The Canary in the Mineshaft

ColossalContrarian · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 635

looks like another canary... pallet supplier facing tough times... It's a short article so I'll post it.

April 18 (Bloomberg) -- Brambles Ltd., the world's biggest supplier of pallets used to move and store goods, slumped the most in at least 17 months in Sydney trading after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it may review its pallet management arrangements.

CHEP, which accounts for more than four-fifths of sales at Brambles, manages the pallet operations at many Wal-Mart facilities in the U.S., the Sydney-based company said today in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, may contract directly with third-party service providers and sort the pallets at its own facilities, Brambles said in the statement.

Brambles shares fell A$1.58, or 16 percent, to A$8.45 at 10:13 a.m. in Sydney, wiping A$2.2 billion ($2.1 billion) off the company's market value. The stock has declined 27 percent this year.

BigTex · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

I don't know if this has been addressed earlier in the thread, but I think the Canary in the Mineshaft may be professional sports.

Once games and seasons start getting canceled, that's when we will know we are in trouble.

Last time it happened, as I recall was following 9/11.
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eastbay · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

A clear canary in the mineshaft is when USA Today starts talking about the coming cannibalism.

Even issues of USA Today end up discussing cannibalism.
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Ivan_M · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 29, 2008 Posts: 172

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3593

mos6507 · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:41 am Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

I think this would be more appropriate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDbWFei190

sittinguy · Heavy Crude Joined: Sep 07, 2007 Posts: 348

My canary is advertising and billboards. I was traveling a few weeks ago and realized that when I see alot of billboards empty that is going to be a clear sign. They look OK so far, only a few empty ones. The other thing I noticed is DAMB alot of people have money,, ALOT of new cars on the road. And I ain't talkin niissan sentra's I,m talkin NICE cars and trucks. So some people must think alls well.

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3593

I think the title says enough.
Starbucks Reports 28% Drop in Profit and Trims Store Openings

Starbucks has been infamously called an "affordable luxury". I guess that's an assertion being seriously questioned. Wink

basil_hayden · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

Chrysler and $2.99 gallons of fuel for 12,000 miles per year

This struck me as a canary when I first heard of it, so I figured I'd archive it for discussion Smile

yesplease · Fission Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 2325

BigTex · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:56 pm Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

I was driving home this evening and passed a squirrel carcass that still appeared to have some edible meat on it.

I thought to myself that the first time I see someone collecting a roadkill carcass in a manner that makes it look he/she may be taking it home to cook for dinner, that will be a canary in the mineshaft.

It is kind of making me look forward to seeing road kill now, because if no one has collected it for the pantry, that will mean that things haven't gotten THAT bad.

Of course, when neighborhood pets start disappearing, that too would be a canary in the mineshaft. It might even be an actual canary.
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Dezakin · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Feb 09, 2005 Posts: 1361

Thats silly. If it got that bad, there wont be roadkill.

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3593

mos6507 · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 3:50 am Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft

BigTex · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:11 am Post subject: Re: The Canary in the Mineshaft