I Honestly Think..

[Snaggletiger]

Time for you to spread some of dat wealth.

You can't hide money

[Saniflush]

You can't hide money

You certainly cannot hide it......Well enough to keep the gubment from getting it.

[Snaggletiger]

You certainly cannot hide it......Well enough to keep the gubment from getting it.

Downright discouraging to look at teh W-2 and see how much they got last year.  Speaking of money, this is how much I care about my ride.  Got in the Sexpedition one day last year and this girl parked next to me started backing out.  She looks over her shoulder, opposite of me and cuts her wheels hard.  Bumper slams into my rear passenger door.  Her mom is with her and they get out apologizing...here's our insurance...oh we're so sorry. 

Yeah, I'll get you an estimate...or something...if I have time.  Still got the wavey looking passenger door with red paint on it.  Just adds more character to the old piece of shit.  It's paid for.  Smells funny inside..but it's paid for.

[Buzz Killington]

I speak jive.

leg 'er down a smack 'em yak 'em!

[Snaggletiger]

leg 'er down a smack 'em yak 'em!

He said that he's in great pain and he wants to know if you can help him

[AWK]

That was really deeper than I was thinking K, but I guess that really strikes at the core of the reasons for it.  We had a lady working here several years ago.  Good worker, no problems there.  One day out of the blue, she hands in her resignation.  My partner and I call her in to discuss it, thinking she found something else...wants to be a stay at home mom....going back to school...any number of things. 

She very emphatically said, "I see you two building your big houses and driving your nice cars (I have a beat up ass 2001 Expedition with 165,000 miles) and I deserve that too.  I'm doing the work to make that money for you and I deserve my share." 

We were stunned.  I told her that's fine..."as soon as you go to college, which you didn't, and then spend the next 3-4 years in law school taking out at least $100K in loans and seeing your family for a few hours a week and then, if you get through that...passing that little 3-day pop quiz they give at the end called The Bar...then come back and we'll talk."

We opened the door for her to leave and promptly hired someone else who's worked for us ever since and happy to have a job.  Obviously, I'm not saying everyone has to go to college to make it in this world.  You can do whatever you want to do and make whatever you want to make out of yourself.  That's just the path I chose to try and succeed.  But to actually hear that attitude from someone just floored me.

But see, here is the thing.  When I was 19 working at Lowe's, making shit money, I looked at it as motivation.  Motivation to continue through college and then go to Law School.  I didn't bitch about it either, everyone has to pay their dues.  It was a job and I was glad Lowe's was willing to pay me money and give me a job.  I really can't fucking stand the attitude mentioned in the above post. 


Fuck you, go to School, get a degree, and work hard.  Shit isn't just handed to you... Lazy self deserving motherfuckers.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Never have understood the thinking that the labor deserves just as much a cut as management/ownership.  Are they essential?  Yes but their skill set is much more readily available, and they have no risks in showing up and collecting a check.   When I was in private practice, I used to wonder if any of the secretaries that worked for me would give half a a shitake if they knew me and mine might have to do without something one week when I still had to pay them, but took nothing in.   I wonder if the idiots like your snags, understand that coming to work for a paycheck is a helluva lot different than having to pay out money everyday in order to make money.  It's far deeper than just having and education and skill set they don't have, you're bearing all the risks of being a business owner.  If it fails to thrive, she has the option to go find another payday, where you still have all your obligations and liabilities.  What kind of fudgeing moron thinks to themselves, "I have no education, I have no financial stake in this place, but I deserve the same as the people that spent the time in school, and bear all the risks".

I think people have been conditioned to the "American dream" of the harder they work the better off they'll be, and a lot of people only think you are working hard if you are out sweating your ass off doing manual labor.  They look at how physically demanding there unskilled labor job is and compare it to how physically demanding it is to be an engineer, lawyer, exec, etc and it kind of flies in the face of what they have been brought up to believe. 

[Snaggletiger]

I worked a few shit jobs out of college and finally landed with an insurance company in claims.  No complaints.  It paid decent money and had good benefits.  But after 15 years, I realized that this was all there was and I'd still be answering to managers etc. for the rest of my life.  Mine was simply a matter of wanting more. Wanting to make my own decisions and taking a chance on reaching some goals I had for myself and my family.  Had several colleagues who had gone the law school route and it seemed a logical transition since I was doing so much with our defense attorneys anyway and enjoyed it.

So, I looked into it, made all the arrangements, took the LSAT and started a new chapter in life.  Tough ass 4 years as I was still working full time, then driving 2 hours to Montgomery 4-5 nights a week to go to school....and 2 hours back  I cashed in every penny of my 401K and other savings to finance it and still came out with almost $30K in debt...which is a drop in the bucket compared to most law students coming out.  No sob story or violin music.  I just decided this was the way I wanted to go in life.  Knew it was a huge commitment and sacrifice for both me and my family but like AWK said, you gotta' pay those dues. 

So yeah, when I do the work and make the sacrifices and put my ass on the line opening a business and signing your damn paycheck, pardon me if I show your entitled ass to the door.   

[JR4AU]

But see, here is the thing.  When I was 19 working at Lowe's, making shit money, I looked at it as motivation.  Motivation to continue through college and then go to Law School.  I didn't bitch about it either, everyone has to pay their dues.  It was a job and I was glad Lowe's was willing to pay me money and give me a job.  I really can't fucking stand the attitude mentioned in the above post. 


Fuck you, go to School, get a degree, and work hard.  Shit isn't just handed to you... Lazy self deserving motherfuckers.

This, sadly, is a concept many don't have a clue about.

[JR4AU]

I think people have been conditioned to the "American dream" of the harder they work the better off they'll be, and a lot of people only think you are working hard if you are out sweating your ass off doing manual labor.  They look at how physically demanding there unskilled labor job is and compare it to how physically demanding it is to be an engineer, lawyer, exec, etc and it kind of flies in the face of what they have been brought up to believe.

First lawyer I ever worked for, made only a small percentage of his money practicing law.  He was rich.  He was a slumlord, flipped land, bought a business for his wife that included a large inventory of copper, and the price of copper like quadrupled within weeks after his purchase.  Every thing he touched made money.   One day we were just chatting, and work ethic and success came up.  I told him my dad taught me to work hard every day, harder than everybody else.  He said: "Mine taught me the key to success is working smarter than everyone else".  It sort of goes along with the axiom: "don't confuse activity with accomplishment".    Yes, hard work is necessary too, but if you're not a laborer, the definition of hard work is different.

[Townhallsavoy]

First lawyer I ever worked for, made only a small percentage of his money practicing law.  He was rich.  He was a slumlord, flipped land, bought a business for his wife that included a large inventory of copper, and the price of copper like quadrupled within weeks after his purchase.  Every thing he touched made money.   One day we were just chatting, and work ethic and success came up.  I told him my dad taught me to work hard every day, harder than everybody else.  He said: "Mine taught me the key to success is working smarter than everyone else".  It sort of goes along with the axiom: "don't confuse activity with accomplishment".    Yes, hard work is necessary too, but if you're not a laborer, the definition of hard work is different.

You have to work hard to become smart.  If not, then we're just talking about luck. 

I know a guy like that.  He's only two years older than me, but he's already flipping houses in Vestavia and Mountain Brook.  Owns a condo at Rosemary Beach to go along with his townhouse in Homewood.  Always seems to make the right business move. 

For me?  I'm a teacher.  But I understand the choice I made.  I'll never make money with this profession, but I did choose it.  Therefore, I'm going to work hard at doing the job right even though it's damn near impossible in today's world of public education.

[JR4AU]

You have to work hard to become smart.  If not, then we're just talking about luck. 

I know a guy like that.  He's only two years older than me, but he's already flipping houses in Vestavia and Mountain Brook.  Owns a condo at Rosemary Beach to go along with his townhouse in Homewood.  Always seems to make the right business move. 

For me?  I'm a teacher.  But I understand the choice I made.  I'll never make money with this profession, but I did choose it.  Therefore, I'm going to work hard at doing the job right even though it's damn near impossible in today's world of public education.

Like I said hard work for a professional isn't "back breaking" work.  You and I may work hard, but it's usually due to time spent, and stress due to responsibility and assholes around us, but we rarely break a sweat.   THE hardest thing I do is trial work.  It's mentally draining, and takes a physical toll.  It's hard work, but not sweaty, back breaking work.  A high profile murder trial, boss telling me I got to get a guilty verdict, lying ass jurors, sneaky conniving defense lawyers who aren't held to the same standards because they represent the accused, and I have to be on my best behavior regardless.  Worse yet is an incompetent lawyer that makes me do my job and theirs too so it doesn't come back on a Rule 32 for ineffective assistance of counsel.   

[GH2001]

Like I said hard work for a professional isn't "back breaking" work.  You and I may work hard, but it's usually due to time spent, and stress due to responsibility and assholes around us, but we rarely break a sweat.   THE hardest thing I do is trial work.  It's mentally draining, and takes a physical toll.  It's hard work, but not sweaty, back breaking work.  A high profile murder trial, boss telling me I got to get a guilty verdict, lying ass jurors, sneaky conniving defense lawyers who aren't held to the same standards because they represent the accused, and I have to be on my best behavior regardless.  Worse yet is an incompetent lawyer that makes me do my job and theirs too so it doesn't come back on a Rule 32 for ineffective assistance of counsel.

And like Kaos said, there is a risk/reward quotient. I have taken many risks, and still do everyday. I have invested lumps of money  with the thought of growing something or turning it around into a larger amount. Until someone roofing houses wants to shell out a 20K risk and take a chance, he can shut the fuck up. No one is making anyone do anything. That's what makes America great. You work entry level, pay your dues and then choose what you really want to do and fucking APPLY yourself and knock it out of the park.

I wanted to be an entrepreneur at a very young age. Of course at 15 years old, that's not real feasible (for most). At that age you are young and naive, no capital and know how of how the world works. So you go get an entry job, and figure out how the world works. Ive sacked groceries, cleaned up newly built houses for shit pay, swept floors, cut grass. Learned something from each one. Including the fact I did NOT want to do that forever and wanted to make much more money that what I was making. It gave me more incentive to do more. When I was sacking groceries, I was making 4.25 an hour getting berated like a MF'er. And the wage had just changed from 3.80 to 4.25 so it could have been worse a year or two earlier. My manager was making almost 10 bucks an hour and I thought that was a fortune at the time.

[Kaos]

The discussion here illustrates the class divide.  There's a disdain from those of us who have worked/risked toward those who don't and bitch about it.  They see that disdain and it entrenches them further.  I'm guilty.  I don't bother to explain to my employees what it took to get me where I am today. 

They don't know that:
1) I've had at least two jobs every day of my life since I was 16 years old. 
2) I've done my share of shit jobs just to keep food on the table.  I've delivered auto parts, sold cars, sold insurance, worked at a Pizza Hut (not long), sold advertising, worked in a clothing store, done construction work, farm work.
3) I went back to college and paid for my own after working the night shift at a lumber mill and realizing that was going to kill me.
4) I decided to start my own business and put every single dime I'd saved through my entire life into it.  Took every bit of my daughter's college money and risked it all.  If I'd failed?  We would have lost everything.  Even at that I only had enough to go about four or five months. 
5) When things were tight in the early years, the first person who didn't get paid was ME.   Always paid them even if I had to do without.
6)  It's my name on the tax returns, it's my name on all the bills. When I decided to borrow six figure money because I wanted to go after a contract and needed the cushion it was my name on the note. 

So yeah.  Fuck them.  I took off today for no reason.  Because of this thread.  I decided not to go to the office and piss them off a little more. 

Maybe I should explain that to them. But it won't make any difference. 

Wasn't that long ago I was working for a company.  Had a good job, decent pay, set my own hours.  And I saw the CEO drive up at 11:30 in his Mercedes.  He'd been to play golf already that morning.  I resented that for a half second and then realized that if I wanted to be where he was, I couldn't get there working for him. So I started that day looking for a path that would get me there. 

When I decided to leave his company to go on my own this guy called me into his office.  Told me the risks.  Told me I had a 20% chance of making it.  Asked me to stay on with them. Offered me a different position, a better benefit package with some ownership type options.  And a raise.  That infuriated me.  I asked him if he thought I was worth that before why hadn't they given it to me.  Never forget the answer.

"Because we didn't have to." 

I like it.  I live it. 

My employees will never get where I am working for me.  It's the circle of life. 

[JR4AU]

And like Kaos said, there is a risk/reward quotient. I have taken many risks, and still do everyday. I have invested lumps of money  with the thought of growing something or turning it around into a larger amount. Until someone roofing houses wants to shell out a 20K risk and take a chance, he can shut the fuck up. No one is making anyone do anything. That's what makes America great. You work entry level, pay your dues and then choose what you really want to do and fucking APPLY yourself and knock it out of the park.

I wanted to be an entrepreneur at a very young age. Of course at 15 years old, that's not real feasible (for most). At that age you are young and naive, no capital and know how of how the world works. So you go get an entry job, and figure out how the world works. Ive sacked groceries, cleaned up newly built houses for shit pay, swept floors, cut grass. Learned something from each one. Including the fact I did NOT want to do that forever and wanted to make much more money that what I was making. It gave me more incentive to do more. When I was sacking groceries, I was making 4.25 an hour getting berated like a MF'er. And the wage had just changed from 3.80 to 4.25 so it could have been worse a year or two earlier. My manager was making almost 10 bucks an hour and I thought that was a fortune at the time.

Yeah, I mentioned the investment and risk/reward thing as well. 

And I'm the same way.  I did all those shit jobs too.  Learned things along the way, and learned most that I didn't want to be labor the rest of my life.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Like I said hard work for a professional isn't "back breaking" work.  You and I may work hard, but it's usually due to time spent, and stress due to responsibility and a-holes around us, but we rarely break a sweat. 

I hear that.  My dad was a UPS deliveryman.  He's had back surgery and tore his achilles stepping out of a truck one day.  He kind of picks at me a little about sitting at a desk, but I got to tell you mandatory 60+ hour weeks chained to your desk getting schedule pressure from manufacturing, mass reduction pressure from NASA, and cost reduction pressure (which is counter to mass reduction) from management kind of just sucks the joy out of life sometimes.  And don't get me wrong, I get paid well.  I'm still in the 99%  but I do well for my family.  But the real satisfaction is when I take the kids to an air show or the space and rocket center and get to point to things that I made.

[GH2001]

5) When things were tight in the early years, the first person who didn't get paid was ME.   Always paid them even if I had to do without.
6)  It's my name on the tax returns, it's my name on all the bills. When I decided to borrow six figure money because I wanted to go after a contract and needed the cushion it was my name on the note. 

Most of those dipshits forget these 2 very important points. Being in a top position or owning a business puts more liability on your shoulders. I figured out when I started making decent money right after college that most people made good money for a reason. They usually earn it: whether it be via valuable skill set, risk, responsibility and/or liability.

It reminds me of a spiderman quote: With great power comes great responsibility.

And another good one: With great success, comes great envy.

[JR4AU]

Most of those dipshits forget these 2 very important points. Being in a top position or owning a business puts more liability on your shoulders. I figured out when I started making decent money right after college that most people made good money for a reason. They usually earn it: whether it be via valuable skill set, risk, responsibility and/or liability.

It reminds me of a spiderman quote: With great power comes great responsibility.

And another good one: With great success, comes great envy.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

[Kaos]

Wonder sometimes if I'm doing my kids a disservice. 

When I was a kid I got clothes the week before school started.  That was it.  I got toys or junk on my birthday or Christmas.  Period.  When I wanted Nikes in seventh grade I got Ben Franklin Five and Dime Buddys.  When I wanted Levis, I got Wrangler (or Sears Toughskins when I was younger).  I wanted a Camaro.  I got a beige four-door Falcon with a crushed front. It was what we had to do. 

When I got older I started taking care of myself.  It's why I had two jobs.  I bought and paid for my own car, my own insurance, my own car repairs (and on my 65 Mustang, that was about once a month) my own clothes (and got the Nikes). 

I've scraped through couch cushions hoping to come up with enough change to get the $1.99 meal at Church's Fried Chicken (and had no idea where I was going to get money to eat when that was gone). 

I've dug cigarettes out of the ash tray and smoked the butts because I couldn't afford a fresh pack.

I've bought bread at the day old store that they were going to get rid of.  Couldn't afford the day old, bought it before it was given to pig farmers for a dime a loaf. 

I've written checks hoping I'd be able to get paid and get a deposit in before they bounced. 

I've turned my water back on when it was turned off (power too, but they got a little more pissed than the water folks)

I've "borrowed" cable without the knowledge of the one I borrowed from.  Did that for more than a year.  Hid that cable VERY well and even the Comcast folks didn't find it. 

I sold blood.  And plasma.  I once pawned some stuff just to make sure I had enough cash to pay for a girl's dinner so I could get some... wait...

Once ate a giant waterbug cockroach because we were all drunk, somebody bet me $20 I wouldn't and I REALLY needed that $20. 

None of those things killed me.  Maybe made me a little less strict about how I spend now.  If I want something I get it.  And do the same for my kids. 

But I appreciate every thing I have.  I wonder sometimes if the kids understand what it means to really have to scratch and claw just to get from this week to the next.  Wonder if I WANT them to know?  Does it mean they're soft because they never smoked a used cigarette? 

[Tarheel]

A penny saved is a penny earned.

Ben Franklin's Autobiography ought to be required reading at multiple times throughout a person's education; enough so that it becomes ingrained into one's mind.  Personally, I know that I refer back to if often even in my adulthood.