Two From C&L
I unexpectedly discovered that the firm I work at part-time was closed today (half of me is annoyed that I got up early, showered, dressed and drove there to discover the doors locked, the other half is pleased that I have the day off). I say this because I realize I am updating a lot more today, so don't forget to scroll down and check out the other posts from this morning you may have missed.
Here are two tidbits I got from Crooks and Liars that I know you'd be interested in...
I keep going back to school to further my education in the hopes that I will become more marketable and be able to draw a larger paycheck. So far I'm not seeing that happen. Note the beginning of the post when I mentioned PART-TIME JOB. So I am going further into debt by continuing on for more education, and I'm paying a lot more for the education, which will make me more money, right? RIGHT? *sigh*
Looks like lots more people than just I are feeling a bit of discoult. I can't wait until that hag is a distant memory.
Here are two tidbits I got from Crooks and Liars that I know you'd be interested in...
A bad weekend for college students
Students across the nation will have to pay thousands more in college loans beginning Saturday, according to a series of reports released [Friday] by the research arm of the Campaign for America’s Future. College students and graduates will be pushed deeper into debt as interest rates on Stafford loans — the basic student loan — rise from 5.3 percent to 7.14 percent on old loans and to 6.8 percent on new loans at the end of this week.
Parents that take out PLUS loans to help their children pay for an undergraduate education also face rising interest rates. This Saturday, rates on PLUS loans will increase from 6.1 percent to nearly 8 percent for existing loans and to 8.5 percent on new loans, costing the average parent nationally an extra $3,000 and $3,953 respectively.
I keep going back to school to further my education in the hopes that I will become more marketable and be able to draw a larger paycheck. So far I'm not seeing that happen. Note the beginning of the post when I mentioned PART-TIME JOB. So I am going further into debt by continuing on for more education, and I'm paying a lot more for the education, which will make me more money, right? RIGHT? *sigh*
Coulter’s plagiarism problem
Well, Ann Coulter may be "liberal" in one respect, anyway. The New York Post reported Sunday that author/columnist Coulter "cribbed liberally in her latest book" and also in several of her syndicated columns, according to a plagiarism expert.
John Barrie, creator of the iThenticate plagiarism-probing system, claimed he found at least three examples of what he called "textbook plagiarism" in the new Coulter book "Godless" after he ran its text through the program.
He also discovered verbatim copying in Coulter’s weekly column, which is syndicated to more than 100 newspapers by Universal.
Looks like lots more people than just I are feeling a bit of discoult. I can't wait until that hag is a distant memory.
by MG at 10:12 AM
19 Comments:
Yeah, I'm taking out student loans for the first time for the fall semester, and I'm confused, you know? The Bush administration has been encouraging me to go back to school for the last six years, but they've offered no help for increasing college costs. Whatever happened to that attitude that the only reason people don't go to college is because they don't want to?
I'm $90K in debt and making less money than I did in 1990. I consolidated my loans but I have no way to pay them. And now I'm overqualified for Wal-Mart.
Yep. I've got almost 18 years of office experience (I started working when I was 12, offices when I was 14), I was the administrator of a vocational school, I am finishing my last class to get my associates degree in a month and I have a paralegal certification. The best offer I have gotten is equivalent to an entry level secretary. Not a LEGAL secretary. General receptionist/secretary.
WTF did I spend all that money on education for?
The G.I. bill paid for my Bachelors, and I owe about 30K for my Masters. I make 25% more alone than my wife and I did together 5 years ago.
I didn't need any help from Bush or anyone else. I did it myself.
Bush to youth: If you will not willingly die in the war machine: fuck you, pay a tribute!
Well isn't Robert the smartest monkey of us all then.
No Mox, of course not. I just don't understand the people who sit around and whine because someone isn't helping them. I did it on my own because I wanted to succeed, and because I could.
robert, i took out loans for my undergraduate degree, then again for my masters. i took a pay cut to work for an organization to pay for my doctorate. i have spent 14 years on my higher education because i wanted to - because it was important to me. i work in a service profession with disabled children.
and yet i can't afford to buy my own home because i have one mortgage payment a month for my education due to inflated interest rates. THAT is the issue. people work hard for their education and then can't afford to live while paying it back.
Robert,
How nice for you that circumstances worked in your favor. For those less fortunate, however, returning to college for a few years can be too financially taxing, no pun intended, to successfully complete, and for many who do end up graduating, even new incomes are insufficient to make a dent in college debt. Sometimes, it takes more than just will to get something done.
Laurie, circumstances didn't work in my favor. I made my own circumstances. Instead of waiting for someone to lower interest rates, I jsut went out an did it. I served 5 years, including combat in Desert Storm, in the Marines. The GI Bill covered almost my entire B.S. My last year, I was married with 3 kids. I worked a full time job in law enforcement,worked two off duty part time jobs, played basketball coach for my two oldest, and dealt with a 6 month old the three hours a night I slept.
My masters---same thing, except with 4 kids. i borrowed that money, and owejust over 30K for it. The payments suck. Instead of a new tahoe or something, I drive an older car. Once in a while, I have to tell my kids no about something they want to do. I own my own home, and sometimes it is tough to make ends meet.
No circumstances worked for me. My rates are lower because am locked in at 3%. but it wouldn't have made a difference if it were 10%. I would have done the exact same thing.
I don't need the help from a government to make my own way. Thats all i am saying. if you really want something, just do it.
fuckin-a robert, nice work.
Spanish, if that was meant as a compliment, then thank you. If not, then thanks for at least reading it.
I have little faith in government in general, regardless of the party in control or of the nature of the administration. It doesn't matter if it is the staunchest republican, government corrupts the quality of life for everyone whether it is intrusive regulation in areas where they have no business, or if it is through obsessive, immoral, and confiscatory tax policy.
The government does a few things right. The founders had it right when they specifically enumerated the powers of the federal government. Military powers, law enforcement, national security, and the other things that can't be done by the citizenry at large without overriding authority to do those functions. When it comes to my success, or the happiness of my family, government should just get out of the way and stay out of my business.
I don't want to contribute to the deteriorating quality of life brought about by the government. I don't want their help to go to school, or manage my heath insurance, or to plan my retirement, because they have screwed all of it up so badly that it is more trouble than it is worth. It isn't an anti-American government, for I love this country and have honorably served her. I love all thigns American, and the foudners have my deepest respects and awe. But government has become what it was never meant to be - A career for politicians and a babysitter for the populace.
Should I ever falter and not be able to feed or house my children, and there is no charity from the public sector available, then I would take whatever there was available from the government for my family. But as for me, I prefer to stay as far away from government programs as possible. I am of the belief that if one holds one's breathe waiting for government to do something to make things easier, one would never step forward and accomplish all the things that one might accomplish.
Robert - T'was a compliment indeed
Robert, those were two impressive posts.
Thank you both. I am proud of my efforts, and please don't read from the emotionless environment of the internet that I was airing some sense of superiority. I have also had collectors calling, those terrible letters about student loans that tell me that I could be in default, and I could regale you for hours with the strain on my marriage and family from burning candles at three or four ends all the time. God has blessed me with a stronger family because of it, and I hope that my children see the value of hard work, and that there is sacrifice to everything that is worth earning, but that it dones't last forever (except for student loans, which are their own level of hell. I will be paying for them after at least two of my kids have graduated college). it also illustrates the frustration of conservatives. You guys are standing up for yourselves to make things better. Some don't. Some truly need help, and I would never advocate taking away a safety net. But the safety net becomes insitutionalized, and the government has an interest in perpetuating the need.
Sorry, a debate for another time. I will shut up now, with the warning that when Kitt gets here you guys are gonna be in big trouble.
Robert, for many the "safety net" has become a life-long entitlement program, and for those people, I have no pity. It's one thing to succumb to impossible adversity; it's quite another to decide that, for the rest of your life, you're going to live off of the government simply because you can. You and I see eye to eye on that issue.
Laurie, I appreciate your honest and obviously wise position on this issue :-).
What is so frustrating to people like me on the right is when the very left preaches that we hate (FILL IN THE BLANK) because we don't see why these subsidies should continue. THe left whips in a frenzy about the war on drugs being a failure, but defends to a dying breath the war on pverty that isn't working. For it to have worked, there would be less need.
Anyway, thanks! I am actually astonished that there is a commonality of opinion on this. Perhaps there is hope for some objective and reasonable discussion on other things where we might agree?
I know, I know. Don't put the cart before the horse.....
You might be surprised. There are several issues about which I am considerably conservative, including abortion and affirmative action. You will certainly never hear me arguing for perpetual welfare. Like you, I firmly believe there are many people who fall on hard times and need assistance occasionally. That's understandable, in my book. When those people become lulled into a life of unemployment because they've never tried to be anything other than welfare recipients, these are the people I have problems with.
i also agree with you and laurie on THIS particular issue - leeches are parasites that need to be removed sooner than later - huzzah for common sense! :-P
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