Usa Thread

[Coss]

Trump Administration Suggests Furloughed Workers Do Chores for Landlords to Help Pay Rent

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management on Thursday tweeted advice to furloughed federal workers on how to explain their precarious financial situation to creditors and landlords—including one sample letter with the suggestion that they offer to perform chores in exchange for rent payments. “I will keep in touch with you to keep you informed about my income status and I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments,” one sample letter to a landlord read. The agency also urged workers to “please consult with your personal attorney” for any required legal advice amid the partial government shutdown, during which nearly 800,000 workers have either been furloughed or asked to work without pay. On Thursday night, prospects looked even grimmer as the House and Senate both adjourned for the weekend, guaranteeing the shutdown will continue until at least next week.

Those "chores" are JOBS that are done by other people so they can pay THEIR rent!  Most landlords have maintenance and custodial workers.  You are suggesting that OTHERS lose THEIR jobs so this president can have a temper tantrum!

Trickle down Trauma

[Flashermac]

From the way back machine:

 

[Flashermac]

They loved him before he went into politics.

 

 

[Coss]

yeppidy

US newspapers hit by simultaneous cyberattack

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12183970

 

I wonder, if they're 'failing' and 'fake' why anyone would bother, or is Trumperbelle getting some more help?

[Steve]

As far as anyone knows, Trump was a Democrat. If you are a NYC builder, and Republican, you keep that under wraps. I think Trump ran as a Republican because that was the most convenient. 

Also, the people who he now doesn't like that he was photographed with, didn't know his politics or real opinions. That's common. For example, Generals by tradition remain as apolitical as possible for obvious reasons but almost all of them are Republican. Think of all the former generals who either ran for President or had to align themselves with a party when they entered politics in some form or manner. Republican, going back to Ike...hell, going back to Grant. With very few exceptions.

 

 

[Flashermac]

Hillary suddenly became a New Yorker when she decided to go into politics, knowing that she couldn't possibly lose in that heavily Democratic state. She also made sure that the senatorial nomination was handed to her, realizing she might well not have won it in an open primary election. I think Trump is essentially apolitical. He does whatever is best for him. He knew he could never get the Dem's presidential nomination, so he went after the Republican. He virtual stole it from the mainline Republican contenders, and he is not much liked by them for doing so.

p.s. Steve, the Democrats came close to nominating Eisenhower in 1948. The Republicans chose him in 1952. I remember reading an interview with Ike in which he said he'd never even voted when he was a career Army officer, believing that the military should be politically neutral. Once he was nominated, he more or less acted like a Democrat and would be called a liberal by many in today's Republican Party. Hell, nowadays Nixon would be considered "too left" by many Republicans.

 

[Steve]

A few things. I'm curious to know from Coss and other non Americans or Americans who have first or second hand knowledge, the affordability of university in other industrialized nations. College is a scam to some extent {https://nypost.com/2017/04/05/the-college-scam-how-boomers-betrayed-millennials/} (http://nymag.com/news/features/college-education-2011-5/). Were an 18 year old again with limited means, I'd probably go the online degree route. Back in the '90s it was a stigma. The University of Phoenix degrees were looked down upon unless it was for certain computer related majors like programming. These days, employers don't really care. The term "accredited" isn't what it used to be. So, for me, I would work in my field of interest at whatever pay, at home with mom and dad while pursuing an online degree I pursue at my pleasure. Not sure if that is a reasonable plan these days. I am watching the video and wondering why that isn't pursued. I also see that some are going through this stress to pursue degrees that won't pay back the costs it took to get it like "geology" for one person in the video. Unless you are going into to the energy field, its pretty much like majoring in psyche, poly sci or sociology. Useless. The same can be said for any gender/ehtnic studies majors.  Racking up thousands of dollars to major in something you should be pursuing in your own free time, that doesn't pay in the "real world" isn't smart to me. Women's Studies. African American studies. Chicano Studies, if there is such a thing as Caucasian Studies, I'd include that as well. 

Anyway, it's amazing how much money major sports unis like the University of Alabama, Florida State, University of Michigan brings in and then you have homeless students and costs that never, ever go down. University tuition and fees have taken a constant incline in costs since forever. One has to wonder why this is so with money they bring in. 

 

 

[Flashermac]

The University of California used to be cheap. At today's rates, I could never have afforded to go there. I'd have had to do the sensible thing and enlist for four years to get my education paid for. Of course, most of today's young folks would never consider such an option!    (Also, most would be too overweight and out of shape to be accepted if they tried.)

Blame Reagan for kicking things off, but the universities themselves are now run by greed, with academic studies coming in second or third. They are factories that crank out graduates on an assembly line, which has lessened the value of a degree and made it make more sense to go into a blue collar trade instead.  A 3.0 GPA used to be tough to get, 3.5 hard as hell. Nowadays, a B is an average grade. Graduate schools have to go by applicants' GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores, since GPA may bot mean you've actually learned anything.

https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2017/10/a-brief-history-of-uc-tuition

1959
On Dec. 18, both the UC Regents and State Board of Education unanimously vote to “reaffirm the long established principle that state colleges and the University of California shall be tuition free to all residents of the state.” They also resolve to create greater student aid, “particularly as fees and nonresident tuition increase,” in the 1960 California Master Plan for Higher Education.

1968
Calif. Gov. Ronald Reagan fights to impose tuition at California four year colleges. The state legislature thwarts his efforts, but agrees to increase student registration fees.

...

Present
Tuition is now $11,502. Student service fees are $1,128.

 

I paid no tuition. but I think a "registration fee" of $300. (State colleges were even cheaper.) I am not in favor of "free education", but the costs should be within reason. My first teaching job after finishing my education (but still working on  my M.A) earned me $640 a month. That was good money in 1968, and teachers moved from other states to get it. Then the Selective Service decided that the two youngest teachers at my high school (me and one other) would make better soldiers than teachers. SS may well have been right, but it cut our pay to $109.50 a month and the other guy was medically discharged after being effed up by a satchel charge just a few weeks after he arrived in Danang.

p.s.  If I were young, I'd definitely go here. I love Germany!    

https://www.studying-in-germany.org/

https://www.study.eu/country/germany

 

 

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

A bit off topic, but Dr. Hansen makes such good sense.

 

[Flashermac]

There are still some loonies out there.