Author Topic: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging  (Read 67716 times)

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Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #180 on: April 14, 2014, 04:52:52 PM »
In 2000 I lost my job. I didn't worry about it because I knew (I thought) my skills were much in demand. After thousands of resumes and many dozens of interviews (more like cattle-calls) I revised my opinion. I even tried a coach who urged me to be empathetic and malleable (!). He wanted me to become the Chameleon that could be anything that any audience might want. Screw that!

I was working temp jobs when I accepted an interview for a job that I really wanted (as opposed to just another gig).  I decided to try a different approach. I had mostly interviewed well in the past - consistently finishing in the final five (and in several cases final two) but wasn't closing the deal. Instead of passively answering questions which are designed to place you on the defensive and winnow out the square pegs, I would take a more aggressive stance and drive the events. Throughout the interview process (there were three separate interviews) I stuck to a consistent theme: "I will save you money because I work safe, I work smart, and I work hard". I was prepared with strong examples of each facet, anticipating not only their next question but their objections as well.

The closest I came to butt-kissing was when I had the interview with what would become my boss. I told her that, "in my opinion my job is to make you look good. When I perform well people notice and it reflects well on you. If I crew up people immediately look at you as co-equal in blame. My job is to make sure people look at you approvingly".

Of course it does help that I believe that ;')

Remember the three rules of a good presentation: Tell them what you're going to tell them; tell them; and then tell them what you told them.

My statement about saving them money is an example of telling them what you're going to tell them. Fleshing out the claim with specific, relevant (to their organization) examples is telling them. And finishing with a strong, confident close is telling them what you told them.

One more anecdote: During a particularly dry spell when I couldn't scare up a decent interview for love nor money, I interviewed for several jobs I didn't care about. I did so to hone my skills and try out techniques that I didn't dare try on a "must win" interview, and to keep my spirits up. That last part is crucial. It is demoralizing as all get-out to want to work and not be able to do so. It's also one of the most stressful things in a man's life. Your husband is a lucky guy to have someone on his side. It's killer to go it alone.

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #181 on: April 14, 2014, 07:52:25 PM »
Back on topic:

We love Easter candy in our house a lot. This one always makes us laugh though it's a few years old.:

Cadbury Conspiracy
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Online Pandora

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #182 on: April 14, 2014, 09:49:23 PM »
Yep, yep, yep.  I stash toilet paper and the older stuff is definitely taller than the newer stuff.
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Online Pandora

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #183 on: April 15, 2014, 03:31:48 PM »
So, let's see, the price of beef has skyrocketed due to droughts in 2009 and 2011 when ranchers dumped their cattle, and still "a dwindling number of cattle" -- Feds driving ranchers off land and out of business; that'd be a little factoid not covered in this piece -- and "growing export demand from China and Japan"; pork prices are up because of a virus; California seems intent on raising the costs and prices of chickens and eggs and now the prices of produce -- fruits and vegetables -- are set to rise because of a "drought in California" -- no mention of withholding water from a reservoir specifically built to use as an irrigation source on behalf of a STINKIN' BAIT FISH -- and this here is rich ...

Quote
Still, the run-up in prices is likely to be somewhat temporary, Mr. Richards said. When prices increase, farmers outside of California, including foreign suppliers, will be incentivized to ship more crops to the U.S. That will in turn put downward pressure on costs.

But with water-supply problems expected to persist for years, California farmers will have some difficult choices to make, he said. They’ll need to determine which crops should receive the limited amount of available water, and which should be allowed to fall away.

“We could be looking at future,” he said, “where California is no longer bread basket for the country.”

... well, whoopdeedo, we can just get our tomatoes from Mexico and lettuce from wherethehellever because this guy expects some "choices should be allowed to fall away" from our own national breadbasket and because these are jobs Americans won't do anyway -- no mention of what the illegals will do; guess they don't want the farm jobs anymore either andandandand

ARGH!!!    ::gaah:: ::outrage:: ::pullhair::

The expensive meat stuff ought to make the PETA a-holes happy, but folks not eating meat still need to eat *something*.  Or not. The whole thing ought to make the human-hating humans ecstatic.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Online Pandora

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"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #185 on: April 16, 2014, 12:06:19 PM »
AKA "Get used to paying more for less, serf!".

 ::moneyshaker::

 ::upsidedownflag::
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Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #186 on: April 16, 2014, 01:36:52 PM »
::facepalm::

Pepsi mini cans parallel the storyline by demonstrating that sometimes a 7.5-ounce of Pepsi is just the right amount of satisfaction ...

Okay, I saw that commercial and didn't know why it was quoting movies. I didn't watch the Oscars. As soon as I saw that ad I knew it was to hide a price increase. I just read an article somewhere that soda consumption last year went down -- 13% if I remember correctly. Both Coke and Pepsi experienced lower sales in 2013.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #187 on: April 16, 2014, 04:25:03 PM »
I don't drink much soda at all, so I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak, but with having the government at all levels at war with a product -- particularly in the schools, but Bloomberg gets a big thumbs-down -- yes, consumption is going to fall.  I'd rather see an ad that highlighted that, including the price increase, than one that pretends that less content is based on "consumer demand" for a mini-can.

Don't pee on me, gawdammy, and then tell me it's raining.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

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Offline Libertas

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« Last Edit: April 28, 2014, 06:59:32 AM by Libertas »
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #189 on: May 16, 2014, 07:30:00 AM »
Meat Index - prices show no inclinination to fall anytime soon...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-15/meat-prices-surge-most-11-years
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #190 on: May 22, 2014, 08:17:48 AM »
  Ranchers aren't going to build herds up to work harder to make the same money. It's smarter to keep prices where they are even with the cost of production falling.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #191 on: May 29, 2014, 07:53:31 AM »
Well, the continued pig virus is going to keep pork prices high...concerns the virus may be mutating...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-28/bacon-prices-soar-even-more-pig-diarrhea-virus-back-round-two
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #192 on: July 07, 2014, 07:59:42 AM »
I know its been bad and getting worse...but jeesh!  This is just since the start fo the year!



http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-06/foodflation-qe3-breakfast-over-24

Go back to the start of this Neo-Keynesian nightmare and see those numbers go through the roof!
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Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #193 on: July 07, 2014, 04:31:31 PM »
Won't be "hidden" much longer

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-07/do-you-really-think-official-inflation-numbers-are-even-close-accurate

Quote
Regarding #4, Burger King was caught putting wood pulp in its burgers.

There may be more fiber in your food than you realized. Burger King, McDonald’s and other fast food companies list in the ingredients of several of their foods, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or “powdered cellulose” as components of their menu items. Or, in plain English, wood pulp.

The emulsion-stabilizing, cling-improving, anti-caking substance operates under multiple aliases, ranging from powdered cellulose to cellulose powder to methylcellulose to cellulose gum. The entrance of this non-absorbable fiber into fast food ingredients has been stealthy, yet widespread: The compound can now be found in buns, cheeses, sauces, cakes, shakes, rolls, fries, onion rings, smoothies, meats—basically everything.

The cost effectiveness of this filler has pushed many chains to use progressively less chicken in their “chicken” and cream in their “ice cream.” McDonald’s ranks highest on the list with cellulose integrated into 14 of their menu items including their renowned fish fillets, chicken strips and biscuits, with Burger King ranking second on the list with 13 menu items  containing cellulose. Moreover, many cellulose-laden ingredients (such as honey mustard, bbq sauce, and cheese blends) can be found in multiple items throughout the menu making the filler difficult to avoid.

And the rotisserie chicken t our supermarket looks like a small  quail..



 

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #194 on: July 07, 2014, 04:43:40 PM »
Drinkdrinkdrinkdrink, drinkdrinkdrinkdrink .........

/Sorry.  It's a mood.  And I haven't had a drink yet.

//Wonder how much cellulose finds its way into red wine.
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Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #195 on: July 07, 2014, 10:08:50 PM »
another reason to eat out less often
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Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #196 on: July 29, 2014, 10:02:28 PM »
not food but same thing:
https://www.scottbrand.com/products/toilet-paper/tubefree

Scott Paper to get rid of tube in TP. At their website they want us to pledge to "toss the tube".
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #197 on: July 29, 2014, 10:14:05 PM »
Yep, saw that.  That many pennies less to make the product.  Think the price will come down correspondingly?  Nah.

We've been recycling the tubes.  I stuff the paper (from the individually-wrapped rolls) into the tube and save for lighting fires in the winter or put them in the "other paper" recycling bin.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline John Florida

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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #198 on: July 30, 2014, 05:27:59 PM »
  Just spotted a sale on Angus choice New York strip steak for 5.99 a pound but I have to buy the whole piece avg. 12/14 lbs. Cut to order for free.  I'm in for a couple of them. Thank god for vacuum packers.
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Re: Food inflation kept hidden in smaller packaging
« Reply #199 on: July 30, 2014, 05:37:56 PM »
Good find!  Stock uuuuup.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"