Politics

[Killingtime]

Even though I detest the philanthropy and globalist side of Bill Gates, I do admire the fact that he and his buddies became billionaires over ideas born in someone's garage.
The ultimate entrepreneurial dream.

He is a testament to the American dream. With that being said.. I think he’s evil

 

[Brent in Az]

He is a testament to the American dream. With that being said.. I think he’s evil

So do I

 

[Aaron N]

He is a testament to the American dream. With that being said.. I think he’s evil

It doesn’t hurt that his mom was in tight with the CEO of IBM. Brains are only one part of the equation, you have to have the ability and network to get those ideas to those who matter.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Considering almost 70% of bar-tenders have a college degree...a lot of them would have been better served. But it's not just educators telling them to go to college. I seem to remember plenty of politicians of both sides recommending that too. And big businesses were all too happy to have an educated workforce that they did not have to pay for, nor train as well.

If 70% of bartenders are college educated don’t you think a large percentage of them made poor life choices to end up where they are, let them fail let them struggle they will either find their way out of the mess they are in or they won’t. Don’t subsidize them and make them comfortable where they are. Failure is one of life’s teachers.

 

[Killingtime]

It doesn’t hurt that his mom was in tight with the CEO of IBM. Brains are only one part of the equation, you have to have the ability and network to get those ideas to those who matter.

Networking is probably one of the best avenues to success in this world in both business and government. However so ideas are to good to not succeed. Him Allen would have been successful one way or another. Having a in with IBM just made it sooner

 

[Killingtime]

If 70% of bartenders are college educated don’t you think a large percentage of them made poor life choices to end up where they are, let them fail let them struggle they will either find their way out of the mess they are in or they won’t. Don’t subsidize them and make them comfortable where they are. Failure is one of life’s teachers.

When I hear the word bartender I think of the movie cocktails.. marry rich and enjoy live seems to be the moral of that story

 

[Altitude sickness]

Nonsense. Republicans control every state in the south except for VA and NC. The "teachers unions" aren't dictating crap in those states. They dont have any real power down here.

Your right. All teachers in the south are conservatives and not products of the liberal education system.

I don’t have the time or inclination to get into every minuscule cause and effect. Teachers Union’s are the one quick example. Certain personality types are drawn to certain professions, iE; HR departments draw people with psychology degrees.

Teachers by and large are liberal. And espouse more public education. Not less.

 

[Tanks]

I dont want anyone to be kicked out of school at any age. If it’s wanted and needed. But there should be a path and an understanding that some people need a different off-ramp. Or learning path.

That's very European of you.

 

[cwpayton]

Is this year evidence of the fall of our nation?

I was an infant during the bicentennial so I don't remember it, but I remember every family photo in every house showing enormous gatherings. Flags everywhere. I remember the obsession with Colonial and Federal motifs, furniture, decor, and revival architecture. I remember as a young child all those "Spirit of '76" objects festooned in homes and government buildings well into the mid-1980s.

I then reflect as a kid of the 1980s where all the small towns had their sesquicentennial celebrations. The dragged out all the old props and decorations they threw into municipal storage a decade earlier and they reused them for major State & Local milestones once more. Little drummer boys. Federal eagles and globes. Colonial flags.

Well, we're 16 days from the nation's 250th birthday and I see literally nothing. Maybe less than a dozen of the 250th celebration flags in retail stores. I saw a few items at retail stores where the paper adverts showed the logo for the 250th but even the merchandise decided to tread lightly with simply red, white, and blue colors and no logos or tag lines. (e.g. Yeti mugs)

There is no build up. No hype. No bipartisan pride. No revival of movies celebrating the founders or their era. No movement towards the architecture and styles that abounded 1976 revival of 1776. In general, it seems as understated and typical as any other summer in any other year.

Is this an indication that patriotism or passion for the American experiment is dying?

I think people are a bit frustrated with the war in Iran ,the gas prices, The seemingly continued upheaval and lies in Politics' even on both sides of the isle.

 

[jruby]

I have worked in IT for over four decades. In that time I can count on one hand the number of people I have worked with that did not have a degree on one hand. Those that had degrees were not in computer science, some were most were not... In the hiring I have done the job descriptions had a bias towards those with degrees. The degree was proof of follow through and the ability to accomplish something. Try getting an IT job without certifications and a degree. You will certainly find that degree greatly improves your chances. Of course you could always start your own company.

 

[rookhawk]

I think people are a bit frustrated with the war in Iran ,the gas prices, The seemingly continued upheaval and lies in Politics' even on both sides of the isle.

That might be, but there was plenty of things that were miserable about 1976. Gerry Ford era. Recovering from Watergate shame. Recent gas lines due to the OPEC squeeze. Vietnam's failures. The disenfranchisement of the 60s flower-power movement's collapse. Weak economy. The worst quality cars ever made. Fiat currency. The collapse of the American auto worker. Lousy disco music. Liberace. Fat Elvis. 8% Unemployment.

My point being, I don't think Democrats or Republicans had a lot to be happy about in 1976, yet the nation seemed spiritually moved with patriotism that I still remember as ripples pouring into the 1980s.

I see none of this pride or patriotic spirit this summer for our 250th. It makes me think its more than coincidence.

 

[Killingtime]

I have worked in IT for over four decades. In that time I can count on one hand the number of people I have worked with that did not have a degree on one hand. Those that had degrees were not in computer science, some were most were not... In the hiring I have done the job descriptions had a bias towards those with degrees. The degree was proof of follow through and the ability to accomplish something. Try getting an IT job without certifications and a degree. You will certainly find that degree greatly improves your chances. Of course you could always start your own company.

A lot of fields went that was for management. Though many GM’s I’ve met over the years or worked with that were great at what they did didn’t have a degree or got one later in life. They have all since retired and I’d say many of the replacements I’ve met or hear about seem to be missing their personal touch when dealing with employees. Probably from never having done and rising through the ranks like most professions made you do years ago.
On a side note I saw during Covid all the mag seven tech companies started removing the requirement of a degree for computer engineering, programming and software development if you showed the skills.

 

[Big_Easy]

It doesn’t hurt that his mom was in tight with the CEO of IBM. Brains are only one part of the equation, you have to have the ability and network to get those ideas to those who matter.

Being born into an upper middle-class family with connections is certainly helpful. This describes roughly 80% of billionaires.

 

[Big_Easy]

If 70% of bartenders are college educated don’t you think a large percentage of them made poor life choices to end up where they are, let them fail let them struggle they will either find their way out of the mess they are in or they won’t. Don’t subsidize them and make them comfortable where they are. Failure is one of life’s teachers.

I'm not so sure you all understand just how lucrative bartending can be.

https://people.com/attorney-makes-double-salary-as-restaurant-server-exclusive-11990709

I've seen many people go back to bartending because they make more money than working an office job.

 

[jruby]

A lot of fields went that was for management. Though many GM’s I’ve met over the years or worked with that were great at what they did didn’t have a degree or got one later in life. They have all since retired and I’d say many of the replacements I’ve met or hear about seem to be missing their personal touch when dealing with employees. Probably from never having done and rising through the ranks like most professions made you do years ago.
On a side note I saw during Covid all the mag seven tech companies started removing the requirement of a degree for computer engineering, programming and software development if you showed the skills.

We have whats called the barrier to entry. Whst it means in IT is that certain jobs cannot be learned on the home computer. You can learn windows, Linux or even some computer programming. What you don't have access to storage arrays, virtuulalized environments, main frames for example. You get access to the higher end equipment through exposure and you get exposure through getting hired. The company I work for is still biased to degrees. I have worked for Krogers, Mercedes Benz/ Freightliner Trucks and Blue Cross Blue Shield and several more. Things might be changing but I am not seeing it.

 

[Killingtime]

Being born into an upper middle-class family with connections is certainly helpful. This describes roughly 80% of billionaires.

Seems to be a sizable income jump from upper middle class to billionaire. What percentage of a billionaires success would you put on genetic, family inheritance, own skills

 

[Big_Easy]

That might be, but there was plenty of things that were miserable about 1976. Gerry Ford era. Recovering from Watergate shame. Recent gas lines due to the OPEC squeeze. Vietnam's failures. The disenfranchisement of the 60s flower-power movement's collapse. Weak economy. The worst quality cars ever made. Fiat currency. The collapse of the American auto worker. Lousy disco music. Liberace. Fat Elvis. 8% Unemployment.

My point being, I don't think Democrats or Republicans had a lot to be happy about in 1976, yet the nation seemed spiritually moved with patriotism that I still remember as ripples pouring into the 1980s.

I see none of this pride or patriotic spirit this summer for our 250th. It makes me think its more than coincidence.

I think it's because many people have lost their sense of community these days. Perhaps we should vow to abstain from electronics use this 4th of July weekend, and try to right the ship?

 

[Killingtime]

I'm not so sure you all understand just how lucrative bartending can be.

https://people.com/attorney-makes-double-salary-as-restaurant-server-exclusive-11990709

I've seen many people go back to bartending because they make more money than working an office job.

That I agree with in the right situation. My friends father owns the oldest steakhouse in Florida and their servers make above the average American household’s income while working part time and some make triple that in tips. There was a bartender at the breakers in west palm that was making several thousand a night on the weekends back in 2017

 

[jruby]

I think it's because many people have lost their sense of community these days. Perhaps we should vow to abstain from electronics use this 4th of July weekend, and try to right the ship?

Sure would like to but my job requires that I am available the only way this occurrs is with my laptop and cell phone. Even if not oncall I am on standby.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I have worked in IT for over four decades. In that time I can count on one hand the number of people I have worked with that did not have a degree on one hand. Those that had degrees were not in computer science, some were most were not... In the hiring I have done the job descriptions had a bias towards those with degrees. The degree was proof of follow through and the ability to accomplish something. Try getting an IT job without certifications and a degree. You will certainly find that degree greatly improves your chances. Of course you could always start your own company.

I am 100% behind getting advanced degrees and certifications. I want the best trained surgeons, attorneys and even veterinarians.

When I had my neck fused. I didn’t seek a junior high drop out. There’s only room for one knucklehead in the operating room.