What rights do we have?

[YankeeRose]

First off, “minority” is in quotes simply because I feel that the word is not applicable these days.

Believe it or not I’ve volunteered a nominal portion of my time over the last 4 years with a well-known global relief, similar to CARE (their colors are orange and white if you need a hint). I do possess wealth in areas that you may never experience, or at least you will not give me credit for.

I bring realism to you, yet you shudder. Do you want reality?

From the previous Post: Yes,
as a matter of fact, there WERE
Voting "irregularities" in other States, on State and Local levels.
Like I said, look it up. I have the information, but I won't bother. It's obvious it wouldn't matter to you, one iota. If you
really gave a crap about illegal
Elections, you'd already know.



Your words are there...minority
means minority and the really funny thing is, for such hate mongers as you, if "we" aren't already, we Honkies/Crackers (Such "nice" words for us, aren't they?) soon will be the "minorities".



Aw, so you "volunteer" for, is it, Unicef...well, isn't that special? Does that makes you feel better for having such hateful opinions about some of the very people you're espousing to be helping and are volunteering FOR? Also, "charity begins at home".



Realism? You? No, I think not. My LIFE has been my REALITY, Mr. Evil. The only thing real that makes me shudder about you is knowing that people like you actually exist, PLUS will have the Gonads to say they care about their fellow human beings, or call themselves "Christians", the BEST one of all. "Call someplace Paradise, kiss it good bye!"






YankeeRose

[RAM Z]

Ouch! Hey Bert, I did'nt know that you were a HATE MONGER!

YankeeRose is right though, if any one is a minority these days it is us "White bread ,chicken shit ,Hockenberry's"! Now that's a name! Remember that one from the movie "Taxi Cab" (I think that's what it was called) ya Know the one with Mr. T.

Trust me, it can be pretty frustrating try'n to get a job unless you're a person from a ethnic backround or a woman! Nooo offense meant by the way but, I think some people feel they have to give a person a job becuase of this, cause of lawsuit reasons! The same goes for when the same person needs to be fired for not do'n his/her job right or not even show'n up for work in some cases! I've seen alot of this behavior by employers. Maybe some day the "White Man" can get some good jobs too!

If ya ask me, nobody ever mentions the American Indians and they are the real minority in my opinion!

[bassist_25]

No, ethnicity has nothing to do with getting hired around here. Nepotism is what lands you a job. That's why I'm in college; I don't have the right last name so I need other means to gain employment (i.e. my degree). Even after I make it through grad school, my doctrate degree still isn't going to give me the same opportunities that a kid straight out of high school and an affluent family has.

The sad part is that while I'm being somewhat sarcastic in that last sentence, a part of me is being dead serious.

[lonewolf]

For all this friction from both sides of the same coin of big government and selective media propaganda, Green Day has a sobering thought:

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindfuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Well that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Well that's enough to argue.

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information nation of hysteria.
It's going out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow

[Bert|Evil]

First off, “minority” is in quotes simply because I feel that the word is not applicable these days.

Believe it or not I’ve volunteered a nominal portion of my time over the last 4 years with a well-known global relief, similar to CARE (their colors are orange and white if you need a hint). I do possess wealth in areas that you may never experience, or at least you will not give me credit for.

I bring realism to you, yet you shudder. Do you want reality?

From the previous Post: Yes,
as a matter of fact, there WERE
Voting "irregularities" in other States, on State and Local levels.
Like I said, look it up. I have the information, but I won't bother. It's obvious it wouldn't matter to you, one iota. If you
really gave a crap about illegal
Elections, you'd already know.



Your words are there...minority
means minority and the really funny thing is, for such hate mongers as you, if "we" aren't already, we Honkies/Crackers (Such "nice" words for us, aren't they?) soon will be the "minorities".



Aw, so you "volunteer" for, is it, Unicef...well, isn't that special? Does that makes you feel better for having such hateful opinions about some of the very people you're espousing to be helping and are volunteering FOR? Also, "charity begins at home".



Realism? You? No, I think not. My LIFE has been my REALITY, Mr. Evil. The only thing real that makes me shudder about you is knowing that people like you actually exist, PLUS will have the Gonads to say they care about their fellow human beings, or call themselves "Christians", the BEST one of all. "Call someplace Paradise, kiss it good bye!"






YankeeRose

Your life has been your reality, and that's the problem. In the bigger scheme of things, you've experienced very little. I strongly get the impression that, at this stage of your life, you're not equipped identify reality. So here's what I suggest... get out of Western/ Central PA and gain a higher level of experiences. Look back on this five years from now, and you'll be amazed at how you have changed.

If there were such voting irregularities in the last election, that would mean that there were irregularities in every election on some level. It would just be a larger question of if you wanted to see it or not and when it would be convenient to do so. If I could hand you PROOF (which is way better than that generic word "evidence" that has kept lawyers and law enforcement professionals in business for far too long) that either of Clinton's wins were fixed, what would you do about it, retrospectively speaking? That's the difference about then, now, and the next election; it's all about how much whining is coming from the losing party and what the media wants you to think. Do you have proof?

As far as the minorities 'thang goes, I'm simply begging the question of who the minority(ies) is(are) these days and if the term is even applicable. Some of the Caucasian gentlemen (under 40, of course) may be familiar with the Alan Bakke case of the late 70's which introduced the term "reverse discrimination". When certain groups (blacks, hispanics, asians, etc.) have less administrative hurdles to jump and a wider spot in any given quota, who is really is the minority?

Let's take a look at this comment: "Aw, so you "volunteer" for, is it, Unicef...well, isn't that special? Does that makes you feel better for having such hateful opinions about some of the very people you're espousing to be helping and are volunteering FOR? Also, 'charity begins at home'." Obviously, you're not reading my keystrokes if you really think I have “such hateful opinions”. I don't hate anyone, really. Again, reality. It's not Unicef, either. "Orange and white" is your hint.

Here's another beauty: "Your words are there...minority
means minority and the really funny thing is, for such hate mongers as you, if "we" aren't already, we Honkies/Crackers (Such "nice" words for us, aren't they?) soon will be the "minorities". " Were you jerking off your pet while you keystroked this?? Were you quoting a drunk Yoda?
There is no "soon will be", by the way.

Last quote: "The only thing real that makes me shudder about you is knowing that people like you actually exist, PLUS will have the Gonads to say they care about their fellow human beings, or call themselves "Christians", the BEST one of all." If you only knew what I do for a living!!

[Bert|Evil]

Now that's a name! Remember that one from the movie "Taxi Cab" (I think that's what it was called) ya Know the one with Mr. T.

Trust me, it can be pretty frustrating try'n to get a job unless you're a person from a ethnic backround or a woman! Nooo offense meant by the way but, I think some people feel they have to give a person a job becuase of this, cause of lawsuit reasons! The same goes for when the same person needs to be fired for not do'n his/her job right or not even show'n up for work in some cases! I've seen alot of this behavior by employers. Maybe some day the "White Man" can get some good jobs too!

If ya ask me, nobody ever mentions the American Indians and they are the real minority in my opinion!

Are you talking about D.C. Cab? "Irene Cara is my GIRL, my BABY!!!" Nolte's charactor was the best.

... and I agree completely with you!

[Bert|Evil]

No, ethnicity has nothing to do with getting hired around here. Nepotism is what lands you a job. That's why I'm in college; I don't have the right last name so I need other means to gain employment (i.e. my degree). Even after I make it through grad school, my doctrate degree still isn't going to give me the same opportunities that a kid straight out of high school and an affluent family has.

The sad part is that while I'm being somewhat sarcastic in that last sentence, a part of me is being dead serious.

You’ve probably heard this at least one million times… if you’re degreed and have a mind to use, you’ll need to get the hell out of Houtzdale! I grew up in a town much smaller than Houtzdale, about 30 miles south, and there’s no need for me to look back. Your brother is very familiar with this town, as a matter of fact.

… but are you really experiencing that much nepotism? Hmmm

[bassist_25]

No, ethnicity has nothing to do with getting hired around here. Nepotism is what lands you a job. That's why I'm in college; I don't have the right last name so I need other means to gain employment (i.e. my degree). Even after I make it through grad school, my doctrate degree still isn't going to give me the same opportunities that a kid straight out of high school and an affluent family has.

The sad part is that while I'm being somewhat sarcastic in that last sentence, a part of me is being dead serious.

You’ve probably heard this at least one million times… if you’re degreed and have a mind to use, you’ll need to get the hell out of Houtzdale! I grew up in a town much smaller than Houtzdale, about 30 miles south, and there’s no need for me to look back. Your brother is very familiar with this town, as a matter of fact.

… but are you really experiencing that much nepotism? Hmmm

Umm, I don't know who you think I am, but I don't have a brother. I'm the protoypical INTJ personality: No siblings.

And believe me, I really don't even want to go to grad school anywhere around here, let alone live here once I have my PHd. (though I may do grad studies at Penn State depending on what my life's like in three years).

And while it may be considered subjective experience, it's still in my experience that most people who have a job around here other than McDonald's or Walmart probaly got it because they knew the right person, not from walking into an interview cold and letting their experience/skills do the talking. By the way, I'm not knocking networking because I've landed positions through networking (some that probaly should have went to people more qualified), and I'm networking the fuck as I get into my career in psychology (plus I network the hell out of my music career too). My original point wasn't to bitch but to just state a fact. Of course, this is just my experience, not a proven axiom. I'm basing it on my rather small social microsphere. Maybe things are different State College way or in Hazleton.

[RAM Z]

Yeah ,that's it , D.C Cab ! I have'nt seen that in years.

I guess it is sort of who ya know as far as the job thing goes. I have gotten jobs that way but, I have been offered jobs because of my skills,and my total ass bust'n, GIT -ER -DONE, your pay'n me to work are'nt ya attitude!! I would feel pretty comfortable walk'n into an interview and give'n someone the rundown of my skills and such. I wish I would have finished school though, I kinda got shit out of go'n to VO-TEC in 9th grade and that pretty much ruined the rest of my intrest in school.
I just wanted to paint cars and play music ! I know those are'nt very big dreams but, that was really all I wanted to do! That's all history now but, I try to make sure my kids know how very important it is to make the most of their time in school and most of all never ever quit!!!

[YankeeRose]

No, ethnicity has nothing to do with getting hired around here. Nepotism is what lands you a job.

...your brother is very familiar with this town, as a matter of fact.

… but are you really experiencing that much nepotism? Hmmm

Umm, I don't know who you think I am, but I don't have a brother. I'm the protoypical INTJ personality: No siblings.

And believe me, I really don't even want to go to grad school anywhere around here, let alone live here once I have my PHd. (though I may do grad studies at Penn State depending on what my life's like in three years).

And while it may be considered subjective experience, it's still in my experience that most people who have a job around here other than McDonald's or Walmart probaly got it because they knew the right person, not from walking into an interview cold and letting their experience/skills do the talking.
.....Maybe things are different State College way or in Hazleton.

Exactly, bassist_25...Neoptism is rampant everywhere. I don't know about Hazleton or Scranton, but just South of there in Schuylkill County, even childrens' Sports are that way. It's if you have the right name, not the ability. When I say this area reminds me so much of my birthplace, in more ways than one, I'm NOT joking. The coal and Topograhy are others. I "grew up in the mountains" and the ones surrounding Altoona are beautiful. However, I've lived all OVER the country, too. "Deepinahearta" TX, my daughter was born and my oldest son in VA, but maybe I've actually always been here in Central PA the entire time and I'm just insane, just like maybe you DO have a brother and just don't know he's out there, yet? Mr. Evil seems to think he's the "all great and powerful Oz", or something. What he does for a living would NOT surprise me. There are corruption and avarice in every white collar profession and even blue collar, there's no accounting for a person's Soul, if they even have one. As for "religion"...Jim Baker and his contemporaries, look at them...disgusting! What really cracks me up though, is Ram_Z "moaning the blues" about minorities and women getting hired over him...the largely Causasian business owners are the ones doing the hiring, #1, so bitch at THEM! Why are they doing so? Because they can pay them low wages and get away with it...paying a woman less than a man for the exact same job. If he's feeling bad, if that HAS happened to him, he's experienced "discrimination", WELCOME to the world of a person turned down for a job, or treated in ANY way differently in any number of situations, due to the color of their skin for decades and it still goes on today. Not a good feeling, is it? I'm a very empathetic person (goes without saying), but I've also seen the hurt in their eyes. I know someone doing Christian Missionary work at a Navajo Reservation in NM...Native Americans do have it the worst in this country, today and it's just not right...OPEN CESSPOOLS, in that HEAT, can you imagine? Like I said, I think "charity begins at home". Nah, let's send our money to the Vatican, the Pope needs more. One of the largest Corporations in the world isn't rich enough and NOT helping enough suffering people. Yes, I'm a "recovering" Catholic.



bassist_25, keep up the great work! I know I'm "not from around here", but you're sure to make Houtzdale proud, in spite of themselves! Why, they'll even have you back to do a Commencement Speech someday, I bet!

[YankeeRose]

For all this friction from both sides of the same coin of big government and selective media propaganda, Green Day has a sobering thought:

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindfuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Well that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Well that's enough to argue.

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information nation of hysteria.
It's going out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow

lonewolf...wow...yeah, my daughter and I absolutely LOVE that song! I never thought I'd see the day...
Although, Greenday is from England, I think they hit the nail right on the head. I like the new Avatar, it reminds me very much of the Flag of the 13 original Colonies, very Historical and yes I know it's not.

[jim bagrosky]

Not sure why I even bothered coming back here, but anyway to yankee rose: 1) Green Day (as much as i dont care for them) are from California not England. He just sounds like he's british. 2) "recovering catholic" is, well, disturbing. I dont care what religion anyone is, but I also dont think its right to bash it either. It's the same as any other organized religion, good points and bad points, plain and simple. It's easy to overlook the charitable contributions and good deads done when there's a media frenzy surrounding supposed sex scandals and molestation accusations.
Im not saying saying this HASN'T happened, I'm just saying I dont think all of it happened. Someone wins a lot of money and bam! All of sudden you have hundreds of people filing lawsuits just now remembering that 25 years ago someone did something wrong to them.

I dont follow the pope and or vatican closely but I do know for a fact that the pope has done more than most realize in terms of world poverty, peace, foreign relations, etc. Catholic or not, agnostic or firm believer, those efforts are for the better of people, period. Plus, he was a very influential person to not only catholics, to world leaders, former presidents and non-catholics aside.

Enough about that though, my point to all this jazz about discrimination and so forth is this: If you want something bad enough in life then just do it, and dont let anyone stop you. Dont blame someone else for your lack of drive or dedication. Everyone is so damn PC anymore that its sickening. Everything is everyone else's fault. The more you sit around and cry and bitch and blame everyone else the more you make the problem worse. If i had listened to everyone that told me I'd never play music for a living I would have never even tried. I was fortunate enough to do it for nearly 10 years on my own blood, sweat, tears, and full blown dedication. I quit when I wanted, not cause someone told me to.

I'm really NOT trying to offend anyone here. I apologize in advance if I do. I just get so sick of "you cant get a job cause you're a white male", "you cant get a raise cause you're a women" , "you can't do this or that cause you're black, asian, whatever. Our kids are going to have such a hopless attitude with this PC shit that they will invite failure into their lives and just blame it on everyone else. If you're not in the right situation in your life then get out of it and get into the right one on your own will power. Sure, there will always be discrimination of some form or another, but it's up to you on how you choose to deal with it. Sit and cry and bitch about it or stick a middle finger to it and get what you want out of life.

That's enough for me, let the back-lashing begin, I have thick skin, I'll handle it.

[YankeeRose]

Not sure why I even bothered coming back here, but anyway to yankee rose: 1) Green Day (as much as i dont care for them) are from California not England. He just sounds like he's british. 2) "recovering catholic" is, well, disturbing. I dont care what religion anyone is, but I also dont think its right to bash it either. It's the same as any other organized religion, good points and bad points, plain and simple. It's easy to overlook the charitable contributions and good deads done when there's a media frenzy surrounding supposed sex scandals and molestation accusations.
Im not saying saying this HASN'T happened, I'm just saying I dont think all of it happened. Someone wins a lot of money and bam! All of sudden you have hundreds of people filing lawsuits just now remembering that 25 years ago someone did something wrong to them.

I dont follow the pope and or vatican closely but I do know for a fact that the pope has done more than most realize in terms of world poverty, peace, foreign relations, etc. Catholic or not, agnostic or firm believer, those efforts are for the better of people, period. Plus, he was a very influential person to not only catholics, to world leaders, former presidents and non-catholics aside.



That's enough for me, let the back-lashing begin, I have thick skin, I'll handle it.

Thanks...all these years, never having heard them speak, only sing,
I assumed they were British...but
you know what happens when one
assumes!




I was raised Catholic, but when I read the Bible - there is so much MORE in the New Testament. The Pope meeting with leaders...SO?
WHAT has it really accomplish? Going to impoverished countries, telling the starving people to NOT use contraception...I'm sorry, how that could ever be a help to them, I'll never understand. The money that flows into the Vatican outrageous and helps no one, NOT "The Way", at all! I've spoken to dudes who were minorly molested (if there IS such a thing), but the Priests died long ago.




Other than that, I can agree with just about the rest of your Post.
I've been down a lot farther than I am now and will NEVER allow myself
to be in the same situation I was in, ever again. I also can't wait to get the "hell out of Dodge", hopefully by this time, next year.

[lonewolf]

Enough about that though, my point to all this jazz about discrimination and so forth is this: If you want something bad enough in life then just do it, and dont let anyone stop you. Dont blame someone else for your lack of drive or dedication. Everyone is so damn PC anymore that its sickening. Everything is everyone else's fault. The more you sit around and cry and bitch and blame everyone else the more you make the problem worse. If i had listened to everyone that told me I'd never play music for a living I would have never even tried. I was fortunate enough to do it for nearly 10 years on my own blood, sweat, tears, and full blown dedication. I quit when I wanted, not cause someone told me to.

I'm really NOT trying to offend anyone here. I apologize in advance if I do. I just get so sick of "you cant get a job cause you're a white male", "you cant get a raise cause you're a women" , "you can't do this or that cause you're black, asian, whatever. Our kids are going to have such a hopless attitude with this PC shit that they will invite failure into their lives and just blame it on everyone else. If you're not in the right situation in your life then get out of it and get into the right one on your own will power. Sure, there will always be discrimination of some form or another, but it's up to you on how you choose to deal with it. Sit and cry and bitch about it or stick a middle finger to it and get what you want out of life.

For what its worth, you just got a standing ovation.

[Bert|Evil]

Enough about that though, my point to all this jazz about discrimination and so forth is this: If you want something bad enough in life then just do it, and dont let anyone stop you. Dont blame someone else for your lack of drive or dedication. Everyone is so damn PC anymore that its sickening. Everything is everyone else's fault. The more you sit around and cry and bitch and blame everyone else the more you make the problem worse. If i had listened to everyone that told me I'd never play music for a living I would have never even tried. I was fortunate enough to do it for nearly 10 years on my own blood, sweat, tears, and full blown dedication. I quit when I wanted, not cause someone told me to.

I'm really NOT trying to offend anyone here. I apologize in advance if I do. I just get so sick of "you cant get a job cause you're a white male", "you cant get a raise cause you're a women" , "you can't do this or that cause you're black, asian, whatever. Our kids are going to have such a hopless attitude with this PC shit that they will invite failure into their lives and just blame it on everyone else. If you're not in the right situation in your life then get out of it and get into the right one on your own will power. Sure, there will always be discrimination of some form or another, but it's up to you on how you choose to deal with it. Sit and cry and bitch about it or stick a middle finger to it and get what you want out of life.

For what its worth, you just got a standing ovation.

Ditto!!

Things are harder for white males under the age of 40, but it should only make them more determined. It did that for me but, then again, I had to work harder than most people. More degrees, certifications, specialized and diverse experiences, being able to move, and the most important... keeping my dependencies low the whole time along. Even though I'm more than gainfully employed now, I'm forced to treat relocation as an immanent factor.

Bottom line: If you want something, you'll get it eventually. If you fall short, you'll settle for second best and complain the rest of your life about how you should be doing something else. Of course, you may aim to accomplish very little and find that there's always someone's coat tails or some state or gov't agency to rely upon.

Still, I'm surprised about the whole nepotism 'thang back home. Maybe I've been out of that loop for too long? But, like most economic and social trends, Western and Central PA will see them 5 to 10 years after
the fact. The trend that I speak of in this reference is the constant decline in skilled labor.

It's nice to see some other "recovering Cathoholics" like myself. The beauty of being a Catholic, as opposed to most of the denominations, is that you gain a skill in questioning everything. Let's face it, there are so many dead and open ends in the Catholic religion that you'll be confused by the age of 8. Your friends from the denomination, however, are happy with fact that they're going to heaven and never question a thing.

[RAM Z]

Could'nt agree more Jim! YankeeRose ,I'm not bitch'n cause of someone has gott'n a job insted of me ,as a matter of fact I have never been turned down for a job ever ! Like I said ,without an education "it is "pretty much who ya know! There is however ,people who obtain things they want by abuse'n the minority thing and that is a fact. I have witnessed this first hand and trust me I'm a highly traveled person. Right now my boss wants to fire this guy at work but keeps give'n him breaks to no end and is usure about it cause of lawsuit reasons. I'm not say'n it's right but, I can assure you this , he has gotton way more breaks than I would have for being a worthless peice of dog shit! I have worked my ass off all my life to get my good name as a hard worker and devoted employee ,where ever I might be employed! That is the only way to get'n good jobs without an education in my own opinion. I do not feel "everyone" who is considered a minority , get their jobs by being from an ethnic backround or cause of their gender but, some of the people "do" abuse the minority thing to keep from gett'n fired due to poor work habits and others do it to get jobs and that is a fact for sure! I personally know people who abuse the minority thing and have gotton everything handed to them all of their life because of it,that also incudes people who get their jobs because of their good looks! I don't really give a shit about the minorities gett'n my job thing, I will always have a job somewhere because of what I know ,and who I am as a hard worker! That is something I'm very proud of and have worked long and hard to achieve!


BTW ,What is a Honkey and where did that word come from ? I grew up with alot of blacks and never did understand that one! I have never really cared about all the racial slurs I've heard in my life but, I did receive alot of this as a young kid and for that reason it makes me never judge a person by their appearance or their ethnic backround! After all, some of the most decent ,well mannered, caring human beings I have ever met have been from a different ethnic backround! For Pete' sakes if it weren't for the black man we wouldn't have the blues and if it weren't for the Chinamen we wouldn't have firecrackers!! I love both the blues and fireworks too much much to be racist! Hope ya don't think that of me !

Kid Rock once said "you get what you put in and people get what they deserve"! I totally belive that but, once again that's just my opinion and nothing more! I don't want to offened anyone either!

I know life isn't fair and it would be pretty freak'n dull if it were ,that's fer sure!

[bassist_25]

Still, I'm surprised about the whole nepotism 'thang back home. Maybe I've been out of that loop for too long? But, like most economic and social trends, Western and Central PA will see them 5 to 10 years after
the fact. The trend that I speak of in this reference is the constant decline in skilled labor.

Like I said, this has just been in my experience when dealing with the local economy. I assume that things in a densely populated area where demand exceeds supply would be totally different.

There's a huge difference between nepotism and networking though. Right now, I'm networking the hell as I get into my career. When a paid internship comes up in a few years, there are going to be a lot of people who will remember my name. But they're going to remember my name because they know I can get the job done, not because that name is the same as my dad's or uncle's or whatever. It's the same with the music business. I remember all of my favorite soundmen, and when a friend in a band needs a soundman for a gig, I'm going to recommend the good ones, not just the ones that I'm friends with regardless of their abilities. I'm a big believer in the market - fancy marketing aside, I believe the cream usually will rise to the top. I'm going to recommend the cream to people when they ask. That's why I honestly don't understand how a lot of businesses stay afloat when they are making decisions like hiring their unskilled nephew and shit like that.

Wow, I didn't mean to go off on such a tangent there. Again, I'm not bitching about nepotism; it's a reality of life. I'm not denying its existence though either.

bassist_25, keep up the great work! I know I'm "not from around here", but you're sure to make Houtzdale proud, in spite of themselves! Why, they'll even have you back to do a Commencement Speech someday, I bet!

I really don't care if I make Houtzdale proud or not. I just never incorporated that ego-extension into my self-concept. My school was all politics and shit too. When I was a sophmore, they "forgot" that I was suppose to play a piano solo during a presentation. Later, when I was a senior, they found out that I was a bass player, so I was in demand for the school play (We did Grease) and Jazz Band. I did have some awesome teachers though (my elementary music teacher and high school business/typing teacher for example). But again, they saw my potential, not my last name, and cultivated that.

I guess I do care to a point. I'd like to play Electric Avenue because it's my hometown. I'm not bitter towards my town or anything; I just really don't care about it either way.

Wow, I went off on another tangent.

[bassist_25]

Kid Rock once said "you get what you put in and people get what they deserve"! I totally belive that but, once again that's just my opinion and nothing more! I don't want to offened anyone either!

Yeah, but the next couple of lines of that song go, "But I ain't seen mine, no I ain't seen mine. I've been givin' just ain't gettin....."

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work". And that's not a slam against capitalism (I'm a minarchist, so I'm very much pro-capitialism); once again, I'm just stating a fact.

[YankeeRose]

Yeah, but the next couple of lines of that song go, "But I ain't seen mine, no I ain't seen mine. I've been givin' just ain't gettin....."

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work". And that's not a slam against capitalism (I'm a minarchist, so I'm very much pro-capitialism); once again, I'm just stating a fact.

Aaaamen, can I hear an Amen!?! In other words, EXACTLY! ..."been walking that thin line"...



Ram_Z, forgive me if I'm wrong, but from what I read, I think I recall you said you never finished High School. Why don't you get your GED? I know a few people who did,
1 woman I know, it took her 3 or 4 times - she obviously wanted it VERY much. My dad was another one, but I think he only took the test once. Then, he went to a business school for Accounting and obtained a job with the Commonwealth of PA...the
pay wasn't that great, but the benefits were amazing. When he died in 1989, he'd only been bringing home a little over 19K a year...that astounded me. Any way, this was after decades driving truck. In the early 1970s, due to ongoing Knee trouble, he knew he had to give it up. So once he got his GED, by day he worked in a Vo-Tech...I know he did "watch dog" duty in the lunch room...I have no idea what else...and by night, he furthered his education. My dad had quit in 9th grade to go to work. My mom quit in 11th, to go to work in a sewing factory to help the family. She is 1 of 11 children. All my life she's always said she couldn't even get a job in a department store stocking shelves because she didn't have a Diploma (or GED). As the recent Posts are basically saying, if you want something bad enough, you'll do it. I'm sure you'd have LOADS of support, moral and otherwise!

[Bert|Evil]

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work".

Can you explain that in more detail? Wealth, in our otherwise Capitalist economy, has a lot to do with hard work. It may be the hard work of your Great, Great, Great Granddaddy, but it was needed.

OK… SOME wealth happens by accident, such as the wealth obtained by fads. Look at the story behind the Post-It Note.

[lonewolf]

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work". And that's not a slam against capitalism (I'm a minarchist, so I'm very much pro-capitialism); once again, I'm just stating a fact.

That's BS Paul. While the hard work maxim may not apply to families like the Bushs or Kennedys or (post your favorite dynasty here _____), you won't find many rags to riches stories that don't involve hard work at some point. What you need to understand is that acquiring wealth is usually on an upward acceleration curve that is VERY flat at zero. The more wealth you acquire, the easier it is to acquire more. The instant success invention or the lottery winner or the garage band that suddenly produces a #1 hit is the exception, not the rule.

Its the insurance salesperson who aggressively goes out and gets more and more affluent customers with cold calls as long as there is sunlight. Its the small construction contractor who builds himself a more valuable house every two years, on top of his regular contracts. Its the hair dresser that started out with one employee and 16 hour days who eventually expanded their shop into a franchise. Usually "hard work" means "long work".

[lonewolf]

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work".

Can you explain that in more detail? Wealth, in our otherwise Capitalist economy, has a lot to do with hard work. It may be the hard work of your Great, Great, Great Granddaddy, but it was needed.

OK… SOME wealth happens by accident, such as the wealth obtained by fads. Look at the story behind the Post-It Note.

The post-it note was invented by 3M employees and has always been the intellectual property of 3M. A few guys got promoted, but never really profited from the invention. 3M did.

[YankeeRose]

Don't ever let the "hard work" maxim fool you. Earning wealth has very little to do with "hard work".

Can you explain that in more detail? Wealth, in our otherwise Capitalist economy, has a lot to do with hard work. It may be the hard work of your Great, Great, Great Granddaddy, but it was needed.

OK… SOME wealth happens by accident, such as the wealth obtained by fads. Look at the story behind the Post-It Note.

The post-it note was invented by 3M employees and has always been the intellectual property of 3M. A few guys got promoted, but never really profited from the invention. 3M did.

Didn't one of the Monkees, possibly
Mike Nesmith, have some connection with the invention of the Post-it?
Maybe I'm thinking of another
invention.


Wealth does not come from sheer hard work and determination or a LOT more people would be wealthy, is what I think bassist_25 was trying to say. I know and have known many men and women who almost kill themselves and some have even worked themselves into early graves...for WHAT...they never attained that Golden Fleece, LIFE
happened along the way...but in the
process of constantly working and
always "trying harder", (For they were never satisfied with all they DID already have.), they missed out on so much more that all the wealth
in the world cannot attain.

[ToonaRockGuy]

I always read these threads with some humor, as I guess I'm just different from everyone. As long as I make enough money to pay my mortgage, have health coverage, and can have some money to take my kids to the zoo or something, I'm good.

I used to get all pissed off at people who needed status symbols or who had money that they didn't earn, but bitching got me nowhere. I just keep my nose to the grindstone and try to make my family's life as good as I can. I don't really give a crap what other people have, if someone has a million dollar home, good for them. My family is comfortable, I don't stress about the bills too much. That's all I worry about.

[YankeeRose]

I always read these threads with some humor, as I guess I'm just different from everyone. As long as I make enough money to pay my mortgage, have health coverage, and can have some money to take my kids to the zoo or something, I'm good.

I used to get all pissed off at people who needed status symbols or who had money that they didn't earn, but bitching got me nowhere. I just keep my nose to the grindstone and try to make my family's life as good as I can. I don't really give a crap what other people have, if someone has a million dollar home, good for them. My family is comfortable, I don't stress about the bills too much. That's all I worry about.

You get MY standing ovation!
I don't begrudge anyone a thing, I think, "wow, that must be great",
or "good for them"...but when those same people look down their noses at, or say that someone in a different circumstance they know nothing of and couldn't possibly begin to understand, or is simply less fortunate, is simply "lazy", THAT is what gets the "Good Bitch of the East" started "bitching"! Eh, "I'm not a Bitch, I'm just Giftedly Outspoken".