Starting Salaries lose to Student Debt
Mon 29 Oct 2007 – 10.06
In a moment of sober obviousness, I present recent findings about how student debt has blown up so massively that starting salaries can no longer keep up. Or the other way ’round, depending on your point of view. As a twentysomething with loads of student debt (approximately my current annual salary’s worth), this is an issue that hits home.
Have a read of the article on Education Portal. Most of the depressing data comes from a study by Project on Student Debt.
Between 2005 and 2006, average student loan debt increased 8 percent. In comparison, staring salaries increased by only 4 percent. The worry is that it will become more difficult for graduates to manage debt and pay it off in a timely fashion.
posted by Scott in careers,personal finance.
Wed 24 Oct 2007 – 12.54
This sounds like the sort of fishy pseudo-science that can be used to bolster spin and skew data for government grants. I saw we investigate the allegations of WebMD (via CBS news)and their study of how most Americans enjoy their work.
Since 1972, an average of about 86% of Americans say they are satisfied with the work they do and nearly half of them say they’re very satisfied with their current job. In contrast, only 4% say they are very dissatisfied with their work.
I honestly find that shocking. Having read in publications such as Wired Magazine about “duppies” (Depressed Urban Professionals) and with movies like Office Space becoming the battle cry of our generation, I don’t see how so many folks can enjoy their job.
Perhaps ignorance is bliss:
Workers in South Central states from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee had the highest rates of job satisfaction.
By the same logic, I suspect that New Yorkers are unsatisfied because this city lives up to my motto: “Satisfaction is the death of desire.” Draw your own conclusions.
posted by Scott in careers,personal finance.
Mon 22 Oct 2007 – 11.44
Scott says goodbye to Joaquin, who is off to seek his fortune on the West Coast. Oh, by the way, this is the first video episode — a bit of an experiment if you will. Sorry for the crappy audio quality.
[audio-only version coming soon]
posted by Scott in podcasts.
How Not To Interview For a Job
Thu 18 Oct 2007 – 11.38
posted by Scott in careers.
S.T.O.P.: Advice for Living Well
Mon 15 Oct 2007 – 9.39
Apparently I’ve stumbled onto some sort of self-motivational website called Today Is That Day. Without freaking myself out too much by reading the entire archives, I am sharing a post that turned up on Digg, and generally seems valid.
S.T.O.P. is a quick-and-dirty philosophy for Enjoying Your Life. It stands for Stop, Take Action, Organise, and Participate. Want more details? Check out the post for yourself.
posted by Scott in life.
10 Dumbest Job Interview Moves
Sun 14 Oct 2007 – 9.43
Now, I’ve been on a many job interviews, and some went much better than others, but I never wound up in any of these bonehead situations. Here’s a sample:
7. “… delivered his entire cover letter in the form of a rap song.”
Check out the full post from CNN Money
posted by Scott in careers.
Episode 032: Pirate of the Caribbean
Thu 11 Oct 2007 – 15.16
Scott is joined by old friend Meaghan, who is heading to the Virgin Islands to become a pirate. The conversation starts with Scott’s excuses for why twentyhood has been on hiatus, and quickly turns to geo-political chaos. All good.
Rita Mae’s Piano Bar
Ally Sheedy apparently wasn’t in Cocoon. Then who the Hell was that girl?
A reference to American Copywriter (did I get it right?)
Scott is training for the Philadelphia Marathon
“Cricket and Warm Beer”
perezfox.com – Scott’s blog
BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time
Channel 4 Radio – The Morning Report
Monkey Knife Fight
Pirate Island
Swiss gun crime
Fark.com
Right to Bear Arms – The Second Amendment
Probable Cause – The Fourth Amendment
the Flickr-Virgin Mobile debacle
Boston Legal
Starbucks and the Death of Seasons
digg us – subscribe – help save twentyhood
Listen Now
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Download Episode 032 (.m4a, 56:34, 26.8 MB)
posted by Scott in podcasts.
Wed 10 Oct 2007 – 14.09
Art imitating life, or the other way around? It seems that more and more of NYC’s women are taking a page out of Carrie Bradshaw’s smut-filled book and doing things that most other American lasses wouldn’t dare. You know, sexual things.
The NY Post says that “Big Apple babes have among the naughtiest tastes of women in the country, according to a new survey.”
Six out of 10 admitted to having hot hookups with a guy on the first date…Four out of 10 say they have gone to a bar without wearing any underwear.”
My reason for this: NY girls are alpha — they don’t take shit, don’t play games, and are much more aggressive in all respects. Even those fresh-from-Indiana struggling actress types are experimenting more than their homegirls in other parts. It’s just the way things are here. No time for subtlties, get your hands dirty or get the fuck out!
Ok, I don’t really know. I’m writing without a net here. Read the article.
posted by Scott in relationships.
Mon 08 Oct 2007 – 15.16
Now’s the time, folks. Stash that cash so we don’t find ourselves S.O.L. many years from now. You know, with Social Security going to fund the war in Iraq and all. From ZenHabits comes a list of tips for saving for retirement. Most of these have to do with where to put your money, implying that your checking account is not a good place — under your mattress is a worse place. Here’s a sample:
7. Emergency fund. The recommended 3-6 months of expenses for an emergency fund is a good guideline, but if you don’t have any emergency fund, you should save up at least $1,000 (to start with). Without an emergency fund, you will cut off your retirement contributions anytime an emergency comes up. You absolutely need to start saving an emergency fund today if you want to prepare for retirement. Set up regular transfers to a savings account today.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in personal finance.
Friends with Benefits: Not too benefitial
Thu 04 Oct 2007 – 11.00
According to a recent article from The Bachelor Guy, most of us have at some point had a Friend With Benefits. But from research out of Michigan State University, those friendships usually end up being less than benefitial, often ending in a non-friendship. Occasionally, the arrangement can evolve into a relation, but that only happens 10% of the time.
it boils down to 10% evolved into a traditional relationship, about 33% stopped the sex but continued as friends, 25% ended both the sex and the friendship, and 32% continued as FWB.
The question I think we should all be asking ourselves is not “what happened to our FWB?” but rather, “what were we seeking when the whole thing kicked off?”. My first impression is that we’d all like to have it evolve into a proper relationship, but I’ve learn that isn’t always the case and some people are truly not interested. I’ve always found it to be a truly bizarre phenomenon.
Check out the article and the original article from the NY Times (or the abstract to the research paper)
posted by Scott in relationships.