College: Where's the Payoff?

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Tuesday July 26, 2011 · 3:08 PM PDT

2011/07/26 · 15:08

Well, I can think of lots of reasons to go to college, and many more reasons why education, and lifelong learning are important in general, but this very interesting article argues that the supposed payoff in income and lifetime earnings of college graduates versus non-college graduates is mostly a bunch of hooey.

http://www.telegram.com/...

jjellin

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Tuesday March 23, 2010 · 6:32 PM PDT

2010/03/23 · 18:32

For fun this afternoon, I went to go look at the rnc website to see what they were saying, and their message could not be more clear.

The front page shows Nancy Pelosi in flames, with the message "Fire Nancy Pelosi."

rnc website

I think we get the subliminal message. It is pretty scary.

jjellin

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Wednesday February 10, 2010 · 7:30 PM PST

2010/02/10 · 19:30

Remember Hunter and that other guy, help me out, I can't think of his name right now, who used to post here regularly spewing rage, and humor and entertaining language.

They are the ones who attracted me to dkos in the first place years ago. I've been trying to figure out what has changed around here lately. It is the ranting--real, actual pissed off human beings. Now it all seems so antiseptic, so 501(c)3. Everyone's got something clever to say and the world class ranters have left the stage.

What should we make of THIS? This Atlantic article is about how, gosh, the recession is over (IS over???) and what with all the unemployment still on the books, predictions of good times coming are getting kind of awkward. Idk but WHAT kind of a happy post-recession scenario has so many people out of work? Let me put that another way--so many people without an income. Does that help it sink in?

This is a PROBLEM. And not only are think tank commenter types speaking in moderated David Brooksy tones, but even our own President,

jjellin

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Tuesday March 10, 2009 · 6:18 AM PDT

2009/03/10 · 06:18

Following on teacherken's diary this morning, I'd like to mention two other NYTimes articles that are relevant to this discussion about workers being screwed out of their share in the productivity gains over the last few decades.

One has to do with "quants" who developed ever more sophisticated ways to tickle out pennies for the money classes. This gets at precisely how workers were separated from the benefits of greater productivity.

Quants can't figure it out.

The other is an article by a Fordham professor Jennifer Gordon calling for worker freedom to cross borders anytime anywhere in order to work--as long as they join some kind of labor union

jjellin

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Tuesday February 24, 2009 · 7:19 AM PST

2009/02/24 · 07:19

This is from an oped in the Wash Post by Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota:

From the largest entities, with tens of thousands of employees, to the small-town banks and credit unions, our financial institutions pretty much stayed away from the highflying, way-too-risky deals of the past decade. They made meat-and-potatoes loans to consumers and businesses in their communities. They did well, both for themselves and for the people they serve.

I agree with her point that many local banks have been and remain worthy stewards of the money that the people in their communities have placed in their hands. Personally, I have accounts in a local credit union and in a regional bank. They are very small accounts, but I choose to support business community in this way.

Poll

62 votes Show Results

I do business with local banks in my community

62 votes Vote Now!

I do business with local banks in my community

exclusively, all of the time.

31 votes

most of the time.

23 votes

rarely.

2 votes

never.

6 votes

Where do I vote?

jjellin

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Wednesday October 29, 2008 · 3:00 PM PDT

2008/10/29 · 15:00

He waited until everyone else had left the classroom. "Where do you vote?" he asked me. I looked up at my student, a young African American man, and said, "It depends where you live." "Oh," he said. I suggested he could find out if he called City Hall, or he could look online.

I checked to see if the computer in the classroom was hooked up to the Internet, and when I saw that it was I told him I'd try to get to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's webpage which allows voters to type in their address and find out where their voting place is.

Surprisingly, it was not as easy to find the page as I thought it would be.

Poll

40 votes Show Results

The biggest surprise of this election will be

40 votes Vote Now!

The biggest surprise of this election will be

the huge increase in young people voting.

9 votes

the McCain upset.

5 votes

the Obama landslide.

6 votes

how quickly the networks will call the election.

5 votes

how long it will take before anyone knows the results.

7 votes

Sorry, my crystal ball is on the blink.

8 votes

What is the problem?

jjellin

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Friday September 26, 2008 · 4:29 AM PDT

2008/09/26 · 04:29

Why has there been no clear explanation of the problem that needs to be solved with $700 billion dollars? Why the rush to "bail out" Wall Street investment bankers who have lost their shirt?

We are finally getting more voices on the proposed bailout by Paulson and Bernanke, but still not enough clarity on what the problem actually is. Until we know what the problem is, we can't fix it.

I was glad to see the article in the Washington Post today by Nikki Kahn which gives alternative views of economists who are not so tightly connected to Wall Street and Washington, and who are therefore less likely to personally benefit from any plan that is cooked up. I think this level of independence--which is the great thing about academia--is very helpful. We've heard from the Wall Streeters, now let's hear from some economists who know what they are talking about but who are not wrapped up in it.

jjellin

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Sunday September 21, 2008 · 7:19 PM PDT

2008/09/21 · 19:19

Treasury Sec. Paulson said any rescue package should not be punitive. Wha?? Yes. It should be punitive. Executives, if not forced to go down with their ships, should at least have to accept a reasonable salary. This thinking is so ass-backwards: The Washington Post reports that "precedent" for making executives of failed firms feel the pain can be seen in the fact that Freddy and Fanny execs were forced to make do with less than $10 million.

How about less than $1 million? I mean really.

Poll

145 votes Show Results

What is the acceptable level of compensation for Wall Street executives who get the bailout.

145 votes Vote Now!

What is the acceptable level of compensation for Wall Street executives who get the bailout.

$10 million plus a golden parachute.

1 vote

$10 million and not a penny more.

2 votes

less than $10 million.

6 votes

less than $1 million.

43 votes

don't make me laugh.

58 votes

don't make me cry.

35 votes

Hold it--Obama is doing the right thing on campaign finance

jjellin

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Friday June 20, 2008 · 5:28 AM PDT

2008/06/20 · 05:28

I don't see why everyone is buying into the narrative that Barack's decision to forego public financing is breaking his solemn word to talk to the Republican nominee about it if he were to become the Democratic nominee. I don't see how his opting out is betraying the ideal of people-powered politics.

Gathering up a huge war chest of small donations has been the most significant and important aspect (besides the great speech-making) of Obama's campaign. This has been generally dismissed or barely--until now--acknowledged.

I can't believe that even the New York Times in their editorial today is so dismissive of this amazing feat and what it represents politically.

The vast numbers of small donors is political change. It demonstrates its own significance--no polls needed. It is a poll in and of itself.

Why would people be annoyed that someone who is able to connect so significantly with such a huge number of donors

jjellin

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Sunday March 09, 2008 · 4:40 AM PDT

2008/03/09 · 04:40

I don't know why I should write this, but I think it needs to be said. We have gone from the silly season to the ugly season, and I'm afraid it is going to get uglier. Samantha Power's "monster" comment infuriated me at first, and I think she must be just cringing over it right about now. It echoes and ups the usual "bitch" accusation, but with pretty dangerous implications. Not the least of which is the prospect of a pretty younger woman viciously attacking an older woman who has "earned every wrinkle." Come on. The patriarchy doesn't need that kind of help.

jjellin

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Monday November 12, 2007 · 9:18 AM PST

2007/11/12 · 09:18

Drop a dime; cheer someone up. That seems to be the conclusion from a study mentioned in an article in the New York Times. Apparently, people who were asked to photocopy a piece of paper before answering a "happiness" questionnaire, reported greater satisfaction with life if they found a dime on the copy machine than those who did not find a dime as they waited for the machine to spit out a piece of paper.

Poll

16 votes Show Results

Brother, will you spare a dime?

16 votes Vote Now!

Brother, will you spare a dime?

I don't carry cash; I only use plastic.

3 votes

Nice idea, but no.

1 vote

I only give to legitimate panhandlers.

2 votes

Yes, next time I'm photocopying, I'll leave an extra dime.

2 votes

I will leave a trail of happy dimes where ever I go.

8 votes

It's the Social Network: WaPo on IED's

jjellin

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Sunday September 30, 2007 · 3:35 AM PDT

2007/09/30 · 03:35

It turns out that IED's are a social problem more than a technical problem. I thought this quote in today's Washington Post article says it all about the problem of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) which are now going off 100 times a day in Iraq:

Retired General Meigs says IEDs are a social problem

"What's different is the trajectory. Three 152mm rounds underneath a tank, which will blow a hole in it, are artillery rounds. But they didn't come through three-dimensional space in a parabolic trajectory. They came through a social trajectory and a social network in the community."

Poll

11 votes Show Results

All we need is

11 votes Vote Now!

All we need is

love.

2 votes

bigger tanks.

2 votes

bigger brains.

1 vote

divine intervention.

4 votes

something else (explain below).

2 votes

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College: Where's the Payoff?

Nancy Pelosi in Flames

Where are the ranters of yore?

Worker productivity, dead or alive

Support your local banks

Where do I vote?

What is the problem?

Yes. It should be punitive.

Hold it--Obama is doing the right thing on campaign finance

I am a Hillary supporter

What makes you happy?

It's the Social Network: WaPo on IED's