@auboomers@RedPillMediaX BS. The economy was restructured. Real estate became a major hub to park money as we deindustrialized/financialized. It's not a generational "war." My boomer father is struggling, wishes he had held on to that LA bungalow. $27k in 1972; $1.7 million today.
@skumWgmi The economy was restructured. We deindustrialized. If anything, it was "the greatest generation" -- men like Carter and Reagan -- who made us weak and financialized our economy.
@Tejanobrown I worked with an Olympic athlete from the Soviet Union. He still holds some 400 meter records. They take kettlebell very seriously out there. I wouldn't underestimate them. Tough people. Sasha survived Gorbachev and Yeltsin's Russia.
@TS_Secrets Father ran a custom cabinet shop for decades. I worked there for a decade. Everyone there had the opposite advice. Hard on the body, didn't make anywhere near this kind of cash, including my father who ran the place. Glad I went to college and know how to use a plunge router.
@SandyofCthulhu A hedge funder killed Sears. I loved that store. I worked as a mechanic and my father was a cabinet maker. We'd go there for a lot of our tools. Now you have just a bunch of empty, rotting department stores with label scars reading "Sears." Eddie Lampert got all the cash.
@dpinsen@DylanRatigan That's correct. Vladislav Zubok discusses that issue of Soviet nukes in Ukraine. Essentially, it became a liability for Ukraine as they could neither maintain them nor launch them. Russia could. Just a historical fact. No one expected the USSR to collapse like it did.
@splitmaude Nothing is going to repair those broken Gibson headstocks but a luthier. Unlike chucking a guitar on the tarmac, it takes time and skill especially if the break is particularly bad. I used to travel with high-end basses, but then bought a cheap replacement cuz of guys like these.
@douglassmackey As a former mechanic and working-class person I can say that ain't it. People have just been broke for far too long while living expenses (groceries, healthcare, fuel, rent) have exploded alongside the costs of garbage products put out by Chrysler.
@mahasr199 Yep. I have an Master's degree but the 2008 crash sent me right back to the family cabinet shop. At best, people in the trades were indifferent or couldn't stand the work. Never made great money, a lot of 1099/lack of benefits and injuries. Rich guys make money in their sleep.
@Duderichy Buying a Nissan Versa or a BMW with 150k miles is deeply unwise. Again, totally depends on the car. Generally, a used car in that 20k to 40k mile sweet spot w/ service records without a CVT transmission. Japanese car or Japanese/GM truck. Avoid Fiat, Chrysler and Minis.
@Duderichy It depends on the car. I worked as a mechanic. At a certain point, it makes no sense to hang onto them. I've got a 2007 Silverado that's at 175k miles and going strong. An '07 Dodge Ram? Probably not. I have a '56 Chevy too. That gets held onto/restored for obvious reasons.
@ruisranne@mtaibbi It's crazy. It was only a hard decision because everything seems to be falling apart. I'm happy with the good and the rough days with my son. I think a lot of people are projecting. I would've been fine without a child, but I'm glad it finally happened albeit later (42) in life.
@mtaibbi We had a son in 2024. I was already 42, wife was 38. COVID and life happened. We don't regret it. Yes, the environment is horrible -- cost of living, labor protections (getting fired for being pregnant), geopolitical situation, failing infrastructure -- but I can't control that.
@iceaxehikes@Rainmaker1973 They were teaching manual drafting in the intro Jr. college classes in the early 2010s. I have a drafting certificate, know AutoCAD, but still draft on vellum. It's not totally dead and a lot of small firms or tradesmen (i.e., small custom cabinet shops) still draft by hand.