Air Conditioning, Cable TV, and an Xbox: What is Poverty in the United States Today?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by NewChief

My tolerance for people's bullshit has decreased with age. At one time, I think most of our circle of friends were like, "NewChief is such a nice guy. He's like a saint or something. Always kind and sweet to people." Over the years, I think it's become, "NewChief is kind of a dick."

Your house your rules. Those that don't like it won't come back meaning the only people who still come over are the people you want there anyway.
I know that's how I like it.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

It's called keeping it real. I have that same problem. When you don't take other people's shit and you stand up for yourself it makes you an asshole.

I am an asshole because I told my SIL (who I rent a room out too) that when she uses our kitchen she needs to clean up her mess.

Or when it's 2 am and I want everyone outa my house...apparently telling everyone its time to go makes me an asshole. Or when some low life friend wants to invite her low life boyfriend over to my place, saying "no" makes me an asshole.

I don't wanna air too much of my personal life, but yeah, I am an asshole for many reasons just like that. I'm pretty much known as an asshole though.

You are also the one they respect and whose house they will respect. Continue to handle business where you are in the right. the more they whine at you the more you know you are right.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Smoker's entitlement pisses me the **** off. It was always like that in the restaurant industry. Smoker's were constantly going out back to take a smoke break or some shit while all the non-smokers had to keep on working.

As I've gotten older, this has shifted over into the parenting realm. We have a large group of friends, most with kids. Some of the parents still smoke when we get together socially (though they don't want their kids to know). So this group of smokers are constantly sneaking off outside to smoke cigarettes, leaving the rest of us inside to watch their ****ing kids and run cover for them when they kids come asking where their parents are. They'll disappear for 20 minutes at a time.

I flipped the hell out on them the other night. Everyone was at my house. There were about 20 kids running around inside. I'm trying to get dinner ready, and all the other ****ing adults scrammed outside to smoke. On top of that, some dumb twunt (a smoker) started preheating the oven for some shitty casserole she wanted to throw in, not realizing that my pork loin was resting in there, wrapped in foil.

I came barreling out of the house and unloaded with both barrels. "Alright, folks. I'm coooking you dinner already. I'm not babysitting your kids, too. Plus, you almost ****ed up my pork loin, and that's a crime I won't forgive."

For some reason, people were walking on eggshells around me the rest of the night.

back when them smokes mellowed everyone, includin the kids.

Then no one gave a shit.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Smoker's entitlement pisses me the **** off. It was always like that in the restaurant industry. Smoker's were constantly going out back to take a smoke break or some shit while all the non-smokers had to keep on working.

As I've gotten older, this has shifted over into the parenting realm. We have a large group of friends, most with kids. Some of the parents still smoke when we get together socially (though they don't want their kids to know). So this group of smokers are constantly sneaking off outside to smoke cigarettes, leaving the rest of us inside to watch their ****ing kids and run cover for them when they kids come asking where their parents are. They'll disappear for 20 minutes at a time.

I flipped the hell out on them the other night. Everyone was at my house. There were about 20 kids running around inside. I'm trying to get dinner ready, and all the other ****ing adults scrammed outside to smoke. On top of that, some dumb twunt (a smoker) started preheating the oven for some shitty casserole she wanted to throw in, not realizing that my pork loin was resting in there, wrapped in foil.

I came barreling out of the house and unloaded with both barrels. "Alright, folks. I'm coooking you dinner already. I'm not babysitting your kids, too. Plus, you almost ****ed up my pork loin, and that's a crime I won't forgive."

For some reason, people were walking on eggshells around me the rest of the night.

Hulk mad!

[Okie_Apparition]

Stop ****ing subsizing kids, problem solved

[MOhillbilly]

**** this government.

[Rain Man]

As a semi-related discussion, cost of living studies have a difficult time dealing with technology change. Imagine a cost of living study in 1975 where one of the items priced was a television. You're talking probably a 19-inch set that cost a few hundred dollars. Now fast-forward to 2011 where you're pricing a television. Now it's a 40-inch high-definition TV for about the same price. The "cost of living" may not be different, but it now provides a much better lifestyle by default.

Same thing with phones. A phone in 1980 probably cost $20 a month to get your dialing phone that's hooked to the wall. Now a phone in 2011 may cost $80 a month or something, but you get internet, e-mail, texting, voice mail, a bunch of games, and Microsoft Word or whatever. Did the cost of living really go up, or are you paying more for a lot more stuff and the phone is just a little part of the mix? But if you can't get the phone without buying the other stuff, your cost of living really did go up, but you're forced to simultaneously improve your standard of living.

It's a tough problem to figure out if you're doing these types of studies.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Same thing with phones. A phone in 1980 probably cost $20 a month to get your dialing phone that's hooked to the wall. Now a phone in 2011 may cost $80 a month or something, but you get internet, e-mail, texting, voice mail, a bunch of games, and Microsoft Word or whatever. Did the cost of living really go up, or are you paying more for a lot more stuff and the phone is just a little part of the mix? But if you can't get the phone without buying the other stuff, your cost of living really did go up, but you're forced to simultaneously improve your standard of living.

It's a tough problem to figure out if you're doing these types of studies.

Yea, thats very interesting point.

I think mainly the thing to take away from this story is that even in poverty people have it pretty good in America compared to alot of other countries poor. We also have the ability to get ourselves out of poverty. Living in poverty is often times a temporary situation until a person can create a better life for themselves. At least, thats how these social programs are designed to work?

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

I don't have an Xbox. Maybe I should go down to the Salvation Army.

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by noonan

I don't have an Xbox. Maybe I should go down to the Salvation Army.

Me neither.

Hey, if they'll let you, grab one for me too!

[Bump]

man, maybe I should see if I can get me some foodstamps. I could just save the money that otherwise would have been used on food.

[Iowanian]

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

he got the gold mine and you got the....

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

I'm not sure I would have been able to restrain myself fron shoving one of those rails up his ass he he he he ....

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

Where'd he get the money? Or was he participating in some Federal "convert the poor to farmers" program?