A Silver Lining

premise said:
Plenty of doom and gloom to go around right now, so I wanted to share a positive observation I have made over the past few weeks.

My work routinely takes me into neighborhoods in Charlotte. And, at least in the nicer ones, I have seen large amounts of people jogging, families having cookouts, parents teaching their children about the beauty of nature while outside, kids straight up playing in yards and in the street, folks playing with their dogs, and lots of workers lounging on the porch with their laptop, working from home.

This is how life should be. Not some mad dash of assholes all crammed into 3 lanes trying their best to jock each other so they can get to a workplace they don't need to be at and don't want to go to. Kids at home, learning from the people that care about and love them most. Folks getting out and seeing their neighborhoods and communities.

My sincere wish is that as this crisis fades in the rear view, the employers and workforce of this nation realize that the cubicle lifestyle, dumbass meetings, and keeping kids at school all day is simply not healthy nor a necessity in our current society. People should be home, with their family, with their loved ones more often.
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+1 and more....we are being offered a rare “break” from life as we know it...I hope this time show just how unimportant Hollywood, pro athletes and musicians really are. Right now I value our garbagemen, health care workers and first responders. I value the person who stocks shelves at Walmart, who turns on the gas pumps at the 7-11, the farmers who truly set our tables. I’m making the most of this to recalibrate my life. And it’s made me a more grounded human being. I don’t believe that things happen by accident. There is a reason for all of this. Maybe it’s time for us to slow down, smell the coffee and truly love life. Just my two cents...
 
Eltonfan59 said:
+1 and more....we are being offered a rare “break” from life as we know it...I hope this time show just how unimportant Hollywood, pro athletes and musicians really are. Right now I value our garbagemen, health care workers and first responders. I value the person who stocks shelves at Walmart, who turns on the gas pumps at the 7-11, the farmers who truly set our tables. I’m making the most of this to recalibrate my life. And it’s made me a more grounded human being. I don’t believe that things happen by accident. There is a reason for all of this. Maybe it’s time for us to slow down, smell the coffee and truly love life. Just my two cents...
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All good points sir...……...all good points.

Life is good. Life is SO VERY GOOD.
 
Eltonfan59 said:
.I hope this time show just how unimportant Hollywood, pro athletes and musicians really are. Right now I value our garbagemen, health care workers and first responders.
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I have truly needed plumbers, electricians, concrete workers, framers, roofers and welllll you get my point. I have never Needed any of the Hollywood or Pro athletes a single time in my life and never will. God Bless a working, building, Product producing American.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
What no lol????
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the eldery are nothing to joke about, sir.

But, seriously, why cant you walk down the street?



For the Hollywood talking folks - yall ever watch movies, read books (fiction works), or listen to music? It's entertainment. Id say that yes, we do need/like entertainment to get us through the boring bits.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
I have truly needed plumbers, electricians, concrete workers, framers, roofers and welllll you get my point. I have never Needed any of the Hollywood or Pro athletes a single time in my life and never will. God Bless a working, building, Product producing American.
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A number of us held a lengthy conversation about that very thing last Wednesday. What was once a huge industrialized nation cranking out goods the world needed has been reduced to a shell of its former self. Those responsible for this have literally brought our manufacturing abilities to a screeching halt and many sets of hands are idle because of it.

So many people who do not have college degrees for whatever reasons have been denied the opportunity of making a decent living by using their hands and skill-sets they could offer in the work place.

I simply don't know what it will take to make Americans realize just how bad we need manufacturing brought back to this great country.
 
We have manufacturing, but most people prefer cheap goods to quality made items.
But, yeah, still lots of stuff made here.
And there are still lots of jobs for folks without a university degree, folks need to go get them.

Get a CDL, lots of gigs available.
 
Pard, you are working with a playbook that is Way newer than mine. When you have attained the full book, so as to have all the info that I have, and other oldsters on here, believe me you Will see things different. At least I hope so. Remember I have 72 years of life's experiences to form opinions on. You do not. When I was much younger I was certain I was The smartest man on earth. One day, if you live long enough, think back on this very conversation and see if you haven't changed a few of your "today's" ideas. Or Hell, maybe you won't, but I hope you are smart enough to evolve. Either way I'll be gone by the time you have More information to work it out with. Good luck, you're gonna need it!!
 
HMP said:
We have manufacturing, but most people prefer cheap goods to quality made items.
But, yeah, still lots of stuff made here.
And there are still lots of jobs for folks without a university degree, folks need to go get them.

Get a CDL, lots of gigs available.
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We're looking at this from two different angles based on your response to my post. Let me attempt to point out what I was trying to say in my earlier post.

We do have manufacturing but it's on a much smaller scale as compared to the pre-NAFTA days. We've lost the textile industries along with quite a few other manufacturing companies taking all of the supporting companies with them. Our food industry is quickly following suit. Most of our clothing and other textile products, pharmaceuticals, auto industries, etc., etc. are now made across the waters and basically the crappy quality is now considered the standard most will accept. I remember and still appreciate a time that things were much different and your dollar would buy products made in USA that satisfied a customer.

I may not live to see it but I'm confident those who are left on this planet will see a time that will make them curse the hands that created this tremendous shortfall and imbalance in world trade.
 
Brangus said:
We're looking at this from two different angles based on your response to my post. Let me attempt to point out what I was trying to say in my earlier post.

We do have manufacturing but it's on a much smaller scale as compared to the pre-NAFTA days. We've lost the textile industries along with quite a few other manufacturing companies taking all of the supporting companies with them. Our food industry is quickly following suit. Most of our clothing and other textile products, pharmaceuticals, auto industries, etc., etc. are now made across the waters and basically the crappy quality is now considered the standard most will accept. I remember and still appreciate a time that things were much different and your dollar would buy products made in USA that satisfied a customer.

I may not live to see it but I'm confident those who are left on this planet will see a time that will make them curse the hands that created this tremendous shortfall and imbalance in world trade.
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point taken and I agree with what you said. I took your initial post a different way, but this makes total sense
 
premise said:
Plenty of doom and gloom to go around right now, so I wanted to share a positive observation I have made over the past few weeks.

My work routinely takes me into neighborhoods in Charlotte. And, at least in the nicer ones, I have seen large amounts of people jogging, families having cookouts, parents teaching their children about the beauty of nature while outside, kids straight up playing in yards and in the street, folks playing with their dogs, and lots of workers lounging on the porch with their laptop, working from home.

This is how life should be. Not some mad dash of assholes all crammed into 3 lanes trying their best to jock each other so they can get to a workplace they don't need to be at and don't want to go to. Kids at home, learning from the people that care about and love them most. Folks getting out and seeing their neighborhoods and communities.

My sincere wish is that as this crisis fades in the rear view, the employers and workforce of this nation realize that the cubicle lifestyle, dumbass meetings, and keeping kids at school all day is simply not healthy nor a necessity in our current society. People should be home, with their family, with their loved ones more often.
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I fear that won’t happen. Many of asshats that rise to high levels in large companies are control freaks. There is also a large check the box regardless of results mentality out there.

Now if we would stop bailing out and aiding the big enterprises, let them die and multiple competing small companies rise up from the ashes maybe we would get more ideas and intelligent thought like you suggest. But we have a very corrupt and flawed system. Maybe if things go really bad it will change.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Pard, you are working with a playbook that is Way newer than mine. When you have attained the full book, so as to have all the info that I have, and other oldsters on here, believe me you Will see things different. At least I hope so. Remember I have 72 years of life's experiences to form opinions on. You do not. When I was much younger I was certain I was The smartest man on earth. One day, if you live long enough, think back on this very conversation and see if you haven't changed a few of your "today's" ideas. Or Hell, maybe you won't, but I hope you are smart enough to evolve. Either way I'll be gone by the time you have More information to work it out with. Good luck, you're gonna need it!!
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So you cant say why you cant walk down the street?
This isnt about age, it's not about being older and more years to form an opinion.
It's simple - why cant you?

I dont need luck, I'll be just fine.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Pard, you are working with a playbook that is Way newer than mine. When you have attained the full book, so as to have all the info that I have, and other oldsters on here, believe me you Will see things different. At least I hope so. Remember I have 72 years of life's experiences to form opinions on. You do not. When I was much younger I was certain I was The smartest man on earth. One day, if you live long enough, think back on this very conversation and see if you haven't changed a few of your "today's" ideas. Or Hell, maybe you won't, but I hope you are smart enough to evolve. Either way I'll be gone by the time you have More information to work it out with. Good luck, you're gonna need it!!
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As I stated in another recent post, education vs wisdom. My generation tends to believe they are the same. They couldn't be more different.
 
REELDOC said:
Walked the monster critter around the hood a couple times this week. Damn shame. Only saw a couple guys out farting around in their yards. I talked to one who said the neighbors were scared to come out. I said what the eff is wrong with them? He said they're scared the catch the bug. I told him that we are all dead if it gets to the point when somebody is scared of the over-pollenated fresh air. I guess I'll go start knocking on doors and try to unass them from their damn couches. Or, just stick with my SOP of generally not liking people. It's like the Sarge told Red 'ya gotta die sometime'.

From Blood Sweat and Tears, 1968
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I am scared of pollenated fresh air! I’ve been walking the hood every night for months weather allowing until this week. The pollen is killing my sinuses. I am self quarantining as much as possible. Considering order a case of wuhan so
I can get me a ventilator while they are still available.
 
Brangus said:
We're looking at this from two different angles based on your response to my post. Let me attempt to point out what I was trying to say in my earlier post.

We do have manufacturing but it's on a much smaller scale as compared to the pre-NAFTA days. We've lost the textile industries along with quite a few other manufacturing companies taking all of the supporting companies with them. Our food industry is quickly following suit. Most of our clothing and other textile products, pharmaceuticals, auto industries, etc., etc. are now made across the waters and basically the crappy quality is now considered the standard most will accept. I remember and still appreciate a time that things were much different and your dollar would buy products made in USA that satisfied a customer.

I may not live to see it but I'm confident those who are left on this planet will see a time that will make them curse the hands that created this tremendous shortfall and imbalance in world trade.
Click to expand...
Back in the 70's and 80's, I worked for Burlington Industries. Many of you probably have never heard of them. They were one of the world's largest textile and fabric manufacturers. You could start to work there as a loom cleaner or sweeper and advance to some production jobs that paid very well. You didn't need anything but a high school education.
Many people were able to provide for their families and have nice houses and vehicles and have a nest egg, too. NAFTA came along and destroyed all of that. There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
 
Geezer said:
Back in the 70's and 80's, I worked for Burlington Industries. Many of you probably have never heard of them. They were one of the world's largest textile and fabric manufacturers. You could start to work there as a loom cleaner or sweeper and advance to some production jobs that paid very well. You didn't need anything but a high school education.
Many people were able to provide for their families and have nice houses and vehicles and have a nest egg, too. NAFTA came along and destroyed all of that. There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
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Thank you very kindly sir for assisting me in speaking to this issue so clearly. You have articulated exactly what I remember happening. Both me and my wife went out unemployed after both of us had spent 31 yrs in the textile industry. We both started around 1.40 per hour and progressed up into senior management.

Life was so very fulfilling and was made so by the tremendous opportunities that on-shore manufacturing jobs provided to my family and many, many more like us. I well remember who the players were that worked diligently to end all of that in our country.
 
Geezer said:
Back in the 70's and 80's, I worked for Burlington Industries. Many of you probably have never heard of them. They were one of the world's largest textile and fabric manufacturers. You could start to work there as a loom cleaner or sweeper and advance to some production jobs that paid very well. You didn't need anything but a high school education.
Many people were able to provide for their families and have nice houses and vehicles and have a nest egg, too. NAFTA came along and destroyed all of that. There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
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My father is similar but in furniture.
Worked his way up through hard work and provided for our family
We werent rich, mind you, far from it, but we didnt go without and had vacations etc
 
HMP said:
My father is similar but in furniture.
Worked his way up through hard work and provided for our family
We werent rich, mind you, far from it, but we didnt go without and had vacations etc
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Many citizens in today's workplace do not have anything remotely close to what you just posted due to those decisions to destroy the manufacturing opportunities that earlier existed.

Thank you for helping me make my point.
 
HMP said:
So you cant say why you cant walk down the street?
This isnt about age, it's not about being older and more years to form an opinion.
It's simple - why cant you?

I dont need luck, I'll be just fine.
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Believe it or not, there are places that are dangerous to work in, where there are nightly murders. I know damn well you wouldn't be walking your ass up and down Atando or Graham in the wee hours. Those are the other neighborhoods I'm in, and I intentionally neglected to mention them. Seems many of the folks in those places were already "working from home".
 
concepthomes1 said:
Really?!? @premise

Nothing good came from your work out in Cabarrus County?
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Well, I did find a patch of woods that looked it was a memorial to WWF's The Ultimate Warrior.

Ain't no sane person walking up and down that road.
 
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HMP said:
This isnt about age, it's not about being older and more years to form an opinion.
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As a matter of fact that is Exactly what this conversation is about. You just aren't smart enough Yet to know it. Patience, the knowledge will come....if you live long enough. Yeah...luck...You are gonna need it.
 
premise said:
Well, I did find a patch of woods that looked it was a memorial to WWF's The Ultimate Warrior.

Ain't no sane person walking up and down that road.
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Just remembered when we had set up the GPS a few feet off the side of the road and the trucks coming through there were going fast enough to blow it over.
 
Geezer said:
There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
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I work as a contractor who can plan and do projects many don't want to mess with. Years of experience in various industrial settings have given me a really broad skill set. I often see today college educated types living in McMansions driving their BMWs or Merc that can't change a light bulb but they're highly paid in the office cube farm. Now let's look at today. If things get much worse, it doesn't matter how much you know in spreadsheet jockeying, if you cant' do basic gardening, carpentry, plumbing or electrical, you're going to be paying.... a lot.

I say a kid with just a high school education, honesty, a good work ethic and drive can do very nicely for themselves. I have observed some issues in the trades from illegals and if we can put a stop to that madness, it will only help those of us in the trades. You want to help the country out, don't hire the lowest bidder, especially if they employ illegals. Hire the local guy who works hard to support his family even if he's not the low bid.

Back to the OP, while I'm working on the mini me pergola project, I've seen kids out playing in the neighborhood. I've seen folks walking. And it's quieter than it was just a couple weeks ago and I really have a hard time seeing a down side to folks getting to know who lives in their area.
 
HMP said:
All joking aside, Ive got some unopened bags if you need some coffee. I know youre close by, so that's why Im offering
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I sincerely appreciate that. I’ll scream when I’m desperate. ;)
 
premise said:
Believe it or not, there are places that are dangerous to work in, where there are nightly murders. I know damn well you wouldn't be walking your ass up and down Atando or Graham in the wee hours. Those are the other neighborhoods I'm in, and I intentionally neglected to mention them. Seems many of the folks in those places were already "working from home".
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Yep. Our family biz of 45 years is in Druid Hills, and I've been running it for 30. Really important to stay alert.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
As a matter of fact that is Exactly what this conversation is about. You just aren't smart enough Yet to know it. Patience, the knowledge will come....if you live long enough. Yeah...luck...You are gonna need it.
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ok boomer
 
premise said:
Plenty of doom and gloom to go around right now, so I wanted to share a positive observation I have made over the past few weeks.

My work routinely takes me into neighborhoods in Charlotte. And, at least in the nicer ones, I have seen large amounts of people jogging, families having cookouts, parents teaching their children about the beauty of nature while outside, kids straight up playing in yards and in the street, folks playing with their dogs, and lots of workers lounging on the porch with their laptop, working from home.

This is how life should be. Not some mad dash of assholes all crammed into 3 lanes trying their best to jock each other so they can get to a workplace they don't need to be at and don't want to go to. Kids at home, learning from the people that care about and love them most. Folks getting out and seeing their neighborhoods and communities.

My sincere wish is that as this crisis fades in the rear view, the employers and workforce of this nation realize that the cubicle lifestyle, dumbass meetings, and keeping kids at school all day is simply not healthy nor a necessity in our current society. People should be home, with their family, with their loved ones more often.
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You believe in fairies too?

Unless this nothingburger turns out to actually be Capt Tripps, people will be right back to how they were before this happened. In a year it will be a punchline and a meme. We won't learn a thing.
 
NCLivingBrit said:
You believe in fairies too?

Unless this nothingburger turns out to actually be Capt Tripps, people will be right back to how they were before this happened. In a year it will be a punchline and a meme. We won't learn a thing.
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How did you get to where you are now? Was it based on previous experiences and history?
I think people will realize after this how to be a bit better prepared and, hopefully, not panic when something starts.
And, Im hopeful that folks will realize that they dont need all the malls like they thought or something.
I do miss restaurants and coffee shops being open, but stores closing early hasnt affected me at all. Hopefully others will see that they dont need them as much as they thought too
 
Geezer said:
Back in the 70's and 80's, I worked for Burlington Industries. Many of you probably have never heard of them. They were one of the world's largest textile and fabric manufacturers. You could start to work there as a loom cleaner or sweeper and advance to some production jobs that paid very well. You didn't need anything but a high school education.
Many people were able to provide for their families and have nice houses and vehicles and have a nest egg, too. NAFTA came along and destroyed all of that. There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
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Spent 15 years with BI, as did most of my family. Grandmother was church secretary of the church that was built for BI across from the Pioneer Plant.
 
Tobacco and textiles along with the other supporting businesses provided enough money through the years to build quite a few schools, medical facilities and universities, many local government buildings, and much more. Just those two fields of employment have been dissected and have basically met their demise by the hands of legislators who simply could do as they pleased and remain unchallenged. Most of the employees affected had good paying job with benefits prior to the legislative axe.

I'm not a tobacco user but still it was a legal product. It was singled out by those who launched the attack while they could. And the hypocrisy of all of this is that while they scream "Smoking Kills", they push for legalization of pot. Maybe to chew...……..certainly not to smoke.....who knows?

My point is that while they crippled the industries of those two fields of employment they added nothing back in NC to help those who would work with their hands to make decent livings and provide for their families.

The old adage "keep 'em poor......keep 'em humble" still rings true in many circles. Not in my world thank you.
 
Geezer said:
Back in the 70's and 80's, I worked for Burlington Industries. Many of you probably have never heard of them. They were one of the world's largest textile and fabric manufacturers. You could start to work there as a loom cleaner or sweeper and advance to some production jobs that paid very well. You didn't need anything but a high school education.
Many people were able to provide for their families and have nice houses and vehicles and have a nest egg, too. NAFTA came along and destroyed all of that. There are few jobs today where a high school educated person can make a very comfortable wage.
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I sure have. My mama's parents both worked for Burlington in Batesburg SC. When it went under, that big brick factory building sat empty, until just a couple of years ago. Probably waited that long to tear it down due to asbestos. I still have a pair of scissors and a few shuttles from them. My granddaddy fixed looms and kept them working.
I used to amuse myself as a chap by drawing the logo:
external-content.duckduckgo.com.jpg
 
Yeah, I learned a lot working for that company. I actually sat in the CEO chair before they implode the HQ in Greensboro.
 
Wow, a lot of former Burlington people on here! I started at the Galax, VA weaving plant as a loom cleaner on 3rd shift. Worked up to a smash hand and was training to weave when they shut our plant down. The Pioneer plant was just starting to go on continuous 12 hour shifts. Several of us from Galax went to Pioneer and worked 4 on, 4 off, we spent 4 days in Galax and 4 days in Burlington.
I started in as a weaver and at one time, I was the highest paid weaver in the plant (production work). The work ethic of the Galax people was a lot stronger than that of the local folks. There were several textile mills in the Burlington/Greensboro area and there was a lot of job hopping between the mills from the locals. Sadly, there are no longer many opportunities like this that if a person is wiling to work and learn a skill, they can make a comfortable living.
 
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