]

For some reason I wouldn't have figured you the Primus type. I play the electric bass guitar. It's mandatory ;D

I was more into thrash metal as a kid. I like any music with a bit of talent behind it. I've calmed a bit in the last few years especially after having kids. I'm 39 now, but despite hitting a kava kava bar before the concert I spent the whole concert in the pit, moshing.

This is probably the last big venue I'll see. I committed to going BEFORE realizing the tickets were $47.50 and I heard that was actually low priced for most big acts ???

The arena was half full of people spending $47.50 with huge lines of people buying beer for $5 in ~10 oz cups, so I guess people don't realized how screwed we really are.


47.50 for Primus? I wouldn't think they would be worth that. Maybe 25 tops at a dive bar not 47.50.

[platinumdude]

Is time to bunker down and count your (money) blessings........


Yeah, time for me to build my underground bunker.


Are you really going to build one?


Well depends on many factors. I might just buy land with a cabin instead.

[RJB]

47.50 for Primus? I wouldn't think they would be worth that. Maybe 25 tops at a dive bar not 47.50.They have a pretty big cult following. They had the arena, but $20 -30 was what I was expecting to pay, but as I said I already told a friend I would go and couldn't back out.

When I think of 50 bucks, I don't think of frivolity. Throughout the concert I kept thinking of preps I should have bought instead. As I said, my big concert days are over.

Back to the last two weeks... I've noticed that rushhour traffic isn't as backed up.