Become a Welder; Drive a Truck:
During the most severe economic downturn in 70 years, two occupations for which there is still a shortage of applicants turn out to be ones you'd probably never think of: welding and driving a truck. Both imply production, which is just the opposite of what it would seem is taking place in America today. However, both are also occupations that are considered dirty and hazardous to your health.
Other occupations for which there is plenty of opportunity: teaching high school science or math. Schools find it nearly impossible to find qualified teachers for these disciplines. And the benefits aren't bad, as long as you can put up with a hundred or so of other people's teenage children.
(See today's New York Times' story "Bad Times Spur a Flight to Jobs Viewed as Safe.")
Who's Paying for All of That Anti-Coal Advertising?
Everywhere you look in the media today, from late night television to online newspapers, you run into ads denouncing the idea of "clean coal." I'm the grandson of coal miners. Both of my grandfathers died as a result, at least in part, of having worked in undermine coal fields. I'm no advocate of mining coal, but the amount of money being spent to denounce the notion of "clean coal" has got me wondering: who is paying for all of this advertising, and what is their agenda? Somehow I doubt this is part of any "green" movement.
Why isn't media addressing this question, after all they know who is handing them the checks for this advertising? Well, old dogs get to be old dogs by learning not to bite the hand that feeds them. That, as a matter of fact, is precisely why you hardly ever see an editorial denouncing campaign funding. They're the ones who end up with the biggest share of the booty in our current system of running political campaigns.
During the most severe economic downturn in 70 years, two occupations for which there is still a shortage of applicants turn out to be ones you'd probably never think of: welding and driving a truck. Both imply production, which is just the opposite of what it would seem is taking place in America today. However, both are also occupations that are considered dirty and hazardous to your health.
Other occupations for which there is plenty of opportunity: teaching high school science or math. Schools find it nearly impossible to find qualified teachers for these disciplines. And the benefits aren't bad, as long as you can put up with a hundred or so of other people's teenage children.
(See today's New York Times' story "Bad Times Spur a Flight to Jobs Viewed as Safe.")
Who's Paying for All of That Anti-Coal Advertising?
Everywhere you look in the media today, from late night television to online newspapers, you run into ads denouncing the idea of "clean coal." I'm the grandson of coal miners. Both of my grandfathers died as a result, at least in part, of having worked in undermine coal fields. I'm no advocate of mining coal, but the amount of money being spent to denounce the notion of "clean coal" has got me wondering: who is paying for all of this advertising, and what is their agenda? Somehow I doubt this is part of any "green" movement.
Why isn't media addressing this question, after all they know who is handing them the checks for this advertising? Well, old dogs get to be old dogs by learning not to bite the hand that feeds them. That, as a matter of fact, is precisely why you hardly ever see an editorial denouncing campaign funding. They're the ones who end up with the biggest share of the booty in our current system of running political campaigns.
Labels: Media, The Economy
posted by Jim | 10:01 AM
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