[UCGal]

[quote=CONCHO]Bitching about unions while the country is being gang-raped by corporate and financial interests is like complaining about mosquitoes while being eaten by a bear.[/quote]

I agree.

And on the topic of pensions… I’ve never worked public sector except an internship with the Nat’l weather service electronics tech shop one summer, while in college. Non-union. I’ve never been a union employee. That said – I had full, defined benefit pension with my private sector employer until we were acquired by another private sector employer in 2000. The new employer had a cash based pension program – (aka Portable Pension) that continued till 2009. Both pensions are now frozen.

Defined benefit pensions existed for non union private sector employees AS THE NORM until about a decade ago. My father, an engineer, non-union, private sector, retired with a nice pension from Cubic Corp.

My pensions were frozen – but I’ll still get *something* when I retire. Not enough to live on… I wish they hadn’t frozen the pensions… especially the first one – the defined benefit one. But they did. It’s another in a long list of benefits that have been taken away for this private sector employee. It doesn’t make me angry at the folks who still have benefits/pensions… it makes me ENVIOUS for what I used to have.

[UCGal]

[quote=CONCHO]Bitching about unions while the country is being gang-raped by corporate and financial interests is like complaining about mosquitoes while being eaten by a bear.[/quote]

I agree.

And on the topic of pensions… I’ve never worked public sector except an internship with the Nat’l weather service electronics tech shop one summer, while in college. Non-union. I’ve never been a union employee. That said – I had full, defined benefit pension with my private sector employer until we were acquired by another private sector employer in 2000. The new employer had a cash based pension program – (aka Portable Pension) that continued till 2009. Both pensions are now frozen.

Defined benefit pensions existed for non union private sector employees AS THE NORM until about a decade ago. My father, an engineer, non-union, private sector, retired with a nice pension from Cubic Corp.

My pensions were frozen – but I’ll still get *something* when I retire. Not enough to live on… I wish they hadn’t frozen the pensions… especially the first one – the defined benefit one. But they did. It’s another in a long list of benefits that have been taken away for this private sector employee. It doesn’t make me angry at the folks who still have benefits/pensions… it makes me ENVIOUS for what I used to have.

[UCGal]

[quote=CONCHO]Bitching about unions while the country is being gang-raped by corporate and financial interests is like complaining about mosquitoes while being eaten by a bear.[/quote]

I agree.

And on the topic of pensions… I’ve never worked public sector except an internship with the Nat’l weather service electronics tech shop one summer, while in college. Non-union. I’ve never been a union employee. That said – I had full, defined benefit pension with my private sector employer until we were acquired by another private sector employer in 2000. The new employer had a cash based pension program – (aka Portable Pension) that continued till 2009. Both pensions are now frozen.

Defined benefit pensions existed for non union private sector employees AS THE NORM until about a decade ago. My father, an engineer, non-union, private sector, retired with a nice pension from Cubic Corp.

My pensions were frozen – but I’ll still get *something* when I retire. Not enough to live on… I wish they hadn’t frozen the pensions… especially the first one – the defined benefit one. But they did. It’s another in a long list of benefits that have been taken away for this private sector employee. It doesn’t make me angry at the folks who still have benefits/pensions… it makes me ENVIOUS for what I used to have.

[UCGal]

fwiw – Costco gas isn’t always the cheapest… They do super high volume – so when prices are going up – they can have higher prices than the lower volume station that filled it’s underground tanks at a lower price. When prices are going down, they tend to have lower prices than their lower volume neighbors.

But if you have a 14 gallon tank – 2cents/gallon difference is only 28 cents. Not worth driving around (or waiting in line.)

[UCGal]

fwiw – Costco gas isn’t always the cheapest… They do super high volume – so when prices are going up – they can have higher prices than the lower volume station that filled it’s underground tanks at a lower price. When prices are going down, they tend to have lower prices than their lower volume neighbors.

But if you have a 14 gallon tank – 2cents/gallon difference is only 28 cents. Not worth driving around (or waiting in line.)

[UCGal]

fwiw – Costco gas isn’t always the cheapest… They do super high volume – so when prices are going up – they can have higher prices than the lower volume station that filled it’s underground tanks at a lower price. When prices are going down, they tend to have lower prices than their lower volume neighbors.

But if you have a 14 gallon tank – 2cents/gallon difference is only 28 cents. Not worth driving around (or waiting in line.)

[UCGal]

fwiw – Costco gas isn’t always the cheapest… They do super high volume – so when prices are going up – they can have higher prices than the lower volume station that filled it’s underground tanks at a lower price. When prices are going down, they tend to have lower prices than their lower volume neighbors.

But if you have a 14 gallon tank – 2cents/gallon difference is only 28 cents. Not worth driving around (or waiting in line.)

[UCGal]

fwiw – Costco gas isn’t always the cheapest… They do super high volume – so when prices are going up – they can have higher prices than the lower volume station that filled it’s underground tanks at a lower price. When prices are going down, they tend to have lower prices than their lower volume neighbors.

But if you have a 14 gallon tank – 2cents/gallon difference is only 28 cents. Not worth driving around (or waiting in line.)

[UCGal]

My opinion – based on observation of family’s who relo’d for jobs, family’s that changed homes (upgrading homes) etc…

If you make the change before 8th grade – kids adapt.

If you make the change when the kid is 8th grade or older, there may be some resentment or social issues.

We have a nephew who’s in his early 30’s who still hasn’t forgiven his parents for moving states when he was in the 10th grade. (Although he still lives in that state.)

[UCGal]

My opinion – based on observation of family’s who relo’d for jobs, family’s that changed homes (upgrading homes) etc…

If you make the change before 8th grade – kids adapt.

If you make the change when the kid is 8th grade or older, there may be some resentment or social issues.

We have a nephew who’s in his early 30’s who still hasn’t forgiven his parents for moving states when he was in the 10th grade. (Although he still lives in that state.)

[UCGal]

My opinion – based on observation of family’s who relo’d for jobs, family’s that changed homes (upgrading homes) etc…

If you make the change before 8th grade – kids adapt.

If you make the change when the kid is 8th grade or older, there may be some resentment or social issues.

We have a nephew who’s in his early 30’s who still hasn’t forgiven his parents for moving states when he was in the 10th grade. (Although he still lives in that state.)

[UCGal]

My opinion – based on observation of family’s who relo’d for jobs, family’s that changed homes (upgrading homes) etc…

If you make the change before 8th grade – kids adapt.

If you make the change when the kid is 8th grade or older, there may be some resentment or social issues.

We have a nephew who’s in his early 30’s who still hasn’t forgiven his parents for moving states when he was in the 10th grade. (Although he still lives in that state.)

[UCGal]

My opinion – based on observation of family’s who relo’d for jobs, family’s that changed homes (upgrading homes) etc…

If you make the change before 8th grade – kids adapt.

If you make the change when the kid is 8th grade or older, there may be some resentment or social issues.

We have a nephew who’s in his early 30’s who still hasn’t forgiven his parents for moving states when he was in the 10th grade. (Although he still lives in that state.)

[UCGal]

Truthfully Brian – it sounds more like you are disgusted with your friend, than compassionate.

I’ve seen drug and alcohol addiction up close (immediate family). Until the person admits they have ANY problem, they’re not going to change. In order to convince them they have a problem you’d better at least pretend to care.

Also, there are often root problems that need addressing in order to deal with addiction. In my family member’s case there were two root causes – pain from a long forgotten bone break – that was being self medicated. (Ankle hurts, so lets have a scotch to make it hurt less.) And being in a miserable marriage with no good way out… Surgery helped alleviate the pain and self medication – and re-engaging in the marriage helped the emotional problems. Once those causes were mitigated, the person was willing to admit a problem and start cutting back. But even then years of abuse/habit/craving were hard to undo. It’s not an easy addiction to stop.

Will power works great in avoiding the start of addiction, but not so much when the physical addiction is there.

[UCGal]

Truthfully Brian – it sounds more like you are disgusted with your friend, than compassionate.

I’ve seen drug and alcohol addiction up close (immediate family). Until the person admits they have ANY problem, they’re not going to change. In order to convince them they have a problem you’d better at least pretend to care.

Also, there are often root problems that need addressing in order to deal with addiction. In my family member’s case there were two root causes – pain from a long forgotten bone break – that was being self medicated. (Ankle hurts, so lets have a scotch to make it hurt less.) And being in a miserable marriage with no good way out… Surgery helped alleviate the pain and self medication – and re-engaging in the marriage helped the emotional problems. Once those causes were mitigated, the person was willing to admit a problem and start cutting back. But even then years of abuse/habit/craving were hard to undo. It’s not an easy addiction to stop.

Will power works great in avoiding the start of addiction, but not so much when the physical addiction is there.

[Author]

Posts