Through my fault,
through my fault,
Through my most grievous fault.
I was reminded that I once wrote on this blog that a "typical, Eaton County doe..." yielded 70 pounds of edible meat.
I was wrong.
If a 1400 pound steer with heavy muscling only yields 600 pounds or 40% of body-weight of meat, then there is no way a 120-to-150 pound doe will yield 70 pounds.
My error traces back to the business that processed deer. I learned that customers did not receive the same deer back that they dropped off. I learned that after a deer that I donated to a coworker served some of that venison at his daughter's wedding reception. Smitty accused me of knowingly giving him venison from a deer that had been gut-shot. The deer I had process had not been gut-shot.
Also, I saw, with my own eyes, folks at the processing place scoop packages of ground venison out of a common tub to "square out" a box. The meat had been commingled and if the customer received ground meat from the deer he had dropped off, it was only by accident.
If you have faith the size of a mustard seed...
As Christianity diffused across Europe, Asia and parts of Northern Africa, itinerant preachers memorized as much of the Holy Word as they could and pressed on-and-out.
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| Yellow Rocket leaf |
A large number of plants in the family "Cruciferae" or "mustards" were common weeds throughout south-Asia, Europe and northern-Africa and local people frequently used the seeds for seasoning and leaves for pot-herbs. This plant-family was named for the many, narrow, oppositely-opposed leaflets that reminded the early botanists of the cross that Jesus died on.
The fact that Jesus pointed to a mustard plant while delivering his sermon on the power of faith was an inspired bit of foreshadowing. Those itinerant preachers undoubtedly exploited that foreshadowing and wove it into their sermons. It wasn't generic faith that could move mountains and hurl massive trees into the sea, it was only the faith contained in the seeds that fell from the cross.
Scamming on the rise
I walked into an auto parts store a couple days ago. The manager was informing the clerks about increased "scamming".
Lately, several people returned parts with copied receipts or with the old part in the box.
The new policy was "If the part was over $X and it is returned more than 24 hours later, tell them it has to be approved by management before the purchase price can be refunded."
I know that many of my readers have ordered your lives so you are not severely jostled by the misfortunes of the economy. So consider this a heads-up that scammers are shifting into overdrive. What better way to learn AI than to scam senior citizens out of their savings. See? More work that was done in India and Nigeria that has returned to the US.
The parts scamming is infuriating. I have been burned several times at the big box hardware stores and the auto parts stores.
ReplyDeleteI now look for the “factory sealed” container, or inspect the object/product for wear/missing components if the box even hints of being previously opened.
Sigh.
Much like shopping at stores where shopping carts are left out scattered around. Not a confirmation of issues with the area shoppers, but certainly a tell…
As for the meat at a custom cutter shop: I worked at one and the common comment was 'I want my meat separate from everyone else.' Reasonable, but then we would discover they had left a bandana with heart and liver in the neck cavity for over three days before we got it. They refused to believe it was their deer. I would bet someone switched your tag in the cooler, probably by accident. However, I now only cut and wrap my own. The owners I worked for tried mightily for cleanliness and accuracy. Even so, the stories I could tell eeew!
ReplyDeleteI had a counter clerk at an auto parts store tell me that people were doing returns on things like antifreeze and oil and the containers were actually filled with water or old oil/antifreeze!
ReplyDeleteI also bought some Roebic septic tank enzymes on Amazon. Roebic looks like water but has a DISTINCTIVE smell. Both the containers were missing their seals and the smell. They were filled with water. Amazon has since put tattletale seals on the bottles
If you're shopping for stuff like this be sure the seals on the bottles haven't been broke.
GOD, I miss honesty...
I have had that happen with deer and steers. I finally ended up doing my own butchering. I'm not that good at it but at least I'm eating my own meat. ---ken
ReplyDeleteBought a box of electric outlets at a big box. Seal did not look like it had been damaged. Back home, I discovered all the outlets were used. Big Box lady said this happens all the time now. If the person returning item is Russian, a supervisor has to approve.
ReplyDeleteSigh... the 'odds' of you getting your deer back are... low, to put it mildly... And yes, scammers are everywhere! Ordered a Talon grip wrap on Amazon, got an empty package... no refund... sigh
ReplyDeleteThe only local deer processor here got busted for co-mingling ground venison and sausage as well selling unclaimed processed deer meat. I guess that's a no no in KY. I will butcher my own but like Ken I am no expert.
ReplyDeleteThe reason scamming is so common is because when caught scammers rarely face meaningful, painful consequences. They are incentivized to continue. We don't never punish murderers adequately...there are countless people who have been convicted yet were released to kill again. A society that won't properly punish crime is a society that won't last.
ReplyDelete