Yeah, but doing (some types of) construction as a lifelong carrer is something only a glutton for punishment would do. I have tore down and put up grain bins for a few summers and the pay was good, and most of the young guys were happy with the job because of it. However, over the years, minor injuries build up to larger things and eventually you end up pretty banged up. My cousin has been a concrete layer for around 10 years and he is one of the strongest guys I know and even he has ended up looking for another job because his current one is killing his knees. A constrution grunt worker is not the best of jobs if you want to keep your body from falling apart by the time you're 50.

Construction may be hard labor, but the real bitch work is in retail merchandising. Dear god that is the worst job ever. You get fairly shitty pay. I got $7.88 before I "quit" at Best Buy, and that was supposedly very well paid for my job. I think at one point I was making more than some of the full-time people. 6AM morning shifts that go to 2AM around christmas. Fun stuff people. Spending 2-8 hours walking around scanning stuff to make sure the inventory counts are fairly accurate and cleaning up after the sales people who don't do their jobs right. Then theres unloading shipment and having very little space to stick massive amounts of product. The only thing worse than doing this for Best Buy is doing that for WalMart. Less pay and instead of a company that takes your soul and sucks away your personality you get a company the bends you over and rapes you as well. For the record I had that job for 2 1/2 years so don't go saying I quit because it was "too hard" or some shit like that.

Here is a link I easily identified with:
http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20040920.html

A little off topic maybe, but meh, I don't really give a shit right now.

Well I was fortunate enough to put in over 3. And as much as people bitch about it, its not that horrible. In many, MANY ways, your job is what you make of it. Was I overqualified and underpaid? You're damn right I was. However, did I take that attitude to work every day? Hell no. I went to work in a good mood (nearly every day, even optimistic people have their crappy days) and worked my ass off for barely over minimum wage at a job that required little to no of my intelligence.

However, what that job gave me is something that most people will never have, the ability to stay calm and deal with people in any situation that arises. I've had people threaten to "kick my ass like chuck norris", accuse me of being some conspirator when I asked for a SS#, and called a bastard for following company policy. Did I fall apart? Nope, I gave them a smile, explained why I was taking the action and if they weren't satisfied, I'd refer them to the proper managment.

Largely due to my ability to deal with people I recieved an internship over the summer making over twice what I had made before, and due to my excellent job of dealing with people at that internship, I now have the pleasure of rejecting interview preselects since I have over half a dozen to choose from.

Bitch about sales jobs that nearly everyone has to go through all you want and you won't be any better off. Take the better path of making the most of it and you'd be amazed what you can learn and the skills you can develop. In the end it pays off.

As a side note, people know when you hate your job and treat you accordingly. And believe me, nothing pisses an angry customer off more then when their best attempts to get a rise out of you fail and even when they're complete assholes, you keep your composure. Like I said, your job, much like your life is entirely what you make of it. If you think your job sucks, I'd bet that the reason it sucks is because you have the "oh now I have to go to f'ing work attitude" My advice to people like that, either leave the job or grow up.

chad wrote:
Specifically Social Security is horribly ineffective, and make people less likely to save for their future. If you want to retire, then save some of your money. If your parents are old, can’t work, and have no money then take care of them.


the only problem with social security is the government keeps borrowing money from the program and never paying it back. there has been ten times more money put into social security than has been taken out by actual people who worked to have it. where is the rest of it you ask? spent by our wonderfully elected officials in congress and oh yes, EVERY president since social security was adopted.

That is why you should let the government get their hands on as little of your money as possible. (Of course some taxes are needed as I like things like roads and tornado sirens.)