Paul Krugman is a Keynesian who can't understand the simple concept of malinvestment ...

That's as may be, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

What I want to know is, what's the logo on the brown shirts going to look like?

I read about the tea partiers being mocked because they are against government programs that "benefit" them, and I thought my eyeballs would explode.

There are so few government programs that benefit me, and those aren't the really big, expensive ones anyway.

And Obama pissed me off too, with his wide-eyed confusion about what the tea partiers are so upset about, because after all, he's "cutting taxes for most of them!"

Well duh - he's not paying for any of these boondoggles with current taxpayer money, because who would stand for it? He's just racking up the national debt! If it's people's kids and grandkids who end up paying for it, we'll all just go along, right?

What I want to know is, what's the logo on the brown shirts going to look like?

Now, you know they won't be brown, they'll be green! And the logo will undoubtedly involve the recycling logo, along with probably a tree, and maybe a baby harp seal. Or an owl. Something like that.

Actually, there is a way they could have their army of paid volunteers, and sell it to conservatives, too (probably not libertarians though): Instead of creating a whole NEW agency, modify the mission of the welfare system to require "volunteer" work from all welfare recipients. That way, not only do we get something from the money we're giving away, a lot of people who are able to make a living doing nothing will have incentive to do something different with their lives.

I know, I know, it would never happen, but if you can't have a fantasy or two, life's boring.

Hey!

How come I don't get paid for my volunteer work???

"Paid volunteers" : Am I actually awake or just having a bad dream?

Quick question: Do the uniforms of these AmeriCorps happen to include brown shirts? Just askin'!

Oddly enough, I thought the term "volunteer" implied that you were working for free.

Hmm... trying to think of some "government programs" that benefit my family...Road maintainence, law enforcement, military, fire and EMS... that's about it. And, really, I think that's about the limit of what government should provide. (OK, I actually am in favor of public schools, I just don't want my children attending them.)

My family's taxes are going up, not down, and we don't make $250k a year. And, sorry, but an $800 tax credit doesn't mean shit when you've already had about ten times that amount (or more) withheld from your paychecks, and your husband has just just written a check for thousands of dollars to the US treasury *just for the extension application*.

Want to know who gets screwed here (besides "rich" people)? The people and services we would have hired. The maid service, the yard guy, the waiter who won't be waiting on us because we're staying home, the salesgirl at the boutique who won't get a commission because I'm not buying that dress, the cabinet maker who's not working on the kitchen, the painter who isn't going to paint the nursery because I've decided to save money and do it myself... The more you take out of my pocket (or anyone's pocket, at any income level), the less they are going to spend. And I'm young enough that this administration's spending spree is going to affect me for a long, long time.

"Hmm... trying to think of some "government programs" that benefit my family...Road maintainence, law enforcement, military, fire and EMS... that's about it."

... a large chunk of which is provided by your local government.

And while it may be that the federal government is the level that should maintain interstate highways, it gripes me to no end the way they have made the states bend over for transportation funds. Using it as a sledgehammer to pass crap like drinking ages. Regardless of what you think the drinking age should be, should it really be decided at the federal level?

This is how the federal government has gotten so big, and out of control. Even through seemingly innocent and necessary things as highway maintenance.

I agree for the most part with your take on this.

However, I'm a hypocrite, because I'm taking advantage of it, although I was offered the AmeriCorps position before the latest increase in funding. I'm moving from Texas to Belfast, Maine, to work with at-risk teenagers. I'm having to use my own savings to get up there - although AmeriCorps offers some minimal reimbursement, I'm not holding my breath - and my monthly living stipend - my "pay" for full time work - is $800. They also assist with Stafford loans by offering a small education stipend at the end, to be paid directly to your lender.

I understand this is not "fairy-tale" money, and that I will pay for it in tax dollars later, but I'm desperate. I have an M.A. in history and a book in the works that has been temporary paused by the publisher because of the recession. I have been looking for a full-time or part-time job for a year now, and this includes everywhere from fast-food and retail to Microsoft and federal positions. By experience, I am a college instructor and technical writer - but there's no demand for history teachers at any level, and there are a million English majors, all of whom think they can write decent software instruction. In retail and food service, I have been told over and over that they won't hire me because they're sure I'll try to steal their management positions, since I have an M.A., and I can't lie about my degree because most of my work experience involves graduate school.

I know these are all problems I've caused for myself, but I was a dumb kid in college who listened to the "advisors" when they told me to do a degree in "whatever you love". No career advisement, no thought to what I could do with the degrees.

So here I am, and yes, I'm critical of the terrible amount of deficit this is causing, but I need a job, and I actually love the description of this one, even though I will be at the poverty level. That's where I'm at now, anyway, and I'm almost through my savings.

Whoops, typo. "Temporary" should be "temporarily"

My very low blood pressure went up ten ticks.

"I know these are all problems I've caused for myself... but I need a job, and I actually love the description of this one.... That's where I'm at now, anyway, and I'm almost through my savings."

Translation: You screwed up and followed your calling (cue sappy music) rather than actually, you know, WORK for money! Now rather than accept the consequences--no money--you are taking WORKING people's money via a government welfare program gussied up as volunteer efforts.

I did not go to grad school to study a topic I liked. Rather I studied something that would get me a job. I worked in the resulting job for shitty bosses for years--years!--to pay off my student loans. It was boring, stressful, soul-sucking work, and I had no money left over after paying $1500/month for student loans. I was more broke as an employee than I was as a student. Now 15 years after grad school, I am almost done paying back the loans I incurred.

But you, well, you chose a different path, didn't you? But now I get to pay for yours too. I have no polite words to express how I feel about your behavior.

Well, Spartee, I've been trying to fix my mistake ever since, trying to find jobs, real jobs, I don't care if it's digging ditches. And people are either threatened by my stupid M.A. or I don't have the correct experience.

Additionally, I mentioned above that I've been living off savings, and yes, continuing to pay my loans, and it's almost out. I've never taken unemployment, welfare, or food stamps. Any other suggestions? Because I'm open.

Wayne B- If they really did put the recycling logo on the "greenshirts", I'd laugh myself into the loony bin. Reason being, if that were truly where this administration's heart was, they'd be bailing out recycling companies which are dropping like flies right now, instead of their pet projects helomed by their elitist friends. Sure, it's a cyclical thing, the market for recyclables goes up and down every 5-7 years. But this one comes in conjunction with our current economic disaster. And this administration is turning a blind eye to its struggles while demanding that it still function to keep waste down. Seems they think that these companies operate on ethereal dreams of tall trees and Disney animals frolicking in the woods. There's a reason why it says on the back of your shampoo bottle "Please recycle- check if a local recycling facility exists".

Sorry, a little bitter here.....it's the family business and all.

I have a BA in history, and I'm... wait for it... an office manager/executive assistant. I actually worked *for money* in college- retail, waiting tables, etc. My cousin has an MBA in sports management from the University of Texas, and before that got her BS in business from Southwestern, and she's worked at Nordstrom for the last 5 years (as a salesperson.) Are you sure no one will hire you because they're scared you'll try to "take their management positions," or is it because you come across as seeming entitled to those positions? Have you even ever waited tables before? My husband owns a restaurant, and he's not going to hire anyone who thinks they're too good for the job.

ahw - I understand completely your point about entitlement complexes. I have tried really hard to not come across that way. But no, I've never waited tables, although I have a LOT of respect for the profession, my mother has been a waitress her entire adult life and I definitely know it's a grueling job.

I have called employers back after second interviews, trying to ask six different ways how I could interview better for the next time. I've gone to a seminar at the local community college. I don't have ANY snobbery or entitlement, I swear, and I am doing my best to show that. But I don't know what else to do.

Oh, also, ahw, the only reason I say that about "stealing management positions" is because that's exactly what the person at Starbucks and the person at World Market told me - at the beginning of the interview. Literally: "I wanted to interview you out of curiosity. I wanted to know why someone who has an M.A. is applying here. Of course, I can't hire you." And then, what am I going to say? I don't want to be rude, don't want to burn any bridges. What I'm really feeling is, why did you waste my time? Why can't you see that I'll keep my mouth shut on the job, and work overtime? And yes, why am I so incredibly stupid for listening to the advisors in college?

Jessica- Where in Texas do you live? In Austin, there are plenty of people with advance degrees working in jobs that don't necessarily require those degrees. (We just helped our friend, who has a polisci degree and has been a staffer/ committee clerk/Chief of Staff for state legislators, get a job as a driver. It's not much, but it's an income, and it's easy.) What type of network do you have? Honestly, I've never found a job through a listing. For every job I've landed, I've had an introduction or referral from someone who knew the person doing the hiring. And, do bear in mind that working for Americorps might come across as "resume padding," by a trust-fund kid, whether or not it is.

That was pretty dickin', though, for those places to interview you just to be nasty.

Jessica, sounds like you're doing all you can in a difficult position. Maybe the part-time job market in Maine will yield better results for you. Best of luck!

Majoring in "what you love" only works if you have plenty of money to begin with, since what we "love" is usually a hobby. People only pay you to do what they don't want to do, or can't do, themselves. (Which is why they call it 'work' and not 'bicycling' or 'taking naps'.)

For some college kids, four years at a university is a nice long stay at drunk camp, taking fun classes on their parents' dime and partying it up. (Which they say is an "important rite of passage" and not "the perpetuation of adolescence.") They graduate with no debt, screw around in Europe for a while, and then start thinking about what they might do to earn a living, not that they really need to worry about it anyway.

For the rest of us, we only get one shot. I certainly had no freaking clue what I would want to do to earn a paycheck at the age of 17. I didn't even know what my options were. But I knew I had to pick a field I could actually get a job in, and it had to pay enough for me to live on, plus pay back the debt I incurred going to school in the first place, and I had to get it all done in four years - no time or money for changing majors if I found I hated it. So tough shit, I guess - I got stuck spending 15 years in a field I did, in fact, hate. But I saved my money, went back to school later in life and changed fields completely.

College keeps getting more expensive and providing less in the way of a return. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have gone the first time - I'd have gone straight into the job market and worked toward a degree in the evenings when I had some idea what I wanted a degree in. Kids today should do more of that, yet here are all these stupid high schools, still priding themselves on the percentage of their students who go to college right after graduation.

Students and parents are going to have to get this figured out. It's just stupid to start life thousands of dollars in the hole.

Jessica, I think it's fine to omit the M.A. and related work experience from your resume when applying for jobs where it's not relevant, or from an application if possible. If an interviewer asks about any time gaps you could say "I made some mistakes in my life, but I'm past that now." It's not wrong to fail to mention something that causes people to unfairly discriminate against you.

This has probably occurred to you already, but an education administration job is one where the M.A. would be an asset. Being a college advisor could be interesting.

Anybody looking for a job in this economic climate has my sympathy, but also my appreciation. Thank you for not giving up.

ahw - I'm in Lubbock, but I don't want to stay here, so I've applied for stuff in Austin, San Antonio, and all over the U.S. Well, not states like CA, where I know damned well my savings is insufficient to move over there. Beautiful place, but very expensive, and I do understand that.

As for a network - this is where perhaps I've made the biggest mistake of all. My only work experience is in academia (temporary grad school variety), so my network involves professors and librarians. All great people, very intelligent, but none of them seem to have any contacts outside of their particular departments/subjects in academia. So, there's no demand for history instructors, and I've applied for lots of other academia-oriented positions - secretary positions, etc. - but I've never even received an interview for one of those.

good job - I appreciate the support, but I realize Spartee's outrage is valid, I do deserve the criticism. Just trying my best to make it better from here.

Pirate Jo - I agree with everything you said, wholeheartedly. And I'm one of the ones that came out of it with tons of debt, it wasn't a free ride or fun trip for me. I didn't work my way through, though, which is what I should have done, but I was advised not to, by both college and high school teachers. And I was too much of an idiot to know otherwise. So, hence, enormous debt, accompanied by stellar GPA, which I now realize is completely worthless beyond scholarship money for graduate school.

Jessica, should the Bush Depression hit my paycheck, I've been thinking of the Peace Corp.... So best wishes,

"Bush depression"

That's funny.

Jessica - you are competing with about a million other over-educated young women who were told to "go to college and study something you love". And now you're all out looking for work, and there's nobody hiring history majors.

Sorry you got suckered. Your best bet at this point is to leave it off your application and try to get your foot in the door somewhere that gives you the chance to either progress up the ladder internally, or gives you the time to go to a trade school or something.

Also, Pseudonym - the advisor idea is a good one. I didn't realize until you said that - and I did a search - that to advise any subject you don't have to have a degree in that particular subject.

That explains so much...

Brian, you're right. I wish I had done auto shop instead of AP classes in high school, seriously. So if I can find something that helps me learn an actual skill/trade, that would be awesome.

One more thing - and then I'll stop rambling and taking up so much comment space on this thread - I did consider the military, which I have a lot of respect for, and would like the opportunity to contribute. However, I discovered that even though my epilepsy is controlled by medication, they won't take me. It does make sense, how can you rely on someone who has a seizure disorder, what if the medication is lost, etc.

Jessica, I would think that precisely because of what you have said here, you'd be great at advising. I wonder what universities would say, though, if they knew you were advising students to consider vocational training instead! ;-)

Jessica, I wish you the best. What a lot of people don't realize is that it is almost never easy. I lucked into a career in IT through a series of good choices and knowing the right people.

Have you considered possibly teaching English overseas? For example, there is a program called JET for people with college degrees to teach English in Japan. I worked with a guy who taught English in China through some similar program. I don't know how great the pay is, but the experience can be amazing.

Take a peek at "What Color Is My Parachute?" Many libraries have it and it's a job seeker's classic for a reason.

ahw - While I don't know Jessica, I have also been turned down for "lesser" jobs in the past. Not because of a degree (I don't have one), but because my past employment history implied to them that I would not be a good risk for long-term employment, because they "could not afford to pay me what I was worth".

On the other hand, grocery stores and fast-food restaurants are almost always hiring. I did manual labor jobs of one type or another for 15 years before I was able to land a tech job because I did NOT have a degree.

Jessica - Try a Temporary Service. They can usually keep people in some kind of employment, though you may have to get used to being bounced around a bit.

Also, try the internet site LinkedIn. Start out by trying to find those professors and advisors you mentioned, then see if they will refer you to anyone else.

Jessica, since you've expressed some interest in teaching, have you considered one of the teacher certification programs that pays you while you're interning? I have a family member in Fort Worth who has a degree in Humanities (eh?) who is completing one of these programs now, and it's my understanding that she'll probably end up teaching in elementary school. The one for Central Texas is at the following link: http://kids.esc13.net/
Just an idea. I think it takes a while to get in, but you've got your Americorp gig coming up in the meantime.
Lubbock? I'm sorry.

McArdle says: "Even taking out the stimulus, Obama's projected deficits outpace Dubya's for the next decade."

Jessica-

Call me crazy, and the last thing you may want to hear is "more school", but NURSING. They'd love you with your advanced degrees, proves you're at least educable. LPN programs can have you in and out in 10 months with job security and good pay. Then you up to your ADN, then polish off your BSN. You can do it at any little junior college and employers don't care where you go. Nursing gives you variety and security like no other profession.

Unless we go nationalized health care. Then we're @#$%ed.

Thank you, everyone, this entire thread has been very helpful to me. Juliana, nursing - I'm interested, and will do some research, had always assumed that my history degrees would be detrimental to that.

i love you...

If you want an Adventure for a year or too you can try South Korea. With an MA you could go for a possible English teaching job at a University (hopefully avoiding younger kids). Heck if you want to you could easily teaching high school kids for some okay cash. Actually with the won to dollar exchange rate you will make money but not as much as a few years ago.

for more info check out the forums at forums.eslcafe.com/korea. Lurk a little and you might find out if it is for you?

Good Luck