Agree.

I've always found that any job becomes, at the very least, a lot less unenjoyable (I have to allow for the possibility that some jobs might simply not be able to me made enjoyable) if I put forth the effort to try to do it extremely well. This included being lowered into a fifteen foot deep industrial steam cleaning pit when I was about 14 for the purpose of scooping out about three decades of grease and grime and then unplugging the slots that let the water seep out into the field. I was in there with another guy and the two of us could barely fit back to back. But we discovered that if we slowly rotated ourselves, spiking a couple slots with each increment, we could go a lot quicker than trying to do half of the slots on each row while standing in the same position because we could keep our arms at an optimal angle to the slot. That not only made the job a lot quicker, but it actually made it kind of fun as we tried to establish and maintain as fast a synchronized rhythm as we could.

Making a "shitty" job more easier is like when a headache vanishes. You're still stone cold sober but feel so much better after that than normal.

Just don't make your boss aware of that.

 

I've been You-Tubing lately and saw occasional comments about who's the CEO and de-monetizing contributors to the tune of, "not advertiser friendly". Something is happening in the management of YouTube and it is not strictly consistent. Possibly an algorithm marking content as "good" or "bad" and then needing humans to review the results. The explanation for the Mike Rowe blockage might simply be a poorly written piece of computer code.

There is some good stuff on YouTube. Right now I have one marked because it is as difficult for me to understand as BR549. I'm going to have to play that every day for a week to get all of it to sink into my skull.

I've seen a lot of videos from bigger YouTube channels and personalities talking about their stuff getting censored and the general inside consensus is that loads of liberal/alt left trolls report the videos as bad or inappropriate or whatever, because they don't like them (their way of free speech blocking by abusing a largely automated peer based junk video filtering system) and the system automatically flags/restricts/removes them just like it does with clickbait, porn and other junk vidoes people put there under false titles and or with misleading thumbnails to draw in views.

In a way it is a system bug but it's one that a certain political affiliation is using to their advantage to block legitimate stuff they simply don't like because it goes against their political/SJW/whatever free speech sensitivities.

You yourself could post a totally benign video there and if enough people falsely report it as spam, porn, clickbait trash, inappropriate content or whatever, the system would automatically block your video until you appealed the block to the right people which may take a while depending on who and or what it it's you have.

 

And he demonstrates a respect for the "common folk" that cannot be faked.

Yep. Rather why I like watching his stuff too. Too few real honest and genuine people to act as role models for others to look up to and emulate these days.

Blossom where planted and be the best you can be wherever life has placed you for the time. It's what I have always done even when the job and the work was way below my skill and capacities being it's where life needed me at that time so I do my best to make everything around me better in some way for my having been there.

 

I saw Mike Rowe on This Old House a few hours ago. (Friday night) The old guys are bringing in apprentices. Seems like a good thing because there aren't many people that would rather climb ladders or drag wires through holes instead of sitting in an air conditioned office typing on a computer.

 

I find it interesting while in a brief encounter with 2 students talking about Psychology one said he changed his major I asked to what? He said Communications Major while the other Developmental Psychology.

I said sometimes especially with Psychology doing a job doesn't necessarily come with good pay, to my surprise he said that's why I changed my Major without researching what he said was true I said doubtfully he knew what he was talking about when I said hey have you ever seen that video with Mike Rowe how don't follow your passion.

His reply was yes why yes I have seen that, apparently Mike is making an impression on many young people I know it's a small sample but that kid represents at least 10 to 100 who are likewise minded.

kv

 

I like Mike... Though he can be fairly rough around the edges.

Favorite MR quote (probably paraphrased, though): "There are millions of jobs that go unfilled because most of the applicants can't p!ss clean."

MR's video should be required viewing for every high school graduate. The sad fact is that the millennial generation was raised thinking they were "special" and got lots of meaningless positive encouragement like participation trophies. They were told to follow their passion. So, of course, they got degrees in all sorts of fields that had limited or low paid employment. And, to compound this, took out student loans that put them in debt before they were employed. And those barista and waitperson jobs don't exactly make paying off the loans easy. I know one millennial that took out loans, got an MSW (master of social work) and is earning about $17/hr. She owes around $50K. Social work may be her passion but she hates her job, has a crappy apartment, drives a 12 year old car and hasn't saved any money. She's thinking of declaring bankruptcy.

 

Drives a 12-year old car? Hmm. Let's see, we have four cars and the newest is 12 years old. The others are 19, 26, and 30. So my heart doesn't exactly go out to someone that is so poor off that they drive a 12 year old car.

But I agree with your assessment of the root problem for many (not all) of these recent generations.

And, to pay the devil his due, we own cars that are that old because we CHOOSE not to spend lots of money on things that are going down in value. But, having said that, the reason that so many people are in such dire straights is because the don't feel the need to make similar choices -- instead they only do so when forced to because they can no longer keep spending money on what they want and feel they deserve.

If the millennial you are talking about is thinking of declaring bankruptcy, it is in large part due to similar thinking. It's probably not the student loans that are driving her there since, if they are federally insured, not only are the payments limited by her income, but they are not bankruptable. So it's lots of other debt she has taken out that is boxing her into a corner and leading her to screw over the people that loaned her money based on her promise to repay them.

 

You haven't seen the car! It's been ridden hard and put down wet. Total beater. The owner is the daughter of a friend of mine. Growing up, she was the princess. She's a pauper now and seems to be a little shell shocked by that.

I agree about making choices, the millennials seem to not understand that. I recently sold my pickup truck - 1985 toyota, original owner. Paid 6500 for it new and sold it for 1500. Would like to have kept it but got tired of working on it. My friends and family used to make fun of it but it didn't cost me much to own, even the insurance was nothing much.

 

Drives a 12-year old car? Hmm. Let's see, we have four cars and the newest is 12 years old. The others are 19, 26, and 30. So my heart doesn't exactly go out to someone that is so poor off that they drive a 12 year old car.

But I agree with your assessment of the root problem for many (not all) of these recent generations.

And, to pay the devil his due, we own cars that are that old because we CHOOSE not to spend lots of money on things that are going down in value. But, having said that, the reason that so many people are in such dire straights is because the don't feel the need to make similar choices -- instead they only do so when forced to because they can no longer keep spending money on what they want and feel they deserve.

If the millennial you are talking about is thinking of declaring bankruptcy, it is in large part due to similar thinking. It's probably not the student loans that are driving her there since, if they are federally insured, not only are the payments limited by her income, but they are not bankruptable. So it's lots of other debt she has taken out that is boxing her into a corner and leading her to screw over the people that loaned her money based on her promise to repay them.

How do you manage to undercut everybody’s story? Usually the least significant part. Reread the story and tell us how important the age of the car is? Very low.

Also, if you have four vehicles, I can assume you cannot drive all four at the same time so the mileage on each goes up at 1/4 the rate of anonymous girl’s car (assuming the same annual miles between you and anonymous girl).

Also, reliability is key, you with four chances to turn a key and get a car to start in the morning is much less risk than anonymous girl who has only one car.

Same theme, if leaving a late night event, how important is it that a car start? She is likely living alone and needs reliability or she will be out in the cold by herself. A different situation than a middle aged man with a local family member to run to the rescue.

Next time you randomly spout off to minimize someone else’s situation, think about asking a question instead of pounding your chest and tell8ng us how much smarter you are to be able to live the same way with four times the resources as someone else.

 

I thought the focus belonged on younger people than I getting slapped with reality after deluding their way into worthless college degrees and mountains of debt. Such predictions have been made. They seem to be coming true.

 

I thought the focus belonged on younger people than I getting slapped with reality after deluding their way into worthless college degrees and mountains of debt. Such predictions have been made. They seem to be coming true.

You choose the word "deluding" and I choose the word "brainwashing." When I was in high school I had every member of the faculty trying to cram college down my throat. I was made to feel that if I didn't go to college I would end up a failure, digging ditches and hating my life. Well here's my response to that:

• world needs ditch diggers
• Digging ditches doesn't have to represent failure
• Some people might actually enjoy digging ditches
• not going to college and digging ditches debt-free is better than going to college and then digging ditches while saddled with impossibly high debt.
• I didn't go to college and still ended up an Engineer.

These kids aren't flooding into universities, paying ever-increasing tuitions, lining the pockets of textbook monopolies, and going into life-long debt because they think its cool. They're doing it because the for-profit education industry has created a false demand for their service and convinced the kids there's no other option.

It's time to break that cycle. I sound cheesy saying this, but we need to "spread awareness" that there are alternatives to college. That's exactly what Mike is doing and that's why I support him.

 

Well, regardless of the side note, #12 has an important point. Unemployable college degrees bought with student loans. Frankly, this is a real disgrace for the educational community. Professors in disciplines that produce graduates with marginal employment prospects and advisors that push those students to get loans should be ashamed. I think every degree should have an ROI calculation attached to it so the student has to face financial reality before they commit. It's bad enough that they get saddled with a worthless degree but when you add on 5 to 10 years of debt, it is a crushing burden.I think it also unconscionable that the professors push their discipline so they will have students which ensure their own employment. Unfortunately, naming some of those disciplines would get me branded as socially unacceptable or worse in some circles.

 

How do you manage to undercut everybody’s story? Usually the least significant part. Reread the story and tell us how important the age of the car is? Very low.

Also, if you have four vehicles, I can assume you cannot drive all four at the same time so the mileage on each goes up at 1/4 the rate of anonymous girl’s car (assuming the same annual miles between you and anonymous girl).

Also, reliability is key, you with four chances to turn a key and get a car to start in the morning is much less risk than anonymous girl who has only one car.

Same theme, if leaving a late night event, how important is it that a car start? She is likely living alone and needs reliability or she will be out in the cold by herself. A different situation than a middle aged man with a local family member to run to the rescue.

Next time you randomly spout off to minimize someone else’s situation, think about asking a question instead of pounding your chest and tell8ng us how much smarter you are to be able to live the same way with four times the resources as someone else.

Interesting how you berate someone for making assumptions and then proceed to make numerous assumptions of your own. But instead of point them out, I'm going to leave it at that as I know that all you are trying to do it once again troll me to start an argument.

 

Interesting how you berate someone for making assumptions and then proceed to make numerous assumptions of your own. But instead of point them out, I'm going to leave it at that as I know that all you are trying to do it once again troll me to start an argument.

Thank you. It’s about time you realize our behavior is out of place and si on the sidelines and listen instead of talk about yourself.

 

You choose the word "deluding" and I choose the word "brainwashing." When I was in high school I had every member of the faculty trying to cram college down my throat. I was made to feel that if I didn't go to college I would end up a failure, digging ditches and hating my life. ...

Well, I don't think college is right for everyone but it has been shown with numerous studies that the amount of college a person has completed positively correlates to income. As a parent, I wanted my 2 kids to go to college. Put aside enough money for them to not need loans. One is plugging away at a degree that should give him excellent employment opportunities. The other is stumbling around trying to figure out what he should do in life. He's probably not ready to go to college and may never be. I'm ok with that but he needs to find something. Mike's video kind of hit home there.

 

Well, regardless of the side note, #12 has an important point. Unemployable college degrees bought with student loans. Frankly, this is a real disgrace for the educational community. Professors in disciplines that produce graduates with marginal employment prospects and advisors that push those students to get loans should be ashamed. I think every degree should have an ROI calculation attached to it so the student has to face financial reality before they commit. It's bad enough that they get saddled with a worthless degree but when you add on 5 to 10 years of debt, it is a crushing burden.I think it also unconscionable that the professors push their discipline so they will have students which ensure their own employment. Unfortunately, naming some of those disciplines would get me branded as socially unacceptable or worse in some circles.

I agree for the most part. The professors share in the blame, but they are generally caught in a Catch-22. The pressure is always there to keep enrollment always increasing and to reduce attrition rates. Add to that the politically correct environment in which even hinting to a student that they are not cut out for your degree program can get you into serious trouble. On top of that, many professors -- like doctors in the medical profession, though not quite as bad -- are divorced from the cost of attending college. Many are shocked when they discover how much the textbooks that they are requiring cost, let alone how much an out-of-state student is paying to attend their course. The real blame, in my opinion, is the college administration that sees, often subconsciously, students as a cash cow. Instead of asking if they can afford a new Office of Institutional Inclusive Diverse Sustainability, they merely decide they need it and raise tuition accordingly. That is only possible because, whether they will admit or not (they won't) they know that they can raise tuition at two to three times the rate of inflation year after year and the politicians (of both stripes) will wring their hands and pontificate on the need to make college accessible and then proceed to pump more money into grants and expand the student loan limits so that all these teenagers have to do is sign on a dotted line to attend outrageously overpriced schools. But while the government is the enabler -- and could change the situation if they only had a backbone amongst them -- the culprit are the schools themselves.

 

Well, I don't think college is right for everyone but it has been shown with numerous studies that the amount of college a person has completed positively correlates to income. As a parent, I wanted my 2 kids to go to college. Put aside enough money for them to not need loans. One is plugging away at a degree that should give him excellent employment opportunities. The other is stumbling around trying to figure out what he should do in life. He's probably not ready to go to college and may never be. I'm ok with that but he needs to find something. Mike's video kind of hit home there.

I'm sure a degree correlates to higher income. I don't need to look it up; I believe you. But income is only one variable in the formula of success. Another variable is debt. And happiness. Reward of a job well done. Time off. Many factors.

Speaking of student loans vs saving for college... I wonder if (given the ridiculously inflated cost of college these days) it actually makes more sense to take the loan than save up for it. For comparison, my house cost about $200k. If I were to try to save up for that, it would take probably 20 years. Let's say I lived with my parents the whole time so that rent isn't part of the equation. 20 years from now, this same house would probably cost $350k+ and represent another 15 years worth of savings, at which point it would be >$500, so more savings, and so on. So I decided that it was better to take on a huge loan for the house so that its cost to me would be locked in at 2015 dollars for 30 years. I don't care about the interest because inflation rate plus house appreciation rate far surpass the the interest rate. By the time I pay off this $200k house I will have paid a total of $350k but the value of the house will probably be double that.

Now similarly with the astronomical rate of increase in college tuition, rather than saving up a bunch of 2013-2016 dollars (which actually represent a lot if money) to pay for college, would it not be better to lock in the price of college in 2017 dollars and pay it back in 2020-2030 dollars which hold much less value? I mean by the time you pay it back, a college education will probably cost double what it costs now (assuming the trend continues).

 

If your kid goes to a school with Division I NCAA sports teams, and is not one of the prestigious top 10 Football schools, the tuituipn bill has a 3000 to 4500 dollar line item that seems mysterious (activity fees). That fee covers the gap in costs vs income for all the sports because most schools are running at a loss. The real activity value kids get from a weight room, some canoes access to yoga classes costs the school almost nothing. Activity fees at a university shouldn’t cost more than a membership at the YMCA but for some reason it costs about 10x more.

PS the coach at your states biggest state funded university is likely the highest paid employee in the state. His assistant coaches are likely making more than the governor or chief surgeon at the Medical school.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ccap/2...tercollegiate-athletic-programs/#976f1d517afd

Mike Rowe is right, don’t wast your money on a passion that doesn’t get you a job and you have to pay for Joe Paterno’s salary and indiscretions as well.

 

I'm sure a degree correlates to higher income. I don't need to look it up; I believe you. But income is only one variable in the formula of success. Another variable is debt. And happiness. Reward of a job well done. Time off. Many factors.

Speaking of student loans vs saving for college... I wonder if (given the ridiculously inflated cost of college these days) it actually makes more sense to take the loan than save up for it. For comparison, my house cost about $200k. If I were to try to save up for that, it would take probably 20 years. Let's say I lived with my parents the whole time so that rent isn't part of the equation. 20 years from now, this same house would probably cost $350k+ and represent another 15 years worth of savings, at which point it would be >$500, so more savings, and so on. So I decided that it was better to take on a huge loan for the house so that its cost to me would be locked in at 2015 dollars for 30 years. I don't care about the interest because inflation rate plus house appreciation rate far surpass the the interest rate. By the time I pay off this $200k house I will have paid a total of $350k but the value of the house will probably be double that.

Now similarly with the astronomical rate of increase in college tuition, rather than saving up a bunch of 2013-2016 dollars (which actually represent a lot if money) to pay for college, would it not be better to lock in the price of college in 2017 dollars and pay it back in 2020-2030 dollars which hold much less value? I mean by the time you pay it back, a college education will probably cost double what it costs now (assuming the trend continues).

There's something to be said for this line of thinking. Worse, there are an increasing number of students who look at the current policies regarding loan repayment and loan forgiveness and figure that they should rack up as much subsidized student loan debt as they can because their payments will be capped at a small fraction of their "disposable income" and as long as they pay that amount, even if it doesn't come close to covering the interest on their debt, their entire loan balance will be forgiven at some point. So they take out loans with the intention of never paying them back and letting the taxpayers eat the cost. It's hard to blame them -- they are merely analyzing the rules set by someone else and figuring out how to use them to their best advantage.

Worse even still are the people that want to do it right and save money for their college (or their kid's college) only to discover that doing so reduces the amount of grant and scholarship support they are eligible -- even many so-called "merit" scholarships will not pay beyond the student's "need", which in turn is reduced by the amount that the family has put aside. Even if this weren't the case, people that save and/or work to pay for their college end up paying the full cost while people that take the borrow-and-get-forgiveness only pay for a fraction of theirs. And this point is really driven home because the people that are saving and working are being frugal with their funds while in college while the borrow-on-steroids kids are having a good-ole time one someone else's dime (namely the dime's being earned by the diligent students that can't afford to party). So, as usual, people are punished for doing it right and rewarded for doing it wrong.

 

I thought the focus belonged on younger people than I getting slapped with reality after deluding their way into worthless college degrees and mountains of debt. Such predictions have been made. They seem to be coming true.

I see it and speak to people all the time who want post Graduate Degree. A good example is the Math Dept that requires Statistics and Trig for a degree that isn't truly require in the related field, the worse is Algebra 1 isn't any good after 2 years and has to be taken again regardless still worse yet are those who can't pass Algebra 2 and are forced to take other jobs until they can't afford going back, I've seen them fail 5 times before actually passing because they will not accept passing scores because they want higher Accreditation. I know myself when taking Algebra 1 they dumped huge quantities of homework that interfered with my programming class. If you can direct someone to a program called ALEX which our school finally accepted and you can move at your own pace over time. Math is probably in the forefront why they fail to Graduate.

kv