Last year we were alarmed when we heard mistletoe may become extinct, but we moved on, and honestly... sort of forgot all about it. At that point the seasonal snog plant shortage was happening far away in the UK anyway. But now the NY Times is back with more fearmongering over losing the rape-kiss plant, reporting that the shortage has now hit the States, due to a relentless drought in Texas. They note the branches that have arrived in New York "are so anemic that they just aren’t worth the high price tag" (which is typically $5 for a tiny branch). more ›

When Sukkot rolls around on the night of October 12, consider yourself lucky if you get the opportunity to shake both an etrog, and a lulav because apparently those lulavs are getting hard to find. more ›

Local farmers have been devastated by Hurricane Irene, and that means they're unable to meet pumpkin demand this fall. Upstate farmer Darcy Pray, of Pray's Family Farms, told the Associated Press, "I think there's going to be an extreme shortage of pumpkins this year. I've tried buying from people down in the Pennsylvania area, I've tried locally here and I've tried reaching across the border to some farmers over in the Quebec area. There's just none around." more ›

Have you guys heard about the Adderall crisis sweeping the city? Wait, no, did you see the last episode of Oprah yesterday? No? Bummer. Ok, no, really though, I don't know if you've tried to get your speed lately, but it's really hard to find! Even if you have a prescription for it! We're in the grips of an Adderall shortage across the nation, and it's wreaking havoc on doctors, pharmacies, students, graphic designers, and actual sufferers of ADD all over the city. more ›

This photo was taken earlier today at Bridge Apothecary in DUMBO, one of the last remaining stores carrying o.b. tampons during the Great o.b. Tampon Shortage (2010 - ????). As you can see their supply has now run out, even though two weeks ago the owner was certain they'd be overflowing with boxes of the non-applicator brand in no time. In fact, Johnson & Johnson has been assuring everyone that the tampons would be back on shelves "soon"... but that's been their canned answer for months now. Can we get WikiLeaks on this? more ›

As we enter Day Whatever of this non-applicator tampon drought, things are turning ugly. According to the Daily News there are bidding wars on eBay, turning o.b. brand loyalists against each other. As we noted yesterday, Johnson & Johnson had a "temporary supply interruption" (whatever that means) which has led to their product being out of stock in many places... though we found a few boxes at Bridge Apothecary in DUMBO this week. more ›

Just like Elaine and her sponge, the women of New York City aren't finding what they need in the feminine hygiene section of drug stores. According to the Daily News, shelves have been barren of o.b. brand tampons since the fall, and now they're showing up on eBay for nearly $9 a pack! This "top rated seller" is hawking 2 boxes for 100 bucks. more ›

Doubtful—nothing short of rehab will quench New Yorkers' thirst for fastidiously prepared cocktails in the Prohibition-era style. But there is a slight problem: The House of Angostura, maker of the bitters favored by many of the most meticulous mixologists, has fallen way behind schedule because of a shortage in ingredients and a financial restructuring. In London, at least one bartender has already started hoarding, and in NYC, Freemans owner William Tigertt tweeted yesterday, "Panic! Angostura bitter plant shutdown. NYC distributors rationing 3 bottles per account. Hording begins as cocktail doomsday clock hits 11." Eater also fears the day of reckoning is at hand, but at least there are other brands of bitters. more ›

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hit the airwaves this morning, trying to reassure Americans about the swine flu vaccine. Noting that many people have been frustrated by the shortage, she said supply "is coming out the door as fast as it comes off the production line. We were relying on the manufacturers to give us their numbers and as soon as we got numbers we put them out to the public. It does appear now that those numbers were overly rosy." more ›

The NY Post checks in on the greening of New York's yellow cabs. By October 1st around 2,500 of the 13,227 will need to be hybrid, but word is that there's a shortage of the vehicles -- the president of the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade said "there will not be enough to sustain this mandate." While he has asked the city to extend the deadline due to the "availability crisis," cabbies who have made the switch are still noting that they do not feel as safe in the cars. more ›

The cost of rice has shot up dramatically in recent months, and some analysts say a domestic shortage is on the horizon. The price increase is part of an alarming trend that’s seen the cost of flour rise 13 percent, milk 10 percent, eggs 30 percent and soon – make sure you’re sitting down – beer 10-15 percent. more ›