Great work "poster"

[Sigarms]

Hahaha. You're a good son.

I was a complete dick who thought he knew everything until about age 26. My parents still loved me and stuck with me even when I was a young shallow prick. As much as my father and I couldn't stand each other when I was young, he was still always there. I'd like to think I'm a good son because of my father.

It's harder for my wife now that dad's 90 and a lot more crankier living with us LOL BUT, that's why I have a great wife as well

As far as checking, it drives my dad bat crap crazy with online banking as his checkbook is always done by the bank statement MAILED to him, and is matched to the penny. A penny off, he goes bonkers LOL

Thing is, when my dad finally passes, it may be time for my mother in law to move in with us and that's where I become a better husband.

 

[MossRoad]

Although I can't speak for Mr. Rowe, I believe his one point is it takes a lot less money to become a decent craftsman than it costs for a college education, the return on investment is better for a trade education, and that we as Americans, tend to snub our nose at good craftsmen in their trade because they actually have to work and get "dirty" for a living.

When I got my first real "management" position 18 years ago, I was so proud I bought a $50 silk tie to wear to work (I was going to dress the part gosh darn it). I ripped that tie on a piece of sheet metal a week later. Then, 8 years ago with a previous and different company, the biggest complaint from my old boss was I didn't dress nice enough for my position even though my work was great LOL

Don't get me wrong, you don't want to dress like a slob for a new job interview, but by the same token, we Americans tend to believe that what you wear and drive to work somehow correlates with "success" IMO.

There was a former partner who sold his company to the company I worked for in New York, whom I got to know pretty well. Guy was multi millionaire by anyones standards after he sold his company and didn't have to work a day in his life. He still showed up at the office because it's what he did. His wife complained that when she went grocery shopping he would sit on a bench out in front of the store (while she was shopping for food) and people actually left him $1 bills because they thought he was pan handling. She was not only ticked because he looked "poor", but he kept the money people were giving him

When I got hired at my management position it was because I had two degrees in electronics. They handed me 11 brown uniforms to hide the dirt. Newspaper production is a filthy business.

One time I had some health issue at work and had to be taken to the emergency room. They wanted to do MRI, but the department was closed, so they told me to do no physical activity over the weekend. We were supposed to go to Cedar Point, and the Doctor said no, and wrote "No rollercoasters" on the papers as a joke.

We get to checkout, and I'm sitting there in my dirty brown uniform. My wife is sitting next to me in business attire. The woman checking me out reads the orders and says "Hmm. It says no rollercoasters. Do you work at the carnival?"

I look over and my wife about falls out of her chair laughing at her husband the carney.

I do clean up well when required.

 

[JethroB]

As a side note, I’ve heard many people use the term “write off” or “writing off” a piece of equipment, a business lunch, or whatever and I suspected or learned that they believe somehow that means ‘free’ and the government, taxpayers, or IRS pays for it. Generally the item becomes a deductible expense item, not a tax credit. Big difference.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I've got to ask... did your parents come through Ellis island and then travel to Alaska? That must of been a journey unto itself.

I still have my one grandfathers US "citizenship" paperwork from like 1907, and I think most people would have a heart attack the way it was worded by his pledging allegiance to the US and renouncing any loyalty to his "old country".

Yes, they did come through Ellis Island, but documented as foreign workers. As my grandfathers diary says, they were given priority for entry as workers hired by the government. Citizenship came at the end of thier 2 year contract with the government or if the government terminated the contracts earlier. My grandfathers citizenship was documented in Oregon in 1898 I believe.

 

[Sigarms]

As my grandfathers diary says, they were given priority for entry as workers hired by the government.

Do you still have your grandfathers diary?

That would be a remarkable piece of family history IMO.

Both sets of my grandfathers died in mid 50's between 1945-1955, and the reality is other than our local religion and coal towns they lived in, I really have no clue where and what family ties we have to Eastern Europe. My one uncle did a family tree once for research on the family, and I was surprised a part of our family came from Croatia.

My grandmother and mother went to the Soviet Union in the late 70's to visit family, but sadly a family "tree" from the "old country" was never made by my grandparents or parents as they never thought it as being important.

End of the day, I'm American, but it would have been nice to know the family genealogy from where my grandparents came from. My understanding is they got out of dodge with the coming of the Russian revolution. Thing is, both sets were poor farmers. Would be an amazing story to know exactly how they found their way to the United States and exactly where we have family in Europe. Part of the issue is all the name changes on our end up till the 1950's. Seems like people changed their last name like it was nothing back then.

 

[JDZ735M]

The government giving someone a college education is not the same as the government offering equipment being written off on taxes.
The later requires a business in place to acquire equipment, which requires a considerable amount of capital and risk beforehand.

Plopping ones perverbial azz down at State U for 4 years while they feed and house you does not.

Amen! And the tax refunds mean you have made money and are actually subject to paying taxes. Too many unemployed people with degrees in basket weaving or "XXXX Studies" that are sitting home drawing unemployment checks.

 

[Snobdds]

Student loan debt should not be forgiven under any circumstance. In lieu of cash reserves or other assets, the collateral a college borrower offers to secure a student loan is their own future income stream. If you forgive debt, future loan interest rates would have to rise dramatically to offset the risk of forgiveness, likely killing the entire student loan market. That's never going to happen with the government in charge.

Instead, the government should immediately and completely withdraw from the student loan market. Tuition will fall due to less demand, interest rates will rise, and some semblance of normal free market dynamics will occur in the college market.

Let's get a few things straight:

• Nobody has a right to a college degree.
• Too many people go to college that have no business being there, and incur large debts for worthless degrees. Government subsidizing this behavior creates a huge moral hazard. I would much rather somebody not go to college at all than be saddled with 20 years of crushing debt payments because they pursued a negative ROI college/major path.
• Loaning money to an English major is much more risky than loaning to an engineering major. The English major should pay higher interest rates. If they intended to go into medicine or law after, they could file a letter of intent with the lender to reduce their interest rate, contingent upon them finishing their advanced degree.
• Potential college students need to understand the full ROI on their decision. Paying too much for a small future income stream is a stupid mistake, and I'm sure we would all like to see a lot less of those mistakes.

Did anyone sit these students down and tell them how much their degree would pay vs. the debt load that they were about to incur? Of course not. Student loans are yet another bubble created by government intervention, and until it's purged our economy will continue it's terminal decline of too much debt. Not that I think this alone would save us, but ****, you can sheer a sheep many times but only slaughter them once, and our younger generations are getting ****** slaughtered right now.

 

[GeneV]

Years ago, when I was taking a machining course in a community college, the instructor was telling us how Caterpillar and Bobcat send recruiters to the school hunting for fresh CNC cert graduates. They need em bad.

On TV, I now see commercials for trade apprenticeships. NEVER did I see those before on TV, they never needed to advertise, quite the opposite. They don't have enough new applicants now.

 

[fishdrivel]

Came across this within a facebook group I belong to, and thought it hit the nail on the head. It really does appear the quote is attributed to Mike Rowe. Did some more searching, came across his foundation which I really like the idea of About Us

I understand that college loans could easily delve into a political discussion, and I'd prefer to stay away from that rabbit hole.

Talking with some friends who happen to be business trade owners, the issue with trying to get "apprentices" to work and learn in the field at a high school age is liability issues.

Sad fact is plumbing, welding, carpentry, electrical and HVAC fields (to name a few) are really never addressed in high school IMO, and the golden egg always seems to be associated with a college degree.


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Wow! Excellent post!
For those willing to click on your link "about us" I'd like to add from my own experience.
In Okinawa i observed locals living, working and going about their lives.
They had amazing work ethics. Pride in whatever they do.
Unlike America, a working man was respected - all the way down to the flagman. The flagman would stand and direct traffic with authority and do his job at the best of his ability. When traffic was asked to stop, they did not belittle this working man. They would smile and wait patiently.
I love America and I'm proud to be an American. If you cannot smile and say good morning to the garbage man, you have a problem.

 

[Sigarms]

Wow! Excellent post!
For those willing to click on your link "about us" I'd like to add from my own experience.
In Okinawa i observed locals living, working and going about their lives.
They had amazing work ethics. Pride in whatever they do.
Unlike America, a working man was respected - all the way down to the flagman. The flagman would stand and direct traffic with authority and do his job at the best of his ability. When traffic was asked to stop, they did not belittle this working man. They would smile and wait patiently.
I love America and I'm proud to be an American. If you cannot smile and say good morning to the garbage man, you have a problem.

Reading your post made me realize I forgot about a picture I took the other month (if anyone else can come up with something better, please let me know LOL).

It wasn't until about the 4th car coming towards me that the "flagman" realized that he had me at "slow" when he should have had me at "STOP" LOL

ONE JOB to do and he didn't even do that right.