The Hard Times Cafe

Heavy industries join stampede to raise prices

Dow Chemical, the biggest U.S. chemical maker, said it would raise prices by up to 25 percent in July - the largest increase in its history - as its chief executive warned of a "relentless" rise in energy and raw materials costs.

Global prices for steel, a basic building commodity, also jumped after Posco of South Korea, one of the world's largest steel producers, said Tuesday that it was raising prices by more than 20 percent. That followed an agreement Monday between the global miner Rio Tinto Group and the biggest steel maker in China, Baosteel, to raise the price it pays for Australian iron ore by as much as 97 percent."

link to article in its entirety below

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/24/business/inflate.php

God says to think on what things?

01:02, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 .. Posted by Cindeerella

Why all the doom and gloom? I would rather hear more encouraging and less reporting on the sad state of things.

In response to Cindeerella's comment

03:27, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 .. Posted by AnIntentionalPeasant

I appreciate Cindeerella's response and input to the postings here at The Hard Times Cafe. I agree, too much doom and gloom, well at times is overwhelming. However, fluff and stuff does not bring reality home to many. Many will not get a clear picture of what is going on in the world until it is too late because of so much frivolousness in the mainstream news, the isolation that we choose to keep our lives in and the reality that many just don't want to know about the bad stuff because well, then they might be forced to see that life isn't all hunky dory for many. We in America live in a bubble, much from our own choosing. We don't want to deal with the hard stuff because its just too depressing. As far as I can see, isolating our reality has not done us as a nation much good. Its raised an unimaginable number of self centered, self seeking "me and my four and no more" people. I'm not implying this towards Cindeerella, I' don't even know her. I'm simply saying those are the reasons I post what I post. That's the great thing about HSB. There are 2888 blogs to choose from. Not all are going to be for everyone. So if keeping up on the financial end of our country, food, gas etc. is not for you, surely there is another blog that you could read instead of this one. And I totally understand if that were you choosing and I would not be offended in the least. But we all have to do what God tells us to do, and for each one of us that may be something different. For right now, I feel led to get the word out that things are bad and its time to get beyond thinking of today but rather think like the ant that is spoken of in the Word. Be prepared for your family and so you can be a blessing to others, even if its just one other person. If you are a regular blog reader of The Hard Times you will know that being prepared with current events so you can be prepared so you can be a blessing to others is a theme here. Maybe someday I'll put a recipe on here or a funny story of what happen in the barn yard but for today many are loosing their homes, unable to pay their bills and unable to feed their children. If this does nothing more than to motivate some to pray for those less fortunate than ourselves, then The Hard Times Cafe has done well.
Blessings,
The Intentional Peasant

Edited by AnIntentionalPeasant on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 12:00