I swear, it saved my life. I had the same problem, fortunately, I was set free the moment I discovered freecycle. I just could not dispose of things that were still good- still can't! but there are better solutions now, thanks to f.c., craigslist, kijiji, etc.
Although I don't regret my education (I am a recent architect grad), I sure wished I researched it better, or paid heed to the warnings I did get. Totally "artsy" world that I barely understand/ do not feel comfortable in. I have learned to put it to use without actually practicing as an architect, but boy, I sure wished I'd come to this realization earlier.
Just like in the US most European streets are lined with small shops and restaurants and commercial parks are full of other small businesses.
The difference however is that in the EU and some other places have legal systems that are protective of employee rights. One of those rights is adequate and in some cases mandatory holiday/vacation time. So businesses small and large in these countries are held to that legal standard and after decades know how to operate and indeed thrive under the model.
The only way to get longer vacation time in the US would be legislation. But change initially is not profitable and difficult to pass in a country where business have enjoyed the a government and people who are happy equate profit and money and not free time when calculating quality of life.
Boiled wool slippers, fingerless mitts, a stylish knitted hat and a shoulderette (small shawl): I may look like Eliza Doolittle, but I'm comfy! Perhaps more appealing, a set-back thermometer even when I am at home. If I get too cold, I raise the temp 1 degree at a time. Of course, I live in a warm climate, but we do have our 20 degree nights (and we have Very Thin Blood).
Now that we live in a place with a wood fireplace, we use this to keep warm on some colder evenings, instead of putting the heat up. We also wear lots of layers, many of them homemade.
i live alone, so i close off rooms i am not using often, like the guest rooms, and shut the vents in them and close the blinds. just moved into a new house and i need to install draft stoppers on the interior doors that have a gap under the door.
also i turn the ceiling fans switches to blow the warmer air down from the ceiling [vacuum the fan blades first if they have any dust on them!!]
@Sasaad - Actually, the article does indeed speak specifically to the fact that Americans in fact are NOT the most productive in the world, despite the popular conception that they are:
...That means many parts of the Old World are at least as productive as the US, if not more, with the added bonus of up to eight weeks off a year.
As for people simply liking to work, that's possible. Informal poll: how many readers here simply like to work? (I know I generally do, but then again I'm self employed, which is a bit different).
These are great comments and concepts - from banking vacation time in a 401k, to bosses getting bonuses for keeping employees at their desks, to siestas and cultural acceptance of having a nap at your desk in a public place(!)....the list of awesome contributions goes on! Thanks.
How come this article does not point out Americans are also the most productive people in the world. Who cares if they don't take "their" vacation. Peopel do what they do and a vacation isn't going to change or help- it just delays the inevitable. The worst thing Americans can do is look to foreigners for advice on how to live. Besides, maybe people just like to work.
One of the themes I'm seeing here is about rejection; it seems that no pictures are guaranteed to be accepted...heck even the post office could take a bum shot. So even if you pay to have your photos done, know what the guidelines are (as long as they're not constantly changing!) and make sure they're adhering to them, to save you the hassle of a rejected photo and more running around.
It is only illegal to send unsolicited credit cards, not debit card.
What is the big deal anyway? You people are not thinking. The debit cards still need to be activated, meaning you have to put in the right social security card number and birth date. It the criminal you are so afraid of already has this information, than he cxan apply for credit cards in your name already without stealing one of these from your mailbox.
We are a nation of people who put work above all else, dispite what is said --we are overworked, overstressed, over our heads in debt, frantically keeping up with new stressers in our lives--just watching tv is enough to give you a heart attack, even the ads are stressful. we don't look at people in this country as whole people we look at what they have accomplished, how good they look, what they own...we seem to value this frantic lifestyle. I do not undertand why. I am moving to europe---as soon as I can take some time off to plan it---LOL.
Luckily at the time my father could pay for my Ivy League education - this is rarely true nowadays. There I met some of the most intelligent people I have ever met. I decided to study languages, as I thought other things I could learn on my own!
There is college and there is life-long learning. Surely you can be an autodidact but there is an old saying that he who has himself for a teacher is a fool....
Ironically, I have benefited from my alumnae status and ended up doing a lot of work for my college. There have been continuying fringe benefits from my college years after graduation.
And I DID learn a LOT - and in unexpected ways...
At the Ivies and better (& probably more expensive) schools you DON'T just get power point presentations and run of the mill textbooks - In fact textbooks are for the most part an anathema - one has reading lists. And one reads and reads and reads!
Wish I'd read it years ago, but I have also learned the hard way. This is excellent advice, and I totally agree that you should write about what you're passionate about and make the necessary time to do so.
I'm crazy about barter, own my own barter business, so it makes logical sense that that is what my blog is about, but I have others too.
My best advice would be to start for FUN first, enjoy it, get involved with the friendly blogging community, and you'll either catch "Blogging-itus" (I just made that up!) or you won't.
Our winters in S. Cal are mild - mostly we have to deal with the rain and damp. I DO have boots and umbrellas and rainwear - even if I wear them only briefly, it's worth it
I dress more warmly, put on sweatshirts and socks and pile on comforters. And I have found you can use candles as small radiant heaters in a pinch....
I go for a run immediately after getting home. Gives the heating system time to warm up, and my entire body is warmed up, meaning I don't need the thermostat as high.
A lot of countries also have mid-day downtime too. For instance in China, during the summer especially, a lot of businesses are practically closed for business for at least an hour in the middle of the day. The tellers who are there (like at a bank where they aren't actually closed) will actually step back from the window, lie their heads down on a desk and take a nap, waiting for a customer. They're not in the back somewhere doing grunt work, trying to look/stay busy when there aren't any customers. Of course, it's a culturally accepted and expected phenomenon. That's what's really "wrong" about this lack of vacation and rest from work idea. It's not culturally accepted or expected, if anything it is generally frowned upon.
My sister told me about this discrepancy when she worked and lived in London for a couple of years, and had 6 weeks of vacation versus the standard 1-2 in the USA. This was back in the 80s and she attributed it to the Puritan work ethic of our nation's founders -- so it may be ingrained in our culture.
Over the years, I have heard about changes in some workplaces but not all; but now that unemployment is higher and people are concerned (reasonably) about taking too much time off, the gradual changes to more vacation seem to be waning. I'm all for vacation -- think it helps people to be more productive and apparently there studies giving evidence of health benefits.
Living in MN if you were to wait for a really warm day in the winter to get outdoors, you would be inside for a long time! Plus, when that sun is shining off the snow there is nothing more beautiful, or peaceful to walk in! And snow shoveling is a great workout, not to mention raises the body temperature! So, with winter approaching get those skates sharpened, get the sleds ready or whatever other activity you enjoy and make the most of the long months ahead of us!
I don't mean to put you on the defensive, but why would you leave a job like that then? That sounds like pretty good extras to me. I just wish I had sick days at all where I work.
A fresh snowfall raises the outside temperature by a couple of degrees, as long as it's not windy.
So if you're cold-phobic (wimps!) take advantage of those days to get outside and get your exercise. At least a nice walk around the block. You can't sit on the couch wrapped up in your snuggie and your hot water bottle ALL winter, lazybones.
Piles o' blankets. I'm a big nester in the winter.
I swear, it saved my life. I had the same problem, fortunately, I was set free the moment I discovered freecycle. I just could not dispose of things that were still good- still can't! but there are better solutions now, thanks to f.c., craigslist, kijiji, etc.
Although I don't regret my education (I am a recent architect grad), I sure wished I researched it better, or paid heed to the warnings I did get. Totally "artsy" world that I barely understand/ do not feel comfortable in. I have learned to put it to use without actually practicing as an architect, but boy, I sure wished I'd come to this realization earlier.
Just like in the US most European streets are lined with small shops and restaurants and commercial parks are full of other small businesses.
The difference however is that in the EU and some other places have legal systems that are protective of employee rights. One of those rights is adequate and in some cases mandatory holiday/vacation time. So businesses small and large in these countries are held to that legal standard and after decades know how to operate and indeed thrive under the model.
The only way to get longer vacation time in the US would be legislation. But change initially is not profitable and difficult to pass in a country where business have enjoyed the a government and people who are happy equate profit and money and not free time when calculating quality of life.
Boiled wool slippers, fingerless mitts, a stylish knitted hat and a shoulderette (small shawl): I may look like Eliza Doolittle, but I'm comfy! Perhaps more appealing, a set-back thermometer even when I am at home. If I get too cold, I raise the temp 1 degree at a time. Of course, I live in a warm climate, but we do have our 20 degree nights (and we have Very Thin Blood).
Now that we live in a place with a wood fireplace, we use this to keep warm on some colder evenings, instead of putting the heat up. We also wear lots of layers, many of them homemade.
i live alone, so i close off rooms i am not using often, like the guest rooms, and shut the vents in them and close the blinds. just moved into a new house and i need to install draft stoppers on the interior doors that have a gap under the door.
also i turn the ceiling fans switches to blow the warmer air down from the ceiling [vacuum the fan blades first if they have any dust on them!!]
@Sasaad - Actually, the article does indeed speak specifically to the fact that Americans in fact are NOT the most productive in the world, despite the popular conception that they are:
As for people simply liking to work, that's possible. Informal poll: how many readers here simply like to work? (I know I generally do, but then again I'm self employed, which is a bit different).
These are great comments and concepts - from banking vacation time in a 401k, to bosses getting bonuses for keeping employees at their desks, to siestas and cultural acceptance of having a nap at your desk in a public place(!)....the list of awesome contributions goes on! Thanks.
What are your two cents?
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How come this article does not point out Americans are also the most productive people in the world. Who cares if they don't take "their" vacation. Peopel do what they do and a vacation isn't going to change or help- it just delays the inevitable. The worst thing Americans can do is look to foreigners for advice on how to live. Besides, maybe people just like to work.
One of the themes I'm seeing here is about rejection; it seems that no pictures are guaranteed to be accepted...heck even the post office could take a bum shot. So even if you pay to have your photos done, know what the guidelines are (as long as they're not constantly changing!) and make sure they're adhering to them, to save you the hassle of a rejected photo and more running around.
It is only illegal to send unsolicited credit cards, not debit card.
What is the big deal anyway? You people are not thinking. The debit cards still need to be activated, meaning you have to put in the right social security card number and birth date. It the criminal you are so afraid of already has this information, than he cxan apply for credit cards in your name already without stealing one of these from your mailbox.
What a bunch of whiny crybabies.
We are a nation of people who put work above all else, dispite what is said --we are overworked, overstressed, over our heads in debt, frantically keeping up with new stressers in our lives--just watching tv is enough to give you a heart attack, even the ads are stressful. we don't look at people in this country as whole people we look at what they have accomplished, how good they look, what they own...we seem to value this frantic lifestyle. I do not undertand why. I am moving to europe---as soon as I can take some time off to plan it---LOL.
Luckily at the time my father could pay for my Ivy League education - this is rarely true nowadays. There I met some of the most intelligent people I have ever met. I decided to study languages, as I thought other things I could learn on my own!
There is college and there is life-long learning. Surely you can be an autodidact but there is an old saying that he who has himself for a teacher is a fool....
Ironically, I have benefited from my alumnae status and ended up doing a lot of work for my college. There have been continuying fringe benefits from my college years after graduation.
And I DID learn a LOT - and in unexpected ways...
At the Ivies and better (& probably more expensive) schools you DON'T just get power point presentations and run of the mill textbooks - In fact textbooks are for the most part an anathema - one has reading lists. And one reads and reads and reads!
Great article!
Wish I'd read it years ago, but I have also learned the hard way. This is excellent advice, and I totally agree that you should write about what you're passionate about and make the necessary time to do so.
I'm crazy about barter, own my own barter business, so it makes logical sense that that is what my blog is about, but I have others too.
My best advice would be to start for FUN first, enjoy it, get involved with the friendly blogging community, and you'll either catch "Blogging-itus" (I just made that up!) or you won't.
Thanks for the post again!
Our winters in S. Cal are mild - mostly we have to deal with the rain and damp. I DO have boots and umbrellas and rainwear - even if I wear them only briefly, it's worth it
I dress more warmly, put on sweatshirts and socks and pile on comforters. And I have found you can use candles as small radiant heaters in a pinch....
I go for a run immediately after getting home. Gives the heating system time to warm up, and my entire body is warmed up, meaning I don't need the thermostat as high.
A lot of countries also have mid-day downtime too. For instance in China, during the summer especially, a lot of businesses are practically closed for business for at least an hour in the middle of the day. The tellers who are there (like at a bank where they aren't actually closed) will actually step back from the window, lie their heads down on a desk and take a nap, waiting for a customer. They're not in the back somewhere doing grunt work, trying to look/stay busy when there aren't any customers. Of course, it's a culturally accepted and expected phenomenon. That's what's really "wrong" about this lack of vacation and rest from work idea. It's not culturally accepted or expected, if anything it is generally frowned upon.
My sister told me about this discrepancy when she worked and lived in London for a couple of years, and had 6 weeks of vacation versus the standard 1-2 in the USA. This was back in the 80s and she attributed it to the Puritan work ethic of our nation's founders -- so it may be ingrained in our culture.
Over the years, I have heard about changes in some workplaces but not all; but now that unemployment is higher and people are concerned (reasonably) about taking too much time off, the gradual changes to more vacation seem to be waning. I'm all for vacation -- think it helps people to be more productive and apparently there studies giving evidence of health benefits.
I learned little in college from textbooks or a professor talking off of a power point.
The majority of my learning has come from reading non-fiction and a learning on the go mentality.
Living in MN if you were to wait for a really warm day in the winter to get outdoors, you would be inside for a long time! Plus, when that sun is shining off the snow there is nothing more beautiful, or peaceful to walk in! And snow shoveling is a great workout, not to mention raises the body temperature! So, with winter approaching get those skates sharpened, get the sleds ready or whatever other activity you enjoy and make the most of the long months ahead of us!
I don't mean to put you on the defensive, but why would you leave a job like that then? That sounds like pretty good extras to me. I just wish I had sick days at all where I work.
A fresh snowfall raises the outside temperature by a couple of degrees, as long as it's not windy.
So if you're cold-phobic (wimps!) take advantage of those days to get outside and get your exercise. At least a nice walk around the block. You can't sit on the couch wrapped up in your snuggie and your hot water bottle ALL winter, lazybones.
“Almonds, raw, $6/3lbs” are cheap. Is this price current available for all Costco or just in your city?