wearethe99percent.com....are the stories even real?

• Heretic

  

  DeadliestWarrior34;933505 wrote:I figured with everyone on here that ran 4.5 40's, got 30's on their ACTs, and make +100k a year we'd have more of the 1% on here.

  This site really should be renamed from OhioChatter to The1%Chatter.
• ts1227

  

  fan_from_texas;933486 wrote:Right--you made a good decision, and you should be applauded for it. My concern is that our nansy-pansy boomer parents have been saying for years that people should follow their dreams and do what they love, without worrying about money. Many people took their parents' advice and now find out that it was pretty crappy advice (to the tune of $150K in debt for a BFA in music with no job prospects). It's tough to completely blame high school seniors for following parental/guidance counselor/college advice.

  Nah. Baby Boomers are perfect, just ask them!
• Iliketurtles

  

  
  
  Figured many on the OC would like this.
• sportchampps

  That picture is perfect
• Glory Days

  

  bases_loaded;933380 wrote:We have a right to an education

  you sure about that?
• derek bomar

  

  Iliketurtles;933639 wrote:
  
  Figured many on the OC would like this.

  need more like that
• fan_from_texas

  DeadliestWarrior34;933505 wrote:I figured with everyone on here that ran 4.5 40's, got 30's on their ACTs, and make +100k a year we'd have more of the 1% on here.

  
  Making $100K+ doesn't put someone in the true 1%. Unless we're redefining these things to say that all the employed people who have jobs that generally meet their expectations are in the metaphorical 1%.
• I Wear Pants

  Glory Days;933659 wrote:you sure about that?

  Whether we do as defined in the constitution or not we should.
• Con_Alma

  No one has a right to an education. That's ridiculous. An education is something you have to seek out and be accountable for obtaining. It isn't provided to you. You don't have a right to it. You must acquire it.
• Pick6

  

  You have the right to PURSUE an education.
• OSH

  

  
• bases_loaded

  

  Glory Days;933659 wrote:you sure about that?

  
  Does the gubment not mandate everyone attend through high school? And do they not make it ridiculously easy to take the next step?
  
  I didn't mean a right as in written in the constitution, merely that it's easy without much effort to attain said education
• Glory Days

  

  I Wear Pants;933894 wrote:Whether we do as defined in the constitution or not we should.

  of course, and we should all get a million dollars too :rolleyes:
• Glory Days

  

  bases_loaded;934077 wrote:Does the gubment not mandate everyone attend through high school? And do they not make it ridiculously easy to take the next step?
  
  I didn't mean a right as in written in the constitution, merely that it's easy without much effort to attain said education

  Mandate you have to finish highschool? what do you goto jail if you dont finish? they give you the opportunity to get a highschool education. heck, a kid i started highschool never finished and started his own business a few years later.
• Pick6

  

  Glory Days;934088 wrote:Mandate you have to finish highschool? what do you goto jail if you dont finish? they give you the opportunity to get a highschool education. heck, a kid i started highschool never finished and started his own business a few years later.

  hows his business doing?
• O-Trap

  

  Tobias Fünke;932836 wrote:http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/
  
  I absolutely do not believe some of the crap on here.
  
  
  
  You have a Masters Degree from Harvard and can't find a job? Something is fishy. Did you get a worthless degree in English? Why didn't you get one in nursing if you don't like being unemployed.
  
  
  
  You have a Masters Degree with a 4.0 GPA and can't get ANY JOB?!?!?
  
  GTFO these are made up.

  
  There's a saying in my business: It's not what you say that tells the story. It's what you don't say.
  
  Are they limiting their geographical scope while they look for work? Income scope? Field? What's their degree in?
  
  None of these are inherently a problem ... until you begin complaining about not finding a job and blaming it on someone.
  

  Benny The Jet;932842 wrote:As weird as it seems...I say it's plausible. I mean if you're a manager at Wendy's, and some guy comes in with a Master's Degree, you're probably going to be thinking they're too good for this job, or maybe that he doesn't need/want this job so he's going to quit as soon as something better comes along. Just a thought though

  
  I can personally attest to this being the thought, as I was told, flat out, by a Subway manager that he couldn't hire me because I was overqualified.
  

  I Wear Pants;932891 wrote:These stories are plausible. Obviously there could be things about the situation that are being left out but I'd rather not assume anything I don't know (that includes assuming these guys didn't leave anything out). So for now I'll say "that's awful if there isn't anything damning you're leaving out".

  
  Exactly. Not agreeing with them, I still sympathize with their frustration, provided they are not leaving things out.
  

  sportchampps;932947 wrote:These people put themselves where they are. One lady complains her mortgage tripled this year. If her mortgage tripled thats because she entered into a dumbass loan that she had no chance to ever pay off. GTFO Another complaining that he worked a non profit for 4 1/2 years to help his town where he took a pay cut and when he went back to school he cant afford it. YOU made the choice to go back to school and where you worked before hand. YOU knew how much going back to school would cost before you went. GTFO

  
  Johnny, tell the man what he's won!
  

  Tobias Fünke;932983 wrote:I also don't get the "fuck Wall Street" mentality when most of the complaints are about a mortgage you couldn't pay and student loans.

  
  Logic?
  
  
  

  ts1227;932998 wrote:I want to know how many of them are "Creative Writing" majors, or ones of the like.

  
  As the proud owner of an occupationally worthless degree (though a personally fulfilling one), I do too. Your degree is your choice, but don't expect all degrees to be treated equally.
  

  gut;933002 wrote:My advice to these gentlemen would be, unless your degree is in finance or law, you're wasting your time on Wall Street. They wouldn't hire you if they had a job opening. Maybe your real beef is with the school you spent all that money at that didn't provide you with good job opportunities. Maybe you should be looking for a refund instead of a handout.

  
  I don't think they deserve a refund either. They paid for the education. They got the education. Not the school's fault they can't use it.
  

  gut;933005 wrote:I am a public school teacher. I have 3 Master’s degrees and no student loan debt. My parents paid for all of my education.
  
  My wife is also a public school teacher: she has a Master’s degree … and more than $80,000 in student loan debt.
  We are the 1%, and we are the 99%. We are parents of two young girls: let’s make fairness, justice, and equality affordable for all.
  
  And you do not teach math. Either you AND your wife - you're collective "we" - are in the 1% or the 99%, as a married couple you cannot be both.
  
  fairness - equal pay for unequal value creation?
  justice - robbing from the rich to give to the poor?
  equality - affirmative action for the poor?
  
  Is that about the gist of it?

  
  Pretty much what it sounds like.
  

  gut;933015 wrote:
  
  It ain't the fault of big corporations that your game will apparently suck. You're "message"? Well, there's yer problem!

  
  We're not talking about a "message." You have a message to tell the world? Good. We need more people like that, but you're going to have to invest your own time into making it a reality. Nobody owes you a megaphone.
  
  I do love, too, that he's predicting the future in this one. How does he know?
  
  Maybe you have a future as a soothsayer, Nostradamus.
  

  gut;933018 wrote:
  
  Take your hippy commune to China.

  
  While his blame is grossly misplaced, I don't mind the commune thing. It's essentially a larger-scale version of having one or several roommate(s) to make an apartment easier to afford.
  
  Really, if those people are able to live happy, healthy lives while being a considerably smaller burden on society than they would be as individuals, then more power to them, and I actually wish others might try the same.
  

  sonofsam;933021 wrote:Until we stand up against [...] the rich [...]

  Tell me again, why does being rich automatically make you a person who needs stood up against?
  
  Also, explain who gets to decide the definition of "rich."
  

  ManO'War;933161 wrote:So why do people feel that they are owed a job just because they have a degree???

  I believe you're referring to a dregree.
  

  ManO'War;933161 wrote: You are not guaranteed anything in life.
  
  Having a job is a contract between the employer, who needs a service, and the employee, who is providing that service. Nothing more.
  
  And another pet peeve of mine is people who think that businesses are created to give people jobs. Businesses are created to make money for the owner/shareholders. The jobs provided is just a by product. If I could start a business and have it totally automated, therefore eliminating paying salaries, then I would.

  
  Agreed on all fronts.
  

  Jawbreaker;933167 wrote:America today? Really? There hasn't always been rich and poor people in this country?
  
  I guess this is a matter of perspective. Isn't the majority of the people in this country richer than 99% of the world?

  
  I believe that almost everyone in this country is in the top 5% in the world, yes. It's a fun point I've brought up a couple times.
  

  Glory Days;933204 wrote:there are thousands of jobs down south available right now. however they involve manual labor and arent great paying. something these hippies wont do.....

  
  That would take away from protest time.
  

  OSH;933217 wrote:I did. My first Master's is different from my undergrad. This Master's is different from my first Master's.
  
  The good thing is, this Master's and my previous Master's compliment each other. I'm actually not too disappointed with my current situation though. I got a nice pay raise from what I had previously. I am closer to family (my family and my in-laws). My wife is happy. She's working some part-time jobs. Overall, it's not HORRIBLE...just not exactly a full-time job like I'd like.
  
  My career is extremely competitive and political. I can live off of nothing, have been since 2008. Our current situation is not awful. Just not what I really want (like a house and a more concrete future). I'll buy my time. It'll pay off. I'll work a couple of crap situations if I have to in order to get where I want (and where my wife wants).

  
  THIS is a good attitude.
  

  Manhattan Buckeye;933221 wrote:Completely believe it, my first job we had a woman a couple of years ahead of me with a degree from the H word school with a complete BS graduate (not bachelor's of science) degree in X studies....woman couldn't even chew gum and tie her shoes at the same time. She was very nice but the fact was she couldn't do the work.

  
  If you can't do the work, you can't keep the job, as the job is there solely for the purpose of accomplishing the work.
• O-Trap

  

  gut;933275 wrote:I think what might be most disheartening about those posts is all the people APOLOGIZING for working hard and having a job. "I'm lucky", as if it's just random chance. Bullshit, there is no such thing. You make your own luck.
  
  I'm not saying it doesn't take time, or that everyone out of work is being lazy or immobile or taking the wrong approach...but certainly if you allow yourself to become specialized (read: lacking transferable skills) in a dying industry you are setting yourself up to be "unlucky" in the future.

  
  Moreover, there are far too many examples of people who succeed from behind the 8-ball. People want to talk about not everyone having the same family support system, quality educators at an early age, etc.
  
  I guaran-damn-tee there is at least one person out there with even LESS of those kinds of things and who is successful.
  
  My old boss has a high school sophomore formal education. He's 28 years old. Grew up very poor to divorced parents. He left school to start his own business at 16.
  
  From what I know, 2011 will be the third consecutive year where he has made eight figures.
  
  Regardless of his start ... his circumstances ... he fought his way into the 1%.
  

  jmog;933365 wrote:I am in the 99% by income level, but apparently I am in the 1% by mentality of how the system should work.
  
  I am the 53% that actually pays income taxes...how is that? .

  
  Same here. Nothing wrong with that.
  

  Midstate01;933378 wrote:I just dont think people try hard enough to look for work. They want something to magically happen for them.

  
  This. It's fine if you look for specific work, or you are committed to staying in a certain area (I was when I was unemployed). But don't you DARE blame someone else for your struggle finding work.
  

  bases_loaded;933380 wrote:We have a right to purse an education but a responsibility to pay for it. Also the responsibility to pick a field that we are either needed in or that we can make a career in. All these people need to look in the mirror

  
  Fixed.
  

  gut;933391 wrote:I had a boss tell me one time about an HBS grad he'd just interviewed. Says at the end of the interview when he asks if there are any questions, the guy goes "Soooo...If I take this job, how long before I'll be running this place?" ==> DING
  
  That mentality probably applies to at least a few of these people. They feel entitled because of their degree or GPA and probably have unrealistic expectations. Or their interview skills are atrocious. There are companies out there hiring, and while there are not enough jobs to go around, there is also plenty of turnover and transition creating positions that need backfilled. So opportunities are out there.

  
  The person interviewed there has the right goal, but the wrong ambition. To run a company, you have to earn it over everyone else who wants to run the company. Unless you're willing to work your ass off, AND you're a person with something uniquely beneficial to offer, you'll never run the place.
  

  FatHobbit;933393 wrote:I remember when I went to college they talked to us about different career paths and how much you can make with each one. They told us the average starting salaries and I remember thinking surely I'm smarter than half the idiots I'm going to school with. When I graduated and interviewed with five or six different companies I remember thinking where the hell is all the money they promised me? Lol

  
  Highlighted.
  
  Again, it's not what is said. It's what isn't said.
  

  fan_from_texas;933418 wrote:I believe most of the stories. The question is whether we should care. I mean, so someone takes out $100K in student loans to major in Religious Studies. Why is it the fault of Wall Street that the person can't get a job?

  Hey now! Just kidding.
  

  fan_from_texas;933418 wrote:I have some sympathy for 18-year-olds who have been fed crap by their parents/guidance counselors about "doing what they love" and then actually took that advice . . . but part of the blame should lie with the schools that extended them outrageous student loans that can't be discharged in bankruptcy.

  
  I agree with this.
  
  Do what you love ... on your own time.
  

  fan_from_texas;933486 wrote:Right--you made a good decision, and you should be applauded for it. My concern is that our nansy-pansy boomer parents have been saying for years that people should follow their dreams and do what they love, without worrying about money. Many people took their parents' advice and now find out that it was pretty crappy advice (to the tune of $150K in debt for a BFA in music with no job prospects). It's tough to completely blame high school seniors for following parental/guidance counselor/college advice.

  I attribute the bad advice to a collective mid-life crisis.
  

  DeadliestWarrior34;933505 wrote:I figured with everyone on here that ran 4.5 40's, got 30's on their ACTs, and make +100k a year we'd have more of the 1% on here.

  
  NCF hasn't posted yet. He's still partying with models in his private jet, showing them he can leg press 1,000 lbs.
  

  Iliketurtles;933639 wrote:
  
  Figured many on the OC would like this.

  I wish this guy was on OC. I'd rep him.
  

  I Wear Pants;933894 wrote:Whether we do as defined in the constitution or not we should.

  
  You have a right to educate yourself at the local library. Who ever said an education could only be achieved through a formal institution?
  

  Pick6;934002 wrote:You have the right to PURSUE an education.

  
  If we're speaking of a formal education, this.
  

  bases_loaded;934077 wrote:Does the gubment not mandate everyone attend through high school?

  No. They do not.
  

  bases_loaded;934077 wrote:And do they not make it ridiculously easy to take the next step?

  Ease does not necessitate a right.
  

  bases_loaded;934077 wrote:... it's easy without much effort to attain said education

  
  O.o
  
  Yes, because getting an education should involve little effort.
  

  Glory Days;934088 wrote:Mandate you have to finish highschool? what do you goto jail if you dont finish? they give you the opportunity to get a highschool education. heck, a kid i started highschool never finished and started his own business a few years later.

  
  Is he still self-employed?
• gut

  It's not a Democracy because the 1% determine our laws and rules? Without arguing the statement, that sounds suspiciously like advocating for socialism/communism.
  
  You want to talk fairness - shouldn't the rules of the game be determined by the players - i.e. the 1% and corporations - rather than the line worker? I'm not talking about criminality, environmental and safety laws, I'm just confused over exactly how Wall Street and Big Business are manipulating the rules to keep the little guy down. I mean, if you want to talk about starting a business, or growing your business, up until the financial meltdown it was never easier or more affordable to get that capital from - you guessed it - Wall Street. Or we can talk about those home mortgages - oddly enough, I've NEVER seen AA demonizing the bartender or protesting outside Budweiser or Beam, Inc.
• ManO'War

  

  If anyone is worried about not getting a job because they are "over-qualified", then don't put it on your resume/application.
• O-Trap

  

  ManO'War;934265 wrote:If anyone is worried about not getting a job because they are "over-qualified", then don't put it on your resume/application.

  Even places that don't require resumes have applications. "Highest level of education" or "Current or most recent pay" can be troubling on such an application.
• ManO'War

  

  Just don't list it, not like they will ever know the difference.
• O-Trap

  

  ManO'War;934272 wrote:Just lie about it, because it's not like you're gonna get caught.

  Paraphrased.
  
  On the off-chance you do get caught, you're even more screwed.
• gut

  ManO'War;934272 wrote:Just don't list it, not like they will ever know the difference.

  Kind of tough to fool the McDonald's manager if you last job was Senior Marketing Analyst or whatever. It's probably even tougher trying to pull-off an entry level job in your field, or other professional jobs where they will do a background check and the potential for turnover is not a risk they have to take with so many qualified applicants available.
  
  Truth be told, in many fields a graduate degree right after a BS is not a good choice. You're "overqualified", mainly with regard to expectations about salary and role, and underqualified for positions that usually require more experience.
  
  Like many things, people with more education have a rather inflated sense of entitlement. They believe it improves their candidacy or that they are more qualified, when in reality education is more a signal and provides a few additional objective criteria while most jobs you will learn everything you need to know there. School is a more productive learning environment, but anyone can read the same books/
• tcarrier32

  

  
• Glory Days

  

  Pick6;934095 wrote:hows his business doing?

  O-Trap;934194 wrote:
  Is he still self-employed?

  was never really friends with him. from what i can see online. he started it 2 years before we were to graduate and is still in business 12 years later. its also nothing complicated. just lawn care and maintenance from what i can tell.