tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post7173027332382348814..comments2024-03-29T09:42:17.529-05:00Comments on Althouse: The NYT discovers guys who don't want to work in an office — they start out in offices, of course... Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-68853856468890921422016-11-01T09:21:36.421-05:002016-11-01T09:21:36.421-05:00I'm a stay-at-home mom to three young children...I'm a stay-at-home mom to three young children. I haven't worked outside the home for almost six years. But before this life I graduated from Princeton undergrad and Northwestern Law, and did a clerkship on the 7th Circuit. There are a few times I've gotten the "look," or the conversational passover from those who probably assume I'm boring or unintelligent because of what I do. But I just remind myself: who cares? First of all, it's a good lesson in humility for me. My background isn't important to what I do now and doesn't make me better than anyone I meet. And second -- it's fun when people find out. (Yes I realize there's a tension there.) There is so much life and satisfaction outside of the prestige treadmill so many of us are (or were) running on. Glad these guys stepped off of it.<br />-- Jessica Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13412297105776906040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-72207098293829864472016-11-01T07:21:43.206-05:002016-11-01T07:21:43.206-05:00I have a ph.d. in History...I used to go to furnit...I have a ph.d. in History...I used to go to furniture stores and wish I knew how to build that kind of stuff...20 years later, I'm a master cabinet maker building furniture grade cabinetry & millwork. While I loved teaching I wouldn't NB trade what I am doing now for anything in the world.<br /><br />At the end of the day I can say I built that.... And know it will be used for decades...Rich Vailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17858759001158247969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-42980110495839321482016-10-31T22:24:51.518-05:002016-10-31T22:24:51.518-05:00"Working outdoors is great - when the sun is ..."Working outdoors is great - when the sun is shining. Working outdoors when its 40 degrees and raining is something else."<br /><br />On those cold rainy days you go quail hunting.MacMacConnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10675702658075274677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-91965994195650662472016-10-31T21:04:05.733-05:002016-10-31T21:04:05.733-05:00Of course, he should properly have said, 'fewe...<i>Of course, he should properly have said, 'fewer philosophers'. ;-) </i><br /><br />I was doing some research awhile back, came into a website full of Occupy types.<br /><br />Everyone there considered themselves to be "thought leaders", which is likely why their camps smelled of shit and stale piss all week. <br /><br />Odd how the People of the Workers Party always get sold off to the glue factory like Boxer in Animal Farm, while the "thought leaders" like Bernie Sanders have 3 houses. Fenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16734571593963330215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20962733129056627942016-10-31T20:57:53.325-05:002016-10-31T20:57:53.325-05:00"You seem really articulate for a laborer&quo..."You seem really articulate for a laborer" <br /><br />"Have you known many laborers, milord?" - Arya StarkFenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16734571593963330215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-67857270524160764082016-10-31T20:40:45.702-05:002016-10-31T20:40:45.702-05:00Yep, especially if you're a long-distance truc...<i>Yep, especially if you're a long-distance trucker. I had a relative who drove a tractor-trailer. driving 14 hours, 6 days a week. Slept in his cab. Made good $$, but on an hourly basis, he was making as much as a bank teller.</i><br /><br />Ugh. What kind of life is that?Bob Loblawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11081916786770290968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-62863480231828361712016-10-31T20:21:39.413-05:002016-10-31T20:21:39.413-05:00"it is possible to make pretty good money dri..."it is possible to make pretty good money driving a truck, but it is much harder work than most people realize."<br /><br />Yep, especially if you're a long-distance trucker. I had a relative who drove a tractor-trailer. driving 14 hours, 6 days a week. Slept in his cab. Made good $$, but on an hourly basis, he was making as much as a bank teller.<br /><br />OTOH, he was out on his own. No boss. All he had to do was deliver the goods on time. And he saw the USA from one end to the other. rcoceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102201338319611538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74754020051508317862016-10-31T20:13:32.062-05:002016-10-31T20:13:32.062-05:00Of course, he should properly have said, 'fewe...Of course, he should properly have said, 'fewer philosophers'. ;-)mockturtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10507310332014103437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-6870197322422382662016-10-31T20:12:53.810-05:002016-10-31T20:12:53.810-05:00The other problem with "working with your han...The other problem with "working with your hands" is that when you get old, you're pretty much done. Its tough laying concrete or even mowing the lawn when you're 55.<br /><br />But you add numbers and write words when you're 70 and in a wheelchair. rcoceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102201338319611538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-1364880602744476602016-10-31T20:09:51.868-05:002016-10-31T20:09:51.868-05:00Working outdoors is great - when the sun is shinin...Working outdoors is great - when the sun is shining. Working outdoors when its 40 degrees and raining is something else. rcoceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102201338319611538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-14262089973016808192016-10-31T20:05:03.693-05:002016-10-31T20:05:03.693-05:00Rusty, I remember when Rubio said, "Welders m...Rusty, I remember when Rubio said, "Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers," he got a big applause. Even if they don't make more money, they are more useful, IMO.mockturtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10507310332014103437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51349613572126824952016-10-31T19:55:25.065-05:002016-10-31T19:55:25.065-05:00I remember during he first gulf war welder-not eve...I remember during he first gulf war welder-not even certified welders- were being paid $89,000 to start. Plus bonuses. Food housing and four weeks paid vacation. They'd even help you get your passport.<br />I was too old but a couple of young guys in my welding class signed up. Rustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938263272237104128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-67912327909300303842016-10-31T19:24:54.715-05:002016-10-31T19:24:54.715-05:00" I don't think he liked Obamacare and th..." I don't think he liked Obamacare and the computer medical records."<br /><br />You'll see more of that unless Obamacare is fixed/killed. Older docs who don't have student loans and their kids are educated.<br /><br />An OB I used to know was seriously thinking of buying a MacDonald's franchise and quitting.<br /><br />""Find something you love doing so much that you would do it for free."<br /><br />My partner, who is riding with me to the memorial tomorrow, used to say "I hope they never find out I would do this for free."<br /><br />I had to quit surgery at 55 after back surgery. Still working at something, though.<br /><br /><br /><br />Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-14811864765895757022016-10-31T19:21:55.667-05:002016-10-31T19:21:55.667-05:00I drive a lot. Most of the roads I drive are beau...I drive a lot. Most of the roads I drive are beautiful two-lane highways. The men [mostly] who build and maintain these roads are my heroes. The guy who fixed my air conditioner this past week is my hero. Plumbers are often heroes. [You couldn't pay me enough to crawl under houses]. Everyday important jobs that, <i>thank God</i>, people choose to do!<br /><br />Although my late husband held a PhD in biochemistry and worked as a research scientist, I probably admired him more for his skill at auto mechanics and home repairs. He was very good at almost everything [except plumbing].mockturtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10507310332014103437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-72910811777975558372016-10-31T19:02:52.033-05:002016-10-31T19:02:52.033-05:00William said
Office work is a far, far better de...William said<br /><br /> Office work is a far, far better deal, but, of course, all work sucks. That's why they pay you to go there......I<br /><br />Maybe you are doing it wrong. Or doing the wrong thing. <br /><br />I think it was Zig Ziglar who said "Find something you love doing so much that you would do it for free. Then get so good at it that people will pay you to do it" Drucker said "The successful person doesn't know whether he is working or playing. He is always doing both."<br /><br />Kind of what I lucked into a half dozen times in my life with factory work, machinery sales, teaching, changeover consulting, writing and the other stuff I do. 2 hitches in the Navy was not exactly fun but it gave me a Hell of a preparation for what has come since. <br /><br />I was just kidding about retiring when I hit 90. I doubt I'll retire even then. I'll still be working as they lower my coffin into the crypt. Banging on the lid yelling "Hey, I had another idea." There is nothing in the world that I can think of that would be more enjoyable than what I do right now. <br /><br />If I hit the lottery and won a couple million bucks, I suspect that I would keep right on doing what I do. Maybe be a bit choosier about the jobs I take on, maybe take a bit more time off, but I'd keep on working. <br /><br />John HenryJohn henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13529920006532904660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84782688389714638112016-10-31T18:47:08.369-05:002016-10-31T18:47:08.369-05:00When I was younger, I had some jobs that required ...When I was younger, I had some jobs that required unskilled physical labor. As I remember it, the weather wasn't always idyllic, and there's nothing more oppressive than heavy lifting when your body is still fatigued from the previous day's labor. I don't recommend furniture moving as a career to anyone over twenty five. Office work is a far, far better deal, but, of course, all work sucks. That's why they pay you to go there......In a recent New Yorker, there was an article about the restaurant critic for the Times. He has weight problems and is flirting with diabetes, iirc. Anyway, as described in the article, the job had its drawbacks......I suppose it's just about impossible for an outsider to break into the porn industry.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07837540030934495651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-62566397453893679252016-10-31T18:37:20.965-05:002016-10-31T18:37:20.965-05:00I took a writing class many years ago taught by a ...I took a writing class many years ago taught by a former writer for The New Yorker. He said one day he went to see the renowned editor, William Shawn, to turn in a 30 page story. "It's a bit discouraging," he told Shawn as he tossed his manuscript on Shawn's desk. "I've been working on this for three months and all I have to show for it is a few pieces of paper. In the meantime," he said, pointing out the window at a nearby skyscraper nearing completion, those guys built a 30 story building."<br /><br />He says he thought that Shawn would sympathize with him, offer some words of comfort, tell him that what he is doing is a work of the mind, something that will last for ages. Instead, he said, Shawn put his finger to his lips and said, "Shhh, don't tell the other writers." <br />Paul Ciottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919369756030397155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74325057476712202772016-10-31T18:36:38.877-05:002016-10-31T18:36:38.877-05:00Lots of women truck drivers now.
I knew one of th...<i>Lots of women truck drivers now.</i><br /><br />I knew one of the first back in the 80's. She had decided that she wanted to drive semis and left a position at one of the SUNY campuses to do so.chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15164145672293455823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-49387357230387260392016-10-31T18:15:00.263-05:002016-10-31T18:15:00.263-05:00". . . the desirability of the men — not all ...". . . the desirability of the men — not all of them, but some of them — who don't want to live like that."<br /><br />What's the qualifier for? It's not as if "all" of the guys who work in offices are especially desirable. Sounds a little defensive!Mrs Whatsithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11809287715660867405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-75480493873109019822016-10-31T18:09:25.616-05:002016-10-31T18:09:25.616-05:00My oldest, best friend, who was best man in my wed...<i>My oldest, best friend, who was best man in my wedding, works construction.<br /><br />His body is shot. Shoulders. Knees. Elbows. Wrists. </i><br /><br />That's what I'm seeing. I'm at the age where my blue collar friends are having these sorts of problems. They can still work, but they're popping pills to manage the pain and keep the swelling down. Some of the welders are having trouble with their vision, too.<br /><br />On the other hand, a desk jockey at one of our suppliers just dropped dead at age 46. Sitting on your ass all day is hard on your body too, just not in the same ways.Bob Loblawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11081916786770290968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-65158776686922403982016-10-31T18:09:14.435-05:002016-10-31T18:09:14.435-05:00Very, very many women do see the desirability of m...Very, very many women do see the desirability of men like this. <br /><br />It's only in certain marooned islets of elitism that this attitude holds. MaxedOutMamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08011469804162511617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51780071115903185922016-10-31T17:56:26.205-05:002016-10-31T17:56:26.205-05:00"Fulfilling work" is the sort of oxymoro..."Fulfilling work" is the sort of oxymoron that gives understanding to the SJW term "a perspective of privilege."BNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07800122398628075042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-36073843475814250082016-10-31T17:48:59.849-05:002016-10-31T17:48:59.849-05:00"My oldest, best friend, who was best man in ..."My oldest, best friend, who was best man in my wedding, works construction.<br /><br />His body is shot. Shoulders. Knees. Elbows. Wrists. <br /><br />He would not be happy doing anything else, but there is a severe cost to the body over the long run, in his case. I'm not sure if this is universal."<br /><br />Factory work can wreck havoc on the body too, it took a toll on my arthritic body but overall I feel like I got lucky and came along when good factory jobs were still available.dreamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758740197698814061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88172942814761501362016-10-31T17:36:47.653-05:002016-10-31T17:36:47.653-05:00"I know a number of doctors who went into oth..."I know a number of doctors who went into other fields. One ER doc in LA went into construction and was a contractor."<br /><br />My Dr for the last 18 years left the profession just this year. I got a letter saying that it was with mixed feelings that he would no longer be providing medical care but he had got another opportunity that he was excited to pursue. I don't think he liked Obamacare and the computer medical records.dreamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758740197698814061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-83842722745527311172016-10-31T17:34:13.755-05:002016-10-31T17:34:13.755-05:00will keep doing it for the next 20 years if God gi...<i>will keep doing it for the next 20 years if God gives me strength. 90 is the new 65. </i><br /><br />Yup. One nice thing about Medicine is I can work, maybe not doing surgery, but doing interesting things until I'm 90. I guy I worked with until this year graduated GRADUATED ! from Medical School in 1943. He was 88 and still working.Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.com