Hahahaha, mission accomplished
With all the shit going on, I find the spinning of numbers at the bottom of my concern for this government and country.
Big clap on the images tho. Lol
LOL @onyx trolling
The way I see it is that the same people pushing these ideas are the same idiots who say things like “you can’t make it in America anymore”. Granted everybody has a different idea of what “make it” means, they are still morons. The idea of certain market value for work performed is lost on them. I heard something on NPR today that sums up this whole way of thinking. They were talking about the $15/hour wage and said something like “In todays time, anybody working 35-40 hours a week deserves to be able to afford a decent home and lifestyle”. For somebody who immigrated to the USA over 15 years ago, I find that to be a moronic statement. When my divorced mother with 5 children was moving in 1999 to the US, legally I might add, the kind of concept of “making it” that we had back in Belarus was that we shat in an outhouse and wiped our asses with old newspapers. We ate potatoes and eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That was making it. After we came to the US, we learned the language, accepted the culture and history and are now all working into the middle class and higher. That’s within 16 years of living here. I currently have 3 children with a 4th on the way, am going to college, and work night and day to earn my $60k+ a year. In the future I am set to earn closer to $80k with 1 job instead of 2 or at times 3 jobs. Now for me to complain to somebody how hard it is to have been sleeping no more than 4 hours every day (including Sunday) for the past several years is offensive to myself. I would feel like I am degrading myself and frankly I find it pathetic that some of these people have stooped so low as to consider a regular job in McDonalds as a lifelong career. Have some respect for yourself! Like some have said, flipping burgers is not supposed to allow you to pay rent and put food on the table for your 3 kids. What’s even more pathetic to me is that these same people are generally 3rd, 4th or later generation Americans. To me it’s like this, " I came to your country and accepted your culture as my own. I learned your history better than you ever will know or care. I have more respect and love it, more than you ever did or ever will. I am deeply patriotic, not just on the surface on 4th of July when everybody can see. I learned your language, went through your schools. Every step of the way I labored and sweated like you never had. And here you sit on your ass, proclaim “America is lost! Where is my free cellphone, where are my free donuts? I’ll take a 60” UHD TV with that! No? Ohh man! This is not fair! Hey you evil corporations! You need to pay me lots and lots of moneys for this job here that serves no real purpose and has little value in society. No matter! I work my 35 hours a week, I deserve a wonderful life!!! Oh God, you can’t make it in America anymore!"
If you can’t feel it, Yes! This shit makes me livid. I consider myself to be an American, but so many Americans that were born here just piss me off! Their ignorance and just their lack of self respect!
You sir feel the same as most of us in the middle class and beyond that have worked really hard to get here feel. I agree 100% with everything that you said, but I see no problem with potatoes and eggs.
Try eating that for the first 9 years of your life 
Oranges and Watermelon were a birthday occasion, sometimes! 
On another note, it’s funny when I look back at my 3rd and 4th grade year book pictures, I seem to be wearing the same sweater that your grandfather wouldn’t even wear!
Glad to be here 
You’re probably one of my favorite persons on here. I don’t even know you, but if more Americans were as driven as you, this country would not be spiraling the drain like it currently is.
@nermoria , well worth the read. Thanks for being a good American. It’s stories like this that make you feel like maybe there’s some hope…
So he is a “facilities guy” then… Does he still call himself an architect to people at parties? Putting together proposal requests for roof replacements and new ceiling tiles pays the bills though I’m sure.
Thank you but to me, this is the sensible way of life that I used to think everybody in America was striving for. That was until I was old enough to delve into politics and learned the poison (in every sense of the word) spewing from the mouths of some. To be honest, my mother received benefits when we first got here. Interestingly enough, in the early 2000’s, she had to work as a janitor in Lowry Middle School to continue to receive food stamps etc. For our family, it was a stepping stone and we have paid all of it back and more many times over through taxes etc.
We understand where we were coming from, and exactly what makes the USA exceptional, and the greatest country in the world. It is not the military might, it is not the wealth, it is the fact that if you wish to have a better life, then YOU have the power to do something about it and nobody will stop you (within reason and in most cases). So many people forget that small businesses and entrepreneurship is the foundation of this nation and is part of the cultural heritage. It is hard to stamp out and continues to be the reason why almost anybody can make it with the right effort. (I am not talking about those that decided that a doctorate in medieval history is the way to go to make a comfortable living)
What I keep wondering is this, how do you make somebody who has the best thing in the world in their hands, to see it, cherish it, and act upon it?
I think people in leadership positions in firms have just somehow diluted themselves into believing the profession is so awesome and a life unto itself that they manage to justify meager pay. When I left the profession a few years ago to pursue real estate investments and help with my wife’s business it was like no one could fathom leaving design work behind to make way more money. I just wanted to be able to go on vacation without having to answer emails the whole time and actually see my kid more than 20 minutes a day.
nail on the head. Combined with the wildly unrealistic expectations of clients and a general unwillingness to pay. I left state work for the private sector, and worked at a minimum 60 hours a week. Blew through IDP in like a year. Then an opportunity came up to rejoin the state, so I jumped. I was beyond lucky. I do DD, CD, bidding and CA/CM on some projects, and manage consultants on larger ones through CD then I bid and do CM in conjunction with hired project managers. It’s really enjoyable, and I am so grateful to be away from such an unstable field.
and like you said, it’s nice to be able to have a family. The guys I worked with were never home with their families, and I never particularly envied that. We have a baby due in two weeks, and I’ll be taking 5 paid weeks off. I couldn’t imagine doing that elsewhere.
You don’t, you just hire them to help you accomplish your best thing in the world.
I invite legal immigration, that’s what this country was founded on. I appreciate your conviction to our culture, way of life and history. Those who are so stuck on the cultures of where they’ve been vs. where they are can be a great pitfall and hold them back. Don’t forget but don’t let it hold you from learning and growing. Keep it up my friend.
I invite it but we need to close the doors with over population. Even the best nightclubs have a line.
Within that immigration system, there are controls to be place to avoid the example you’ve just stated. Checks, balances, metrics and data. When those who circumvent the system there are issues as you have described.
Here is a little free advice from a company owner; If you are the one always bitching about money instead earning it, you will most likely get the worst raise. I laugh at people who are always bitching about money but they have the worst attendance and don’t like over time. HEY GUESS WHAT, the more you work the more you make. I know it is fucked up and defies logic but it is true!!!