The US Economy

perception, "Common Sense" is worth more than any degree one can earn in college. Many with advanced degrees don't have it.

BTW, Nobody in our family "wasted our parents money." They had none, so all of us earned our own way through college. My younger brother owed $8,000 when he graduated from med school. When my nephew and niece graduated from med school about seven years ago, they owed $125,000 each.

Let me add that, with the exception of the professional schools, like business, medicine, pharmacy, law, social work, etc... no one pays for grad school. If you are paying for grad school you must have done something really wrong in your academic past!

One of my niece is going to UCLA for her PhD in Chemistry, and she's on scholarship, but pays for some of her educational expenses. She also earns money from UCLA as a lecturer. Our son attended the University of Texas in Austin, and earned his masters in Communication Science. He paid for his education.

C.I. wrote:

BTW, Nobody in our family "wasted our parents money." They had none, so all of us earned our own way through college. My younger brother owed $8,000 when he graduated from med school. When my nephew and niece graduated from med school about seven years ago, they owed $125,000 each.

I had to chuckle when I noticed the difference a little inflation made to the cost of "Med School"

I find it telling that today one pays for an advanced education. In my day, we were required to earn it. No wonder the academic community experiences challenge to its worth and suspicion of its probity and relevance. For some folks, there's MasterCard. Whats real is priceless.

Timber, I find your comment exceptionally offensive!In most grad programs in the liberal arts, students receive tuition waivers and stipends. At UMBC I had a tuition waiver and a $12,000/yr. stipend. This is well below poverty level. I also worked part time, in adition to having four clases/term and TA'ing at least two classes/term. At CU Boulder, I have a tuition waiver,and a stipend (from Teaching undergraduate classes) of $15,000/yr. I have four classes, and teach two. I find it hard to believe I am not "earning" my degree. This summer I will be in Munich for two months, and will be there on a grant from DAAD and another grant from a private source. My funding is guaranteed for five years. After five years, I will have to apply for dissertation funding.
The system functions in this manner so that I, and my fellow grad students, can concentrate on research and teaching. I realize that to many on the far right this is "parasitism." I also realize that living in the lap of luxury like I do, on such an exhorbitant stipend ( ) I am what many of the far right would refer to as "What's wrong with the nation." In reality, the system recognizes that graduate education is no longer the preserve of the wealthy, and that without this funding, most of us would not be able to afford advanced education. I find the comments by many on the far right whom I have met, who assume that I and my fellow grad students are living somke sort of jet set existence to be strong evidence of how little the general public understands academia.
I have not purchased new clothing in five years, I am driving an automobile that is over ten years old. In Baltimore I lived in a marginal neighborhood, because it was what I could afford. I also juggled phone and utility bills, often paying them only when they were about to be turned off, because that was the only way I could afford to do so. I frequently ate once a day,and went out of my way to scrounge food from university events (why do you think we go to lectures and presentations that are far outside our subjects? I have no interest in engineering, but attended plenty of that department's functions, because there was food!).Were it not for the fact that my family is here in the Denver area, I would again be living in a marginal neighborhood. I spend most of my money on books, because a financially strapped university system can't afford to participate in inter-library loan programs with libraries outside of Colorado. I also have my own (expensive) subscriptions to journals like Speculum, adn Medieval Religion becasue the library could not afford to subscribe to many journals,and scientific and tech journals were seen as more important.
In addition, I have about $35,000 in undergraduate debt. My first faculty job is likely to pay no more than $30,000/year,and even if I achieve tenure I am unlikely to top $50,000/year. Isn't it just awful what a freeloader I and others like myself are? Obviosly I am in this for the money.
And as for the "Master Card" comment, I have one (1) lousy credit card, with a measly $5,000 limit. Why? Because as a student, I am a poor credit risk.

If the shoe pinches, don't wear it. Sounds to me like you're earning your way. Some do, and some don't. The point of my observation is that some folks earn an education, some folks pay for one. I respect the former.

I teach in a public University, and the only graduate students that I am aware of that could conceivably meet the stereotype implied by Timber are middleaged women, with a working husband, who have returned to graduate school. This image, that people in graduate school are somehow engaged in an extended adolescence. In an environment that insolates them from the serious concerns of life. Receiving a status which is both unearned and unmerited. Is a slander that is increasingly promoted by conservatives with both a social and political agenda that can have only one result. Advanced education, and the benefits it can confer, will be limited to only those that can afford the expense out of pocket.

Acquiunk, you too read into my comment what is not there. I have nothing but respect for those who earn an education, by whatever honest means, and more than a little contempt for those who merely buy one. Your misperception, I perceive, is a result of a narrow-minded, exclusionary, and thoroughly incorrect group-think preconception of conservative values.

This just in...

President Bush's approval rating up in latest poll
10/13/2003 7:56 PM
By: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new poll shows President Bush's job approval rating is up a bit after several polls showing a slump.

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that the president's approval rating stands at 56 percent. In mid-September, Bush's approval rating was at 50 percent in a similar poll.

A Gallup official says finding a particular reason for the boost is difficult, suggesting it could be due to
signs of an improved economy[/color][/size] ...

http://www.news24houston.com/content/headlines/?ArID=16685&SecID=2

Its prolly about time for some to begin to allege The Current Administration is rigging not only the opinion polls but both the domestic and global economic indicators as well. At the risk of incurring the wrath of those present of leftist persuasion, I will observe that while their side complains about the economy, the other side sure seems to be doing something about it.

ROTFL

Fair enough, PDiddie, what Democratic economic policies, in your view, are responsible for the overall improvement of the economy?

well I am sure we are all taking pride that the current deficit budget is not quite as bad as was expected, which follows the same reasoning as the Bush/Gore debates when it was proclaimed that Bush won because he did not do quite as bad as was expected.(not that he did well)

Well, I hope everyone here has seen the Krugman commentary in today's Times.

What I see is that the stock market is again repeating itself from three years ago. Just because a few companies are showing a increase in gross sales doesn't translate to economic growth for the whole country or the world. Economic growth is when companies begin to hire permanent workers and they still show a profit margin that supports the prices of the stocks. That is not happening - yet.

Well, first of all, l cannot yet agree that the economy is improving.

There'll be scads of statistics, reams of reports, and much more pontificating by adenoid-inhibited economists (coming from think tanks other than the Heritage Foundation) over the next several months required in order for The Bush Administration to sell that idea to me.

You may be closed, contracted, and ready for delivery, but I'm no longer in the showroom. I got back in my trade-in and drove off while you were nasally droning on, making a church steeple with your fingers, about how marvelous the economic picture is.

(Well, 'nasal' might be assuming too much; I would have no idea how your voice sounds... :wink: )

You've got some other loaded propositions in your question, so should I presume that you want to know if the Dems have sat on their hands, only removing them to vote 'aye' on the latest Republican tax cut proposal? Oh, sorry; you think they just whined.

Not true; lots of good plans prepared by the loyal opposition, evidence of which resides here,here,here,and going all the way back to 2001, here.

Were they passed by the Republican majority? Are they policies or proposals or have they been cobbled together with others as law?

You already know the answer.

Indeed, the most persuasive argument is concluded here:

You're beginning to sound like Baghdad Bob, PDiddie.

You've been sounding like him for months, t. :wink: