Coronavirus:

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Chuck, your vehicle descriptions were wonderful.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

P.S. On the car remarks :
Of course , Hudson's Wasp and Hornet were remarkable , too. They seemed to me like one pot-bellied bathtub upturned atop another, able to smash through anything, it seemed to me as a very young boy in the early 50's .

It seemed like the few neighborhood guys who had them soon got Packards.

[chuck]

I used to call them "beetles". Most of them had disappeared by the time I started noticing cars. A lot of them were used as police cars in the film noir movies of the early to mid 50's (TCM Noir Alley). I think that is what Bruce Willis flying cab is based on in The Fifth Element.

My family had a 1955 Oldsmobile 88, two tone green. All seven of us could fit inside it, five adults and two little kids. When we moved up to Rockland county they decided we needed a different car and we wound up with a 1962 Chevy BelAire station wagon. My sister and I sat in the third seat facing the rear and the dog was in the "well" between the second and third row. He could look either way and occasionally popped out of the well to sit with us or jump to second seat if there was space. I think he liked sitting up high in that "well"!

Most of the vehicles around Pearl River were early 50's or newer. I know one of the neighbors had a 1958 Nash Rambler that was Black and Pepto Bismal Pink. We called it the "Bock Mobile" as the family that owned its last name was "Bock". Saw a few Corvairs, the 63 Vette made a big impression on me (still does).

[rogruth]

I had a 1957 Nash Rambler station wagon that was considered to be a small car at that time. I now have a 2009 Ford Flex which is mid size.
The Rambler seated 8 and the Flex seats 6. The Flex cost @ 40,000 more than the Rambler. Both were top line at the time. Both were bought new.

IMO both were remarkable vehicles. Both averaged 22 MPG. Both accumulated 170,000 + miles.
The Flex, with only normal maintenance, is our only car and is used daily.

[MartyE]

I had Taco Bell last night...CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! Your move.

[up148]

Is a ranking of states by IQ available or even possible?

Possible but probably of dubious meaning; IQ itself is of dubious value.

I do know that there have been rankings of cities by IQ, numbers of higher education degrees, etc.

That's a serious ranking error. I've met so many degreed idiots in the past decade....its scary. They know nothing except what they degreed in and some not even that......and not a lick of common sense or even a clue as how to apply their degree in the real world.

Degrees have been seriously over ranked for decades. I can remember back in the 70's and 80's Hallmark, here in KC, wouldn't even take your application unless you had a degree, including receptionists, secretaries, etc. And the receptionist telling you this at the front desk, wasn't even smart enough to walk and chew gum. I think other major corporations followed Hallmarks lead. Doubt they can get away with that in today's world.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Is a ranking of states by IQ available or even possible?

Possible but probably of dubious meaning; IQ itself is of dubious value.

I do know that there have been rankings of cities by IQ, numbers of higher education degrees, etc.

That's a serious ranking error. I've met so many degreed idiots in the past decade....its scary. They know nothing except what they degreed in and some not even that......and not a lick of common sense or even a clue as how to apply their degree in the real world.

I did not state that rankings of numbers of higher education degrees had meaning or value, only that it had been done.

Outside of most STEM areas, minimal value, but that's only my skewed & biased opinion.

Degrees have been seriously over ranked for decades. I can remember back in the 70's and 80's Hallmark, here in KC, wouldn't even take your application unless you had a degree, including receptionists, secretaries, etc. And the receptionist telling you this at the front desk, wasn't even smart enough to walk and chew gum. I think other major corporations followed Hallmarks lead. Doubt they can get away with that in today's world.

However, this year has very clearly proven out that the differences in employment during this pandemic between degreed and non-degreed employees. It's been demonstrated that having a degree or any kind has allowed more to either remain employed or to be able to return to work in some capacity. The numbers on that were out a week or 3 ago -- the differential was rather large.

[chuck]

It's been demonstrated that having a degree or any kind has allowed more to either remain employed or to be able to return to work in some capacity.

Did the survey include two year/technical training, i.e. some kind of associates degree? That would make sense in terms of the employment numbers but there is no guarantee that the degree holder is actually skilled at whatever they got their degree in. Just minimally qualified and shown to have enough discipline to make it through their program. I guess it makes it easier on the employer that is too lazy or lacks the skills to adequately evaluate potential candidates for any given job.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It's been demonstrated that having a degree or any kind has allowed more to either remain employed or to be able to return to work in some capacity.

Did the survey include two year/technical training, i.e. some kind of associates degree?

No. It was degree vs. none.

......there is no guarantee that the degree holder is actually skilled at whatever they got their degree in.

Always been true, sadly.

[up148]

Didn't mean to imply you said they had meaning, only that degrees was a poor way to rank intelligence.

Haven't paid attention to who lost or didn't lose jobs or who is 1st hired back. On hiring, it might just be companies thinking they can get more for the employee remuneration...more bang for their buck. But, as discussed above, no guarantee. But, it does prove degrees have some value to the holder.

[chuck]

I don't know about discounting a two year degree. It almost seems like a HS diploma in and off itself is pretty much useless. Most jobs now require some degree of training in advanced technology. Car mechanics, appliance repair, medical technologist need to be able to use computer diagnostic tools to do their jobs. With the increased use of automation in manufacturing you either get the training to fix/program the robots in the factory or you better accept that you will be relegated to loading palettes of finished products or unloading raw materials at minimal wage. Even skilled labor jobs are leaning on more sophisticated tools to cut down time and body counts. Those tools require more advanced training to use them well.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It almost seems like a HS diploma in and off itself is pretty much useless.

Sadly, I think it is now -- at best a permission slip to apply to college.

Most jobs now require some degree of training in advanced technology. Car mechanics, appliance repair, medical technologist need to be able to use computer diagnostic tools to do their jobs. With the increased use of automation in manufacturing you either get the training to fix/program the robots in the factory or you better accept that you will be relegated to loading palettes of finished products or unloading raw materials at minimal wage. Even skilled labor jobs are leaning on more sophisticated tools to cut down time and body counts. Those tools require more advanced training to use them well.

Folks are going to get left behind

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Didn't mean to imply you said they had meaning, only that degrees was a poor way to rank intelligence.

Might in part depend on the degree. Last grad student I had came into my office with a ChemE degree with an emphasis in fluid mechanics and had not gotten anything other than an A in her life. I was pretty sure that she was scary smart and I counted myself lucky to have her as a student in my group.....one that I would very rarely have to manage in any way whatsoever. OTOH, I also interviewed some PhD's that had little understanding of their own published research and were only recommended for the positions due their working for a Nobel Laureate... I had a littel chat with the recruiting folks about whether they were looking at qualifications or pedigrees.

Haven't paid attention to who lost or didn't lose jobs or who is 1st hired back. On hiring, it might just be companies thinking they can get more for the employee remuneration...more bang for their buck. But, as discussed above, no guarantee. But, it does prove degrees have some value to the holder.

Lot of unemployed out there now and those going back tend to have degrees, can work from home, and are the people that companies want to keep vs. the disgruntled, the complainers, the troublesome, and quite probably those nearly invested in their pensions. Opportunistic pruning of the tree is happening. Still seeing 800k new applications for unemployment so that's only flattening out a bit; end of the month when the money for the airlines and others runs out will trigger a new wave of unemployment applications. Going to be a cold winter this year around the old tree for a lot of families.

[chuck]

Folks are going to get left behind

After the financial collapse "the great recession" a lot of companies that had been sitting on the fence regarding automation stopped fence sitting and adopted it whole hog. The advances in cheap computing power, cheap high resolution cameras and more advanced AI software meant "robots" could be built to cut down manufacturing labor.

We didn't loose manufacturing per se, we lost manufacturing jobs. The jobs weren't outsourced to other countries, they were eliminated. They aren't coming back no matter what anyone says because they don't exist. Either learn to adapt by getting the necessary training or plan on being poor the rest of your life.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

How do you feel, Chuck, that applies to the steel industry that used to be the lifeblood of the communities that had been prospering in and around the metropolitan Pittsburgh area?

Example : the steel mill of Homestead , PA. The entire mill site became an empty lot, possessed, currently, of only a very few small businesses (if even they are still there. Last time I was there was in 1987 for a Class Reunion.)