[date Thu, May 19, 2011 at 11:56 AM]
PN:
Has anyone seen “Dirty Jobs” on Discovery channel?
Mike Rowe is the prime motivator behind the program and the figurehead / participant / host in each episode.
Mr. Rowe recently gave testimony to a US Senate Committee. Here’s a short quote from his prepared presentation (at discovery.com):
……………………….Dirty Jobs is first and foremost an entertainment program. It does however, have a mission statement, and every episode begins the same way. “My name is Mike Rowe, and this is my job. I explore the country looking for people who aren’t afraid to get dirty. Hard-working men and women who do the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us.”………………………..
……………………….So I referred him to the mission statement of the show and added, “once upon a time, our country was filled with people who weren’t afraid to get dirty. Times have changed. The definition of a ‘good job’ has changed.”I went on to suggest that the skills gap might not be a “problem,” but rather a symptom of something much more fundamental; a societal disconnect with work, brought about by the rapid transformation of a manufacturing-based economy into one dominated by financial services and technology.
A well thought out lucid analysis of where the culture has taken us in the last 40 years. Here is a link to the complete submitted testimony:
http://impact.discovery.com/press/testimony-mike-rowe-us-senate-committee-commerce-s/
However, Mike’s actual presentation is different, and more powerful:
[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=3h_pp8CHEQ0]
Our pal Ricky Davidson is on a walk about this week with his current employer, discovering first hand the dearth of skilled workers in BC and AB alone. There is a huge vacancy. How will it be met?
On the other side of the coin, listen to this …… woman?….. discussing immigration and the legitimacy of Canada with Brian Lilley:
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/featured/prime-time/867432237001/no-one-is-illegal/947769145001
I couldn’t watch the entire video. She is certifiably insane. She is the product of a university. With a Masters in….. hold it now…….. here it is…….Community Organizing! Fuck me. Turtle Island? Like, North America is Turtle Island? What aboriginal or indigenous entity flew up in an aircraft 400 years ago and saw that? Here are a few random comments about the subject at www.smalldeadanimals.com :
So this ‘nutcase’ refers to North America as Turtle Island. Allow me to introduce the Green Party’s election platform:
“Canadian democracy is more secure when human rights are respected – starting with the First Nations and indigenous peoples of this continent, Turtle Island.”
Elizabeth May of course now sits in Parliament.
Posted by: chip at May 18, 2011 10:07 PM
Its too bad stupidity isn’t painfull.
Posted by: ryan at May 18, 2011 10:09 PM
Maybe she’s really angry at whoever landed that hard right hook on her nose.. must have been a white male capitalist. Anyway, back to Hockey Night in Turtle Island for me…
Posted by: max at May 18, 2011 10:12 PM
It shows what soft-headed pseudo-academic drivel is produced by our “education” system. It exists on state subsidy simply because it could not exist without it. Time to pull the plug on this sham. The sooner these loons are forced to confront reality and grow up, the sooner they’ll be able to do something worthwhile with their lives. The existing “education” sham cheats our young.
Posted by: DrD at May 18, 2011 10:57 PM
This strategy they have of redefining language and fabricating new terminology is extremely annoying.
Posted by: ChrisinMB at May 18, 2011 10:59 PM
“We marched with Indigenous people, migrants, poor people…”
Did they march with anyone who was employed? Or even employable?
Posted by: WhatHaveWeComeTO at May 18, 2011 11:02 PM
The last two quotes are very telling. Humans are imperfect. Thinking with your “emotional brain” can be fraught with negative consequences. It is also the bailiwick of the young….. Semantics as a defense or shield only prolongs realization of truth. Truth does exist.
Enough pontificating on a sunny day.
Out to play now.
Joe (Bemused) Mekanic