Disqus - Latest Comments for carl48

Re: Daily 49er - Our View-Iran nuke program no cause to lose sleep

carl48 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:53:09 -0000

“Iran is no Soviet Union.” How true it is. The soviets had discipline and completely comprehended the idea of mutual destruction. Thankfully both sides had the sense to not start what could not be stopped. That’s why when the nuclear powers talked about restrictions one of the terms used was “nuclear non-proliferation.” Iran does not have the discipline or desire to stop proliferation. You need to fully appreciate what that means.

I grew up during the cold war. Go watch an old movie for me- “The Bedford Incident” with Richard Widmark. Add what you see in the movie to suicide bombers and North Korea and you should be able to empathize with why I do not understand your cavalier attitude, satire or not. A nuclear Iran is not funny to me.

Re: Daily 49er - Degree pursuit based on lies

carl48 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:16:18 -0000

Since my first post I spoke with a sis-in-law who is a high school councilor. She wondered if I was thinking of changing majors because of the economy. I said no but asked what she would recommend if I was. Without hesitation she said engineering, the baby boomers are retiring.

I thought about it. The Sept.14 49er had an article about impacted majors. Something like 23 impacted majors in 2010, including mine, and except for biology I could not remember a science, math or engineering discipline being impacted. If you think your chosen major will result in a worthless degree, maybe you made a poor choice a while back. Did you research the probable job market when you decided or did you just pick what you liked?

I think it was the Oakland Bay Bridge that was closed recently because of cracks. That’s not the last structure that is going to need repair, renovation or replacement. If you want to add some value to your degree maybe a good choice would be switching majors and graduating with a mechanical engineering degree.

Re: Daily 49er - Racist wags taking momentum out of necessary national discourse

carl48 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:35:57 -0000

There is no excusing what Wilson did but I see dangerous thinking in Hanif Zarrabi’s attitude. Toward the end of the opinion we read, “but they have not inspired the venom with which Wilson and the “town hall-ers” are seething about.” And the town hall-ers? You talk about national discourse but brand all who question the president’s healthcare plan racists? There are legitimate questions. For example, how can we add 50 million people to the health care system, but add no new doctors, and not lower the quality of care we all receive? Am I racist for asking?

Seniors who have been around the block, were born during the Great Depression, lived through the New Deal and the Great Society don’t like some of what they see and question how the plan will be implemented without Medicare cuts. They want to know exactly how the system will be run so quality of care to senior citizens is not reduced. Are they racists for asking?

I have read that the president is telling the truth when he says that there is language in all the bills of the package that will exclude illegal aliens. I have also read there are no provisions for enforcement. No funding and no staff to enforce eligibility. If that’s true, then in the real world doctors, nurses and office staff will become defacto INS agents or there will be no enforcement.

All politicians play the “ask the right question get the right answer” game. If the previous paragraph is true then we see a sterling example. The president is answering the question with a smile and a wink because he knows the implementation will be a different story. He answered the question truthfully but we didn’t ask the right question. It’s politics plus buyer-beware marketing.

I have a constitutional right to ask questions. In response you may bombard me with facts. My concern is the attitude I sensed that any opposition to any presidential program is racially motivated. That itself is racist thinking. If we’re going to have a true national discourse then there must be room for a loyal opposition.

Re: Daily 49er - Degree pursuit based on lies

carl48 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:40:03 -0000

I understand the anger and feeling of betrayal but stay in school! I don’t care how many times you think that getting your degree is a rip-off, stay in school! The very first time you miss an opportunity because you don’t have a degree you’ll understand. Been there done that.
Let me clue you in a bit about applications, jobs and industry. For every job there are thousands of people are qualified to DO it. Do you think a hiring manager wants to read 5000 resumes? Would you? Placing higher requirements (BA, MA, PHD), artificial or not, on a job is a filter that reduces the workload of the hiring process. As an example, for the job with 5000 resumes, all from people who are qualified to DO the job, only 200 applicants have a college degree. Voila, there are 4800 resumes that get flushed. If you want to be one of the 200 that pass the first cut, get your degree.
Are you an A student? If not, be honest and fix what you can. In industry if you want to make the big bucks and get the big raises then you have to produce. My advice is in the here-and-now consider yourself self-employed. So what do students produce? From a future job/salary prospective, students produce grades. Teach yourself a work ethic that will impress a prospective employer.
You are dealing with is a system that works from the top down. The hiring manager will start with all the people who are 19 years old, have 15 years experience, have a PHD in the field and are willing to work for $5/hr. A tie breaker, if needed, will be to sum up the Nobel prizes won by each of the competing applicantants. The bar will then be ratcheted down one notch at a time until names start appearing. If you get your degree you’ll be one of the 200 and how you apply yourself as a student will help determine how high in the stack your resume sits. My point? You're an IT major with a C average and you want me to entrust my international network to you. Why?
Competing against experience is difficult but no more difficult than competing against a degree with only experience. For you they say book learning is fine but what have you done? For me they said experience is fine but how do we validate you know what you say you know? They will focus on your weakness to see how you respond.
Finally, the educational system does not control the economy. Think hard, I think you'll realize you were promised an opportunity. Though the government calls it a recession my dad lived through the Great Depression. We’re in a controlled depression. A college graduate working for minimum wage? You have a job in a depression. I wonder what the guy who had no degree, and didn’t get the job, is doing right now. Your mission now, should you choose to accept it, is to remain qualified and be ready for tomorrow.