Politics

[spike.t]

China hits back to US by increasing tariffs to 125%

Global stocks fell, the dollar slid and a sell-off in US government bonds picked up pace on Friday, reigniting fears of fragility in the world's biggest bond market. Gold, a safe haven for investors in times of crisis, scaled a record high

www.tbsnews.net

 

[mdwest]

True, for almost all jobs, not just trades. When I started my first company, I put in 70-80 hour weeks with no time for vacations. Worked out great financially that enabled me to cash out and fatFIRE at age 33. It also cost me my first marriage. I was very focused on work at the exclusion of everything else, heck I remember telling my first wife that my work was my number one priority and most important thing when she used to complain about being lonely. So, balance is important.

Yep.

Once I entered my current career field, super long work weeks (months) were a contributor to killing the first marriage, and got pretty close to killing the second for the first few years…

I finally dialed it back a little (the travel schedule was what was killing the second), and thankfully she also puts in long hours (regular job, plus a couple of side businesses, plus works with a non profit) and we’re both understanding of the non typical American work week (I’d guess on average we put in 55+.. occasionally more)… but that’s a good bit better than me doing “half days of work” (12 hours) 6 days a week and being on a 50-65% travel schedule like I was about 10 years ago…

 

[PARA45]

Where did the welding, wood shop, mechanics, etc classes in high school go? Oh, and the old military retired PT instructors. Our education has become too soft, and unfortunately our kids do not go to school to learn (not all of them obviously), they go to school to socialize.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

 

[Red Leg]

Murray is brilliant.

 

[Brent in Az]

Where did the welding, wood shop, mechanics, etc classes in high school go? Oh, and the old military retired PT instructors. Our education has become too soft, and unfortunately our kids do not go to school to learn (not all of them obviously), they go to school to socialize.

When i was in jr. high, and high school, the elective shop classes were extremely popular. Some hard to get into at times because they would fill up quickly.
I took many of them. Wood shop, welding, machine shop, auto shop, photography, printing, etc. Most of which helped me out later in life for practical application

 

[PARA45]

When i was in jr. high, and high school, the elective shop classes were extremely popular. Some hard to get into at times because they would fill up quickly.
I took many of them. Wood shop, welding, machine shop, auto shop, photography, printing, etc. Most of which helped me out later in life for practical application

Exactly my point, I believe they helped tremendously in shaping the future work force.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Murray is brilliant.

He has got to be one of the best journalists extant. IMHO

 

[mdwest]

He has got to be one of the best journalists extant. IMHO

I think thats the critical difference between he and Rogan (and admittedly I like Rogan)..

Murray is a legitimate journalist.. he does research, he physically goes places and sees things for himself, talks to people involved in whatever it is he is reporting on, etc..etc..

Rogan is a commentator..

He brings in guests that are "experts" in a particular field of knowledge or experience, and he talks with them, then offers his opinions/positions on what he hears..

You have to acknowledge each for what they are.. very different animals..

 

[Brent in Az]

I remember in 8th grade I signed up for the home economics elective because a shop class I wanted was full
A couple guys in a class full of girls. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[deewayne2003]

Where did the welding, wood shop, mechanics, etc classes in high school go? Oh, and the old military retired PT instructors. Our education has become too soft, and unfortunately our kids do not go to school to learn (not all of them obviously), they go to school to socialize.

Those shops closed when the men that taught them retired and there were no qualified replacements; I graduated in 2002 and the high school machine shop closed in 2005.

My HS friends that took those courses started with learning welding, cutting torch, lathe and mill. By the time we were Jr.'s they knew CAD, CNC CAD programing and were actually building things usually for their race/muscle cars.... How many 17-18yo do you know today that could bend pipe and weld good enough to custom fabricate a roll cage inside a Z28 Camaro?

I also remember the shit storm that ensued when our principle Mr. O'neal walked into that shop and caught my buddy Steve installing the mount for Nitrous Oxide bottles in the trunk of that Z28; he would have been expelled if not for our school resource officer pointing out that there is nothing illegal about an 18yo possessing an EMPTY nitrous oxide bottle. This is the same police officer that turned a blind eye to us showing up late on the opening day of dove season still clad in camo.

When I went to college, they went to Wyo tech and by the time we were 25 yo Steve and the others owned their own businesses and houses while I was just graduating and paying on student loan balances more then their houses and with higher interest rates.

Now try asking college freshman if they can explain what Square, Plumb & Level means......

It's not the kids that are failing to learn, its the education system that is failing the kids.

 

[BJH65]

I remember in 8th grade I signed up for the home economics elective because a shop class I wanted was full
A couple guys in a class full of girls. What could possibly go wrong?

While I took metal shop, wood shop and plastic shop in HS, it was a requirement as a freshman to take home economics. At least I learned how to sew by hand which actually came in handy later on!

 

[HookMeUpII]

Over 50K?

I was kind of shocked when I saw that figure and the fact he thought he could quit his job.

Wife and I finally got around to doing some estate planning because of my business' value and me getting a little older with two little mouths to feed. After sitting with the lawyer and discussing the value of my business, she innocently asked me if I sold now would that be enough to retire. I wanted to laugh but I explained to her that it wasn't possible.

For comparison purposes, it was a triple digit multiple of $50k. Which still isn't enough to "quit my job". I feel bad for people without a decent concept of money. It's a skill that's often learned the hard way.

I also feel bad for the young generation going and financing $100k cars, jewelry, expensive clothes and they can't afford their mortgage or rent.

 

[CJW]

Guess who owns/runs these places.....

Police freeze £1m as high street raids find cannabis farms and evidence of slavery

Thirty-five arrests after hundreds of barbershops and other businesses raided in UK money-laundering investigation

www.theguardian.com

Police raid sweet shops, barbershops and car washes in huge crackdown

Officers from 19 police forces across England knocked on the doors of 265 businesses as part of Operation Machinize, a mammoth crackdown on high street money laundering.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A month or two ago there was quite the buzz about those shops from folks on YouTube and the like. I guess they figured a symbolic "crackdown" was in order.

 

[mdwest]

While I took metal shop, wood shop and plastic shop in HS, it was a requirement as a freshman to take home economics. At least I learned how to sew by hand which actually came in handy later on!

I didnt take any "shop" classes at all in HS..

I regret it.. It took quite a bit of effort, time, and money to teach myself how to properly use certain tools and accomplish certain tasks as an adult that I should have learned as a teen..

Thank God for youtube, or I'd still be lost and confused on some of it..

 

[HookMeUpII]

While I took metal shop, wood shop and plastic shop in HS, it was a requirement as a freshman to take home economics. At least I learned how to sew by hand which actually came in handy later on!

I was probably one of the last generations to go through that in my area. We didn't have that in HS but we had it in elementary. That was my only honors award. "Industrial Arts" is what they called it. My parents were really proud of that. I was a decent student. Never bad grades, never good grades. Just a pleasant kid who did his work. The shop teacher only gave out one honors award per school year. He gave it to me in 8th grade.

I forgot all about this until you mentioned it. I remember my parents went to "Back to School Night" and the shop teacher, Mr. Mogavero, called them in. They thought I did something like cutting up in class or being a problem. He told them I was gifted and he wanted to give out his one honors award.

Now I own a white collar business but I'll be damned if I can't rebuild a car, fix trim around a door, replace a raw water pump on a marine diesel, and I for damn sure can change a tire.

 

[rookhawk]

This is why we have very few qualified gunsmiths left in this country…

Gunsmithing pays absolute crap and to be truly competent requires 35 years of experience. Allow me to explain: Five years on the job and you've mastered your craft. Lets say you hop in a time machine and visit 1930 London and walk into Purdey. You'll see a master stocker, master checkerer, master engraver, master barrel mechanic, master lock maker, master action filer, master ejector builder, master blacker/browner/bluer.

To be able to competently restore a best gun today you need 8x the mastery of the original maker. You're expected to be able to do master level craftsmanship across 8-10 disciplines whereas the original maker had no such equivelant expectation.

If you can achieve that level of skill and you have a million dollars of tools, equipment, and workshop, you can charge $150 per hour for your work.

Or you can graduate high school and take a paid apprenticeship at 18 years old and by 21-24 years old you're making $150 an hour.

Becoming a professional gunsmith is a financially ruinous decision.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Gunsmithing pays absolute crap and to be truly competent requires 35 years of experience. Allow me to explain: Five years on the job and you've mastered your craft. Lets say you hop in a time machine and visit 1930 London and walk into Purdey. You'll see a master stocker, master checkerer, master engraver, master barrel mechanic, master lock maker, master action filer, master ejector builder, master blacker/browner/bluer.

To be able to competently restore a best gun today you need 8x the mastery of the original maker. You're expected to be able to do master level craftsmanship across 8-10 disciplines whereas the original maker had no such equivelant expectation.

If you can achieve that level of skill and you have a million dollars of tools, equipment, and workshop, you can charge $150 per hour for your work.

Or you can graduate high school and take a paid apprenticeship at 18 years old and by 21-24 years old you're making $150 an hour.

Becoming a professional gunsmith is a financially ruinous decision.

I've personally visited Griffin & Howe here in NJ. They gave me a tour of their gunsmith facility. The oddest place for an establishment of that caliber...NJ. They are probably one of the few in the world that still fit that description.

I personally held a repaired $75,000 OU shotgun. Cracked the stock right at the grip. I couldn't even tell it was repaired.

Unbelievably down to earth folks too. Especially for residing on a hunting club that costs $50,000 a year membership with a first year $75,000 registration fee.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Thank God for youtube, or I'd still be lost and confused on some of it..

YouTube is an amazing resource. The problem with the younger generation is they don't even want to go to step 1, which is consult YouTube to see if there is a video on what they need to do.

I remember the old days before YouTube or at least before the level of content was what it is today. We would use Clymer shop manuals, original print manuals, and just generally accepted knowledge.

 

[CJW]

Didn't really hear a "takedown" there. Clickbaity title by Sky News. My interest is piqued though. Maybe I'll try to listen to the entire episode.