The Table for July 17, 2012
James Dugan
KeckoInternational
American college graduates are just getting back from their cross country sojourns to find the brutal reality of a desperate job market. But look at the bright side, you could live in Europe. European graduates have it worse. With Spain and Greece dealing with youth unemployment near 50% and an Euro economy in recession to the point of stalling, these new graduates are facing few job prospects other than in the tourism industry. We continue to struggle with college degrees and places for them in our economy. College does not mean a job, just a statistical better chance at making 4x as much money as someone with a high school diploma. Youth has forever been given a rude awakening when they realize this is for real.
Did job prospects help you decide on your college major? Did you find a job when you graduated?
National
I know it is been hot out there, but the US is having its largest drought since 1956. With the scorching temperatures and little rain, the mid-west and their farmlands are close to financial and natural disaster. June was ranked as the third driest month in 118 years for our nation. Corn crops have been devastated and cattle is being sold to stay solvent. With heat wave after heat wave and little rain, our prices for food will continue to rise. With all our technologies and advances, we are still dependent on the rain. Life is that simple and that complicated.
Has the weather had an impact on your life this summer?
Local
We have had some great stories in the city of brotherly love, but in this story, a taxi cab driver took hospitality too far. A concerned citizen taped a taxi driver defecating on the sidewalk in the wee hours of the morning Don’t poop there? In a hot summer, sometimes decorum can go out the window and whether this taxi cab man had a bowel problem or not, his movement certainly makes us stop and consider how our actions affect one another. I am reminded of the 80s movie “Can’t Buy Me Love” when the one character says, “you shit on my house, you shit on my house.”
What are some actions from our fellow citizens that just unnerve you, especially during the summer?
Reader Comments (2)
2. This heat is oppressive. I usually like to take my dog on at least one really long walk every day, but the past few have been too hot, especially for him. He just wants to take care of his business and get back inside.
3. Speaking of pooping outdoors, while I was slightly disturbed by this, I was not altogether shocked. People pee and poop outside, especially in the city, more than most people realize. And it's not just homeless or destitute. I know of well-educated, seemingly civilized individuals who have done so in emergencies, or simply because they don't feel like waiting. Go to any sporting event or concert or crowded bar area, and you will see plenty of outdoor defecators. It's not pretty, but it's life.
No comment on that one.
I will say about the job market that it seems to be moving towards specialization. There was a time when any degree was enough to get you a job even if it wasn't in the field of your major. Now it seems like only very specialized degrees will lead to an easy job search. Luckily I was able to land a new job last year but only because I had a specific idea of what job I wanted and the masters in and experience in that area. Had I been applying to something outside my field, I doubt I would have found anything quickly if at all. It's tough to say but nowadays it feels like higher education isn't really worth pursuing until you know exactly what it is you want to do. Kinda takes the spontaneity out of life.