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I'm old. So, I screwed my life up with a very late start. Not even sure my start could be called a start. Anyways... as I've been going over different professions in the U.S., even the traditionally high paying ones, from pilots of commercial aircraft to lawyers to chiropractors to medical doctors to unlimited tonnage ship captains... a common theme I've been finding is this: suck day future: more debt than money.
... So, I should pay $70,000 to $100,000 (on top of my undergrad debt already) in assuming debt that is, to obtain a 3rd officer licensing from a maritime academy, so I get paid $25,000 or so a year, or not have a job at all because it's cheaper for shipping companies to hire Filipinos?
I don't even have a bachelor degree yet. Not sure I will pursue formal education past it. At best I can be an average student in the sciences, so, dental school, medical school, pharm. school, and optometry school are probably out.
So, I'm thinking if I have any chance at prosperity in "America the land with streets paved in gold" I'm either going to have to trust totally in God the Father and Jesus to miraculously see things through for me, or I'm going to have to look into doing gay porn. Or just be poor. Maybe I can move to Mexico to be the butler of some rich Mexican?
I know some Protestants believe in the prosperity doctrine where prayer and faith in Jesus brings financial and material fortune, even to slum dwellers in third world countries. Actually, I think Jesus is my only hope [shrugs].
Currently, I'm feeling this way looking at any future as a person cursed with an average IQ:
I didn't watch the videos. I was hooked when you said you are old. How old? I'm 70, my hubby is 74. Can't believe he was once accused of robbing the cradle. I guess the two of us had things pretty good. I was the 1st in my family to get a college degree. I taught grade school, kept taking night classes and kept taking higher paying jobs. I ended up with my doctorate and was a university assistant dean of education. I know, fancy degree, fancy title. Hubby was a professional engineer. He was happy with that. Retired, we literally have more coming in than we did working. I don't feel guilty because we are able to help family members and donate a lot. We invested conservatively but diligently. Besides, my property tax bill is now over $15,000 a year. I like to get that dig in on the county whenever I can.
I don't know anything about prosperity theology. I guess we missed the sermon that said our faith in Jesus was going to bring us wealth. If only it were that easy. It's hard work and a willingness to sacrifice. It helped having a supportive hubby. He did a lot with the kids when I was working.
You know, though it wasn't in my job description, I counseled a lot of college students over the years while teaching education classes. I'd tell them teaching wasn't about the money (and believe me it's not). Only do it if it's your passion. Maybe some listened.
I had a brother that loved cars. He opened a body shop. Eventually, restoration of 60's cars became his focal point. He said it was like he never grew up.
I don't mean to be nosy, but what have you done in life so far that brings you fulfillment?
The Gospel is not a prosperity message. It is a message about forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation from hell earned for us by Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and the resurrection. It is a free gift to all who believe and seek to live by God's will. In fact, the Bible warns about greed, love of money etc. Sorry you made some mistakes early on in life. But, you don't need one of those expensive educations to make a comfortable living. Move to a prosperous area, like where there are jobs and companies are hiring, get a job, work, save, don't spend your money on crap, and you'll have enough to live on.
I'm old. So, I screwed my life up with a very late start. Not even sure my start could be called a start. Anyways... as I've been going over different professions in the U.S., even the traditionally high paying ones, from pilots of commercial aircraft to lawyers to chiropractors to medical doctors to unlimited tonnage ship captains... a common theme I've been finding is this: suck day future: more debt than money.
... So, I should pay $70,000 to $100,000 (on top of my undergrad debt already) in assuming debt that is, to obtain a 3rd officer licensing from a maritime academy, so I get paid $25,000 or so a year, or not have a job at all because it's cheaper for shipping companies to hire Filipinos?
I don't even have a bachelor degree yet. Not sure I will pursue formal education past it. At best I can be an average student in the sciences, so, dental school, medical school, pharm. school, and optometry school are probably out.
So, I'm thinking if I have any chance at prosperity in "America the land with streets paved in gold" I'm either going to have to trust totally in God the Father and Jesus to miraculously see things through for me, or I'm going to have to look into doing gay porn. Or just be poor. Maybe I can move to Mexico to be the butler of some rich Mexican?
I know some Protestants believe in the prosperity doctrine where prayer and faith in Jesus brings financial and material fortune, even to slum dwellers in third world countries. Actually, I think Jesus is my only hope [shrugs].
Currently, I'm feeling this way looking at any future as a person cursed with an average IQ:
The positive stories are bound to come from people that are older than you.
The new generation has a poor outlook. The opportunity for employment will continue to go down drastically in the near future and the average salaries will also be much lower. There is a reason for this and it all started many years ago. Sadly it will get much worse. Let me give you some simple examples:
1. Agriculture: Initially a hands on labor intensive industry that employed many: Now mostly done with machinery.
2. Telephone operators in the 1930 and 40s, replaced by computers. Computerized recordings now answer the phones in most companies including hospitals. You press buttons and get your business done. Never talk to a human.
3. Elevator operators 1930s, replaced by automation.
4. Car manufacturing: The line is robotic.
5. Self check in at the airport with computers and very few employees. In the old days there were many more people working to check passengers in.
6. In Vancouver, Canada: The city subway system trains have no conductor. The trains run with a computer at the helm. Train ticket are sold by computers, not people.
7. Laboratory equipment: Can perform dozens of test simultaneously. In the old days this was done by several medical technologists.
8. Robots Could Take Over Fast Food Jobs:
9.Robot workers take over warehouses:
10. Automated picking of grapes to make wine:
The list is endless: In the end most jobs will be done by computers and robots.
College educators sometimes fool students into thinking there will be a great job for them. The kids go into heavy debt to go to college. And sadly college loans need to be repaid. College loans cannot be used as a reason for bankruptcy. The interest on college loans is astronomical, a great business for those in charge.
I didn't watch the videos. I was hooked when you said you are old. How old? I'm 70, my hubby is 74. Can't believe he was once accused of robbing the cradle. I guess the two of us had things pretty good. I was the 1st in my family to get a college degree. I taught grade school, kept taking night classes and kept taking higher paying jobs. I ended up with my doctorate and was a university assistant dean of education. I know, fancy degree, fancy title. Hubby was a professional engineer. He was happy with that. Retired, we literally have more coming in than we did working. I don't feel guilty because we are able to help family members and donate a lot. We invested conservatively but diligently. Besides, my property tax bill is now over $15,000 a year. I like to get that dig in on the county whenever I can.
Your property taxes are more than my non-service connected pension.
I'm ashamed to say how old I am. I have alcoholics my age or older than me on the streets think at times I'm something fancy or special because I'm enrolled in college (though not this semester). I tell them, I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I enter classrooms (not entirely but partly) because most (or all) are far younger than me. I'm like an 18 year old in the 8th grade. So, I tell them there is no reason to think I'm any different than them.
I might as well be 74. I already assume I am or 94. Doesn't matter, I'll be there tomorrow probably worse off than I am today. Or not. Maybe just the same accept deaf and partially blind.
Let's just say I'm old enough that when I get back in the workforce I'll never be able to retire.
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I don't know anything about prosperity theology. I guess we missed the sermon that said our faith in Jesus was going to bring us wealth. If only it were that easy. It's hard work and a willingness to sacrifice. It helped having a supportive hubby. He did a lot with the kids when I was working.
Prosperity doctrine is common among some Evangelical Protestants. It's proved successful in Brazil and many parts of Latin America in converting slum dwellers with no high school diploma as well as those with college degrees in the slums (often times free college education at state universities if you qualify to get in). Although, last I read that success is waning. I guess a lot of people have failed to become middle-class or even wealthy by becoming "Born Again."
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You know, though it wasn't in my job description, I counseled a lot of college students over the years while teaching education classes. I'd tell them teaching wasn't about the money (and believe me it's not). Only do it if it's your passion. Maybe some listened.
I had a brother that loved cars. He opened a body shop. Eventually, restoration of 60's cars became his focal point. He said it was like he never grew up.
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God Bless
@ bold:
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Last edited by Miss Blue; 09-17-2013 at 03:52 PM..
Reason: orphaned and crude
supine, you sound like you're in a jam. Becoming a prosperity preacher is your only way out. These guys have no education, maybe a PhD in theology from a diploma mill, but really all you need is a ton of energy to hop around the stage and a fast mouth and you're in like Flint.
Expected remuneration if you're good and can convince suckers that sowing a "seed" of $1000 will net them a new house in the Hamptons: 5 million dollars--and that ain't hay.
Better advice: start lying prone. It might reverse the aging process.
supine, you sound like you're in a jam. Becoming a prosperity preacher is your only way out. These guys have no education, maybe a PhD in theology from a diploma mill, but really all you need is a ton of energy to hop around the stage and a fast mouth and you're in like Flint.
New career move? Maybe I can brush elbows with scientologists in Hollywood too.
Which all this is reminding me now, too, of that book The Secret. The "laws of attraction" in the universe or whatever it's called. I have a good female friend that believes in "The Secret" as truth. I think she got mad at me when I expressed doubt in it.
The positive stories are bound to come from people that are older than you.
The new generation has a poor outlook. The opportunity for employment will continue to go down drastically in the near future and the average salaries will also be much lower. There is a reason for this and it all started many years ago. Sadly it will get much worse. Let me give you some simple examples:
The list is endless: In the end most jobs will be done by computers and robots.
While it's true many middle class jobs are being replaced by technological advancements that doesn't mean it's hopeless. It seems I can't turn on mainstream or cable news without some story about how bad it is out there. A couple weeks ago 60 Minutes ran a piece on robots, etc.. in the workplace. The fact is, there are jobs out there. Now, Supine said he is older so maybe the jobs out there are some he can't do. If you can't work it's one thing, but if you won't or don't do the work that's available that's another. When I was growing up I worked many dead end jobs. I even picked berries while going to college.
My hubby started as a meter reader for a power company though he had an engineering degree because they had no engineering jobs at the time. He could have found an engineering job in another city, but I'd just started teaching so he chose to stay close to home. It took five years before an engineering position came up. He stayed in that job until he retired. He never complained about having a degree and working an entry level job. He even worked many nights and weekends at McDonald's.
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College educators sometimes fool students into thinking there will be a great job for them. The kids go into heavy debt to go to college. And sadly college loans need to be repaid. College loans cannot be used as a reason for bankruptcy. The interest on college loans is astronomical, a great business for those in charge.
Son, I've worked at several colleges and major universities. To suggest we fool students is ludicrous. I never sugar coated a college degree. I never told anyone that a college degree would replace hard work, passion and desire. Fact is, I told many students to consider other options. My daughter went to college nearly debt free. After 5 years she owed less than $4,000. She took advantage of every thing out there. She found sources of college money I never knew existed and I was an educator. We, her parents, gave her a second hand car and that was it. She didn't want help from us, she wanted to take advantage of what's out there if you look.
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Originally Posted by Julian658
By the way Christians in the early days were often ascetic.
Where does that fit into the conversation? And what's wrong with that anyway? I talk to a group of Anabaptists in the area from time to time and they are the most happy and content people I know.
Capitalism, it is usually assumed, flowered around the same time as the Enlightenment–the eighteenth century–and, like the Enlightenment, entailed a diminution of organized religion. In fact, the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages was the main locus for the first flowerings of capitalism. Max Weber located the origin of capitalism in modern Protestant cities, but today’s historians find capitalism much earlier than that in rural areas, where monasteries, especially those of the Cistercians, began to rationalize economic life.
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Your property taxes are more than my non-service connected pension.
My house only cost $28,000 in 1967. Now, they say it's worth $1.1 million. It's crazy. Hubby and I talked about selling but we're trying to hang in there and leave it to the kids.
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I'm ashamed to say how old I am. I have alcoholics my age or older than me on the streets think at times I'm something fancy or special because I'm enrolled in college (though not this semester). I tell them, I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I enter classrooms (not entirely but partly) because most (or all) are far younger than me. I'm like an 18 year old in the 8th grade. So, I tell them there is no reason to think I'm any different than them.
That can be a problem. I know when I went back to college, actually I never really stopped, most of my classmates were my age because of the courses we were taking. I would suggest online courses, but I'm sure you know all about that. Not everything is online either
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Prosperity doctrine is common among some Evangelical Protestants. It's proved successful in Brazil and many parts of Latin America in converting slum dwellers with no high school diploma as well as those with college degrees in the slums (often times free college education at state universities if you qualify to get in). Although, last I read that success is waning. I guess a lot of people have failed to become middle-class or even wealthy by becoming "Born Again."
Thanks for clearing that up. I wouldn't like a church that told me what I want to hear or made wild promises. Where's the challenge? I suppose that was Calvin's idea too.
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@ bold:
Answer: nothing.
More honest answer: masturbation (accept that brings more temporary pleasure than fulfillment).
Well, at least you're honest. Is that why you are called Supine? My grand daughter always says, "Grandma, that's too much information."
That's one thing about getting old. Hearing things like that don't bother you anymore.
It's nice to get to know you a bit better.
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... So, I should pay $70,000 to $100,000 (on top of my undergrad debt already) in assuming debt that is, to obtain a 3rd officer licensing from a maritime academy, so I get paid $25,000 or so a year, or not have a job at all because it's cheaper for shipping companies to hire Filipinos? 
