Thursday, March 26, 2015

Thursday 03-26-15

Price of Ground Beef Hits Record in February: $4.238 Per Pound

(CNSNews.com) - The average price of a pound of ground beef climbed to another record high in February, hitting $4.238 per pound, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
ground beef
Ground beef. (AP Photo)

In August 2014, the average price for a pound of all types of ground beef topped $4 for the first time, hitting $4.013, according to the BLS.
In September, the average price jumped to $4.096 per pound; in October, the average price climbed to $4.154 per pound; and in November, the average price climbed to $4.201 per pound.
In December, the price declined slightly to $4.156 per pound. In January 2015, ground beef hit $4.235 per pound and in February 2015, according to the latest data from the BLS, the price of ground beef hit the highest level ever recorded of $4.238.
A year ago, in February 2014, the average price for a pound of ground beef was $3.555 per pound. Since then, the average price has increased 19.2 percent in one year.
Five years ago, in February 2010, the average price of a pound of ground beef was $2.277, according to the BLS. The price has since climbed by $1.961 per pound, or an increase of 86.1 percent.
beef

The overall Consumer Price Index measures the relative change in the prices of a basket of goods and services relative to a basis of 100.  Subordinate indexes measure the relative change in price for individual goods or services or categories of goods and services.
While the price of ground beef increased over the month, the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased as well. “The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. “Over the last 12 months, the all items index was unchanged before seasonal adjustment.”
“The food index increased 0.2 percent in February,” said the BLS. “Also turning up in February was the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, which rose 0.3 percent after declining slightly the prior month. The index for beef and veal rose 0.7 percent, its thirteenth consecutive increase.”
 

The Terracotta Army Crossbow That could Shoot Twice as Far as a Modern-Day Rifle

Archaeologists unearth 2,200-year-old weapon at historic Chinese site

A 2,200-year-old crossbow which some experts believe could have been almost twice as powerful as a modern-day assault rifle has been discovered among the Terracotta Warriors.
The crossbow, which was found intact this week, could have shot an arrow up to 2,600 feet – about the length of nine football pitches, the People’s Daily Online reported.
The discovery is particularly exciting as experts believe the crossbow may hold the secret to the success of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
The crossbow, which was found half-buried next to one of the terracotta statues, was discovered by archaeologists working at the site.
It is the first time archaeologists have seen a complete version of the weapon, although they previously found 10 more broken crossbows in the same pit.
The bow measures almost five feet in length, with a height of about 50 inches.
Its size suggests that it was one of the most powerful bows of its era. Historical texts indicate that its firing range could have been up to 2,600 feet, according to Huashang Newspaper, which is double the range of an assault rifle, which is about 1,300 feet.
Some historians believe that analysis of a number of historical texts shows that the crossbow was integral to several important military victories of the period.
 

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