They don't make 'em like this anymore. I ask cuz I'm not sure; does the US make real shit anymore? (Trees And Things)

ckm: Re: Niche jobs?

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 13:24:28 EST

That's my point. New software tools like SolidWorks and OneCNC allow a lot of people to do this type of work without a huge learning curve. As an extreme example, look at DP Cars (http://www.dpcar

ckm: Re: Niche jobs?

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 13:12:31 EST

My point was it's not a half million dollars anymore, it's more like $10,000 to $50,000, making it accessible to tons of people and they are taking advantage of it. From custom cabinet making to RC helicopters, it's amazing what people are doing. &nb

shane: Re: Down with all kings but King Ludd!

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:09:59 EST

I'm sure it is something I read in a (highly recommended) book called Better Off. I think you are right about the name being Nedd Ludd anyway....

JimmyHavok: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 21:31:04 EST

Is that fair to the rest of us? I don't think so.

I'm burning with rage already.

JimmyHavok: dealing with sick days

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 21:27:00 EST

Our state civil service puts your unused sick days onto your retirement time, so you can leave early if you want. My boss has something like five years saved up.

People coming to work sick is just as much of a problem as people staying home when t

secretpath: Down with all kings but King Ludd!

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 19:33:43 EST

Luddite is the last name of a man who was hanged for destroying the machine that replaced his job.

You sure about that? There seem to be about a dozen different versions of the story, but in the one that I recall, Ned Ludd had smashed some knitti

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 18:34:31 EST

"I know some friends employed at places that have sick days on the "use it or lose it" plan tend to have problems with employees calling out for colds, feeling lazy, or being hungover."

How true. One former employer had the "use-it-or-lose-

pO157: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 16:10:43 EST

My last employer (a major hospital) had a "Paid Absence Management" program. At my level, 6 holidays and 3wks/yr. No separate sick days. We used to haul our asses in no matter how sick we were. Smart? Probably not.

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 13:28:51 EST

"when most of us get only the majors (Christmas, New Years, the 4th, etc) off and have to take extra time for the day after Thanksgiving or veterans don't get veterans day off and then we only get 2 or at most 3 weeks off a year."

My last employe

tomc: Re: Luddites

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 00:43:15 EST

It wasn't MTM, it was Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey in "Desk Set".

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:09:46 EST

"I can easily imagine that it would be cheaper to expand its auto manufacturing capacity by converting part of its motorcycle operation than to build an entirely new plant."

That's a shame. I've owned a couple of Honda motorcycles (among o

JimmyHavok: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:21:44 EST

Joe Blow won't make money from customized manufacturing not because he doesn't have the tools, but because he doesn't have the skills. It takes a lot of knowledge of both physics and art to make something right. They are harder to get than a $5

Lou: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:51:29 EST

Those are impressive numbers and it reflects what I saw when I was an employment counselor back in the day. However, there is another side to that coin. I tried looking for data-licious link, but I'm too tired. So, I will offer up what I

joshv: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:55:46 EST

My point is that niche, highly automated custom manufacturing might provide a nice living for somebody who can afford half a million dollars of kit (and I actually know of somebody who makes just such a living), but it's not going to put food on the table

joshv: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:53:57 EST

I run my own business, and it's simply not for everyone. Whether or not you are actually more secure in a 9-5 job, being out on your own certainly feels less secure, and a lot of people simply can't handle that. Many people also can't handle th

Coelacanth: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:39:13 EST

I used to be in business for myself. It's a pain in the neck, or it can be, if you have the kind of business where clients may call you 24x7 and want something, or if you try to handle all the business-end stuff yourself... I'm a technical guy, and f

thefadd: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:29:17 EST

There's almost no reason for anyone in America today to not be working toward being in business for themselves.

ckm: Re: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:00:46 EST

Small businesses:

Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
Employ about half of all private sector employees.
Pay more than 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
Have generated 60 t

zyxwvutsr: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:58:44 EST

They claim that no one will be laid off (I doubt that). Could this be the first of more closings?

It's plausible. Honda has been steadily increasing US market share with its autos and I can easily imagine that it would

joshv: Niche jobs?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:50:29 EST

And how many US jobs do you expect this niche market to add?

thefadd: Re: Luddites

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:42:34 EST

Maybe it wasn't Mary Tyler Moore. Maybe it was I Love Lucy.

thefadd: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:39:05 EST

Then deny your talents to those greedy bastards. Work for a different company or in a different sector. I get 10-12+ per year--MLK, President's, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Veterans, Thanksgiving and the Day after, Christmas (plus the day before or af

shane: Re: Luddites

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:46:35 EST

What is Mary Tyler Moore? No wait, don't answer that, I'm glad I don't know. I haven't watched TV since survivor's first season.

Lou: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:16:24 EST

I'm with you, brother. Check out where the US falls in terms of vacation days. You know, Canada is looking better and better. But then, moving

pO157: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:14:00 EST

I think we should all get more vacation time. My mandated two weeks off per year sucks, especially compared to some European countries that supposedly get three-four times that amount.

What "private sector" workers take umbrage to is the government civ

zyxwvutsr: Re: Democrats Ask the Wrong Questions

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:57:02 EST

John McCain has a solid record of supporting free trade. So, yeah, I'd guess that he can at least correctly identify the major trends if not quote statistics verbatim.

thefadd: Re: Luddites

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:29:40 EST

What was that episode of Mary Tyler Moore when they get a computer and are afraid it's going to replace all their jobs and then the computer mistakenly puts pink slips in all their paychecks and they think they're getting fired?

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:21:10 EST

Well, FWIW, Honda is shutting down the motorcycle plant in Ohio and moving the jobs back to Japan. They claim that no one will be laid off (I doubt that). Could this

shane: Luddites

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:10:27 EST

Luddite is the last name of a man who was hanged for destroying the machine that replaced his job.

thefadd: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:44:01 EST

I don't understand why anyone would argue for less time off in America under any circumstances.

pO157: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:22:23 EST

I have no idea about the jobs involved, but in general I'm against part-time (read: no benefits) jobs, but I fully agree with getting rid of some of the government holidays. IIRC, when I was working we only got 6. No Presidents day, no MLK

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:48:39 EST
"One of his first moves was to make certain government jobs part time that only get 8 paid holidays a year plus vacation instead of 16 paid holidays a year plus vacation."
I have no idea about the jobs involved, but in general I'm against part-ti

thefadd: Re: swing riots, threshing machines and luddites

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:28:24 EST
Doesn't the theory of singularity say that we become the machines? If you enjoy your work then what is the difference between work and play? If you can complete 37,000,000,000,000 processors per second by extension of the machines that have become a part o

skeptic: total automation

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:05:54 EST
Science fiction writers have been thinking about the question you raise for quite a long time, of exactly what human beings will do with themselves, or the question of what human beings are actually good for, in some future society in which all work is aut

pO157: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:48:43 EST
I often wonder about that same thing. Asian car makers put factories in the US. Do they use UAW labor? If not, are the wages and working conditions fair? You'd figure if the unions are all that really are saving our people from working in sweatshops that y

PenitenziAgite: Re: Democrats Ask the Wrong Questions

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:43:17 EST
Can any of the Republicans answer your challenge?

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:43:47 EST
"Buying a Honda is a good idea, especially if you want to help Ohio's economy."
Oh, I'm well aware of that. My neighbor's son works at the Honda plant in Marysville. (Ironically, he drives a Lincoln).
Toyota also has a stron

zyxwvutsr: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:05:26 EST

When the time comes to replace it, I'm probably going to get a Honda or Toyota.
I'd like to keep my money (and consequently people's employment) here
Buying a Honda is a good idea, especially if you want to help

skeeter1: Re: Does the US make real shit anymore?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:47:33 EST
As a life-long Clevelander, I can tell you that things around here are rough right now. One of my neighbors lost his house when he was laid off from the closed Ford plant. There are even