I agree the Doom Index is rising. It will continue to rise until Peak Doom is reached.
It has been said that Peak Oil will bring the end of life as we have known it. This has already happened to me. I used to be carefree, now I have concerns. I've changed my ways.
I've developed this food hangup. I'm always thinking about food: growing it, storing it, buying it. I used to buy groceries to last a week, now I spend twice as much buying bulk/volume/variety each week to put into storage. I used to eat out now and then, now I skip meals altogether so I can buy more food for storage. When I buy something, I think in terms of how many pounds of split peas I could have instead. A pound of split peas is 48 cents, can be cooked with 100 watts in a slow cooker and make a delicious soup, especially when combined with things from the yard. I can get 3 servings from that one pound of split peas. I make it every few weeks, and look forward to it.
I like a fine ribeye on the grill. I can go get one anytime I like, just whip out the plastic (debit), someone will cook it for me. Now if I do pick up a steak at the supermarket, I'll grab chuck steak, only a pound, and get two dinners out of it. What I save goes towards a 25 pound sack of sugar.

I could rail on about food, but thats not what this thread is about. This is just an effect of the rising Doom Index.
I've not taken a drive through the country side for fun in a long time. I use the truck to get to work, get to the store, and make whatever other stops I have to while I'm out there. There is no such thing as going to the store for one thing. Besides, I've got it in stock anyway.
My brother wonders why I have 30 pounds of salt on a shelf next to all the beans, mason jars, and enough toilet paper to last me 2 years. He has been made aware of Peak Oil, but until he faces a crisis, he'll take no action. It won't happen, I'm nuts. This just reinforces the idea that one day he will be knocking on my door with his bags packed to move in.
My life has changed. The news comes in every day, supporting my world view. Is the Doom-o-Meter climbing because of the news, or because of my changed behavior? A little of both, I think. My life never had a Doom-O-Meter before. The things don't come with a snooze button.

There were some interesting attempts, that I didn't bother to remember. Again, without an understanding of the big picture, it might appear as though our efficiency is declining. Although the standard metrics indicate we are operating very efficiently.
I see it as the 28% is really just inflation and the increase in raw materials. So, in constant dollars sales are probably closer to flat.
I once read an article about Argentina, and their hyperinflation. It specifically talked about how businesses there had to abandon standard accounting practices and factor inflation into their profit margins, and operating costs. That it is not being done that way in the states (to my knowledge) shows that most are still ignorant of what is happening to the USD. Or they are in willful denial.

Admittedly most of the people at the meeting make pretty good $$, and probably aren't feeling the pinch as much as the rank and file out on the shop floor. Its only a matter of time before everyone sees the elephant in the room in my opinion. By then, the elephant will be standing on their toes and shitting on their reports.

The Dude abides!

This used to be considered normal.
It was the way life was.
You celebrated a successful harvest, like, "PHEW! We made it through another year!"
You fiddled and you drank and you danced and fucked and dropped.
I'm looking forward to the good old days.
(i think)

I spend time in the cellar, staring at my jars of home-canned goods, wringing my hands, counting days.
Our philosophy involves The Thousand Ways To Use die Schweine.
Freeze it. Salt it. Render it. Pickle it. Brine it. Smoke it.
OK, so not a "thousand."

How interesting. I also have lowered my expectations of the future and making purchases accordingly. It alos seems to be affecting my sleep.
Last night I had one of those movie-like dreams where people packing up and leaving the area. It turns out they were getting underground. Many had been preparing for months, it seemed, and had a place to go. It was a Friday, warm and sunny. Would have loved to have seen a calendar in the dream.
When I woke up this morning I had this insane urge to tell my brother (who ownes enough prime land) to build a large underground shelter.
Time to do some more meditation.

Thanks for that link killjoy, I bookmarked it for later.

I know what you mean, I work for a contractor for BMW North America. Despite the downturn in the economy, BMW anounced yesterday they will increase production 50% in the next 4 years. Also our company just a picked up a contract with Toyota/Lexus.
Things look very good and the money is OK, yet I know it could end tommorow. Hopefully 4-5 years left.
I'll never take my eye off the ball.

Just terrific comments from a terrific bunch of people I sure as hell wish were my neighbors.
It's interesting that many of the posts have taken an economic tack. Certainly, economics is the interface at which most of us operate on a daily basis and where we see the immediate impacts and threats.
But we need to remember that human economics (especially in the Age of Plastic Credit) is basically a fake construct lying like artificially flavored and colored icing on the earthy cake of Momma Nature.
But my Doom-o-Meter (pronounced any way that grabs you, Dude) twitches most violently when I think about, say, the honeybee dieoff, which all by itself could become the biggest disaster of our time. Or the bat dieoff (yes, there is a bat dieoff going on, with the result that you can expect many more mosquito bites---watch out for West Nile, and in the future maybe malaria and dengue, and God knows what else coming down the way, and maybe no health care for you as you fight it).

Many of us have plans to detach ourselves from the silicone teat of this doomed civilization and switch to all-natural life support. But what if Momma Nature is so degraded and twisted and used-up she can't do it for us anymore?
Yes there will be resurgent weeds and rats, but the good pure stuff we used to rely on BEFORE "the economy"---will it be there? Early explorers crossing America often relied on the fruit of native paw paw trees to survive. They're mostly gone now.
I sure got a wakeup call, myself, with the 2007-2008 Southeast Drought. We very nearly got burned off the map. In the words of Queeg, "I kid you not."

All that aside, I have to admit the thing I watch most closely, almost as the Doom-o-Meter itself, is the Exxon price sign that dominates the tiny town I live a mile from.
$4 and $5 gas coming, this year or the next, for sure. I don't see how the country goes on operating at that point. I just don't.

I feel very lucky as I haven't worked a day since 2003. I've taken up smoking a pipe and seem it drink more these days. Yup, pipe and slippers by the fireplace. Also, as warmer weather swings in the bicycle will be used a lot more. heck for what it costs to drive anywhere, I can take a nice 40 mile bike ride and stop for lunch. Life hasn't been better, but I worry more about my pension and SS going kaput. Also I see some of my family hitting hard times and am powerless to do anything, but offer them a warm place to stay if needed.

My personal doom-o-meter is clicking away but about halfway, I think we have a good decade of deteriorating incomes before TSHTF.
But I do have friends who live in South Africa, I reckon food and fuel prices will start sparking strikes and inflation and populist government appeasement soon. Countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan and Brazil with large urban poor are probibly headed for the George at a speed.
For all intents and purposes Zimbabwe, Congo, Somalia and the like have already fallen of off it.
Unless there is a huge international aid effort this year, Id say the first stages of die will be begining shortly.

If the doom-o-meter is already at Max, and we still have some way to go on in adjusting society to the 2nd half of the oil age and the resulting diminishing supplies, then I suggest that you have to recalibrate your doom-o-meter.

Say have a new 1-10 scale and put the current Max to around 1. This should make you feel better for the moment as you realise that in reality things now are still very good for most of us here. If you want to feel more doomerish then all you would have to do is consider what the new Max would look like (ie at least 10 times worse than things are now).

I know I can always count on you all to cheer me up!
Not feeling very optimistic lately at all. Hoping I've got 2-3 years. That's what I need to get where I want to be. I guess we'll see.
Planning on planting some paw paw trees on the new land too.
More intense about the gardening and preservation, been learning to forge, trying to get healthy. Trying to get my head right and where it needs to be too while still trying to enjoy my life to an extent. It is tough though. When you legitimatetly believe that that the world is about to go through something along the lines of which people have never seen before, it really alters ones fucking perceptions.
Olaf

My situation is sorta like yours, except I spend all that "free" time laboring outdoors (and sometimes indoors) like a fool. And working out to try to keep my aging bod from freezing up and falling apart.
My fixed income (pension and annuity) is going to get gobbled up by inflation. I'll be lucky to buy a loaf of bread with it in ten years.
Anyway, when the gas riots start, we're all vulnerable no matter what our current condition of joy or pain.

My sister is 63 and lives on $1,000 Month disability out in the Country with her house and land paid for. She has an old fuel oil furnace and heating costs are killing her.

My WaMu-Doom-o-Meter
WaMoooooo Five Year
is there an advantage to having deposits with the first large bank to fail ? so that way you're first in line for that paltry $50 billion the FDIC has in reserve ? if you're with a more stable bank, and it's 3rd to fail, by that time, the FDIC is unable to help ? <-- Doomer Reasoning ?
WaMu is a large bank. $300 Billion in current liabilities. Market Value of $9 Billion.
what does the stock market know about WaMu ?

Right, H--and guess what?
I still don't feel safe.
Hear ye, all who listen:
I've been living out-of-the-loop for twenty years or more, growing food and animals, powering down, staying at home, reducing, reusing and recycling and I DON'T FEEL SAFE RIGHT NOW!
In fact, I'm having a fucking heart attack.
As I mentioned in another thread: I thought I would feel smug when the shit starts hitting, but no, I feel pissed and frightened and guilty.