tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89940704461273183622024-03-13T11:56:34.549-07:00The Cringing ConsumerFacing up to my responsibility as a consumer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-58280311140843521092023-09-16T10:07:00.001-07:002023-09-16T10:07:18.967-07:00Cheapen Your Drinking Experience But Watch the Calories<p> One alcohol unit is 10 milliliters (ml) which weighs 8 grams. One gram of pure alcohol has 7 calories.</p><p>Alcohol labels usually say "Proof" which is actually the percentage of alcohol multiplied by 2. So if something is 100 Proof, it's 50% alcohol. So 200 Proof is 100% alcohol, and so on. For a complete list of alcohol content, visit the <a href="http://www.alcoholcontents.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alcohol Content Database</a>.</p><p>Let's say you have a beer with 10% alcohol (20 Proof) in a 12 fluid ounce can. What's 10% of 12? </p><p>12 * 0.10 = 1.2 fluid ounce of alcohol per can. We need to convert this from fluid ounces to milliliters. 1.2 * 29.574 = 35.4882 milliliters of alcohol content. Now we must figure out grams. If 10 ml of alcohol weighs 8 grams, then 1 ml of alcohol weighs 0.8 grams.</p><p>Now we take 0.8 * 35.4882 to get the grams of our sample: 28.39056 grams of alcohol in a 12 fluid ounce can of beer with 10% alcohol.</p><p>For calories we take 7 calories * 28.39056 grams to get the calories: <i><b>198.73392 calories</b></i>.</p><p>Now, the Alcohol Content Database lists beverages by percent of alcohol content. To get the complete guide for liquor bottle sizes, visit TRICORBRAUN <a href="https://www.tricorbraun.com/blog/liquor-bottle-sizes-a-complete-guide.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LIQUOR BOTTLE SIZES: A COMPLETE GUIDE</a>.</p><p>When you compare Everclear which costs around $18-$20 a bottle. Based on the chart below, each bottle will have the equivalent amount of alcohol of around 12 ounce Bud Light. One 12oz bottle of Bud Light averages around $2.99, so 50 Bud Lights would cost around $149.50, unless they were on sale.</p><google-sheets-html-origin><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; table-layout: fixed; width: 0px;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><colgroup><col width="97"></col><col width="83"></col><col width="39"></col><col width="53"></col><col width="83"></col><col width="106"></col><col width="93"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Brand"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">Brand</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Volume in ml"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Volume in ml</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Proof"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Proof</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Percent"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Percent</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Alcohol in ml"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Alcohol in ml</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Alcohol in grams"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Alcohol in grams</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Gram Calories"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Gram Calories</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Everclear"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">Everclear</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":15}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">15.00</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":190}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">190.00</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]/2/100" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.95}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">0.95</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]*R[0]C[-1]" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":14.25}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">14.25</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]*GRAMSPERML" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":11.4}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">11.40</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]*CALORIESPERGRAM" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":79.8}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">79.80</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Bud Light"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">Bud Light</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":355}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">355.00</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":8}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">8.00</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]/2/100" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.04}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">0.04</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]*R[0]C[-1]" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":14.200000000000001}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">14.20</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]*GRAMSPERML" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":11.360000000000001}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">11.36</td><td data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-1]*CALORIESPERGRAM" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":79.52000000000001}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">79.52</td></tr></tbody></table></google-sheets-html-origin><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Springfield, IL, USA39.781721300000008 -89.650148111.471487463821163 -124.8063981 68.091955136178854 -54.493898099999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-57958709259405876962018-11-12T14:13:00.002-08:002018-11-12T17:20:58.437-08:00The long term costs and savings of Ranch salad dressing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWx-ZSfI_I9QCPuRMMysoIv8xbqLCDkGDyWgiJ9xVEVH98TQ-uxa_nNScvfjjryeCjhuNNA1KVROM9Sg_xGSpLFdMj3PbsjzILl1uETX4x7di5B1N0GN9po8wymTghT96E3gYJ8cFcGs/s1600/20181112_111552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWx-ZSfI_I9QCPuRMMysoIv8xbqLCDkGDyWgiJ9xVEVH98TQ-uxa_nNScvfjjryeCjhuNNA1KVROM9Sg_xGSpLFdMj3PbsjzILl1uETX4x7di5B1N0GN9po8wymTghT96E3gYJ8cFcGs/s200/20181112_111552.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I make home-made Ranch<br />
dressing from scratch now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made a recipe of Ranch dressing from a powder package of Hidden Valley brand with Buttermilk and Mayonnaise. The total cost was $6.09 + tax.<br />
<br />
It began to dawn on me that I could save money in the long term by making the recipe myself from scratch, but the initial investment would be $24.60+ tax. I had some time so I did a little research and came up with the following table:<br />
<iframe height="600," src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRlQYF9Uo51TSiGeazBjGZfp2rE94yBm_j2G0z4ybBuK5KYL4NHiEATDvQDJUySPF9IonwZnPtzqJKE/pubhtml?gid=783835263&single=true&widget=true&headers=false" width="500,"></iframe><br />
<br />
I hope this is accurate. The package labels show the net weight and I had to use the <a href="https://www.aqua-calc.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aqua-Calc website</a> to convert to the Volume of each spice. A teaspoon of black pepper doesn't weigh the same as as a teaspoon of chives.<br />
<br />
Anyway according to my questionable calculations, by making Ranch salad dressing completely from scratch would save me roughly $2.71 per recipe.<br />
<br />
Because each ingredient comes in a different size, I calculated from the ingredient I would only need to buy once, Salt, and extrapolated the total number of purchases of the other ingredients in order to make an even number of complete recipes, 1000. My total savings would be around $2700.00 from not buying a thousand bottles. I would also only generate 489 wasted containers, so it also saves the environUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-12084779556333311602018-10-15T10:25:00.001-07:002018-10-15T10:25:13.019-07:00To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhUB98_8j17CRIXbIVxYjtQilGjPxJq92HwQiGNiCojw-XM82-2x-5H3t3NkThY-0SuTxBwm4SMOpDxAdYDv_5_ExWcALsZbAwblT1b6JHmAVvKR-_zmatHQ-OkjujpX6e9TTThs-5H8/s1600/InfluenzaVirus_v001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhUB98_8j17CRIXbIVxYjtQilGjPxJq92HwQiGNiCojw-XM82-2x-5H3t3NkThY-0SuTxBwm4SMOpDxAdYDv_5_ExWcALsZbAwblT1b6JHmAVvKR-_zmatHQ-OkjujpX6e9TTThs-5H8/s320/InfluenzaVirus_v001.png" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Influenza: Source: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Influenza_virus_particle_color.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Viruses occur in nature everywhere. After being deposited on a hard surface, according to the UK's <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/infections/how-long-do-bacteria-and-viruses-live-outside-the-body/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Health Service</a>, Cold viruses can survive indoors for up to seven days, especially if the humidity is above 10 percent, according to <a href="https://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2002-08/how-long-do-microbes-bacteria-and-viruses-live-surfaces-home-normal-room-tem" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Popular Science</a>.<br />
<br />
When you get vaccinated, your immune system is tuned and prepared for an attack by a specific strain of virus, so it can destroy the virus much more quickly than it would otherwise.<br />
<br />
Viruses use your cells as factories to create more viruses, This process goes unnoticed in a person not vaccinated because the influenza virus only uses a small amount of a cell's RNA to reproduce, according to <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170505125901.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Science Daily</a>. The immune system then reacts much more slowly. As a result, the symptoms of infection appear much later in the period during which an infected person is highly contagious.<br />
<br />
Symptoms are not caused by the virus itself, but by the actions of the immune system trying to destroy the virus. In an attempt to rid the body of the virus, the body will produce copious amounts of mucus, and destroy the infected cells which will cause painful inflammation in the damaged tissues.<br />
<br />
Vaccinated individuals will have little to no symptoms as their immune systems are at peak performance and will attack when there is very little infection, but that does not mean the viruses are not still hanging around somewhere nearby.<br />
<br />
Whether you're vaccinated or not, the viruses are still there. It's a matter of choice whether or not you want to have severe symptoms lasting weeks, or little if any symptoms that last a few days at most.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-34784128821802229062018-05-02T07:49:00.000-07:002018-05-02T07:49:02.428-07:00Juice ConcentrateIt may be more expensive but the long-term benefits are worth it. Wean yourself off of sugary drinks.<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vScghkdW_8OFlDx4vjaGI_3xoEtoTrxPSBIB5p0wmVc1-h4jODXWe2yxnnfnDQvkWoNxs4A2zZS7vfM/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false"></iframe><br />
<br />
The cost per serving is still more expensive than regular drinks in the short-term, but the benefits of zero sodium and low carbohydrates in the long term will save your health.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-59253093574673955602018-04-14T19:38:00.000-07:002018-04-14T19:44:17.511-07:00The Lies of Nutrition<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8wZffG1zfTCIb8FFYOJ9jViyIIYpALQFDlqmwToVFAe9Lqtb9AwcjMCxacx-v6K-GEm-DsEl8uXkOEGod2hZR6_GBdieQWJny9f-T3Og75UcU9zf8b149V9b2-mS1c6-TjQsT7Am2_A/s1600/IMG_20161122_102904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8wZffG1zfTCIb8FFYOJ9jViyIIYpALQFDlqmwToVFAe9Lqtb9AwcjMCxacx-v6K-GEm-DsEl8uXkOEGod2hZR6_GBdieQWJny9f-T3Og75UcU9zf8b149V9b2-mS1c6-TjQsT7Am2_A/s400/IMG_20161122_102904.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Breakfast Horseshoe Sandwich at the Sunrise Cafe, 4th Street Springfield, IL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Various industries over the years have hired fake scientists to do fake reports on nutrition. Here's a short list.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Fat</li>
<ul>
<li>NPR, 09/13/2016: 50 <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat</a> </li>
<li>CNBC, 08/10/2015: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/10/coca-cola-funds-scientists-who-shift-blame-for-obesity-away-from-bad-diets.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away From Bad Diets</a> </li>
<li>The New York Times, 09/12/2016: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Phys.org 02/15/2018: <a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-02-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-fat.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Researchers challenge claims that sugar industry shifted blame to fat</a> </li>
<li>Columbia University, 02/16/2018: <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/researchers-challenge-claims-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-fat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Researchers Challenge Claims That Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat</a> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Dietary Choleterol</li>
<ul>
<li>Uncommon Wisdom Daily, 05/08/2015:<a href="https://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/government-finally-admits-it-was-wrong-about-cholesterol-2-20496" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Government finally admits it was wrong about Cholesterol</a> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
Sites to follow:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cspinet.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Center for Science in the Public Interest</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.eatright.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Eat Right)</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-74983430177063835332017-12-29T09:20:00.004-08:002018-03-18T09:52:39.289-07:00Soap Scum Hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rWleg0X9nYy_HbDSqFELDMpc1Eqlz5HRkJrevJ6npo_-xyyF7oH-ws8PlPp8IR5CwYPxzZwFAcIELWO_ZdlnC6wOjz4n_4Fuo4ja7HMuVop0PJtRUNMRZng-FjcDO9DY_sFxtQzFU44/s1600/20171229_105753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1150" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rWleg0X9nYy_HbDSqFELDMpc1Eqlz5HRkJrevJ6npo_-xyyF7oH-ws8PlPp8IR5CwYPxzZwFAcIELWO_ZdlnC6wOjz4n_4Fuo4ja7HMuVop0PJtRUNMRZng-FjcDO9DY_sFxtQzFU44/s320/20171229_105753.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
I recently switched to Dawn Dish Soap as my primary bathroom soap. The most amazing thing happened. My bathroom stayed clean. I discovered that dirt accumulates on soap scum left behind by other soaps, so much that special bathroom cleaners must be purchased to remove the mess.<br />
<br />
Coincidentally, Procter & Gamble, the owners of Dawn, also own Safeguard. Bar soaps and other types of body wash typically leave a film on tile and fixtures, you can definitely smell the shampoo and body wash in the shower long after bathing.<br />
<br />
But, the bulk of P&G products are stronger kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, the kind most needed for removing the filthy soap scum left behind by bathing soap manufactured by Unilever.<br />
<br />
I know, you value your skin products, maybe I should too, but Dawn Liquid is the detergent of choice for washing wildlife caught in oil spills, and I like that non-greasy feeling afterwards. Plus I don't need to shower as often.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-59329609689350485412017-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:002017-01-19T11:03:02.544-08:00Taxing Added Sugar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hiHhpu2wm8LNciQ2Fk8iNGBndCRh0ocghhIpWyl6sN4BXLgS6t5qR6TwUnzXzoPtcFHp_4yRUW2xRLFEQlKyf8bwqVFDscTGdO9QMA4zSv6d8oR_H39QIXx-4BfkNRaLzPNd8qmX6ns/s1600/SugarTax_v001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hiHhpu2wm8LNciQ2Fk8iNGBndCRh0ocghhIpWyl6sN4BXLgS6t5qR6TwUnzXzoPtcFHp_4yRUW2xRLFEQlKyf8bwqVFDscTGdO9QMA4zSv6d8oR_H39QIXx-4BfkNRaLzPNd8qmX6ns/s1600/SugarTax_v001.png" /></a></div>
The latest trend among municipalities, counties, states and possibly entire nations is to find new ways to generate revenue by taxing unnecessary vices.<br />
<br />
Taxing cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, recently legalized Cannabis and now sugary beverages is commonly implemented in a simplistic, almost ham-handed fashion which doesn't really yield the kind of revenue that will keep local authorities from additionally creating new ordinances so they can generate revenue through fines.<br />
<br />
The state of Illinois is implementing a tax on sugary soft drinks. <a href="http://www.kmov.com/story/34281144/illinois-senator-pushing-for-sugar-tax-to-bring-down-budget" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A state senator wants to tax 2 liter bottles of soda an extra $0.70 per bottle</a>. Other proposals <a href="http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170118/new-tax-on-sodas-sugary-drinks-it-might-be-part-of-illinois-budget-deal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">suggest limiting the tax to any drink with over 5 grams of sugar, then charging a penny per ounce</a>. However, the website Illinois Policy argues that the tax "<a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-soda-tax-would-hit-low-income-households-hardest/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">will fall upon those who can afford it least.</a>"<br />
<br />
True, but the point of the tax is to create a disincentive toward consuming added refined sugar, which ultimately <a href="http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/849071/The-Economic-Costs-of-Sugar-on-Human-Health/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">burdens the state's medicare and medicaid program with cases of diabetes and other sugar-related ailments</a>, which seem to be prevalent among low income patients.<br />
<br />
So the tax should not only be on soft drinks but on anything with added refined sugar, and perhaps even added salt. It can be as simple as charging $0.01 per gram of added sugar. This method is all-inclusive with processed foods and excludes fresh, natural produce.<br />
<br />
<iframe height="300 px" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kydiBbbzWT0kkEylkF8XhxoAiXkrK2I3c4BUiiUcuO8/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
The difficulty is closing the loopholes around all the various names given to sugar by the industry. The <a href="http://www.sugarscience.org/hidden-in-plain-sight/#.WIEBfPkrL4Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">industry has myriad names for the substance which must be identified clearly in the law</a>.<br />
<br />
If each person in the U.S. <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">consumes 28kg of sugar per year like they did in 2008</a>, (that would be $280.00 per year per person.) <a href="https://bamboocorefitness.com/not-so-sweet-the-average-american-consumes-150-170-pounds-of-sugar-each-year/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">According to the USDA, Americans consume an average of 150-170 lbs of sugar per year per person</a>, which could yield around $680 to $770 per year in tax revenue from taxes.<br />
<br />
The pressure of the disincentive might reduce the amount consumed resulting in lower tax revenue, but it will more than make up the difference in long term health care costs. Another unintended benefit of lower health care costs <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/01/472661691/on-the-rise-workers-desire-for-raises-over-health-benefits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">might be money diverted into wages and salaries</a>, if employers were so inclined.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-51184927822079862632016-08-23T16:07:00.000-07:002016-08-23T16:09:30.710-07:00Truth or Propaganda: EggsFirst look at what WatchMojo.com says about eggs:<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/3An63uXadJI?t=3m10s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/3An63uXadJI?t=3m10s</a><br />
<br />
Now look at what NutritionFacts.org says about eggs:<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/RtGf2FuzKo4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/RtGf2FuzKo4</a><br />
<br />
???Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-78690211872873082512016-01-14T18:18:00.001-08:002016-01-14T18:18:32.246-08:00What is Civic Apathy?<style type="text/css">
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<div class="image">
<img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah30/Fred_Slocombe/CivicApathy_v002_zpshfewjpau.png" width="261" /></div>
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
Michigan Radio</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="http://michiganradio.org/post/expert-says-michigan-officials-changed-flint-lead-report-avoid-federal-action#stream/0" target="_blank">Expert says Michigan officials changed a Flint lead report to avoid federal action</a></div>
<div class="note">
Citizens needed to get outside experts to test the water.</div>
</div>
<!--end of subject content--><br />
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
MSNBC</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/toxic-water-tragedy-points-directly-to-snyder-597037635687" target="_blank">Flint toxic water tragedy points directly to Michigan Gov. Snyder</a></div>
<div class="note">
Rachel Maddow Show points out Governor Rick Snyder is a Autocrat</div>
</div>
<!--end of subject content--><br />
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
MLive</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/09/erin_brockovich.html" target="_blank">Erin Brockovich says Flint water an example of just how bad it can get</a></div>
<div class="note">
They will lie to your face about water quality.</div>
</div>
<!--end of subject content--><br />
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
Common Dreams</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/01/14/behalf-city-poisoned-water-residents-file-suit-against-gov-snyder" target="_blank">On Behalf of City Poisoned By Water, Residents File Suit Against Gov. Snyder</a></div>
<div class="note">
#ArrestGovSnyder</div>
</div>
<!--end of subject content--><br />
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
Washington Post</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/beleagured-flint-mich-sees-10-fatal-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-unclear-if-connected-to-water-supply/" target="_blank">Flint, Mich., has 10 fatal cases of Legionnaires’ disease; unclear if linked to water</a></div>
<div class="note">
87 cases diagnosed since June.</div>
</div>
<!--end of subject content--><br />
<div class="subject">
<div class="source">
MLive</div>
<div class="headline">
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/flint_sending_out_first_discon.html" target="_blank">Flint sending out 1,800 new notices for past-due water bills</a></div>
<div class="note">
The Audacity!</div>
</div>
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Civic Apathy occurs when not enough people vote, or they vote on name recognition alone, electing the same politicians over and over again.<br />
<br />
They say they're not interested in politics. They say it doesn't matter if you vote because the candidates are all the same old business as usual.<br />
<br />
These are the people who don't bother to actually do the work of researching candidates running for office.<br />
<br />
You must research your candidates to discern the difference between people who care and people who are Self-Serving, Autocratic, Egotistical Megalomaniacs.<br />
<br />
Just look at Flint, Michigan. How bad does it have to get before you decide to get off your ass and vote responsibly?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-53036602567096755222015-05-24T10:25:00.004-07:002015-05-24T10:25:59.351-07:00Meet the New Car Thieves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBXRxMFVf8i1GJ8WTfPdsY3J4d5UsXDi4tUEngPXHSpXWvvCduvuXZyETSzVAlR5te9VBdkhfemp2m96mEPnAYQJKvaZgUUbNGfvFiWRzTKVzJLYnAu_tV4jjf72ZKrHb9Yk56YSCaRg/s1600/NewCarTheif_v001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBXRxMFVf8i1GJ8WTfPdsY3J4d5UsXDi4tUEngPXHSpXWvvCduvuXZyETSzVAlR5te9VBdkhfemp2m96mEPnAYQJKvaZgUUbNGfvFiWRzTKVzJLYnAu_tV4jjf72ZKrHb9Yk56YSCaRg/s400/NewCarTheif_v001.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Organized car thieves have now successfully roped the police into their scheme of acquiring automobiles at auctions for cheap.<br />
<ol>
<li>Create a task force dedicated to looking for fraudulent car insurance.</li>
<li>Sell counterfeit car insurance for super-low rates too good to be true. Works best in poor neighborhoods.</li>
<li>Send insurance fraud reports to the police.</li>
<li>The police will impound cars with fraudulent insurance for you.</li>
<li>Show up at the auction. You will be easily be able to out-bid the poor owners.</li>
<li>Sell the cars.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Proof: <a href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/05/23/insurance-scam-fleeces-poor/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/05/23/insurance-scam-fleeces-poor/</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-37044799113385062922015-05-01T10:43:00.001-07:002015-05-02T08:39:44.584-07:00The Disincentives for Home Ownership Keep Piling Up.The newest generation to reach voting age is faced not only with massive school loan debt, low wages, and crumbling infrastructure, but an aversion to home-ownership for a growing number of reasons.<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Instability of Government Support after Disasters</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11540936/Anger-as-Hurricane-Sandy-victims-have-to-pay-back-emergency-aid-with-interest.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anger as Hurricane Sandy victims have to pay back emergency aid with interest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/05/02/403719502/all-tapped-out-in-a-tiny-california-town" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All Tapped Out In A Tiny California Town - NPR</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Property Seizures and Asset Forfeiture</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://danahey.com/property-tax-lien-foreclosures-could-you-seize-the-homes-of-the-elderly-for-profit-cities-are-allowing-investors-to-do-it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Property Tax Lien Foreclosures: Could You Seize the Homes of the Elderly for Profit? Cities Are Allowing ‘Investors’ to Do It</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.ij.org/10000-abuses-a-counting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10,000 Abuses & Counting. Public Power, Private Gain: A New Resource for Fighting Eminent Domain Abuse</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Environmental Contamination</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/09/15/3567369/fracking-water-contamination-casing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Study Links Water Contamination To Fracking Operations In Texas And Pennsylvania</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/north-carolina-coal-ash-spill/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">North Carolina Coal Ash Spill - Huffington Post</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/23/tennessee.sludge.spill/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tennessee sludge spill runs over homes, water - CNN</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.epa.gov/region05/cleanup/jacobsville/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jacobsville Neighborhood Soil Contamination Site - EPA</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Map of Factory Farms</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Volatility of Home Equity</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subprime mortgage crisis - Wikipedia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wivb.com/2014/07/24/buffalos-out-of-town-property-owners-just-more-absentee-landlords/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo’s out of town property owners: just more absentee landlords? - WIVB</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Having Rotten Neighbors</li>
<li>More Frequently Changing Employment</li>
<ul>
<li>You may change jobs frequently and need to move. </li>
</ul>
<li>Faulty Construction and Weak Foundations</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nchh.org/Resources/Building-Materials-and-Products/Potential-Chemicals-Found-in-Building-Materials.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Potential Chemicals Found in Building Materials</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/land-subsidence" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Land Subsidence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/geohazards/engineering_problems_in_karst.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foundation Engineering Problems and Hazards in Karst Terranes</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
Our society is changing from the type that settles down and collects consumer goods over the years, to a type that cannot afford to collect consumer goods because they must be more mobile due to the increasing volatility of the economy.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Baby Boomers and their living predecessors still have their antique Walnut wood marble-top tables and dressers, a complete set of real silver utensils and real gold rimmed dinner ware. Many of them had the luxury of living in the same houses and neighborhoods for almost their entire lives. They had the luxury of actually having careers from which they could retire with a livable pension. They could go to college for almost nothing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The education system is so slow to adapt to economic change that the post-boomer generation is not prepared for the rising instability of the economy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The first major adaptation coming is in how we value the idea of home-ownership. It's becoming a trap that ruins your credit history and causes bankruptcy, foreclosure and decades of indebtedness.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Renting is becoming the safest and least costly option. This will have a negative impact on the purchase of large home appliances, additions to wardrobe that fill closet, attic and basement space; and expenses related to home improvement projects.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Responsible post-boomers will try to wait until they feel stable in their living situation to have children, which might be never.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-8283580551019419492015-02-08T17:25:00.000-08:002015-02-08T17:25:32.570-08:00The end of televisionTelevision was once a fine invention with lofty expectations. The FCC created regulations for TV called the<a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/piac/novmtg/pubint.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Public Interest Standards</a> which mandated that broadcasting must be of a high educational value. In 1949 the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fairness Doctrine</a> was added, mandating that broadcasting be "honest, equitable and balanced." The goal was to ensure that the public was "exposed to a diversity of viewpoints" keeping political influence even-handed.<br />
<br />
During Ronald Reagan's presidency, in 1987, the FCC removed the Fairness Doctrine. There is no longer any "fair and balanced" programming on television. Because of this, broadcast, cable and satellite television is permeated with inaccuracies, distortions and lies.<br />
<br />
The American public has been so infused with TV trash, a whole generation has reached voting age that may completely collapse our civilization, based entirely on misinformation, distortions and outright lies.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-9114357380498719432015-01-13T08:01:00.001-08:002015-01-13T08:01:09.585-08:00Callers Unknown?I got a couple of calls with automated messages stating they "tried to reach you several times" holding my "Google plus business page" and that I should call them back to "claim my Google plus business page."<br />
<br />
I also got a call from (321) 233-5902 but I missed the call. I decided to check the number via Google and the search results had many websites where this number was already reported as a scam for gift cards.<br />
<br />
I think from now on, if you get a call from anyone not already on your cell phone's directory, don't answer it the first time, then Google the number.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the phone number reporting sites. They provide enough cursory information to confirm suspicions that the call was a scam, but keep in mind that some sites will try to sell you detailed reports. These three allow visitors to the site to leave comments.<br />
<br />
CallERCentetr - <a href="https://www.callercenter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.callercenter.com/</a><br />
Who Calls Me? - <a href="http://www.whocallsme.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.whocallsme.org/</a><br />
Mr, Number - <a href="http://mrnumber.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://mrnumber.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-19981651477467654072014-06-01T16:28:00.000-07:002014-06-01T16:28:56.837-07:00The American Dream RaffleIt was for a good cause, but I could only afford one ticket for the Washington State Special Olympics Dream House Raffle. The grand prize was a huge house on a lake or four million dollars.<br />
<br />
I began to wonder how the winning entries were picked and since there was no limit on the number of tickets an individual could purchase I guessed the odds would be greatest for the person who bought the most tickets. Still, there is always one chance for a lone ticket to be picked, right?<br />
<br />
Yesterday was the final drawing. I went to the <a href="http://www.pugetsoundraffle.com/PrizeWinners.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> and looked down the list of winners and saw that no one whose last name began with the same two letters as mine was even on the list. That tiny detail was an added paper-cut to my already dashed hopes.<br />
<br />
The concept of a raffle drawing makes a pretty good economic metaphor. Most people live below the threshold of risk-cost-effectiveness for lack of a better term. In other words, they don't earn enough money to stay out of debt and save for future emergencies or retirement, let alone risking some money for a chance at success.<br />
<br />
Like a raffle, there is one chance that you will start a business that takes off to make you prosperous, but the odds are greatest that you will be swept away in the tsunami of competition by vertically integrated multinational conglomerates. If you have enough money to throw away on the one-time chance so that losing your business won't hurt you, then you are one of the lucky few who could say you gave it a shot and it didn't ruin your future.<br />
<br />
A lot of people take that risk in the form of a college loan. Gambling that their chosen field of study will get them ahead in the world, but tuition costs, loan debt, unemployment, and the odds that the chosen career path becomes obsolete just before graduation takes a terrible toll.<br />
<br />
So congratulations to the winners of the raffle. I wonder how many of them purchased only one ticket?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-35150300508576570052014-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:002014-05-27T08:15:18.229-07:00Carbohydrates made me hungry every two hours.<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.602161407470703px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I couldn't understand why I was hungry all the time. It seemed no matter how much I ate I was at the refrigerator on schedule, every two hours. I started dieting. </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought I was being healthy by filling soft, wheat tortillas with shredded vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, etc., and just using a little salad dressing, yet again I found myself hungry every two hours. I figured now that I was limiting myself to vegetables I should be okay.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.602161407470703px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I stopped drinking everything but water in June of 2012. I stopped putting creamer and sweetener in my coffee and I actually enjoy it more because after drinking coffee with creamer and sweetener, my stomach hurt and I had to eat something. Nearly everything is sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. After I quit the creamers and sweeteners I was no longer hungry for something to eat right away.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.602161407470703px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I learned that all Carbohydrates are converted into sugar by the Liver. Here's a nutrition label for pure granulated sugar: <a data-mce-href="href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2" href="http://www.thomhartmann.com/href=%22http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2" style="border: 0px; color: #006bb0; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.602161407470703px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Note that one teaspoon of pure granulated sugar has 4 grams of Carbohydrates. We can reverse-engineer how many teaspoons of sugar we eat by looking at the nutrition label for a Wheat Tortilla, about 10 inches in diameter: </span><a data-mce-href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/5120/2" href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/5120/2" style="border: 0px; color: #006bb0; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/5120/2</span></a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.602161407470703px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The label shows 36 grams of Total Carbohydrates, but by showing Sugars at 1 gram it seems safe, right? Would you eat 9 teaspoons of sugar right now? </div>
<br />
Thom Hartmann also reported on the addiction potential of High Fructose Corn Syrup.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EKUK1XpRIVo" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Here's a search link at Thom Hartmann's website about Sugar that may shock you. http://www.thomhartmann.com/search?keys=sugarUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-67093074894028201372014-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:002014-02-07T13:04:08.087-08:00Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiYQR6UQbWyWwIasftd8Habyx2EJE1kiR3j9ssu1G3xpRtyKDQdr5_0uB4lM44Jwj0EsoqWapb2nyUOkIy5QUhDspJRRv9f5umaTMLlRwYNHbZ2XayeC26qwVK8bHURuEkUwdWv6PBHs/s1600/PeanutButterAndBananaSandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiYQR6UQbWyWwIasftd8Habyx2EJE1kiR3j9ssu1G3xpRtyKDQdr5_0uB4lM44Jwj0EsoqWapb2nyUOkIy5QUhDspJRRv9f5umaTMLlRwYNHbZ2XayeC26qwVK8bHURuEkUwdWv6PBHs/s1600/PeanutButterAndBananaSandwich.jpg" height="171" width="400" /></a>It seems like a healthy meal, but peanut butter, bread and bananas contain significantly higher amounts of Carbohydrates, Sodium and Sugar. I had one about two hours ago and I still feel full from it. It was under 500 Calories. Worth mentioning.<br />
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<table border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 200px;" summary="Partial list of nutrition data"> <caption>
Nutrition Data
</caption>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Name</th>
<th scope="col">Calories</th>
<th scope="col">Carbs</th>
<th scope="col">Sodium</th>
<th scope="col">Sugar</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Peanut Butter</td>
<td>188</td>
<td>6g</td>
<td>5mg</td>
<td>3g</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bread</td>
<td>180</td>
<td>12g</td>
<td>132mg</td>
<td>2g</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Banana</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>27g</td>
<td>1mg</td>
<td>14g</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Total</td>
<td>473</td>
<td>45g</td>
<td>138mg</td>
<td>19g</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My current weight is maintained by an estimated daily intake near 3000 calories, Seems a bit high, but because I have no way of accurately calculating the burn rate, I would need to pay strict attention to my intake over an extended period of time for which I have no patience.<br />
<br />
Overlooking the other nutrition details like carbohydrates, sodium and sugar can be troublesome in the long-term.<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
Self/Nutrition Data: Banana, whole, medium. <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2">http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2</a><br />
Self/Nutrition Data: Bread, Whole Wheat, commercially prepared. <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/4876/2">http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/4876/2</a><br />
Self/Nutrition Data: Peanut Butter, smooth style, without salt. <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4453/2">http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4453/2</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-84862662544539437962014-01-16T11:52:00.002-08:002014-01-16T11:52:55.185-08:00It's a mid-term election year and you need to vote.It looks like the Internet is winning the retail shopping war. Some estimates are that sales is increasing by a few hairs indicating some sort of consumer recovery.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not so much for <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/business/macys-cutting-2500-jobs-20140108" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Macy's, cutting 2500 jobs</a>, and JC Penney. <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/15/news/companies/jcpenney-jobs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CNN reports the company is cutting 2000 jobs and closing 33 stores</a>. The list of stores sound like towns you might hear announced at a Grey Hound bus station, maybe not an Amtrak train station. Small towns long-decimated by Walmart super centers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I lived near some of these towns where the stores are closing. I imagine these are very old buildings already in blighted neighborhoods. Some entire towns are blighted, probably because everyone in town stocks shelves or loads up the deep fryer during the week and makes popcorn on the weekends for minimum wage.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The piss-poor economy is reverberating back up the pipes far enough to wreak havoc on the financial system with even more <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/16/investing/stocks-markets/index.html?iid=s_mpm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Corporate News</a>. Best Buy sales dropped, there is an overabundance of retail inventory, which was falsely reported as a story that merchants were stocking extra inventory due to confidence in a growing economy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Unemployment <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/unemployment-insurance-senate_n_4597918.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">failed to pass in the Senate b</a>ecause the Republicans are playing politics by obfuscating between claims of not getting the amendments they want and the claim of not having the money to pay for it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not enough people are turning out to vote for mid-term elections and it has destroyed the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. If you didn't vote, it's your fault.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-17048381051078472302013-12-01T10:02:00.001-08:002013-12-01T14:45:03.988-08:00Bloody Black Friday, Saturday and Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AP0hUt5wxH-5ms5Mt8DcBEu2KJj0z4XAjtK7FHiem269arTGV-2My2W_h1AFw0Zh_6IqVew8Oo_WZQ3ouGSvGqjK9I9zIpEe-TOFpXTPulnIhBVGLK42lZ0nAJ__MBpvsx-R7b6w8pk/s1600/BloodySavingsWeekend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AP0hUt5wxH-5ms5Mt8DcBEu2KJj0z4XAjtK7FHiem269arTGV-2My2W_h1AFw0Zh_6IqVew8Oo_WZQ3ouGSvGqjK9I9zIpEe-TOFpXTPulnIhBVGLK42lZ0nAJ__MBpvsx-R7b6w8pk/s1600/BloodySavingsWeekend.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
It's Sunday and the numbers aren't in yet for the long-anticipated post-Thanksgiving weekend sales, except the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thursday-black-friday-sales-20131201,0,7260793.story#axzz2mEqdT8ep" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LA Times</a> Reported the sales on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday rose a mere 2.3% It seems that impulse shopping and target or "mission" shopping can be graphed inversely proportional along a scale of disposable income.<br />
<br />
Thanksgiving was once a feast before the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=violence+at+walmart&filters=week&lclk=week" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Battle of the Big Box Stores</a>. Now the battle starts early and it's the bloodiest on record. It's only expected to get worse as the years pass without increased employment or wages. Parents will be faced with the prospect of having nothing to distract their children on Christmas morning except themselves. It must be a horrifying thought to inspire such bloody violent shopping.<br />
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We should see the complete numbers by the middle of this week. I hope it was worth it.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, More people were draw to the stores but spent less. The headlines of two major publications make them seem at odds with each other. The Wall Street Journal reports the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304355104579232132207017004" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sales dropped by 3% from last year</a> while USA Today is reporting "<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/11/30/black-friday-cyber-monday-shoopping/3793303/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Friday and Holiday shopping brighter than forecast</a>." <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-30/black-friday-traffic-seen-thinning-as-stores-open-early.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports holiday sales up by 2.3%</a>.<br />
<br />
Slate reported that the shopping traffic <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/11/30/shoppertrak_black_friday_sales_plunge_after_thanksgiving_openings.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was redistributed throughout Thanksgiving and Friday</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-23694608519225027092013-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:002013-10-09T11:18:11.294-07:00Food Safety - A Chicken Wing Conspiracy TheoryIt's unfortunate for all Chicken-related industries along their entire chains of distribution that <a href="http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20131008/salmonella-outbreak-chicken" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one of them was exposed for lax health and safety protocols</a>. They apparently cannot deny their dependence on the government to provide the inspections necessary to keep them in line, and one company has now brought down the entire chicken industry, fear of Salmonella now spreads through the public like wildfire.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The slowdown in demand will increase the supply and consequently lower the price. The season for Hot Wings is upon us and last year there was rumor in the news media about a shortage of Chicken Wings.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Slate.com (<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/02/chicken_wing_shortage_drought_ethanol_standards_and_expensive_corn_have.html">http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/02/chicken_wing_shortage_drought_ethanol_standards_and_expensive_corn_have.html</a>)</li>
<li>Foxnews.com (<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/01/23/chicken-wing-shortage-looms-ahead-super-bowl/">http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/01/23/chicken-wing-shortage-looms-ahead-super-bowl/</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
The rumors apparently were quashed in a report by Time Magazine (interestingly prior to the above Slate article.)</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Business.time.com (<a href="http://business.time.com/2013/01/31/reality-check-there-is-no-chicken-wing-shortage-prices-havent-really-soared-either/">http://business.time.com/2013/01/31/reality-check-there-is-no-chicken-wing-shortage-prices-havent-really-soared-either/</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Rumors alone didn't effectively manipulate market prices, maybe affecting the ability of the government to regulate the industry will knock the support legs out from under competitors and send waves of fear to manipulate prices?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Since such manual controls exist for such manipulation, it stands to reason that they are exploited.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
When a company has multiple processing plants, upgrades one plant when there is an outbreak of Salmonella, but then does not upgrade other plants until another outbreak is discovered, we must question the quality of everything we buy that was prepared and cooked by someone we don't know.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>FoodSafetyNews.com (<a href="http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/10/foster-farms-outbreak-highlights-prevalence-of-salmonella-on-chicken/">http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/10/foster-farms-outbreak-highlights-prevalence-of-salmonella-on-chicken/</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Foster Farms decided not to recall it's chicken. It's too easy to say that customers failed to properly cook the chicken to 165 degree Fahrenheit internally. The two sides of this equation are the volume of contamination versus risky cooking methods.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Assuming it were possible for everyone to follow the directions properly and Salmonella was equally prevalent across the entire industry nationwide, all Salmonella might be eliminated from the bird during cooking. In the Foster Farms case, the outbreak is geographically focused in a specific region of distribution which suggests a possible risky cooking strategy involving a specific recipe indigenous to the region.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>CDC.gov (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg-10-13/index.html">http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg-10-13/index.html</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
According to patient interviews, the majority (80%) of the cases were due to preparation in the home. It was not clear where the other twenty percent occurred. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The fact that Foster Farms implemented new procedures at a plant in Western Washington following a previous outbreak there suggests that processing plant safety equally shares responsibility with cooking for control of Salmonella. If a recipe is to blame for under-cooking the chicken, who is responsible?</div>
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-89354023725787917802013-10-04T13:01:00.000-07:002013-10-04T13:01:35.235-07:00The Humiliation Factor of FoodAre you in a situation where your food choices make you feel humiliation? I fixed myself a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich for the first time in about twenty five years. I looked at the two flat slices of cold bread stuck together on a plate and thought to myself 'this is demeaning.'<div>
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<div>
I felt degraded for having a PB&J and surprised at my emotions toward the thing. I knew it wasn't what I wanted to eat. There are plenty of things I would rather eat than a PB&J, buy why was I feeling this way?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Marketing is not just about selling something to you, it's also about <i style="font-weight: bold;">un-selling</i> things; creating aversions as well as attractions that guide you in various directions in the pin-ball realm of Operant Conditioning we call "life."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Subtlety has many forms and levels. There are subtle ways of selling things by associating them with other things. In television commercials, a company can place it's products among actors who portray love and friendship. The <b><i>Emotional Capital</i></b> in the advertising is a highly effective depiction of intense friendships in the least stressful environments. This is key to the two courses related to <b><i>Advertising</i></b> and <b><i>Nonverbal Communication</i></b>. Also called <b><i>Product Placement</i></b> and <b><i>Juxtaposition</i></b> if you take Film Art and history classes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
A previous stage in the evolution of advertising to the <b><i>Emotional Halo</i></b> around a product was the <b><i>Endorsement</i></b> directed right at the camera by a spokesperson, and then later by a celebrity. It still happens in smaller markets which I find nostalgic and funny. Majoring in Communication is really like taking the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Pill" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Pill</a>" some times.</div>
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<div>
The downward pressure on marketing for fast food is other media focusing on nutrition, health, wages and working conditions. This is the other side of the coin. A lot of money behind the downward pressure on fast food in general comes from competitors seeking to create aversions toward a specific product by negatively depicting things, places or people associated with that specific product but not directly depicting the product itself.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The rest of us feed on the information we perceive as valuable and spread it around on Internet message boards completely oblivious to the hidden <b><i>Public Relations</i></b> agenda. It doesn't mean the information is false. The information could be very accurate indeed, but we are all unwitting public relations operatives who don't get paid for our effort.</div>
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So what does this have to do with my Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich?</div>
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I associate a PB&J with a grease-stained wrinkled brown paper lunch sack. Where have we seen that? There is a commercial that features the brown bag in a typical elementary school cafeteria lunch situation. Ah, yes! The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAW1zybJz6I" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lunchables commercial</a>. Lunchables are a product of Oscar Meyer that were invented <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUd8u1peYMc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">out of necessity</a> because ironically, Oscar Meyer specialized in making exactly the kinds of sandwiches you find in a brown paper bag like the one depicted in it's own advertisement. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/payitforward/files/2010/10/brown-bag-lunch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blog.timesunion.com/payitforward/files/2010/10/brown-bag-lunch2.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Emotional Capital<br />of a brown paper bag is<br />popular among<br />marketers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The old lunch sack is often used in commercials to such a degree that it resonates as a negative symbol of a social class. Along with this casualty of corporate marketing is what ever usually comes out of the sack at lunch time, including apples, vegetables, and the notorious white bread sandwich.</div>
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It's just one of many such depictions, but I also remember the disappointment I personally felt when I had to eat my brown bag lunch at school while the other kids were getting hot meals. Maybe that has something to do with my weight problem.</div>
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<div>
The advertisement brings back the strong negative memories I had about two cold pieces of bread stuck together with PB&J. I could blame my own experiences for feeling degraded over PB&J, or I could blame the prolific advertising for continuing to reinforce the negative memories. Either way, the pressure to spend money on more expensive food in the past has led me to this inevitable humiliation.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-34198875822750397852013-09-28T10:01:00.000-07:002013-09-28T10:01:29.269-07:00The only good sandwich is no sandwich.Even bread has High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). I try to avoid it because I heard it makes you feel hungry. It also <a href="http://drhyman.com/blog/2011/05/13/5-reasons-high-fructose-corn-syrup-will-kill-you/" rel="" target="_blank">causes other more severe health effects</a>. There are only a few selections of bread at the grocery store made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.<div>
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<div>
I don't know if that's better or worse. Is the sugar made with real cane sugar, or sugar beets? Sugar beets are now also GMO and contain Sucrose, but I can't be certain that foods that say they contain sugar can <a href="http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/natural-sodas-made-with-gmo-sugar-scam-consumers/" target="_blank">really contain sucrose from GMO Sugar Beets and still be labeled as containing sugar</a>. It's probably just as well to avoid anything processed that contains any kind of sugar at all, even sugar itself.<div>
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<div>
I also don't use real cheese anymore. I must be <a href="http://www.uhs.uga.edu/nutrition/lactoseintolerance.html" target="_blank">lactose intolerant</a> because real cheese gives me constipation, but American cheese does not seem to have that affect and it's also the cheapest. I wonder if the combination of high fructose corn syrup in the bread along with real cheese is a major culprit in the cause of intestinal distress?</div>
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<div>
American cheese still contains <a href="http://rense.com/general26/milk.htm" target="_blank">Milk which is now loaded with chemicals</a>.</div>
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<div>
Wait a minute. <a href="http://www.uhs.uga.edu/nutrition/lactoseintolerance.html" rel="" target="_blank">Lactose</a> is actually another sugar! So I'm absorbing Fructose and Lactose. One slice of American cheese has 1 gram of sugar, and a slice of HFCS bread has 2 grams, so a basic cheese sandwich has 5 grams of sugar, and it's probably entirely GMO. The bread labeled as containing sugar and not HFCS may still be GMO sugar beet based sugar instead of real cane sugar.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really like the convenience of being able to grab up something and eat it without getting my hands sticky and wet, but maybe if I eliminated bread and cheese entirely, I would be forced to set aside a place, time, dishes and utensils that would need washing later, and endure the patience required to deal with all of it.</div>
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<div>
In the end I would spend less on food and probably lose weight from the lack of convenience alone, and have better health.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-69152593519711334222013-09-25T11:36:00.003-07:002013-09-25T11:36:54.788-07:00Unusual Market MovementRare Earths<br />
Medallian Resources (MILLOF), Avalon Rare Metals, Inc (AVL) and NIOCORP Developments (NIOBF) today are climbing up together for the first time during the several months I've been watching those stocks.<br />
<br />
NioCorp acquired some human capital from Molycorp just prior to the stock jumping a whopping 18% to $0.19. There's a metal deposit in Nebraska waiting for development. The ore is waiting for price and trade policy adjustments.<br />
<br />
Yesterday afternoon, <a href="http://www.miningweekly.com/article/rare-earths-producers-on-the-up-as-china-is-likely-to-buy-next-month-2013-09-24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mining Weekly</a> reported that China may be looking to buy some U.S. Metals. Avalon Rare Earths (AVL) jumped into Dollar territory for the first time since May and over the last few days seems to be leveling off there.<br />
<br />
I took these and other stocks into my portfolio around the time of the last recession. There are always risks so never invest in anything you can't afford to lose.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-29021314944439141282013-08-25T10:13:00.001-07:002013-08-25T10:13:15.732-07:00Supply-Blame Economics<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<img height="300" src="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1LJwTgQDY9DjKogHbpPIxUVO3ab2ujvwhmPKR0N9FvwE/pub?w=960&h=720" width="400" /></div>
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It's a point of pride for many people to acquire some thing for as close to nothing as possible. I know someone who glows with pride for a whole day having found fuel at a price cheaper per gallon by as little as five cents. Everyone likes a deal, nobody likes to think about the consequences, whether it be fuel, the last popular item on sale the day after Thanksgiving, the cheapest mortgage payment or the cost of labor.<br />
Most employers and employees agree about poverty-level wages by dismissing them as "better than nothing" and without the minimum wage laws set by government, employees would undercut each-other into destitution by offering ever-cheaper service. Should employees be surprised by the contempt of their bosses for such lack of loyalty to their fellow workers?<br />
<br />
What is the purpose of a poverty-level minimum wage? Certainly not to contribute to the flow of currency through the economy.<br />
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Answers: Job security for government workers, psychological stress to maintain passive obedience, pressure to commit crimes of survival so you can be conscripted for prison slave labor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-48590666352006177132013-05-07T15:53:00.000-07:002013-06-19T06:51:01.849-07:00Engineered InconvenienceThere is a new way to increase profit. It's the engineering of inconvenience. How is this possible?<br />
It's simple when you look at bottles of detergent. They appear to be designed to occupy more shelf space while containing less detergent. Something the chemical companies are surely aware of but not the companies that purchase the chemicals, package and then sell to retailers.<br />
<br />
Once upon a time gas tanks in cars were much larger than they are today. Of course the cars are smaller than they once were and more fuel efficient, but that doesn't mean the car manufacturers didn't get together with big oil and decide they wanted you to stop for refueling just as frequently if not more, so why not make the tanks smaller for more profit?<br />
<br />
Notice how your left-over boxes from Christmas and birthdays were designed only to exactly fit the product they came with and nothing else? It makes sense for manufacturers to save money on packaging materials but do you get the sense that the things you buy seem to be way over-packaged, almost to the point of absurdity? Too many wire ties, Too many bags within bags? Boxes within boxes?<br />
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It's infuriating when you want to store your tapes, disks, or photos and there is always that extra few inches of space you wish you could fit those last few items, but it just doesn't work. Even the photo boxes at the card store have that agonizing extra useless space.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN8L7UT6GkoJGdheefVJRHBPgZYjUzy5ctLgYLg3uoHKV4VgsVX8CkMnA0kYmuLZzYx8NDBfczA6F0DaR-CDXnl5T7yvDEAgBPPZJ8wP_eB6BpFz6Tl1KWhxKfBX0pLioQasOgKV2prY/s1600/ConvenienceOrProfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN8L7UT6GkoJGdheefVJRHBPgZYjUzy5ctLgYLg3uoHKV4VgsVX8CkMnA0kYmuLZzYx8NDBfczA6F0DaR-CDXnl5T7yvDEAgBPPZJ8wP_eB6BpFz6Tl1KWhxKfBX0pLioQasOgKV2prY/s1600/ConvenienceOrProfit.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food containers are much larger than the<br />
dimensions of a single sandwich made with<br />
standard sized slices of bread.</td></tr>
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Food containers are ridiculously mis-shapen. I went to the store to find one that would fit a single sandwich and found one that seemed much larger than necessary. It might contain one regular sandwich and perhaps a small additional bag with a snack or something, but if you wanted a full meal you might have to upgrade to the next size of container that might accommodate a regular sandwich with something else, but it would be five times as big. Everything else in between are shaped more for salads or soups.<br />
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Luckily the sandwich container comes in a package of five. Don't get paper sandwich bags because they won't fit. I don't want to use and throw away plastic bags anymore so I just went with the container anyway.<br />
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We seem to be conditioned to accept more inconveniences at a higher price for the profit of others. The cardboard tubes in paper towels and toilet paper have expanded in size while the rolls appear to be the same size. Low-fat products seem to have more carbohydrates than the regular stuff.<br />
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Things that were once made of much more durable Nylon are now made with brittle Polystyrene or Polyester. Leather furniture is usually only partially leather. Much of the filler in the products we buy are manufacturing waste byproducts from other things. Very little is wasted but very little is known about the long-term effects of exposure to some of these substances, like artificial sweeteners. Our world of consumer goods is evolving into pseudo-goods.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994070446127318362.post-9278763539769605642013-04-24T07:54:00.000-07:002013-04-24T07:54:42.158-07:00Alternatives to pizza delivery: Good or not?There are certain appliances that seem ridiculous to have, like a countertop rotating pizza oven, but when you consider how long the savings will take to pay off the appliance, like two weeks worth of ordering delivered pizza, then it seems like a good investment, but is it really?<br />
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The convenience of the appliance may increase the frequency of its use, translating into an increase in the number of frozen food purchases that are used with the appliance, that in the end will cost more than just ordering delivery food. There is also the increased use of electricity to consider.<br />
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Then there is the cost in health. The convenience of the appliance will lead to an increase in the types of food that must be prepared by the appliance, typically frozen processed foods. If you had the original notion of the product's convenience in mind for its purchase, do you seriously believe that you plan to prepare healthy food with it? Besides fresh beef, fish, pork or poultry, if something needs to be cooked, is it really a good idea to eat it at all?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0