Mike Rowe

[Jeff]

Actually, Brussel sprouts make me fart. One of my favorite foods. 

free fiss

[Jeff]

I blame the teachers unions too

Guess who is far and away the largest donor to the teacher's union....











Blackrock.

[YoDoug]

free fiss

Not so much anymore. When I first switched to mostly plant based eating it was rough. Now my gut has adjusted to all the extra fiber and no issues.

[beej]

Not so much anymore. When I first switched to mostly plant based eating it was rough. Now my gut has adjusted to all the extra fiber and no issues.

or you've reached alpha vegetarian status and just think, your Poo-poo doesn't stink anymore.     

[neurosis]

The tribalism and absolutism of modern politics has destroyed us as a society. You stop regurgitating talking points and point out the elephant in the room and you get called negative or "fence sitter".

I've always found it fascinating that along with the "fence sitter" label, comes accusations of not thinking for yourself.   

Pick a side or you're a follower?   

[YoDoug]

or you've reached alpha vegetarian status and just think, your Poo-poo doesn't stink anymore.     

LOL, it's normally the insecure meat eaters that love to throw out the "alpha" word. I bet there is a few on this forum that consider themselves "alpha males". I mean, if I listened Rogan/Jocko podcasts, ate all the meat I could, and regularly shot big guns I don't know how I couldn't not call my self an "alpha".

[CNCAppsJames]

I like Mike Rowe a lot and have a lot of respect from him, but he never seems to touch on how for decades the money/wages shifted from blue collar to white collar. The more the push for college, the more the money moved from blue to white. In the last few years there has been some shift in wages, but overall the entry level positions to those skilled labor jobs had not kept up with inflation at all. He always talks about six figure skilled workers, and yes those opportunities are out there. However, it's hard to get people interested in going into those jobs when they can't even afford to live while they are learning/training.

What this fatalist view doesn't take into consideration is the people in different stages of life are going to have different requirements. When I graduated from High School (at 19) I was only making ~$4.25/hr. (Min. wage at the time). I could barely afford to keep up with my car payment and car insurance... and sometimes, car insurance went out the window. PLUS I was living with my grandparents at the time not paying any rent. So take that "can't even afford to live..." garbage and put it in the burn pile. That's nothing new. Minimum wage jobs were NEVER meant to live on. EVER. They were meant to incentivize you get GTFO that position.

You don't see anyone on the right side of the isle talking about this, or even acknowledging it. Start this conversation and you get class envy arguments. Just look at the increase of personal debt over the last several years.

More and more people every year are unable to afford health insurance and have no way to pay their medical bills so you'd almost have to predict that we're headed for a future financial catastrophe some time in the not too distant future.

I remember being able to afford my own apartment at 19 with no room mates and that was with a car payment. I don't know if that's possible anymore?

Regarding personal debt... how much of that debt is "choice"? Driving a car they can't afford, buying a cell phone they can't afford? Wearing clothes they can't afford? Buying shoes they can't afford. Buying TV's they can't afford. Etc.....

Is "health Insurance" a problem? Yes. Yes it is. It is a problem that turd bucket Obama made exponentially worse. And it gets worse EVERY YEAR!

My wife and I got married in February 1994 (I was 24 and she was 22). I was making ~#12.25/hr then. About 2.88x Minimum wage at the time. We lived on 1 income. Mine. We had a 2 bedroom apartment. 1 car. No cable. I was going to Community College taking Manufacturing Technology classes and Welding classes. I had tuition reimbursement from work... but I had to pay for the classes first. If I got a B or Better they'd pay. We were regularly getting food from the church pantry. It was a skinny life. We ate at my in-laws every Sunday and most Saturdays. It was no cake walk. But you know what... We worked the problem.

I'm nobody special. If it were not for Wood Shop, Electronics, and Drafting, my HS GPA would be in 1.x's. I did do better in my Mfg. Technology classes in college.. A's and 1 single B... in shop math.

Life is about choices. Maybe the REAL problem isn't X, Y, or Z. Maybe, just maybe the problem is us and the decisions we make.

[neurosis]

Is "health Insurance" a problem? Yes. Yes it is. It is a problem that turd bucket Obama made exponentially worse. And it gets worse EVERY YEAR!

I don't know enough about it to argue either way. I've seen a lot of different things blamed for the current health insurance (and health care in general) problems.  I was following it pretty closely right after it was implemented and lost interest when the right made every effort possible to dismantle it. In it's crippled state, I don't doubt that it has destabilized health insurance.

I wasn't a fan of mandated health insurance but I do remember the premium costs rising year after year in the double digits before it was implemented.

[CNCAppsJames]

I don't know enough about it to argue either way.
...
I wasn't a fan of mandated health insurance but I do remember the premium costs rising year after year in the double digits before it was implemented.

When Nancy Pelosi got up in front of the American People and said... and I quote, "... We have to pass it to see what's in it...", that right there should tell you danger level is 9.9/10 that it is going to create more problems than it solves. 

But let's be honest about creating more problems than we solve in our own personal lives... how many people would rather take a pill than change their lifestyle? How many people would rather take 2 pills, because the 1st one by itself creates other issues... rather than change their lifestyle?

I'm not saying congress isn't a problem. They absolutely, positively ARE a problem and as of late, they seem to ruin EVERY. SINGLE. THING. they touch. But... if we are being absolutely honest with ourselves, they are a microcosm of us. But, instead of being overwhelmingly the best of us, they are the complete opposite of that. Without a doubt, they are the worst of us, and they are getting worse by the election cycle.

[Shazam/TPP]

Has anyone ever told you that you are a very negative person.

I would consider myself a realist.

my wife says this to me what Del told Yodoug, and i responded exactly as Yodoug   

[YoDoug]

my wife says this to me what Del told Yodoug, and i responded exactly as Yodoug   

Are trying to say Del sounds like a nagging wife? 

[Del.]

Are trying to say Del sounds like a nagging wife? 

That's the way I took that also. 😂

[Incogneeto]

my wife says this to me what Del told Yodoug, and i responded exactly as Yodoug   

No Bacon for you. Ever.

[CADCAM396]

I pay great attention to Mike Rowe and truly believe he is spot on. he is most likely pretty rich but still refuses to change his story or pandor to outside sources. not related but I pay very close attention to Clark Howard on the finance side. he gives great general advise and like mike he is not paid and or bought by the system.
these are two hero's in my opinion.
let me know if you have others you tune into for life advice. would be interested.

[Shazam/TPP]

I feel Mike Rowe is a realist as well, sometimes that comes across as a pessimist. so be it..

Bacon is at a premium ever since the heart attack back in March.. eating more veggies but not at a vegan or vegetarian status