Can’t afford Carmel Valley? No problem….

[an]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Ignorance is bliss.

I’m doing drywall today. When this apartment it done it will generate $1500 income. No need to slave away. Dry walling is an art.[/quote]Agree, dry walling is an art. It’s easy to just start doing but it’s very hard to make it blend.

[Coronita]

[quote=AN][quote=flu]I get that.. But I am just trying to understand the logic of not wanting to do the best. Even if you fall short on what you wanted to achieve, it’s still better than the alternative..

You don’t need to be a hardcore academic type. But it helps to be surrounded by motivated people (provided they aren’t doing something illegal)[/quote]Best in what? Doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, you still only have 24 hours. We all have to juggle our priorities. I’ve seen people who’s definition of best = working 12-16hrs/day and making millions, while other is working enough to be able to travel the work one week every month or two while living in the city that they love. Person one would be miserable in person two’s shoes and vice versa.
Ultimately, I think you have to ask yourself, what make you happy? As long as what you do make you happy, then that’s all that matter. I don’t know if it helps to be surrounded by motivated people. I think it’s better to be surrounded by happy people who are willing to genuinely help you and not expect anything in return. Again, it all comes down to, what you want in life.[/quote]

It isn’t about work hours, it’s about attitude.

[an]

[quote=flu]It isn’t about work hours, it’s about attitude.[/quote]I wasn’t trying to say it’s about work hours. I was trying to say we have limited time on this earth and we all have different priorities. Some are motivated by money, some are motivated by family, while others are motivated by help others, then there are others who are motivated by living life to the fullest, etc.

[Coronita]

[quote=AN][quote=flu]It isn’t about work hours, it’s about attitude.[/quote]I wasn’t trying to say it’s about work hours. I was trying to say we have limited time on this earth and we all have different priorities. Some are motivated by money, some are motivated by family, while others are motivated by help others, then there are others who are motivated by living life to the fullest, etc.[/quote]

I agree. I’m just surprised why some people don’t value education, especially when more than often people in this country end up complaining how they are struggling financially and how limited their opportunities are.

[an]

[quote=flu]I agree. I’m just surprised why some people don’t value education, especially when more than often people in this country end up complaining how they are struggling financially and how limited their opportunities are.[/quote]I think those people don’t take personally responsibility. It’s not about how much you make, it’s how much you spend. I know a family of 6 living on a single electronic technician income in San Diego. They’re able to save, own a house in a decent area and not live pay check to pay check. After seeing how this family does it, I have to say that everyone who’s complaining are spending too much for their income.

[njtosd]

[quote=spdrun]

Little of the Californian BS about schools, either. If you move into a well-run town, you’ll have good schools, and you can generally rent something OK for cheaper than in San Diego. [/quote]

Clearly you don’t have children that have ever gone to school in NJ. More BS in NJ than CA – and less science. For instance, our district spent $15,000 for a math consultant (and idol of our superintendent) to help them choose math books. There were 4 math book publishers, the district already used one. There were only 950 students in the district; couldn’t the teachers figure out if another publisher was better . . .? For 950 kids, there were three principals, 2 assistant principals, 3 schools, and a 2:1 ration of admin to teachers (and a whopping 13 custodians – Del Mar Union Elem. SD has 19 for 8 schools.) They once allowed K-2nd children to come to school even though the school had no power, and no working toilets (no one had bothered to check after the weekend storm . . ) The kids had to walk over to another school to use the bathroom. My kindergartner came home one day and told me that a classmate had threatened “to kill [her] mommy and daddy.” Although the administration was aware of this incident, no one bothered to tell us. My blood pressure was off the charts at least once a week. And hence, we returned to SD. They must insert a chip into NJ residents at birth that makes them love the place – I can’t figure it out.

[spdrun]

Ohmygahd! The kids had to WALK a bit to use the bathroom! How HORRIBLE that they got a bit of exercise! Did they die? Were they permanently maimed or suffer from PTSD from having to locomote on their own two feet with a full bladder?

As far as the “kill” story, if I had a dollar for every time someone said “I’m gonna kill…” without resorting to homicidal actions, I’d be rich now. They saw it for what it was. Not a credible threat worthy of calling in the police, so they dismissed it.

NJ does’t keep its kids in rubber coccoons. This isn’t a bad thing.

The math consultant thing sounds like basic cronyism and corruption. Don’t tell me this never, ever happens in CA.

950 kids per district, is a good thing, BTW. It avoids the creation of mega-districts where kids have to ride the bus long distances and where parents are distanced from the educational system. Three schools with a principal and assistant principal isn’t out of line. The number of custodians may be, but remember that buildings are older and weather is harsher in NJ than in CA.

[njtosd]

[quote=spdrun]Ohmygahd! The kids had to WALK a bit to use the bathroom! How HORRIBLE that they got a bit of exercise! Did they die? Were they permanently maimed or suffer from PTSD from having to locomote on their own two feet with a full bladder?

As far as the “kill” story, if I had a dollar for every time someone said “I’m gonna kill…” without resorting to homicidal actions, I’d be rich now. They saw it for what it was. Not a credible threat worthy of calling in the police, so they dismissed it.

NJ does’t keep its kids in rubber coccoons. This isn’t a bad thing.

The math consultant thing sounds like basic cronyism and corruption. Don’t tell me this never, ever happens in CA.

950 kids per district, is a good thing, BTW. It avoids the creation of mega-districts where kids have to ride the bus long distances and where parents are distanced from the educational system. Three schools with a principal and assistant principal isn’t out of line. The number of custodians may be, but remember that buildings are older and weather is harsher in NJ than in CA.[/quote]

Sending kids to a school with no power is absolutely negligent per se. No water also means no sprinklers, I believe. Plus its cold and dark. People were too lazy to check the school – inexcusable.

The kid who threw blocks at mine and threatened to kill us already had a personal aide due to the inappropriateness of his behavior. I believe that they didn’t want to spend more money on him and were trying to sweep it under the rug. After I called to find out what was going on I was told that they were having a meeting about him and that he was being moved up a notch in his IEP, or whatever he had. So this was not just kids being kids – although I’m sure you probably let loose a lot of spittle as a kid, so maybe you relate.

You could cut the laziness and graft with a knife. So glad to leave.

[spdrun]

Sprinklers typically work from a roof tank. As I said: no one died. No need to over-react.

And you’re complaining about extravagant spending, but upset that they’re not spending more money on a student that annoys one of yours. What gives?

[FlyerInHi]

sdp, you’re saying deal with the vagaries of life, good for the kids, etc…

But that’s not the point. The school district has a lot of money. You expect professionals, especially rich professionals with resources, to work professionally.

[spdrun]

What if utilities went out an hour or a half hour before opening time, due to residual storm damage? Losing power hours to days after a storm due to utility engineers having to power lines down to make repairs is a pretty common thing. Sounds like everyone survived.

Fortify! Only the strong survive.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=spdrun]Fortify! Only the strong survive.[/quote]

Good for you that you can deal with adversity. It makes perfect sense that you don’t want to live in the best neighborhood.

But if you pay high prices for houses and high taxes for schools, then you expect everything to be perfect.

[njtosd]

[quote=spdrun]Sprinklers typically work from a roof tank. As I said: no one died. No need to over-react.

And you’re complaining about extravagant spending, but upset that they’re not spending more money on a student that annoys one of yours. What gives?[/quote]

Do I really have to point out the difference between fraud and graft (bad) and special education spending (good)? You’ve made my point perfectly – they wanted to line each other’s pockets but not provide whatever help they could to a disturbed child.

You don’t have kids, but I have never heard of a child (other than this one) threatening to kill the parents of another child. Of course it was ridiculous, but kindergartners don’t know that. A mad child might (not often) threaten to kill another kid (I know of one kid in 4S ranch who tried to strangle a fellow kindergartner, though). Once in a great while you come across a kid who is just bad to the core –

[ocrenter]

[quote=AN][quote=ocrenter]My point is most people will settle into what their genetic predisposition and socioeconomic tendencies guide them toward. It is the default, it is what comes easiest. And while a select few will be able to go against the grain, the vast majority will not. And that vast majority will take perfectly fluid and malleable situations with multiple possibilities and outcomes and turn them into very predictable singular outcome scenario and blame such outcome on fate.[/quote]Here’s the definition of fate: “the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.” So, genetic predisposition and socioeconomic tendencies are all part of fate IMHO. I’m fully aware we do have choices, but looking back, my choices are either to do OK or crash and burn. I was never given a choice to do exceptional. I was never given a choice to play bball like Mike, or play golf like Tiger, or be smart and ingenuitive like Gates, Brin, Jobs, etc. So, I accepted my fate that I will never be rich like them and be able to live their lives. Because of my genetic and personality predisposition (fate or just plain old probability), I’m able to brake free from the heard (sometimes). Maybe that’s what I’m destined to be or how well off I would be.

Here’s an example of in when you’re born will make a HUGE difference: If you’re born around 1980 and study software engineering, when you graduate in 2002 with a BS in Engineering, you’re faced with the .com crash. So if you’re lucky enough to get a job, you’d be paid crap. You’d save for a few years and got married, so decide to buy a place around 2006. You’d be screwed. But if you actively go against the heard, which is probabilistic-ally low, then you’d be a little better off, because then you can buy in 2008-2011 for a pretty big discount. However, lets take that exact same scenario, but lets say you’re born 6 years earlier in 1974. You’d be graduating with a BS in Engineering in 1996. Lets say you’re just as lucky in landing a job and your company when IPO. You also found a wife and decide to buy a house 4 years after you graduated. Since you have $1-2M due to stock options, you’re able to either buy a huge house in very nice area or be able to buy a nice primary and many rentals. If you just follow the heard and keep on working, you’d still be very well off. If you go against the heard like your personality dictate, you’d sell all your rentals and primary in 2005-2006. Rent and buy back in 2008-2011. You see how being born 6 years apart can yield a drastically different financial outcome. This is assuming you’re keeping all variables the same.[/quote]

I do agree there’s always an element of fate in play, but all along the way there’s always the ability to alter fate. Certainly within reason of course. Nothing is set in stone is all I’m saying.

[an]

[quote=ocrenter][quote=AN][quote=ocrenter]My point is most people will settle into what their genetic predisposition and socioeconomic tendencies guide them toward. It is the default, it is what comes easiest. And while a select few will be able to go against the grain, the vast majority will not. And that vast majority will take perfectly fluid and malleable situations with multiple possibilities and outcomes and turn them into very predictable singular outcome scenario and blame such outcome on fate.[/quote]Here’s the definition of fate: “the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.” So, genetic predisposition and socioeconomic tendencies are all part of fate IMHO. I’m fully aware we do have choices, but looking back, my choices are either to do OK or crash and burn. I was never given a choice to do exceptional. I was never given a choice to play bball like Mike, or play golf like Tiger, or be smart and ingenuitive like Gates, Brin, Jobs, etc. So, I accepted my fate that I will never be rich like them and be able to live their lives. Because of my genetic and personality predisposition (fate or just plain old probability), I’m able to brake free from the heard (sometimes). Maybe that’s what I’m destined to be or how well off I would be.

Here’s an example of in when you’re born will make a HUGE difference: If you’re born around 1980 and study software engineering, when you graduate in 2002 with a BS in Engineering, you’re faced with the .com crash. So if you’re lucky enough to get a job, you’d be paid crap. You’d save for a few years and got married, so decide to buy a place around 2006. You’d be screwed. But if you actively go against the heard, which is probabilistic-ally low, then you’d be a little better off, because then you can buy in 2008-2011 for a pretty big discount. However, lets take that exact same scenario, but lets say you’re born 6 years earlier in 1974. You’d be graduating with a BS in Engineering in 1996. Lets say you’re just as lucky in landing a job and your company when IPO. You also found a wife and decide to buy a house 4 years after you graduated. Since you have $1-2M due to stock options, you’re able to either buy a huge house in very nice area or be able to buy a nice primary and many rentals. If you just follow the heard and keep on working, you’d still be very well off. If you go against the heard like your personality dictate, you’d sell all your rentals and primary in 2005-2006. Rent and buy back in 2008-2011. You see how being born 6 years apart can yield a drastically different financial outcome. This is assuming you’re keeping all variables the same.[/quote]

I do agree there’s always an element of fate in play, but all along the way there’s always the ability to alter fate. Certainly within reason of course. Nothing is set in stone is all I’m saying.[/quote]we can agree on that point. Many times, people use fate as an excuse for bad or indecisions.

[Author]

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