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Ducks are delicious and eat the way you describe. If I eat ducks I’m eating those things once removed and enjoying it, too.
Hey man if you have a legal place to hunt, go wild!
Buying anything but the cheapest of meats these days is eye watering.
There’s a caveat:
Don’t unions really restrict your salary growth in fields where there’s actual potential for it?
I’m in software engineering and I reckon a whole bunch of people would be unhappy if their salary was in a direct relationship with their years of experience.
Though if the gravy train ever ends, I’ll be the first to advocate for an union.
No. In Germany the big companies all have unions. You can always try to negotiate for better conditions, but it always has to be at least the union Tarif. If you can show that you are worth more you can get it.
Okay, that’s actually a good thing. I’ve heard unions in the US apparently often restrict individual bargaining, as that would undermine the collective bargaining of the union. So in that case, your coworker who’s been working for 20 years, will make twice as much as you do at your 2 years, despite the fact that all he does all day is scratch his balls, while you bust your ass off. And you have no way of earning more than them.
Either way it doesn’t affect me because I’m in Estonia and in a field where we generally get paid well enough even without unions. But I also know this won’t last forever, because right now there’s way too many unemployed software engineers.
Don’t unions really restrict your salary growth in fields where there’s actual potential for it?
Nope.
I’m in software engineering and I reckon a whole bunch of people would be unhappy if their salary was in a direct relationship with their years of experience.
Why would increasing your bargaining power lower your wages?
If you read my other comment, basically I’ve heard from other commenters online that some collective bargaining agreements restrict individual bargaining. That would suck. If the union only sets floors instead of absolutes or ranges, that is another thing entirely and something that I’m very much in favor of.
Those commenters have no idea what they are talking about. You are always stronger aligned with your fellow workers.
Feel free to ask me questions on how to eat on a budget so you can keep your strength up while organizing against those that wish nothing more for you to work until the day you die and own nothing of consequence!
Man where were you 8 years ago when I ate zero protein because I didn’t know it could be cheap. Couldn’t afford animal products and was conditioned to believe those were the only viable source of protein.
Btw I’d like to add textured vegetable protein to the list! It’s one of my go-tos nowadays.
Out of interest, what do you mean with textured vegetable protein?
I had to look it up myself.
Textured or texturized vegetable protein (TVP), also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya chunks, is a defatted soy flour product, a by-product of extracting soybean oil. It is often used as a meat analogue or meat extender. It is quick to cook, with a protein content comparable to some meats.
Soy flour turned into little chunks to give feeling of chunks in things you’re used to having meat chunks in while being high in protein. So like burritos, stews, pasta sauce, stuff like that.
I grew up a similar way! My mom always referred to protein as meat. Needed to add chicken or beef or pork to be the “protein” to make a dinner complete.
Never mind it being cheese or bean based, meaning it had tons of protein.
I would have to do the math on TVP on if it’s a better source of protein per buck than like split peas. But glad it’s working out for you!
Where I live it is, because of local-ish soy production. Also helps that it’s a complete protein, so you don’t have to think as much about which amino acids you’re getting from where.
I like your mission, but I hate your methods. Think more about what you’re suggesting.
You’ll have to clarify what is wrong with my methods.
Both are good advice
We in Slovenia have lunch in school for 3€, it used to be 2 a couple of years ago.
👂✋ what’s that being a radical is being vegan?
Well I’m vegetarian
Just thinking; maybe if people stop trying to get rid of political target and instead started target billionaires, then maybe, just maybe, the world would be a better place for everyone.
Just thinking.
I guess that’s the main problem with billionaires, is we didn’t pick any of them, and once they’re a super billionaire we can’t really do much about them.
Oh don’t buy their products? They’re invested in everything, most food brands are just different names for the same factories. Oracle billionaire? WTF are you going to do to protest Oracle? Politicians we, are supposed to, pick. Billionaires become billionaires generally by being the worst, then there isn’t anything we can do about it.
So we need to get the politicians on our side to keep the billionaires in check… or violent revolution. I’m a pacifist so I like the first one more, but if the majority is up for the second one, I’m not gonna say ya’ll are wrong.
Billionaires are a problem, but not the problem. Weath Inequality inherent in the economic system is the real enemy. Billionaires are only a symptom and a lightning rod.
Billionaires are a political target. It’s not about forgoing ideology, but having correct ideology.
I hate billionaires, but I like steak… I guess they aren’t my enemy after all? I guess I’ll rethink my life… Maybe they aren’t so bad, eh?
It’s not about what you like, it’s about what you can afford.
The meme only says “if … then …”. It does not imply the reverse relationship of “if not … then not …”.
If you hate billionaires but like steak, have you tried eating the rich?
I can’t eat that many carbs in a day. All the money I save on food would be spent on toilet paper.
You may have an insulin issue. Or a gluten issue.
I also can’t eat that many carbs in a day.
Seconded. I would have issues that kept getting worse as I got older. I noticed that whenever I did keto, I felt much better. When I combined it with going gluten free, I felt amazing. Well, dad gets diagnosed with Celiac and my old DNA test results mentioned I was a carrier and more likely to develop it. I haven’t had the endoscopy yet, but it’s pretty likely. This sucks as I love bread and baking it.
Anyway, if gluten is an issue, rice flour can be used for a lot of things and corn/potato starch is a good thickener (whichever is cheaper where you are).
I’ve been eating gluten free for 15+ years now, and it’s gotten so much easier now. Though the food definitely costs more if you want any sort of grains.
When I was diagnosed I had basically no symptoms (my mom was also diagnosed). Now if I eat gluten I’ll end up feeling similar to a hangover. It’s amazing what your body can get used to if you’re eating it constantly.
Now that I’ve been eating gluten free, several of my other food sensitivities and allergies have become more mild or gone away entirely. Milk was a big one when I was younger (tested negative for lactose, but the milk proteins can look similar to gluten to your immune system).
Unionization isn’t enough, we need syndicalism. They’re like Unions but armed, more organized, more willing to strike and sabotage, and unlike Unions which attempt to hold back the Capitalists Syndicates replace capitalism entirely. Remember, why demand the scraps of the capitalists when we can take the means of production and the complete value of our labor.
Pro life tip: Read theory, join your local socialist or anarchist organization, get involved, strike, sabotage, just make sure to organize
“Hey won’t this get us banned… oh right, ML!”
If they bring armed thugs to the strikes, only fair if strikers do as well. Negotiation only happens between parties on equal footing.
Syndicalism is nice, but without a solid analysis of Imperialism it risks taking on a Nationalist character if you’re in the Imperial Core. Additionally, if you’re in a de-industrialized nation like the United States, worker organization is more difficult along union lines, which is partially why Unions have historically struggled in the United States in recent years.
100% agree on reading theory and joining an org, just wanted to add some caveats.
To be clear, if you’re at all concerned about maintaining a food budget, even if it’s $500/week the billionaire class is still your enemy.
To be clear, the billionaire class is your enemy
To be clear, the 100 million class is also your enemy
with 100mils you can buy two luxurious houses and still have enough money to spend a million each year which is more money than most people make in their entire life, so yea kind of on the border.
Any billionaire can lose 90% of their wealth and have above 100 million left.
Many can lose 99% and have above 100 million left.
Some can lose 99% and still be billionaires.
The 100 millionaire will still have a million or more left after losing 99%, but that’s not “live like hogs in the fat house forever” money at least. It’s just “I don’t have to worry if I lose my job” money.
A hundredbillionaire can lose 99% of their money and not make any perceptible changes in their lifestyle.
I propose the following:
Gap individual wealth at 50000x the national median annual income. Max wealth anyone in the US could have is, at present, under 2 billion. Other countries will vary, but generally it’s plenty enough to motivate people to innovate, but nobody gets to be Bezos or Musk wealthy. Yachts should count towards this wealth gap, at a depreciation rate of 5% a year off the build cost. Primary residence doesn’t count unless it’s also used for generating income. You get to have one car, regardless of price, that doesn’t get counted towards it, and the other ones count at market value. So you can have your classic car that appreciates in price, and a daily driver - without having to worry about the classic car’s effect on your wealth limit.
Side effect is that now suddenly rich people near the gap will be a lot more interested in paying better wages to the working class. Why? Because then they’d get to keep more of their money. And to raise the median efficiently, you need to be raising wages for the poorest among us first and foremost.
Holy cow, they can lose 90% of their wealth and still be above 100 mil. The math checks out, but my gosh, how rich are they?!
It’s ridiculous.
Numbers are funny, anyway. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s net worth is closer to yours and mine than it is to Elon Musk (Forbes list currently placing them at ~100 bill and ~250 bill respectively). But that’s only in absolute terms. In reality, Jensen’s got like 8 or 9 orders of magnitude more wealth than I do depending on how far into the month we are, and on the same order of magnitude as Musk.
Either one losing 99% of their wealth would still be above a billion.
In general; I think even 2 billion is too much. Nobody needs that much money.
At best; I think no one should be able to have more than about 500 Million. You get one house, and one car for each adult family member if you’re married with non-adult kids. Adult kids don’t add uncounted vehicles; they have their own limit. Anything that is seaworthy or airworthy counts as about as much “Wealth” as you initially spent on it minus a reasonable depreciation rate yearly as determined by the market, so no buying a thing and having it lose 30% of it’s value the moment you drive it off the lot after buying it.
Additionally; to block too many shenanigans; wealth added by any property that is bought sticks; 3 years at minimum. This prevents people from storing too much excess in property and shell-gaming it. A company you own or have stake in cannot lend (in a long term) or gift you property in excess of 1% to 10% the wealth limit. (Depending on what the thing is). Companies may also not hold property or money in lieu of an individual personally; everything the company owns must have a global company function; and not personally benefit one or more people only. (Basically no executive-only or owner-only Jets; everyone from the tiniest manager on up should have access to it if there’s a business reason for it)
Oh I agree that even 2 billion is too much, but my reasoning is that proponents of capitalism often make the claim that capitalism drives innovation (you try to fill some market niche in order to get rich) so if they are right, then 2 billion should be enough that this still works.
I had yachts depreciating to zero in my example because it’s estimated that you have to spend about 10% of its’ purchase price annually anyway, so anyone keeping a 20 year old yacht around is going to be spending a lot of money on it that will fuel other parts of the economy.
I am always amazed how everyone is so focused on billionaires only
Pareto principle. Eat the billionaires, distribute their wealth: 20% of the effort for 80% of the result.
It’s just a class that is absolutely exploring people. You can’t become a billionaire without it. You can absolutely become an honest millionaire so it wouldn’t make sense to use that.
Yeah like there are folks who are worth 10ish million who just bought a house 50ish years ago that gained a lot of value and had dual incomes that saved all their money for retirement.
100 million folks are on THIN ice, but there is probably an author or inventor out there who made something really nice and everyone they worked with was also well taken care of. Most of them are probably garbage, but not all of them have to be. Some famous actors also were well known for making sure everyone got paid what they deserved on set and were very generous.
I just don’t see getting to a billion without someone being taken advantage of on the way though.
probably an author or inventor out there who made something really nice and everyone they worked with was also well taken care of.
JK Rowling should be a billionaire, but she keeps giving money away.
Yeah but she’s a garbage human being.
I just don’t see getting to a billion without someone being taken advantage of on the way though.
By all means, show me some billionaires that never took advantage of anyone to get their billions and actually earned it. I’m down to change my view.
You really pulled the extendo grip out, huh?
Lack of understanding of class. Billionaires are just the obscene top of the top of the bourgeoisie and they do excercise disproportional power in the ruling class, but the class war isn’t only about them, it’s about the system which makes their power possible. For example China also have billionaires, but they aren’t even 1/100 of a problem there.
Easier to focus on a few, very public individuals.
Hey, there might be some politicians on here who can always call up their good friends whenever they need something!
To be positively translucent, even someone with $1,000,000 in the bank has 1000x less than the poorest billionaire. For other disturbing facts, see https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/.
For everyone following along at home: this website is worth a click if you’ve never seen it before!
Which of course is a stupid comparison indicative of economic ignorance, because wealth does not grow linearly for anyone who doesn’t stuff their money under a mattress.
Represented as a volume is also great. If I’m not wrong, his wealth in 500€ bills is a 165 m (180 yards) cube. One million is 3 l (a little less than 0.8 gallons).
Where potato
I feel like since they are mostly water weight, the math doesn’t always look great. But let’s go through it!
For example: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Russet-Potatoes-10-lb-Bag-Whole/10449951?classType=REGULAR&from=/search
10 pounds of food for $3 sounds great, but in a pound there is only 300 calories about, depending on type/peel/etc. So 3,000 calories for 3 dollars. At $1 per 1000 calories it isn’t bad.
But let’s compare to this 5 pound bag of flour for 2.38, at 3 cents an ounce:
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=flour
A pound of flour has 1,600 calories. So this bag of flour that is cheaper than the potatoes, has 8000 calories for 2.50. But you’ll need to put in some elbow grease to make it edible. Doing a sourdough is probably the cheapest way to do it since all you need is flour, water, salt, and the starter you made using flour, but it is more time intensive. So about 3,200 calories for a dollar.
Rice comes in with a very similar amount of calories, but just a little more expensive at 4 cents an ounce:
Rice is a bit easier to turn edible though, so the extra dollar might be worth it for a 5 pound bag. 2,400 calories per dollar spent.
Then oatmeal comes in as our most expensive at 7 cents an ounce.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KV4H51G?tag=sacapuntas9-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
At once again 1600ish calories for a pound of dry oatmeal, it is 1.12 per pound. So it is creeping up closer to the price of potatoes TBH, and if you were super on a budget the oatmeal would be the first to go. But I suppose potatoes aren’t “that” much worse than oatmeal. But my thought was oatmeal is good breakfast option so wanted to include it, and the top bit is mostly setup for bottom.
Knowing this stuff is helpful to our daily lives because rich people hate us.
I think you need to include energy cost in the preparation stage. Bread requires a hot oven, which is a real amount of electricity — it’s close to $0.40/kWh where I live. From this link it says that a bread maker uses only .36kWh, but an electric oven would be more like 1.6kWh. So bakita single loaf of bread, you end up with a not insubstantial fraction of the total cost going to heating the oven.
Of course, many bulk foods require heat, so it gets a little sticky this way. Oats/oatmeal probably wins out here, as you can just soak them overnight.
energy costs could probably be significantly reduced if the cooking was done on an industrial scale, so that most of the head goes into the food
Good point! Rice makers are super efficient, so rice made with that might be the winner. But honestly the cheap carbs you can stand and make edible cheaply are probably just what you gotta go with.
It takes less time to cook than bread, but most other proteins take a bit of time to cook as well.
I’m sure all of this is correct, but you’re forgetting one thing: potatoes are the only one of these you can grow enough of to eat at home, as long as you have space for a bucket or sack or two of soil, and which basically require zero processing aside from applying heat to consume.
I agree with you that we shouldn’t actually need to know or use any of this information, and as a poor disabled person I also know that growing your own food isn’t always an option for everyone, but if it is an option, I think it at the very least puts potatoes back in the running.
You absolutely got me there! I mentioned making your own sour dough, but didn’t factor in growing potatoes.
Only slightly related. One weird thing I noticed when moving to Japan is that peanuts and beans were way more expensive than the US. I guess the equivalent here would be moyashi (bean sprouts) and cabbage.
Interesting! What is considered the cheap source of proteins over there? Is it just soy?
soy (in the form of edamame, tofu, and natto) is probably the cheapest option. Eggs are usually next on the list for people over here.
Edit: seafood might or might not be an option before eggs depending upon where one lives. Organ meat as well as we eat heart, liver, etc. a lot here as well.
What is a union?
An arrangement where employees bargain collectively with their employer to have more leverage, usually collecting dues from members to help with things like strikes.
I think it’s called a “sindicato” in Portuguese, though in English “syndicate” means something a bit different