- You’ve probably heard by now: Steve Jobs is dead. Farewell to an amazing innovator. He’s been part of our cultural wallpaper for such a long time it’s hard to believe he was only 56.
- Don’t know that I’d want to beta test a bank, but if you’re fed up with the Big Boys, here’s an interesting new alternative.
- Speaking of banks, the always-interesting Barry Ritholtz has a good take on their self-inflicted mark-to-make-believe wounds and other unintended consequences of Brilliant Government Ideas.
- Believe it or not Tim Burton did not create this wedding photo. (I was going to post the pic here but didn’t want to disturb the digestion of any readers who might be eating breakfast.) This is what happens when you’re rich enough to have all the plastic surgery you want and old enough to have had one hell of a lot of it.
- Hey, here’s an idea! Have yourself turned into ammunition. Okay, maybe it’s not a good idea. But it’s an idea.
- Here’s a better idea. A makeshift trash-can root cellar.
- “Why Men Are in Trouble.”
- Downloading is not the same as playing. A court decision makes sense. Whoddathunkit?
- Ten best (legitimate) ways make money from home.
I haven’t used a “big” bank in 40 years. Small towns often have a small, one or 2 branch, bank run by local people. Also I have been a credit union member for a long time also. Maybe if you live in a city there are no small banks? It would be worth looking around, I’d think, after reading all the horror stories about “big” banks. Are there any advantages at all to banking with a large nationwide bank?
The author of “Why men are in trouble” didn’t even scratch the bluing of the problem. He merely stated what anyone with a mind can observe, leaving out the “why” part of it.
Wow where did you find that wedding photo? Better yet… never mind.
F42
I like the post on the 10 ways to make money. I have 3 out of 10 going successfully and a couple not listed so I am feeling solid on that front. Self employment is the foundation of a freedom based lifestyle. Most people say their regret when becoming self employed is why they didn’t do it earlier, but in my case I picked up a lot of valuable skills and introspection about business that was very useful before becoming self employed. However each person gets here is unique, but make sure you eventually do get here, you won’t regret it.
“Why Men are in Trouble”
I agree with JG that the article doesn’t explain why. I do know one of the reason why, is all the feminist crap have turned men off. You men this, you men that, sexual harassment lawsuits that half the time aren’t legitimate, high rate of divorces, high alimony and high child support laws, refusal to let young fathers see their kids, often when there is a domestic quarrel in which the woman is the violent one the cops arrest the man because that’s the law.
The stack is against men and have been building for a long time. We men can see the handwriting on the wall and realize “Why?” Why should we even make an effort if it’s all going to be taken away and not be given any earned respect?
We are figuring out that “Its not worth it anymore”. The covenant of respect between the sexes have been broken.
Claire,
Are you not paying attention? While you’re writing about a sick dog, the Revolution is beginning without you.
People have taken to the streets in dozens of cities. Occupy Wall St movements have sprung up all over the country. While there’s no demands yet, people are finally expressing their dissatisfaction with “the system”.
The “IT” moment you have been looking for and preparing us all for for all these years is upon us.
The country calls are out for a Robespierre.
Will you answer the call?
Re: “Why Are Men In Trouble”
Is it possible that the women’s movement having gotten what they asked for discovered that it isn’t what they wanted, after all?
Life is full of unintended consequences, isn’t it?
Just Waiting — LOL, anybody who wants a Robespierre is welcome to have one. Just keep him away from me!
I’ll have more on the “it” moment and the street demonstrations. Been thinking about that all morning.
Wilson — Life was out of balance in favor of males when I was growing up. Now it’s careening out of balance in favor of females. And ultimately imbalance is to the detriment of both. Ideally, women could become strong without men becoming weak.
My goodness, that wedding photo was disturbing (LOL), and proves that all the money in the world can’t buy beauty……
Re: Men In Trouble….they are…and it’s gotten that way from both sexes’ contributions to that…..but until women’s pay equals men’s (in most careers) I hesitate to declare women the “conquerors.” And when the core family eroded, these are the results from those changes. Current society behavior “demands” are also tearing away more of “male personality traits” (women seem to be the loudest at eliminating those, too)….I am a bit surprised that the men just headed for the video games and went so quietly without a push-back, tho…..
No matter what the topic, humanity has a bad habit of going to extremes in contrasts. Something never shifts to the middle during a change. I never understand why supposedly intelligent people can’t figure out how to find that medium first….
It is silly to lump all men or all women together. But I do have lots of experience that I can use for reference.
I don’t know whether men are really in trouble or not. What I do know is that there is nothing virtuous about Bennet’s listed “virtues” of work, marriage, and religion.
I worked hard and married just to have the fruits of my efforts stolen through divorce. And my children were taken far away and I was expected to pay a ransom in order to have the privilege of seeing them- traveling 1000 miles at my own expense and effort, of course. So, I’d much rather just slide by and not marry. (The Love of My Life is unavailable anyway.) If women have a complaint about men, they really ought to be looking in the mirror.
The women in my life have almost always made more money than me. It never bothered me. Even at that, in the divorces I was the one expected to pay up for the failure of the marriage. No thanks.
I can be a great companion, but I’m no one’s meal ticket. Nor do I ask anyone to be mine. I won’t be owned, nor do I want to own anyone. I’m not jealous and I can’t put up with jealousy from someone else and still have any respect for them. Jealousy is a relationship ender. Some people can’t handle that, but that means they can’t handle me.
All I want is an equal partner. You have your stregths and I have mine. No relationship needs a Ruler.
I guess I believe that “what it takes to be a man” is the same thing it takes to be a woman: mutual respect without aggression or deception.
Bennet will never get a clue, being stuck in bronze age delusions, as he is.
Great roundup. That wedding photo is something. I’m glad my wife is willing to let time add wrinkles. I think they look great on her. A neighbor is into all this operation stuff and to my eyes is becoming rather grotesque.
I also appreciate the mark to make believe link. Finance moved into fiction some time ago. It helped that they captured the government enough to get away with it. It’s going to be a hell of a hangover when this illusion pops – worse than that bride. It does mystify me how many people can keep believing in the fantasy. Only out on the fringes of the left and right is this pointed out.
The Men issue is real and I’m mystified by it. I’m old enough to have bypassed it but there is something corrosive happening to young men. I have a son and my wife has a son and daughter, all early 20’s. We merged households a few years ago. I raised my son as a single Dad and tried to be as old fashioned as possible with chores and lots of work to teach him skills and abilities. There just seems to be something corrosive out there where boys teach each other a loser set of values. No respect for ambition, achievement, just killing time. My wife’s son is the same way, just drifting. The daughter is the opposite. She was alarming in high school but got a full ride to a private school on an athletic scholarship and graduated with honors with a real degree. Life sucks right now in terms of goof work and she takes out her frustrations by working out, not getting high and video games. If anybody has a solution, let me know.
Steve
I work for one of the virtual call centers listed in that article. They make you provide a boatload of identification in order to get hired, but it was one of the few jobs I could get when I was stuck in a wheelchair. I had to quit for a while when my health problems got too severe, but I’m back with them now. I did the math once and found I was saving at least $140 a month in gas money. And saved even more when my truck gave up the ghost, by not having to replace it right away! Not to mention getting to work in my PJ’s :p
It is a job, though. It’s not the same as being self-employed. The software those places use keeps track of every second you’re working.
I also have a small sewing business, but I work through a local costume store rather than have customers come to my house. The thought of having strangers in and out all day makes me nervous.
The combination of the two seems to work well for me. I’d love to be able to get all my income from my sewing, but I’m not so good at sticking with it after it becomes “work”, so I’ve gone back to it being a paying hobby.
(Well, actually, what I’d really love is to sell my designs and live on the royalties, but that’s another story.)
Woody: one advantage to nationwide banks is their multiple locations. That came in very handy when I was travelling a lot. After that bank made one too many “mistakes” I found a smaller nationwide bank (if that makes sense) that had a branch in both places I needed, one near my current residence and one reasonably near my future residence.
If you’re going to be in one place most of the time, that might not be a factor, though.
Is it just me or did anyone notice how he was leaning in the extreme opposite direction from her in that photo? It’s possible that he managed to wrestle away his arm and run screaming for his life.
It’s not just you, Chris D. I noticed the leeeeean myself. But despite the claim that she’s given away all her money, I presume he has some pretty golden reason for not running off screaming.
Still … can you imagine any reason he’d … ? No, it must be LOVE …