Posted on 12/23/2006 7:53:24 AM PST by dennisw
>>And what ever happened to marbling and flavor?<<
BTW, I found the following from a website regarding beef grading changes. It explains a lot:
DECLINE IN BEEF QUALITY
Chefs should know a little about the history of the grading system in order to understand how a change in the grading system led to a decline in the quality of beef. Experts agree that the quality of beef today is much worse that it was twenty years ago. This will explain the reason.
Prior to 1987, the top three grades of beef in the U.S. were Prime, Choice and Good. The major difference was the degree of marbling: Prime is 15% more marbled than Choice, which is 15% more marbled than Good. About three-fourths of grain-fed beef was graded Prime or Choice.
The National Cattlemen's Association (NCA) started a nationwide consumer movement for lean beef. At the request of the NCA, Texas A&M University produced the "National Consumer Retail Beef Study", which began the "War on Fat". The study recommended that consumers be educated to purchase lean beef.
The problem was that beef graded Prime and Choice were fatter, and consumers had learned that beef graded Good was lean but tough.
The "solution" - so typically the resort of those with poor ideas but a "we know better than them" conviction - was to change the definition. That is, change the name of the grade from Good to Select, so that consumers could be "fooled" into thinking that a lean cut was better than one with fat. In other words, consumers would be "re-educated" (some would call the government's efforts nothing less than propaganda) to prefer lean, lower-quality beef.
As opposed to the fraudulent "solution", the fact is that the taste of beef results from marbling (intermuscular fat). Prime Grade beef tastes better than lowers graded beef because it has more marbling - more fat. Conversely, leaner beef has less marbling and less taste.
In the 1980s, some people argued that consumers deserved to be educated, not brain-washed. They urged the industry to educate consumers on the following facts: (1) marbled beef tastes better than leaner beef; (2) marbled beef is more expensive than leaner beef; but (3) eating too much marbled beef is not healthy. Those who urged this lost the argument to others who wanted to "fool the consumers" with a combination of a name-change coupled with the false and incomplete message that "lean beef tastes better and is healthier". Both statements are false: lean beef does not taste better, and lean beef if not healthier.
Skeptics may argue that the beef industry succeeded beyond their wildest expectations and hopes. After all, now 80% of Prime Grade U.S. beef is exported (mostly to Japan) at premium prices; U.S. consumers are now buying low-quality beef without objection; and the low-quality beef costs the industry much less to produce (yet it now produces the same revenue as previously received for high-quality beef).
For more information, see Robb Walsh's story, "A Matter of Fat".
In 1987, as a result of the study, the USDA Good Grade was renamed the Select Grade. Since then, consumers have been "educated" into believing that lean beef like Select Grade is a high quality grade, and beef of the highest quality has declined in availability (quantity) and, according to some, even in quality. According to Marilyn Spiera, President of the famous Brooklyn steakhouse, Peter Luger, "A lot of the meat they now sell as 'Prime' wouldn't even be graded 'Choice' 35 years ago." Quoted by John Mariani, Ready for Prime Time.
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http://www.steakperfection.com/grade/
"...there's a very sizeable percentage of welfare collectors that are simply scamming the system..."
I grew up in an Indiana suburb of Chicago. I hit a "bad patch" and collected unemployment a couple of times. At that time, 1980, IN paid the equivalent of about $2.00 an hour for unemployment. That was below minimum wage.
While standing in line to get my check (yes, my resumes were out and I was working my networks to get a job) I overheard talk about the cash economy. These a-holes were working for cash, making several hundred dollars a week, and collecting unemployment. I could lie and say I turned them in, but in my young brain I couldn't formulate a way to do so without getting beat up before making it to my car.
And don't get me started about the people at the meat market driving Lincolns and Cadillacs with Gary plates and wearing furs. They were buying hundreds of dollars of great cuts of meat I couldn't afford using hundred dollar bills and food stamps. I was there with a gift certificate from work for Christmas.
Apologize for the "War and Peace" but I had to share...
Been there, done that. I can always tell the "food-stampers" at the grocery store - they are the ones with the carts overladen with great looking meat. My cart is usually filled with "what's on special".
I believe these freeloaders use the illegals as a convenient excuse to fake illnesses. After all if I think I'm worth $20.00 per hour for unskilled labor and illegals are willing to work for $10.00 per hour, then I feel justified in sticking it to the system because I am a victim. Just going on welfare is the equivalent of minimum wage and you don't have to do any work.
There are some unskilled, semi-literate, Americans in this country that are getting overrun. I can understand their anger and frustration, and I guess this is how the system accommodates them. There are also many addicts, bums, and others that take advantage of the free ride.
Exactly.
"Among other things the government employment figures don't inlcude people who have stopped loooking for work or have been unemployed for a certain amount of time. That's a pretty big hole. How is section 8 (means tested) housing expense going up and up and up if everyone who wants work is working."
You left out the biggie, 30-40 years ago the government changed their "employment" criteria to make statistics look better and included welfare recipients as employed.
It does act as a deterrent.
Those are probably the cuts this cheap labor is familiar with using.
BTW, Arizona just released their most common baby names for 2006 today. Angel for boy's and Mia for girl's. Neither list had an American Name in the top five.
Welfare should be workfare unless you ARE physically or mentally disabled.
True.
The thousands, maybe millions, of self employed American landscapers, home cleaners, nannies, builders, etc. AS YOU know do not appear on the unemployment rolls when they are taken out by cheap illegal labor doing those jobs now.
All areas of the country are not at LOW unemployment. My area is 19%.
What we have is an oversupply of labor, making the unemployment rate low. Supply and demand.
I have a friend with a gift store who has a very difficult time hiring people who will stay or will work, most ask (as soon as they are hired) when do I get my paycheck and can I take some vacation. When they are sick they don't call in, just don't show up and when they figure out the job is more than standing at a cash register some just don't show up period.
She has one more year on her lease and then is closing... after 29+ years the last five have been the worst with the most irresponsible hires and she's worn out.
Once unemployment runs out, I don't believe you are counted as on the unemployment bandwaggon. Didn't they keep from extending unemployment a few years ago? Probably one reason was to keep the numbers from looking bad.
"None of the 'unintended consequences' of hiring illegals is discussed here. I live in the midwest and the wholesale damage wrought upon once pristine, wholesome & Christian communities wrecked by the illegals is incalculable. Greedy meatpackers knew their actions would devastate these communities but could care less."
Whole communities, and their American culture are being swallowed up.
My husband & I own our own business & we finally got rid of our last deadbeat employee about 3 years ago & have never looked back! We got tired of being stolen from, having to cover for them on their numerous sick days, having to wake them up to get back to work & having them give our customers horrible service. We decided if we can't do it ourselves, it just won't get done.
After almost 20 years in business, we will also be closing it in the next 3 years. It gets worse every year for the small business owner.
I love it! It describes the concept PERFECTLY.
They have extended it numerous times, that is what the federal unemployment tax is for.
The employee never sees the unemployment taxes that are paid, they are both paid by the employers.
I know the employer pays the tax, but I don't believe once a person is no longer collecting unemployment the government counts them as being unemployed... even though they may be unemployed, but out of benefits.
I used to have employees, then decided I'd rather be smaller and not have the hassel of dealing with employees, never regretted that decision.
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