The Price of Beef ...

 

So after spending $12 for 2 lbs of ground beef this morning - "on sale" from $19 - I went looking for why the cost of beef is so high - disproportionately inflated versus other grocery items.

Since I work a 10:30 to 7 shift for the hospital, I prep in the morning and put it in the oven around 6:30, ready to eat by the time I get off work, usually a bigger meal that will provide leftovers for a few days.

Because we're going on vacay soon and want more vacay spending money, we're trying to keep it cheap -  and meat loaf is cheap - usually?

From various sources, it seems to be attributed to a combination of drought conditions in the West, the past few years, leading to less cattle, plus the cost of feed, resulting in us reaching out to places like Brazil and New Zealand for beef, which of course have tariffs now.

And worse news, it's not expected to chill for another couple of years.

Speaking of droughts in the plains, are y'all still denying climate change is a thing, regurgitating what politicians in the pockets of corporations say, so they can continue to eff up the environment without restriction or consequence? 

Have you ever stopped to ask yourselves the following 2 questions?

"Who gains by denying climate change?"

Not you - you gain nothing.

In fact, the only people who gain  from denying climate-change science are large corporations, who can continue to drill, frack, and dump toxic waste in our water and air, without restriction or consequence.

You're actually losing more than you realize - and by the time you do realize it, it will be too late to even slow it down, never mind stopping it.

"What would I lose by accepting climate-change science may be real?"

Nothing - you lose absolutely nothing.

If your answer is tax dollars - erm - you don't seem to complain about paying taxes to "the government" when Trump is in charge, do you? 

(Again, Trump IS the government - I don't know why you trust "the government" under him more than anyone else in government, it's still "the government" - and he lacks transparency just as much anybody else in government, if not more. More on that below.) 

Now, what you will gain is knowledge, which is power - power to do what you can in your everyday life to help slow it down or stop it - if not for you, for the sake of your children and grandchildren.

So ... it's 65 degrees this morning in August - which is unheard of in Kentucky - after summer temperatures of 90-plus since June. 

I spent almost every summer here as a child and have lived here since 1987 - and I have never, ever seen this.

Don't me wrong, I love the reprieve - August is usually my least favorite month for weather in Lexington - it's usually sticky hot with no breeze and no large bodies of water, so the heat and humidity just sit on top of us like a hot wet blanket. 

This year, it's as if the June and August switched places - or more accurately, it's like we're a month ahead on the season - June is now July, July is now August, August is now September and so on.

And we've just had the highest earthquake ever recorded in the Pacific, and one in New Jersey/New York this morning.

Though I work full time as an employee for a Miami hospital now, I still pick up contract work occasionally from my old contract boss, who lives in New Jersey.  I texted her to ask about it, this morning. She said she only felt it for a minute, but it was more the sound it made, it was super loud!

I told her that she's now experienced just about every natural phenomenon that can happen, which used to only happen elsewhere - blizzards, floods, tornadoes, now tack on hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes.  Tack on a mudslide and she's hit the jackpot!

Yes, climate would change anyway - but it's accelerating.

And if you can't see that by now, then I don't know what to say - people see what they want to see, I guess.

We'll wait. 

But we don't have long - and funding is being cut for not just climate change research, but also the National Weather Service (already cut) and now, the US Geological Survey will be cut with the new 2026 budget.

So ... we already pretty much suck, worldwide, when it comes to predicting earthquakes still.

With the weather, we're so technologically advanced, we can predict rain down to the minute and pinpoint tornadoes, but we have barely a clue regarding earthquake prediction.

But now you want to cut the funding to both?

And for what, we're not seeing any relief from any of these cuts to our wallets yet?

Trumpers say "Oh, next tax year, next tax year."

I say "I hope you're right and that it's not going in some slush fund or someone's pockets.  That's a lot of trust in the government for people who claim not to trust the government."

"Ya know, people are really struggling now. If we could send out stimulus checks during COVID, Trump could send them out now, with all of these supposed savings, but he doesn't. Why not?"

*crickets*