yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Off-topic] hechoen:
That's where you're wrong. In that specific case you are teaching a nine year old it is OK to swallow pride as long as you get paid to do so. As far as your last line read this article:

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-millionaire-businessmen-who-committed-suicide/

Your entitled to your opinion either way.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
No you wouldn't - if you explained to the kid that it would have meant a lot to the guy. It'd take like 3 sentences to explain the good. You're looking at it as if he told the kid to take the money and didn't say another word to him.

Also I knew you'd post an article like that - yes - when you're in the millions money can get quite complicated. You lack trust, whatever job is netting you that money is way more stressful than the average person's job, etc.

There's not just dirt poor and insanely rich - the difference between making 50k a year and a 100k a year leads to a much better quality of life. I just recently got an internship that pays 28 bucks an hour, and I'm loving it. That old adage is just to make people feel better; yes you can be happy if you're poor or rich - but you can't tell me you'd rather be very well off than poor.

edit: we're discussing for the record, not arguing
[Off-topic] hechoen:
Discussion for sure man. lol

There's an old saying it's easier to cry in a mercedes than on a bicycle.

In my eyes your still crying either way. Wealth is an illusion. The person who is truly wealthy has respect of self(pride).
[Off-topic] T.J. Bender:
I don't see it as a lesson in humility so much as a lesson in integrity. Accepting money to throw a game is one of the lowest forms of cheating. Pete Rose is banned from baseball for less. It also sets a low bar, and is generally just, well, wrong. Play the game as you normally would, imo, and let the result be what it will. If the guy had to pay off a nine-year-old, he wasn't going very far anyway, and a person with his character (bribing a kid to lose, then cursing him out afterwards) has honestly earned his utter failure.

Also, a strong second to high school being meaningless. I did well enough in high school to get accepted to a small, very well-respected liberal arts college in the south. It took me less than one year to realize that I valued a life more than I valued a psychotically-expensive degree that, really, wouldn't be overly valuable unless I went to grad school and spent more money I didn't have.

When I started my sophomore year, it was at Arizona State. Complete cakewalk of a school, but I got to have a life, and I haven't done any worse with an ASU degree than I would have done with a degree from that other school.
[Off-topic] garydv2002:
If you are not playing to win then you shouldn't be playing at all. If this 9 year old accepted money to lose he would have always what if. Am I good enough to beat that? Throwing any game is wrong whether its footbal or a card game
[Off-topic] BaconStep:
So I have a Phenom II X4 965 that isnt in use anymore. Any idea where I could sell it? no craigslist.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
Eh, if that's the way you feel about it than no arguments from me. Although I think we forgot that it's very possible to have both. Wealth and strong morals/work ethic.

I'll give you that; I was talking more about first impressions - if a guy asked me to throw a yugio game [especially at a young age] I would have thrown it to help him out. From his reaction he isn't the type of person you'd want to help out, but I meant initially.

I'm gonna disagree with you about the choosing a life or a degree though.

I did awful in high school, but I got 2100 on my SAT and 32 on my ACT so I was able to walk into University of Maryland - CP - a pretty damn highly respected school. It might be because Washington DC job market will laugh at your tears if you come out with a liberal arts degree so I can't speak to your situation but I needed to go for the colloquial 'real degrees' [no offense]. I'm going for a degree that will net me a fat paycheck as well as being as enjoyable as possible and it's hard work. Can't understate that.

I'd say I have a better life because of it - the demand that a school and a heavy social life takes is hard - but it's also really rewarding. I can't spend 5 hours playing a video game, but I can spend two hours and then another two with friends and another hour with the girlfriend. It's more satisfying - and the constant 'do **** right' feeling is invigorating.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
You can absolutely have both. If you only had one though which one would you choose?
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
Strictly between wealth and pride or all ethic/moral/intelligence type deals? If the former than pride.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
Yeah the former to keep this from turning into a debate on moral philosophy. LOL. To me it's always been as simply as I can happily die a prideful poor man but I would hate to die as a prideless poor man. He who take no regrets(or at least as few as possible) to the grave wins the game of life.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
Definitely can't argue against that one
[Off-topic] M0D1441:
Hell i'm 9
[Off-topic] hechoen:
Cool. Now back off topic. Does anyone find my avatar offensive? I'm asking because someone mentioned it a few weeks back and I'm trying to decide whether to change it or not.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
Is the irony of your avatar being censored apparent to you?
[Off-topic] T.J. Bender:
2100 on your SAT? Back when I took it, 1600 was perfect (and I wasn't too far off of that...always excelled at standardized tests), so I'm not sure how that scores on the new scale. Seems pretty blinkin' high though, so congrats on that.

I think I worded things differently from how I meant them. I'm not out to downplay the importance of getting a degree, but I do believe that some people spend way too much time and energy in high school getting into an incredibly expensive private college so that they can end up with a $400,000 degree that's, real world, worth $50,000 a year to start. If you come out of college with a $100,000 starting salary, then yeah, your $400,000 was worth it. Thing is, most of the people who get those $400,000 degrees head for grad school, where they--wait for it--rack up more debt. You're $800,000 in debt before you even see the professional world. Unless you're going to make $200,000+ per year as your starting salary, it's not worth it.

Had I stayed at my original school, I'd probably be a lawyer by now. I'd be making $150,000 at this point in my career, yeah, but I'd be working 100+ hours per week. One conversation I'll always remember was between myself and a lawyer that I was visiting for the day as part of a project for a college course, after transferring to ASU. I'd been in his office (which was the size of a studio apartment) for a matter of minutes, and he'd invited me to take a seat on the couch he had in there. I commented on how comfortable it was, and he replied that it was that comfortable because he slept on it six nights a week. He was making $220,000 per year, but had so many student loans left over that it would be 15 years more before he had them all paid off. He hardly saw his wife or kid for more than a couple hours at a time, and even though he was viewed as a rising star at his firm who had a shot at making partner, he wanted nothing more than to back out into a field that would've allowed him to spend more time at home. Thing is, doing so would've strangled him with loan payments and sent his family into bankruptcy. That was when I figured out that I wanted to skip the whole "lawyer" bit and focus on getting a bachelor's degree in a field I liked, then just work hard and let it ride. My wife and I are doing fine financially, and even though I work 10-12 hours a day, I work from home (except when I'm, you know, in Texas). We've got a decent house in the country, which was kind of my endgame scenario, so to be there already works perfectly well for me. I'm not raking in half of what that lawyer was making (not even close), but I'm happier than he'll ever be. That's the point I was trying to make; hard work and doing spit right will carry you a long way, and we should all strive to both of those. At some point, practicality has to set in, and if you're picking up $800,000 in student loan debt for a job that starts you at $120,000 per year...you're doing it wrong.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
If you mean self censored then yeah. I was gonna replace it with something much worse. lol Deep down I'm a bitter sarcastic trolling drone from hell. I just try to hide it by being just helpful enough not to get the axe. Although I guess one more infraction and I get a vacation from this place. lol I swear that was PM'd to me a few weeks ago. Go figure.
[Off-topic] T.J. Bender:
Oh snap, the "education" conversation ended already. Sorry guys, I can really type when I've got a strong feeling about something.
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
You can upgrade on att then cancel the data plan same day you get the phone. Done it once lastbyear
[Off-topic] mtdew:
No it was a dispute between you and me in a thread. Which admittedly got a bit personal on my end apologies. My issue isn't so much with the avatar as it is with the fact that rule enforcement is not set.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
It's out of 2400 now but my score was in the 96th percentile; so pretty good.

And very well put; like really.

I'm just thankful that being in Maryland I have instate tuition to UMD - which runs about 1500 a semester (so expensive, but perfectly affordable) - and I have access to the in-state tuition for schools like Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. My total schooling won't run me too high into the deep end =p.

I was banned here for a month or two; made me really lose interest in the community. That's all I can really say about that.
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
Unless a lawyer really enjoys being a lawyer the debt part will really suck. I had 2 years of proper law prior to migrating to US. Still hoping to get back to school and get my llb but with a two year old and very small family income that dream is slowly fading to oblivion. I am hoping to pass that hopes and dreams to my son. :o
[Off-topic] hechoen:
For you my man I'll be happy to keep it going. And yeah you can type for sure. Nice post up there. I heard a stat the other day that 90% of americans couldn't come up with $2000 CASH inside of 24 hours. If that's true it's sad. Leveraging yourself to the gills to keep up with a lifestyle you can't afford is bad voodoo economics. Doesn't matter if your out of college or a twenty year professional. Any type of debt is a bad idea but debt that you absorb for the sake of "affluency" should be criminal. It is in some countries. lol

dew no need to apologize but thanks. I never took it personally. I actually agreed with you about the lack of hard stead fast rules on that subject. Which was "best threads" for those of you who missed it. The avatar is actually the best photo representation of sarcasm that I could find in a thirty second search. lol In reality it doesn't break any forum rules that I can tell. It's all good between us on my end.
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
A good education in my book is not "affluency" not saying that other schools are bad or anything but if my son gets a chance to go to harvardbor ohio state university... I'd prefer he go to harvard even if he is going to rake in debts. I guess being an asian makes it a lil more different for me. Not to be disagreeable or anything like that just saying it is a lot different for us .
[Off-topic] hechoen:
I guess the point wasn't so much about x .vs y schools but more about how much ANYONE should be willing to go into debt. Kinda like the idea of robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's just not a sound way to be as a culture.
[Off-topic] mtdew:
I'm still certain I have seen it I never could find it but I know it was prbassplayer who pointed it out lol. None of the mods have ever given me the answer I wanted to hear just the generic reason why they are bad it drives me nuts. It's like I'm not typing in English. Rules to me 99% of the time are black and white it's seldom I see grey regardless of my personal vested interests. So I see the rules and I see the non compliant and it makes me wonder how much clearer does it have to be to take effect.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
Yep. Here's the interesting thing about moderation. They enforce the rules but also can use their own judgement about the rules. Makes it really interesting to get a straight answer. Case in point. I got an infraction for "inciting flaming". No where in the rules is that even mentioned yet I still get to carry my 5 points for six months. If anyone is interested I'll give more details. lol
[Off-topic] mtdew:
I remember seeing illnevertell talk about a troll. He was all over the place but he did know his info which it sucks seeing decent knowledge gone. I lurked for a long time I just never saw a need for an account.
[Off-topic] whosgotlag:
Harvard is Harvard; you leave from there you'll find a good job. I wouldn't mind working long hours as long as it's something I like. Marketing for Google would be the dream job; but that'd be unattainable.

It's hard to think of what you really want to do that's still a legitimate career option. I need to make money; I want to either continue living in the DC, New York [for a bit], or some other big city. Even London; or Sweden.

How the hell did you all decide your careers

edit

Where'd he go
[Off-topic] T.J. Bender:
Very true. I had the benefit of in-state tuition at ASU, as my mother had moved out to Phoenix during my year at the liberal arts school. My student debt was paid off long ago, my wife's as well. It drives my wife nuts when I make another dump into the savings account and leave the checking account low enough that it'll cover the basics and nothing else, but if my situation ever changes and I find myself out of work, she'll be really happy about that six months or so worth of living expenses we have available to us.

I would argue that Ivy League schools are the only degrees worth digging a financial hole over for the name. I know four people who went to Ivy League schools, one of them's in my field. She's doing a job very similar to mine, only a couple rungs higher up the food chain, and she's making C-level money doing it purely because she has a degree from Brown and the company she works for wants to make sure she doesn't go anywhere.

The culture of debt in the United States scares the spit out of me. People keep wondering why the economy sucks, here's a hint: the average American family has $15,000 in credit card debt, and rake in $50,000 per year pre-tax. Add in the typical mortgage ($1,400 per month) and car payments ($400 per month x2), and over half of that income--$26,400--is spoken for already. Consider that that $50,000 will cost you 22% in federal taxes (federal income + Social Security), then subtract that $11,000 in taxes from the $23,600 left over from the above calculations, and you're left with $12,600 in real income to feed the family, pay the bills, and--oh yeah--pay down that credit card debt. Thing is, there aren't enough dollars there to do all three. You'd hope that people would see the hole they're digging and claw out, but no, the first answer of too many Americans is to go out and find another credit card, because there's always someone willing to give them one. The problem perpetuates itself. We live in a post-paid economy, and it's having disastrous effects because there are more IOUs than $$$s out there right now. That's kind of what drew me into the industry I'm in--the ability to offer good, solid prepaid alternatives to a post-paid society that's spending itself into obsolescence.
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
Truth is I don't see it that way... I see it as taking the best opportunity, giving the best to my son, and asking him to give his best in everything. If I let him settle for something less than what I know is the best and he doesn't succeed in life and have so many regrets then to me that is my failure as a mother. If however he takes the best route and nothing ever amounts to anything then at least we know we have done our very best, went to the very best school, took the best course base on our ability, and performed

To the best our ability then we have no one or nothing to blame.

ALSO forgot to mention, in law school you spend maybe 6 hours of sleep. When you are being consumed by law studies, it inflitrates your daily conversation and life in general. What makes you believe that after graduation it will be any different? As for family, growing up I didn't see my parents that much either .. 1-2hours a day but my parents were focusedbon us when they do see us. They don't watch tv or pay half attention to us. Family time is family time. All of us kids turned out okay in life. I Know stay at home parents who won't even look at their kids without one hand texting or playing in their pc or watching tv. It is not about time spent but how you spend it. finally, my parents NEVER made excuses that they didn't have too much time to spend with us because they were working. As a kid I learned that my parents worked to give us a better life, and no we did not get many gifts or toysal as bribe either.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
T.J.

Don't forget the 23% interest plus late fees on top of the initial charge. It's a loose loose for the consumer unless you use those cards to get cash back rewards and pay them off EVERY month. Banks get the win win. Money from the merchant for using the card and money from the consumer for using the card. Pretty sweet deal really. If you don't mind me asking what field are you in?

droid

It's honorable that you would want the best for your kids and I see your point. But to take it to the logical conclusion. You give everything you can so your offspring can have the best and they still fail. Are you not still going to find a way to blame yourself for their failures? It's an honest question which I don't have the answer to but something to think about none the less.
[Off-topic] T.J. Bender:
Oh yeah, how could I ever forget the interest rates that get higher with your debt? And even the credit cards that offer cash back give you 5% at most--against interest rates that average a hair under 15%. Everyone needs a credit card or two for emergencies, but no one needs ten cards open at the same time. It's a recipe for disaster.

I work in the prepaid debit card field, and that's, I hope understandably, just about as specific as I can get. I will say that I'm well-aware of the industry's crappy reputation (and I become more aware of it every day), but I can honestly tell you that I'm one of the good guys, and there are many, many good guys in the field now. I see great potential in the product to help, not exploit, and that's the attitude that I approach my job with.
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
Then you blame their lazy ass spouse! :D :p just kidding. I dunno at least in theory you hope they succeed and try not to think that they'll fail after so much hard work.

Ps: nobody wants to give me cc... after 3 years in US because of my hubby's credit score situation. Still workingbon that... trying to turn my white boy into a chinese penny pincher is hard work but I must persist until I succeed!
[Off-topic] mtdew:
It's hard to see your children in that light anyway. I look at my son everyday and I just imagine all I hope to do for him. I don't think I could ever see my son as a failure as long as he is a good person and he tries his best.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
If you have right intentions with it then it's not a crappy field. Those who have either no credit or bad credit need that service to build or rebuild credit. What's the big difference between a debit card and a credit card(pre-paid or regular)? With credit you get reported to the credit agencies for using it. With debit you don't. So if you wanna have a solid credit rating it's better to use the credit card. People just need to realize that they should treat it as a debit card and always pay off the last statement balance in full. BAM. No interest and building your credit at the same time. In the case of pre-paid that's already done for you. I've given that advice to more than one person trying to rebuild their credit line.

EDIT: and when droid reads this I've just given that same advice to her. I'm also sure T.J. would be happy to help you out with it. lol
[Off-topic] garydv2002:
Well speaking on debt from my personal perspective is do everything you can to eliminate as much debt as possible as quick as possible. Our economy is definitely going down the toilet with no signs of improvement. The one thing that might could turn the economy around isnt never gonna happen and thats 1.00 per gallon gas again. But enough on that before it turns into a political debate....

As for me, we made our last house payment January 3rd. I am 40 years old and for the first time in my life I own my home, meaning no mortgage payment. We struggled but I paid it off in 5 years doubling up on payments and anytime there was extra cash we paid it on our home. I learned the importance of having a home in 2005 when standing in front of a pile of rubble after Katrina took our first home and scattered it across 3 counties. For 3 years after that we were forced to rent whatever we could find as I waited for our insurance company that was also destroyed by Katrina to pay off on our claim. I refused any help from the government, state, or fema. I never once asked fema for a check as soooo many others did. Not saying they are wrong I just didn't want to be depending on the government. Finally after 3 years our insurance paid the claim which allowed us to put a down payment on the home I own now. For three long years we were stuck in another state where we didn't know anyone and finally we came home to Mississippi. It feels good to know that I now own my home. No mortgage no more. Now its time to pay off the vehicles which is where the extra mortgage money is gonna go until all my debt is gone...

I agree with you guys the debt in this country has gotten out of control. From the everyday person all the way to Washington, Americans borrow entirely too much money for things thats really not needed.
[Off-topic] hechoen:
gary

That sounds like it actually worked out pretty damn well as much as it must have sucked at the time. I'm assuming equity in the home that was lost from the rising real estate bubble played a part in the insurance claim. Then bubble breaks and you get the new home for close to market bottom? Pinch every penny to pay it off and equity from their can only go up(one hopes lol). Close?
[Off-topic] droidbabyxda:
I understand the theory of raising credit score unfortunately by the time I arrived on the scene my hubby's score was about to flat line... lol. We do own our house (no rent or motgage payment yey!) But having a tiny income sucks. This year we are geared towards opening our own store (2nd hand bookstore and take out counter) so hoping things will finally improve.

On a side note, when I first got here my husband loves Walmart and will absolutely not price shop. I finally broke him in that bad habit and he is now trained to canvass prices before shopping! Yey for me!
[Off-topic] garydv2002:
Yea I got very lucky with my current homes price. A lady just wanted to sell it to get something smaller since her husband has passed away. It appraised then (in 2008) at 78, 000 for a 3 bedroom 2 full bath brick home on 3 acres. She sold it to me for 35, 000. She had just had a new roof put on and a 5000 dollar water well installed right before her husband passed. So I dont have a water bill and I got clean fresh spring water from the well with no chemicals that water companies put in their water. She wanted enough to buy a one bedroom mobile home and as half acre with a little left to spend.

On a side note when I made my last payment the loan manager at the bank comes to me and says well dont you need a home improvement loan. I said no no no... no more mortgage. He said you sure I can have you a 30, 000 or 40, 000 dollar check by the end of the week if you want it. As hard as it was to hear the little devil in my pocket saying come on ill tote the note I very quickly said no and walked away. As I was walking off he said well if you change your mind let me know