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Steve Olson › Comments
BEAR WITH CLAWS » Nontrepreneurs - http://bearwithclaws.com/...
ld also know perhaps it’s time to start doing.
- Steve Olson
The Kinds of Employees You Want to Hire - BusinessWeek - http://www.businessweek.com/managin...
There are two kinds of employees. Some believe they can make things happen, and the others believe that things happen to them.
- Steve Olson
TheDevelopersAdvocate: Everybody Dreams &8211; But Do You Have Goals? - http://thedevelopersadvocate.b...
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Make your dreams your goals.
- Steve Olson
I appreciate your visit to TheDevelopersAdvocate: Everybody Dreams But Do You Have Goals? When you get the chance, add your comments to my article. I'd like to read your viewpoints.
- Girard Frank Bolton, III.
The Ultimate Goal Setting Post | Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : - http://www.adaringadventure.com/blog...
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Goal setting is core to all achievement
- Steve Olson
Who is it socially acceptable to be bigoted against? By my count, I've got smokers, SUV drivers, and the obese.
Jason, Incognito, Kol Tregaskes, Nick Humphries and 7 other people liked this
Note, I'm not saying "okay," just socially acceptable.
- The Letter M
Hmmm....
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
The French?
- James Ferguson
and Germans?
- Jeff (the マクダジ of FF)
Idiots, you forgot idiots. And no this doesn't mean the mentally retarded, this means regular people who should know better.
- Alex Scoble
Red necks!
- Alex Scoble
Social media experts.
- Cristo
Windows users?
- Jeff (the マクダジ of FF)
Aww, Chris that hurt!
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Mac addicts.
- Alex Scoble
Sony fanbois.
- Alex Scoble
I'm not sure it's really socially acceptable to be bigoted against the obese, lest one be accused of being "shallow". Certainly, if you go around a bar telling all the fat girls you're not interested because they're fat, then the skinny girls won't be interested either.
- Eric P
American car companies.
- Alex Scoble
Brothers of social media experts.
- Cristo
Doesn't the answer depend on the social context?
- Brian Sullivan
Eric, this is actually the discussion that prompted my question: http://friendfeed.com/smartmo...
- The Letter M
Bigots.
- ronin
To your list I would add the old, the young, nerds, atheists, and men.
- Eric P
Alex, is idiocy a condition or a behavior?
- The Letter M
Brian, yes, social context does make a difference, but I didn't want to make the question too convoluted. I was thinking something along the lines of, "Who could you listen to someone bad-mouthing at a party of peer-acquaintances, without having to stand up and shout at them." Or something.
- The Letter M
Thin blondes.
- Jess
Jess, I think it's now safe to say we simply don't understand anyone else's trouble.
- The Letter M
Idiocy is a behavior, not a condition. You can be smart/intelligent and still act like a complete idiot.
- Alex Scoble
All bigotry is ignorance. Too bad any of it is socially acceptable. Seek understanding instead of condemning people because of surface appearances and unpopular behaviors.
- Steve Olson
To Steve's point, if someone is NOT open to expanding their preconceived notions about others, they're usually the type people will not want to associate with anyway.
- Jess
Old people and young people too. Or what Eric P. said.
- Admiral Anika
Cristo wins
- Shey, Jamaican of FF
Celebrities
- Bryan R. Adams
Bigots Signed a fat smoker.
- Gunny doesn't side-hug™
Gee.. isn't that in the eye of the bigoted beholder?
- Sean
Atheists.
- Fred Yankowski
Gingers.
- Dave Roth
Where do you think the college degree gender gap is leading? What does it mean for the future of society? the economy?
Wow - is that accurate? If so, it would lead to a generation of women becoming wage slaves burdened by debt.
- Arp Laszlo
Arp, I don't know if it means that specifically, but it means something. One is... far fewer men than women will work in Education, Government, Law, and Health Care.
- Steve Olson
Sure it does - how many people can pay for a college education without incurring any debt?
- Arp Laszlo
Arp, yes you're right about debt, but not everyone will decide to be entrepreneurs and such. In fact very few will. If you want to be an entrepreneur, I wouldn't recommend college debt. That would be IMHO a poor business decision. But if you want to be a lawyer or a teacher, it's a must have regardless of the cost. So I'm saying you're right, to some degree, but that doesn't change the...
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- Steve Olson
Debt is a problem for anyone, not just entrepreneurs. With thousands in debt, a person does not have the choice to work part-time, take time off or even pay to learn a new skill. They will need to work and will not always have the luxury to pick & choose their jobs. Plus the vast majority of degrees will not be for professions that actually require it, like doctors & lawyers. Most of...
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- Arp Laszlo
No, debt is an issue for anyone. But what I'm really getting at with this post isn't debt. It is the social consequences of so many fewer men than women getting degrees. Unless something changes, that means fewer male doctors, attorneys, teachers, government workers, politicians, etc. What does that mean for us as a society? Yes, maybe more women will have student loan debt, but what...
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- Steve Olson
Well, if there are fewer options for marrying 'up' then I'm sure more will marry down. I don't think this portends horrible things for society as a whole.
- Arp Laszlo
Walking away from your mortgage when you can afford it, http://globaleconomicanalysis.... Are you responsible for your decisions? Who's fault is it you paid the price you paid? But why should an individual pay for a mistake for 30 years when the bank would walk away from you in a heartbeat? opinions anyone?
If I'm not responsible for my decisions, then who is? "Pay for a mistake for 30 years" seems like a consequence of entering into a 30-year contract. Not sure what you mean by "bank would walk away from you". Please clarify. If by "walk away" you mean "exercise a right provided by the deed of trust" (ie, foreclosure), then it's not walking away.
- Craig Eddy
I mean if you had loaned a bank or any other business money, and it made no "business" sense for the business to continue paying back the loan to you, and they had a legal way out, I guarantee most corporations would walk away and screw you. It happens all the time in bankruptcy proceedings. Look what happened to the bond holders at GM and Chrysler.
- Steve Olson
Shallow people are a turn off - http://www.latimes.com/busines.... "If he can't afford to take me to lunch — nothing fancy, just a casual place to sit and get to know each other over a sandwich — then he probably shouldn't be dating" Yeah, I agree, he shouldn't be dating you.
Christopher Harley, Alix Whitmire, Admiral Anika and 3 other people liked this
Actually that's kind of true. If he can't afford a $20 lunch (or any other $20 thing), he should probably be spending his time looking for a job rather than wasting his time dating.
- EricaJoy
Sorry about the broken link. This one is good - http://bit.ly/4xliLo I agree he should be looking for a way to provide for himself, but people shouldn't judge a person simply by their ability to buy someone lunch. In a liberated world, why shouldn't she buy him lunch? I say look for potential in a person. The whole person.
- Steve Olson
Unemployment isn't just an economic problem, but a social one. To make pariahs of unemployed people makes the problem worse. We need to come together, not segregate.
- Steve Olson
Perfectly put, Steve.
- Christopher Harley
Most relationships will endure financial hardship at some point. If financial means are your prequalfier, maybe you've done the person courting you a favor and saved him pain down the road.
- Steve Olson
Whenever people make broad generalizations about the south I have to wonder if they've ever actually visited any part of rural America, southern or otherwise. So many of the "southern" things people bring up are actually rural things and happen all across the US. Seriously: go take a road trip within your own state some time.
David Cook - 2010!!!, Jessica, Alex Scrivener and 40 other people liked this
+1 to that. I have seen a lot of 'southern' behaviour right here in New York...
- matthew john ernisse
It's all over Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota too.
- Steve Olson
Yup, yup.....Missouri is quite funky down in the bootheel.
- Mathew A. Koeneker
so very true
- holly
Thanks Tina, I will only add that folks should not think of a drive on an Interstate Highway as a trip through Rural America. Many freeways are paralleled by older routes, take the exit and see the country from a two lane black-top. The region some live in might not be as 'up-town' as they think.
- Wallace
I love the south. Atlanta, Dallas. Agreed.
- Patricia
Less populated areas are typically poorer (though the current California budget issues might belie that fact a bit), and good schools and libraries cost money. Low population areas also don't typically have colleges, hospitals, museums, or other institutions which bring in a population that is educated more than normal. Whether we like it or not, a lot of the 'ignorance' we see isn't because of the people but because of the opportunities and resources available.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
I say keep your bigoted ass out of the south. With those stereotypes, we don't need anymore bigots visiting here and stinkin' up this part of the country.
- Trish R
Who are you talking to, Trish? Did a comment get deleted?
- Yolanda
I live in what many people would call small town America: there are less than 60k people here. But I'm not talking small town, I'm talking rural. For instance, where I grew up there was no museum, no library, no college. It was 15 miles to get to school and a grocery store (and a library). The nearest college was 45 minutes away. The places we road on our most recent motorcycle trip were an hour drive from even the nearest hospital
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
And no, I'm not saying ignorance and bigotry are always because of socio-economic situation. I am saying, however, that it's all too easy to call people 'stupid' when they typically haven't had the resources available to those in more urban areas.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Yolanda, I was making a general comment directed at people who make comments that the south is full of bigots. I live in a town with 10,000 people. We have a library but no museum and no college. Everything is between 20-45 minutes away. It's a farming community. A lot of people are poor and have not traveled over 100 miles from home, EVER. Lack of financial opportunities and education do not make people stupid. This isn't limited to just the south, there are people like this everywhere.
- Trish R
I think what I was trying to say is best summed up as "scope of world view" and in no way am I trying to call people stupid. Where I grew up, where my family still lives, the only person who's been out of the country is my uncle who fought in Vietnam. He's also the only one who went to college. Most everyone else has spent their entire life around the same people with the same ideas in...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Oh ok, I thought you were addressing Tina. :) I see what you guys are saying, lack of exposure to things doesn't equal stupid.
- Yolanda
Tina, I agree. It's all they know. You can look at it from the opposite point of view, when people who grow up wealthy and spoiled and have no concept of the real world feel a sense of entitlement.
- Trish R
Preach it, Tina.
- Derrick
Even a little bit in MA, but the people aren't so friendly.
- James Stratford
The FriendFeed-er from North Carolina is taking all this in.... Well am originally from a small town in Upstate NY. I'll share my thoughts another day. Great feed Tina!
- Mike Nencetti
What I wanted to add on that 'other post' but didn't because I didn't want to keep it alive, is that stereotyping all Southerners as stupid and bigoted is as asinine as those who stereotype all African Americans, Gays, American Indians, etc. It's impossible to paint one group of people with the same brush, because each bristle is unique.
- Sharon McPherson
I grew up in poor rural America. Some generalizations are truer than others. But, Tina has said it all very well here...
- Anthony Citrano
Exactly. Now, my home state of Indiana has been referred to as the middle finger of the South, but I think that many people are just ignorant when it comes to rural life.
- Katy S
*eats grits*
- Josh Haley
Whenever I make fun backwoods hicks, it's from a place of... origin. I grew up as white trash in Sticksville and lived in various parts of the South as an adult. I now live in Sticksville again. We are at a point with globalization, though, that I cannot forgive ignorance due to rural life like I once could. Ignorance is far too easily rectified these days if one but tries.
- Michael W. May
I grew up in a very small town in Western NY (my HS graduating class -- public school -- was 26). When we moved to Charlotte NC, my wife was teaching 2nd grade in a small town around 40 miles outside of Charlotte -- pretty rural. And aside from the accent, it seemed pretty much the same as Angelica, NY. You get outside of the bigger cities in NY (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and NYC), New York looks like a giant "red state."
- mark
Good writer, good thinker
- Steve Olson
Poor people donate the most (in America at least) update: as a percentage of their income - http://www.zee.me/blog...
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Alfredo, mridul, Derrick and 31 other people liked this
Actually, the wealthy donate the most. It's called taxes.
- Cristo
that's not donating
- Zee.
Zee, I would donate more if I paid less taxes. A good part of taxation is forced donation. Also, this chart is based on percentage of income, as if wealthy dollars aren't the same as poor dollars.
- Cristo
It is possible to donate and pay taxes.
- joey
Cristo, Zee is right, it isn't donating unless you do it voluntarily. Taxation is forced confiscation.
- Steve Olson
joey, it certainly is possible. I allocate a certain amount each year for taxation and donation. Unfortunately the government uses up most of the allocation. I hope they're using it wisely.
- Cristo
i believe that chart indicates that the poor donate a higher percentage of income that the wealthy. Rich folks still give MUCH more in raw dollars.
- Tad
that's a very good point Tad
- Zee.
I think I already made that point, but maybe I was too obscure.
- Cristo
Yes, but that money means a lot more to the poor than it does to the rich, Tad.
- Alex Scoble
and Rich people are busy spending their money, so they don't bother donating any..on the other hand, poor people don't have much money, so they remember to donate some every now and then.
- Ahmed
Ahmed, yeah. Rich people are just spending all the time. I guess that must mean they're helping out the economy right?
- Cristo
Well yeah, if the money doesn't go in other rich people's pockets..of course!
- Ahmed
What's the point of stuff like this anyways. Are we trying to prove that poor people are somehow morally superior to the rich? Think of Bill Gates who is giving away more of his money than all the poor in this country combined. Does that make him better?
- Tad
Ahmed, I think you're onto something there. I think rich people should just save 99% of their money, and then donate the other 1%. Then when the economy crashes like a lead zeppelin, the rich people can buy everything at super deflated prices and donate some more money.
- Cristo
Exactly!
- Ahmed
Here's another idea. How about we say that no one can have more than a million dollars. If you reach a million dollars, you have to give your money away. Does that sound good?
- Cristo
Don't you all wish economy is that simple?
- Hiro Asari
Hiro, actually, I think we should have friendfeed commenters running the economy (besides me of course, since I'm not that smart). It would be really interesting to see how quickly the economy would recover with some of these excellent ideas.
- Cristo
Good idea Cristo...
- Ahmed
@Tad "the poor are the most charitable" would have been a better headline i agree. But the fact that poor people spend more as a percentage of their income than the wealthy....is not the same as "Homeless people use less electricity than the wealthy, therefore better for the environment." because the prior is optional,
- Zee.
Yeah Scott. I particularly like the comments that came before my first one.
- Cristo
Yeah, and poor people do nothing because they are poor?
- Alex Scoble
In terms of who gives to what kind of Non-profits this is also true. In lean times the museums hurt- because endowments and giving are down. But homeless shelters/foodbanks are most often supported by smaller donations from people who are on the edge of using them, past clients, people who have felt poor, or work with the poor. The rich don't generally "endow" shelters. And the less wealthy tend to give slightly more in lean times like these.
- moon_shadow70
Scott, I'm guessing you think long term capital gains is a loophole. Oops, I just discovered that Scott blocked me, so I guess he won't see this. I'm going to miss those intellectual conversations I had with him.
- Cristo
My dad used to have a calculator like this in the 70s. http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2009...
Craig Eddy liked this
I used to play with it in church. I hated church. Hard wooden pews. But that calculator made it tolerable.I had some imaginary Star Trek game I played with numbers. I can still see the LED numbers and the sound of phasers in my imagination.
- Steve Olson
Conversation Agent: Do You Ever Feel Like Giving up? - http://www.conversationagent.com/2009...
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Ever feel like quitting? Read this post.
- Steve Olson
@kylesellers the man is a Republican. ignore what he says at your party's own risk. the majority is in the middle.
Karoli, can you define what middle means?
- Steve Olson
Professor points out the obvious problem facing US health care, which no politician would ever mention: We spend too much keeping really, really old people alive [Obvious] - http://www.fark.com/cgi...
@baratunde, Anthony Citrano, xero and 9 other people liked this
"We" shouldn't be spending anything keeping someone else's elderly alive. However, *I* should have the right to be kept alive no matter how old I am if *I* can pay for it. Same for my parents: if *I* want to pay to keep them alive (and I know that's what they want) then no dumb-ass politician or government employee should be able to tell me any different. But alas, that's where we're headed.
- Craig Eddy
Agreed, Craig. I want to make my own choices, no matter what they may be, rather than having the choices made for me.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Problem is, people with no money or no insurance expect to be taken care of. Since when did health care become a right and not a privilege?
- Jeff P. Henderson
On another note, cya medicine forces some doctors to do multitude of expensive tests/procedures on these really terminal cases. Then you have my mother-in-law (very non-compliant diabetic) chooses to not do anything that will assit her care management but demands tests/procedures to make something better that will never be better until she takes responsibility for her health issues.
- Janet
By extension we pay way too much on defense to keep these old people alive too. Police, fire, and the courts too. Why not just herd them up and put them in cage until they do the proper thing and die? Oh, and the low IQ people are to expensive. And the non-productive gimps. And people in the religion and the political party that are opposite of you. Think how much money we'll save...
- Todd Hoff
Sparky would agree with this.
- Rochelle
Todd, you miss the point. It's perfectly fine with me for you to finance as many as you like. The opposite should also be true, that it should be perfectly fine for me to not finance any of them. But that isn't true. That's the issue I have; I am not being given a choice.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
You're given as much choice as I am about how much money we spend on overseas conflicts, MVB. I happen to believe we spend too much money trying to bring democracy to people who really, really don't want it.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Exactly true, Tina. I want the choice for everyone to exist to do as they wish. Not just in healthcare, but in every aspect of life. And so, it seems, do you, as well. The choice has been taken away from us under the guise of "democracy" that has done nothing but remove our freedom of choice in many matters. The problem is most people do not want the responsibility that must also accompany choice.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
I think that's an admirable ideal, but it would be at best chaotic and at worst disastrous in practice, Mark. For instance: say I choose to not allocate my tax dollars to the military. How does the fed prevent me from benefiting from the military once I make that choice? What about the interstate system, or diplomatic relations? It's all well and good to use the example of health care...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
That darned responsibility always gets in the way, doesn't it...
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Isn't the libertarian choice to leave MVB? And what level of choice would you like? Is every bullet for an M16 to be your choice? Is every air craft carrier? Is every bag of cement? That' what a republican form of democracy means, being stuck with the idiocy of others. I'm stuck with your particular brand of idiocy and you are stuck with mine.
- Todd Hoff
Thought about this on my drive home, and I have a couple of scenarios for you Mark. Say there's no healthcare for those that can't afford it. Fair enough, right? Are vaccinations still mandated for entry into school? If so, poor people can't go to school then because they can't afford the vaccinations and it would be illegal to attend without them. Are we as a nation ok with ensuring...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Tina, as for the vaccinations question, it's state-by-state. In WA state, they are not required for entry into public school. I don't know about the laws in other states.
- Rochelle
whether you like it or not, you live in a community.. a society. With it comes a contract to help that society. Tell you what, spend 6 months to a year of your life with no health insurance then look back at your experiences and see if your opinion of tax paid public healthcare have changed. Time and time again I see the people that can afford healthcare bitch about "paying for other...
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- alphaxion
Interesting scenario, Tina. It does make me think, for sure. I fully agree that my supposed ideal is anarchy and the majority of people on our planet are mentally and physically not equipped to do anything for themselves. I blame entitlements and poor parenting for that. And I do agree that your example is good proof that being a productive member of a society is a better way to go than being a lone wolf. But what of the unproductive members of society?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
@alphaxion Two things: 1. Your statement, "With it comes a contract to help that society." is precisely true. And what do we do with those who break the contract and do not help society? Those are the ones who get a free pass, are they not? 2. I spent several years without health insurance. I seem to be just fine. And I do pay for my own insurance, because I don't think it is fair to burden you with my problems; a minority opinion, sadly.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
@Todd, just because something is a certain way, doesn't mean it has to stay that way, does it?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Mark, it really depends on what you mean by physically and mentally equipped to deal with anarchy. Are you? Can you grow your own food, fill your own ammunition, slaughter your own animals, sanitize your own water? Is there even the possibility of harvesting food and water from the plot of land where you live? Are you willing to kill someone to defend your home? I ask because in a truly...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
That's always been the investment in all research. Only 200 years ago the "really really old people" were 40. 600 years ago the "really really old people" were 20. Life expectancy was clawed up to 75 one week at a time with the lion's share of the research and resources. And MVB, there' land beyond the borders of this one where you can set up your land of choice. We'll even give you 2 year head start before we take it away from you. Ready.....go!
- Matthew DeVries
LOL Here's the deal: I don't want anarchy anymore than you. What I want is a society that makes some sense. You have all pointed out that there are logical reasons to be a "productive member" of society. But here's my question to all of you: If I am not a productive member of society, meaning that I add nothing of value but continue to consume resources, what is the downside? And if there is no downside, why, logically, would I waste my time and energy producing resources if it is not logical to do so?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
The problem with this is this... Force...do we force people to be responsible for their fellow man and community under threat of prison or worse? If so, forever? How many things shall we force others to do for one another? Were is the line? Or do we work toward a society where people do not need to be forced to take responsibility for themselves and others? Me I will work for the...
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- Steve Olson
What if Steve is correct? What if the reason that force is needed to make people responsible is that people assume "the government" will take care of it so they don't have to? What if "the government" stopped doing that and people started helping people again?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
When did people help people when they didn't have to? I'm not talking a case here or there, or a religious sect here or there. I'm talking humanity: what exactly is our track record when it comes to voluntarily helping the downtrodden when there's nothing in it for us?
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
And, why would that ever be a good thing for a society that wants to grow and evolve?
- Matthew DeVries
My father and mother told many, many stories from their respective youths, growing up in the depression and then the war, of neighbors, friends and family taking care of each other. Before welfare existed. That is when, Tina
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Except if you were negro, gay, romani, injun, chy kneez, then you were pretty much effed.
- Matthew DeVries
Matthew, just so I understand, you are saying that people helping each other instead of a government entity helping them, is bad for a society?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
So did my grandmother, Mark. Let's just say that her experience as one child of seven in the south during the depression wasn't nearly so heartwarming. And again: outside of that 10-15 year era, what's the human track record of helping those in poverty?
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Who's to say, Tina. That's when welfare started. I am a big fan of the ability of people to help each other, maybe more so than others. Here's why: if you need a dollar and I hand you a dollar, you get a dollar. If you need a dollar and I hand the government a dollar, you get 42 cents. I don't see why people think that is better...
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Medicare has an overhead of <2%. What is Blue Cross?
- Matthew DeVries
SSI and SSD are about $35 TRILLION underfunded.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
We've had this discussion before, and it boils down to this: you're a lot more optimistic about people than I am. Sure, some people are good and willing and helpful. And a lot if not most truly do mean well. But take a look at how those well meaning people manage their finances: whatever there take home is, that's what they need to live. They make more, they wind up needing that new...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
$0.42 (a number I reject, but we'll use it) forced out of every person on your block is much better for the hungry, than your voluntary $1.00. Focus your energy out of cleaning out corruption and abuse out of the programs that work, and you'll be able to claim a lot more people helped when you sign your score card in St. Peter's scorer's tent.
- Matthew DeVries
Matthew, I've decided that instead of fighting and forcing, I'm going to become an unproductive member of my society and take the free ride with no consequences, instead.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Pics, Mark. Pics.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Hasn't anyone seen Logan's Run? How soon till we decide you're too old to be sucking up resouces and round everyone up who is 30 or older?
- Lindsay is in 20-ten
@Jeff: "Since when did health care become a right and not a privilege?" It's that way in the more civilised societies already. Just not here.
- m9m, Crone of FriendFeed
@Lindsay That is kind of my point. The more you allow the government to control you, by providing for you, the more likely Logan's Run becomes.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
MVB and Tina, I'm not sure I am correct. But I want to help build a future where we don't need aremed men with shaved heads, black helmets and german shepards patroling high school parking lots looking for cigarettes in cars (which is what happens in my school district). I want a world were people aren't tazered and killed because they refused comply when asked to blow in a tube at the...
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- Steve Olson
@ Steve: Your question, "If we don't have faith in humanity to evolve, what can we have faith in?" is mine as well. I have faith that humanity, our society, can accomplish great things. I also believe we can do so without the threat of force. It is unfortunate that so few share the same belief.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Define "Really really Old": I imagine the point of view would change with each passing year...
- m9m, Crone of FriendFeed
Vaccinations is a public health issue because of contagions.
- You.
Without the "old" to experiment on, there'd be no medical breakthroughs for the young. The money is going to heal them, but what is learned helps us far more. Do you think heart transplants were sorted out using 15 year olds?
- Matthew DeVries
This has long been a gripe of mine - was just talking about it last night. A very large percentage of our lifetime health care spending is spent in the last 90 days of life. For many, these are 90 days they would rather not have lived.
- Anthony Citrano
The real problem is that a LOT of health care providers have a TREMENDOUS financial incentive to offer that care. And most of the dollars are medicaid and medicare dollars - so the federal government (aka the taxpayers) are footing the bill.
- J.D. Deutschendorf
@JD-you are correct. Medicare is cutting reimbursements once again, making it most difficult to stay afloat if you are a non-profit healthcare organization. The problem has so many facets - lawyers with big payout suits cause your doctor to practice offensive medicine - every test possible so you are not sued for not offering a particular test. It is wasteful and overkill and taxing the system.
- Janet
I'd say that a thick skin is definitely a requirement for getting in to real discussions here on friendfeed.
Anthony Citrano, Lars Clausen, Thomas Hawk and 53 other people liked this
So is being intelligent and reasonable and truly interested. I think being open to different points of view is critical otherwise the discussion becomes black and white.
- Steve Olson
Thick skin is a requirement for life, I'd say.
- Tom Harrison
Yep, just happened to me. I was joking and someone took me seriously and just blocked me.
- Trish R
Wow, I submitted a comment once and it appeared 4 times.
- Tom Harrison
Yes, I saw that, Trish. :)
- Alex Scoble
It was totally a joke. Oh well.
- Trish R
We should unionize ;)
- Jeff (the マクダジ of FF)
LOL @ Aden. I returned too late to see what you said.
- Trish R
I logged out to read the thread. The writer of the post had some pretty nasty comments. And Aden, your comments were fine. Wow.
- Trish R
Some of the "jokes" are not jokes at all but nasty attacks dismissed by poster as a "joke."
- Michael Tefft
Michael, my comment was completely a joke and not meant to be an attack at all.
- Trish R
Yeah, I left after 3 or 4 days the first time I came on here because I got into a political discussion I should never have bothered commenting on anyway. Hated friendfeed for ages after that and then decided to give it another try. This time around I'm subbed to some pretty lovely and interesting people. Still need to work on my skin though :) Or just lay off the discussions altogether if I'm feeling heated!
- Charlotte M
Replace "friendfeed" with "anywhere on the internet" and it still holds true.
- Eric P
Too true, Eric.
- Alex Scoble
I've always wondered if hyper-sensitive people think that communicating on the internet will be easier, since they don't need to be face-to-face with people. But, the reality is that it is often more difficult b/c tone/voice can be hard to read. There are jerks online and IRL and they both prey on weakness.
- Katy S
You can't be thin-skinned in this joint.
- Dave "Freedom 35"
Katy, thats exactly what I thought. Then I realized that talking face to face *was* actually the easiest way for me to communicate. I seem to have far more confidence online though.
- Charlotte M
Charlie - it's something I'm acutely aware of, because I teach and study writing. I see so much of these issues in my students' papers - not "getting" how their words might come across to others, making jokes that don't come across, etc. However, I suspect most people don't think about it as much as I do.
- Katy S
Define joke? One person's joke is another person's insult
- rowlikeagirl
If one's person joke is your insult, then I submit that you aren't thickskinned enough to be on the internets.
- Alex Scoble
While I certainly agree that one needs a thick-skin to surf the nets, saying one should never be offended or insulted strikes me as off balance. You get to say whatever you want from a desire to be funny and I don't get to say that I dislike it? Yeah. No. If you make a joke and it falls flat with someone and someone objects, well, then, that's the risk you take. Escalation is the thing....
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- ♥patricia♥
*blocks pea for ranting at alex and alex for failing to get it* =D
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Tina, but we're still friends, right? Oh wait. Hmm. [sigh] :-)
- ♥patricia♥
I love how I say one thing and it gets extruded in to this whole other idea like a block of copper that was meant to be an expensive brick that instead gets turned in to wire for making car airbags.
- Alex Scoble
I'm grinning like an idiot now Pea. Needed that!
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
how dare you sir
- Marco(aureliusmaximus)
That's only because you don't get what you say, Alex....
- David HC Soul
Pardon me sir, but I always get my own jokes! You take that back!
- Alex Scoble
So, uh, what exactly IS a troll as defined by Friend Feeders? (assuming Trish is referring to the same post I read)
- Jess
Everyone has been uber polite to me in general, only one person has ticked me off in the time that I have been here, unsubbed in under 10 seconds, and ignored period. I find most everyone here polite. Guess I am missing the controversy. Dang. ;-)
- Dan Morrill AKA Techwag
Dan, if you want, I can help you create some on your own feed.
- Alex Scoble
True dat.
- Derrick
And thick skin doesn't mean you have to put up with assholes either. But there's a difference between people having fun on a thread that goes against the grain of your conversation and someone being an asshole.
- Alex Scoble
@Alex - I am sure you can do that, and by all means feel free to say what you want. If you come up with something new I'll give you a prize. I have heard it all from my upbringing, to how I breath. Even been called lame by Robert Scoble :-) and still hanging in there. :-)
- Dan Morrill AKA Techwag
Hehe, Dan, sorry but it sounded like you wanted some controversy in your life.
- Alex Scoble
ROFL, Jason.
- Alex Scoble
I'm on friendfeed because I DO give a crap what other people think. Even Alex!
- Jim in Real Time
Now that's scary enough to unplug from the internets...
- Alex Scoble
I'm with dan i've avoided 90% of controversy probably because I avoid the politics stuff, but then I have managed to use Block for the first time in a year each of the last two days. I wouldn't blame everyone though it's either them or me or more likely the combination of the two. And actually I agree with Jim's thought I do care what people think but don't particularily worry about what they think about me. PS I'm probably a troll. Damn it all.
- Steve C
@alex, no worries, I was trying to be funny and see if you could top what I have experienced in 7 years of blogging. You have to develop a thick skin when you blog, you have no choice. Same holds true for social networking. If you can not develop a thick skin, then maybe social networking might not be the right choice for you. Or you need to keep your social networking small amongst people you know (and even then that won't help when there is a personality blow out).
- Dan Morrill AKA Techwag
Some of the biggest controversies you can get in to on the internets have nothing to do with politics. Some people are very very protective about their brands for instance, pretty much to the point of religion.
- Alex Scoble
I've found that I've had to tone down my online sarcasm and abrasiveness a LOT since I've joined FriendFeed, especially in the last few months. Some people really won't or can't take a joke, or cannot view anything other than face value. I really don't have time to spend defending my opinions on anything. I've also gotten to the point where I will not tolerate any kind of trolling on my...
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- Helen Sventitsky
Pfffttt...I fart in the Texans' general directions.
- Alex Scoble
What? People are sensitive? NO! What happened!? I went to bed, kids were skipping hand in hand down the lollipop streets and now? It's one-dozen shivs a second and a taste of blood to boot! What a world...
- ‘-.-’ Tutivillus Grift
I'm afraid it's true, Tutivillus.
- Alex Scoble
People have their sensitive issues, and I know I've had my feelings hurt on here before by more than one person AND I've gotten pissed off before, too. But I would hate FF if everyone had the same opinion and agreed on everything. No discussion is great until there's dissenting opinions and momma jokes. With regard to the thread today, I actually found out I was blocked because I was...
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- Trish R
*gives fistbump to Trish* Happens to the best of us, Trish.
- Alex Scoble
I did find it funny, though, that he blamed the whole thing on "the Scobles attracting the trolls." Alex is Troll Bait!
- Trish R
I think discussions here at Friendfeed easily turn into sarcastic dialogs. This is understandable in some way. After all we are throwing text at each other. I doubt if many of us would be just as cocky if the same discussions were taking place face to face.
- Rutger Blom
Rutger, I know I wouldn't be. :/
- Helen Sventitsky
Rutger, I think that all depends on how many drinks I had in me at the time. :)
- Alex Scoble
Alex, LOL :-)
- Rutger Blom
What is skin?
- Mike Nayyar
It's that brown stuff (at least in your case) that is holding you together.
- Alex Scoble
You're wrong, Alex, I'm held together by hair and thin viscous fluids
- Mike Nayyar
Well, you'd die without your skin nonetheless, Mike...and really you wouldn't work at all. It would be quite messy.
- Alex Scoble
Sorry Rutger i'm a complete asshat in public, worse than on here. I randomly throw headbutts around and bite puppies and newborns.
- Steve C
Oh, it's messy already. Quite messy.
- Mike Nayyar
Outside of the dreaded election campaign, I think I've only offended in one conversation, and that was because I recently joked about religion. I don't offend easily myself, knowing full well that individuals find themselves totally empowered to say just about anything when their hands are hovering over a keyboard. I've only blocked one individual due to a sudden name-calling frenzy against myself and one of my friends here.
- jcunwired
I got a thick head. Does that count? :D
- Steven Perez
Yes, it does Steven. :)
- Mathew A. Koeneker
I haven't been on FF much these past couple of weeks. Since I started my new job and am much busier, I'm finding it harder to justify coming here to be called names by your brother, etc. I used FF to kill time, and now I have no time to kill! :)
- Dawn
I listened to the Wanda Sykes thing from the Washington Press Circle Jerk party. I thought it was typically hilarious Wanda. For those upset by it, it's time to break out the one and only rule of the Subgenius religion: "Fuck em if they can't take a joke."
Steve Lowe, Jamie Ginsberg and Alex Scoble liked this
"Rush Limbaugh with his 'I hope Obama fails.' I hope his kidneys fail, how you like that?"
- Dave Slusher
I didn't think it was funny. I didn't think it was offensive, just sort of cheap. Not worth the expected reaction.
- Karoli
I found the whole scene to be mean and low brow. To see the president laughing at that kind of nastiness made me sad. Undignified.
- Steve Olson
I didn't think it was particularly funny either. Comedians are given a good amount of leeway because their job is to be funny and sometimes push the envelope. Most times this is a little different than being out and out mean spirited as Rush Limbaugh often is.
- Vaughn
As Steve Martin put it best "Comedy is not pretty." I laughed my ass off the whole way. "We'll count you as black until you screw up. 'Did you hear what that half-white guy did? Who voted for the mulatto?' "
- Dave Slusher
Schwarzenegger has an ambitious plan, use free open source textbooks at public schools. - http://www.reddit.com/r...
Kevin Johnson and LPH™ and his dog P™ liked this
They don't have to be open source but they should be digital
- LPH™ and his dog P™
College textbooks have been a scam for decades. I don't know about public school textbooks but I can imagine the system is similar except the state picks up the tab instead of the student. The problem is artificial scarcity created by the publishers, the schools, and in many cases the authors. 90% of the information in most textbooks isn't new and doesn't need to be printed on paper in "new editions" every year.
- Steve Olson
Does anyone else think 90% of our social problems could be solved by better parenting? I'm being a bit facetious, but so many children are being brought up to be self-centered and selfish. Others are being taught to blame all their problems on someone or something else. So few are expected to take responsibility for their actions.
chaz2b, Kol Tregaskes, Amber, Random Time Lord and 20 other people liked this
How many kids start off their lives in daycare these days? I see so many families who make choices that impact their lives and their children, and these choices are driven by consumption & conformity. You can't have the influence to guide your children without forging a strong bond with years of love & respect. I also don't believe the lessons learned in school (not counting the so-called education) help.
- Arp Laszlo
@Arp, You make great points and I agree. But I must be honest and say I am seeing some extremely bad parenting from homeschoolers lately as well. Allowing bullying and violence and dismissing it as "boys will be boys." Sorry, you need to teach your children that is not okay to use violence to solve problems. Biting and hitting because you don't get your way is wrong.
- Steve Olson
You are preaching to the choir! I am a committed unschooler but 'unschooling' does not meean 'unparenting.' If it's not acceptable for an adult to do to another adult, children need to be taught that too. Plus rather than just saying 'x is right and y is wrong,' the process needs to involve teaching children Why so they learn how to determine whether something is right and wrong on their own. Too many parents take the easy way out.
- Arp Laszlo
I don't think children spending the day in daycare is to blame. That's basically saying that children misbehave because their mothers work outside the home.
- Trish R
@trish: It's not about sexism. Do you really think a child not being raised by their parents (and that's exactly what daycare is), being raised in a one-size-fits-all environment, is better off than a child with constant contact with one or both parents?
- Arp Laszlo
Arp, no, I don't. However, I don't think a child staying in daycare when their parents work outside the home is to blame for the decline in social behavior in children.
- Trish R
Regarding the daycare issue, I don't think it's so much the fact of a child being in daycare but the fact that when they're at daycare, their primary parent(s) are not there. The children are cared for by various adults, oftentimes without very good skills or experience. The ratio of adults to kids is not 1:1 or 1:2 like it would be with a parent and child(ren). I think daycare providers are also often reluctant to provide any "parenting" because they are not the parent.
- Rochelle
So daycare would be ok if the primary parent(s) was/were there? If that was the case, we wouldn't need daycare at all.
- Arp Laszlo
Arp, exactly my point. :)
- Rochelle
Trish, my point, which I did not state clearly, was that the lack of parenting often starts right away, with the parents passing the buck to someone else. It's not the only reason for the decline in social behavior, but it's quite the microcosm of it.
- Arp Laszlo
Well, I disagree, because I don't consider daycare "passing the buck" on parenting.
- Trish R
Strangely enough, when I talk to kids or see kids, they don't seem to be any worse than we were. I think the decline is in part manufactured/engineered by the media and the system. What there is, though, is far less space for children to be children, far less tolerance for things that were once ok, and far more ridiculous expectations on parents and kids.
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
I agree Joelle, things haven't gotten worse, if anything I think they are better than when I was kid in the 70s, but we still have a long way to go. Most of the improvement could be made by better parenting. IMHO, less 5% of the population causes 90% of the social problems.
- Steve Olson
If someone else is raising your child for 30+ hours a week, I'd say that's passing the buck.
- Arp Laszlo
Arp, I think it's way too much of an oversimplification. The flip side is, what happens when you cut the income of a household in half so that one parent can stay with the kids all day? I'm not sure that's always an unmitigated positive.
- Victor Ganata
To speak to this daycare point, I think those who can stay home with their kids need to stop being so smug about it. I see kids who are home with their parents all the time bully other kids too. They usually are the worse kids at the playground/library/zoo. Yes, it's about what parents teach their children. My first kid didn't go to daycare until she was almost 3. I've taught her to be...
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- Admiral Anika
Victor, cost of living is a factor, and it is something that you have control over. People should not complain because they are able to make choices regarding their lives. I have cut my income in more than half and have been planning this for 4 years. I want to spend more time with my children and the only way to do it was to cut expenses, something that is nigh impossible in the NY...
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- Arp Laszlo
Arp, my son stayed in daycare after school from ages 5-9, and I never considered the daycare to be "raising my child." I think it's condescending and judgmental to make a statement against parents who work outside the home as the ones to blame for blanket bad behavior in children, either directly or implied. Also, I know plenty of mothers who do not work outside the home who use child care for their own activities and also for their children to socialize with other children.
- Trish R
Arp, you're falling for a very common fallacy "If I can do it, anyone can do it". Not everyone is going to have the same education/resources/experience/contacts/skills/etc as you (or me, or anyone else). And the simple fact of the matter is that a brat is a brat, regardless of whether they were kept at home or kept in day care. I went to school with a lot of brats when I was a kid: they...
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- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
+++Trish. I was just thinking of that. I have a friend with 4 kids ages 1, 2, 4, 6. She hasn't worked in 7 years. She has 2 nannies, a babysitter and drops her kids off at various activities throughout the morning. She spends most of her time on her hobby. Yes, she's always one of the first people to dump on parents who use daycare.
- Admiral Anika
I came to conclusion that I don't know enough to raise my kids alone. I need other perspectives, thus I bring others into their lives to help them understand things I can't introduce to them. Day care and school aren't necessarily bad, but they can be in many cases. Homeschooling can also be bad, come over to my neighborhood sometime, I'll show you. I'm not a fan of traditional schooling, I've picked Montessori schools for my kids.
- Steve Olson
Trish and others- I got drawn in to this exact conversation with a very similar die-hard homeschooler. I got sooooo frustrated and upset by that ignorant jerk that it bothered me the whole day. As soon as I saw Arp going down that same line of reasoning I immediately blocked him. I highly suggest you do the same and don't look back.
- David Knight
BTW Arp, I respect your courage. It takes a lot of confidence and faith and commitment to unschool. I wish you the very best. Keep me posted on your progress. School isn't for everyone, even though some people flourish in it. I sure didn't. That's why we need options. Lots of options. That's also why I am opposed to compulsory public schooling.
- Steve Olson
you also have the issue of those who are schooled at home and/or not present at activities without their parents are being harmed when it comes to social skills. Kids need a mixture of time with their parents and time without them. This is possibly one of the most important factors of a public school - they get to interact with people in their age groups.
- alphaxion
I liked my year of Montessori - I still remember it! My cousin in Victoria is lucky to have one nearby for her new baby. It's pretty expensive I gather.
- Richard pancakhaus Walker
David, I run into people like Arp all the time. It just amuses me the disconnect from the reality of many people that thought process makes. Especially from those who've never had their kids in daycare at all, so they really have *no* idea what they're talking about. And let's face it, not everyone is cut out to be with their kids all day long. If I could afford to put my 3 yo son in...
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- Admiral Anika
David, I support everyone's choices for their children and what they feel is the best way to raise their children. At the same time, I expect them to respect other people's choices, including mine, and not to make assumptions and judgments based on those choices that differ from their beliefs and/or opinions. I also think it's very risky to point fingers at other children, blaming other...
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- Trish R
I'd just encourage Arp, and David, and everyone else to stay open. One size does not fit all when it comes to education. I don't work well in traditional schools, neither does my wife. However I know people who love traditional schooling and flourished, and we cannot relate on this issue. But we can accept each others choices. What I dislike is when someone wants to force others to school their way, especially when they use the force of government.
- Steve Olson
I very much agree you have to do what's right for your family and understand that others will do the same and come up with different answers. I'm all for a polite and well-reasoned discussion but that was not the way this was headed when I issued the block and looking at the responses I don't think I was wrong.
- David Knight
With you 100% Steve and not just because of the great first name.
- Steve C
Until very recently in history, kids were never raised by just two parents. Coming from a Catholic, immigrant family, I grew up with a decent sized extended family, and parenting responsibilities were definitely spread among lots of aunts and uncles. I think having different caretakers exposes you to different perspectives on life, which does a lot to discourage a solipsistic outlook.
- Victor Ganata
Very true, and something Gatto touched upon in 'Dumbing Us Down.' I had the same experience with house full of extended family in India.
- Arp Laszlo
Trish, it is tough when economics plays a part, but the example you've mentioned is an exception. I won't rescind my opinion due to it, and I know someone who had the same experience of needing to school after divorce. For the rest, it is a choice they make freely.
- Arp Laszlo
@victor if you want to extend that a bit further, it has only really been in the past what, 100 to 150 years that the concept of such an elongated childhood has come to exist. By the time a "working class" child was 8 or 9 they were stuffed into a job. By the time many children were 12 or so they were married off!
- alphaxion
What do you think higher education will look like in 10 years? 15? 20?
It would depend on how many people still believe that an overpriced degree is a requirement for a job.
- Arp Laszlo
There are many people that believe that fewer people will get degrees - at least in the traditional sense. If you extrapolate this chart out 10,20 years you'll clearly see the current situation is unsustainable: http://www.jamtoday.org/post... This article is also interesting: http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchy...
- Steve Olson
Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Get Uncomfortable - http://www.finchester.org/dogs...
 |
This is a great post about how moving away from your comfort zone produces personal growth.
- Steve Olson
When debating, does the use of vulgar language or obscenities influence your opinion of that person's point?
Penguin It's Cold Outside, Steven Perez, Kol Tregaskes and 8 other people liked this
Yes.
- Roberto Bonini
degrades it
- mike "glemak" dunn
Yes, it completely counters their credibility on a subject and/or point.
- Alex Scoble
+1 mike.
- James Ferguson
Yes.
- Chris Gardner
it completely negates the concept of a debate.. why not just have a shouting match . yep like the market place !
- Peter Dawson
Profanity is a tool like any other - can be useful if used correctly.
- Brian Sullivan
If you don't care enough to say "fuck", then you don't really care.
- Roger Benningfield
It does for me. I'm not saying I don't curse or use vulgar language from time to time but ... it has a place IMO and when you're trying to have a reasoned debate I find it often is counter-productive and/or is used to cover holes in logic.
- AJ Kohn
+Brian Language is the weakest form of communication, and a poorly- or under-utilized vocabulary can only denigrate the the speaker's, uh... "Some people have a way with words, other people... not have way." --Steve Martin
- ɐ ɯıʞ sıɹɥɔ
depends on who and where and the context. on FF I would mainly say yes; at a bar with some friends debating over women, sports, etc. vulgarity is welcome if not encouraged.
- grant fox
It depends if it is used intelligently. George Carlin (I know he was a comedian) made poignant and powerful social commentary while using oodles of profanity. I know that isn't specifically about a debate, but it is an illustration of profanity used intelligently. Lewis Black accomplishes similar feats.
- Steve Olson
Yes, I'm not big on profanities or even gateway pseudo-profanities. Very disappointed to realize that they are becoming all too common.
- Mike Reynolds
no more or less than other thin-ice linguistics; so, it depends on the context... it's all English, after all.
- Anthony Citrano
No
- Shevonne
No
- Dobromir Hadzhiev
absofrigginlutely!
- Jim in Real Time
Jim just beat me to it. :)
- Cristo
depends on the context
- Chieze Okoye
Nope.
- Steven Perez
probably
- Cee Bee
sometimes, can't nothing make a point better than a well-timed curse. cursing just to curse doesn't add anything though.
- chrisofspades
Choose: The career that pays well and is stable but boring or the career that doesn't pay as well, isn't very stable but excites you.
DGentry, Denise Aday, Aviv and 38 other people liked this
Money doesn't buy happiness.
- LogEx
I
- Akiva Moskovitz
The former. You can do the later on your own time.
- Dawn
Sometimes life chooses for you. You can always give 2 jobs a try though!
- Jason Wehmhoener
No, but neither does getting laid off every few years. :)
- Alex Scoble
I'll take the former. I have other ways of entertaining myself that make me excited.
- Akiva Moskovitz
The former so you have the luxury of using that well paying job to find a well paying job where you can do what you love and what excites you.
- Kevin Kuphal
always follow your passion, kick ass at it and the money will follow.
- Tac Anderson
former, with Akiva. Art is making stable not = boring.
- Marko Bon
Too many people think they need things that they only want.
- LogEx
latter for me. That's in fact what I'm doing right now. :)
- vijay
Excitement over boring any day.
- Carlton Hackett
I have done both, and would do either again - but I'd take the stable one and try to make it exciting. There are always things to learn, achieve and enjoy even in a "boring" job - and since people and change and making teams that work well and enjoy work is one of the things that excite me, I would succeed. But even more, in a boring industry there still is chance for innovation and disruption too!
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
Choosing a "career" of any kind seems an anachronism these days.
- Brian Sullivan
The latter - you become what you do.
- Robin Barooah
Definitely the latter.
- jcunwired
been doing the former for over 10 years. about to do the latter.
- Brian Daniel Eisenberg
I'd love to say the latter but I also know I don't do well under financial stress and I'd burn out quickly so it'd have to be the first option for me. I'd find exciting elsewhere.
- ♥patricia♥
Neither - choose a path that lets you do stuff that interests you. It's an ideal, but a good one to strive for :)
- Andy Bold
No job is really, truly stable. I'd choose the second one, too.
- Trish R
unstable and exciting, goes well with the motif of the rest of my life.
- Christian (Simply X)
fortunas audaces iuvat: fortune favors the bold. i say go with the exciting one, but i can understand that if you have a family that should be considered a bit differently.
- grant fox
I'll take the first one first. Once I have enough money I'll go for the second one. That is if it all was up to me and things would certainly go my way.
- Dee S.
I've had both. I used to work in the computer games industry, both on the publisher side and developer side, the job was great, the people and environment were excellent but the pay was poor and was made redundant twice in 3 years. Now I've been in a stable(r) sector, the people and environment are great but the job is perhaps lacking the excitement of the games industry but pay is a...
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- Kol Tregaskes
Stable high paying job. Jobs are just a way of putting food on the table. The lack of money stress = doing better at things the fulfill you. You should never try to feed yourself with your passion, cause when it fails to do so, you despise it. Feed yourself with what you're good at, then use the money you make from that to do the things you're passionate about.
- Matthew DeVries
Working with Passion is Life, finding Stability is when it is time to evolve again.
- Jamie Ginsberg
Ideally I would like to be able to choose to do the latter but with the housing costs around here it's a luxury.
- M F
It depends on the day-to-day aspect of the high-pay-but-boring career. If it stays strictly at the office on regular hours, then I'd choose that one, since it would provide freedom to schedule the things I enjoy that don't make money or give me time to find ways for them to make money. If the job doesn't stay at the office or is rarely regular, but still boring, then I'd want the...
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- xero
Latter.
- Mona Nomura
3. Both
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
You only have to work for 8 hours a day. Sleep for 5. That's 11 hours to do whatever the frack you want with your time. That 11 hours is where you get your passion on, meanwhile, the 401K is building, you hit retirement age, and then you can still be passionate for 11 hours a day, and golf for 8.
- Matthew DeVries
The either/ or presumption is where the losing often starts.
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
I will be going from a high-paying boring career to a low-paying exciting career in about a year from now. And I'm so totally looking forward to it, you can't even imagine. (@Matthew: I want your job. I can't remember the last time I or anyone like me worked only 8 hours a day)
- tinypants - Hagitha of FF
Yes, Rob, if you can find a career that is stable and exciting and pays well, that would be the ultimate win, win, but such situations are rare, I think.
- Alex Scoble
Alex--So I've been told. :-)
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
Situations often need to be created or they won't occur.
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
Excitement is a must.
- Håkan Dahlström
both and neither. so many careers now offer you the option of a stable(-ish) 9-5 or an unstable, flexible, work-when-and-where-you-want schedule. which to choose is up to you
- tiffany
Tiffany, stable means you don't get laid off every 2.5 years or less.
- Alex Scoble
i guess it comes down to your ambitions. if you just want a job that pays well and promises a life in middle-management, then plan A. if you are career-minded and want more than just a paycheck, then do plan B. i'm not saying this to knock anybody, I understand that there are many people that could care less about their work and like to focus on other things. but if you're not one of those people, then you're selling yourself short by not taking risks.
- grant fox
I was into music, went to school on music scholarship, and all my music teachers told me to get a regular career; then you can have fun playing. They all wished they were engineers playing for fun instead of trying to perform as a career. Sure you love to play, but not playing the rent lowers the excitment factor considerably.
- Eric @ CSTechcast.com
If #2 can provide for basic needs: shelter, food, high speed internet connections then I'd opt for that. It's hard to be excited while starving or surfing on DSL. ;)
- CAJ, somewhere else
made my choice long ago.
- Jim in Real Time
Limiting your choices to what you perceive as 'available' or 'offered' are common errors. You have already stacked the deck against yourself.
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
2 out of 3 is always better than 1 out of 3. And 1 out of 3 is better than none out of 3.
- Mike Reynolds
Why would you choose? Seems like a false choice. Also, +5 to Brian Sullivan and Rob Michael's comments..
- Anthony Citrano
Refuse to choose!
- Steve Olson
Steve, if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice...
- Christian (Simply X)
So Steve's all about being unemployed?
- Pat Hawks
my point, alex is that over the course of your career you can have periods of stability and instability. i'm lucky that i have a stable job that pays well *and* excites me. but because of what i do, i can also have a less steady paycheck by being a freelance contractor, or by using my tech and writing skills to run my own travel web community while traveling the globe. many careers -- "fields" might be a better word -- offer that kind of flexibility.
- tiffany
here's an interesting addendum to the question - "and is your original choice affected by changes in economic climate?"
- Steven Hodson
Alex, this is my all time favorite quote about career: "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." Pearl S. Buck
- Majento
right now I'm going with the former. stability is tantamount when you have dependent children.
- chrisofspades
Depends on the definition of "boring" in this scenario. I find the vast majority of work boring, so I'd probably go with the higher pay. But if we're talking soul crushingly repetitive, surrounded by people with whom you have no connection then I'd take the exciting one for sure.
- Soup
Low-paying but interesting/exciting
- Jen (SquirrelGirl)
My lil' brother just turned down a full ride to Stanford PhD program because he thought the UC's was more interesting. Never been prouder. And yes our whole family is poor :)
- Steve C
If I was excited to go to work, then it would be part of my life and therefore it would take the need away for such things as tv, internet, friends, sleep, etc.. which would cut costs extremely.
- CW™
I've always wanted to be a tornado chaser, but I wonder how much they get paid? Pretty unstable job if you ask me.
- Michael Forian
I rock back and forth on this one, but ultimately, it comes down to what the situation is. Ideally, I'd take the less pay, more excitement, but certain things need to be right for that to work. I think I'm analyzing the question too much :)
- Justin Korn
If they're the only choices, the former. I have a family to feed, I can make my own fun on my own time
- Glenn Slaven
I chose the latter and found a way to make it pay more
- David Eedle
I have always done it wrong, - excitement for less pay, more rewarding in the longer run. Did it for money stable/read dull, and had more issues than when I am doing fun stuff for little/no money.
- Dan Morrill AKA Techwag
Having just answered the 'how old are you' question, I wonder how much age factors into peoples' answers?
- jcunwired
Coming from a background of serious financial insecurity (family-wise), I definitely want a stable, well-paying job. Can always save up and go crazy later.
- Jon, the Beartato of '10
from fftogo
Definitely a tough decision. I can go either way. I'd probably go for the first. Stability is good. I'd rather not worry about money, have the time to do other things I love, and not live my life at work. I've worked at startups. The perks were nice and it was exciting.. but spending too many hours working also sucked. Balance is good.
- Rodfather
The last one. If I do the first one, what is the point of being here?
- Rahsheen ™, Coach Rah
I have the first one because I am building up to the second one.
- David Cook - 2010!!!
I have the latter now, and wouldn't go back.
- Mark Traphagen
If it has to be between only those two, of course the latter.
- Kamilah Gill
Job stability is an illusion. Go with what excites you and you're likely to excel to a level of better income.
- Dennis O'Neil
I'm finishing up a phd in English - you figure it out.
- Katy S
In the end, it's all the same. Go for what excites you. That's the direction life's telling you to head. Mind as well enjoy what you do - either way it will be hard.
- Patricia
I'll always take the latter. Too much of our lives are spent at work and the time spent not working can be very ill affected if choosing the former.
- Mark Krynsky
I'd want to do something I enjoy, and have time/money to do whatever I want.
- Grant Bierman
What about the career that pays well and you love?
- Nicholas James
Option B :)
- Leslie Poston
Pre-kids: option B. Now: option A.
- DGentry
Well, assassination pays well, and the scenery always changes, but the long hours waiting for the target can get boring.
- Steven Perez
ROFLMAO, Steven.
- Alex Scoble
I've had both. When I was younger, the exciting job where I got to live abroad, travel, and take chances was great. Now that I have a child starting college, I need the stability as well as the paycheck. Of course, there's nothing that says a stable job can't be exciting; it is what you make it, to a large extent.
- Glen, Bespectacled Elder
LOL!! ++Steven
- Kim
I chose my own path, the career that pays well, I have no boss and is stable and exciting
- Lisa Schwartz
Garrison Wynn & The Truth about Successâ¢: Thoughts on success from Wynn Solutions - http://thetruthaboutsuccess.com/author...
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This is great post on success and entrepreneurship.
- Steve Olson
When is the best time to water a lawn?
Beau Liening, Simon Wicks, Kol Tregaskes and 2 other people liked this
Right now I'm watering the lawn for 10 minutes at 8PM and 10 minutes at 9PM. I do half one night, half the next and repeat.
- Alex Scoble
dusk
- MicahBear78
Morning, just before down. Watering in the evening or early night time promotes mold. http://www.ehow.com/how_812...
- Steve Olson
Thanks, Steve and Micah.
- Alex Scoble
Yes early morning is the best it allows the water to soak (without too much evaporation) and avoids possible molds...
- Kelly W.
Before the sun gets too hot. It's best to water in the morning if plants (not just grass) is involved. Steve is 100% correct.
- Admiral Anika
Depends on the climate. If it's hot and dry -- do it overnight.
- Shey, Jamaican of FF
But I should water with chocolate, right Shey?
- Alex Scoble
I don't. I enjoy the green in the spring and deal with the brown in the summer.
- Alan Simpson
Where we are recommended is heavy watering once every 4-7 days. The amount is the issue not the time -- and it varies with soil type -- I found this http://www.nutri-lawn.com/waterin... -- it might be helpful.
- Brian Sullivan
@Alex Absolutely.
- Shey, Jamaican of FF
Wouldn't that be chocolating the lawn? ;p
- Anthony Citrano
Having worked on golf course construction, I've seen all the horrible things that can happen to grass. You want the best bang for your buck? In the summer, water your lawn over night. Oh and never let fresh sod go dry.
- Shey, Jamaican of FF
Hehe, Shey, I live in the Portland metro area of Oregon. It's only hot and dry for 2 weeks out of the year.
- Alex Scoble
You're not watering everyday, are you?
- Admiral Anika
Not the same spot, no Anika. Every other day.
- Alex Scoble
Early morning is best (for most climates / conditions) and best to finish before 10:00 a.m. As mentioned previously, it's the amount of water that matters. Low amounts promote root growth nearer the surface and therefore prone to damage from high or low temps. Here in Florida, I water once a week, but for one hour (front & back; two hours total). This may sound exorbitant, but with the heat and humidity here, it's needed. Otherwise the sod & shrubs wither within days.
- JA Castillo
JA, I water for 10 minutes and let it soak then another 10 minutes because that's how golf courses do it (my future brother in law manages golf courses...at the time he told me this he was managing a course in Vegas).
- Alex Scoble
I live in Seattle. We don't water here. The weather takes care of it for us. :)
- Rochelle
I was going to say 'hey, I live in Seattle, too!' but then I saw your name.
- joey
You don't live in Seattle, joey! :P
- Rochelle
@Alex - For a course in Vegas, I can see why that might work. From my experience and through discussions with other Landscape Architects and facility managers in my area, watering is done in a saturation method as it is more effective.
- JA Castillo
Thanks, JA for confusing the issue! Seriously, though, I'm thinking that for my area, where it usually isn't hot and dry that the short intervals will work best.
- Alex Scoble
LOL...just doing what I do best!
- JA Castillo
and the type of soil you have can also make a difference. If you have a heavy clay soil, it's better to do more frequent, shorter watering because otherwise it will all run off and not be absorbed. just to add even more to the issue ;)
- holly
overnight 1230am to 6am-ish twice a week / 6 zones
- Carlos Ayala
Rochelle, we do sometimes have that 3 or 4 week stretch in July-ish that people in other places refer to as "summer" when we have to water...
- Kevin Pedraja
never. The grass will grow when it rains
- Kevin Kuphal
+1 Kevin K.
- Cole Jolley
when it rains
- Simon Wicks
If I watered the lawn when it rained, I'd be wasting water. Funny though.
- Alex Scoble
You might shrink too
- Simon Wicks
BEFORE it's dead.
- Adam Lasnik
Twilight
- Helen Sventitsky
Oh crap, I didn't realize that L.A. is really going to start rationing water. On June 1st, it will be illegal to water your lawn between 9 am and 4 pm. http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp...
- Victor Ganata
NC just passed the health benefits punishing smokers and fatties. Grumpy that I am a fatty even though I gym regularly and eat decently.
You. and Steve Olson liked this
This is so bizarre to me. There are a ton of ways to be unhealthy while being the "proper" weight. Seems like the point of group health insurance in the first place is to spread that risk out, not target individual conditions or behaviors.
- Rachel Walden
We opened the door when we scapegoated smoking. Now anything perceived as unhealthy is on the table.
- Steve Olson
Did The Housing Market Bottom in Late 2008? - http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2009...
What are you seeing in your area?
- Steve Olson
from Bookmarklet
The Craig Show ⺠Craig Teiken's tips on golf and your game - http://www.thecraigshow.com/
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This is hands down the most entertaining golf vlog on the internet. Must see for any golf enthusiast!
- Steve Olson
Recession resistant business? Selling guns and ammo. I hear that local gun shops are out of almost all ammo. Answer why here:
Susan Beebe, Rutger Blom, Hutch Carpenter and 20 other people liked this
There's a rumor going around in California that the State is going to really raise taxes on ammo, so people are stockpiling thousands of dollars worth.
- Robert Scoble
Hunting?
- Johnny Worthington
Patrick's step-father runs a gun shop. He says gun sales are also brisk.
- Robert Scoble
That and the fascist government of President Obama is soon to announce a nationwide collection of all firearms greater than BB guns.
- Tad
Johnny: nope, this is for handguns. Although it sounded like all gun ammo is in short supply right now.
- Robert Scoble
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuude... *rethinks his trip to California*
- Johnny Worthington
So they can shoot up their places of employment when they get laid off. Simple.
- Sam Ismail
Gun nuts are stockpiling for the Armageddon seems like a likely reason.
- Brian Sullivan
Brian: that's part of it, but most of his business isn't weird nutty people.
- Robert Scoble
they are getting ready for the invasion from mexico !! - oh btw this trend is only on the border states.. States like MI and CT have no shortages from what I can tell.. !
- Peter Dawson
Brandon: that's part of it too, cause gun owners are expecting anti-gun legislation to come down the pike.
- Robert Scoble
Sam, there was something on that topic in the local news last night. Shootings going up bec of ppl being unemployed and being disgruntled.
- Kashif Khan
To some extent there is feed-back cycle of hoarding going on. People have a hard time getting ammo, so they buy more than they normally would whenever they find it available, which further strains the supply. This is a nation-wide phenomenon that extends to other supplies as well. My father reloads his ammo and hasn't been able to get primers for months now.
- Charles Fenwick
I suspect whenever Democrats return to the majority, either nationally or in a particular state, there is a rush on ammo sales. Justified or not, nut-case or not, it is simply expected that more gun control legislation will follow.
- DGentry
Preparing for 2012?
- CAJ, somewhere else
Robert, It is a base fear that guns and ammunition may be banned, partially banned, or punitively taxed. I don't know if the fear is founded in reality or not, the exact same thing happened in 1993 when Clinton was elected. In his first two years he was successful in banning certain types of ammunition, certain types of magazines and rifles, and he signed the Brady Bill. Some analysts believe his aggressive attack on guns led to the Republican takeover in 1994.
- Steve Olson
Gun nuts are afraid the government is going to take away their unnecessary assault rifles so they're buying them while they still can (See Tad above). I LOVEs MA GUN. OR... People realize it's makes better economic sense (and it's better for the environment) to shoot their meat than to buy it from a factory farm.
- David Connell
Robert: I consider anybody buying handguns/military rifles and ammunition for them weird nutty people.
- Brian Sullivan
BTW, it isn't just in California, there is a run on ammo here in Minnesota as well.
- Steve Olson
I reload our shells for target shooting :) and have enough gun powder to hold us over.
- Janet
Also, the short supply of ammo has been an ongoing situation, with demand from Iraq/Afghanistan being cited as the cause. While concerns over regulation in the wake of Obama's election spurred the sales of guns, it is not the sole reason for the ammo demand/supply shortage.
- Charles Fenwick
Maybe the Twitterati are gearing up for an all out war against the forces of Oprah.
- Vincent Galante
Oh, and one more thing, if I may. A few weeks ago there was a panic when a regulation came out of the Department of Defense forbidding the sale of used shells to anyone not planning to melt them down. As this is a significant source for ammo vendors, this would have phenomanally driven up costs and tightened supply. The regulation was stricken a week or so after it came to light, but...
more...
- Charles Fenwick
Guns/ammo sales are up only because of Obama. Look around the country, and you will see gun sales (all types of guns, not only "assault rifles") are way up, including concealed weapons permits. It's no secret that Obama has a strict anti-gun stance and voting record, so no surprise that people are arming themselves. Also, lets not forget the state of the economy, that people want to prepare for the worst.
- Spencer
In Phoenix, its everyday people who a lining up to buy handguns... there is a message here about our society. The local gun shop I visit is busy selling gun's all day long, every day of the week.
- Michael D'Haem
Because too many people in America use the 2nd amendment as a way to (ineffectively) ease their fear of the unknown and subsequent feelings of a lack of control. (Also, Erik Prince is planning a military coup with the help of an African warlord so he can demand that the president give him a seat at the head of the table)
- Ankush Narula
Also: Church.
- Andrew Leahey
Peter: this isn't just a trend in border states. SC has been short on ammo since... Well, since the election. I'd venture to say it's a red state and border state issue.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
It's not just politics and shortage fears driving it. The economy has people worried about increased crime. Guns also depreciate less than most purchases. How many other things can you buy today that will likely be perfectly functional and useful 10, 40, or even 100+ years from now?
- Jon Adair
are sales increasing all over the states or just in a couple of states ?
- Kashif Khan
Buyers may not be primarily of the scary/nutty type - but for me it's a scary/nutty trend. I'd personally ban any gun created for killing people if I had the power.
- Jen (SquirrelGirl)
I'd like to contribute as to why this is, but being Canadian I can only buy simple hunting rifles and even that is a royal pain of a process.
- Matthew Bertulli
Sales are brisk at the local gun shops in my neck of the woods. Major hunting area, major red-neck area, a red spot in an otherwise blue state.
- Janet
Down here in the South I heard the reason was that they were going to be increasing taxes on ammo 500%. I heard another rumor claiming they were going to stamp ever bullet with an ID number (all courtesy of Obama, of course!). Neither of those are entirety true but the fear is a democratic POTUS means tougher gun restrictions which has everyone in a hurry to stock up. FYI I'm not saying any of this is fact, simply fears of the general public.
- Brian Bufalo
Plus you can never be too prepared for a zombie invasion! ;)
- Brian Bufalo
There was a great piece on 60 minutes recently http://www.cbsnews.com/stories... . The cost of ammunition is skyrocketing, so buying now makes sense. And many feel that the Democrats will use this opportunity to increase restrictions on legal gun ownership. Many politicians would like to see NYC gun control legislation go nationwide (high fees (and recurring), multiple trips, long wait times (over 6 months), a requirement that your weapon be unloaded in the home, etc.
- Matt
Perceived shortages --> hoarding --> actual shortages. Very common behavior. Look at gasoline every time a big hurricane threatens oil refining.
- Dave Roth
because the US is headed towards no longer being the world powerhouse; China will take over soon
- clarke thomas
Alcohol is a better recession resistant business, and in fact does better in the bad times.
- Martha
Fear. Plain and simple, fear. Fear of gun rights being taken away and fear of crime. False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is a complete waste of time.
- Carlo At Your Service
What businesses are historically recession resistant? "Well, certain facets of the entertainment industry, and then there's our thing." -Silvio Dante
- Dave Roth
People would have been smart investing in the gun and ammo businesses when they realized a Democrat was going to be in the White House. The unfettered 2nd Amendment fear that comes with that is inescapable.
- Edwin Perello
Americans and their guns...Not a business to be proud of if you ask me.
- Rutger Blom
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