FC/OT: Millennial Men and the labor market...

[mcgunns]

Why do boomers rip on millennials for receiving participation trophies rather than mocking themselves for giving them out? Boomers wanted to maintain an illusion that every kid is special with infinite potential. Many unfortunate kids bought into it. This illusion is very obviously false and believing it is utterly poisonous to your soul.


Everything good in life comes from recognizing you're not special and then stubbornly working towards being special even though you know you will probably never get there.

 

[Obliviax]

Why do boomers rip on millennials for receiving participation trophies rather than mocking themselves for giving them out? Boomers wanted to maintain an illusion that every kid is special with infinite potential. Many unfortunate kids bought into it. This illusion is very obviously false and believing it is utterly poisonous to your soul.


Everything good in life comes from recognizing you're not special and then stubbornly working towards being special even though you know you will probably never get there.

good post. I was in the room when a father, who had just attended the funeral of his son who had committed suicide, turned to me and said "life is all about accomplishment, whatever that may mean to that person". Thinking about this, I decided you could write a book on the subject. I mean, if Usain Bolt wins the olympics in the 100 meter dash, he is ecstatic. And rightfully so. Then watch a kid with some kind of mental or physical disability win a 100 meter dash, and he/she is equally ecstatic. The reason? Accomplishment. All of our starting points are in different places. Bolt is physically gifted. He has partnered those gifts with work ethic and determination. Likewise the handicapped kid, minus being gifted.

Point is, all of our starting lines are in different places. What you accomplish is directly proportional to the starting line. Regardless, they are all equally rewarding. The variable ingredients being work ethic and determination. The rest has been assigned by fate.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

What about the military? That is the *perfect* lifestyle for someone not sure of what they want to do. Not to mention all the post-service benefits.

More than any other generation, this group needs a huge slap back into reality...no better source for that than military life.

Also, have read several articles that suggest the Gen Z-ers coming up behind them are going to swing the pendulum back towards normal.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/322497

 

[JWB389]

I've noticed that everyone has talked about trucking, construction or military. Do you really think the unemployed millennial is tough enough to do that kind of work?

Gutsy post. To answer your question, trucking - yes, construction - yes, military no, because that is a lifelong decision you cannot take lightly.

Everybody has parenting advice. I don't think there is an answer on instilling work ethic other than starting it at an early age. My wife and I made decisions with our kid at an early age that have paid off in a big way. I took my kid to a community center kids karate class weeks before her 4th birthday. Next month, at the age of 12 she will be a first degree blackbelt in kenpo karate. Today, at age 12, she teaches little kids the basics of kenpo. She's physically solid as a rock and she thinks nothing of getting up in front of hundreds or even thousands of people to teach and present. I always think it was that decision to take her to that simple karate class that eventually instilled an unbelievable level of confidence in her. I don't say this to tout my parenting skills, because I know I lack in many areas. It was just dumb luck and something to do on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[lobo lion]

From the article:

"Butcher has a high-school diploma and a resume filled with low-wage jobs from Target and Walmart to a local grocery store. He’s being selective as he searches for new work because he doesn’t want to grind out unhappy hours for unsatisfying compensation.

“I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I’m worth,” he said. His choosiness could be a generational trait, he allows. His mother worked to support her three kids, whether she liked her job or not.

“That was the template for that generation: you were either working and unhappy, or you were a mooch,” he said. “People feel that they have choice nowadays, and they do.”"

I don't know what to say.

What he said: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I’m worth,”

What he meant: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I think I’m worth,”

Also what he meant: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I want,”

 

[heckmans]

From the article:

"Butcher has a high-school diploma and a resume filled with low-wage jobs from Target and Walmart to a local grocery store. He’s being selective as he searches for new work because he doesn’t want to grind out unhappy hours for unsatisfying compensation.

“I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I’m worth,” he said. His choosiness could be a generational trait, he allows. His mother worked to support her three kids, whether she liked her job or not.

“That was the template for that generation: you were either working and unhappy, or you were a mooch,” he said. “People feel that they have choice nowadays, and they do.”"

I don't know what to say.

 

[HazletonLion]

I see, every time I go and down the NJ Turnpike, the ad for the local heavy equipment union - right in front of their "training area", with cranes, dozers, etc. So it's not necessarily not happening from my perspective.

I just went through some contractor invoices for one of my government clients - they have to pay the guys prevailing wage - the apprentice was making $14/hour. Anyone with a level of skill and experience was not less than $30/hour. Top level guys were making $65/hour.

I don't know if they work 2000 hours per year at those salaries, but these are some good numbers, for that level of education.

Get into some of the trade unions in NYC, and they sky could very well be the limit.

I was a Heavy Equipment Operator in the military. After my discharge i peddled myself like the my pillow guy, i could operate anything , and i mean anything , dozers, all cranes, graders, snow removal for flight line, dragline, scrapers and much more, i forgot to mention tractor trailers . Guess what ! no one would hire me. Why? , i wasn't in a union.
The same problem exists today, get in a union, very difficult, like teaching, or electrical workers or any trade. YOU GOT TO KNOW SOMEONE, so the sons, and nephews, and now the daughters and nieces get in. Don't get me wrong, some people have the passion to follow in their parents footsteps, but most could care less.
I went to night school for welding, and electrical, and eventually became a Master Welder, I'm retired now but i had my resistance, and road blocks, mostly losing one job 12 years to Asia, and 25 years to Canada. I had to get a job at 59 years old to the sneers of my interviewers but eventually landed not one but 2 different jobs.
My opinion is anyone can pick themselves up and find employment, blue collar, white collar, it's tough but doable.

 

[ivan brunetti]

What he said: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I’m worth,”

What he meant: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I think I’m worth,”

Also what he meant: “I’m very quick to get frustrated when people refuse to pay me what I want,”

Unfair to base all millenials on this dude. I do not think he is typical.

 

[ImaWright]

Why do boomers rip on millennials for receiving participation trophies rather than mocking themselves for giving them out? Boomers wanted to maintain an illusion that every kid is special with infinite potential. Many unfortunate kids bought into it. This illusion is very obviously false and believing it is utterly poisonous to your soul.


Everything good in life comes from recognizing you're not special and then stubbornly working towards being special even though you know you will probably never get there.

and some do get there

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious" and "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer" -Albert Einstein

then you have Michael Jordan who didn't make varsity in HS right away and only worked himself to become the greatest of his time or perhaps all time

Look, for those saying that you can't parent it or same parents, different results. I agree, not every individual will respond the same to being taught work ethic. But in a greater sample size such as their generation in America, absolutely it will not just make a difference but it may save our place in the world for a long time.

Also, love what Oblivax just posted.

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

My brother is 40 and has probably worked 50+ retail jobs after passing on college. He lives paycheck to paycheck and quits jobs regularly (which is why he can never claim unemployment). He’s not a millennial and we had the same parents. No idea what happened.

Was he the "first born" or the "last born"? First borns are frequently spoiled and last borns have it easier because their siblings paved the way for them. Middle borns are generally more independent and hungry.

 

[LionDeNittany]

My brother is 40 and has probably worked 50+ retail jobs after passing on college. He lives paycheck to paycheck and quits jobs regularly (which is why he can never claim unemployment). He’s not a millennial and we had the same parents. No idea what happened.

That is called Gen Y. Similar to millennial but not quite. Gen Y grew up typically not having to worry about money. (And that is relative to their siblings)

LdN

 

[HazletonLion]

Why do boomers rip on millennials for receiving participation trophies rather than mocking themselves for giving them out? Boomers wanted to maintain an illusion that every kid is special with infinite potential. Many unfortunate kids bought into it. This illusion is very obviously false and believing it is utterly poisonous to your soul.


Everything good in life comes from recognizing you're not special and then stubbornly working towards being special even though you know you will probably never get there.

This is one Boomer that disagrees with you, i sort of blame it on X ers. Our parents worked their butts of, but didn't ogle over their kids in sports as today. Look at this friggin' board, we have 2 losses, and it's like Three Mile Island.
I remember in the 60's - 70's playing in any Bowl was great, naturally the bigger the better, but it was ok to play Tulane or Arizona St. in a bowl. But who are the people now complaining about Franklin, plays, recruiting etc.Doesn't seem like the Boomers to me. If you don't make the playoffs it's useless or is it ? Life is no different, being good or great is the same as being the best, but failing is just a lesson that you try not to repeat but doesn't deserve a trophy.

 

[bison13]

Was he the "first born" or the "last born"? First borns are frequently spoiled and last borns have it easier because their siblings paved the way for them. Middle borns are generally more independent and hungry.

Really? Middle/last born are more often the lazier one because they are generally socially more active. Oldest born are generally the hardest working from what I've seen because more is expected of them.

3 child family that I went to school with, youngest is the hardest working, middle is the spoiled one and oldest is most independent due to having to work more as a youngster.

 

[Lion84]

I agree with a lot of what has been said here - I was no more than a middle of the road student in High School and College and doubt I would get into PSU today but I wanted to succeed and even though I worked with people I know were smarter than me they never stood out. I think you really don’t need to be smarter than others just more driven and confident and not afraid to fail. I worked in restaurants and retail along the way and that was a great motivator to look to achieve. I respect anyone who wants to try - a lot of people work hard and make do with what they have and others seems to feel entitled and that will be painful for them in the “real” world.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Was he the "first born" or the "last born"? First borns are frequently spoiled and last borns have it easier because their siblings paved the way for them. Middle borns are generally more independent and hungry.

Interesting - which do you think?

 

[ForesterGump]

I have an older brother and 4 younger sisters. I always figured we grew up a bit different because we had different parents.

Us older boys had parents that were just starting out in life. We lived in an apartment at my grandparents house. My mom worked at a candy factory and my dad was a steelworker. I spent my days with my grandmother. I started working by the time I was 7 at the local amusement park with my aunt.

The 2 middle girls had a stay at home mom. My dad was still a steelworker and he had an auctioneering business as a sideline. We had our own house by that time. There were more household chores. But, there was a bit more money in the house. My dad and I used to haul furniture for an auction house in the evenings. He split the earnings with me. A fair man.

The youngest girls had it a lot more easy. There were fewer people in the house, since the older ones left about when they were 18. The parents were older and more tolerant. Its why grandparents are more tolerant of grandchildren's behavior then they were of their own kids.

 

[YeOldeCup]

Really? Middle/last born are more often the lazier one because they are generally socially more active. Oldest born are generally the hardest working from what I've seen because more is expected of them.

3 child family that I went to school with, youngest is the hardest working, middle is the spoiled one and oldest is most independent due to having to work more as a youngster.

Gotta say I've never heard or experienced that perspective. While no generalization covers all, I was the middle of three boys, the eldest the favorite of my mom, the youngest the favorite of my dad. It never bothered me in the least. I made my own way -- 4.0 GPA, captain of the FB team, AFROTC scholarship and PSU degree, MS degree, PMP, great career and family...

We've established that the article hits on specific individuals/behaviors, not to indicate that they're universal, but to outline that some "perspectives" rarely seen in the past are more evident now.

 

[Cletus11]

not sure you can judge kids on youngest to oldest as i have 3 kids and all are different even though we try to parent the same. There is just some natural ability that some of them have that others do not. it is social circles they hang around in which can be sheer luck. my oldest daughter has a great friend group, all super nice kids. their high school class is extolled by the entire teaching body as the best class of kids anybody can remember. my middle daughter goes to the same school district, tons of truly crazy kids and parents in her grade. how crazy, some parent held a party for 9th graders this past weekend and served them alcohol and marijuana laced brownies. Their class is known as the worst class in school history, already several of them have been kicked out of the district in middle school for various issues. as a parent, we parent both kids the same but different outcomes nobody how hard we try.

when you talk millenials, obviously most of it is generally speaking. There are millions of millenials that are great and hard workers, just like in every generation. But i do think that there is a larger majority of them that take a lot of things for granted and have expectations which are extremely high. i also think the other issue that you see is a lack of independence. I think most on this board went off to PSU or college or other and started living their own lives and making decision for themselves. it was a right of passage to leave the house and be on your own. And your parents (my parents) pushed and encouraged that. Now-a-days, kids never grow up almost. There are college kids and twenty somethings that talk to their parents more in one week than i did an entire semester. the parents are in their kids lives well into their 20's and beyond. that is the biggest difference that i see.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

not sure you can judge kids on youngest to oldest as i have 3 kids and all are different even though we try to parent the same. There is just some natural ability that some of them have that others do not. it is social circles they hang around in which can be sheer luck. my oldest daughter has a great friend group, all super nice kids. their high school class is extolled by the entire teaching body as the best class of kids anybody can remember. my middle daughter goes to the same school district, tons of truly crazy kids and parents in her grade. how crazy, some parent held a party for 9th graders this past weekend and served them alcohol and marijuana laced brownies. Their class is known as the worst class in school history, already several of them have been kicked out of the district in middle school for various issues. as a parent, we parent both kids the same but different outcomes nobody how hard we try.

when you talk millenials, obviously most of it is generally speaking. There are millions of millenials that are great and hard workers, just like in every generation. But i do think that there is a larger majority of them that take a lot of things for granted and have expectations which are extremely high. i also think the other issue that you see is a lack of independence. I think most on this board went off to PSU or college or other and started living their own lives and making decision for themselves. it was a right of passage to leave the house and be on your own. And your parents (my parents) pushed and encouraged that. Now-a-days, kids never grow up almost. There are college kids and twenty somethings that talk to their parents more in one week than i did an entire semester. the parents are in their kids lives well into their 20's and beyond. that is the biggest difference that i see.

Ha! I agree with a lot here - funny story about your kids and their 'all time' class status (both best and worst). What I don't get is this shift in philosophy that used to be, 'I'll work, even if it's doing something I don't like, because it will help support me/my family and I'll get my pleasure in life from that,' to 'I won't work, unless it's personally fulfilling, and those who depend on me for support will just have to deal.' It would be great if everyone had a job that they loved, but that's not, and never will be, reality (until we have Soma and genetically engineered babies pre-dispositioned to love their jobs a la Brave New World).

 

[GreggK]

Just want to remark that this has been what conversations on here should be.

 

[GreggK]

Just a historical note. The Nazis made the same or similar judgments about America’s “Greatest Generation” and look how that turned out. These kids are going work out.
As the father of a millennial college student, I’m blown away at how much more academic rigor these kids go through. My kid studies way, WAY more than I ever did. I admire the hell out of her and her friends. Finishing a Bio degree with a minor in Psych in 3 yrs at a top 50 univ while playing a D1 sport? That is not a lazy kid.

These kids will figure it out.

Your son isn't a millennial if he is at current college age.

My nephews are the same. Hard working, a little more conservative in certain ways than the millennials. What I am trying to help them with currently is their helicopter mom (my sister). She had them download trackers on their phones so she can monitor their position at every moment. Believe it or not, my sister wants them to join frats and go to parties. They want nothing to do with that and just want to work hard and study. It is insanity. She is a gen x'er.

 

[CoastFan]

Very interesting article. Why this is the case has been discussed/debated in the thread. There may be other reasons too.

One point made in one or more posts is the impact on jobs, present and future, by technology. We are just seeing glimpses of the impact now and there may be very few future jobs which are totally insulated from technology.

For example, I heard a futurist make the point very clearly. He said to imagine it is 30 years from now. A person is in need of surgery. (S)he knows a Harvard educated surgeon, who graduated top of his class and possessing a 170+ IQ.

However, there are fewer and fewer jobs for human surgeons. You see, there now are android surgeons with IQs of 10,000. They have ALL medical knowledge and can instantaneously evaluate any and all medical issues. Of course the android can do incisions with a preciseness not possible for any human.

Will there be a future paradise where all of human needs are taken care of by technology, self-actualization is reality from the get-go, and body parts are replaced as needed, or a hellish existence where crime and anarchy run amuck due to boredom, very scarce resources, etc? Will there be a singularity where artificial intelligence becomes self-aware and takes a long, hard look at the weak water bags (humans) and decides we are no longer needed?

Both worlds seem to be possible.

 

[BobPSU92]

THE. GREATEST. GENERATION.

MILLENIALS.

SNOWFLAKES.

Regardless, OUTRAGE. is timeless.

 

[LionJim]

My bad, 1998. “Post-Millenial”?

I still stand by my original point, these kids will figure it out and answer to the challenge.

I’m glad you think this.

 

[BobPSU92]

GET. OFF. MY. LAWN.

 

[blion72]

Now those participation trophies weren't thought of by, designed by, nor printed and delivered by millenials. Complaining about how soft these kids are? Somebody raised 'em that way.

it is fair to say that they not all in the millennial age group are like this. there are a few strata of types just as in any other group. i know plenty with discipline and work ethic who can deliver in real jobs. to be fair, the economic situation is very tough for this age bracket - in terms of good middle class type jobs. it is much harder to raise a family on an income today.

 

[SOSNittany]

and some do get there

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious" and "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer" -Albert Einstein

then you have Michael Jordan who didn't make varsity in HS right away and only worked himself to become the greatest of his time or perhaps all time

Look, for those saying that you can't parent it or same parents, different results. I agree, not every individual will respond the same to being taught work ethic. But in a greater sample size such as their generation in America, absolutely it will not just make a difference but it may save our place in the world for a long time.

Also, love what Oblivax just posted.

Einstein had an IQ of 160. So, he's being disingenuous when he says he has no special talent. He had a ton of talent.

And Michael Jordan might have worked hard, but he was obviously very talented, which means being 6' 7" when playing basketball. Did he fail to make his high school team when he was early? Maybe. Maybe he didn't go through puberty early. But in any event, he, like Einstein, had a ton of talent.

Pretending everyone can be an NBA player or a world class physicist doesn't help anyone.

 

[AldenT]

Great thread and some great points.

There is something to the fact that we are healthier and more stable and more informed than at any time in human history. That’s changed more in the last 75 years than the previous 7500. So to an extent many are victims of our success if you will.

That said, post ww2 any moron could get a job that paid a living wage. A little house, a Ford in the driveway, a pension, a feeling of community in a union...those days are gone. My dad graduated from psu in engineering and immediately made 3x what his annual tuition was; that ain’t happening today. Most of the “back in my day” types wouldn’t get into psu today, let alone get a decent job in whatever field or area they started in. The problem is that frustration for millennials has turned into laziness for many.

The cream rises to the top; the kids I work with in investment banking are some of the smartest, most ambitious people in the world. They get wanting to make a difference, and wanting to be fulfilled, but they also get working hard and profit and loss and good decision making.

It’s a fact there are less at-bats for the bottom 90 percent of young people these days. Many think they deserve the opportunity their grandparents had, to make a living wage in areas that produce next-to-nothing anymore. Ain’t happening. Adapt or perish.

 

[Psychedelic_MackDaddy]

Fascinating article. Just...wow.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...paign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Why is this fascinating? Every generation has people that don't want to work. Boomers had the hippies and my generation had the "Madonna and music geeks". What does this show?

If you want a better picture into the "GREAT FVCKENING" by Baby Boomer Economics, track Medical School and PA school statistics from 2006 through 2016.

FIRST TIME APPLYING TO MED SCHOOL:

2006: 29,492
.
.
2016: 38,782

The number of slots available did not increase.

MULTIPLE TIMES APPLYING (i.e., rejected at least once):

2006: 39,108
.
.
2016: 53,042

Now, all these (ahem) deadbeat Millennials had to meet MINIMUM Requirements with GPA, Core Science Courses, MCAT.

You mean those that didn't get accepted were deadbeats? Weren't working their tails off to get in?

You give ONE example of some deadbeat and extrapolate that to ALL Millennials? SHAME ON YOU!

My example is more descriptive of the Millennial plight. Baby Boomers FVCKED this generation all so people in the 1% could go into the 0.1% income; and, those in the 0.1% income could go into the 0.01% income.

Millennials (and rightfully, so) are going to bring the deck of cards crashing.

Keep calling Millennials worthless. All they did was fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. And, they graduated college during a time when Baby Boomers KNOWINGLY AND PURPOSEFULLY fvcked them. Why? Because Greenspan didn't believe in regulating FRAUD!

 

[lein]

The career of Trucker won't exist in 15 years. Another casualty of technology.

And in the 70s, they told us we would have a moon base and would be traveling to Mars by now. Replacing truckers isn't as trivial as it is made out to be. We don't even have self driving freight trains and that is a much easier problem to solve.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Why is this fascinating? Every generation has people that don't want to work. Boomers had the hippies and my generation had the "Madonna and music geeks". What does this show?

If you want a better picture into the "GREAT FVCKENING" by Baby Boomer Economics, track Medical School and PA school statistics from 2006 through 2016.

FIRST TIME APPLYING TO MED SCHOOL:

2006: 29,492
.
.
2016: 38,782

The number of slots available did not increase.

MULTIPLE TIMES APPLYING (i.e., rejected at least once):

2006: 39,108
.
.
2016: 53,042

Now, all these (ahem) deadbeat Millennials had to meet MINIMUM Requirements with GPA, Core Science Courses, MCAT.

You mean those that didn't get accepted were deadbeats? Weren't working their tails off to get in?

You give ONE example of some deadbeat and extrapolate that to ALL Millennials? SHAME ON YOU!

My example is more descriptive of the Millennial plight. Baby Boomers FVCKED this generation all so people in the 1% could go into the 0.1% income; and, those in the 0.1% income could go into the 0.01% income.

Millennials (and rightfully, so) are going to bring the deck of cards crashing.

Keep calling Millennials worthless. All they did was fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. And, they graduated college during a time when Baby Boomers KNOWINGLY AND PURPOSEFULLY fvcked them. Why? Because Greenspan didn't believe in regulating FRAUD!

You’re not wrong but you fail to address the point of the article, which is decreased employment for ‘millennial men’ despite a better job market and employment prospects. No one said every millennial male is like the one in the article. I take it everyone who applies to med school is of the same generation?

And quit saying ‘you’ - I didn’t write the article and I’m not a ‘boomer’.

 

[jrd23psu]

Oh is it shit on Millennials day again?

I’m sure it’s mostly Baby Boomers in this thread complaining about a generation of “participation trophies” that their generation invented, handed out to their kids, and then complained about something they started. It sure as shit wasn’t their kids who handed them out to themselves.

Millennials never cared about the shitty participation trophies you Boomers invented. We took them because We were kids and you just handed them out like candy. I threw every one of mine away.

Baby Boomers. The most selfish and entitlement generation this country has ever seen. You people are unreal.

 

[Psychedelic_MackDaddy]

Oh is it shit on Millennials day again?

I’m sure it’s mostly Baby Boomers in this thread complaining about a generation of “participation trophies” that their generation invented, handed out to their kids, and then complained about something they started. It sure as shit wasn’t their kids who handed them out to themselves.

Millennials never cared about the shitty participation trophies you Boomers invented. We took them because We were kids and you just handed them out like candy. I threw every one of mine away.

Baby Boomers. The most selfish and entitlement generation this country has ever seen. You people are unreal.

YES! The Baby Boomer generation that got a FREE ride to college via (AHEM) SOCIALISM by the WWII generation, went to work and collectively whined that THEIR taxes were going to Millennials! FVCK THEM! They collectively said.

And, fvck them they did.

 

[Psychedelic_MackDaddy]

You’re not wrong but you fail to address the point of the article, which is decreased employment for ‘millennial men’ despite a better job market and employment prospects. No one said every millennial male is like the one in the article. I take it everyone who applies to med school is of the same generation?

And quit saying ‘you’ - I didn’t write the article and I’m not a ‘boomer’.

Oh...Its "me" that's missing the point. So, Millennials aren't really interested in being a truck driver. WHAT A SHOCK!

When you were at Penn State how many of your friends couldn't wait to graduate so they could be a truck driver?

Get a grip, dude. Being a manager at McDonald's isn't everyone's dream job.

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

A quote by Michael Hopf, “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

Thanks for the wonderful quote! Very nice!

 

[BobPSU92]

Einstein had an IQ of 160. So, he's being disingenuous when he says he has no special talent. He had a ton of talent.

And Michael Jordan might have worked hard, but he was obviously very talented, which means being 6' 7" when playing basketball. Did he fail to make his high school team when he was early? Maybe. Maybe he didn't go through puberty early. But in any event, he, like Einstein, had a ton of talent.

Pretending everyone can be an NBA player or a world class physicist doesn't help anyone.

The world needs ditch diggers, too.

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

The career of Trucker won't exist in 15 years. Another casualty of technology.

Regardless of whether or not they think they are too good for Target or Walmart, even if they didn't and worked there, it wouldn't be enough to support even a lower middle class life.
And again, technology will devour those jobs as well in the next 15 years.

People need to wake up and see what is happening and stop with the finger pointing and arrogance.

So, rather than taking a $100,000 per year job for the next 15 years, it is better to jack off in your parents’ shower since the job will, ultimately, (possibly?) become obsolete in a decade and a half or so?

Even if you’re right, you’re wrong. And I think you’re wrong that truck driving won’t exist in 15 years.

 

[djr4rebs]

We don't even have self driving freight trains and that is a much easier problem to solve.

They are trying. Right now, you got two men on what are sometimes 200 car long trains and the present goal is to get it down to 1.

Maintenance sections down to about 3 men, responsible for roughly 100 miles of track.

Google "precision railroading". It's going on in every industry. Profit over all else.

 

[YeOldeCup]

YES! The Baby Boomer generation that got a FREE ride to college via (AHEM) SOCIALISM by the WWII generation, went to work and collectively whined that THEIR taxes were going to Millennials! FVCK THEM! They collectively said.

And, fvck them they did.

You do realize that you drop the collective IQ of the BWI boards by 50 points every time you post nonsense like this, right?

You're either trolling or you are truly a messed up individual. Profanity and name-calling never win an argument; they merely prove that you've lost.

In any event, your posts demonstrate that either you didn't read the entire article, or your reading comprehension is abysmal.

 

[Cosmos]

I don't have a military background, but I tend to think that if they feel disrespected by the treatment at the WalMarts of the world, they would have a hard time adjusting to the discipline levels of the military. Still, a good point though.

The military has changed to accommodate the younger generations. A good example is women in combat roles. It remains to be seen if it works. I wonder, why introduce the sexual component to frontline units when the focus is on unit cohesion? For example, you're in a foxhole with Bobby and he's got the hots for Mary Jane, two foxholes away. What happens when the enemy attacks. Chivalry takes over. Bobby bolts, leaving you in your foxhole alone. As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I'm all for breaking the 'glass ceiling' but why this self-imposed impediment. War is a man's vocation.