The pizza by the slice place around the corner from me just up and closed. The pizza was merely decent, which is why I only went there for a slice, but they did well with the local hotels and conventions.

Been there close to 20 years.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Sucks for both of you. K Effective more so.

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Agreed K.

But would this not be as big a problem if OSHA & FDA regulations and inspections hadn't been gutted?

Honest question.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Yeah.. I’m don’t even want to know how bad our places are pushed back. Have 4 going in in mid December. Might be a While after that.

I'll be honest (as always) and say I have no clue if the OSHA/FDA regs and inspections have been gutted, nor how it would have effected the flow of cattle through the processing plants. I really see no connection between my guy, who processes 20 cows/week along with a number of hogs and other animals each week, and the big time plants. I always thought the big plants were for herds from the huge feedlot players, with thousands and tens of thousands of head of cattle, or millions of hogs per year, and I'm not sure if they ever processed small lots like mine, or if the big guys were looking to push into the small places just to move their animals out.

Maybe they want to run little guys like me out of the game and then abandon the little shops to destroy the competition, I can't see a concerted effort like that being formulated and perpetrated by the equivalent of Bovine SPECTRE, but I am pretty naive.

I know one processor near Kalamazoo, larger than my guy, but still small-time, shut down during covid, but not necessarily due to it. Supposedly, their retail market is still open, but not the processing. They were Amish or Mennonite operators, and the bigger producer who took my spot last year was a customer from there. I know without the summer fairs, many kids didn't have the easy market to sell their animals, but I thought most of those went to slaughter at the same places like mine, anyway. I got calls from up by Grand Rapids looking for butcher suggestions.

One of my new supervisors at work, also new to our area, is very interested in the possible service void needing to be filled. He is tiring of being a slumlord (but, not THE SLUMLORD) on the side, and wants to own several businesses, as well. I'd be wary of the idea of opening a butcher shop from scratch- it is very hard work, there are many regulations and rules, and once this surplus passes, there is no guarantee it will ever return. However, I did hear that one of the bar owners in Downtown Saint Joseph is opening a new meat shop with you Western tourists in mind- selling meat trays and snacks as well as providing cuts to his restaurant. I doubt they will be trucking in live cows to shoot out in the alley of the Historic District, but I've been wrong before!!

Thanks K, I have no perspective of my own in this subject and am genuinely fascinated by you guys stories.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Earlier the local 5-50 beef a week places got slammed as people were afraid of meat shortages as news of the plants out west closing were starting to make headlines. When their were shortages it got even worse. I’m frankly surprised that it hasn’t backed off but now it might be producer driven in part.

The HACCP rules make it really hard for expansions or modifications of older plants and lots have closed down over past 20 years or so or switched to being butchers vs processors. Have had a few small ones try opening but generally demand isn’t there as independent livestock production is limited in much of northern and central Illinois.

Found out this morning that a childhood friend and a guy I coached with both died last night and two college classmates had strokes this week. What a shitty day in a shitty year.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

That's awful.

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The modern world is divided between those that would numb itself to its meaninglessness through various substances and various hedonisms and those that realize it and go crazy

I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Reader.
Getting old is a mother fucker.

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This signature space is available for inappropriate, suggestive, and lewd ideas.

That can be an understatement.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

What he said.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Getting to the point we are seems more weird than I thought it would.

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If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Strangely 6-7 years out of high school, I had more dead friends than either of my parents. Crime, cancer, AIDS. That was weirder.

Seems to be cranking up again. Ugh.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I thought the15 years from 25 to 40 flew by, with getting married, buying a house, having kids, being The Man and breadwinner.

That was a snail's pace compared to 40 to 55, when it all has gone away.

I still think I'd rather suffer through getting old than die early.

The pandemic has really changed me and I'm not doing very well with it. I'm not the slightest bit afraid of catching COVID but it's caused me to examine how many years I might have left, something I never even thought about before. That's why I hate what we're doing so much. I may only have five or ten years left. Who knows? I don't want to spend half of those years walking around in a mask, not being able to attend a Sox game, not being able to belly up to a bar next to other human beings, etc.

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Don't take it personally.

an acquaintance of ours just found out her husband had stage 4 cancer and is unlikely to last the next 4 mo and while they were at that appt, the baby sitter wasn't paying attention and their 4 yr old daughter fell in a pool and drowned.

what? that is the most horrible story ever.

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@audioidkid

Holy shit. If that were me, I think I'd have Kervorkian take my spouse and me out together (if I had no other kids).

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Holy fuck

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Gun in the mouth time while cursing God.

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The modern world is divided between those that would numb itself to its meaninglessness through various substances and various hedonisms and those that realize it and go crazy

That is just brutal

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yeah its pretty awful. not how i wanted to start my monday.

I can't even fathom, I don't even know how you mustard the strength to go on.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Damn, is the sitter going to jail?

Hopefully good vibes and good luck eventually will ketchup to that family.

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You should feel really bad about that one.

Now isn't the time to relish in your stupid jokes.

You're right. Rubbing salt in the wound.

My apologies.

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update :

We were apparently misinformed. There were at the first chemo appt when this happened. So they had known that he had cancer. I mean it gives you a bit of time before devastating news...but not much comfort.